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Parenting Autistic Kids
You love your child, and you've also lost YOURSELFThe psychologist goes through their assessment of your child and tells you your beloved is autistic. From there on, you read everything you can get your hands on, debate the pros/cons of ABA, OT, and social skills groups, and slowly, maybe begrudgingly, let the reality of this new knowledge sink in. Your own needs, feelings & dreams are put on the back burner.
❋ You blame yourself when you forget to tell your kid to put on their noise-cancelling headphones before you turn on the blender.
❋ When your kid comes home sad from school because they misunderstood their classmate’s invitation to play at recess, you shut down because you’re anxious.
❋ While you work on your laptop in the waiting room of the OT clinic, your child climbs through an obstacle course of lycra hammocks instead of going to soccer practice like many of their peers. You feel a pang of sadness, and you push it away.
❋ You make two separate dinners again, one for your child and one for yourself and maybe your partner. Guilt creeps in as you look at the same plate of beige food, maybe with a dollop of red ketchup, for the upteenth night in a row.
WHAT we do in sessionsWe start where you are and not where you think you should be. You have spent so much time understanding your children’s needs and getting them the right supports. Now, we do the same for you so you can be resourced as we dive in. Together, we get curious about your life, so the impacts of your culture, the systems you live in, and your own history and environment become clear. We work to develop tools to support you in your reality. Sometimes, we feel like bad parents if we’re frustrated, anxious, or sad about the challenges of being a caregiver. I want you to know that you are not a bad parent. You are a human, with needs and feelings, just like your child.
WHAT getting better looks likeYou’re not waking up and immediately bracing for the day. You understand what you need and feel the permission to go after it. It feels like there’s a you that exists outside your child. You’re able to meet yourself with compassion on the rough days. When times get tough, because they still will, it doesn’t feel like you or your family is permanently broken. You can hold the hard times in balance with the good. If any of this sounds like you, you don’t have to manage it alone. Book a free 20-minute consultation.
