Parents - look after yourselves

06/20/21 • 4 min

In this episode, let’s talk about some ways parents can look after themselves, and the emotional expectations upon learning about your child’s autism diagnosis.

References:

Algood, C.L., Harris, C., & Hong, J.S. (2013). Parenting success and challenges for families of children with disabilities: An ecological systems analysis. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 23(2), 126-136. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2012.747408.

Banach, M., Iudice, J., Conway, L., & Couse, L.J. (2010). Family support and empowerment: Post autism diagnosis support group for parents. Social Work with Groups, 33(1), 69-83. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01609510903437383.

Barlow, J., Powell, L., & Gilchrist, M. (2006). The influence of the training and support programme on the self-efficacy and psychological well-being of parents of children with disabilities: A controlled trial. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 12, 55-63. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2005.02.005.

Fernańdez-Alcántara, M., García-Caro, P., Pérez-Marfil, N., Hueso-Montoro, C., Laynez-Rubio, C., & Cruz-Quintana, F. (2016). Feelings of loss and grief in parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research in Developmental Disabilities, 55, 312-321. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2016.05.007.

Hsiao, Y.J., Higgins, K., Pierce, T., Whitby, P.J.S., & Tandy, R.D. (2017). Parental stress, family quality of life, and family-teacher partnerships: Families of children with autism spectrum disorder. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 70 , 152-162. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2017.08.013.

Lai, W.W., Goh, T.J., Oei, T.P.S., & Sund, M. (2015). Coping and well-being in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(8), 2582-2593. doi: doi.org/10.1007/s10803-015-2430-9.

Links:

Association for Children with a Disability - https://www.acd.org.au/

https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/communicating-relationships/family-relationships/family-stress-asd

https://mytime.net.au/

Looking after yourself - https://www.carergateway.gov.au/help-advice/looking-after-yourself

Mental health plan - https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-treatment-plan

For more information, head over to Aspect Australia - www.autismspectrum.org.au.

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional, just a student with a passion for autism.

In this episode, let’s talk about some ways parents can look after themselves, and the emotional expectations upon learning about your child’s autism diagnosis.

References:

Links:

Association for Children with a Disability - https://www.acd.org.au/

https://raisingchildren.net.au/autism/communicating-relationships/family-relationships/family-stress-asd

https://mytime.net.au/

Looking after yourself - https://www.carergateway.gov.au/help-advice/looking-after-yourself

Mental health plan - https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/mental-health-treatment-plan

For more information, head over to Aspect Australia - www.autismspectrum.org.au.

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional, just a student with a passion for autism.

Previous Episode

Vaccines and Autism

In this episode, let’s talk about where the link between vaccines and autism came from and why the myth still persists, despite ample amounts of research disproving that vaccines can cause autism.

References:

DeStefano, F., Price, C.S., & Weintraub, E.S. (2013). Increasing exposure to antibody-stimulating proteins and polysaccharides in vaccines is not associated with risk of autism. The Journal of Pediatrics, 163(2), 561-567. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2013.02.001.

DeStefano, R., Shimabukuro, T.T. (2019). The MMR vaccine and autism. Ann Rev Virol, 6(1), 1-16.

DeStefano, R. (2007). Vaccines and Autism: Evidence Does Not Support a Causal Association. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 82(6), 756-759.

Gerber, J. S., & Offit, P. A. (2009). Vaccines and autism: a tale of shifting hypotheses. Clinical infectious diseases: an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, 48(4), 456–461. https://doi.org/10.1086/596476

Goin-Kochel, R.P., Mire, S.S., Dempsey, A.G., Fein, R.H., Guffey, D., Minard, C.G., Cunningham, R.M., Sahni, L.C., & Boom, J.A. (2016). Parental report of vaccine receipt in children with autism spectrum disorder: Do rates differ by pattern of ASD onset? Vaccine, 34(11), 13335-1342, doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2016.02.008.

Makela, A., Nuorti, J. P., & Peltola, H. (2002). Neurologic disorders after measles-mumps-rubella vaccination. Pediatrics, 110(5), 957–963. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.110.5.957

Morrow, E. M., Yoo, S. Y., Flavell, S. W., Kim, T. K., Lin, Y., Hill, R. S., Mukaddes, N. M., Balkhy, S., Gascon, G., Hashmi, A., Al-Saad, S., Ware, J., Joseph, R. M., Greenblatt, R., Gleason, D., Ertelt, J. A., Apse, K. A., Bodell, A., Partlow, J. N., Barry, B., Walsh, C. A. (2008). Identifying autism loci and genes by tracing recent shared ancestry. Science (New York, N.Y.), 321(5886), 218–223. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1157657

Taylor, L.E., Swerdfeger, A.L., & Eslick, G.D. (2014). Vaccines are not associated with autism: An evidence-based meta-analysis of case-control and cohort studies. Vaccine, 32(29), 3623-3629. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2014.04.085.

Wakefield, A.J., Murch, S.H., Anthony, A., Linnell, J., Casson, D.M., Malik, M., Berelowitz, M., Dhillon, A.P., Thomson, M.A., Harvey, P., Valentine, A., Davies, S.E., & Walker-Smith, J.A. (1998). RETRACTED: Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis and pervasive developmental disorder in children. The Lancet, 351(9103), 637–641. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(97)11096-0.

For more information, head over to Aspect Australia - www.autismspectrum.org.au.

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional, just a student with a passion for autism.

Next Episode

Why? When? How?

In this episode, let’s talk about why, when and how children should learn about their autism diagnosis.

References:

Dundon, R. (2018). Talking with your child about their autism diagnosis: A guide for parents. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kinsley Publishers.

Vermeulen, P. (2013). I am special: Introducing children and young people to their autistic spectrum disorder (2nd ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Zaks, Z. (2006). Life and love: Positive strategies for autistic adults. Shawnee, KS: Autism Asperger Publishing.

Wheeler, M. (2020, May). Getting started: Introducing your child to his or her diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder.

Links:

https://www.amaze.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Amaze-Information-Sheet-Sharing-an-autism-diagnosis.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmrR4UgKFyA&ab_channel=nlconcepts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rguyTZeeQv8&ab_channel=AutismAwarenessAustralia

For more information, head over to Aspect Australia - www.autismspectrum.org.au.

Disclaimer: I'm not a professional, just a student with a passion for autism.