Although many parents of autistic children do everything in their power to support their child to the best of their ability, it is still necessary for many parents to turn to outside resources to aid them in providing the care and attention that their child needs. There are many ways in which this outside aid can be extremely beneficial when working cooperatively with the parents to provide the best outcomes and options for the autistic child. The vast majority of parents seek to aid their children in whatever way possible to minimize the difficulties that these kids have in relation to typically-developing children, but this looks different for almost every child or family. I will outline some of the most common resources that parents either use or strive to make better for their children outside of the home.
#1: Teachers
One major way in which teachers can help parents help their children is to be fully educated on the topic of students with ASD. Knowing the language of special education, as well as understanding the various challenges and benefits that come with having ASD can be extremely beneficial to a teacher trying to aid a student on the spectrum. Programs
such as ones by Autism Speaks have been developed to help educate teachers further. This is particularly important, because if a positive relationship can be formed between the home life and school life of an ASD student, learning and the school process in general can become much easier for both the student and parents. Parents can work with teachers to determine the best plan of education for their student, and how much they want their child included in the general education system. If a teacher is well-versed in autism education, this can be a huge benefit to aiding parents in navigating the school environment.
#2: Therapists
Not only can therapists help provide emotional support and guidance to
an autistic child, they can also provide support to parents. Many parents of autistic children feel that it is incredibly important for them to see a psychologist themselves, for things such as aiding in the transition to fully understanding a child’s diagnosis. Stress management and parenting skills are also very important things that a therapist can help develop in parents of autistic children. If parents are able to work with therapists in a productive manner, many new strategies can be developed both for stress management, as well as ways in which they can better parent their child.
#3: Policymakers
Finally, one of the most important things that parents can do for their autistic child is to educate themselves on the rights of their child, and lobby either with them or on their behalf to force politicians to make laws that treat their children more fairly. The public policy on how autistic people are to be treated in schools and in other aspects of society vary from state to state, but there are also federal laws put in place to protect neurodiverse individuals, including those on the ASD spectrum. Not only is it important for parents to support their children in trying to make a betterlife for them legally, it is also of the utmost importance for them to understand and recognize when someone is violating their child’s rights.
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