Raising a child with Autism places some extraordinary demands on parents as individuals and on the family as a whole. Prime among these demands is the lack of enough hours in the day to do all one wishes. Specifically, the time involved in meeting the needs of a family member with ASD may leave parents with little time for their other children.
Many parents feel that even as they do all they can for their child with Autism, they are always struggling with how best to respond to the needs of the family as a whole. They say that although their own life as an individual may be put “on hold” and a couple may share an understanding of the need to make sacrifices on behalf of their child with ASD, few parents are willing to make that same demand of other children in the family. As a result, there is a continual tension between the needs of the child with Autism and those of the other children.
This section offers suggestions to parents about ways to help the other children in the family cope gracefully and effectively with the experience of having a brother or sister with Autism. Research indicates that the majority of brothers and sisters of children with ASD cope well with their experiences. That does not mean, however, that they do not encounter special challenges in learning how to deal with a sibling who has Autism or a related disorder.
Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence has a helpful document about tips for supporting individuals with autism spectrum disorders:
Tips to Enhance Interactions with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
