Focus on feelings and hope

While developmental disorders are biological, they have real psychological and social effects--both on the affected individual and those who care for them. Parents of a child diagnosed with autism or another developmental disorder must typically come to terms with the diagnosis, grieve the loss of their dream of having a non-disabled child, and cope with the day to day struggles of parenting an affected child. Quite often, family members handle these challenges differently, which can lead to conflict between parents, siblings, and others. Additionally, the demands of caring for their disabled child can cause family members to have problems balancing work and other pressures. Sometimes, it just gets to be too much. But what about me? is a special fact sheet for parents and caregivers on the effects of these pressures and strategies for coping with them.

Speaking with a therapist who understands developmental disorders can be very helpful at different times in this process. Focus therapists are skilled at helping individuals and families find solutions to their day to day problems, caring and supportive in exploring individual feelings, and able to support family members in communicating more effectively about their needs and preferences. In many cases, participating in therapy is an important step in getting the whole family together to more effectively support the affected child and each other.   Unlike other counseling centers, our therapists also have training and experience in working with autism and other developmental disorders and understand the particular challenges faced by our clients and their families.