Full Love Ahead

"Stop picking on him.  You know he can't help it." 

"You baby him too much.  He's driving me crazy."

"He's not the problem.  You are.  You expect too much.   You're the grown up.  Act like one!"

Doors slam.  Tears flow.   This argument can be heard on a frequent basis in  many homes.

The stress raising a child with ASD is a hardship on a marriage.   You find yourself in the position of referee.   You find yourself alone, with your spouse sputtering, "He's all yours!"

As our site develops, we will explore the difficulties and offer tips to get you through the tough times.   

We welcome your stories and comments. 

Both parents usually go through the cycle of denial, guilt, anger, grief, confusion and helplessness.   But it is unlikely that they are experiencing the same point on the cycle at the same time.  For example, a Mom could be dealing with feelings of guilt while Dad is in denial.    

While the responsiblity is shared, often it's the mother who does the lion's share of  the work.  The autism puzzle includes handling the school piece, the medical piece, the health insurance piece, the mental health piece, the financial piece, the social life and family piece, the actual time spent caring for the child as well as other responsiblities.   Often they have no time left to attend support groups, or even take adequate care of themselves.

Yet, with all this being said, the mother's often seem better equipped to handle dealing with their child.  Autism is more frequently diagnosed in boys and the strain on the unique father/son relationship is often very difficult for the Dads to bear.

The National Autism Association estimates that the divorce rate in the autism community is 80%.  

If your marriage is in trouble, seek counseling. 

Don't wait.   You need all of the support you can get.   

If you are a single parent, you need even more support.   Don't be afraid to ask.   Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give your child!

 "I still do."   

"I still do too."