Breaking Through Autism

Having a special needs (SN) child brings with it many of the typical joys of parenting, but let’s not kid ourselves into believing that there aren’t major drawbacks for the parents. As a psychologist and parent of a special needs child of my own, I have detected several negative effects which I’ll describe in detail below.

Parenting can be stressful under the best of circumstances, but moms and dads of children with developmental and mental health challenges often have to deal with strain of a different magnitude. Caring for a child with special needs can become a full-time job — and an overwhelming one at that, if you...

Caravel’s autism health specialists work every day in the homes of families living with autism. They know firsthand how much is required of these parents – who need to bring more than the average amount of strength, perseverance and resourcefulness – day after day. “The challenge can be daunting,”...

The previous chapter describes universal and widely available interventions designed to strengthen parenting and support parents of young children. This chapter turns to evidence-based and evidence-informed interventions used in a variety of settings (e.g., health care, education, the home) with some evidence of effectiveness in supporting parents and parenting knowledge, attitudes, and...

Many parents of autistic children report that their child received repeated or prolonged courses of antibiotic drugs for ear or other respiratory infections during their first year, before the diagnosis of autism. Broad-spectrum antibiotics kill good as well as bad bacteria in the gut, and this may be why autistic children commonly...