In So Many Words

It is so easy to focus all of our attention and energies on our child or children with special needs and forget about taking care of ourselves and our relationships. Here are some resources for these areas:

Personal

• More Than a Mom: Living a Full And Balanced Life When Your Child Has Special Needs by Heather Fawcett and Amy Baskin
• Parent to Parent USA has programs in many states to provide emotional and informational support by connecting parents with special needs locally. I would encourage you to call if you would like to be connected with another parent or to sign up as a peer supporter if you have a couple of years under your belt as a special needs parent. You can specify how often you will be available and turn down any request if you are unable to fulfill it at that time.
• Many times a local support group is a good place to be refreshed, whether it is through special events, speakers on related topics, or simply the chance to connect with other parents who “get it” for a couple of hours. You may need to search these out, but it is worth checking for a local chapter of a national organization such as the Autism Society of America (ASA).

Marriage

• The divorce rate in families with an autistic child is commonly reported at around 80%. In the US, the National Autism Association has launched the Family First Fund, which is offering qualified grants to be used for local, face-to-face marriage counseling. Applications for the current grant period are due by June 15, 2008.
• Married with Special-Needs Children: A Couples’ Guide to Keeping Connected by Laura E. Marshak and Fran P. Prezant
• Strengthening Relationships: When Our Children Have Special Needs by Nicholas R M Martin

In researching this area, I found many more books dealing with siblings of children with disabilities than these topics, and I will follow up tomorrow with a separate list of those.

Related Posts:

• Autism Resource: Siblings
• Autism Resources: Parenting
• Autism Resources: Family Experiences