Challenges Faced by families of Autistic Children

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a complex neurological disorder that affects brain function which causes impairments in multiple areas of development including social interaction, communication, and behavior and typically appears within the first three years of life. Families having children with ASD face many challenges as the disorder is associated with disruptive antisocial behavior. Parents with ASD children face extreme difficulties in dealing with challenging behaviors, teaching their child to communicate, teaching basic life skills, guarding their child from danger, and preparing their child for adult life. Besides, such families also experience high levels of stress, high recurrence risks, misconceptions and assumptions, feelings of guilt and blame regarding child’s diagnosis. The social stigma attached to the disorder causes lot of discrimination not only of the autistic child but also of the family as a whole because the family is seen to be a part of the illness. The present paper highlights the major challenges and difficulties faced by parents having children with autism.