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Engaging and Supporting Parents of Children Recently Diagnosed with Autism
No parent wants to learn that their child is autistic. Hopes and dreams for a neurotypical child are mostly abandoned and replaced by fear, uncertainty and, often, despair. Thus, effective professional intervention must begin with active listening to grasp the parent perspective on their child’s...
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Empowering Caregivers Through an Innovative Peer Navigator Program
After a child receives an autism diagnosis, caregivers begin to look for appropriate services and supports. This journey requires them to navigate a very complicated service system. Caregivers are usually tasked with coordinating their children’s medical, educational, and community-based services...
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11 Compassionate Parenting Tips for Families with Autistic Children
Few people realize the challenges of being a parent, until they become one. Now, imagine the added challenges of parenting an autistic child which is becoming more common as the number of children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases. According to the Centers for Disease...
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Parents and Caregivers: What to Do if You Think Your Child is Autistic
My child has big emotional reactions and seems so sensitive to everything. I am always having to reassure my daughter when we go to new places or meet new people. My son wants to make friends so bad, but he has such a hard time knowing how to play with others. My daughter gets upset every time I...
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Parent Education Program for Families of Children with Newly Diagnosed Autism
The proliferation of misinformation related to autism spectrum disorder has been an issue for decades and one that capitalizes on the vulnerabilities of the population at which it is targeted (Capuano & Killu, 2020). The most infamous example of the harm that misinformation in the autism...
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Person-Centered Early Intervention Program: A Whole Family Approach
The prevalence of autism is at an all-time high. Today, we all seem to know a parent of a child who has been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to estimates from the CDC, the rate of autism has more than tripled over the span of two decades: from one in 150 in 2000, to one in...
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Listening is Key to Supporting Families and Caregivers and Leads to Better Outcomes
Supporting families and caregivers is a lifelong learning process as children and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) typically undergo many changes. When providing workshops to families about accessing services, I began to consider the question of how we can support them further, as...
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Autism Advocacy Advice for Families of Color
Autism occurs equally in people of different races, ethnicities, and income levels, but autism services are not distributed equally, according to research. As a group, children who are Black, Hispanic, Asian-American, or low-income often receive fewer therapies and services for autism.1-2 They...
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Making Meaningful Connections: Amy Kelly Discusses Value of Devereux’s Internal Family Support Group
At Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health, we are always looking for ways to better support our talented and hard-working team members. Devereux National Director of Family Engagement Amy Kelly, MBA, MNM, leads a family support group for Devereux employees and their significant others who are parents,...
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Advice for Parents with Children Entering Post-Secondary Education
The transition from high school to post-secondary education can be overwhelming. There are several different pathways to success for your loved one, including a specialized post-secondary experience for non-degree seeking students to provide them with a college campus experience, programs that...
