Most people not affected by autism in their immediate family cannot imagine the level of stress endured by the caregivers of those on the spectrum.  The only analogy that can serve as a visualization is that of a combat soldier affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Because in fact, that’s what parents and other caregivers of children and adults on the spectrum have been likened to. “Mothers of adolescents and adults with autism experience chronic stress comparable to combat soldiers and struggle with frequent fatigue and work interruptions,” according to one of two research studies published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders in 2009. These moms also spend significantly more time caregiving than moms of those without disabilities.

In a more recent study published in the same journal in January 2020, it was found that “Nearly 1 in 5 parents of kids with autism who participated in a new study had enough symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder to qualify for a provisional diagnosis.” “The study, which included hundreds of parents of children who are on the spectrum, found that 18.6 percent met criteria for PTSD.”

Now let’s imagine what will happen when the autistic kids become adults and graduate from school and have to stay home because there are no more mandated programs to continue to help them. But this doesn’t have to be the reality for our families any longer. Not with your help!