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For parents and caregivers supporting a child receiving Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, the journey can feel equal parts rewarding and overwhelming at times. While devoting immense energy to your loved one's growth, remembering self-care is essential, too.
For parents and caregivers supporting a child receiving Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, the journey can feel equal parts rewarding and overwhelming at times. While devoting immense energy to your loved one's growth, remembering self-care is essential, too.
The Realities of Caregiver Stress
The Realities of Caregiver Stress
Even with comprehensive support systems, raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves heightened emotional, physical, and financial demands compared to typical families. Some common sources of caregiver stress include:
Even with comprehensive support systems, raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves heightened emotional, physical, and financial demands compared to typical families. Some common sources of caregiver stress include:
- Disruptions to daily routines, schedules, and activities
- Navigating the complexities of therapies, appointments, and programs
- Strained relationships with partners, siblings, and extended family
- Advocating ceaselessly for your child and ensuring school inclusion
- Processing feelings of grief over expectations that won't be met
- Financial burdens of covering uncovered therapy costs
- Lack of personal time and difficulty finding respite care
Left unchecked, these strains can contribute to increased anxiety, depression, isolation, and even compromised physical health.
Left unchecked, these strains can contribute to increased anxiety, depression, isolation, and even compromised physical health.
Prioritizing Wellness and Balance
Prioritizing Wellness and Balance
While your child's needs understandably take precedence, neglecting your own mental and physical health ultimately aids no one. Some self-care strategies to embrace:
While your child's needs understandably take precedence, neglecting your own mental and physical health ultimately aids no one. Some self-care strategies to embrace:
- Make time regularly for restorative solo activities you enjoy
- Nurture relationships and social circles outside of caregiving
- Build exercise, mindfulness, and nutrition into routines
- Access respite care, even briefly, to recharge
- Seek counseling and join caregiver support groups
- Communicate needs to family, providers, and employers openly
- Purposefully schedule date nights, getaways, and guilt-free breaks
When you're rested, recharged, and tended to holistically, you have more abundant patience, empathy, and energy to devote to your exceptional child.
When you're rested, recharged, and tended to holistically, you have more abundant patience, empathy, and energy to devote to your exceptional child.
Remember, you're your child's greatest advocate. Prioritizing your own wellness provides the fortitude for the entire family not just to survive, but thrive.
Remember, you're your child's greatest advocate. Prioritizing your own wellness provides the fortitude for the entire family not just to survive, but thrive.
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