PRACTICE GUIDELINES FOR SPECIALISTS DEALING WITH PARENTS OF CHILDREN ON THE SPECTRUM

<doi>10.24250/JPE/2/2019/DG</doi>

Abstract

Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are known to present high levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The impact of the diagnosis is clearly presented in the literature and refers to consequences affecting the couple and the family. The understanding of the psychological impact faced by the family leads to the highlighting of a new approach addressing an integrative treatment plan. In these contexts, the importance of specialist like family and couple therapist in order to help members stay connected and together is clear. Hence, for all the specialists dealing with families of children on the spectrum, it is very difficult to know how to efficiently help these families. All the specialists dealing with families of ASD children could benefit from having some ideas about the ways they could help. Furthermore, the current paper aimed to explore the exact impact of diagnosis and to offer some suggestions that could serve as guidelines in practice.