Essay On High Functioning Autism

Parenting in itself and dealing with the average circumstances is difficult and a cause of great stress among families. But often times an extraordinary situation is found within families, and one is Autism. Through research of observation and surveys, there is evidence of how children with High Functioning Autism affect the family through stresses in relationships to both parents and other siblings, and how that child influences the family’s activities and decisions. In a study done Patricia A. Rao of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, and Deborah C. Beidel of the University of Central Florida, evidence is shown on how relationship stress differentiates between families with and without children with High Functioning Austism. This particular study was performed through a series of surveys in which parents and siblings rated their levels of stress. One of the major results of this study is how families that are personally affect by a child with High Functioning Autism have significantly increased stress levels. This included the stress in relationships of parent to child. A majority of this stress was labeled as being caused by attributes of the child such as hyperactivity, mood swings, magnified needs, and behavior in social settings. For example, a specific child with autism may be very demanding in their wants and even have …show more content…
Siblings in these families had a degree of stress added onto them as they learned and continued to adjust and accommodate to the needs of their sibling. If one particular child with autism is one that thrives with routinization, the siblings then too must make modifications in their lives to help the overall peace of the family. While there is stress within all families, the results of this study show that those who have children with autism have been found to have higher