Special Needs: Parenting a Child with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome
Running head: SPECIAL NEEDS: PARENTING A CHILD
Special Needs: Parenting a Child with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome
San Jose State University
Introduction
Parents who have children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should define their parenting technique more so than parents of neurotypical children. Children with ASD have many different needs. For example, an ASD child has great difficulties with their social skills; this deficiency causes them not to have meaningful social interactions. Their interests are narrow, and it dominates the child's life (Volkmar & Klin, 2000, as cited in Sansosti & Powell-Smith, 2006).
Asperger's syndrome or high functioning autistic children are under a special category. The term AS that is used to describe a child with mildest to highest functioning autism disorder (Atwood, 1998, as cited in Sansosti & Powell-Smith, 2006). It is very important that there should be a different approach when parenting and educating a child with AS. Coping with a child that has special needs is very different from a child that is neurotypical.
Since 2001 there has been a significant rise with children that have been identified with AS. According to Hyman, Rodier, and Davidson (2001) they reported that the incidence rate for AS is as high as 63 per 10,000 children born. The children attending preschool are ranging from 8.4 per 10,000 with AS (Chakrabarti & Fombone, 2002 as cited in Sansosti & Powell- Smith, 2006). The children ages 7 to 16 are 71 per 10,000 attending schools (Ehlers & Gillberg, 1997 as cited in Sansosti & Powell-Smith, 2006).
This research paper addresses issues on how a family with an ASD child is impacted. The first issue that will be discussed is what problems parents experience when parenting a child with ASD. Next, what are the issues within the family unit? Finally, what are the coping strategies? How does the disability impact the family? How can they become a more resilient and healthy family and
Special Needs: Parenting a Child with High Functioning Autism or Asperger Syndrome
San Jose State University
Introduction
Parents who have children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should define their parenting technique more so than parents of neurotypical children. Children with ASD have many different needs. For example, an ASD child has great difficulties with their social skills; this deficiency causes them not to have meaningful social interactions. Their interests are narrow, and it dominates the child's life (Volkmar & Klin, 2000, as cited in Sansosti & Powell-Smith, 2006).
Asperger's syndrome or high functioning autistic children are under a special category. The term AS that is used to describe a child with mildest to highest functioning autism disorder (Atwood, 1998, as cited in Sansosti & Powell-Smith, 2006). It is very important that there should be a different approach when parenting and educating a child with AS. Coping with a child that has special needs is very different from a child that is neurotypical.
Since 2001 there has been a significant rise with children that have been identified with AS. According to Hyman, Rodier, and Davidson (2001) they reported that the incidence rate for AS is as high as 63 per 10,000 children born. The children attending preschool are ranging from 8.4 per 10,000 with AS (Chakrabarti & Fombone, 2002 as cited in Sansosti & Powell- Smith, 2006). The children ages 7 to 16 are 71 per 10,000 attending schools (Ehlers & Gillberg, 1997 as cited in Sansosti & Powell-Smith, 2006).
This research paper addresses issues on how a family with an ASD child is impacted. The first issue that will be discussed is what problems parents experience when parenting a child with ASD. Next, what are the issues within the family unit? Finally, what are the coping strategies? How does the disability impact the family? How can they become a more resilient and healthy family and
References: Bigner, J. J. (2006). Parent-child relations: An introduction to parenting (7th edition) Dunn, M. E., Burbine, T., Bowers, C. A., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (2001). Eastin, M., Greenberg, B., & Hofschire, L. (2006). Parenting the internet. Gray, D. E. (2003). Gender and coping: The parents of children with high functioning Hyman, S. L., Rodier, P.M., & Davidson, P. (2001). Pervasive developmental disorders in young Pain, H. (1999). Coping with a child with disabilities from the parents ' perspective: The Sansosti, F. J., & Powell-Smith, K. A. (2006). Using social stories to improve the social Ramey, S. L., DeLuca, S., & Echols, K. (2003). Resilience in families with children who are