Volume 17, No. 1, 2022

Helping Parents of Children with ASD Find Appropriate Family Support

AUTHOR(S):

  • Jarilyn Conner, Department of Teaching, Learning, & Professional Development, Bowie State University, Bowie, MD, USA
  • Jay R. Lucker, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA 

ABSTRACT

Parents finding out they have a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often frustrated and feel isolated when looking for family support to help them cope.  They may come to speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and audiologists for evaluations and therapy, but these professionals often focus their discussions with the parents on the evaluation findings and issues with therapy related to the children. What these professionals miss is discussing where the parents can find support in their communities to be more successful dealing with their children while finding others with whom they can share frustrations and concerns.

These interactions cannot only help parents with their children, but also bridge the gap with  professionals and the children’s caregivers. This article discusses the lack of support for Black parents who have a child with ASD and the emotional feelings, concerns, and frustrations these parents identify dealing with their child.  This will also include misconceptions that are faced by these parents and the negative interactions these parents have with the schools, with medical professionals, and others.  The purpose of the article is for SLPs and Audiologists to engage with families and provide appropriate discussions regarding where the families can obtain adequate community support and services.

DOI:

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