Last week, a study came out in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders which said, in essence, that in many cases mothers of teens and adults with autism are under tremendous stress. The blog DisabilityScoop cites the study as saying:
Mothers of adolescents and adults with autism experience chronic stress comparable to combat soldiers and struggle with frequent fatigue and work interruptions, new research finds. These moms also spend significantly more time caregiving than moms of those without disabilities.
No kidding is all I can say about that. I had to leave a job I loved to care for her, we moved to another state for family support and better schools, and I am isolated from most of my family because they choose not to be supportive in our search to heal our child. I have to tell friends not to stop by because she can't handle the interruption, and any time we have company I HAVE to make them leave at her bedtime, 7:30, or she goes nuts. It is not similar to combat stress it IS combat stress. If I had a dollar for every time I had to physically restrain her I'd be able to pay for all the out of pocket therapy, supplements and special food we buy for her.
Enough of that, now I would like to see a study on how stressful it is for their NT siblings and dogs.
Looking forward to following your story here. Plus, when you are uber famous, I can say I knew you way back when!
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