Did you know that mothers of children with autism experience the stress levels of combat
soldiers?
Today I'll be addressing this serious issue and giving some strategies to help reduce
stress.
Each week I provide you with some of my ideas about turning autism around, so if you haven't
subscribed to my YouTube channel you can do that now.
Several years ago in 2009, a study was published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental
disorders which examined the stress levels of 96 mothers of adolescents and adults with
autism compared to mothers of children without disabilities.
The mothers were interviewed at the end of each day and saliva samples were taken every
four days to test their hormone levels.
The study found that a hormone that was related to stress was extremely low, consistent with
people experiencing chronic stress, such as soldiers in combat.
The study also found that mothers of older children and adults with ASD spend significantly
more time providing care and doing chores than mothers of typically developing kids
and less time in their own leisure activities.
In fact, the autism mom spends at least 2 hours more a day caring for their children
than the moms of children who were not disabled.
These moms suffered from chronic fatigue, arguments, and they were three times as likely
to report a stressful event each day and twice as likely as the control group to report being
tired.
The mothers of the children with autism were interrupted at work 1 out of every 4 days
compared to 1 out of every 10 days for parents of non autistic children.
The mothers of children with high levels of behavior problems had the most pronounced
profile of chronic stress.
The greater the child's behavior problems were, the worse the mother's stress.
Long term effects on physical health were not studied, but the hormone levels have been
associated with chronic health problems and can affect glucose regulation, immune functioning,
and mental activity.
Another study by Singh and colleagues published in 2006 suggested that stress levels can be
reduced by teaching parents how to handle problem behaviors like aggression.
In earlier studies by Hastings and Beck in 2004 noted that when interventions result
in children's language acquisition and in the reduction of problem behaviors, parents
experience a greater sense of wellbeing and a reduction in reported stress levels.
What can you do to reduce stress?
First of all, I want to say as an autism mom for two decades and as a Behavioral Analyst,
I tell parents that this is a marathon, not a sprint.
In fact, it's more of a marathon on a rollercoaster if there could be such a thing.
There are definitely ups and downs along the way.
I have found that things like meditation can really help reduce stress.
I have done the miracle morning meditation routine and that might be something to look
into.
Also, getting respite and care for your children as much as possible is ideal, because we all
need a break and we all need to do some things for ourselves.
You can join support groups, either locally or online.
It might help just to talk to people who understand.
It's important to spend time with your significant other and also with your other children.
One of the advices of the doctor who diagnosed Lucas early on was to spend time with me and
just Spencer, my other son, spend time with me and just Lucas, and spend time with me
and just my husband and not to focus on doing everything as a family unit.
I know this is kind of sad in a way, but if you all have to stay home and not experience
going to sporting events or going to musicals, it can get even more stressful.
I also think as a registered nurse and a Behavioral Analyst that ruling out medical issues is
really important.
This is an ongoing process.
While it seems stressful to go to appointments or to look into medical issues, I have found
that digging in and finding out some of the medical problems that Lucas was experiencing
actually reduces his problem behavior and caused me less stress in the long run.
You want to look into medical reasons for the problem behaviors, especially if there's
a sudden worsening or a change in behavior.
I also think counseling is a great idea.
In chapter 12 of my book I talk about how my husband and I got counseling shortly after
the diagnosis of autism.
Professional counseling I think is always a great idea.
Another thing you can do is take care of yourself as much as possible with things like exercise,
time with friends, and even going on vacations.
I think early on I got so involved with going to autism conferences, partially because I
could get a hotel room and sleep in my own bed through the night without interruption,
and I could also learn.
Those are just some general tips.
I think the most important advice that I have for autism moms is to learn all you can about
ABA, since learning how to apply this proven science almost always will lead to improved
language and a reduction in problem behaviors.
With over two decades in the autism world, first as an overwhelmed and confused and stressed
out autism mom, then as a Behavior Analyst, author and online course creator, I feel like
the more you can become the captain of the ship and learn how to improve language, how
to decrease problem behaviors across all settings, teach self-care skills and independent leisure
activities, the less stress you will feel in the long run.
Wherever you're watching this I would love it if you would leave me a comment, give me
a thumbs up and share this video with others who might benefit.
For more information on my approach for turning autism around attend a free online workshop
at marybarbera.com/workshops.
I'll see you right here next week.