Tag: mothers
Mothers of children with autism pay price in workplace
EurekAlert!
VANCOUVER, Wash.—Mothers of children with autism see their careers disproportionally affected as they confront greater demands on their time, inflexible workplaces and increased medical costs, according to a new study by researchers at Washington State University Vancouver.
The study, based on a survey of 326 families in Washington and Oregon, found that slightly more than half the women worked fewer hours to accommodate the needs of their child and three out of five had not taken a job because of their child’s autism. To care for the child, one-quarter had taken a leave of absence and nearly as many had not taken a promotion. Nearly 60 percent had suffered financial problems in the past year.
via WSU researchers find mothers of children with autism pay price in workplace.
Posted on June 24, 2010 | 3 Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Caregiving, children with Autism, family caregiving, mothers, research
A mother gives roots, wings to an autistic son
The (Wilkes-Barre, Penn.) Times Leader
A Mother’s Day commentary by William C. Kashatus for The Times Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Penn. Kashatus and his wife, Jackie, have three sons, including one with autism.
On Mother’s Day it is important to remember the women who have given us “roots” and “wings.” The “roots” come from the protective and loving environment a mother nurtures in the home so that her children will one day have the “wings” to set out on their own.
Of all the mothers we celebrate today, those with autistic children are among the most special because they are blessed with a remarkable reserve of selflessness. I know this from personal experience, since my wife, Jackie, is one of those special mothers. We are the parents of three sons: two teenagers and an autistic 9-year-old, named Ben.
Posted on May 10, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: Autism, children with Autism, holidays, Mother's Day, mothers
Parenting an Autistic Adult
NYTimes.com
When we talk about autism (which we are doing often during Autism Awareness Month), we tend to talk about children and ways that their parents can help. But children grow, and the parents of autistic children become parents of autistic adults, a role that is less defined and less discussed. In a guest blog today, Laura Shumaker, author of “A Regular Guy:Growing Up With Autism,” describes one weekend with her grown son Matthew, navigating the changing rules one interaction at a time.
via Parenting an Autistic Adult – Motherlode Blog – NYTimes.com.
Posted on April 21, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism | Tags: adults with autism, Autism, mothers
A possible early glimpse of autism’s impact on older siblings
EurekAlert!
Researchers looking at families with an autistic child say they don’t yet know whether the impacts are the result of having an autistic child in the family or if they might be part of a broader genetic predisposition.
A new study suggests a trend toward developing hyperactivity among typically developing elementary-school-aged siblings of autistic preschoolers and supports the notion that mothers of young, autistic children experience more depression and stress than mothers with typically developing children.
While the impact on older siblings was not statistically significant, the trend may indicate the presence of symptoms associated with broader observable autism characteristics seen in previous studies, says Laura Lee McIntyre, a professor and director of the University of Oregon’s school psychology program.The study was published in the March issue of the journal Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities.
Previous research projects have netted mixed findings, but many suggest that families dealing with autism — especially brothers and sisters of an autistic child — also experience symptoms similar to autism: widespread abnormalities of social interactions, communication and behavior.
via A possible early glimpse of autism’s impact on older siblings.
Posted on March 9, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Autism, Caregiving | Tags: Autism, children with Autism, families, mothers, siblings
Mothers and children with Down syndrome photo slideshow
Mommy Life
The Mommy Life blogger Barbara (a Montessori teacher and mother of 12) has a nice slideshow of photos of moms and their children with Down syndrome. As of this posting, there were 110 very sweet photos – click on the link and check it out!
On Mothers Day 2007, I published a photo album of pictures of mothers with children with Down syndrome.
They say every picture tells a story, and I figured these pictures would tell the story better than the thousands of words I’ve written in an effort to eliminate the fear of Down syndrome and to share the joy and love these special individuals bring to the lives of their families and their communities.
via Mommy Life: Photos: Mothers and children with Down syndrome.
Posted on March 1, 2010 | No Comments | Category: Down Syndrome | Tags: children, Down Syndrome, mothers