There are dozens of different interventions and therapies for treatment of autism and to help a child progress, but what is really instrumental is the development a child can achieve simply from being around the family. Thus, it is important for the whole family to get involved in a child’s teaching, therapies, and interventions.

It is important that support is available to the family in order for them to become better educated about the disorder and learn how their own roles can benefit the afflicted family member. Some services that a family should consider taking advantage of are counseling, support groups, and respite. Respite is usually provided to families who have a child with extremely challenging behavioral problems or significant self-care needs, and is aimed at providing parents or caretakers with temporary relief from the ongoing care of a child with special needs. Respite can be useful for parents of children of any age, and is provided through a city or town’s regional center in California. The effort and activity put in by a family to become involved in a child’s development will likely bring the family closer together than ever before.

Nurturing a child with autism is difficult, and not only does it bring stress to the parents that are involved in the battle, it can make life hard on the siblings of children with ASD as well. Many times siblings feel neglected because their parents are forced to spend extra time and effort catering to the child with an ASD. However, as the siblings grow and mature, they begin to understand situations more deeply, and they frequently develop a character full of sensitivity and compassion towards their brother or sister with autism. Because of their youth and energy, siblings can be a great help for the development of a child with ASD. Siblings can be an essential part of the play activities and social interaction trainings as well.

As a parent, try to incorporate therapies and interventions that fit in with the family schedule and values. It is important for the child to adopt his/her family’s rituals and culture as well as his/her interventional trainings. In order for this to happen, your child must engage in therapy in the company of the entire family from time to time. A good time for this to be implemented is at the dinner table, where a child can work on speech or behavioral trainings with the entire family in a natural setting. 

There should be a consistent structure or routine involved in the family life so that the child with ASD can feel comfortable with the day-to-day schedule of events. Children on the spectrum do have a tendency to become uneasy or misbehave when they are faced with unexpected events, so keeping things routine and familiar is the key towards preventing this anxiety. If a change in schedule does arise, family members should do their best to explain to the child (in simple words) the new sequence of events, and how the routine will be altered.

[Koegel, Lynn Kern Ph.D. and Lazebnik, Claire. Overcoming Autism. New York: Penguin Books, 2004. pp. 269-271 ]