Carer Burnout

Parents or caregivers of children or young people with autism are at increased risk of experiencing psychological distress such as depression or anxiety.

For more information on Coping for Caregivers bulletin: click here.

In order to meet a child’s needs; adapt to changes; recover from setbacks; and respond to the ups and downs of everyday family life, parents and caregivers need to employ healthy coping strategies to help them to practically and emotionally support their child with autism.

Parents who improve and nurture their physical and mental health are more resilient and better equipped to tackle unexpected obstacles and enjoy successes. Here are some suggestions for nurturing and improving physical and mental health:

• Be kind to yourself
  •  Visual Schedules are great for the whole family. Sometimes prioritising tasks and times of certain daily events can identify when family members or carers have time to slot in activities that will improve their overall wellbeing (such as physical activities, meeting up with friends, reading etc).
  • Enlist the help of friends and family. Family members and close friends may struggle to understand how they can help, so consider giving them specific tasks when they offer. Sometimes a little bit of knowledge goes a long way…. Why not suggest they look at our resources before they ‘babysit’ or do an activity together?
  • Here is a link to useful organisations which may be of help
• Start small
  • Simple changes can make the biggest difference. Tackle one thing at a time – prioritise what is important right now – this could be making sure you get enough sleep at night so you can tackle the morning routine or simply getting some time for yourself. If even the ‘simplest’ of tasks seem unmanageable, ask for help from a professional
  • See: Mental Health Signposting
• Try to focus on the current moment and not the future ‘what if’s’
  • Mindfulness practices can help focus attention on the ‘here and now’ reality rather than the imagined challenges of the future.  
  • Try to focus on what is happening on the day and steer ‘what if’ thinking back to events happening on the day. Talking to a professional or another parent can really help
  • See: Mental Health Signposting