# data[].attributes.body
Parenting an Autistic Child and navigating the system

# data[].attributes.body
Parents voiced worries about educators' understanding of autism and emphasized the necessity of continuous training in effective methods to assist children with diverse needs for their academic success (Attard, 2023).

# data[].attributes.body
Different school environments would likely challenge autistic children in regard to sensory load, emotion regulation and managing anxiety, hindering the children’s successful transition to mainstream education (Chen, 2020).

# data[].attributes.body
Parents of children with autism are likely to experience more parental-stress; low self-esteem, weak parent–child bond and depressive symptoms. They likely use “active-avoidance coping” compared to the typical parenting style of neurotypical children (Bonis, 2016; Lai, Goh, Oei, & Sung, 2015).

# data[].attributes.body
Researchers found that there may be differences in expression, identification, and reporting of autistic traits across various cultures, yet there is very little research on the topic. (Carruthers et al., 2018; Dyches,

Wilder, Sudweeks, Obiakor, & Algozzine, 2004; Matson et al., 2017).

# data[].attributes.body
“Parents in different cultures show different

psychological functioning when caring for a child with a chronic disability, such as autistic disorder” (Weinberg et al., 2021, pg. 2)

# data[].attributes.body
"They (the neuro-typical sibling(s)) also display strong feelings of affection and comradeship, and intense emotional ties when compared to siblings who do not live with a young person with ASD, and demonstrate enhanced psychosocial/ emotional development and deep interpersonal perspectives"

(Ward , B., Smith Tanner, B., Mandleco, B., Dyches, T. T., & Freeborn, D., 2016)

# data[].attributes.body
"When a child has autism, it may require much of a parent's energy, time, and focus. As a result, siblings may feel as though they are overlooked and develop other negative feelings. If these feelings are not addressed, they can fester and create significant problems for the entire family," said Sharyn Kerr, Ph.D., and Chief Clinical & Administrative Officer at BlueSprig Pediatrics (Palumbo, J. “Jay.”, 2022)

# data[].attributes.body
"Overall unmet need for each service type among CSHCN ranged from 2.5% for routine preventive care to 15% for mental health services. After controlling for predisposing, enabling and need factors, some differences across health condition groups remained. Families of children with autism spectrum disorder were in fact significantly more at risk for having unmet specialty and therapy care needs. Additionally, families of children with autism spectrum disorder were more likely to report provider lack of skills to treat the child as a barrier in obtaining therapy and mental health services. Disparities in unmet needs for children with autism suggest that organizational features of managed care programs and provider characteristics pose barriers to accessing care."

(Chiri, G., & Warfield, M. E., 2012)

# data[].attributes.body
"While service accessibility and navigation challenges are common for caregivers of all backgrounds, newcomers (i.e., immigrants and refugees) face compounded difficulties, given their unique experiences. For instance, a family’s culture can impact their view of disability, which may be different from the dominant norms within the host society."

(Casale LM, Gentles SJ, McLaughlin J, Schneider M., 2023)

# data[].attributes.body
"In addition to identifying barriers to service access, the studies made a number of overlapping suggestions for ways to address these barriers. Examples of these suggestions include adjusting funding based on familial need, improving access to information about autism, helping caregivers learn about local social support opportunities , increasing professional training on cultural competency/awareness and equitable service provision, further provision of culturally sensitive, family-focused interventions, funding interpretive support services, and ensuring caregivers are aware of what services and funding are available to them." (Casale LM, Gentles SJ, McLaughlin J, Schneider M., 2023)

# data[].attributes.body
"One of the most significant barriers individuals face in the diagnostic process is mistrust and distrust of medical professionals regarding both their competency and their compassion towards autistic individuals. In surveys, many autistic adults reported beliefs that professionals would either not listen to their concerns or accuse them of making up their symptoms." (McCloskey, 2023)

# data[].attributes.body
"Families of color, especially those with limited English language abilities, receive less guidance and family-centered care for developmental issues compared with White, English-speaking families. These families receive lower quality health care, with fewer therapy hours, more unmet therapy needs, and fewer ASD-related treatment goals" (Hightshoe, 2023)

# data[].attributes.body
One of the most severe issues in parenting is the financial aspect of raising a child with autism and how you are able to get support from the government and other programs around you. Families normally face large expenses, from therapy sessions to special equipment which make prioritization very important. With all of these things provided to families with children with autism, many families still find it difficult to cover costs to provide the best care for their child. (SickKids, 2009)

# data[].attributes.body
"Families with lower educational attainment, lower income, or Latinx ethnicity have been found to have a limited understanding of ASD and less information about developmental services" (Hightshoe 2023)

# data[].attributes.body
Looking into the money that each family has when raising a child with autism, looking at all the expenses that need to be done, things like therapy and educational services.  This article additionally dives into the loss of income due to taking care of the child and the extra medical costs. (Sharpe, D. L., & Dana, L. B. 2007)