Working parents of children with special needs
Kristina at Autism Vox talks about working mothers of autistic children, and, the challenges of holding down a job, and, maintaining a household while parenting a child who has special needs.
This is timely for me, because I have a good friend who has a child with special needs who is currently in the hospital, she has a job, and, other children at home. Her hospitalized child has to have someone with her at all times, and, because of her needs it really has to be a parent. There certainly are some challenges here.
Every parent has to balance something in their lives, but, when you add children with special needs, I can only imagine that more skills are needed.
Do you have a career and a child with special needs? Tell us how you work to meet the needs of your job and home.
ADDED: The Washington Post’s Career Journal answers a reader question about how to explain a career gap after styaing home to care for a child with autism.
Tags: autism, Autism-Vox, Career and Kids, children-with-special-needsRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Career and Kids, Home
2 opinions for Working parents of children with special needs
Mike
Feb 1, 2007 at 1:26 pm
Our son has autism. My wife is able to work part time and my mom is our babysitter when my wife is at work. Having somebody we know and trust available pretty much 24/7 is a huge benefit. Even with that, both my wife and I have to use a few sick days a year to make sure everything gets taken care of.
We are fortunate that our son is healthy so we don’t have to spend much time in a Dr. office/hospital except for check ups. I can’t imagine that.
Jessica
Dec 5, 2007 at 1:09 pm
I am a mother of not one but two autistic children. The older is pretty high functioning, the baby however is not. She recives at home services five days a week. My husband works full time, and I am working part time nights when he gets home. This is very difficult for us as my husband is a truck driver and the baby doesn’t ever sleep. This leaves me with a four hour “break” of running my butt off at work, after chasing her all day (and boy does she go!), then come home and stay up till 2:30 or 3:00 in the A.M when she finally crashes. We have tried everything from set scheduals to music and beyond. I am so tired, and have no hope of ever getting any kind of promotion as my days are full full full. We have no available child care, and I am to the point were I don’t even want to get out of bed in the morning because I know I’ll be running on coffee and routine. I just don’t know what to do anymore. I am glad they are healthy, but I do understand the struggle. Dpes it get easier?
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