Parents see their quality of life suffer when caring for an autistic child, says a new study.
And the more severe the autism the greater the impact on the parents’ quality of life.
Dr Dawn Turnage said families coping with severe autism need “tailored resources”
Dr Dawn Turnage, of the University of Central Florida, conducted the review study.
Health and spirituality suffer
She found the quality of life was lower in parents of autistic children in physical, psychological and social health. It was also lower in spirituality.
Turnage is a lecturer in the university’s college of nursing. She also serves on the leadership council of the US National Council on Severe Autism.
Better educated parents saw their quality of life suffer less, Turnage found.
‘Tailored resources’ help
The study concluded that nurses can support families coping with severe autism through “tailored resources” for early diagnosis and intervention.
In an email, Turnage said policies that benefited those with “profound autism will, in turn, benefit the entire family”.
She added: “There is a need for improved housing, better health and dental care, respite care, and crisis care.”
Financial difficulties add to the stress
Charity Carers UK has said carers now face “unprecedented financial difficulties” because of the cost-of-living crisis.
Rising energy prices could push UK inflation as high as 18 per cent in 2023, economic analysts have predicted. It’s currently 10.1 per cent.
Carers UK says rising prices have piled “further stress on those caring for family and friends after an extremely challenging two years caring through COVID-19”.
Carers UK has called on the UK government to “immediately provide” extra support for carers, with increases in benefits in line with inflation.
Payments to help
A UK Government spokesperson said up to “six million disabled people will benefit from the £150 cost-of-living payment from next month, on top of the other £650 worth of means-tested cost-of-living payments”.
Related:
- Cost of living worsens carers’ plight
- Survey reveals plight of unpaid carers
- Virus forces carers to use food banks
- Mum battles to raise carers’ benefit
- Charity claims carers don’t want wage
- Plea to give carers the breaks they need
- Carers’ plight on World Autism Day
- Parent carers in line for a better deal
- Carers sick with money worries
Published: 15 September 2022
