THE AUTISM MOMMA!

BY TANYA SOOD

Most people are unaware of the costs associated with raising a child with autism. Many of these children require round-the-clock care, which is mostly done by the mother, who is often the”first responder.” From child-rearing, to carrying out the instructions of therapists, to giving medications, providing special diets and administering biomedical interventions, the mom in many cases is compelled to give up her career, leaving her financially dependent on her other half.

Days turn to months, years, and decades, and she is still selflessly catering to her child’s needs. By now she is”almost” a therapist, through time spent in and out of therapy sessions. In this never-ending reality, her education and career have taken a back seat.

A frightening situation arises when her partner decides to leave, dies unexpectedly, or becomes disabled. Many mothers are left in financial danger if there are no savings or assets, or if child support is inadequate or non-existent. It is extremely important that moms prepare for their financial future and stay aware of how their situation would change if a partner was no longer in the picture.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every 65 children is diagnosed with a form of autism. In a two-parent family, that generally means one parent must shoulder the burden of earning enough money to support the family and cover the cost of care not paid for by insurance or Medicaid waivers.

The Center for Anxiety and Women’s Emotional Wellness notes that clients exhibit common behaviors such as setting high and unequal expectations for themselves, self-criticism, negative self-talk and perfectionism, and” avoiding stressors that make them feel overwhelmed or worried. An ongoing pattern of these behaviors can result in feelings of anxiety, depression, frustration, disappointment, helplessness, despair, or grief.” Feelings of fatigue, burnout, being unseen, undervalued, and unappreciated, emptiness and numbness, and physical ailments from stress are commonly reported.

The extra financial strain often associated with an autism diagnosis comes on top of the fact that families with autistic children generally earn 28 percent less than families with non-autistic children. Extra costs can include:

SPECIAL SCHOOLING-- Children with autism often cannot attend the same schools as non-autistic children. This is because they require different learning environments and instruction. Specialty schools, tutors, and teachers can cost families several hundred dollars per month—or thousands per year.

SPECIAL ACTIVITIES-- It has been shown that specialized activities with other autistic children help those with autism learn to function in a nonautistic environment. These activities include special camps, swimming lessons, and social events, but these activities can be expensive. Parents can spend hundreds of dollars annually on activities that are imperative for the social development of their child.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT-- Autistic children may require specialized equipment to learn. Recent studies have shown that iPads help autistic children relate to the world, learn, and socialize in a nonconfrontational environment. Parents who want to provide their child with an iPad can expect to spend upwards of $500 for the most basic model.

That’s just the start of a list that can get very long depending on the degree of the child’s needs. Medicaid waiver assistance can help, but the application process isn’t always simple, the waiting list is long, not all families are eligible, and there are limitations to what is covered. Family resources quickly get stretched, and the impact is worse on single-parent households.