​Most parents are willing to sacrifice almost anything to see your child happy, independent and productive.  We see parents bend over backwards to support their son or daughter. If you are using the wrong approach for your child or if mom and dad are not on the same page, everyone in the family will quickly become exhausted and discouraged.

 

You may even start questioning whether you are doing something wrong and maybe even making things worse. No matter how much you are putting into advocating for and supporting your child, it rarely feels like it is enough. Difficult social situations for your child break your heart. The frustrations spread to the parental relationship as one of you typically feels like she or he is carrying the bulk of the workload.

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Questions to Consider

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• Do you suspect that your child may have symptoms of social anxiety or high functioning autism?
   

• Is your child clearly intelligent but, yet struggling to read social cues?
   

• Is your child struggling making friends and/or keeping them?
   

• Is your child being bullied, or spending more time alone than you would like to see?
   

• Are adult responsibilities being ignored by your teen or young adult?
   

• Do you feel unsure about your child’s future? Is there a lack of motivation?
   

• Are you worried about your child's ability to function independently in the future?
   

• Do you get trapped in repetitive arguments with your child who seems to tune you out?
   

• Do you worry about your child being naïve, vulnerable to being taken advantage of?
   

• Is your child struggling to launch?
   

• Do you regularly fight with your partner about how to best support your child?
   

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You are NOT Alone

 

At the Neurodiverse Couples Counseling Center, we have therapists who work extensively with parents of neurodiverse children.  A few of the basics that we cover include:

 

• Understanding the WHY behind your child's behaviors. This can include avoidance, attention-getting, sensory stimulation, protest, attempt to gain access, or an attempt to go from powerless to control.
   

• Planning strategies for predictable behaviors. This work involves examining regular problematic behaviors with an eye to changing what you can control - what happens before and after a behavior occurs.
   

• Developing a kind and consistent consequences strategy. Negative consequences should be a last resort and tied directly to the original behavior. The best consequences are positive ones for desired behaviors.
   

• Validate your neurodiverse child’s feelings. This will reduce their feeling emotionally isolated as they begin to understand themselves and that you understand them too. 

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We've helped these parents go from completely exhausted to still tired but making progress! Fill out the form below. Include the ages of your children and a brief description of your struggles and we will match you with a therapist who can help.

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