Parents have a very challenging role to play as they have multiple responsibilities on their shoulders, when raising children. Learning that your child has a special need can be an additional source of stress and might overwhelm the parents.
Challenges faced by parents:
-Feeling of isolation due to criticism and judgement of your parenting from others who don't understand your child's disability
-Costs of medicine, therapy or other supports that are required
-Parents may have to leave work to support the needs of their child
-Additional expenses are added to the family’s regular expenditures
-Parents may experience negative emotions such as anger or sadness when they find out that their child has a special need
-They might feel confused and have lots of questions
-They may go through the grief cycle
-It is normal to experience grief and feel overwhelmed!
-Parents may get physically exhausted and tired
-Working full time, managing a household and on top of that meeting the needs of a child with special needs can be challenging
(Redquest,Reinders,Bryden,Schneider & Fletcher, 2015)
Coping strategies for parents: