How to Manage Caregiver Burnout

While caring for a child with Autism can be such a satisfying experience, there are also demands within Autism that can be very challenging. Our after-school activities are considered going to various therapy appointments on a day-to-day basis.  Parents of autistic individuals often go over and beyond to advocate for their needs. Our roles consist of being their case manager, nurse , educator, etc.  We advocate daily to make sure that they don’t fall within the cracks of society. The level of collaboration with all stakeholders is very demanding while trying to maintain a career. Below are some of the following areas aid with managing caregiver burnout.

Holistic goals

The family’s and child’s health are impacted by holistic goals. We work tirelessly to equip ourselves with tools to enable our visions for them. The problem is that trying to navigate their therapeutic needs via speech, school, OT , ABA , medical appointments and other hobbies of their interest can be physically and mentally draining while navigating the demands of life. The interventions should be helpful for the family and child’s mental well-being. Children can experience autistic burnout by being involved in too many activities that exceed their emotional capacity. This could open the door to meltdowns and tantrums. Imagine how you would feel after being in school, then extend your day to therapies while only having wind down time for 1-2hrs before bedtime. It is not selfish to reflect on how their daily needs are draining you and how they are experiencing exhaustion from being overextended with a multitude of therapeutic obligations. This is a time where you have to say “Something has to be put on pause for now to see how their can be a level of homeostasis for my family’s health”.

Respite

Many have said “ You can’t pour from an empty cup”. You don’t know how much you can pour until you have a child with Autism. We are hamsters running on a wheel and we still have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps in order to stay afloat. Finding childcare for a child with Autism can be like finding a needle in the haystack. Respite services can be helpful when there are actual services that are available. This is a demanding need and there is not enough support within this area. There are programs that offer services, and you must be diligent in seeking services that are tailored to special needs. There are nannying agencies that say they support special needs and a lot of the time the staff is not equipped to manage the needs of all kids on the spectrum. Joining a babysitting group on social meeting can yield good results for respite. It’s good to take advantage of places that offer mini and weekly respite services such as Camp Royall. Build your village with moms of similar backgrounds so that you can provide caregiver support to one another. We need breaks from the heavy demands of parenting and so do our children.

Self care

Self-care is considered a bare necessity while managing the demands of a special needs child.  I know it can seem impossible to think of ways to have self-care when you don’t have a strong support system. We are often pivoting in ways to ensure how to have more “me time” Self-care can be taking an uninterrupted shower with whatever therapeutic items you deem necessary to help you pull yourself together after managing the strenuous day to day demands. There are various forms of at home self-care such as meditation, yoga, a nice walk and enjoying a beverage of your choice while listening to some white noise or just having quiet time. Breath work is underestimated, and this can form as a basis while coping with the overwhelming behaviors and needs within autism. Utilizing breathing in between feeling overwhelmed can help calm your nervous system so that you are able to manage the woes of parenting. The following are some of the various types of self-care that can be very helpful to balance the duties of parenting.

·       Join a support group

·       Ask for help

·       Meditate

·       Schedule a day to sleep in

·       Take a warm shower

·       Watch something funny

·       Have more self compassion

·       Seek out individual therapy

·       Drink something warm while sitting by the window to practice mindfulness

·       Enjoy a good foot scrub