93. When your Autistic Child isn't your Only Child

Being a sibling can be a difficult dynamic and when you add in autism, it takes it to an entirely different level.

It is normal for siblings to have a range of ever-changing emotions being part of a family whose lives have been impacted by autism.

As you continue to explain autism to your child or children who aren’t diagnosed with autism, we hope that they will become more understanding and more tolerant and have compassion for their brother or sister's needs but I believe that it is important for us as parents to understand that they might feel sad and they might feel confused about how their sibling acts or reacts in different situations. The good news is that the more they understand their sibling's autism, and maybe as they get older, there is hope that their relationship will change and grow with them.

It is our job while we are navigating this journey to help our other children navigate theirs too. There will be times when they might be embarrassed or angry at their sibling, there will likely be times when they are frustrated when their sibling doesn’t want to play with them or only wants to play with something they want to play.

Many siblings will be embarrassed to bring friends into their home for fear of how their new friends might react to their brother or sister.

Part of our job in this autism parenting journey is planning ahead for situations that we know might be difficult. Just like you have felt overwhelmed at times, your other children will feel that way too at times.

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Additional Resources:

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