10 Types of Parents: Which Are You?

By Linda Andron Ostrow

As a parent, navigating the world of autism can be very overwhelming. For some, receiving a diagnosis was validating and brought a sense of relief because at least they now know and understand. With a diagnosis, they can then know what services to obtain for their children. But for others, this may not be the case. Some parents still questioned themselves and wondered if they had done anything wrong, internalizing the social stigma surrounding autism into feelings of guilt and shame. Which parent are you? One of them, maybe a combination of them, maybe none of them….

The Blank Slate: For some parents, it was all so confusing, especially in the beginning, they didn’t know what this diagnosis meant, and was overwhelmed with information, and felt alone. Everything was new at first, but they became informed.

The Pioneer: Some parents look for just the right balance of services, treatments, and philosophies. They feel there isn’t one path, or one type of service/treatment that works for everyone.

The Warrior: Some parents struggle with getting services, but they fight on and on without stopping. This may be truer now more than ever, when our state is facing budget cuts

The Smooth Sailor: Some parents had wonderful experiences with Regional Center and were offered all the services they needed

The Gardener: For some, going to a nonpublic school such as Village Glen was the best thing for their child. Their child was so much happier and gained so much more self-confidence at Village Glen. Parents watched as their child blossomed and became more social and made real friends for the first time.

The Observer: Some other parents felt that while Village Glen was a great school and their child had benefited from the added attention, many students at Village Glen had more severe issues than their child did, and so looking back, they feel that perhaps it would have been better if their child was in a normal classroom.

The Social Butterfly: Some parents felt finding the right kids/peer group within programs were about being around others on the same spectrum level or a little more advanced than they are, so that they emulate and learn from each other.

The Collaborator: For some parents, navigating their child’s social skill groups and level is a learning process. They gain insights by reaching out to other parents who are going through the same thing and learning from each other and sharing information and resources

The Transitional Navigator: As their children reaches age 18, many parents are finding it increasingly difficult to find support/services for their child – “the older they get, the harder it gets”. They want to safely guiding their child into adulthood, but they may feel they don’t have a good sense of direction.

For most people on the outside looking in, the world of autism seems to be a strange and scary place, but one parent describes it quiet differently: “we feel sorry for those outside of this [autism] community because we have formed the most amazing relationships with people and have become better people because of him”.