Most people who say that being the carer of an autistic child is easy and enjoyable are just a downright liar. It can be the most soul destroying and lonely experience that any one person can go through.  But notice that I said 'MOST' people.....

Have you ever wondered how other Autism Carers can cope so well when you are near breaking point?

Well here are the top 3 ways to do this...

1.    Start scheduling time in the day for you...a break from your mundane existence.

You may think that this seems like a fairly obvious thing to do, but the fact of the matter is that most carers simply don't do this. This is such an important element in coping with being the carer of an autistic child. You have to realize that by not doing this you are actually harming both yourself and your autistic child. You need to take this break for yourself, to relax, to unwind, to feel like a human being again.

2.    Talk more about your needs with your partner (because having an autistic child can put a huge strain on relationships)

The simple fact of the matter is... 'If you have an autistic child, this IS going to put HUGE strain on your relationships'. Being the carer of an autistic child is such a hard job and some husbands and wives don't seem understand how difficult

it can be. You must, and I repeat YOU MUST speak to your partner about

what is happening:

·    Ask them for help

·    Explain to them the difficult situations that are occurring

·    Tell them how your day has been

·    Update them on all aspects of being the #1 Carer.

This is such a huge part of coping with this unfortunate situation. You need to feel like you are not alone, that there is someone else ready to help you and listen to the

problems that you are having.

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3.    Take a break from the family for yourself at least once a week. Go shopping; go out with friends, etc.

This applies to both husband and wife. There is nothing as bad as being stuck in the house on your own when you feel that everyone else is having a life. Resentment can set in from all angles. If being a wife you can start to blame your husband for things and visa versa. You can start to resent your autistic child for things that are simply not their fault. There are many other resentments that I'm sure you have come in contact with but you don't have to let them occur. And for this reason this is #3 on my must do list.

What most parents and carers don't realize is that they CAN take a break from being the carer of an autistic child. Even if it is just to get out of the house and be treated like a human being.

But I'm sure you feel that this is not the easiest thing in the world to do. How can you get that special YOU time when you eat, sleep and breathe carer?

For a large part of my life I felt this way too, all alone, doing everything for everyone, no help from anyone else and never asking for anything in return. Would the others help?

Does this have to be the way things are from now on?

The simple answer is NO! Just because your job is that of autistic child carer does not mean that you shouldn't have a life outside of this........

And that is what it is all about. The solution is your problem is YOU. You have got to rediscover that part of your life that has been missing for so long. It's about knowing how to live YOUR life aside from being a carer.

When I found out how to do this the tables turned, my life brightened, my smile returned, the depression that I was feeling disappeared.

It's all about reclaiming your life; getting it back with easy to follow steps and tricks that can make every part of the carer business a much more rewarding and fulfilling experience.

Now that you know what to do to make your life more fulfilling you can make an educated decision to see if you want to start to implement these things into your life.