The Family Enrichment Weekend provides support to parents. “Parents who feel supported can better support their children,” says Annette Estes1, associate director of the University of Washington Autism Center. The need for support comes from the ongoing stress that impacts every moment of their daily lives. Research indicates that parents of children with autism experience greater stress than parents of children with intellectual disabilities and Down syndrome (Holroyd & McArthur, 1976; Donovan, 1988). 2 In a study on stress and mothers of children with autism, Annette Estes, reported “there is something about autism that is making a difference and adding stress and psychological distress to these mothers. Our findings really pointed to the behavior problems that can occur with autism. Children with autism had significantly higher levels of problem behaviors than children with developmental delay.” The Family Enrichment Weekend is designed to relieve parental stress and provide parents with an opportunity to get help for their child and support and information for themselves. The Weekend meets these needs by providing activities and care for all their children and opportunities for parents to learn and share. Additionally, the Weekend provides a stress-free environment. It does this by providing activities that are conducted in an accepting and safe environment and that are enjoyable to each family member. By no means is this a calm, subdued environment. To the contrary, it includes family dances, carnivals, costumes, and music. This environment reduces stress by removing the “worries” that cause the stress, such as “What if my child acts out?” What if the other kids think my brother is mean?” What if my spouse does not want to participate?”
References:
1 Dr. Estes is the principal investigator on two intervention studies for very young children with early signs of autism; these are collaborative studies between the UW Autism Center, UC Davis, and University of Michigan using the Early Start Denver Model. Dr. Estes is especially interested in the role of the family in supporting positive outcomes for children with disabilities.
2Holroyd J. & McArthur D. ( 1976) Mental retardation and stress on the parents. A contrast between Down syndrome and childhood autism. American Journal of Mental Deficiency, 80, 431-436.
Donovan, A. M. (1988). Family stress and ways of coping with adolescents who have handicaps: Maternal perceptions. American Journal on Mental Retardation, 92, 502-509.
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