Today many marriages already end in divorce or separation. Add in a child with high needs such as autism, and you stack the cards against you even worse. The strain having a high needs child can put on a marriage is very high. You're attention is suddenly preoccupied by helping your child cope or live daily, and as a result your relationship with your spouse may falter.
How can you prevent your marriage ending?
The first step is to take family counseling. Coping with a special needs child is straining, not only on your relationship, but on your family as a whole. Ensuring that everyone has the support that they need to deal with the situation, can make family life that much simpler to cope with.
You may also want to consider getting a marriage counselor as well. There may be issues that arise, that you need professional help to cope with. One of the major ones that can come up is playing the blame game. You may both be blaming your spouse for your child's autism. This is a natural reaction, but one that can be prevented by seeking professional intervention.
Make time for each other. Just because you have a child that needs a little extra attention does not mean that you should not have time for each other. Try to make a date night a week where just you and your partner go out and reconnect. Even a marriage that does not involve a special needs child can benefit from having weekly date nights.
Listen to each other. Sometimes, we just need some time for ourselves. By allowing each of you to have alone time where you don't have to worry about the stress or difficulties of raising an autistic child. Allowing both of you to get away from all of it at least once a week will lead to happier individuals and happier individuals make better partners.
You should both also consider getting a hobby. Having something to focus on outside the stress of family life can assist the both of you in being better able to cope with the issues that arise. It can also serve as a much needed release.
Having a special needs child doesn't mean your marriage will end. It just means you need to give it some extra attention and care to ensure it can survive the added strain of having an autistic child.
We all love our autistic children but sometimes we need a little extra help with coping. For more tips, click here!
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sylvia_Rolfe
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