Living with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

For many people with an ASD and their families, daily life is not easy. However, finding resources and planning for the future can help families improve their quality of life.

Family Issues

Living with a person with an ASD affects the entire family—parents, siblings, and in some families, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Meeting the complex needs of a person with an ASD can put families under a great deal of stress—emotional, financial, and sometimes even physical. Respite care can give parents and other family caregivers a needed break and help maintain family well-being.

To find out more about this topic, click on the following links:

Family issues related to ASDexternal icon, including siblings, extended family, religion, family stress, and safety from the Autism Society of America.

Healthy Living

To stay healthy, people with disabilities need the same basic health care as everyone else. They need to eat well, exercise, get enough rest, drink plenty of water, and have complete access to health care, including regular physical and dental check-ups. It is important to find health care providers who are comfortable with persons who have an ASD.

Sometimes when people with disabilities have a behavioral change or behavioral issue, it may be because they have a medical problem they cannot describe. For instance, head banging could be related to a disability, or it could be due to a headache or toothache. For this reason, it is important to find out if there is a physical problem before making changes in a person’s treatment or therapy.