Burnt out

Hi all,

It's me and my two daughters at home - one 14 and one 17 - both diagnosed with autism.  I'm a full time Dad, cook, cleaner, and let's not forget the paid job that takes much of the day.

However on top of that I think I'm struggling generally in managing my two daughters.

The 14 year old needs regular chasing to do things such as get breakfast and get showers, tidy up etc as she's regularly getting distracted.

The 17 year old has finished school and is currently job hunting but really lacks in self-confidence, self esteem and general confidence in interacting with others.  She's also getting an op on Monday that put her off her feet for at least six weeks and then between six and 12 months for a full recovery so she can't work.  While she is job hunting we'll know more next week about how long realistically her recovery will take.

Is there any help that I can get at home to try and A) help with methods to manage the 14 year old and B) to try and build up confidence in my 17 year old?

They both have mental health issues too of varying degrees.

I'm in NE Scotland and am wondering if there are support groups that I could potentially attend and possibly for my 17 year old too once she's back on her feet that would help with her confidence etc?

In the meantime, the school holidays have hit so at least I'm not chasing the 14 year old out the door every day. Wink

Parents
  • Hi and a slightly belated welcome to the community!

    You might be able to find some suitable support groups in your area via the NAS's directory:

    NAS - Autism Services Directory

    I'm not asking you to be (or suggesting that you should be) any more specific about your location, but I'll just offer this example that can be found by searching for support in the Aberdeen area:

    SensationALL - whose services include social groups for children and young people aged 11-24yrs, and parent/carer advisory consultations and support groups.

Reply
  • Hi and a slightly belated welcome to the community!

    You might be able to find some suitable support groups in your area via the NAS's directory:

    NAS - Autism Services Directory

    I'm not asking you to be (or suggesting that you should be) any more specific about your location, but I'll just offer this example that can be found by searching for support in the Aberdeen area:

    SensationALL - whose services include social groups for children and young people aged 11-24yrs, and parent/carer advisory consultations and support groups.

Children