Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Autism News: Coach Yourself Through the Autism Spectrum

Here is an article from the Autism News. Looks like a great book. I will definitely be picking this up. I think a lot of parents don't give themselves to breathe and are harder on themselves than they should be. I think this book will be a great boost for parents struggling to keep up in the world they have been thrust into.

http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/10/13/beyond-just-coping/

Beyond Just Coping

Counselor-coach offers hope for the future to families affected by autism

By Jim Hart The Sandy Post

Ruth Knott-Schroeder likes the small-town feel of East Multnomah County. She lives outside the urban area in east Gresham and sees some of her clients in her Sandy office.

The rest of her clients could be in another state or another country. It matters not to the professional counselor and coach for living. She can coach over the phone or in people’s homes. She also travels to speak at workshops and trains other coaches.

Because she has an 18-year-old son affected with autism, she has had to become an expert on that topic. And the first thing she learned was that autism affects an entire community.

A recent survey shows an increasing prevalence of the disorder – now about 11 in 1,000 children. Knott-Schroeder says everyone near a child with autism needs to understand what to expect and how to react. That group includes not just parents but siblings, other family members, neighbors and the wide circle of friends and schoolmates who are near the affected child.

With the education she has had, plus the practical knowledge gained at home while parenting an affected child, Knott-Schroeder has enough experience and knowledge to advise other parents and family members just beginning to live with the disorder.

Knott-Schroeder has capsulated the knowledge she gained from the “school of hard knocks” and placed it in a book, published by a London publishing company and available anywhere in the world through Amazon or directly from Knott-Schroeder.

The book is a guide for living with a child affected by any of five disorders in the spectrum of autism syndrome. She said its theme is learning more than just how to cope with this disorder, but also having hope for the future. That’s why she named her Web site “Cope to Hope.”
The book has sections on parenting a child with autism, parenting a sibling who does not have autism, parent care and long-term health of parents. She even describes how different the relationships are for mothers and fathers who have a child with autism.

Knott-Schroeder knows exactly what is happening in autism-affected households, and she can advise or model the best practices that will help children have good experiences in life.
Because the effects of autism on different families are similar, she has a personal way of knowing what other families are living with.

For 18 years, she has parented a child with autism who attends Gresham schools, and a 14-year-old child, also in Gresham schools, who is not affected by the disorder.

Through her experiences and knowledge, she knows family members and children with autism can live happily together.

When a child with autism reaches adulthood, he or she might have to live in a group home to receive the support and care needed. But whether they live at home or away, they’re still part of a family, and all members need support.

Knott-Schroeder’s book offers some of that support. It also reminds readers that – as with most diseases and disorders – early intervention and treatment is essential to optimum care and reduced effects.

The book, she said, is designed to provide hope and support for families and the entire community.

She also is available to offer individual or small-group counseling to families as well as serve as a networking resource for connections to other professionals in the metro area.

Knott-Schroeder earned a master’s in counseling and has worked at the autism clinic at Oregon Health & Science University. She also is in demand as a national speaker and coach trainer.

Knott-Schroeder is on the staff of River Ridge Counseling and Coaching Services in west Sandy, where she not only coaches families and individuals affected by autism but counsels individuals, groups and families as well as children in need of help with social interaction.

For more information, visit www.copetohope.com

Source: http://www.theoutlookonline.com/features/story.php?story_id=125548351150926500

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