Parent coaching is a form of professional support designed to strengthen parents’ skills, through advice, help or support. Just as there are programmes designed for children with DYS, there are programmes to help manage children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Here are the main goals of these schemes.
Goal 1, inform: explaining ASD to parents
According to INSERM (the French national institute for health research), there are said to be 700,000 people with ASD in France, 100,000 of whom are under 20. While diagnosis is an important step, it cannot be an end in itself, particularly for parents.
Behind parent coaching, there are several categories of professionals (psychologist, speech and language therapist, psychomotor therapist, nurse, specialised educator…) who can explain the challenges of ASD to parents.
« The disorders can vary widely from one person to another. That’s why we talk about a spectrum. But as a general rule, this neurodevelopmental disorder mainly affects social interaction and communication, » explain Julie Carrascosa and Charlène Stacchetti, both specialised educators[1].
With the guidance of these professionals, parents better understand the nature of their child’s difficulties.
Goal 2, train: learning to support skill development
In Occitanie, the DIAD scheme (Dispositif d’Intervention Autour du Diagnostic, a diagnosis-support intervention programme) places parents at the heart of caring for a child with ASD.
During a 1.5-hour session every two weeks, in person or by teleconsultation, parents express their needs and expectations. Professionals give them specific tools and skills so that they become co-therapists for their child.
« After being completely lost following our little boy’s diagnosis, the DIAD scheme was invaluable to us. Thanks to the kindness, patience and help of the practitioners, we are now able to communicate, understand and help our son progress and develop day by day. We now feel calmer and experience meaningful moments we never thought would be possible! » (Mother of S., 2 years old)[2]
Where can you find an ASD parent-coaching programme?
Within the DIAD scheme itself, there are several ASD parent-coaching programmes, with content shaped by a specific assessment of the child’s and parents’ needs, through a personalised educational assessment carried out by nurses. Don’t hesitate to check with your local French département to see whether similar schemes exist in your area.
Failing that, know that the Ora Visio platform brings together professionals specialised in learning disorders, attention disorders and ASD. Available by teleconsultation, they can already answer your first questions, or even take on your case to help you better support your child day to day.
[1] Source: https://www.la-seyne.fr/autisme-de-la-guidance-parentale/
[2] Source: https://www.chu-montpellier.fr/fileadmin/medias/Publications/guidance-DIAD-CRA-2020.pdf
