Supporting Parents with a Learning Disability, FASD or Autism
Understanding parents with special needs and how you can help them
It’s quite common for parents with learning disabilities to spend some time in a foster placement, to learn important skills and to have a parenting assessment. These mothers make up a high percentage of parents involved in care proceedings — in 2008, 12.5% of parents in care proceedings in England and Wales had learning disabilities.
Autism in women and girls is often undiagnosed and misunderstood, presenting differently from male autism. Some mothers coming into foster placements may have difficulties on the autistic spectrum, so it’s important to understand their needs and how we can support them.
Parents with a Learning Disability
Parents with a learning disability can often struggle to understand abstract concepts, can’t easily access resources that rely on the ability to read, and may find routines a challenge. They also have to face a common perception amongst the public and professionals that they can’t learn the necessary skills to parent.
Understanding the strengths and needs of every parent is important, and for a parent with a learning disability, we need to be really creative in how we support her growth. She may take a bit longer to learn how to do something, and things like visual prompts can be very helpful, but she may also have compensatory strategies which we can encourage — things like having a good memory. Any information she is given, for example about her parenting assessment, needs to be accessible to her.
Read more about best practice in anti-discriminatory practice in Good practice guidance on working with parents with a learning disability (2016 update). The Working Together with Parents Network (WTPN) support professionals working with parents with learning difficulties — membership is free.
Parents with Autism
Parents with autism also need us to really listen and understand the triggers which make them anxious, and how to manage or avoid these. The National Autistic Society has pages on all kinds of things, from managing money to explaining to non-autistic people how to be more sensitive to the ways that autistic people see the world.
This series of pictures by artist Rosanna Rosetti summarises some important ways that autism particularly affects women and girls.
“She may take a bit longer to learn how to do something — but with the right visual prompts and creative support, she can develop the skills she needs. Our job is to find what works for her.”
More Resources
Learning Disability
- Easyhealth.org.uk — directory of easy read leaflets on health and lifestyle topics
- Change People — charity with training, advice and support for parents with learning difficulties
- Public Health Scotland — Ready Steady Baby! Easy Read (19 downloadable booklets)
- Baby Buddy app
- Lullaby Trust — Safer Sleep for Babies easy read leaflet
- Your Miscarriage — a leaflet with pictures
- The meaning of different social services meetings
- Everyday banking — an easy read guide
Autism
Personal Reflection / Ideas for Group Discussion
Browse some of the resources for parents with learning disabilities. Can you think of parents you have cared for who would have found them useful?
Consider starting an online library of resources that will make it easy to find resources when you need them.
Could you organise a coffee morning where you invite a speaker from a local organisation that supports parents with learning disabilities or autism?
