6 Summary

This week you have looked at key challenges facing families when one or more members is autistic. This week’s material has outlined the forms of support that are available to families, and touched on the difficulties that some families may have in accessing this support. It has also highlighted the remarkable resilience often present in the face of difficulties, including in multiplex families. One of the biggest challenges for parents is finding the right school or other educational option for their child. The key features of the main educational choices available in the UK were described, and the arguments for and against different options were considered.

You should now be able to:

• appreciate different ways in which family life may be affected when one or more family members is autistic
• understand how challenges for the family and for the individual with autism change over the course of development
• be aware of some of the sources of support available to families in the UK
• appreciate the psychological, academic and social challenges posed by education, and the main choices available in terms of schooling
• understand the rationale for different educational choices, including home education.

Next week focuses on what happens when a young person with autism leaves school and enters adulthood.

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