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Understanding autism
Understanding autism

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Week 6: Family life and education

Introduction

This week considers the experiences and challenges of family life when one or more family members is autistic. The discussion starts with autistic children, considering initial experiences within the family, as well as the changes that occur as children grow and develop. The focus then moves to support for families and options for education. However, as you will see, access to these options is not evenly distributed across all families and groups. And beyond countries such as the UK, especially in low and middle income countries (LMICs), families may struggle to get any support or education for their child.

Now watch the video in which Dr Ilona Roth introduces this week’s work.

Download this video clip.Video player: boc_aut_1_video_week6_intro.mp4
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By the end of this week you should 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.