The Autism Society Event and Education Recordings Archive
Use this site to access recordings and presentations from National Conferences
Autism Society records most keynote and concurrent sessions at their annual conferences. You can see and hear those recordings by purchasing full online access, or individual recordings.
9614 Autism, Special Needs and the Grandparent Connection: The Role of a Lifetime
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Purchase AccessYou must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. Jim Rohn
The Role of Grandparents
Offer roots to a child - a past and a future
Connect history with the present
Offer the emotional security that builds confidence and self -worth.
Role models of faith, persistence and tenacity
Ways to Help:
You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. Jim Rohn
The Role of Grandparents
Offer roots to a child - a past and a future
Connect history with the present
Can be a “soft spot to land” for siblings when things at home are too much
Offer the emotional security that builds confidence and self -worth.
Role models of faith, persistence and tenacity
How can you Help?
1.Affirm and Love
Your adult and your grandchild - Listening to what is said and what is not said by adult children
Accepting your grandchild “as is”
Keep the diagnosis in perspective
2. Maintain optimism
Choose to model authentic hope, tenacity and persistence
3. Choose to grow personally- Growth mindset versus fixed mindset (The work of Carol Dweck)
4. Choose to be a student of autism - Doing your research and homework on the disability (choosing the right sources)
Be an astute observer of your grandchild
Understanding ‘behavior” and how to cope with problems appropriately
5. Give the gift of time- Provide your children with respite opportunities
Spend time with the siblings of the exceptional child
Read and play with your grandchild
Share special Interests
Long distance connecting
What does NOT Help?
Blame, shame and rejection- Ignoring attempts to explain the diagnosis and behavior- Dismissing the explanation provided by parents or doctors
Emotional and/or physical distance - Playing non-interference: “We do not want to meddle.”
Insistence on some types of discipline methods – spanking, yelling, fear and authoritative means
Overstepping boundaries – parental decisions, insisting on certain treatments or therapy
In an effort to gain a wide and objective perspective of the role of grandparents, while writing my third book, Autism and the Grandparents Connection, I collected 50 surveys from parents and grandparents from in Canada, the United States and other parts of the world. People have openly shared their stories and experiences about coming to terms with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. The ideas expressed in the book (and subsequently in the presentation) come from my own experience and more importantly, from the experiences of all of those who contributed.
Learning Objectives:
- Develop or deepen a relationship with your grandchild with autism, even if he or she lives far away.
- Identify 5 practical ways that grandparents can help their grandchildren and their adult children to navigate this journey.
- Discover 5 specific ways that they can be unhelpful or counterproductive in their relationships.
Track: Life Stage 1 - Birth to 5
Content Area: Self-Identity and Acceptance
Jennifer Krumins, MEd
Autism Aspirations
