Being a parent of an autistic child with ADHD can be exhausting and overwhelming at times. Taking a break on a regular basis is a form of self-care that you absolutely need. That is where respite care comes in to help. So how can you find and receive respite from your child with autism and ADHD?

What is respite care?

Respite care is simply short-term care for your child that provides you with a break. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines respite as “providing or being temporary care in relief of a primary caregiver.”

Why parents of autistic and ADHD children especially need respite

While all parents of children need breaks, parents of children with autism are especially in need of respite. Caring for an autistic/ADHD child brings additional care and stress due to the services they need and behavior challenges. You probably feel like you are constantly running your child to and from therapy appointments. We constantly have to be in touch with our child’s school. You most likely worry so much about your child’s social situation given their lack of skills. We are supporting our autistic/ADHD children with learning executive function skills. When your child has ADHD, you are dealing with their hyperactivity and impulsivity, which wears you down. And so much more.

Respite options to take a break

Finding respite care for your autistic child can be challenging. How can you arrange respite care?

1. Ask a trusted family member or friend if they can watch your child for a couple of hours.

2. Find a good babysitter, especially if they are trained or want to work with children who have autism or other conditions. We had a couple of babysitters when our son J was little who wanted to study and work in child development, and they were wonderful!

3. Research to see if any churches or organizations locally offer Parents Day Out programs. When J was about three and a half years old, my husband started staying home with him and his brother. We needed to find some intermittent care to give my husband a break and allow him to work on his music. Therefore, I enrolled them in a local Parents Day Out program for several hours twice a week that summer. Once the school year started, he began preschool at our church, and our youngest still attended the Parents Day Out program.

4. Does your child have your state’s Medicaid autism waiver? You may be able to obtain care and respite through Patient Assistance and Care (PAC) services. One note on this (as I found out): if you have other children, the provider will only care for your child with autism. They will not watch your other children or take them out on outings, etc.

5. If none of those options work, then you can search for a respite care provider through the Arch National Respite Network.

Interview potential care providers

It is so important that once you have identified respite care providers to meet with them in person and interview them. If you are interviewing potential babysitters or a care provider through a PAC agency, have them meet and interact with your child for a little while. You can often tell if it could be a good match by the way your child responds to the person.

What tips do you have for other parents of children with autism and ADHD to find respite care? Leave a comment below to share and encourage one another!

Additional resources

Need some additional information about this topic? Check out these additional resources.

A Practical Guide to Reduce Caregiver Stress and Prevent Caregiver Burnout (affiliate link)

A Beginner’s Guide on Parenting Children with ADHD (affiliate link)

Not Just for Nannies: The Special Families Caregiver Manual (affiliate link)

Carer’s Planner: Self Care for Carers (affiliate link)