The Autism Blog’s segment, Ask Dr. Emily, allows readers to send questions in to Dr. Emily Neuhaus, a clinical psychologist at Seattle Children’s Autism Center, where she will share her insights in a question and answer format.
In this past edition, Dr. Emily explores ways to help cope with grief and bereavement for children with autism. She notes that a large part of supporting children through a loss is to help them understand what’s happened in a way that is appropriate for their age and personality. Every child is different in how you should approach this topic, where for some, it may be best to have a very concrete and straightforward conversation about the family’s loss, while for others, it may be appropriate to have abstract discussion.
It is important to note that it can be helpful for caregivers to plan ahead what information they want the children to know regarding the situation. As adults, we have more context for understanding this kind of loss and know more details about the situation, but we might not necessarily need or want to share everything with children.
To read more about Dr. Emily’s insight on this topic, click here. Also included are grief and bereavement resources for individuals with autism.
You can send in your own questions to theautismblog@seattlechildrens.org and Dr. Emily will do her best to answer them.
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