Parents Of

Children
With Autism
By: Connor Breitbeck, Kayla Sellers &
Krista Burkard
  This group is a support group because it:
 Consists of members with something in common
 Meets on a regular basis
 Members share thoughts and feelings 
Type of Group  Members help one another examine issues and
(Kayla) concerns
 Allows group members to learn that others
struggle with the same problems, feel similar
emotions  and think similar thoughts
  Consider number of members in group
 Plan projects, written assignments
Planning  Set a goal list 
Process   Advertise group
(Krista)
 Take training course about autistic kids
 Get feedback from peers
 Set length of group/times/meeting days
  This support group is an open group, meaning that it's
open to anyone who would like to join. Group
members may find the group by means of:
 Flyers throughout the community
How are  Word of mouth
Members  Recommendation by doctor or clinic
Selected  School
(Kayla)  Other programs their child might attend
Length of The
September to
• Biweekly
They will
•
Group group will
run from: June
meet: 1 hour
sessions
(Kayla)
 "Purpose refers to why the group is meeting and what
the groups and objectives are" (Jacobs et al., 2015).
The purpose of this group is:
Purpose of  Develop connections with others who are similar
Group situations
(Kayla)  Gain help and support from each other 
 Learn different viewpoints perspectives
 Gain new information and useful insight on Autism
  In addition to preplanning, effective group counseling
Different leaders recognize that groups go through five stages:
Stages of dependency, conflict, cohesion, interdependence,
and termination. The stages are often called "forming,
Group  storming, norming, performing, and adjourning
(Krista) (Tuckman & Jensen, 1977).
  Focus refers to what is happening in the group. "At any
given moment in a session the focus is either on a
topic... an activity... or a person" (Jacobs et al., 2015). 
 The overall focus of the group is Autism. 
Focus of Group  Throughout the group, the focus will shift to what the
(Kayla)
focus is for each meeting, the activity or exercise
planned for that session, as well as any individual who
is sharing thoughts and feelings. 
  Explaining what a neurodevelopment disorder is
 Facts people should know about Autism
 What should caregivers understand about Autism
 Explaining the behavior of autistic individuals
towards family members
 Daily problems of individuals with Autism & problem-solving
Focus of each skills

group meeting  Social development, communication skills & other behaviors

(Kayla)  Effective medications & alternative medicine options
 Calming techniques & coping skills
 Education, special education needs & teaching strategies
 Limitations within society
 Employment limitations & opportunities 
 What is yet to be discovered about autism?
  Exercises are important because they can increase
comfort level
 Provide leader with useful information
 Generate discussion and focus the group
 Shift the focus
Why Exercises  Deepen the focus
Are Important  Provide an opportunity for experimental learning 
(Connor)
 Exercises of Each Group
(Connor)

 Written Exercises- Members would

have their responses readily
available. I would choose to
incorporate Diaries and Listing
Exercises
 Movement Ex- Members would
physically move around. I would
choose to incorporate Changing
Seats and Values Continuum
  Listen. Listening is the number one step in dealing
with "unreasonable" people. Everyone wants to feel
heard. No progress can take place until the other
person feels acknowledged. While you're listening,
really focus on what the other person is saying, not
what you want to say next.
 Stay calm. When a situation is emotionally charged,
it's easy to get caught up in the heat of the moment.
Dealing with Monitor your breathing. Try to take some slow, deep
breaths.
difficult  Don’t judge. You don't know what the other person is
participants  going through. Chances are if a person is acting
unreasonable, they're likely feeling some sort of
(Krista)
vulnerability or fear.
 Reflect respect and dignity toward the other
person. No matter how a person is treating you,
showing contempt won't help productively resolve
the situation.
 Look for the hidden need. What is this person really
trying to gain? What is this person trying to avoid?
  Multicultural counseling characterizes the counseling
practice that offers effective interventions to culturally
diverse clients. Race, ethnicity, and culture may
influence a client’s identity and life circumstances. Other
factors, such as gender and gender identity, sexual
orientation, age, socioeconomic status, religion, and
Addressing ability may also play into the context of a given client’s
mental health, and relational or personal issues.
Diversity   A culturally competent counselor considers all aspects of
(Krista)
a client’s worldview when selecting treatment
approaches. The counselor also remains aware of his or
her own personal biases, beliefs, and attitudes while
providing counseling services.
 Closing the Group
(Connor)

 During the closing phase, we would

take a couple of minutes to discuss
what we have talked about in the
session.
 Clarify goals we talked about 
 Encourage members reactions
 Share thoughts and feelings
about the session
  Revisit project goals.

Evaluating The  Interview each team member.

Group  Listen carefully.

(Krista)  Identify key challenges.
 Plan for next time.
 Assignment Geek. (2022). 140+ Great Autism Research Paper Topics
for 2022.
https://assignmentgeek.com/blog/autism-research-paper-topics/
Jacobs, E. E., Schimmel, C. J., Masson, R. L. L., & Harvill, R. L. (2015).
Group Counseling: Strategies and Skills. Cengage Learning.
References Mayo Clinic. (2020, August 29). Support groups: Make connections,
get help.
(Kayla)
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/
in-depth/support-groups/art-20044655
Thesis Rush. (2022). Top 100 Autism Research Paper Topics | Academic
Writing.
https://thesisrush.com/blog/autism-research-paper-topics/