National Autism Academy Offers Free 7-Part Video Series for Parents of Autistic Children

CHICAGO, April 2, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Parenting a child is a difficult job but parenting a child on the autism spectrum is even more so. That is why starting April 1, the National Autism Academy is making its pioneering, seven-part series entitled "The 7 Emotional Secrets of Parents with Autistic Children" available free to those interested in understanding life with autism.

In making the announcement, Jeanne Beard, the academy's founder and the parent of a 21-year-old autistic son, said the 10- to 12-minute videos explore the emotional challenges parents of special needs children (and others) face, including dealing with compassion fatigue, burnout, and living with loss.

The series consists of conversations between Beard and certified thanatologist, grief and loss expert Lisa Dinhofer. Thanatologists are experts in the dying and bereavement process. Dinhofer sheds light on the intense emotional difficulties frequently faced by anyone receiving a life-altering diagnosis, experiencing repeated grieving, or providing long-term care for another person.

Beard said, "This is a groundbreaking open dialogue that explores these topics in a very real and honest way."

In the videos, parents and others who cope with autistic individuals will learn:

• How your emotions drive your child's behavior and what successful parents do to feel better.
• Steps you can take if you feel like the school is failing your child.
• Ways to approach your Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meeting with power and persuasion to get the resources your child needs.
• How to pinpoint why you feel chronically exhausted, hopeless, or like you are failing as a parent plus how to transform that energy into positive support for your child.
• How social and cultural expectations add painful pressure to our lives, and ways to break free from those unnecessary burdens.

About Jeanne Beard

Jeanne Beard served as a writer on the team that produced Dr. Timothy J. Wahlberg's 2010 book Finding the Gray: Understanding and Thriving in the Black and White World of Autism and Asperger's. She is a graduate of Northwestern University. Autism and the Rest of Us: How to Sustain a Healthy and Functional Relationship with a Person on the Autism Spectrum is her first book written under her own name.

About the National Autism Academy

The academy is committed to encouraging, educating and supporting parents, grandparents, families and caregivers who live, love and work with people on the autism spectrum. Its mission is to increase the understanding and effectiveness of their efforts as well as to create greater awareness, acceptance and accommodation among the general public.

AVAILABILITY: Chicago, nationwide by arrangement and via telephone
CONTACT:  Jeanne Beard, (630) 542-1191; [email protected]

SOURCE Jeanne Beard