A question families often ask us, is “Why does my autistic child become so upset whenever their Grandparents visit?”. The child may have a meltdown, cry when Grandma/Grandad arrives, refuse to let them in or try to push them back out the door! This can be stressful for everyone involved.
Why does this happen?
One reason why this may happen is that many parents rely on Grandparents to help out with childcare – this means that a visit from a Grandparent becomes associated with Mum/Dad leaving. This association with a parent leaving can be hard for the relationship between your child and their grandparents. For children with language delays, this may be the only way they know how to tell you that they don’t want Mum/Dad to leave. Other children may struggle with a lack of predictability in their day. To them, the grandparents visiting could mean that Mum/Dad might leave or might stay – this uncertainty can be stressful for some children.
Continue reading “Help! My autistic child has a meltdown whenever their Grandparents visit.”