Washington Legal News: Seattle Divorce & Domestic Violence Lawyer

Study: Parents With Autistic Kids Not More Likely To Divorce

A study conducted by the Center for Autism and Related Disorders at the Kennedy Krieger Institute has determined that the parents of autistic children are no more likely to divorce than those with unaffected children. This new study breaks the long-held belief that parents with children who suffer from autism spectrum disorders are almost certainly doomed to divorce following a diagnosis. In fact, the well-circulated statistic that 80 percent of couple with autistic children divorce is no more than an urban legend.

The new poll, which will be presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research this week, surveyed 77,911 families around the country with children 17 years of age and younger. While 64 percent of children with autism were being raised by two parents, 65 percent of children without autism were raised in two-parent households. The difference was not statistically significant.

Many believed that an autism diagnosis puts a large strain on marriages – children with autism often need large amounts of attention and time, while raising a child with autism is significantly more expensive than other children. The behavioral problems that are often associated with autism can cause large amounts of stress in a family, while parents may also disagree on treatment options and other decisions.

The man who conducted the autism and divorce study, Brian Freedman, is going to continue to research the subject, this time in hopes of determining what factors and strategies are used in the families that are able to successfully stay together in the face of the challenge of an autism diagnosis.

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