New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline - Ministry of Health

Part 2: Support for individuals, families and carers
In order to support spouses and life partners,
health and education professional development
curricula need to:
• ensure that any professional learning and
development for ASD offered to health
and education professionals through
their institutions includes knowledge and
awareness of the needs of this specific group
of people
• ensure that social service staff members
receive adequate education in child-welfare
issues relating to parents who have ASD 39
(Recommendation 6.4, Professional learning
and development).
2.1.f People raised by parents with ASD
A number of issues are raised in calling for
further research to better support people with
ASD in their role as parents 127 , including:
• research on the needs of parents with ASD
• research to identify the needs of children
parented by people with ASD
• parent education and workshops which offer
ASD-appropriate supports and resources
• specific training for counsellors to work with
children who are parented by people with
ASD (Recommendation 6.5, Professional learning
and development).
Part 2
There is limited information on what it means
to be parented by someone who has ASD. A
small number of websites and publications
provide personal insights from adults 126-128 .
Very little research information was identified
on the experiences of young children parented
by people with ASD (Recommendation 2.1.8). A
number of important child-welfare issues need
to be addressed when the parenting threshold
for an ASD parent has been exceeded, including
the needs of children in custody arrangements
or following the death of a parent.
New Zealand Autism Spectrum Disorder Guideline 69