Review Paper: Routines in Families of Children With Autism

Objective Routines are a set of daily and regular activities that play an important role in the development of the child and the family. These activities include building the structure for daily life, developing social skills, academic skills, speech skills, facilitating family relationships, and creating a sense of belonging among family members. This study examines the routines of families of children with autism. Materials & Methods Routines are a set of daily and regular activities that play an important role in the development of the child and the family. These activities include building the structure for daily life, developing social skills, academic skills, speech skills, facilitating family relationships, and creating a sense of belonging among family members. This study examines the routines of families of children with autism. Results Routines are related to family health. However, following routines in the families of children with autism are difficult due to factors associated with the child such as lack of flexibility, problematic behaviors and sensory-processing problems; factors associated with care givers, such as parents' anxiety or marital problems; and environmental factors such as the lack of access to autism healthcare services in less populated and remote areas. Thus, parents of children with autism face the challenge of creating and maintaining the routines. A child with autism usually takes the center of family structure and activities. This condition will eventually end in controlling the daily routines of families. In other words, a significant portion of the daily life of the family is linked to the needs of the child with autism. Some routines such as eating and sleeping have been specifically addressed as challenging routines. The structure of routines takes shape around the needs of the child, rather than the whole family, and in some cases, the needs of other family members are ignored. The presence of a child with autism in the family negatively affects the development of meaningful interactions. The pervasive nature of autism leads to inflexible, child-focused routines and limited emotional and social experiences during everyday life activities in their families. Despite the challenges that families of autistic children may have to participate in routines, these families try to engage in challenging routines, which have meaning and importance for them, to learn their child's endurance. They do not give a chance to the child with autism to decide for their family and collaborate with family members. Conclusion Despite the important role of routines in the growth and health of the child and the family, it seems that the disabling nature of autism with its many complications, which overshadows other family planning affect the quantity and quality of family participation in activities and developing meaningful routines. Although the development of a child with autism has a burden on the family, inability to create interactions, understanding the child, and communicating among family members makes the situation in the family more problematic. As a result, the families of children with autism are unable to create and maintain effective routines for the optimal participation of family members that eventually leads to the loss of family integrity and solidarity.