Autistic children : from social isolation to social aid

The article deals with the poorly studied problem of arranging social aid to families parenting children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Based on the analysis of the actual daily needs of the families having autistic children, the main channels of aid rendered to such families as well as the frustrated needs of the families are revealed. Discussion of the results of the empirical research shows the inconsistency of the existing system of formal aid to the families, fragmentary and incomplete nature of the resource of professional aid to families affected by ASD. This article analyzes the daily experience of parents of children who have ASD as the immediate subjects of the aftercare process and closely studies the process of objectivation of the role of families affected by ASD in the governmental system of social aid rendered to atypical children. Analysis of the frustrated demands of the life activities of the families affected by ASD allowed to reveal the main obstacles at rendering the social aid as well as the professional "targets" of further optimization of the structure and content of social services for this category of the population. [Kostenko M.A. Autistic children: from social isolation to social aid. Life Sci J 2014;11(6):530-534] (ISSN:10978135). http://www.lifesciencesite.com. 77