Help for Parents and Carers of Kids with Autism

10/08/2026

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Foundational Support & resources for Parent Carers of kids with Autism

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I am a Registered Nurse Psychosocial Recovery Coach, Certified Health Coach and experienced parent carer.

I help parents who are feeling burnt-out & overwhelmed.

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I have a free Skool group to help parent carers to cope:
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Inside the group is:

💥Mental, physical, emotional & social support

💥Help with being a parent of kids with autism and managing to cope with CHALLENGING behaviours (INCLUDING PDA!).

💥Building a self care program that works to sustain the parent carer.

💥Get help with Centrelink forms for Carer Payment.

💥A short course to manage SEVERE STRESS associated with meltdowns challenges and situations. This course has been shown to dramatically reduce meltdown length and frequency and is research based.

💥Helping the parent carer access a break ( respite ) from caring.

💥Help them manage their ( and their loved ones) health.

💥 Navigation of life outside the NDIS

💥Giving the parents HOPE when things look bleak.
Through my lived experience, I can show them it IS possible to get to a better place of coping.

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PLEASE send this to all of your parent carers, because you don't know who is & who isn't coping behind closed doors...

They may be on NDIS or being exited off NDIS.

Either way, they're probably not telling you how much they are struggling.

Thankyou!

Chrissy Tay RN, PRC, CHC

Parent Carer Help

Here's the link to my group on the Skool platform.

REAL HELP for Parent Carers of Kids with Neurodivergence, Disability or Challenging Behaviours

09/08/2026

PDA AUTISM PARENTS!
Get the tools to help the EXTREME STRESS you face EVERY DAY.
(see comments)

06/08/2026

PLANNING FOR HOSPITAL!

Sometimes you need to plan ahead and try to foresee issues if you know that you OR your child is going to be admitted to hospital.

But we had 2 unplanned emergency admissions this week with our youngest (17).

It's important to take a little A5 book with you ( I'll explain in a bit) , your own pillow, favourite comfort toy, headphones, iPad or device, and foods they can usually tolerate.

When our kids are sick they can tend to regress a few years when their fight or flight kicks in.

You may have to speak for them.

You may have to help them regulate.

You may have to write things down so the staff can read it instead of your child / teen / young adult having to answer unnecessary questions.
This avoids lots of questions... something that is likely to trigger a kid ( or adult) with PDA autism or who is in fragile emotional state.

Document your child's Past Medical History. (This means anything and everything experienced and/ or seen by a doctor/ other professional as it may be relevant to the doctors diagnosis).

Document age/ date first presented with symptoms or date diagnosed.

Document the GP full name & practice. Can't believe how many times we were asked this !!!

Document medications currently taking & when you take them.

Document any allergies (and side effects of any medications and food).

Document what happened in the lead up to coming in to the emergency dept.

Advocate for a quiet area to wait until a bed becomes available and for lighting to be turned down to reduce sensory overwhelm. Hospitals tend to be noisy busy, bright and scary. Even a sleep mask may be a good idea if tolerated.

Anyways , not a big long post today since he's still recovering slowly, and hope that we can stay out of hospital till it settles, what ever caused it.

I hope you're all doing ok.

And I also had a thought .. as a healthcare professional with over 30 years experience in many different settings, I know what they need to know!

Would you like me to make a book that you can provide to your healthcare provider, in case you have to see a doctor and you are not up to answering questions?
Let me know below 👇 👇 👇
###Chrissy ❤️

04/08/2026

👋Hey lovelies👋
Well I been playing nurse for my son as he's been under the weather for last week.

I can tell hes 'sick enough' as he's managed to have a chest x-ray, abdominal x-ray AND bloods done.

That means his symptoms were severe enough to boss back/ work through/ think logically through his PDA fight or flight.

No answers just yet.

Its only been about 2 years since we've been able to get him to the drs.

I was able to advocate for the abdo x-ray and some extra bloods that the Dr wouldn't have normally checked.

Getting healthcare advocacy is extremely important, especially if your child is non verbal and unable to get help for themselves. Doctors look at the most obvious things that it may be, but it's good to ask to check for the ' not so obvious ' diagnoses, particularly if it's hard to get your young person to the Dr. A lot of the time there are blood tests to check that, that are an easier add on.

Getting bloods can be extremely hard for autistic kids ( and their parents) .
Try & aim for yearly bloods (if not unwell) to check routine things like vitamin b's, vit D, full iron panel & FBC to check for anaemia, and CRP/ ESR which can show signs of infection or inflammation.

Medical issues ABSOLUTELY impact on emotional regulation.

Things like nausea, headaches, abdominal pain or cramps, digestive issues and more can cause low level dysregulation, but on top of other triggers, can tip them into meltdowns, shutdown or dissociation.

I was able to stand next to my son to get the x-rays done ( I had to wear lead apron) , otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get it done.

Have you and your child had routine bloods done recently??

You can even book a phlebotomist to your house if unable to get to a blood collection centre.

###Chrissy ❤️

30/07/2026

Parental Burnout & Crisis
PLEASE READ

Burnout of the parent can have catastrophic effects to the WHOLE FAMILY.

My thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends of the Adelaide mum who ended her and her young kids' lives.

Many things can trigger a parent not to be able to cope, that's why a one size fits all approach doesn't work.

It can be caused by trying to manage challenging kiddo behaviours, trying to keep a job (& money coming in) whilst simultaneously parenting, having too many things to do and not enough time to do them, and not getting any time out for yourself for your own self care.

You start to see your situation as hopeless.

If you are burnt-out, what you need is expert help from someone who has been through it, and who knows what will work.

I am grateful each day that I am able to show parents that they can recover their ability to care. Not only that, but I help to ensure they have the tools to not reach crisis point again and again.

When you're suffering from burnout it's ok to give
yourself grace and provide 'good enough' care to your kids.

Talk to your kids ( if they are old enough or able to understand - plus when they are not dysregulated) and explain you need lots of rest. And reach out for professional help - from someone who has been there.

You need help to offload your 'to-do' list, offload your worry and anxieties, and help you get the help you need to carry on parenting. You need practical help as well as psychological help.

If at any point you feel like you are really not coping, or you are thinking of harm to yourself or others...

CALL for an ambulance 000 in Australia

You can ask for an ambulance without the sirens or flashing lights.

In my experience of dealing with these situations ..
.if in doubt...CALL IT.

000

You are enough and you are wanted on this earth
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29/07/2026

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PARENT CARERS ARE BURNTOUT.

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I've been working with burnt-out parent carers for more than 10 years as a Registered Nurse and Psychosocial Recovery Coach.

Parent Carer burnout is at an all time high.

And nobody's talking about it.

Well I am.

I have been in the position where I once wanted to just walk away from my family and all the responsibilities and not come back. This is what you do when your overwhelmed and feeling hopeless - and nobody has a solution.

I was beyond burnt-out.

This was before our kids' diagnoses.

I would present to the emergency dept, get a referral for camhs which "might take a few months" and get sent home to manage the severe behaviours ourselves... and be expected to cope.

Our kids were unable to access regular respite centres due to their PDA autism disability.

And the mainstream services were not able to provide an in home service.

There were many things that were contributing to burnout, but I kept on questioning myself

What did I need to do to recover MY ability to cope?

And over a period of time I was able to identify what factors were at play ... And more importantly HOW I was going to fix it.

When life throws you curve balls you can sink or swim. I HAD to learn to swim - for my family's sake . I wanted to see them grow up into adults.

Now I focus on changing the trajectory from hopelessness to giving hope.

Now, I KNOW what has helped to overcome the overwhelm, and KNOW what has helped when you're feeling NUMB.

I provide personalised actionable strategies and a warm, non-judgemental, real understanding of their situation (having lived similar myself).

So, my question is this.
Do you have someone to help you navigate life outside the NDIS?

Do you need help to sustain yourself as the parent carer?

This is a very real worry to a lot of families on the NDIS right now.

Don't let it keep you awake at night, or send you spiralling into a depression.

Book a 1 to 1 coaching call.

Do it TODAY.

###Chrissy ❤️
Registered Nurse & Psychosocial Recovery Coach

P.s. I also have a free Skool group you can join which will help you further.

Carer Gateway The Carers Foundation Australia

28/07/2026

If you don't know who or where to go to get help, I can help you navigate it.

28/07/2026

With all the cuts to the NDIS looming and causing unnecessary stress for us all, I would like to let you know that I may be able to help.

I'm a fellow parent carer but also a Registered Nurse, Psychosocial Recovery Coach and Health Coach and have been supporting parent carers for 10+ years.

I have 20 + years of lived experience with PDA Autism, GAD, ADHD, challenging behaviours and the whole laundry list of coexisting diagnoses. I also have over 30 years experience as a professional.

I have been able to help parents uncover hidden medical reasons for dysregulation. I have been able to advocate for further testing with GP's and uncovered things like coeliac disease, iron deficiency anaemia and more.

I can work alongside behaviour therapy, psychology, OT, etc for best outcomes.

This includes advocating with your GP and other professional.

It would be a good idea to link in with me if you think you are going to be affected by the cuts to the NDIS.

In the meantime I have a checklist for a carer impact statement available on my website so you can state clearly what you need to sustain you as the parent carer.

Even Carers Australia needs evidence of need before they will provide help and this is something you can provide them, and other funding organizations/ non profits.

27/07/2026

PARENT CARERS OF KiDS WITH AUTISM NEED SPECIALISED & PRACTICAL HELP.

When you're going through a tough time, it is so hard to know what to work on first that will have the biggest impact on lowering your stress, or recovering from burnout.

My professional experience is as a Registered Nurse, Psychosocial Recovery Coach, and my lived experience as a parent of 2 PDAers.

When the normal things that are recommended ( like going for a walk, going on holiday, or meditation ) don't work then get in touch.

I KNOW intimately how severe the stress can be.

I have compiled a list of things to help you navigate through to smoother waters.

Practical, simple & effective tips tools and strategies to get you coping.

When nothing is 'working' and you're left to manage unsupported, or you're getting advice that doesn't work for your family, get in touch.

A great example of this was our GP who said:

"can you book a holiday to have a break away?"

Uhhhh...NO! (1 kid severe anxiety & won't leave house, the other gets homesick after 2 days and it's actually MORE stressful to actually go away)

"Can you go for a walk each day ?"

Uhhhh ...NO!( Can't leave them alone and they won't leave the house, plus I'm exhausted)

These are just 2 examples of why we have to think outside the box.

Let's work out what you can focus on first and lets build something that works for you and your family.

Get in touch through my website. Don't struggle any longer.

###Chrissy ❤️