Has anyone given up work to care for an autistic child?

[shivony263]

My 4 year old son is autistic and non verbal. We average about 4 hours sleep a night currently and he has started having meltdowns where he injures himself by head banging or punching himself in the chin. He needs constant supervision as he has no danger awareness.
He attends school nursery but not full time and we often get calls to collect him early due to him hurting himself. Yesterday he cracked a window at nursery due to headbutting it. We both work full time so it’s not always easy to leave early to collect him and we don’t have any other childcare options.
We have been discussing me giving up work so I can be there for him full time. I feel at the moment I can’t give my all to work and our son and something has to give.
Does anyone have any experience of giving up work to care for their autistic child?

Just giving you big hugs. I look after my dgs aged 3.5 who is autistic and non verbal with global developmental delay. He goes to nursery twice a week and comes to us 3 times a week.
Could grandparents help at all? You’ve a lot on your plate.

Sorry just reread and seen you’ve no other childcare options. Just ignore my last post.

For a long time I couldn’t work because of caring for DC. Now I work part time TTO. It only works because it is quite flexible.

Does DS have an EHCP?

Have you thought about specialist nursery?

Is it a state school’s nursery?

Does DS take melatonin &/or other medication to help with sleep?