“Being a teenager is easy,” said no one, ever. Pressure to fit in, taking risks, and learning how to navigate the world are all cornerstones of normal teenage life. On top of these pressures, military teens have the added stress of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) moves.

When a PCS occurs, teens often feel sad leaving their friends and anxious about finding a new social group. While this can be an overwhelming and difficult time, Military and Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) can help ease the transition into a new place by inviting teens to join lunch groups, connecting them to peers with similar interests, and sharing local events. In addition to MFLC support, there are resources available for teens and parents as they acclimate to their environment.

Youth Resources

• On-post youth centers offer military youth a fun, safe place with activities for a variety of interests. At these centers, teens can connect with their peers and support staff.
• Military teen adventure camps, Operation Purple, the Boys and Girls Club, the YMCA, and 4-H all offer age-appropriate opportunities for military kids to join a social group, learn new skills, and build confidence.
• School programs such as Student 2 Student can help teens feel supported and connected when starting a new school.

 Parent Resources

• Military OneSource provides information on the Interstate Compact and the Exceptional Family Members Program, which can be useful to parents when they register their children in school and have concerns about loss of credit hours or setting up 504 or Individualized Education Plan (IEP) plans.
• The Military Child Educational Coalition offers resources for families such as a PCS checklist and a military student consultant.

A PCS move during the teen years can be life-changing for military-connected kids. However, with the help of MFLC support and the many resources available to them, it can also be a fun, exciting, and positive experience.

Sources

• https://www.militaryonesource.mil/benefits/military-youth-teen-programs/
• https://www.militarychild.org/programs-and-initiatives/military-student-consultants/

With approximately 1.7 million dependent military children across all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, experts who support military children must understand the unique experiences and diverse needs that require a specialized counseling approach.

This topic will be the focus of the upcoming Magellan Federal webinar on Thursday, May 16, “Connecting with Military Children: Counseling Techniques for Success.” Expert panelists for this webinar will include:

• Keionna Baker, LPC, LMHC, LCMHC, clinical project manager, Military & Family Life Counseling Program
• Paul Taraborelli LICSW, IMH-E®, child youth behavioral director, Military & Family Life Counseling Program
• Susan Trotman, LCSW, regional supervisor, Military & Family Life Counseling Program

The webinar will focus on trends, concerns, and intervention techniques that create a sense of connectedness and belonging for military-connected children and youth. To attend, register here.

In this Q&A, expert panelist Paul Taraborelli LICSW, IMH-E® shares a preview of information that will be shared in the webinar and why it is critical for counselors and other professionals who work with military children to invest time into enhancing their skills by attending.

Q: What are some key challenges that military children commonly face?

Paul Taraborelli: There are more than 1.7 million military children who face many challenges and unique experiences because of their parents’ service. Military families move on average every two to three years, impacting military children through changing schools and support networks. Military families often experience changes in parents’ access in terms of regular face-to-face contact, changes in caregivers, and changes in family routines due to a military parent being called away from their family to serve and support their mission. To manage these changes during their overall growth and development as a child, military children often rely on resilience skills they develop over time. By acknowledging and celebrating the many unique aspects of military culture and being a military-connected child, we can help these children be equipped to emotionally adjust to challenges throughout their lives.

Q: How do these challenges impact their emotional well-being?

Taraborelli: Due to changes in locations, fluctuations in daily schedules and routines, and the temporary absence of a primary caregiver/parent can lead to short-term and possibly long-term effects on a child’s overall wellbeing and the development of age appropriate social emotional skills.

Q: What are ways that counselors can help military children navigate these transitions and build resilience?

Taraborelli:

Focus topics when working with military children to support and enhance social emotion skill development and reduce stress, including:

• Resiliency skill-building
• Development and use of age-appropriate problem-solving skills
• Development of healthy relationships skill building, including ways to express and manage their emotions

Q: What are some common misconceptions or stereotypes about military children, and how can counselors work to challenge and overcome these misconceptions?

Taraborelli: A common misconception is that military children are used to moving a lot, changing schools, making new friends, and can adjust easily to changes in their lives. Counselors can engage military children in conversations about how they are coping with and adjusting to these changes both in the past and presently. Counselors can explore, identify, and develop age-appropriate coping skills while working with military-connected children. If possible, provide opportunities for peer support through group meetings and activities with other military-connected peers.

Another misconception is that due to attending different schools in different locations, military children are not as academically prepared as their nonmilitary peers. Counselors can explore with military children their learning journey and what they have learned both academically and outside of school during their life as a military child. Counselors can focus on, celebrate, and acknowledge the experiences they have had compared to their nonmilitary peers and how those experiences contribute to their overall sense of self and the skills they have developed academically, socially, and emotionally.

Q: Lastly, what advice would you give to counselors who are looking to enhance their skills and effectiveness in working with military children and their families?

Taraborelli: Make a conscious effort to better understand the unique aspects of military culture and what military children experience in their lives as military children. Use this knowledge to provide additional information and insight when assessing presenting issues or concerns a military child may be facing and develop tailored goals for counseling and support for the child.

Giving Tuesday is recognized as the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the United States, and has recently become a powerful global movement to inspire people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. Here’s how Magellan Federal gives back to the community each and every day. Will you join us in building a better world?

Our Legacy of Service

One of the most unique aspects of Magellan Federal is our non-profit history. The story of our legacy dates back to 1879 through the establishment of a nonprofit organization to care for surviving spouses and children of fallen soldiers. Through the years, many families of fallen soldiers received support regarding military benefits, survivor benefits, and more through this non-profit.

In 2000 the Member Services department of this non-profit spun off and formed a for-profit corporation that embodied the values of giving back, service, and providing the best possible assistance to the military and their families. Armed Forces Services Corporation (AFSC) was born, formed by a Vietnam Veteran Service-Disabled service member whose mission was to expand services to warriors, veterans, and families. As a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), AFSC embedded a spirit of service throughout the organization by establishing a “double bottom line” mission to achieve not only business aims but also positive impact. For AFSC, success encompassed improving the lives of service members, veterans, and their families.

Growing Generosity

In 2016, AFSC joined Magellan Health, one of the nation’s largest healthcare companies, to create Magellan Federal, which strengthened the historical mission of AFSC’s service. Today, as Magellan Federal, we continue our legacy of service through our Community Partnership program, which formalizes and promotes activities of service and generosity. Through this program, we have streamlined our actions to support organizations that share our passion for giving back to the military and federal community.

Magellan Federal mobilizes and creates opportunities for employees to engage in volunteerism and philanthropic endeavors in the community. We give all Magellan employees eight hours of volunteer time off annually. As denoted in our values, we care deeply about each other, our customers and the communities we serve. Therefore, if there is something that needs to be done in any of these areas, we believe it is our job to do it. As it was in our inception, so it is today, if there is a need, we endeavor to serve until the need is met. You can view our #MFedCares team member stories on LinkedIn.

Call to Action

On Giving Tuesday—and every day—we invite you to join us in serving and giving back wherever and however you can. Whether it’s some of your time, a donation, or the power of your voice in your local community, no contribution is too small. It will always be our collective engagement to show up and serve that makes the most difference. As stated on GivingTuesday.org, here are some ways to serve:

• Support your local social good organizations, mutual aid networks, and community organizers
• Combat loneliness by reaching out to a relative, seniors, or veterans.
• Do an act of kindness or help a neighbor
• Identify your gifts, pick a cause that gets you fired up, and give back – not just for Giving Tuesday but every day.
• 50 ideas for acts of kindness

Every act of generosity counts and everyone has something to contribute toward building the better world we all want to live in.

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, observed annually in September, serves as a crucial reminder of the importance of promoting mental health, offering support, and fostering hope to prevent the tragic loss of lives to suicide. Death by suicide among service members, veterans, and their families is becoming a national crisis. This population is at higher risk for common risk factors, including experiencing a mental health condition and having a physical health problem.

On Thursday, September 7^th, Magellan Federal hosted a webinar, “Suicide Prevention Strategies and Resources for Military Families” focused on the prevalence of suicide in the military and the resources and strategies that can be used to reduce military suicides.

In this Q&A, webinar panelist Jason Kuttner, Magellan Federal’s supervisor for the Adolescent Support and Counseling Service, shares insight into his work with suicide prevention.

Q: What is your role with ASACS and how were you able to develop the Suicide Risk Assessment protocols?

Jason Kuttner: I have been the ASACS Program clinical supervisor for Hawaii since 2018. I’ve been with the program since 2012, first as a counselor in Japan and Germany, then as a clinical supervisor for Asia from 2015-2018. Prior to working with ASACS, I worked in crisis mental health services in Oregon where I had a variety of roles including conducting involuntary commitment investigations, providing emergent crisis counseling services, and helping train law enforcement professionals as part of the CIT (crisis intervention training) program. In these roles, I have worked with countless individuals in mental health crises. I’ve had extensive training in best practices for working with suicidal individuals and I’ve been able to learn from first-hand experience what works to de-escalate crises including implementing wrap-around support to keep people safe in the short and long term.

Q: When discussing suicide prevention how are the needs of a service member or a veteran differ from a civilian?

Kuttner: Suicide rates among veterans are significantly higher than in the civilian population. Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than non-veterans.[1] Reasons for this include high exposure to trauma, stress and burnout, isolation and loneliness, easy access to and familiarity with firearms, and difficulties integrating into civilian life. Active-duty service member suicide rates have been climbing in recent years and are now on par with the general population. One of the most significant challenges with service members is reducing the culture of stigma to access mental health services. There is a perception that accessing mental healthcare may jeopardize a service member’s career opportunities. All the branches of service are working to try to reduce this stigma and to make it easier for service members to seek help when they need it.

Q: In your webinar presentation you mention the need for more community-based prevention. What does community-based prevention look like and why is it needed?

Kuttner: Community-based prevention means simply helping and encouraging people to find ways to connect with others. The most effective of these are not framed as ‘suicide prevention’ per se but are ways for people to find others with common interests to engage with. This can include hiking, recreational sports leagues, motorcycling groups, service work and volunteering, music and arts, spiritual and religious organizations, and basically any kind of hobbies and interests that people can do with others. In person, social connection is an important antidote to mental distress which is often exacerbated by isolation. Increasingly people are connecting online through social media, multiplayer gaming, and other ways. While this seems like a good idea and can be a way to connect with like-minded people, research has been showing a correlation between increasing use of social media with higher rates of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

Q: Where can a service member, a veteran, or their family go if they feel depressed or are having thoughts of committing suicide?

Kuttner: There is good help there! The 988 mental health crisis and suicide lifeline was rolled out a little over one year ago. The lifeline connects people to local mental health support services including veteran-specific services. You can call or text and help is prompt, confidential, and professional. It is so important to know that there is no shame in having depressed and even suicidal thoughts; these are very common, and most people will have times in their lives when they experience dark thoughts including morbid ruminations. We need to reinforce the message that none of us are alone. Talking to somebody about these thoughts actually helps. The more people who are trained as peer supports to be able to know how to listen and talk to a person who is depressed and possibly suicidal the better. Many communities have access to free suicide prevention training such as ASIST and SafeTalk which are intended to train regular, non-mental health professionals to know how to be there for family members, friends, colleagues, and others who may be experiencing mental distress.

For service members who are worried about the stigma of accessing mental health support, chaplains are professionally trained to provide help and can help service members navigate their thoughts and feelings and help them determine what the next steps are to keep them safe. Also, the MFLC program- military family life counselors- are licensed mental health counselors contracted to provide non-medical counseling to service members and their families. MFLCs provide experienced guidance to help people resolve issues and access additional support if necessary.

Q: What are some barriers that might prevent a service member or a veteran from seeking help?

Kuttner: The most significant barrier is stigma- being worried that asking for help is a sign of weakness or might jeopardize their career or status in some way. It is so important to recognize that life is so much more than this present moment. Most suicidal crises are centered on the view that the circumstances that have led to this moment are not resolvable without an immediate and permanent way out. Sadly, the consequences of suicide have a ripple effect that can profoundly affect hundreds or more people in a person’s life. The crisis that a person is experiencing in the present moment can be overcome and the first step in doing so is letting it out, talking to somebody, and letting another person in to help bring some light into the darkness.

Who should watch this webinar and what would they gain?

Kuttner: Anyone who is interested in learning more should attend. Suicide has impacted or will impact most people at some point in their lives. All of us have times of difficulty and have people in our lives who suffer mental distress. The more we can do to get the word out that help is available and there are things that all of us can do to help ourselves and others in our lives, the better.

If you missed this important webinar, click here to watch the replay: https://www.magellanfederal.com/whats-new/mfed-inform/suicide-prevention-strategies-and-resources-for-military-families/

[1] National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report,  September 2022

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) provides care and services for military families with special needs – whether that is an adult or child. The program has served over 55,000 Army EFMP family members across a total of 32 locations within and outside of the continental U.S. In this Q&A with Magellan Federal senior program analyst Brandon Greenwood, we learn more about the important work with special needs families.

How does EFMP work?

Greenwood: There are three components to EFMP: Medical, Human Resource Command HRC(Assignments), and Family Support. Magellan System Navigators fall under the Family Support umbrella where we offer non-clinical case management to our clients. We provide support to soldiers and their dependents to make their transition to and from their duty stations as seamless as possible all the while providing support groups, educational workshops, Individualized Education Plans (IEP) assistance, and bringing exciting and inclusive special events to our population.

What are System Navigators?

Greenwood: System Navigators take the guesswork out of locating services in a brand-new environment for our clients, by forming relationships with community partners and service providers and connecting them to our service members and their families.

Clients are encouraged to collaborate with their Systems Navigator (SN) to create a service plan so that their individual goals are taken into account. A goal for our SNs is for them to empower our families to be the best advocate for their Exceptional Family Members as they can. We want to equip them with as many tools and as much knowledge about EFMP as possible so when they relocate, they are better prepared and informed for what may come.

How does this help families with children?

Greenwood: Our Systems Navigators also assist families with a dependent who has a special educational need with their Individualized Education Plans. SNs are trained in Wrightslaw Special Education and are able to educate parents and caregivers about their child’s IEP, point out inconsistencies, correct language that may not be beneficial to the child, and also attend the meeting with the family in a support role.

Wrightslaw is a training course that provides the knowledge build-up for Special Education Law and Advocacy.  It helps the System Navigator to better understand the challenges our EFMP families experience each day in the school system.

Our SNs play a large role in the planning and execution of special events. There are several events across all our military bases, however, most of those events aren’t inclusive for those with special needs. The EFMP family support program, along with the help of our SNs, create themed special events that are sensory-friendly and created with our EFMP families in mind. These events have become so popular that many sites have made them open to the entire base.

How can someone get connected to the EFMP?

Greenwood: To learn more about EFMP and the support available to your family, reach out to your local EFMP Family Support office. EFMP Family Support providers play a critical role in providing information, referral, family needs assessments, and family service plans to help you achieve the goals that are unique to your family.

Source: MilitaryOneSource

Hard work, dedication, love, and resilience weave together an extraordinary tapestry that is the military spouse. We are strong, independent women and men fiercely supportive of each other. We care wholeheartedly about all associated with the military and work tirelessly to support those who support us through serving our country.

Military Spouse Appreciation Month recognizes the spouse’s contributions to the military and the community. Those in the military took an oath to serve our country and receive medals, salutes, and commendations for their commitment. The sacrifices of the families, while not as evident, should also be applauded and recognized for their commitment to the service of our country through their support of the service member. Often these sacrifices go unnoticed and can create challenges, such as maintaining a job or career.

The Struggle of Finding Employment as a Military Spouse

On many military installations, spouses volunteer thousands of hours for the cause of the community and the military services. One can find a spouse volunteering at thrift stores, schools, Community Action Centers, Military Spouse Clubs, and the American Red Cross, to name a few. The spouse’s work is visible and needed. When the service member knows that the family is stable and receiving the required support within the community, they can focus on serving their mission without hesitation.

Along with the usual marital stresses, most non-military spouses are near support systems of family, lifelong friends, and resources known to them. We learn to make friends quickly, and those people become our family. The resentment and loneliness this lifestyle brings can be hard to understand. The sacrifice, commitment, and the stress of many domestic roles can be lonely and isolating at times. We can sometimes lose our identity – known only as someone’s spouse or someone’s parent. Many opportunities present themselves, such as worldwide travel, educational benefits, and excellent schools, but with these opportunities there can be just as many, if not more, sacrifices.

So much of our military lifestyle is beyond our control. Affordable childcare options are a major concern for military spouses. It is a primary family expense and the main reason many spouses choose not to work outside the home. At one point in my career, I worked 40 hours a week and cleared less than $600 monthly after childcare expenses, transportation, lunch, hair, nails, etc. I was exhausted and felt enormous guilt for allowing my children to be cared for by strangers while I earned a mere pittance.

Military spouses sometimes “Suffer in Silence,” fearing that speaking up may impact our service member’s career.

Qualities of a Military Spouse

We cover family milestones, holidays, and events alone, often finding ways to make up for the missing service member. In many cases, giving birth is a prime example. Thanks to my husband’s battalion chaplain (and his wife who made him do it), Gary was able to sneak away for a couple of hours (in full camouflage paint and an odor to match!) from field exercises to visit our newborn son and me in the neonatal intensive care unit in Fayetteville, NC.

Charlene Austin, the wife of Secretary of Defense General Lloyd Austin, has always been a working military spouse. She gave me this advice years ago when I became despondent during my job search. “This [military] experience is guaranteed to be like no other. Remain open to options and alternatives. Grow to be happy with yourself and work to realize your needs and goals.” That is good advice, but so much easier said than done.

Military spouses often sacrifice a stable career with their active-duty partner. The constant moving makes it hard to have career progression since you are not in any position long enough to have forward momentum. For example, my dear friend, Ivy, has multiple graduate degrees. Yet, she decided not to work for nearly twenty years because it was difficult to secure positions with growth and one that would work with her schedule of raising children and supporting her military service member.

Military spouses are adaptable, flexible, punctual finance managers, organizational managers, schedule managers, and residential physician assistants. They serve as Girl Scout leaders, Boy Scout leaders, piano teachers, sports coaches, and tutors. We are located in an area for 12-36 months. Within the first two weeks of arrival, the spouse has unpacked and arranged the house, registered students in new schools (who is my emergency contact when I don’t know anyone?!), obtained new doctors and a dentist, scheduled sporting activities and other extra-curriculum activities, and planned the summer vacation with fun activities.

Why Companies Should Hire Military Spouses

Securing positions and establishing a career have changed within the last 10 years for military spouses; however, it can sometimes still be difficult for a spouse to secure a position if they are not a teacher or working within the medical field. Many employers hesitate to hire a military spouse because they focused on the spouse leaving and not the skills the person was contributing to the overall mission.

An organization would benefit from having a military spouse who can work independently and collaboratively to complete tasks without supervision. A military spouse has likely managed a household and children and settled conflicts—from submitting damage claims to advocating for the best classes for their child. Military spouses are often highly educated and experienced; therefore, they meet the requirements for many positions. They should not be discounted simply because they may be at a temporary station. There are a lot of remote work options these days that may result in continuity beyond service location.

Carolyn Shelton, the spouse of General Hugh Shelton, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, shared an interesting story concerning her job search in the Washington, DC, area. She was submitting applications but had very little previous employment. She added her volunteer experience as a military spouse instead. A hiring manager reviewed her application and said, “Anyone who would volunteer this much at no pay has to be reliable. You’re hired!” Never discount the strength of your volunteer experience. You gain marketable skills needed in the business community.

When I met Carolyn, she had moved 24 times in 29 years. She humorously described her first experience as a military spouse (although I am sure humorously was not how she would have described it then).  They arrived at Ft. Benning, Georgia, where her husband was to attend Ranger School. He told her, “I’m going to sign in with the unit, then I’ll be back.” He didn’t make it back for two days! This happens more often than we care to admit.

It is past time that companies provide childcare assistance or subsidies. A flexible spending account should be one of many benefits companies offer employees. I hope the future holds affordable options for all companies that will foster a healthier work-life balance.

Companies like Magellan Federal have already taken giant steps in supporting military spouses in the workplace. Our Talent Acquisition team is superb at keeping the company recognized as a Military Friendly Top 10 Spouse Employer. Our President and CEO, Anna Sever, is the spouse of an active-duty military service member. I do not doubt that under her leadership, we will continue to build on the foundation the company was founded on – care for surviving spouses of the fallen. I applaud Magellan Federal for the emphasis placed on mental health and access to resources.

I encourage other corporations to provide more opportunities for military spouses. Hire them because they get the job done and allow them to manage at the highest positions!

A certain amount of ambiguity surrounds the term autism and often suggests a stereotypical image, but autism affects individuals uniquely. Over the years, professional theories about autism and other childhood disorders shifted to try to better capture what is now known as Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Causes and treatments continue to be put forth to capture pieces of the mysterious puzzle. Though commonalities persist, each person with ASD experiences a unique level of impact on skills, intelligence, and capability and even the characteristics of siblings with ASD can vary widely. A few unique thinkers and accomplished artists that fall into this population are Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Emily Dickinson, Sir Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Mozart, de Vinci, Anthony Hopkins, and Jerry Seinfeld.

Early Warning Signs

Currently, one in forty-four children are diagnosed with ASD, with over 1 million reported to be in active-duty military families, according to 2021 CDC data (7) and Operation Autism (11). The American Autism Association offers some early signs and symptoms to be aware of for parents raising young children. (1):

Communication

• Delays in language development.
• Quirky repetitive language or sounds.
• Inability to initiate or maintain speech.
• Responds by repeating a question, rather than answering it.
• Difficulty communicating needs or desires.

Social Interactions

• Lack of appropriate verbal and nonverbal behavior.
• Lack of ability to develop peer friendships.
• Social and emotional exchange challenges, including maintaining eye contract.
• Minimal tolerance to being touched, held, or cuddled.
• Trouble perceiving or talking about feelings.
• Trouble sharing interests or successes with others (art, playthings).

Patterns of Behavior

• Restricted, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors.
• Difficulty in motor control
• Peculiar connection to objects.
• Distress with change in routine.
• Lining up toys.
• Head banging or rocking back and forth.

Looking Closer

Concerned parents are encouraged to speak to their child’s medical provider. Most communities offer free screenings to assess developmental progress and check for school readiness. The earlier an ASD screening occurs, the better, as this is the first step toward diagnoses which leads to important early interventions. Siblings of children with ASD screened, since ASD can present families. Military treatment facilities can assist through Educational and Developmental Intervention Services (EDIS). Once a screening determines risk factors and signs of ASD, a formal diagnostic evaluation is conducted to identify areas that may be addressed in treatment, such as challenges in social communication, behaviors, sensory issues, and the level of impact on daily functioning is assessed. (1)

Children on the autism disorder spectrum experience a unique combination of impacts on brain functions (i.e., thinking, memory) that may reflect some strong skills in one functioning area and low abilities in other areas. For example, a strong math aptitude may be coupled with a slow processing speed that appears as laziness to observers. Social issues may surface as peer conflict and loss of friends due to errors in interpreting social cues and sensory discomfort felt when looking others in the eye. A perceived lack of empathy may result from a child experiencing intense feelings of empathy, but not knowing how to identify or act on them, and then responding inappropriately. Inadequate verbal skills and meltdowns may occur when emotional or sensory stimulation floods the child, maxing their coping skills (as with loud noises or unexpected changes).

Easily knocked out of balance, these children struggle to identify and communicate their needs. Sensory sensitivity, such as the feel or fit of clothing fabric, food texture or taste, odors, certain sounds, temperature variations, and light levels can flood the brain at unbearable levels. Food refusals can make it difficult for them to receive adequate nutrition, complicating healthy development. Nearly half will run or wander off without warning and many struggle with physical tasks like writing or riding a bike. With 40% of ASD children lacking verbal skills, it can be stressful for both caregivers and child to understand each other despite access to communication assistance devices. (4)

Diving Deep

The five major types of disorders falling under the ASD umbrella are Asperger’s, Rett’s, Kanner’s syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. It is very common to see other disorders accompanying ASD like Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, and Dysgraphia which can complicate the individual’s learning processes. Other concerns affecting this population in higher numbers are bullying, self-injurious behavior, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, various health issues and physical disabilities.

Boys are four times more likely to be diagnosed with ASD than girls. (7) Professional theories have asserted that girls may be more likely to compensate by masking their symptoms resulting in a missed diagnosis or being misdiagnosed. (11). Girls may have subtle symptoms or higher functioning and do not always exhibit characteristics according to traditional ASD testing markers.

High functioning autism, (Asperger’s, ‘Aspie’), is seen in individuals with high levels of intelligence in some areas and deficits in others. The terms ‘camouflaging’ or ‘masking’ refer to sophisticated compensation skills where one notices, studies, and mimics the social skills of others, to compensate for natural tendencies. This can trigger remarks about them being too outgoing to have autism and undermine their self-awareness and identity. (5) ‘The invisible edge’ coined by Autism specialist Tony Attwood, describes these persons as flying under the radar resulting in either a late diagnosis or a missed diagnosis. (2) Delays in confirming the diagnosis hinder crucial access to early services and lead to the child facing expectations outside their abilities.

Compassionate Responding

Caring for a child with ASD can be quite physically and emotionally exhausting. Finding support can make a big difference. When a parent is stressed, it can be hard to be their best self for their special needs child and the rest of the family. Self-care for the caregiver is a necessary survival skill. Military installations offer respite care to help the caregivers and some states will offer pay for respite caregivers.

Emotional outbursts are common for children with ASD and challenging for parents to handle. It is helpful if the caregiver remains calm and models good coping skills from which the child can then draw to self-soothe. Using a distraction or special interest of the child (reading or playing with cars) can help calm the child. Raising voices and increasing tension can inadvertently prolong periods of challenging behaviors. Attuning regularly to the nuances of the child offers a parent greater ability to notice and appropriately respond to symptom escalation.

The American Autism Association identifies common interventions to include speech and language therapy; occupational therapy to address motor skills, sensory issues, and functional living; play therapy and floor time to aid in emotional and cognitive development; and social skills/ communication therapy to assist with socialization and emotional management. (1) Building a team of professionals around the child supports growth. It is vital to keep in mind that individuals with ASD can be quite gifted in areas of aptitude, enjoy life, and lead productive careers.

Military Families

Military lifestyle challenges are already difficult for the average family but for the family dealing with autism, essential care can be complicated. The process of confirming an ASD diagnosis can take up to 18 months to complete due to long wait times for testing. For the military family, duties, and permanent changes of station (PCS) moves can not only complicate this timeline but also delay the feedback process from providers and teachers who may have less opportunity to consistently observe and work with a child. Additionally, remote installations may not be able to offer access to all the necessary services, making participation in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), a significant benefit to the military child, less feasible. Operation Autism offers an in-depth resource Guide for Military Families and an interactive geographical map of resources. (11)

Many ASD symptoms can be intensified by stress and frequent changes that come with the military lifestyle as these children benefit most from a predictable routine and steady environment. Frequent relocations, changing homes, schools/ teachers, and making new friends, are especially difficult for children on the spectrum. With social skills already elusive, the ASD child may find these changes unbearable. Frequent social rejections and bullying can further frustrate attempts at making even a single real friend. Higher stress can lead to more health issues with these children who do not read their body cues well and even a loss of previously gained skills.

Magellan Federal Solutions

Magellan Federal provides counselors for many programs like the Military Family Life Counseling Program (MFLC) located on many installations within the US and overseas. The MFLC program is available to service members and their families for non-medical support. Although the medical nature of the ASD diagnosis causes the child to be out of scope for direct MFLC services, family members can be supported with counseling, resources, and referrals. The MFLC program offers a variety of including Healthy Steps Specialists working with parents of children 0-3 in pediatric clinics; Child and Youth Behavior Counselors working in the Child and Youth Program in CDCs/ school age services, and schools; and Adult MFLCs located in the family readiness centers. Other resources an MFLC might make referral to are Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), New Parent Support Program (NPSP), Tricare, and Military OneSource. Each of these assist parents with specific concerns related to their children.

EFMP is an installation-based program (offered by the Magellan Federal family in some locations) serving the military family with special needs members and is the best first stop for the family with a child newly diagnosed; offering support, resources, and information on assistance like respite care for parents. NPSP, also provided by Magellan Federal family at some locations, offers military families in home support to assist families with children under age five with visits by a nurse or social worker.

Regardless of when in the journey an ASD diagnosis is received, the military family does not have to travel the road alone. Magellan Federal is committed to providing support and guidance along the way.

This article was originally published on MFed Inform.

Resources and Bibliography

1. American Autism Association: myautism.org, https://www.myautism.org/information-kits https://www.myautism.org/informational-kits/general-therapies-for-individuals-with-autism
2. Attwood, Tony. Asperger’s Syndrome: A Guide for Parents and Professionals. Jessica Kinglsey Publishers 1998.
3. Autism Society: https://autismsociety.org/
4. Autism Speaks: autismspeaks.org
5. Abilities Workshop: https://special.abilitiesworkshop.com/autism-resources?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIiPj53OG9_QIVGXxvBB3CQg1tEAAYASAAEgJgTPD_BwE
6. Bargiela, S., Steward, R. and Mandy, W. (2016) ‘The Experiences of Late-diagnosed Women with Autism Spectrum Conditions: An Investigation of the Female Autism Phenotype. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 46, 3281-3294
7. Center for Disease Control https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html
8. Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), an installation-based program offered by the Magellan Federal family in some locations, serving the military family with special needs children, including autism and is the best first stop for the family with a child newly diagnosed with ASD; offering support, resources, and information on assistance opportunities like respite care for parents.
9. Military OneSource offers a special needs consultant at 888-342-9647, articles and information. militaryonesource.mil
10. National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder. (NPDC). https://autismpdc.fpg.unc.edu/national-professional-development-center-autism-spectrumdisorder. Develops free professional resources for teachers, therapists, and technical assistance Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM), a series of free online modules.
11. Operation Autism website offers a resource Guide for Military Families including an interactive geographic guide to local resources at https://operationautism.org/autism-101/causes-and-prevalence-rates/. https://operationautism.org/resources/bases-map/.
12. Organization for Autism Research (OAR). https://researchautism.org/ Non-profit organization responsible for creating Operation Autism and guide and offers free resources either as a digital download or hard copy.
13. Tricare offers special needs liaisons and autism specific resources and information including providers and programs like Echo and Autism Care Demonstration.
14. Extended Health Care Option (ECHO) supplemental benefit for Active Military families with special needs. More information provided through Tricare.org
15. Autism Care Demonstration. https://www.tricare.mil/Plans/SpecialPrograms/ACD

“Oh my! It’s raining cats and dogs out there!” A second-grade girl remarked as she stared out of a classroom window. Another child, wide-eyed and twirling her braid, turned and stared in shock and disbelief at the raindrop scattered windowpane. “What do you mean, those poor puppies!?” she cried. “Nooooo….” scoffed another classmate, “There are NO ANIMALS. She means it’s raining REALLY HARD.” The concerned child saddened about the well-being of the possible tumbling animals outside, slumped down in her chair, trying to avoid the gaze of everyone. Her eyes welled with tears, and she remained silent throughout the rest of the class. She continued to twirl her hair with more vigor. Soon the sun began to shine via the droplets on the windowpane, and she stopped twirling her hair to stare at the beautiful array of light. “This is a prism, a spectrum of light.” She whispered to herself.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders have their own unique struggle. Like the spectrum of light, Autism diagnosis defines a broad range of conditions that demonstrate marked struggles with language (expressive/receptive), repetitive/restrictive behaviors, social skills, and nonverbal communication. This vignette of an interaction between three 8-year-old children provides an example of a receptive language issue. For this little girl, she struggled to understand an idiom likening the raindrops to “cats and dogs falling from the sky.” Dr. Stephen Shore stated, “If you met one person with Autism, you have met one person with Autism.” He is an author, a professor of Education, and a member of the board of Autism Speaks, an organization created to educate and advocate for those affected by Autism throughout their lifespan. His quote incites awareness that while a child may be diagnosed with autism, their presentation and needs will be unique. (APA, 2013)

Autism Speaks shares statistics and trends that have shown a steady increase in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Diagnosis has become more comprehensive in recent years. Awareness and early detection have been associated with an increase in the frequency of diagnosis. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported in 2021 that 1 in 44 children was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder in the United States. Autism affects children across all socioeconomic statuses and minority groups. Minority groups are diagnosed at a later age and at a lesser frequency than other demographic groups. Families face multiple challenges after diagnosis. These include parents having difficulty maintaining ‘out of the home’ employment while becoming full-time advocates for their children. The additional cost of providing treatment and care per child with ASD is approximately $60,000 per year (Autism Speaks, 2017).

Risk Factors of Military Children with Autism

While 1 in 44 children in the general population is reported to be diagnosed with Autism, the statistics are not entirely clear for military children. In 2020, TRICARE reported that across all branches of service, 34,361 military children were diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, with about 60% being children of active-duty Service members. It is suspected that these numbers are underreported (Klin et al., 2015). Military children with Autism and their families face unique stressors and struggles compared to their civilian counterparts. Military families must secure a treatment provider and participate in testing, diagnosis, treatment, and educational support while remaining mission-focused.  Stress is escalated with uncertainties about deployment, war, and geographic separation from their support systems in permanent changes of duty station (PCS) (OAR, 2019).

Case Study/Expertise

Although there have been many systemic improvements in services for military children, there are still barriers that exist due to the high mobility nature of military life. Most military families move every 2-4 years, requiring parents to establish new care providers for their children once they arrive at their new location. For children who require specialized care, it is even more daunting. After months of treatment in their current duty station, they are required to “go back to the end of the line” once they locate a new service provider. High frustration levels were also reported due to a lack of satisfaction with the quality of the care their child receives at their new provider. Families not only geographically isolated from their previous providers, but military parents with children with autism reported higher stress levels and social isolation across qualitative research after relocation and during separation (Klin, et al, 2015).

Deployment cycles lead to increased behavioral and emotional issues for military children. Parents have reported that once their child’s problematic behaviors have stabilized after their parent has deployed, their behaviors may increase once again once the parent returns from deployment. Children exhibit increased emotional withdrawal and repetitive behaviors when their Service member parent is deployed. It has been reported that the parent left behind to manage the care of the entire household can experience feelings of guilt and worry about providing adequate parenting alone (Davis and Finke, 2015).

Permanent Change in Duty Station (PCS) also takes a unique toll on the military child with autism. Friendship and social interaction are protective factors and good for overall mental health. Military children move frequently and must make new friends in their new hometown and school. Autistic children innately struggle with making social connections, making it harder to establish new positive social connections with peers. Autistic children were reported to be lonelier and more withdrawn after relocating to their new location (Davis and Finke, 2015).

Magellan Federal Best Practices

As mission partners, Magellan Federal Military & Family Life Counselors (MFLCs) can become the help multiplier for these special families. MFLCs may serve as referral linkages, connecting families to the life-changing services locally or at their next duty station before moving. MFLCs may create an Autism Resource Connect (ARC)—a smooth connection to autism resources for military families from one base to the next. This proposed program component can partner with base resources to maintain an updated roster of local providers to ensure that before, during, and after the process of permanent changes of duty station (PCS), families can ensure a comprehensive and smooth transition to local support. Utilizing the current Military Family Life Counseling network of counselors, resource lists can be maintained locally and can be shared with their counterparts at other installations.

Although MFLCs do not provide direct support for the child diagnosed with autism, their families may benefit from the non-medical counseling support. MFLCs can provide support through individual, marriage, and family counseling. MFLCs can also connect with local Exceptional Family Members Programs (EFMPs) to provide MFLC briefings/presentations to families currently within the program advising of support that can be provided to the family unit. Although the child with exceptional needs is out of the MFLC program scope, the parents and siblings are not.

Another gap that appears to exist in care for these military families is the support of the siblings of children with autism. School MFLCs have particularly great advantages in identifying and serving these unique children. Siblings of children with autism, particularly older siblings, tend to externalize stress and frustration through negative behaviors. MFLCs situated in middle schools and high schools may be instrumental in providing support for these children. These siblings empirically have shown higher tendencies to experience loneliness, academic struggle, and aggression (Walton & Ingersoll, 2015).  MFLCs can create spaces of peer support in the groups.

In April, we celebrate the Month of the Military Child. We wear purple in support and solidarity-creating awareness of the unique challenges of the military child. Military children and families affected by autism experience these challenges compounded by navigating life’s daily routine challenges. While awareness is wonderful, awareness is the first step. Magellan Federal supports children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder and their families by bridging gaps in support and care. Specifically, MFLCs provide briefings and psychoeducation regarding available services to supportive base programs. Autism is a life-long disability. With support, every individual can reach their potential. The outcomes for children are exponentially better with early diagnosis and intervention. MFLCs can make a difference. One Team. One Mission.

Resources

OAR. A Guide for Military Families(2019) https://operationautism.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/A_Guide_for_Military_Families.pdf

Autism Speaks www.autismspeaks.org

Exceptional Family Member Program https://www.militaryonesource.mil/special-needs/efmp/

References

American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 5th ed. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association; 2013.

Autism Speaks(2019). Autism and Health Report https://www.autismspeaks.org/sites/default/files/2018-09/autism-and-health-report.pdfb

Davis, J., & Finke, E. (2015). The Experience of Military Families with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders During Relocation and Separation. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 45(7), 2019-2034.

Klin A, Wetherby AM, Woods J, Saulnier C, Stapel-Wax J, Klaiman C, Jones W, Rubin E, Scahill L, Call N, Bearss K, Gunter C, Courtemanche CJ, Lemieux A, Cox JC, Mandell DS, Van Decar JP, Miller RA, Shireman CL. Toward innovative, cost-effective, and systemic solutions to improve outcomes and well-being of military families affected by autism spectrum disorder. Yale J Biol Med. 2015 Mar 4;88(1):73-9. PMID: 25745376; PMCID: PMC4345541.

OAR. A Guide for Military Families(2019) https://operationautism.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/A_Guide_for_Military_Families.pdf

Walton, K.M &Ingersoll, B.R. (2015) Psychosocial Adjustment and Sibling Relationships in Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Risk and Protector Factors.