Parents of autistic children. Some thoughts about trauma, dislocation, and tragedy

People who suffer unexpected trauma often go through periods of intense dislocation, which resolve into a new sense of self-organization, marked by a distinct sense of tragedy. Parents of autistic children are given as an example of this phenomenon. Dislocation is described as not just part of the mourning process but as the result of the disturbance of both the internal and external components that maintain ego autonomy. Some suggestions are given for working with traumatized parents to help them reorient themselves within this dislocation and to foster and preserve their sense of being "good enough" parents.