SUPPORTING WORKING PARENTS AND OCCUPATIONAL BALANCE IN NEURODIVERGENT FAMILIES

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or other neurodevelopmental conditions significantly influences family routines, occupational participation, emotional health, and parental well-being. Parents of neurodivergent children often manage multiple responsibilities including employment, caregiving, therapy appointments, school coordination, behavioral support, emotional regulation, and household management. These ongoing demands may lead to occupational imbalance, role overload, caregiver fatigue, emotional stress, and reduced participation in meaningful self-care and leisure occupations. Modern family systems are increasingly challenged by balancing professional responsibilities with the intensive caregiving needs of neurodivergent children. Difficulties related to sensory processing, emotional dysregulation, communication barriers, sleep disturbances, behavioral concerns, and academic participation often require continuous parental involvement. As a result, working parents may experience disruptions in routines, social participation, work productivity, and personal identity. Occupational therapy provides a holistic and family-centered perspective for understanding and supporting occupational balance in neurodivergent families. Through the concepts of occupational adaptation, co-regulation, routine development, role competence, and meaningful participation, occupational therapists help families create sustainable occupational patterns that support both child and caregiver well-being. The changing structure of modern families, increasing dual-income households, rapid technological advancement, and growing occupational demands have significantly altered the daily routines and occupational engagement of parents worldwide. Working parents often experience difficulty balancing professional responsibilities with caregiving, household management, self-care, and meaningful participation in family and social life. Occupational imbalance arising from role overload, time pressure, emotional exhaustion, and reduced participation in restorative occupations can negatively influence parental well-being, child development, family relationships, and productivity. Occupational therapy provides a holistic framework to understand these challenges by emphasizing occupational balance, occupational adaptation, role competence, and participation in meaningful life activities. This chapter explores the concept of occupational balance among working parents within contemporary family systems. It discusses work–life balance, role overload, caregiver strain, occupational deprivation, occupational adaptation, and the impact of changing family expectations. The chapter further highlights occupational therapy perspectives and evidence-based strategies to support healthy routines, adaptive coping, participation in meaningful occupations, and sustainable family functioning. Practical recommendations for families, workplaces, educational institutions, and healthcare professionals are also discussed. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive and human-centered understanding of the occupational challenges faced by working parents and the role of occupational therapy in promoting healthy and balanced living in modern society.