Parental Self-perception in the Autism Spectrum Disorder Literature: a Systematic Mixed Studies Review

In-the-moment experiences of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: a comparison by household status and region of residence

“…This finding is in line with previous research that suggests parenting a child with a developmental disability, including ASD, is a challenging task [66,67]. Perceived control is an important construct to consider when investigating the experiences of parents of children with ASD [68]. Past studies that examined the relationships between perceived control over life events and mental health among parents of children with disability, including ASD, found that when mothers perceived they did not have control over an event, for example childcare related activities, they were more likely to experience mental health issues, such as increased stress and depression [69,70,71].…”

‘The dots just don’t join up’: Understanding the support needs of families of children on the autism spectrum

“…Services that adopt a relational, whole-family approach should foster such cohesion, which, in turn, should provide the foundations for building a wider sense of community and togetherness – another theme identified by parents. The benefits of a greater sense of community and being part of a larger social support group have been highlighted in previous studies as a factor that is associated with decreased parental stress (Ekas et al, 2010), increased access to formal support (Pickard and Ingersoll, 2015), reduced isolation (Mandell and Salzer, 2007), increased sense of control (Frantzen et al, 2016), self-efficacy (Benson, 2016; Burke and Heller, 2016) and wellbeing (Benson, 2012; Lovell et al, 2012; Smith et al, 2012) and, therefore, parents’ perceptions that their needs are being met – which, in turn, can increase overall family quality of life (Jones et al, 2016). Future work needs to test the impact of a relational approach on formal support services delivered to families of children on the autism spectrum living in different countries and localities – on the functioning of both the family and the child.…”

“…One of the main themes identified from the parents who were interviewed was the alienation and exclusion they experienced as carers for their autistic children. It is well established that stronger family cohesion and time spent together are positively associated with coping and quality of life for parents (Dodd et al, 2009; Frantzen et al, 2016; Mactavish and Schleien, 2004; Pruitt et al, 2016). Services that adopt a relational, whole-family approach should foster such cohesion, which, in turn, should provide the foundations for building a wider sense of community and togetherness – another theme identified by parents.…”

Understanding Different Aspects of Caregiving for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) a Narrative Review of the Literature

“…At present, there are mixed results and opposite findings with some reporting positive effects in areas such as self-concept and self-competence of the family members [86,87] and mainly negative impacts on areas such as stigma mainly in the form of social embarrassment [88,89] and psychological distress [90]. On the other hand, some findings indicated no differential impact in areas such as self-concept, self-efficacy, and locus of control [91,92]. The presented work is justified differently, hence, it reflects different impacts of caregiving on caregivers.…”