Recognising the “forgotten man”: Fathers’ experiences in caring for a young child with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Background Despite decades of research on family adaptation in relation to caring for a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the wellbeing of fathers remains poorly understood. Method The present study sought to investigate experiences of fathers of young children with ASD aged between 2½ and 6 years attending an autism-specific early intervention centre. Eighteen fathers initially completed a mailed questionnaire and eight of these fathers were then interviewed by telephone. The questionnaire included standardised measures assessing constructs of the Double ABCX model of family adaptation. The interview used open-ended questions to understand the experiences of fathers' involvement in caring, sources of support, and coping strategies. Results Fathers experienced elevated levels of parental stress and elevated depressive symptoms. Interviews deepened understanding of fathers' personal experiences of each component of the Double ABCX model. Conclusions Limitations, directions for future research, and practical implications are discussed.

Perceptions of social support: comparisons between fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder and fathers of children without developmental disabilities

“…Research indicates that fathers of children with ASD heavily rely on the support of their partner over support from friends or extended family (Paynter et al . ). Furthermore, fathers of children with ASD continually seek information and guidance on how to best support their child along with guidance on how to manage their family circumstances (Davys et al .…”

“…These fathers might also prioritise the needs of other family members before their own (Paynter et al . ), place greater importance on other health and social issues or lack the skills to initiate conversations regarding their needs (Arbes ). These experiences might be exacerbated by general gender norms, where social disconnection and being stoic are common, normalised experiences in men (Arbes et al .…”

Exploring the range of emotional response experienced when parenting a child with an intellectual disability: The role of dual process

“…It has also been argued that parents’ ability to maintain a higher ratio of positive compared to negative emotions in the face of having a child with a disability predicts subjective well‐being and adjustment (Fredickson, ). However, it is not uncommon for studies in childhood disability to focus predominantly on mothers, with the views of fathers seen as more difficult to access (Paynter, Davies, & Beamish, ).…”

“Something was wrong”: A narrative inquiry of becoming a father of a child with an intellectual disability in Ireland

“…While much of the international research of children with intellectual disabilities captures parents experiences (Behrani & Shah, ; Hastings & Taunt, ; Pisula & Porębowicz‐DoÈrsmann, ), the research primarily relies on mothers voices (Chandravanshi et al., ; Mathew & Nair, ; Rajan, Romante, & Srikrishna, ). However, as fathers are now recognised as equal partners in their child’s care, the body of research interest is growing internationally (Al‐Yagon, ; Carpenter & Towers, ; Cohen, Zeedyk, Tipton, Rodas, & Blacher, ; Kumar & Joshi, ; Paynter, Davies, & Beamish, ; Shave & Lashewicz, ; Takataya et al., ; Towers ).…”

“…. However, as fathers are now recognised as equal partners in their child's care, the body of research interest is growing internationally (Al-Yagon, 2015;Carpenter & Towers, 2008;Cohen, Zeedyk, Tipton, Rodas, & Blacher, 2016;Kumar & Joshi, 2015;Paynter, Davies, & Beamish, 2018;Shave & Lashewicz, 2016;Takataya et al, 2016;Towers 2009).…”