Autism Spectrum Disorder-Impact on Parenting & Coping Strategies

The purpose of this study is to determine what kind of impact the diagnosis of ASD can have on parents and what can be done to decrease the amount of stress these parents experience. Within recent decades the chances of a child being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has increased dramatically. Some believe this is due to the increased recognition of an autism spectrum disorder in doctors as well as parents/caregivers, teachers and other individuals that may work with children. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioural changes. There is no known cause and no cure for ASD. A two year old child, who appeared to be developing normally, fails to develop language, shows little interest in other people, and engages in repetitive behaviours. Parents begin a journey into the world of autism, navigating through the diagnostic process while trying to understand why their child is no longer developing normally. This paper gives a brief history of ASD, identifies the main characteristics of ASD, identifies suspected causes, explores the sense of loss and grief parents often may experience, discusses parental stress, coping strategies, the special challenges faced while parenting a child with ASD and positive personal growth parents may experience because of the child’s ASD. Through parent interviews, it was evident ASD added stress to the families. It is the parent’s ultimate decision on what they consider is a comfortable means of coping. There was a consensus that parents would like to talk to others who have experience in ASD – whether it is professionally or personally.