Accessible summary Little is known about what fathers think and feel about a diagnosis of autism. Fathers experienced strong emotion around diagnosis and were given little support. Services should support mother and fathers in ways which meet their individual needs. More positive messages should be given to families at diagnosis. Abstract Background: A diagnosis of childhood autism can be an extremely stressful experience for parents, but little is known concerning paternal perceptions of the process. Methods: This study investigated father perspectives on a diagnosis of autism, through an online survey. Results: An analysis of 184 replies to an open‐ended question identified the following themes: strong initial emotional response and a range of immediate anxieties about the future, struggle to gain a diagnosis; anger in response to insensitive delivery of diagnosis together with insufficient information at the time and lack of support afterwards. Conclusion: Fathers experienced a range of significant challenges during a diagnostic process in which most felt unsupported. Service provision should be more gender‐differentiated, taking into account of the particular needs and perspectives of both mothers and fathers at this critical juncture in family life.

Literature in the field of autism is largely deficit driven, with a focus on the inabilities

This research aimed to find out more about the role fathers play in the lives of their children with autism, alongside mothers. To best support families, services need to understand the contribution of both parents. An online survey asked fathers about a range of issues, including day-to-day parenting responsibilities, the stresses involved, employment, sources of support and ways of coping. 306 fathers completed the survey and some of the main findings are given below. CaringMany fathers were highly involved in the day-to-day care of their children with autism. Around half were "mainly" or "equally" responsible with mothers, for children's morning and bed-time routines and managing sleeping problems.

This paper presents a case study of one local Sure Start programme's significant success in engaging large numbers of fathers with its services. The paper details both the levels of male involvement in the programme over time and the strategies found to be effective in involving men. Numbers of fathers using programme services rose to over 100 in 2005, with the total number of male attendances exceeding 1000 in that same year. The successful engagement of fathers in this programme's activities was found to be a result of a combination of both strategic and day-to-day approaches. Effective strategic approaches were close partnership working with an expert local voluntary agency, the use of a gender differentiated approach and in-going commitment to the work at programme management level. Factors related to success at a day-to-day level included the high level of skill and persistence demonstrated by a dedicated Fathers Worker and the implicit use of a social marketing approach. Findings are discussed in the context of current national policy contexts relating to father engagement.

This paper is based on a case study of a Sure Start programme in the North East of England which was effective in engaging fathers. It details the positive views of 17 fathers and eight mothers on the benefits of father involvement. Perceived benefits included fathers' increased engagement with their young children and concern for their psychosocial development, improved relationships with children, increased social interaction with other fathers and consequently access to greater peer support, learning from the experiences of other fathers, increased knowledge and skills through education, changing understanding of the fathering role and access to a better quality of life for the whole family. Findings are discussed in relation to implications for working with fathers from poor socio-economic backgrounds.