Coping strategies used by parents of children with autism

Abstract

It is imperative for nurse practitioners (NPs) to provide appropriate professional support and other social support systems to families with children with ASD. Educating parents to sound therapy approaches to provide them with the skills needed to directly address stressful events in order to increase the parent's confidence level as to avoid passive appraisals is also a crucial role of the NP. NPs may want to use the F-COPES as part of the assessment to ascertain the areas of needs of families. This study reveals the resiliency and highly adaptive nature of these parents who are under severe strain and stress of caring for a child with ASD. The effective ways they coped as a family were in the areas of informal and formal social support networks. Participants also used passive appraisal to cope. The study also supports the need for early recognition and diagnoses of ASD and referral for early intervention for better outcomes for the children and families affected by ASD.

Examination of Parental Tolerance Among Parents of Young Children with and without ASD

“…Specifically, results indicated that parents of youth with ASD were generally more tolerant of disruptive behaviors, whereas parents of non-ASD youth were more intolerant of disruptive behaviors. As discussed previously, parents of youth with ASD are more likely to report a passive appraisal for coping and view behaviors as less modifiable (Bessey et al 2013;Twoy et al 2007). These beliefs may contribute to the parents developing a higher tolerance for misbehaviors.…”

“…Furthermore, parents of youth with ASD often report high levels of disruptive behaviors; however, it is possible that parents do not view these as problematic as they have a rationale for why the behaviors occur. This rationalization may lead these parents to avoid conflicts with the child and accept the difficult issues (Twoy et al 2007). This result may carry undesirable consequences, as increased tolerance could lead to the subsequent reinforcement of negative behaviors, thereby impeding the child's ability to function effectively (Brestan et al 2003).…”

“…Early intervention is imperative for youth diagnosed with ASD; therefore, increasing motivation for treatment and providing psychoeducation to parents of ASD youth is imperative, as this enables youth with ASD to obtain more positive outcomes (Koegel et al 2014;Rollins et al 2016). If parents of children diagnosed with ASD are unaware that the level of behaviors they are experiencing are a problem and can be modified through behavioral therapies, they could potentially be less inclined to engage in therapy and continue to utilize more passive coping styles (Bessey et al 2013;Twoy et al 2007). If parents of youth diagnosed with ASD do not seek treatment due to the view that the behaviors cannot be modified and are therefore not a problem, they may continue to endure disruptive behaviors that cause a strain on their relationship with the child and increase parental stress (Davis and Carter 2008;Hayes and Watson 2013;ValicentiMcDermott et al 2015).…”

“…Due to the stress associated with parenting a child diagnosed with ASD, parents must develop coping strategies and are more likely to report passive appraisal of coping, which indicates that they accept difficult issues, minimize reactivity, and avoid problems (Twoy et al 2007). Furthermore, parents of children with ASD often view behaviors associated with ASD as less modifiable, which may contribute to the parent avoiding conflicts with the child (Bessey et al 2013).…”

Autisme et soutien social dans des familles d’immigration récente : l’expérience de parents originaires du Maghreb

“…D'autres travaux sur des groupes ethniques montrent l'influence des facteurs culturels sur les stratégies d'adaptation des parents avec un enfant autiste. Twoy et al (2007) soulignent une plus grande capacité de recadrage chez les parents asio-américains que chez les parents euro-américains, avec un plus grand recours au soutien spirituel chez les parents d'origine asiatique. Comparant la détresse psychologique de parents d'origines hispanique et euro-américaine, Magana et al (2006) montrent que le groupe hispanique présente une détresse psychologique moins importante, associée à une plus grande satisfaction des parents dans la cohabitation avec leur enfant autiste.…”