‘I accept my son for who he is – he has incredible character and personality’: fathers’ positive experiences of parenting children with autism

Potter, Carol

doi:10.1080/09687599.2016.1216393

Cited by 35 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 54 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Nissenbaum, Tollefson, and Reese () made a series of recommendations for practitioners delivering a diagnosis of autism, one of which related to the need to provide hope and optimism within a family friendly setting. Findings from the wider study associated with the current research reported on a range of positive perspectives identified by nearly two hundred fathers associated with parenting children with autism, including valuing children's personal strengths, as well as fathers’ own nurturing role and what they had learnt from it (Potter, ). Such evidence‐based, hopeful messages can and should be included in the diagnostic meetings, approaches to the delivery of which could be enhanced by further gender‐differentiated training for staff in this sensitive area.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I received a leaflet and that is all”: Father experiences of a diagnosis of autism

Potter

2016

Brit J Learn Disabil

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“I received a leaflet and that is all”: Father experiences of a diagnosis of autism

Potter

2016

Brit J Learn Disabil

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…), and on fathers' coping strategies (Dardas and Ahmad ). Currently, a trend towards studying positive aspects is starting to emerge, including looking at how fathers of children with disabilities value their parenting role and father–child relationship (Boyraz and Sayger ; Ferguson ; Potter ). Several of these studies show that fathers of children with disabilities experience both challenging and positive perceptions simultaneously (Boström et al .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, ; Boyraz and Sayger ; Cheuk and Lashewicz ; Hastings et al . ; Horsley and Oliver ; Potter ). Still, in many studies that examine experiences of parenting a child with disabilities, the views and perceptions of fathers are rarely represented (Willingham‐Storr ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The experiences of Dutch fathers on fathering children with disabilities: ‘Hey, that is a father and his daughter, that is it’

Schippers

Berkelaar

Bakker

et al. 2020

J intellect Disabil Res

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Due to a predominant focus on mothers, fathers of children with disabilities are greatly overlooked in research. One could argue that there is a lack of research on the multifaceted nature of fatherhood altogether. Therefore, this study aims to gain insight into the perceived experiences of fathers of children with disabilities. Methods These perceptions were studied by analysing data generated through semi‐structured interviews, which were conducted with 12 Dutch fathers of children or young adults with disabilities. Results Categories found during our data analysis were similar to those illustrated in the ‘conceptual framework on responsible fathering’ by including role identification, commitment, employment characteristics, cultural expectations and social support. Conclusions Overall, the fathers in this study reported similar experiences, but this study identified new life perspective as an additional category, which might be specific for fathers of children with disabilities. This new life perspective included a positive attitude, living in the moment, appreciation of the little things and transformation of expectations. Some fathers expressed that their child(ren) has enriched their lives, which positively influenced their fathering experience.

show abstract

“…Parenting can be a challenging task for any parent; however, where a child has an autism diagnosis, it may represent a more formidable set of demands as well as opportunities. Despite challenges, some mothers (Markoulakis et al, 2012) and fathers of children with an autism diagnosis (Potter, 2016) see the condition as enhancing family life. Some parents recognise that parenting a child with an autism diagnosis has brought joy to their lives (Myers et al, 2009) and has encouraged them to be more appreciative, patient and compassionate (Zhang et al, 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Doing things differently: Exploring attachment patterns and parental intentions in families where a child has a diagnosis of autism

Bond

Dallos

McKenzie

2020

Clin Child Psychol Psychiatry

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The article examines the experience of parenting a child with a diagnosis of autism with a focus on scripts and intentions in relation to the parents’ own childhood experiences of being parented. Five parents participated in a multiple case study design involving in-depth interviews, Adult Attachment Interviews and a parenting intentions scaling task. The findings revealed that all of the parents had experienced significant adverse events in their own childhoods, including trauma and losses. They also expressed intentions to offer parenting that was ‘corrective’ in terms of providing a better emotional environment for their children. Their corrective attempts and also intentions to repeat positive aspects of being parented were moderated by unconscious aspects of their early childhood experiences and also by the autistic features of their children. The interplay between early embodied experiences, theories of autism, parenting experiences and intentions is discussed along with clinical implications.

show abstract

‘I accept my son for who he is – he has incredible character and personality’: fathers’ positive experiences of parenting children with autism

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

Cited by 35 publications

References 54 publications

“I received a leaflet and that is all”: Father experiences of a diagnosis of autism

“I received a leaflet and that is all”: Father experiences of a diagnosis of autism

The experiences of Dutch fathers on fathering children with disabilities: ‘Hey, that is a father and his daughter, that is it’

Doing things differently: Exploring attachment patterns and parental intentions in families where a child has a diagnosis of autism

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About