Grandparenting an autistic child: Challenges and rewards

摘要

This study explores grandparents' involvement in the upbringing of their autistic spectrum grandchild and the quality of their relationship. Twenty-five grandparents with their autistic spectrum grandchild attending nursery or primary school took part in the study. They filled a questionnaire assessing their understanding of the child's difficulties, their involvement in his/her care and treatment, their access to support services, the acceptance of the grandchild and the quality of their relationship. The findings suggest that grandparents are more involved in the care than in the treatment of their grandchild. They claimed a good understanding of the child's difficulties but they rarely refer to specialists. They reported enjoying a satisfactory relationship with their grandchild.