In their own words: The experience of caring for an adult child with autism spectrum disorder.

摘要

The purpose of this study was to examine the essence of meaning in the lived experiences of parents caring for adult children with ASD as described by the parents themselves, and to gain a better understanding while identifying the challenges that led to stress in these parents' daily lives. A sample was utilized which consisted of 10 biological parents, both mothers and fathers of adult children with ASD. The adult children ranged in age between 18 years and 45 years and currently live at home. There were six major themes that emerged while analyzing the data collected from parent interviews. The themes identified the challenges parents experienced which led to stress in their daily lives. The themes included the adult child's behavior, social isolation, financial burdens, and lack of coping strategies and resources, in addition to marital strain and no specific plan for their child's future. Results of this study revealed that parents require autism-specific resources to help them cope with every day stressors. The findings in the current study provided valuable considerations for human service professionals and parents.