Parents of Children with High Functioning Autism: How Well Do They Cope and Adjust?

摘要

This study investigated the coping differences in relation to the psychosocial adjustment (depression, anxiety, and marital adjustment) between mothers and fathers of children with and without High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders (HFASDs). Forty-eight parents of children with HFASDs and 26 parents of children without any disability completed a packet of psychological survey. Statistically significant differences were found between the HFASDs and control groups in depression, anxiety, one subscale of the marital adjustment measure and four subscales of the coping measures. When compared across gender within the HFASDs group, depression, anxiety, one subscale of the marital adjustment, and four subscales of coping were found to be statistically significant. Parents of children with HFASDs exhibited less adaptive coping skills as compared to parents of children without any disability. Mothers of children with HFASDs exhibited more adaptive coping skills as compared to their father counterparts. Interaction effect of disability and gender, however, was not significant.