scholarly journals Understanding Stability and Change in Perceived Social Support in Parents of Autistic Children and Adolescents

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan A. Weiss ◽  
Suzanne Robinson ◽  
Rebecca Pillai Riddell ◽  
David Flora
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Child Behavior ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Parent Stress ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Reciprocal Relations ◽  
Informal Social Support ◽  
Time Point

Parents of children with autism often have their own support needs. Informal social support can be an important component of managing parenting-related stressors. We know very little about the factors that lead to higher levels of perceived social support or the potential reciprocal relationship social support has with other factors in parents of children with autism. The current longitudinal study examined the reciprocal relations of perceived social support and parent stress and child behavior problems across a 1-year period, using three time points. There was remarkable stability in variables over time. Baseline perceived social support significantly predicted changes in child behavior and parent stress at the 6-month time point, but neither of those variables significantly predicted social support. This study adds to our understanding of social support and clarifies how perceived social support relates to other factors longitudinally.

scholarly journals Social support in the perception of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders experiencing their husband’s migration

2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 37-52
Author(s):  
Anna Monika Gagat-Matuła Gagat-Matuła
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Sample Selection ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Raising Children ◽  
Economic Migration ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Polish Adaptation

The main aim of this study was to determine social support in the perception of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders who experience their husband's economic migration. An important goal was also to show the differences in between the perceived social support in among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders who experience their husband's migration, and those whose husbands do not go abroad for work. The research involved 94 mothers raising children with autism spectrum disorders, 46 women whose husbands migrate (A) and 48 women who do not experience their husbands' migration (B). The sample selection was deliberate. The Polish adaptation by E. Szlachta of the ISEL questionnaire (The Interpersonal Support Evaluation List) was used to achieve the goals, as accompanied by a self-made questionnaire. Analysis of the data on perceived social support showed statistically significant differences in the studied groups both in the overall result and across all scales. The results indicate that while mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders whose husbands go abroad are in a better financial situation, the absence and lack of active participation and support of the husband in caring for the child makes them feel there is less social support (scale of cognitive support, belonging, self-esteem), and they cope with problems much worse than women whose husbands do not go abroad. The results are statistically significant.

scholarly journals From Close Connections to Feeling Misunderstood: How Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Perceive Support from Family Members and Friends

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22
Author(s):  
Geneviève LaRoche ◽  
Catherine Des Rivières-Pigeon
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Support Needs ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Support Relationships

This qualitative study examines the social support of parents of children with ASD living in Québec, Canada. Eighteen parents described their social support experiences before and after their child’s first signs of ASD. The results of this study indicate that parents recall many unhelpful support experiences after their child’s first signs of ASD. The results also suggest that the parents’ support needs greatly outweigh the support they perceive from family and friends. To our knowledge, this study is the first to recognise that receiving adequate social support requires significant involvement from parents who find themselves having to compensate for the lack of knowledge about autism in the general population. The results of this study put forth the active role that parents play in the reshaping of their support relationships and highlight the changes that occur in these relationships over time. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Social Support and Family Functioning in Chinese Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3504
Author(s):  
Xianmei Lei ◽  
Jiří Kantor
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Family Functioning ◽  
Family Cohesion ◽  
Perceived Social Support ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Chinese Families ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Family

Families caring for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have reported poorer family functioning. Social support might strengthen family functioning, but limited research to date has focused on this association in China. This study conducted a cross-sectional survey of Chinese families that have children with ASD to examine the relationship between social support and family functioning. Caregivers of children with ASD from Sichuan province in China (N = 167) were surveyed concerning their perceived social support and family functioning. The Social Support Rating Scale was used to investigate caregivers’ perceived social support from three dimensions: subjective support, objective support, and the utilization of support. A Chinese version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale was used to investigate their perceptions of family cohesion and adaptability. The Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression were used for analyses. The results suggested that social support was positively related to family cohesion and adaptability. Of the three sub-domains of social support, both subjective support and the utilization of support were positively associated with family cohesion and adaptability. The study’s findings evidenced the importance of different types of social support and could be used to develop a targeted support service for families that have children with ASD to improve their family functioning and sustain the family unit.

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