Parents in relationships with their children with autism: a qualitative study

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Title Parents in relationships with their children with autism: a qualitative study
Publication Type dissertation
School or College College of Social Work
Department Social Work
Author Golden, Tracy Hood
Date 2012-05
Description Research suggests that the social and communication deficits associated with autism make it difficult for affected individuals to participate in relationships. In light of this research, I sought to explore how parents perceive and experience their relationships with their children with autism. Specifically, I sought to understand parent perceptions of how they create and sustain relationships with their affected children, and how those relationships grow and change over time. This research was guided by developmental theories that suggest human development occurs through social interaction. Using this perspective as a conceptual framework, I conducted in-depth interviews with 34 individuals, including 24 mothers, 9 fathers and 1 grandmother. I analyzed the data using interpretative, phenomenological methods. The preliminary findings were critically reviewed by participants to increase the validity of the analysis. Five themes emerged from this study: 1) parent perceptions of early bonding and attachment ranged from "highly unusual" to "unremarkable and normal"; 2) an overwhelming majority of parents described their relationships as nonreciprocal; 3) a large majority of parents identified significant barriers to creating relationships with their children; 4) parent strategies for creating connections with their children ranged from very limited to successful and well-established; and 5) an overwhelming majority of parents described their relationships as "growing and changing" over time, although they recognized they would remain their children's caretaker. From a synthesis of these themes, an overall finding emerged that a majority of parents in this study described having relationships that were close and satisfying, despite the numerous challenges of having a child with autism. Findings from this study can be used to support families affected by autism and to enrich the education of professionals who work with them. It may also serve as a guide to explore how relationship development between parents and their children with disabilities differs from relationship development between parents and their typically developing children.
Type Text
Publisher University of Utah
Subject Autism; Child development; Dynamic systems; Parent child relationship; Parenting; qualitative
Dissertation Institution University of Utah
Dissertation Name Doctor of Philosophy
Language eng
Rights Management Copyright © Tracy Hood Golden 2012
Format application/pdf
Format Medium application/pdf
Format Extent 1,286,136 bytes
Identifier us-etd3/id/675
ARK ark:/87278/s6fx7r86
Setname ir_etd
ID 194839
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6fx7r86
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