Autism spectrum disorder

Write short information about your study, how will you search the literature and how will you evaluate the literature  Write a summary of eh study, identify the result of the study, identify the strength and weaknesses of the study, and indicate later the agreement and argument about the findings. Write a summary of the study (s) findings and identify or connect it to the new area of your study as per the review

Parents’ Experiences of Caring for Qualitative Health Research 2015, Vol. 25(4) 569-583 a Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav DOI: 10.1 177/10497323 14552455 qhr.sagepub.com SAGE Anne-Marie DePape’ and Sally Lindsay,2 Abstract Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder involving abnormal communication, repetitive and restrictive interests, and impaired social functioning. ASD can have a profound impact on family life, including the roles and responsibilities that parents assume. In this metasynthesis, we explore the experiences of parents who care for a child with ASD. We undertook a thematic synthesis to integrate qualitative evidence, searching 10 electronic databases and reviewing 4, 148 abstracts. We selected 3 | articles for inclusion (involving 160 fathers and 425 mothers) and examined the articles using a constant comparative approach. We identified six themes: prediagnosis, diagnosis, family life adjustment, navigating the system, parental empowerment, and moving forward. Our findings can inform the development of programs and services for families, provide insight for health care workers who advocate on behalf of parents, and provide valuable information to parents, particularly those of children newly diagnosed with ASD. Keywords autism; caregivers / caregiving; families; parenting; qualitative analysis; systematic reviews Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves abnormal 2006); they are also likely to experience higher divorce communication, repetitive and restrictive interests, and rates (Hartley et al., 2010). In the community, they might impaired social functioning (American Psychiatric have to pay out of pocket for services or drive long dis- Association, 1994). Given the nature of this disorder, par- tances to access treatment facilities (Fletcher, ents face some unique challenges as caregivers. For Markoulakis, & Bryden, 2012). Consequently, some example, the symptoms of ASD persist across the lifes- might need to relocate their family or make career pan (Seltzer, Shattuck, Abbeduto, & Greenberg, 2004), changes to ensure they are able to cover the costs associ- requiring parents to devote significant time to caregiving. ated with services. Health care professionals need to be The behavioral deficits displayed by individuals with aware of such issues and how they might impact a par- ASD can be difficult for parents to manage. Those with ent’s ability to care for his or her child with ASD. ASD are less able to express what they want (Peppe, In this article, we synthesize and critically interrogate Mccann, Gibbon, O’Hare, & Rutherford, 2007) or might the qualitative research on parents’ experiences of caring become upset when routines are disrupted (DeGrace, for a child with ASD. Qualitative research allows investi- 2004). Individuals with ASD can also have a secondary gators to explore the experiences of individuals and diagnosis, such as epilepsy or intellectual impairment develop a rich understanding of social phenomena (Tong (Fombonne, 2003), which can make parenting challenge Morton, Howard, & Craig, 2009). It helps them understand ing and render experiences across parents highly vari- phenomena that cannot be quantitatively measured and able. Not surprisingly, parents of children with ASD allows them to report experiences "from the participant’s experience higher stress levels than parents of children without ASD (Sivberg, 2002). Understanding their expe riences is critical because it provides a glimpse into daily Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation family realities and the ways that ASD can impact par- Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, ent-child dynamics. University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Parents of children with ASD face challenges both at home and in the community. Compared to parents of chil- Corresponding Author: Sally Lindsay, Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids dren without ASD, they are at heightened risk of financial Rehabilitation Hospital, 150 Kilgour Rd., Toronto, ON M4G IR8, strain (Jarbrink, Fombonne, & Knapp, 2003) and poor Canada. physical and mental health (Allik, Larsson, & Smedje, Email: [email protected]