A QUALITATIVE STUDY ON RAISING SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN WITH AUSTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER: COPING AND FAMILY ADAPTIONS

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is one of the most common clinical development diagnosis among young children in Singapore. ASD is also a lifelong developmental disability, and it can have a profound impact on the family having a child with ASD. Their children's disability may mean differently to different families and they might cope differently. This study adopted a qualitative design method to explore how families of school aged children with ASD cope and achieve family adaptation from the primary caregivers' point of view. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews with 8 primary caregivers (7 mothers and 1 father). The data collected was thematically analysed to identify key concepts about families' coping and adaptation. Families' worldview, stressors and resources within the nuclear family of children with ASD, their extended family, social support and wider societal environment are seen to influence the families' perception of their situations, which influences their utilisation of problem-focused coping, emotion-focused coping, relationship-focused coping and meaning-focused coping (which sustains the former three coping behaviours). This adaptation process then determines whether families achieve bonadaptation or maladaptation. The post-crisis phase of the Double ABCX model was adapted to explain the coping and adaptation of families of children with ASD in Singapore. This study bears implication on social work practice especially with Singaporean families with children with ASD, where findings derived from this research may inform readers in their experience with such families in the future, to help them to cope in ways that meets their needs.