Coping Strategies of Parents of Children with Autism
This is part of my research, though it is still in the process of editing and completing the entire chapter 1.
COPING MECHANISMS OF PARENTS OF CHILD A DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM: BASIS FOR COUNSELING PROGRAM
Researcher: Aracelli C Legarda
INTRODUCTION
Parenting is a highly stressful job. Everyday is a challenge. Some days are easy and others are hard. However still, this is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs parents will ever face. It is therefore critical to know how parents cope when having a child with autism.
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood. It is one of three recognized disorders in the autism spectrum (ASD).[1]
In the first years after autism was described, parents were blamed for causing autism and hesitant to educate their children. Approaches to work with parents of children with autism have changed; parents are now more involved in the therapy of their child. Parents are now recognized as partners in the therapy of their child.
When the child is diagnosed with autism, family life changes. Parents are more likely to experience depression and stress than other parents of regular children. Parents feel they can never do enough for their children; they are likely to suffer from depression. Coping means trying to reduce the consequences of stress, which are often unpleasant. (2) Evaluations should be conducted in order to learn the levels of stress experienced by single parents as well as the strategies used for adapting with stress.
The project will investigate if parents use coping mechanisms to survive the daily challenges and how they start their day. The research aims to discover how parents face these realities and
COPING MECHANISMS OF PARENTS OF CHILD A DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM: BASIS FOR COUNSELING PROGRAM
Researcher: Aracelli C Legarda
INTRODUCTION
Parenting is a highly stressful job. Everyday is a challenge. Some days are easy and others are hard. However still, this is one of the most challenging and rewarding jobs parents will ever face. It is therefore critical to know how parents cope when having a child with autism.
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood. It is one of three recognized disorders in the autism spectrum (ASD).[1]
In the first years after autism was described, parents were blamed for causing autism and hesitant to educate their children. Approaches to work with parents of children with autism have changed; parents are now more involved in the therapy of their child. Parents are now recognized as partners in the therapy of their child.
When the child is diagnosed with autism, family life changes. Parents are more likely to experience depression and stress than other parents of regular children. Parents feel they can never do enough for their children; they are likely to suffer from depression. Coping means trying to reduce the consequences of stress, which are often unpleasant. (2) Evaluations should be conducted in order to learn the levels of stress experienced by single parents as well as the strategies used for adapting with stress.
The project will investigate if parents use coping mechanisms to survive the daily challenges and how they start their day. The research aims to discover how parents face these realities and