Parental Perceptions of the Lifestyle Changes Associated with Having an Autistic Child: A Gender Comparison.

Lifestyles of parents of autistic children were assessed through volunteer participation in a telephone survey, and comparisons were made between responses of mothers (N=21) and fathers (N=12). Almost half of the fathers contacted did not answer the survey. The study examined a variety of therapy-related and demo6.7aphic variables, including parental optimism at diagnosis, parenta optimism during treatment, financial burdens associated with therapy, and stress levels of individuals and their spouses. The impact of an autistic child on participants' marriages was also examined, including the question of how much quality time participants were able to spend alone or with their spouse. Most respondents felt that having an autistic child had added stress to their marriages, with 31 percent reporting an adverse impact on their marriage and 34 percent reporting that they felt their marriage had been strengthened by their experience. Thirty-nine percent of the families pay the total cost of behavioral treatment without any assistance. Mothers spent significantly more time supervising their children's therapy; few other gender differences were found. Self-selection of participants may have favored inclusion of more involved fithers, reducing the opportunity to assess parental gender differences in attitudes and stress levels. (PB) ********************************************************* Reproductions supplied by E..ItS are the best that can be made from the original document. *************************************************A:c*, * * U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) jThis clocumem has been reproduced as rerigin dfrom the person or organization Minor changes naye seen made to improve ,eproduction guaiity Points ol view oi opinions slated in this doc.0 went do nOt necessarily represent official OE RI position or policy Parental Perceptions of the Lifestyle Changes Associated With Having an Autistic Child: A Gender Comparison Patricia Blair Karlye Block Catherine Chambliss, PhD. Nichole Hobbs