Upbringing children with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) pose a problem for the whole family of a child with ASD. Even the earliest studies on ASD showed enormous strain placed on parents by their children’s disorders. A number of researchers observed that parents, especially the mothers of children with ASD are under considerable stress, whose level is higher than it is in the cases of the parents of children with other disorders or disabilities, or the parents of typically-developing children. The stress experienced by the parents of autistic children is not only caused by the children’s behaviour which is difficult to accept, but it is also the result of the lack of abilities to bring up an autistic child and insufficient knowledge on ASD. The aim of the article is to present the difficulties involved in the upbringing of an autistic child from the perspective of their parents, based on the review of professional literature and our own research. The results of our research imply that parents realize their difficult situation and ask for providing assistance.