Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the most rapidly growing childhood disability in America, affects people of all ethnicities, social classes, and genders. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) not only impacts the person who is diagnosed, but the entire family system. For instance, parenting a child with ASD has been linked with elevated parental stress and decreased marital quality. Although ASD awareness has recently increased, research is lacking in non-dominant populations such as African Americans. This study addresses the gaps in literature pertaining to African American parents of children with ASD. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships and predictions of marital quality and stress among African American parents of children with and without ASD. Pearson’s chi-squares, Fisher’s exact tests, and binary logistic regressions were employed as statistical analyses for investigating the data from the 2011-2012 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) (CAHMI, 2012c). According to the findings, a statistically significant relationship occurred in divorce rates between 65,115 Caucasian parents of children with and without ASD. However, there was not a statistically significant relationship in divorce rates between the 7,085 African American parents of children with and without ASD. Likewise, results indicated no statistical significant relationships existed between 3,548 married African American parents of children with and without ASD and marital quality. Findings also revealed no statistical significant relationship among 48 African American parents of children with ASD, children’s levels of ASD severity, and parents’ marital quality. Parent-related and child-related stressors were used to predict membership of parents with children and without ASD. Using logistic regression analysis with 693 participants, the largest statistically significant predictors for having a child with ASD were child-related stressors including (a) increased needs and demands and (b) child’s problems. The next largest statistically significant predictors for a parent having a child with ASD (n = 3,587) were parent-related stressors including (a) coping and perceived challenges and (b) health care access and quality. Limitations of the current study, clinical implications, and directions for future research were discussed.

This mixed method study seeks to explore the stressful relationships of biological parents of children who have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The potential causality of parental stress is explored from the perceptions of equity in the caregiving role of each parent. Specifically, this study explores a possible connection in equity levels and the couple's relational satisfaction. With a mixed methods approach, quantitative data were collected through an online survey of parents (205) in Eastern North Carolina and a qualitative sample of four face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted in the study. We found that 66% from the quantitative and 100% of parents from the qualitative reported inequity in their care giving roles. Overall, parents who were not living with the other biological parent experienced the most significant connection between inequity and happiness levels. Since this study was simply exploratory we suggest that future research further explains this possible connection that was found.

With the increasing prevalence rates of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), there has been a call for a systems approach to understanding the families raising children with ASDs. There is little information about fathers of children with ASDs and the family triad, leaving the current understanding of families of children with ASDs incomplete. This dissertation is the first known investigation into both dyadic and triadic family constructs as reported by and observed for both mothers and fathers of children with ASDs. The aims of the current study were: (1) examine differences in marital and coparenting quality between parents of children with ASDs and parents of typically developing (TD) children, (2) examine the associations between marital and coparenting quality with child outcomes, and whether these associations depend on diagnostic group, and (3) determine if the level of ASD symptoms moderates the relationships between marital quality and coparenting with child behaviors only within families of children with ASDs. Three child outcomes were examined: (1) adaptive functioning, (2) maladaptive behaviors, and (3) negative affect. The current multi-method, multi-source study involved 92 families of children aged 3-7 years (60 families of children diagnosed with ASDs and 32 families of TD children). Mothers and fathers completed self-report measures of their marital and coparental relationships and were observed in a family triad play session. Parents in both diagnostic groups did not differ in their levels of self-reported marital quality. Moreover, parents of children with ASDs were lower in self-reported coparenting, but not observed coparenting behaviors. Overall, results indicated that both self-reported coparenting and observed coparenting behaviors, but not marital quality, were associated with better child outcomes for both diagnostic groups, though, the specific child outcome for which better coparenting was associated differed by diagnostic group. Additionally, the relationship between observed coparenting factors and reported child outcomes depended on the level of ASD symptoms, but only for fathers. Because coparenting quality was strongly associated with child behaviors, an understanding of family processes at the triadic level may have implications for intervention leading to improved functioning for mothers, fathers, and their children with and without ASDs.

Research Paper (postgraduate) from the year 2015 in the subject Psychology - Clinic and Health Psychology, Abnormal Psychology, James Cook University, language: English, abstract: Lovisotto, R., Caltabiano, N., & Hajhashemi, K. (2015). Parental stress, affective symptoms and marital satisfaction in parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, 5(10), 30-38. Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a life-long developmental disorder, responded to an online survey considering their stress experience, affective symptoms and marital satisfaction. As these parents sourced different programs for their children, type of program was used to assign parents to different groups in order to consider their stress, affective symptoms and marital satisfaction. The type of programs parents used included the Applied Behaviour Analysis (n=15); Early Intervention Centre (n=13) and no formal program (n=16). Parents of children with ASD in the ABA group reported significantly lower parental stress scores, lower affective symptoms scores and higher marital satisfaction scores compared to the other two groups. These results are suggestive of the beneficial effect that an ABA program can have on the family unit.

Parents of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at greater risk than other couples for having higher stress levels and lower marital quality. Respite care has been suggested as a way to help alleviate stress. This study investigated the relationship between respite care and marital quality; and the potential of mother stress and father stress as mediating variables. One hundred and one couples, each consisting of a mother and a father who lived with their child with an ASD, were given questionnaires including a respite questionnaire, Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Experience in Close Relationships Questionnaire, and Daily Hassles and Uplifts Scale. Results showed that the amount of respite care was positively related to marital quality for both husbands and wives. Husband and wife stress and husband and wife uplifts mediated the relationship between respite care and marital quality for both husbands and wives, indicating these variables of stress and uplifts were processes through which respite care had an indirect effect on marital quality. Results suggest that policy makers should develop strategies for providing respite care for families with children diagnosed with an ASD.

Nurses encounter many parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Both parents are under stress that ultimately impacts their health related quality of life (HRQL). Few studies assess the mediators of parenting stress on HRQL for both parents. This study explored the relationship of parenting stress, family functioning and HRQL for parenting dyads of children with ASD. Lazarus and Folkman's (1984) Transactional Model of Stress and Coping and Lakey and Cohen's (2000) Social Support Theory framed the study. Implementing a cross sectional, descriptive design, 387 parents (n=64 dyads) of ASD-affected children, from 46 states, completed web-based surveys. Demographics, the Feetham Family Functioning Survey (FFFS), Parenting Stress Scale: Autism (PSS:A), and the Rand 36 HRQL measure were collected. The FFFS discrepancy score (D), quantified differences between expectation and reality. The Rand 36 has a mental (MCS) and a physical (PCS) component scale. A non-parametric Wilcoxon test was used to compare fathers and mothers. Pearson correlation and linear regression were used to analyze relationships. Females' family functioning discrepancy scores between 'what is' and 'should be' family functioning were significantly wider than males, p=.002. The MCS of both parents and the PCS of female parents were negatively related to the stress variables and D scores. For females, higher care-giving stress was related to lower female PCS (p