TY - JOUR
T1 - Positive and challenging themes in parents’ perceptions of their relationships with their child with autism
T2 - Comparison between mothers and fathers
AU - Moshe, Shir
AU - Oppenheim, David
AU - Slonim, Michal
AU - Hamburger, Lior
AU - Maccabi, Yael
AU - Yirmiya, Nurit
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.
PY - 2024/3
Y1 - 2024/3
N2 - Most studies of how parents of children with autism view the parent–child relationship used self-report questionnaires and focused on challenges. This study broadened the lens by interviewing parents using open-ended questions that provide an opportunity to raise challenging but also positive experiences. Seventy-five mother–father dyads were interviewed individually about their own and their spouses’ relationships with their preschooler, and content analyses of their responses revealed nine relationship themes. In descending order, the themes mentioned most frequently by mothers were “Security and Closeness,” “Love,” and “Tenderness and Sensitivity,” and by fathers were “Pleasure in Joint Activities,” “Security and Closeness,” and “Guidance.” Positive themes were more common than challenging themes. Finally, more mothers mentioned the themes “Love,” “Tenderness and Sensitivity,” “High Involvement and Care,” and “Difficulties” than did fathers, whereas more fathers mentioned the themes “Guidance,” “Pleasure in Joint Activities,” and “Limited Time with Child” than did mothers. The findings portray a nuanced view of the parenting experience of mothers and fathers of preschoolers with autism. Lay Abstract: Most studies of how parents of children with autism see the parent–child relationship used questionnaires completed by the parents and focused on challenges. This study broadened the lens by interviewing parents using open-ended questions that provide an opportunity to raise challenging but also positive experiences. Seventy-five mother-father dyads were interviewed individually about their own and their spouses’ relationships with their preschooler, and we found nine relationship themes. In descending order, the themes mentioned most frequently by mothers were “Security and Closeness,” “Love,” and “Tenderness and Sensitivity,” and by fathers were “Pleasure in Joint Activities,” “Security and Closeness,” and “Guidance.” Positive themes were more common than challenging themes. Finally, more mothers mentioned the themes “Love,” “Tenderness and Sensitivity,” “High Involvement and Care,” and “Difficulties” than did fathers, whereas more fathers mentioned the themes “Guidance” and “Pleasure in Joint Activities” than did mothers. The findings portray a nuanced view of the parenting experience of mothers and fathers of preschoolers with autism.
AB - Most studies of how parents of children with autism view the parent–child relationship used self-report questionnaires and focused on challenges. This study broadened the lens by interviewing parents using open-ended questions that provide an opportunity to raise challenging but also positive experiences. Seventy-five mother–father dyads were interviewed individually about their own and their spouses’ relationships with their preschooler, and content analyses of their responses revealed nine relationship themes. In descending order, the themes mentioned most frequently by mothers were “Security and Closeness,” “Love,” and “Tenderness and Sensitivity,” and by fathers were “Pleasure in Joint Activities,” “Security and Closeness,” and “Guidance.” Positive themes were more common than challenging themes. Finally, more mothers mentioned the themes “Love,” “Tenderness and Sensitivity,” “High Involvement and Care,” and “Difficulties” than did fathers, whereas more fathers mentioned the themes “Guidance,” “Pleasure in Joint Activities,” and “Limited Time with Child” than did mothers. The findings portray a nuanced view of the parenting experience of mothers and fathers of preschoolers with autism. Lay Abstract: Most studies of how parents of children with autism see the parent–child relationship used questionnaires completed by the parents and focused on challenges. This study broadened the lens by interviewing parents using open-ended questions that provide an opportunity to raise challenging but also positive experiences. Seventy-five mother-father dyads were interviewed individually about their own and their spouses’ relationships with their preschooler, and we found nine relationship themes. In descending order, the themes mentioned most frequently by mothers were “Security and Closeness,” “Love,” and “Tenderness and Sensitivity,” and by fathers were “Pleasure in Joint Activities,” “Security and Closeness,” and “Guidance.” Positive themes were more common than challenging themes. Finally, more mothers mentioned the themes “Love,” “Tenderness and Sensitivity,” “High Involvement and Care,” and “Difficulties” than did fathers, whereas more fathers mentioned the themes “Guidance” and “Pleasure in Joint Activities” than did mothers. The findings portray a nuanced view of the parenting experience of mothers and fathers of preschoolers with autism.
KW - autism
KW - autism spectrum disorder
KW - fathers
KW - mothers
KW - parents’ perspectives
KW - parent–child relationship
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165298759&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/13623613231182513
DO - 10.1177/13623613231182513
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C2 - 37448108
AN - SCOPUS:85165298759
SN - 1362-3613
VL - 28
SP - 744
EP - 754
JO - Autism
JF - Autism
IS - 3
ER -