CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Sense of Coherence, Parenting Attitudes and Stress among Mothers of Children with Autism in United Kingdom

Abstract

This study research study will focus on the parental attitude towards their austistic children. Mothers having autistic children experience their life as a never-ending struggle for their children. Whereas 'normal' children mature and grow out of the parental nest, autistic children remain under the care of their parents for as long as the parents are able to sustain them. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitude of mothers of autistic children and gain new perspectives of how parents and professionals work together. Data will consist of transcripts from indepth interviews with mothers of children diagnosed with autism. In the study the mother's will complete a Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC) and questionnaire. It will be carried out in two parts: different questionnaires based on this scales as followed. The questionnaires included will be Sense of Coherence Scale and Judston self-rating scales. The SOC is 13 item scales measuring the comprehensibility, manageability and meaningfulness of a person's life events and handling stress.

Table of Contents

Abstract2

Chapter I5

Introduction5

Purpose9

Aims9

Objective9

Benefits risk and rewards:9

Limitations of the study and suggestions for future research10

Chapter II12

Literature review12

Introduction to Autism12

Research on Autism21

Summary Of Other Research Projects25

Neuroanatomical And Biochemical Research Projects28

"Role of Connectivity in Autism."30

Genetic Research Projects37

Mother and Autistic Children41

Other Studies carried out in autism48

Studies that have used Judson self rating scale and SOC51

Chapter III67

Introduction Proposed Methodology67

Participants67

Instruments69

Procedure76

References78

Bibliography81

Chapter I

Introduction

Currently, there are several methods of assessing autism and related pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs), including parent interviews, questionnaires, and direct observations (Lord, 1991). These approaches vary in their format, their information source, and their purpose (i.e., clinical vs. research). Parent reports are beneficial for a number of reasons. First, because parents regularly interact with their children, their ratings are based on observations occurring in a number of different settings. This is in contrast to professional ratings, which are most often made after observing the child in a limited time period in just one or two settings. Furthermore, scales, which entail direct observations, typically are not specific as to how the setting should be structured (Lord, 1991).

Although lacking the objectivity of professional ratings, parent attitude may be of interest because they reflect parents' perceptions of their children. These perceptions may differ from those of professionals (Konstantareas & Homatidis, 1989), but they represent a reality for the children's families. For example, parents' impressions of their children's level of impairment may impact the ways in which they interact with their children (Konstantareas, Zajdeman, Homatidis, & McCabe, 1988), as well as influence the family system.

One such method of parent report is the widely used Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC; Krug, Arick, & Almond, 1979). Originally developed for use by professionals, the ABC often has been used during parent interviews (e.g., Sevin, Matson, Coe, Fee, & Sevin, 1991; Sturmey, Matson, & Sevin, 1992) and as a self-report measure for parents (Szatmari, Archer, Fisman, & Streiner, 1994). Despite such advantages of the ABC as ease of administration, professionals have been ...