Autonomy and Coping with Stress in Persons with ASD

Abstract

This article presents empirical analysis of selected issues related to autonomy of persons with ASD, along with the psychosocial conditions of its development. This analysis is an attempt to determine direct causes and particular types of conditions necessary for the development of autonomy in people with autism, manifested in the capacity of coping with stress. The theoretical basis for the research is the three-component model of autonomy, under which autonomy is an internal attribute of each person, manifesting itself in the qualities of authorship (the person feels to be the author of his/her own behaviour), interest-taking (reflection on internal and external events), and absence of the perceived sense of pressure or control.
 The research problems in this study concern the level of autonomy in people with ASD, the level of their psychosocial functioning in the dimension of coping with stress, and the potential correlations between the two parameters.
 A diagnostic survey method was used to obtain the research material, which employed the following research tools: Index of Autonomous Functioning, The Autism-Spectrum Quotient, Coping Inventory, the author’s own Interview Questionnaire, developed for the purposes of our study regarding age, gender, marital status, residence, education, income, past therapy and current health conditions.