Fears and hopes of parents in developing the social-emotional aspects of their child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Abstract

For every parent, it is known that they have fears and hopes for their child. But to a parent who has a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder, it is likely that their fears are more complicated while their hopes are simple. This study investigates the fears and hopes of parents in developing the social-emotional aspects of their child with autism. The researchers used qualitative method and utilized audio recorders and prepared a questionnaire. Six parents whose child was diagnosed with autism were chosen to be the participants of this study. The study yielded the following concepts: (a) social; (b) survival; (c) security; and (d) strengthening faith. These concepts were derived from the fears and hopes of parents in developing the social and emotional aspect of their child with autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, a coping mechanism for parents was also explored and named as strengthening faith. This presents enlightening insights on the parents’ interchanging fears and hopes.