Positive and negative cognitive appraisal of the impact of children with autism spectrum disorder on the family

Abstract

BackgroundThis paper investigates the measurement of cognitive appraisal in the context of childhood disability in a middle-income country, and describes how South African families positively and negatively appraise the impact on the family of raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). MethodWe used the responses of 180 parents who completed the Family Impact of Childhood Disability (FICD) Scale, which was part of the survey data gathered in a larger study that examined the perspectives of families of young children with ASD in South Africa. Participating families were recruited from 35 disability-related service providers in the Gauteng province. ResultsOur findings provided preliminary evidence about the suitability of using the FICD Scale in the South African context. The results indicate that the participating families perceived the impact of their child with ASD as both positive and negative. ConclusionsThe results of this study supported the universal properties of positive and negative appraisal when raising a child with a disability. Like other families in other countries, the participating families perceived the impact of a child with ASD as both positive and negative and revealed that parents are able to re-create positive meanings about the impact of their child diagnosed with ASD.