Social support in parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to compare the social support in parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. The sample consisted of 166 parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in Isfahan, Iran. Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (MOS-SSS, Sherbourne and Stewart 1991) was used for measuring the availability of social support. The collected data were analyzed using two-way analysis of variance and multivariate analysis of variance. The results showed that there was no significant difference in social support scores between parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders based on the type of child disorder and the gender of the parents (p > 0.05). The results also showed that there was no significant difference in the subscale of emotional/informational support, tangible support, and affectionate support between parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders (p > 0.05) but in the one subscale (i.e. social interaction) parents of children with intellectual disability was significantly higher than parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and parents of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Moreover, The results showed that there was no significant difference in subscales of social support between parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders based on the gender of the parents (p > 0.05). Therefore, according to the research findings, the design and implementation of support and educational programs for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, especially in parents of children with ASD and ADHD, and to increase social interactions are essential and should be a priority in the programs of organizations providing psychological services.