Fathers of children with autism : the impact of a support group on fathers' stress, depression, coping, and marital satisfaction

The purpose of this study was to design and evaluate the impact of a support group for fathers of children with autism, using quantitative measures to examine participants’ psychological experiences. Twelve fathers of children with autism participated in the study, which employed a two-group pretest-posttest design and a measure of social validity. The two groups were comprised of six fathers each, who attended eight weekly 2-hour sessions that focused on various topics related to parenting a child with autism. Sample topics included fathers’ experiences with the diagnosis, dealing with the education system, the impact on personal and professional relationships of parenting a child with autism, and future hopes and fears. All participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), the Parenting Stress Index 4th Edition, the Life Orientation Test-Revised, the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, a demographic form, and a social validity questionnaire regarding participation in the group. Group 1 completed the formal test measures prior to the start of their group, upon completion, and 4 months later. Group 2 completed these measures prior to the start of their own group, and upon completion. Data were analyzed using a 2X2 mixed model analysis of variance with Group as the between-subjects factor and Time as the within-subjects factor. Results indicated no significant main effects for either Group or Time between baseline and post-treatment for any of the measures. However, there was a significant interaction effect for marital adjustment via the DAS, and follow-up independent sample t-tests showed a significant improvement for Group 2 only. For Group 1, paired samples t-tests indicated no change in scores between post-treatment and follow-up on any measure. Responses to the social validity measure indicated that all fathers found the groups to be meaningful and helpful, enjoyed listening to and sharing personal experiences with other men in similar circumstances, and strongly recommended a similar group to other fathers of children with autism. Results are discussed in terms of their contribution to the literature, limitations and cautions, and implications for practitioners and researchers who support and study fathers of children with autism.  Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat

The experiences of behaviour interventionists who work with children with autism : occupational stress, coping, and family and child variables

There has been no published research on the people who work intensively with children with autism. The present study was conducted to explore the experiences of Behaviour Interventionists (BIs) who provide one-to-one intervention to children with autism in families' homes. A number of variables were examined, including occupational stress; the relation among stress, strain, and coping; the relation of stress to characteristics of (a) challenging families and (b) children with autism to whom BIs provide support; most and least rewarding aspects of the job; and training and support needs. A total of 65 participants from organizations providing intervention to children with autism in British Columbia and Alberta took part in the study. The two most stressful work roles for BIs were Role Overload (the extent to which job demands exceed personal and workplace resources) and Role Boundary (the extent to which the individual experiences conflicting role demands and loyalties at work). Significant relations were found between stress and coping, and between strain and coping. Coping, however, was not found to moderate the relation between stress and strain. Statistical analyses indicated that there were no correlations between BI stress and characteristics of challenging families to whom BIs provide support. Significant correlations were found between BI stress and two groups of behaviours exhibited by children with autism—sensory-related behaviours and social unrelatedness. The most rewarding aspects of BIs' work pertained to child variables such as helping the child learn and make progress. The most stressful aspects of BIs' work pertained to job variables such as isolation of the job and time pressure. BIs indicated that there were a number of training and support needs, such as increased supervision and support by senior staff, and training on how to deal with difficult parents/family issues. The results are discussed in terms of their clinical and research implications, limitations, and suggestions for future research.Education, Faculty ofEducational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department ofGraduat

L’évaluation d’un groupe de soutien pour des pères d’enfants ayant des troubles du spectre autistique

This study evaluated the impact of a support group designed for fathers of children with autism. Two groups of 6 fathers each attended 8 weekly sessions that focused on various topics related to parenting a child with autism. Pre- and post-intervention, participants completed measures of depression, marital adjustment, parenting stress, optimism, coping strategies, and social validity. Participants in one group also completed these measures 4 months later. Results indicated no significant changes on all but one measure; however, participants strongly endorsed the utility of the support group experience. Results are discussed with reference to previous research, limitations, and clinical recommendations.Cette étude mesure l’impact d’un groupe de soutien pour les pères d’enfants ayant l’autisme. Deux groupes de 6 pères ont participé à 8 séances hebdomadaires ciblant divers sujets en lien avec le parentage d’un enfant ayant l’autisme. Les participants ont complété des mesures de dépression, d’ajustement conjugal, de stress lié au parentage, d’optimisme, de mécanismes d`adaptation, et de validation sociale, avant et après l’intervention. Les participants d’un groupe ont aussi complété ces mesures 4 mois plus tard. Les résultats n’ont démontré de changement significatif que pour une mesure; les participants ont cependant fortement endossé l’utilité de l’expérience du groupe de soutien. Une discussion sur les résultats est présentée en faisant référence aux études antérieures, aux limites, et aux recommandations cliniques