A Qualitative Study on Parents’ Perceptions of Problems in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Objectives: As primary caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), parents gain significant insight into their children’s developmental concerns and challenges. The study utilized a qualitative technique to understand parents’ perceptions of issues in their children with ASD. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted on 35 parents of children with ASD (33 mothers and 2 fathers) selected by purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect study data, which was then verbatim transcribed from the recordings. We used Graneheim and Lundman’s (2003) content analysis approach, which involves extracting meaning units, initial codes, subthemes, and themes sequentially. Results: We identified five primary themes: developmental, linguistic comprehension and expression, social communication, behavioral, and general health concerns. Each of the aforementioned themes contains multiple subthemes. Discussion: The study found that parents’ evaluations of their ASD children’s issues were similar to those reported by experts in other related studies. Parents’ personal experiences with their children with ASD might provide valuable insights into the issues they face. Consider such data while assessing and intervening with this group of children.