Keywords

autism spectrum disorder, parental stress, family functioning, intervention programs

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a largely prevalent disorder that is typically first diagnosed at a young age. This diagnosis can have extreme effects on the family members of these children with the parents or guardians receiving the greatest impact of these effects. Having a child with ASD can be detrimental to a parent’s mental health as well as to the family’s functioning capabilities. This literature review found and reviewed 11 articles to interpret the psychological effects that having a child with ASD has on parents. Additionally, this article aimed to determine the effectiveness of intervention programs that have been implemented in these families and if they would be helpful in the future. It was found that there is a significant amount of parental stress as well as large amounts of anxious and depressive symptoms present in the parents of children with ASD. Furthermore, the evidence suggests that the intervention programs implemented in these specific studies decreased the negative symptoms of parents of children with ASD as well as improved overall family functioning.

Document Type

Class Project or Paper

Publication Date

2022-04-06

Language

English

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Department

Psychology

University Standing at Time of Publication

Sophomore

Course

Psychology 307

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Included in

Psychology Commons

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