Parenting on Autism

THE STRESS OF PARENTS WITH CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM AND THEIR COPING STRATEGIES

A Thesis Presented to the Department of Psychology College of Arts and Sciences University of St. La Salle Bacolod City

In Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree BACHELOR OF ARTS IN PSYCHOLOGY

Akizuki, Roxan May Ferrer, Angeli kris Fuentes, Raphael Gubaton, Patrick John Maceda, Melbutch

March 09, 2010

Parenting on Autism Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction Background of the Study General Objectives Theoretical Framework Schematic Diagram Assumptions Scope and Limitations Significance of the Study Definition of Terms Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Review of Related Literature Methodology Research Design Research Environment Research Participant Research Instrument Research Procedure Gathering of Dta Data Analysis

Parenting on Autism INTRODUCTION

The family is the basic unit of the society. At times, there are some circumstances where the child is not normal, resulting to stress. This situation becomes demanding to the parents who have vital roles to play in raising the child. The parents of a child with disability play an integral role in their childs education as full partners in the educational process. The process of educating and caring for children with disablity like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is not easy since it takes a lot of patience, understanding and struggles. While the other members are, likewise, affected by the presence of the child with a disability, the parents are the one who bear the greatest burden in helping the child toward normalization. Observations on parents with children that has disabilities have shown that the range of feelings experienced by the parents at the time of diagnosis (whether at birth or later) including the loss, grief, denial, acceptance, anxiety, confusion and/or guilt (Seaward, 2006, p.72). Following diagnosis, parents may become frustrated because even though they have a name for the childs unique difference, they have little idea what to do about them (Friend, 2006, p, 480). They never want to hear that their child has been diagnosed with autism and finding it very difficult to accept the fact that autism has no known cure (Shore & Rastelli, 2006, p11). Moreover, the impact of the diagnosis was found to affect the parents well-being resulting to unhelpful thinking such as negative beliefs and assumptions about their child, self, and others (Bloomquist, 2006, p.145). They experience a lot of negative feeling that make them react in a negative way. These ranges of reactions may be attributed to their lack of knowledge and understanding of the disability as well as inability to cope with their problems and stresses. Parents usually struggle to help their child with autism spectrum disorders go through the life span. The way parents react has a great impact on their children diagnosed with autism. In

Parenting on Autism

the process, research has shown that parents who are involved with their child and attend to their positive behavior are more likely to have a successful child. However, having a child with autism spectrum disorders is a challenge even for the most confident parents. Moreover, the challenges presented to the entire family can be overwhelming. The group chose to study the parents of children diagnosed with autism and their coping strategies as the topic of this research because we were inspired and were curious on how they manage to raise a child with autism, where in the Special Olympics hosted by the University of Saint La Salle, psychology department. The researchers saw that among all the special children in there, we find the children with Autism, the most unique. The group was interested in finding out how the parents manage their special children in their homes and in these kinds of occassions. This will give us the right knowledge and understanding in the future on what to do if ever, we will have special children in the family. These observations inspired the researchers to look into how parents raised them up, hence, this study. General Objectives: The general objective of the study is to understand how a parent serves as a factor in the development of their child with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, this study aims: 1. To identify the differences and similarities of the mother and the father in terms of their parenting style with their child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. 2. To identify the stressors in raising a child with autism. 3. To compare the coping strategies of the parents in relation to behavior management of their child with autism; and 4. To determine the problems in having a child with autism spectrum disorder.

Parenting on Autism Theoretical Framework

The well-being of parents is always threatened by the presence of a child with autism spectrum disorders in the family. Consequently, the threat produces different forms of parent stress resulting to serious problems that have the potential to build and rise if not managed early. One of the coping mechanism parents use to alleviate the problem and reduce the stress is to employ a parenting style. According to Dobson (2009) there are three broad strands of parenting style: the authoritarian, the authoritative, and the permissive. He proposes that the middle (authoritative) ground is the most healthy, quoting research which shows that the most unhappy teens and adults come from extremely permissive homes and followed by those from strict authoritarian homes. (http://home-ed.info/parenting/parenting_theories.htm) Parents also employ coping strategies as a type of coping mechanism. This may take the form of relaxation, taking time away from family responsibility, spend special time with spouse or with child, seek out social support, schedule pleasant events or use other productive strategies. There can be differences in the stressors and the use of these coping strategies of the parents and depending on their parenting style towards the child with ASD.

Parenting on Autism

Schematic Diagram

PARENTS of children with ASD

(GENDER)

Stressors

Different Parenting Styles: Authoritarian Authoritative Permissive

Coping Strategies

Figure 1. Relationship of Parenting Style, Stressors and Coping Strategies

Parenting on Autism

Assumptions 1. Parents with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder experience greater stress than parents with normal children and employs varied coping strategies. 2. Parenting styles maybe related to gender, stressors, and coping strategies. Scope and Limitations The study will deal with how parents intervene in the development of their child with autism spectrum disorder. Specifically it will identify the parenting styles, stressors, and coping strategies of the parents. The subjects of this study will be selected using the purposive sampling based on a set of criteria. The descriptive comparative study will be used. Data will be collected during the month of April to May 2010. Since the purposive sampling will be used the results of this study may be limited in the extent of its generalizability. Significance of the Study The results of this study may be utilized by professionals working with children with special needs particularly with autism spectrum disorders. For the psychologists, the results may serve as basis for collaborating with parents since the information derived from this study may provide data from the perspective of the parents. This information can be a jumpstart for a counseling session or some type of clinical work regarding understanding the child with autism spectrum disorders. It may also give a birds eye view on how community linkages and advocacy can work effectively.

Parenting on Autism

For the therapists, the results may reveal some feelings that can be addressed by therapy sessions. At the same time, the therapist can, perhaps, look into the different stressors and work on these. School personnel may benefit from the results of this study, likewise. Information derived from this, may be used as basis for developing a parent education program as a part of schoolparent collaboration. Definition of Terms Autism is conceptually defined as pervasive developmental disorder which is

characterized by several areas of development, including social interaction, communication with others, everyday behaviors, interests, and activities (Hoe-Skema, 2004, p.468). It is operationally defined as the term is used to refer to children who were developmentally assessed to exhibit the autism spectrum disorders by a developmental pediatrician. The term is also used interchangeably with autism spectrum disorders or ASD.

Parents is conceptually defined as one that begets or brings forth offspring (Feldman, 2008, p.350)

It is operationally defined as biological mother or father of the child with autism spectrum disorders. Authoritarian- Rigid, punitive, strict standards style of parents (Feldman, 2008, p.351) It is operationally defined as Permissive- lacks, inconsisitant, undemanding style of parents. (Feldman, 2008, p.351) Authoritative- firm, sets limits and goals, uses reasoning, encourage independence style of parents (Feldman, 2008, p.351)

Parenting on Autism

Problem is conceptually defined as conflicts that happen to a person on a given situation. It is operationally defined as to any obstacle the parent encounters in the tasks related to the development of the child with autism spectrum disorders.

Stress is conceptually defined as psychological and physical strain or tension generated

by physical, emotional, social, economic, or occupational circumstances, events, or experiences that are difficult to manage or endure, (Colman, 2001, p.711) It is operationally defined as to parent stress which includes personal stress, marital/relationship stress, and parenting stress.

Coping Strategies is conceptually defined as attempts by individuals to deal with the source of stress and control their reactions to it. (Lahey, 2004, p.503)

It is operationally defined as the different approaches such as relaxation, taking time away, spending special time, and other healthy and productive ways parents do to relieve stress. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Autism There have been many children diagnosed with autism world wide, and many of them have been a problem to their families because of the difficulty of coping with the illness and the stress that a child diagnosed with autsim gives. According to Nielsen (2002), Autism is a developmental disability, generally evident before age 3, affecting the verbal and nonverbal communication and social interaction which affects a childs performance and their characteristics that are associated with autism are engagement in repititive activities and

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stereotyped movements, resistance to environment change or change in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory experiences (p. 49). It is a brain disorder that typically affects a person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the environment. Some people with autism are relatively high-functioning, with speech and intelligence intact. Others are mentally retarded, mute, or have serious language delays. For some, autism makes them seem closed off and shut down; others seem locked into repetitive behaviors and rigid patterns of thinking. (Lemer, 2006) Isolated in worlds of their own, people with autism appear indifferent and remote and are unable to form emotional bonds with others. Although people with this baffling brain disorder can display a wide range of symptoms and disability, many are incapable of understanding other people's thoughts, feelings, and needs. Often, language and intelligence fail to develop fully, making communication and social relationships difficult. Many people with autism engage in repetitive activities, like rocking or banging their heads, or rigidly following familiar patterns in their everyday routines. Some are painfully sensitive to sound, touch, sight, or smell. Autism is another term that has substancial overlap with intellectual disabilities. Around three- quarters of children with autism have IQ scores with in the impaired range. Both researchers and practitioners, however, have tended to treat children with autism as a distinct group. (Reed, 2005, p. 223) The exact cause of autism is unknown. At one point, it was thought that a lack of warmth from parents caused the disorder. This has been proven to be untrue. Autism does have a genetic link; many children with autism have a relative with autism or autistic traits. Controversy continues about whether or not measles and rubella (MMR) vaccinations contibute to the development of late- onset autism (Videfeck, 2003, p. 484). Autism is not caused by psychological factors. All evidence indicates that autism has a biological origin resulting in a metabolic dysfunction of the brain, because about one fourh

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of autistic children have signs of neurological disorder, it possible that they have a degree of brain damage (Nielsen, 2002, p.49). Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders may find themselves forced to play demanding roles in the lives of their children (Friend, 2006, p.480). It would cause a big responsibility for the parents having a child with autism because they should know how to raise the child with autism compare to the normal children. Parents never want to hear that their child has been diagnosed with Autism and atleast, initially, they certainly find it very difficult to accept the fact that Autism has no cure. (Shore, 2004, p. 10) Because of these characteristics and behavior that a child diagnosed with autism manifests, parents of children with autism experience more stress and are more susceptible to negative outcomes than parents of children with other disabilities and parents of normal children (Dunn, Burbine, Bowers and Tantleff-Dunn, 2001). Evidence is abundant that parents of children with autism undergo more stress than the average amount of stress. The stress is usually not the result of major catastrophic events but rather the conequence of relative responsibilities related to a child care Hallahan & Kauffman, 2006, p. 112). In addition, (Lerner, 2006) said that the task of rearing a child with autism is among the most demanding and stressful that a family faces. The child's screaming fits and tantrums can put everyone on edge. The child with autism will likely to have develop their own rigid patterns of play that eliminates participation with others, such as lining up cars in exactly the same order over and over again (Wall, 2004, p.66), lacking the ability to socialize and participate with others will isolate the child and will worsten the disorder of the child. Children with Autism can develop all the major emotional disorders, but seperation anxiety is one disorder that by definition begins at childhood. The symptoms of seperation anxiety include chronic worry about seperation from ones parents or about wellbeing, dreams and fantasies about seperation from parents, refusal to go to school, and somatic

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complaints (Hoeskema, 2004, p. 476). Children with Autism often have many fears, and these fears are the possible reasons why children with autism manifest anxiety or mood disorders. The child with autism cannot develop his/her self esteem and he will feel separated from the normal life of people. Because the child needs almost constant attention, brothers and sisters often feel ignored or jealous. Younger children may need to be reassured that they will not catch autism or grow to become like their sibling. Older children may be concerned about the prospect of having a child with autism themselves. The tensions can strain a marriage. (p. 153). Furthermore, past researches about autism, its stresses, and the coping strategies for it is reviewed because of vast increase in the number of autistic children each year. Warber (2008) says that Autism statistics provides alarming evidence of the increase of pervasive developmental disorders, the widespread incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder shows that the conditions can affect anyone. Shore (2004) said in his book that An Autism diagnosis has a far reaching impact in your personal community. It affects not only the immediate family of the child with Autism, but also extended family members, school mates, friends, medical providers, and many others with whom the person comes into contact. If youre a person with Autism or the caregiver of the person with Autism, you have to bear the brunt of the emotional impact of the diagnosis. (p. 10) At this time, there are no diagnostic medical tests for autism; evaluation is based on observation of communication, behavior, and developmental levels. This can be difficult, because many of the characteristics of autism are also common in other disabilities (Nielsen, 2002, p. 50). That is why coping with autism and the stress that goes with it is a very important thing. This will enable the families to be used and to accept the truth that someone is autistic in the family. But eventhough coping with autism has been examined in a number of papers, virtually no research exists on how families cope over time (Gray, D. E., 2006). He reported the

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results of a longitudinal study of parents coping with autism over a period of approximately a decade. The research method for his study was based on ethnographic methods that emphasized in-depth interviews and participant observation. The sample for this study consisted of 28 parents (19 mothers and nine fathers) of children with autism. The instrument for the interviews consisted of questions concerning: the child's medical history and referral experience, the child's present symptomatology, the effects of the child's problems on the parent's well-being, the effects of autism on the family's social life, parental coping strategies, illness conceptualization and the parents' expectations for the future. (Gray, D. E., 2006) concluded in his research that coping strategies changed from the time of the initial study, as fewer parents coped through reliance on service providers, family support, social withdrawal and individualism and relatively more parents coped through their religious faith and other emotion-focused strategies. The results tentatively support previous researches on coping that indicates that aging is linked to the use of more emotion-focused coping strategies. Stress Stress according to (Baron, et.al, 2006) is not a simple, easily define phenomenon. Rather it is quite complex and composed of several factors. But as of now, there is no universal scientific definition for stress. Stress occurs when people feel overwhelmed by the challenges they face, such as when major change happens in their lives. Stress also usually produces both psychological and physiological reaction (Lahey, 2004, p. 506). Hans Selye proposed the general adaptation theory to conceptualize the stages of psychological coping. The stress of daily life includes both major life changes and daily hassles. Psychoneuroimmunology is uncovering the links between stress and health, such as the risks of the hostile personality. However, cognitive appraisals, such as determining the relevancy of the stressor or adapting a problem- versus

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emotion- focused approach can alleviate stress or minimize its harmful effects. Perhaps the most important way people cope with stress is through their interactions with others who provide social support. (Gazzaniga and Heatherton, 2003, p. 342) There are four major types of stress according to Weiten (2008), and the first is Frustration, frustraion is experienced whenever the persuit of some goal is thwarted, in essence, you experince frustration when you want something and you cant have it (pp. 374-375). Expectations are sources of frustrations, when you have and expectation failed, you will have frustrations because you looked forward on something that you did no get. Frustrations come into parents first when they expect their child to be normal and when later findings come out that their child is diagnosed with Autism. Another frustraion for them is when they expect something in return from their child with autism but he/she cannot give something back to them for the efforst that his/her parents are giving and for the extra attention that they give for the child with Autism. According to Wall (2004), a more frustration for parents and families of children with autism is the fact that some children may appear to be developing language appropriately when they are young, but in their son/daughters case, words begin to slowly disappear from their vocabulary at the time of regression into a more complex world of Autism. (p. 69). The second type of stress is conflict. Like frustration, conflict is an unavoidable feature of everyday life, According to Lahey (2004), Conflict occurs when two or more motives cannot be satisfied because they interfere with one another (p.500). And having conflicts is a cause of stress for parents of children with autism. That is why, to avoid stress, being fixed with decisions and being organized is very impotant to avoid getting stress from conflicts. Weiten (2008) stated that in an approach to conflict, a choice must be made between two attractive goals (p.375). Choosing or making decisions is a big part of parents for their children, especially with those

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who is diagnosed with Autism. That is one of the most important coping strategies for conflict. The next type of stress is change, life changes can be a source of stress because they require readjustment (Weiten, 2008, p.375). Adjusting to a change may give a person stress because he/she has the need to cope up with something new. Changes can be avoided in raising a child diagnosed with autism by keeping a daily schedule of things to accomplish (Horowitz, 2004). This will enable the parents to easily adjust and to manage the change easily. Adjusting is very important in coping and it will help a lot in dealing with the stress that is brought about by the disorder. The last type of stress is the Pressure. Pressure involves expecations or demands that one behaves in a certain way (Weiten, 2008, p.376). You are under pressure when you are asked to perform a responsibility quickly, efficiently and succesfully. Pressure is present at parents with children diagnosed with Autism when they are experiencing lack of time due to the need to extend extra time and care for the child with Autism. They tend to rattle and to be pressured and with that, stress is present. And like conflicts, the best way to deal with pressure is proper time management. Pressure is present in all things, the question is that how will persons deal with it and how will they react upon the pressure. There is not a clean consensus on whether mothers and fathers of children with disablilites experience the same degree of stress. Earlier studies suggested that fathers are not under as much stress as mothers, but fathers have assumed more child-care responsibilities than was once the care. (Hallahan & Kauffman, 2006, p112). Mothers can be more stressed that fathers because a mothers concern is different from a fathers, mothers always tend to do all they can for the child, it is them who always understands the child and gives them the extra attnetion that is why mothers are always or commonly more atteched with the child rather than fathers. There appears to be a pecific trend towards the fathers and mothers experiencing

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relatively equal amount of stress (Hallahan & Kauffman, 2006, p112). Specific issues about the fathers stress were recorded. A concern specifically identified by fathers is marginalisation (Wall, 2007, p.72). He concluded that fathers of children with disabilities felt an expectation to be the parent who would, as society expects, support the mother. At no time were the fathers own needs of support acknowledged or addressed. Many also admitted to returning to work earlier than planned ro reintroduce some normality into their lives (Wall, 2007, p.72). Fathers are experiencing stress because of the different lifestyle that they are having because of the needs of supporting the child and the mother. Their ego somehow is affected because thery have no freedom on doing something that they want because the normality of their life is already focused on taking care of the child and supporting the mother. The NAS report Opening the door (2007) reported the findings of a survey of National Autistic Society members and highlighted a range of problems experiencced by familes sorrounding diagnosis. The first is 40 percent of parents had to wait over three years to get a diagnosis (Wall, 2007, p.73). The length of time of waiting for a diagnosis can cause a major delay in the proper caring for a child with autism. Three years of wait is a long time enough that can greatly affect the possible treatment of the child. The second problem experienced by parents according to the survey is that 65 percent of parents saw three or more professionals before securing a diagnosis (Wall, 2007, p.73). Seeing more proffesionals can be a problem because professionals dont come in heap prices, spending lots of money for consultation can be a hole in the parents pocket. Another problem according to the survey is that 45 percent of parents stated that the diagnosis was described inadequately or not at all (Wall, 2007, p.73). Adequate description about the disorder can leave the parents questions in their head on what the disorder is all about and what to do about the disorder, this will make the situation even worse for the

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parents because they do not know how to deal with the child correctly. The survey also said that 43 percent were dissatisfied to some degree with the diagnostic process and 22 percent said that they were very dissatisfied (Wall, 2007, p.73). This information speaks on how poorly the diagnosis of experts is. Having this survey result proves that more professionals are deficit in providing the parents proper information about the disorder for them to know what to do. Another 43 percent according to the survey reported that they were not given any advice about where to go for help/ support/ counselling or further explanation (Wall, 2007, p.73). Having provided the parents with nothing can also lead to a worse condition of the child and the family. The fact the experts cannot provide ample imformation about the disorder can lead the parents to a blank idea on how to raise the child, diagnosis without the proper guidance from professionals will be a bit hard for them. The last survey result says that 49 percent reported that the support they received at the same time of diagnosis was inadequate (Wall, 2007, p.73). Supporting the previous survey results, this only shows the poor soppurt from professionals the parents could get. This information provided by the survey speaks truth on why do parents with children with autism, experience stress a lot, its party because they get poor help from experts wether it is on diagnosis, after the diagnosis and on how they will properly take care of their child with autism. Although many researchers continue to develop theories of stress and refine their definitions. The stress that autism gives to the family members has been undeniable. In fact, Wall (2007) reported that the range of feelings experienced by parents at the time of diagnosis could include loss, greif, denial, acceptance, anxiety, confusion and guilt, all of these may brought about stress (p.72), the stress that could cause many things that affect the family and not just the parents of the child with autism. The resulting behaviors and the stress and anxiety that children with autism cause can often be more than some parents are prepared to cope with and they end

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up having shopping delivered or the child remaining at home. In this way, families especially siblings can be significantly affected by the child diagnosed with autism. (Wall, 2007, p. 74) Having lesser time for the siblings and spending extra time for the special one, will cause the siblings a feeling of longingness for the parents care, they will feel jealous and will find something that can replace the attention that their parents cannot give. This will also give them the feeling needing to escape into their own space, e.g. locking themselves in the bedroom, which can lead to increased isolation (Wall, 2007, p. 74). All parents suffer from stress; parents of children with disabilities are under greater stress than parents of chidren wihtout disabilities. For the caregivers of children with disabilities, the key challenge is to develop the hope and connection that they will need to cope with their stress as well as find the benefits they will need through out the childs life (Kirk, et al., 2006, p.110). Parents of children with autism to be specific will need a great effort to build a connection with the child diagnosed with autism in order for them to cope with the stress easily. The fact that rasing a child with this type of disorder can be taken as a challenge, instead of a burden to raise the motive of the parent or the caregivers of the child, the stress in that way, will be taken as an obstacle to be overcomed unitl coping with the stress is done. The strress that comes with rearing a child diagnosed with autism could be a result of many factors. There are many sources of stress for parents besides the fact that their child is diagnosed with autism. One of those causes of stress according to (Horowitz, 2004) is the reactions from Society and Feelings of Isolation; he said that Taking an individual with autism out into the community can be a source of stress for parents. People may stare, make comments or fail to understand any mishaps or behaviors that may occur. For example, parents of children diagnosed with autism may have a double mind if they will attend a social gathering of their relatives or friends becaue they know the risks that

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bringin with them their child will give. This expreiences may give the parents a sense of isolation from their friends, relatives and community (Horowitz, 2004). They may feel somehow seperated from other people because of the limitations that they have caused by having a child diagnosed with autism. Concerns over Future Caregiving is another cause of stress, Parents know that they provide their child with exceptional care and they fear that no one will take care of their child like they do (Horowitz, 2004). Naturally, most parents want to know that when they die, their offspring will be safe and cared for, having a plan in place helps relieve some of the worry. Some parents form a contract with a professional guardian, who agrees to look after the interests of the person with autism, such as observing birthdays and arranging for care. eventhough there is fact that parent with autism may have a hard time trusting some one even one of their relatives in caring for their child, because they know that no one can give extra care for their child than they can, still parents cannot do anything but to secure their childs future. Another thing which bothers the parents about their childs future is what will happen to them when they grow up. Wall (2004) stated that The most major concern for parents of children with autism is the future and what will happen, concerns relating to future educational opportunities and possibilities of employment and independent living, public relations when out of the house and undertaking normal activities (p.39). Finances will be another source of stress for parents of children with autism. According to (Horowitz, 2004), having a child with autism can drain a family's resources due to expenses such as evaluations, home programs, and various therapies. Also, because of the need of caregiving for the child, one parent may give up his or her job adding up to financial strains of the family and causing stress to both the parents. The child with autism typically requires vast

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amounts of parental time and energy, this drain of resources can affect the marital relationship and the functioning of individual family members (Tarakeshwar, Pargament, 2001. P. 247). The parents of a child with autism also experiences stress because of Feelings of Greif (Horowitz, 2004). This is due to the fact that they lost the typical child that they expected to have. The feeling of stress is due to the ongoing nature that they will be with the child; they did not epect to have for the rest of their lives. Many parents feel deeply disappointed that their child may never engage in normal activities or attain some of life's milestones. Parents may mourn that their child may never learn to play baseball, drive, get a diploma, marry, or have children. However, most parents come to accept these feelings and focus on helping their children achieve what they can. Parents begin to find joy and pleasure in their child despite the limitations. The stress of caring for a child with autism may leave a parent with little time and energy for his/her partner and other children (Wall, 2004, 34), like trying to manage the house full-time and trying to deal with all the medical requirements of the child, will drain the energy of parents to give their attention to their partners and for the other children. Several studies indicate that families of children with disabilities experience more stressors and resultant distress than do similar families of typical children and young adults, Furthermore, it appears that families of children with autism report a greater number of stressors (e.g., parental depression and anxiety, difficulties in daily management of the child, financial worries, and concerns over adequate educational and professional resources) than those with children with other disabilities (Tarakeshwar, Pargament, 2001. P. 247). Stress as defined by (Christensen, Wagner, Halliday, 2001, p. 294), is a result from an interaction between physiological, psychological, and environmental processes he also said that it is a response to a stressor. Stress will only occur if a person will allow a stressor to affect

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his/her psychological state. If stress is inevitable, and if too much stress is a threat to our psychological and physical well-being, then coping with stress is of paramount importance. (Lahey, 2004, p.499) Coping with stress will be the easiest solution to decrease the negative effects of it. if an child diagnosed with autism is a source of stress for parents, and knowing that they can do nothing about it, considering the fact that the disorder is already present, then the best solution is to cope with the disability which the family member has, even if it is not easy to do so, but it will be the best solution to the problem. Over the years, there has been a wide variety of theories of Autism, and the psychiatrist who first dicovered autism, Leo Kanner (1943), thought that autism is caused partly caused by biological factors and partly by poor parenting (Hoeskema, 2004, p.471). Poor parenting may be a result of too much stress that both parents experiences because they lack knowledge on how to properly cope with the disability and with the stress that goes with it. This shows how important coping with stress is and how well it can lessen the stress that the disability of the child gives. Basically, a child with Autism displays dificits which a parent can determine immidiately; it is the deficits in social interaction, in ommunication, and in Activities and interests (Hoeskema, 2004, p.470). a childs deficits in social interaction is visible with the childs little use of non verbal behaviors, failure to develop peer relationships, little use of expressions and little interst in social interaction. This behavior of a child will give the parents a difficulty in understanding him/ her because he/ she has no interst to interact, and also as like the second deficit, the child lacks communication skills, this also will give the parents a hard time to know what the child wants, or what he/she does not like. The child who has deficits in activities and interest will give the parents stress in a way that the parents will have no idea of what their child will want in the future and what to do with him/ her to help. Wall (2004), stated that parents of children

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diagnosed with autism may feel that nothing is given back from the child, which is always difficult to deal with as a parent (p.34). The childs lack of interst in activities may give the parents a feeling of uselessness because they both give extra care and attention to their child despite the stress that the disability the child has. But still, the child may not return anything to the parents because of his/her deficits. Although people with autism do not have exactly the same symptoms and deficits, they tend to share certain social, communication, motor, and sensory problems that affect their behavior in predictable ways. Lemer (2006) said that the task of rearing a child with autism is among the most demanding and stressful that a family faces. The child's screaming fits and tantrums can put everyone on edge. Because the child needs almost constant attention, brothers and sisters often feel ignored or jealous. Younger children may need to be reassured that they will not catch autism or grow to become like their sibling. Older children may be concerned about the prospect of having a child with autism themselves; the tensions can strain a marriage (p.153). The difficulty of raising a child with autsim comes with the responsibility of taking good care not only of the one who has the disorder, but to the whole family which is also involved in raising a child diagnosed with autism. Extended patience is required and being very understanding will be a great help for the parents. In this way, each member of the family or the extende will be able to do their own shares in helping raise a child diagnosed with autism. Lemer (2006) also said that In the family system, all members of the extended family are interdependent, and each member has an interactive effect on all other members (p.153). The effect that each member of the extended family can give will be of importance not only in raising the chiild with autism, but also, it will affect the coping strategies of the whole family.

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Families may also be uncomfortable taking their child to public places. Children, who throw tantrums, walk on their toes, flail their arms, or climb under restaurant tables to play with strangers' socks, can be very embarrassing. Many parents feel deeply disappointed that their child may never engage in normal activities or attain some of life's milestones. Parents may mourn that their child may never learn to play baseball, drive, get a diploma, marry, or have children. However, most parents come to accept these feelings and focus on helping their children achieve what they can. Parents begin to find joy and pleasure in their child despite the limitations (Hart, C., 2002). Theres nothing more inportant than the family, that is why parents who come to accept the situation the earlier, are the parents who can easily cope up with the difficulty that comes with raising a child with autism has. Coping Strategies The parents should know what will be the proper way to cope up with the situation. The Parents and their coping strategies should also be consideration as they will have a significant impact on the child (Wall, 2004, p. 39). How well family members adjust to having a child with autism in their home may depend on the ways they cope with the stress engendered by raising such a child, research suggests that the effectiveness of coping depends on the particular coping strategies used by the parents, the resources available within the family, and the availability of social support (Tarakeshwar, Pargament, 2001. P. 247). Parents and therapist need to help children with severe disabilities recognize that thry are persons in an environment and that they can influence the environment (Kirk, 2006, p. 481) They way the cope with the problem will be of transparency to the child and it will have an effect depending on how the child will understand or interpret the strategy done. He/ she may understand the parents action negatively since a child diagnosed woth autism has Deficits in

Parenting on Autism

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theory of mind, the ability to understand that people have mental states and to use this understanding to interact and communicate with others (Hoeskema, 2004, p.474). That is why the parents should be extra cautious in dealing with their child diagnosed with autism not to let them misunderstand them, and also, not the other siblings to feel bad because of the special attention that parents give to their special sibling. Affleck and associate (2006) suggests that the key to the parents succesful management of their childs disabilities appears to be the extent to which they percieve that they have control of the childs development, the degree of positive outcomes that they percieve, the finding of emotional support and needed services, and their acceptance of the childs disablility without seeking to blame anyone for it, parents who cannot accept their childs disability are likely to seek a cause for it, and in most cases they attribute it to their own behavior (p.110). Having positive outlook inpercieving positive outcomes with regards to the child rearing practices and can give the parents a successful management of the childs disability, and successful coping with the stres that comes with it. Christensen, Wagner, Halliday (2001) said that It is possible to teach coping processes that enable individuals to deal effectively with stress. The main technique is to relax and to deal with physical effects, and cognitive appraisal to monitor stress-inducing cognitions and replace them with adaptive alternatives. (p. 294). By means of relaxation, stress effects can be minimized becase relaxation can calm the mind and the body from the stress that it experiences, the psychological effects of relaxation will help a lot in diminishing stress effects. Parents can take action to address the stress that they experience (Horowitz, 2004). There are several coping strategies that he also cited; the first is to Take Time for Yourself and Other Family Members. In order to avoid burnout, parents must make time for themselves. Parents often respond to this suggestion by saying that they don't have any time to do that. However, what you need to keep in

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mind is that even a few minutes a day can make a difference (Horowitz, 2004). Parents of children with autism has to reward each other or to reward ones self because parenting a child with such disorder is often frustrating and stressful. Rewards will help a loth in motivating themselves to still continue to be as patient and understanding as they were from the beginning. Families may also want to occasionally engage in activities without the individual with autism. This may include mom, dad and the siblings attending an amusement park together (Horowitz, 2004). Often times, going without with out the child with autism will make the family members guilty, but still the family deserves to enjoy, even just for a while to release and to relieve their stress in taking care of the family member with autism. Applying for financial benefits, will also be a coping strategy (Horowitz, 2004). It will be of great help to apply for financial help since one of the sources of stress for parents is the financial aspect. Contributions to a local social security office can greatly help in the future of the child with autism, with this; the parents will be secured of the financial support of the child for the future and with this stress will be relived. Another coping strategy according to (Horowitz, 2004) is to Network with Other Families Affected by Autism or another Disability. He said that It gives us comfort to know that we are not the only ones experiencing a particularly stressful situation. Knowing that you are not alone can relieve stress and wories because I will give the parents a positive thought that if others can mange to deal and to cope with the situtaion that they have, why cant we? The opportunity to meet parents whose children are encountering similar problems tends to reduce the parents sense of isolation. Many parents find that others who face the same concerns are their strongest allies. Parents of children with autism tend to form communities of mutual caring

Parenting on Autism

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and support. Parents gain not only encouragement and inspiration from other families' stories, but also practical advice, information on the latest research, and referrals to community services and qualified professionals. By talking with other people who have similar experiences, families dealing with autism learn they are not alone. In addition, such parent support groups have been useful in alerting the community school personnel, other professionals, and legislative bodies to the plight of their children (Lerner, 2006, p. 154). Furthermore, the parents can get useful advises from other families with similar situation, and it can help a lot because the parents will have more ideas in dealing with the child with autism. Parents benefit most when provided with encouragement and precise feedbacks (Freiberg, 2001, p. 13). Designing a plan to adjust with the childs potential need will be a great strategy to cope not just with the child with autisms need but also with all the other family members needs. Talking it out and being open with each other can loosen the feelings of jealousy from siblings; in fact, all the other family members can help deal with the disorder if they will all cooperate. Many parents gain strength working with others on behalf of all children with autism. Working to win additional resources, community programs, or school services helps parents see themselves as important contributors to the well-being of others as well as their own child. (Lemer, 2006) When it seems that all the help, love, and support is going nowhere, it's important to remember that over time, real progress is being made. Families are better able to maintain their hope if they celebrate the small signs of growth and change that they want to see. Families and friends can be a great help to cope up with the stress. Hallahan & Kauffman (2006) stated that social support that parents receive from each other, extended family members, friends and others can be crucial in helping them cope with stress of raising a child

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with a disability. The support can be psychological, just by having some one to talk to about problems can be helpful (p. 112). Wemer & Smith (2006) said that persons in the environment can greatly assist the childs biological system by providing support in the form of positive childrearing practices(p.111). Other family members and friends can also be a part of the coping strategy for the stress caused by a family member with autism (Horowitz, 2004). As family interaction is crucial to the well being of the family, the effect of a child with Autism is likely to have a major impact on the family dynamics (Wall, 2004, p. 34). The role of the family is very important that is why they should also help the parents in coping with the stress that they have because of the special child in the family. In times of stress, family members tend to take their frustrations out on each other when they most need mutual support. Despite the difficulties in finding child care, couples find that taking breaks without their children helps renew their bonds. The other children also need attention, and need to have a voice in expressing and solving problems. Since the family unit has been often identified as one of the factors in the behavior disorders of their children, that family unit becomes an obvious target or goal for remediation (Kirk, et al., 2006, p.252). Family members can be a center for change because the family members are the persons who are always with the child, therefore, changing the familys behavior or targeting the familys behavior can help in addressing the problem and improving the remediation of the child. Family members can reach out to parents and to be willing to listen, or they can offer to baby sit for the family member with autism. This will give them a time to rest, and to relax from all the days of hard work that caused their stress, the situation that the parents of children with autism is understandabel because parents of children with autism differ psychologically at all from the parents of non autistic children because of the stress that having a child with autism places on them (Hoeskema, 2004, p. 471). The situation makes the parents

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special because they also need understanding from other family members because of the stress that they feel from the child. Encouraging the family to stay involved with the areas of their lives that are important to them that is church/temple, old friends, hobbies and more will help a lot. But some parents may feel guilty for continuing their lives when they see other parents only focusing on the autism Horowitz (2004). They may feel uncomfortable of seeing other parents having extra time for their child with autism while they are having time for themselves and for things that are also important. This feeling is caused by conflicts between the child with autism and other responsibilities. It would be helpful if we could avoid all negative stressful situations, but this is impossible. Evryone encounters pressures everyday, and stress cannot be avoided, it will always be present in our day to day activities and it will always try to intervene into the peace of our mind. It is only a matter of how you deal with pressures and how you cope with the stress that come with it that you will manage to be free from the wories of stress. And because we cannot escape stress, we need to learn how to effectively cope with it. Lazarus and Folkman (2002) defined coping as constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resource of the person (p.108). He also stated that coping is an attempt to manage stress in some effective way; it is not one single act but a process that allows us to deal with various stressors, the coping process can focus on the emotional effects of the stressor or on solving the problem which causes stress (p.108). There are two forms of coping, the first is the emotion-focused forms of coping and the second is the Problem-focused form of coping, (Hoffman 2002, p. 108) the emotionfocused form of coping or reappraising the situation are emotional or cognitive strategies that change how we view a stressful situation (Hoffman, 2002, p. 108). It is how a person accepts

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emotionally the stress that is present and thinks of a positive reason why the stress is present in his/her life right now. A very common example of an emotion-focused coping mechanism is defense mechanisms. The use of defense mehanisms reduces anxiety and help us cope with avoidable stress (Hoffman, 2002, p. 108). Problem-Focused forms of coping uses Problem solving skills at work. The better the person is at solving problems, the more likely he/she will develop effective strategies. These strategies include identifying the stressful problem, generating possible solutions, selecting the appropriate solution, and applying the solution to the problem- thus eliminating the stress (Hoffman 2002, p. 108). Solving the problem itself is a great solution to cope with stres. The fact that the stress existed because of the problem is evidence that with good prblem-solving skill, you can manage to cope up with the stress that you may experience. Effective coping with stress is important to maintain both physical and mental health. It is on how a person cope with stress that the impact of stress affects the person. Lazarus cites the purposes of coping skills of persons, he said that the purpose of coping skills is to reduce harmful environment conditions, to tolerate or adjust to negative events or realities, to maintain a positive self image, to maintain emotional equilibrium, and to continue satisfying relationships with others (Seaward, 2006, p. 196) . Effective methods of coping either remove the source of stress or control the reactions of people to it (Lahey, 2004, p. 519), According to him effective coping with stress could be (1), Cognitive coping, it is to change how we think about the stress, (Lahey, 2004, p. 519) thinking possitvely may be one way of cognitive coping. Looking at the bright side of things will help in removing negative thoughts that in a way causes stress. (2) Another way of effective coping with stress is Managing Stress Reactions. When source of stress cannot realistically be removed or changed, another effective option os to manage the

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psychological and physiological reactions to the stress. (Lahey, 2004, p. 519) Managing activities that could be affected by the stressor could help relieve stres. Autism may affect all the members of the family that is why managing the family well will help each member of overcome the coping stage of Autism. Scheduling activites will do good effects on maintaining the familys relationship on a good state. One of the most effective means of coping with stress is to make a conscious decision to relax during the stressful situation. There are a variety of relaxation techniques. Progressive relaxation is very helpful in reducing and relieving the muscular tension commonly associated with stress. (Hoffman, Wiley & sons, 2002, p. 112) the tehnique of relaxation can always be used in times when parents may feel that they are much stressed. It is up to them to do their relaxation techniques in order to relax and to calm from the stressful activity of rearing a child. The peace of mind that relaxation may give can relieve the parents because with it, all of the aspects of a person will be at rest. Relaxation techniques may differ from person to person, some may use deep breathing, some may use words to relax, and some may tend to rest and sleep for a while and many more relaxation techniques that may be used to relieve stress. Ineffective coping with stress has been practiced by many families with a child diagnosed with Autism. Unfortunately, many of our efforts to cope with stress are ineffective. They may provide temporary relief from the discomfort produced by stress but do little to provide a long term solution and ma even make matters worse (Lahey, 2004, p. 521). The first ineffective way of coping with stress according to him is Withrawal. Sometimes, we deal with stress by withrawing from it. Withrawing, or escaping from the fact that a family member is diagnosed with Autism may give you a temporarily a feeling of freedom, but come to think of it, you can

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never escape the fact that will always haunt you that the best way to cope with stress is acceptance. Another ineffective coping is defense mechanism. According to Freud, defense mechanism is the unrealistic strategies used by the ego to discharge tension. When something stressful occurs, or when coflict arises because the superego blocks an id desire, tension is created that must be discharged somehow (Lahey, 2004, p. 521). Using defense mechanism to cope up with stress can be effective in the short run in helping us feel better, but they inhibit long term solutions to stress if they distort reality to a great extent (Lahey, 2004, p. 521). Distorting reality is not a good example of coping strategy because you tend to hide from what is true, in a way; you lie to yourself by believing on something that is not true, and you are trying to fool yourself because you are believing in something that you know is not true, but still, you chose to believe in it. The importance of coping with autism and stres that goes with it has been clearly showed by many researches around the world. It is only a matter of giving extra love and extra care for the child with autism and understanding the real needs of the child. Coping with autism is done not only by the parents alone, families and friends are part of the coping process. Gahering support and understanding from other family members and friends is a part of the coping process, families know the most about their childs needs and who those needs should be met (Gargiulo & Kilgo, 2005, p. 75). The coping process is not just a short time process that requires only a minimum of the parents patience; instead, it is a life long and changing process which requires the parents to adjust permanently into the situation of having a child diagnosed with Autism in the family.Wall (2007) said that the impact of having a child with Autism will have been considerable and will

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have placed a long-term pressure on each and every family member, at the current time, these pressures are unlikely to be relieved when their child reaches adulthood (p.84). When adjusting to the needs of the child with autism, there is the need to do it as early as possible, because once the child reaches adulthood, the stress will be somehow relieved because of the early and longterm adjustment with the child was done. When the family has completely adjusted to the disorder permamnently, it is where the stress will start to be unfelt and it is when the family is used to the behaviors of the child which requires their coping. According to Hoeskema (2002) parents may use behavior therapy to reduce inappropriate and self-injurious behaviors and to encourage prosocial behaviors in Autistic children (p.476). The behavioral therapy can be effective tools to help the child with Autism learn about communication and social skills. But all in all, still the coping strategies of parents towards Autism and its difficulties will not be effective if the parents wont show the extra love and care that a child with Autism needs. The key of raising a child diagnosed with Autism is to understand the child for what he/she is and not to feel frustrated for what he/she is not. Frustrations only come when parents are not satisfied of the child for what he/she is, it is only through acceptance and contentment that parents will learn how to trully love and care for the child by that means, it is like coping with the disorder that the child has.

Parenting on Autism METHODOLOGY Research Design

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This study will primarily use descriptive research method. This method is an attempt to identify variables that exist in a given situation, time, and to describe the relationships that exist in these variables. Questionnaire in the form of a checklist and rating scale will be used in gathering information for the study. An interview schedule will be used to support and confirm responses in the questionnaire which may not be clear. Research Environment The study will be conducted in Bacolod City due to accessibility and practicality in gaining informations, participants and data needed for the research. Bacolod City is the largest city and it is the capital city of Negros Occidental and there are schools and centers that offers program for Autism Spectrum Disorder. The schools and centers that were selected will be based on the criteria which were set by the researchers. Parents of children diagnosed by the pediatrician as manifesting autism spectrum disorders will be the participants for our research. The selected four (4) private schools and centers are Angels of Hope, Jumpstart, SIDERA, and School house. These private schools and centers are suitable for the study because these will give the researchers the needed participants that will be qualified in the criteria that were set by the researchers. Research Participants The researchers will use the non-probability sampling specifically purposive sampling. The purposive sampling is appropriate in this study because the researchers will use his good judgment and an appropriate strategy in selecting who will comprise the sample and who will meet best the purposes of the study.

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Purposive sampling will be used in this research because it requires a specific criterion of an individual that is qualified for the research. Due to the lack of statistics on the prevalence of children with autism spectrum disorders in Bacolod City, this study will employ the purposive sampling based on the following criteria: Only biological parents or official guardians of children diagnosed by the developmental pediatrician as manifesting autism spectrum disorders will be considered as respondents of the study. And the age range of the child must be from 2 years old to 16 years old. The participants of the study are the parents with children diagnosed with ASD residing in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. Parents outside the premise of Bacolod City will not be included in this research. The researchers will require the participants to answer the questionnaires willingly and participate in the study without payment. The study only requires them to answer questions and a few interviews for clarification. The table below shows the criteria of the participants for the research of the following selected four private schools and centers in Bacolod City. The table below shows how the researchers will choose their participants:
Selected schools and centers SIDERA Angels of Hope Jumpstart School House Total Number of children diagnosed Number with Autism 42 8 16 10 76 of Participants that

satisfied the researchers criteria 25 3 10 4 42

Research Instruments The main instrument in gathering data will be a questionnaire in form of a checklist. The checklist will be self-constructed by the researchers in order to attain the exact data needed for

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the research. To establish the validity of the instrument, the researchers will consult three juries specifically, Special Education (SPED) teacher because they have the knowledge about ASD, a Guidance Counselor that has an idea about the parents stress and coping strategies and a Psychologist for overall approval of the questionnaire. The questionnaire will include items on parenting styles, stressors and coping strategies. It will be divided into four parts. Appendix A of the questionnaires has four subparts. The 1st part is the participants basic information. Construction of 2nd part of the questions on the questionnaires will be in the form of a rating scale. Questions in this part will rate and determine the parents parenting style; it will enable the researchers to know what the parenting styles of the parents are. 3rd part of the questionnaire is the stressors of the parent; this part will enables the researchers to gather data about parents stressors encountered in raising their children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, and Part 4, Coping Strategies; this part will enable the researchers to gather data about parents ccoping strategies in coping with stress and problems brought about by their children ddianosed with autism spectrum disorder. The questions in each part of the questionnaire will give us the informations on what are the normal experiences of the subjects in having the child with Autism Spectrum Disorder in their family, and since it is a checklist it will be more effective to compare results between participants for a clearer view of what are the practices of the parents with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in order to cope with the stress that they are experiencing. The survey type that the researchers will use is the sample survey. The researchers will only choose respondents from Bacolod which is only a portion of the entire population of parents with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The researchers will use the Census of Intangibles which focuses on the study of variables which are not directly observable, but can be determined by indirect measures. Using

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High level survey, the researcher will determine the relationship between variables and compare them. Responses will be treated as nominal data as in the case of any checklist. Research Procedure Participants of the study will be parents with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. The researchers will have to explain first of all the real purpose of the study and why it will conduct. The researcher will give each parent a questionnaire Responses will be tallied, tabulated and submitted for statistical analysis. Data Gathering Researchers will ask for the number of cases of children with ASD who lives with their biological parents from the selected for schools and centers in Bacolod City. In gathering the data, participants in the study must meet the researchers criteria. The use of questionnaires will be needed for gathering the following datas: Parents parenting styles to their children diagnosed with ASD, their stressors, and how their coping strategies are different from the father and the mother in raising and taking care of the child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Treatment of Data. After the parents of the private schools and centers with children diagnosed with ASD finish answering the questionnaires, data from the questionnaires will be tabulated and compared using the chi-square test of Goodness of fit in comparing the ordinal and nominal data, differences of parenting styles of the father and mother whether their parenting styles is authoritative, permissive, or authoritarian . Cronbach alpha will be used to determine the internal consistency or average correlation of items in a survey instrument to gauge its reliability. Since summated scales are an assembly of interrelated items designed to measure underlying

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constructs, it is very important to know whether the same set of items would elicit the same responses if the same questions are recast and re-administered to the same respondents. After determining of their parenting styles of the parents in the second part of the questionnaires, the third and the fourth part of the questionnaires are the stressors and their coping strategies. The third and the fourth part of the questionnaire are tabulated whether which stressor stresses the parents the most and whether which coping strategies commonly use by the parents in raising and caring of their children diagnosed with ASD. Data gathered from the third and fourth part of the questionnaires will be then tabulated and will be rank by counting the total number of checks. The sum of encircled numbers of the second part of the parents will be then recorded in the parenting styles of the parents were their parenting styles were dominant in handling and raising of their child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In this study various questions are given to the parents to gather data in order for the researchers to substantiate the data to be gathered as well as to meet the objective of the study.

Table 1: Parenting style that was exhibit by most of the participants.

Parenting style Authoritarian Permissive Authoritative Mother Father

REFERRENCES Bibliography: Christensen, I.P., Wagner, H.L., Halliday, M.S., (2001). Psychology.

Parenting on Autism The Instant Notes Series, UK, pp. 294-297

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Colman, A.M., (2001). Dictionary of Psychology.

Oxford University Press Inc., New York, pp. 68-291

Dobson, J. (2009, March). Parenting Theories. Retrieved January 16, from Parenting Theories website: http://home-ed.info/parenting/parenting_theories.htm

Feldman, R., (2008). Essentials of Understanding Psychology. Mcgraw Hill Companies, pp.350-351

Freiberg, K.L, (2001). Educating Exceptional Children. McGraw-Hill, USA, pp.12-15

Friend, M., (2006). Special Education: Contemporary Perspectives for School Professionals. Gray, D.E., (2006). Coping overtime: The Parents of children with Autism. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research., 50(12), 970 Groden, G., & Baron, M., (2002). Autism: Strategies for Change. New York: Gardner Press Hoeskema, S., (2004). Abnormal Psychology: Third Edition. Mcgraw Hill, NY, pp.468- 643

Huffman, K., (2002). Psychology in Action.

Parenting on Autism John Wiley & sons Inc., USA, pp.108-112

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Kirk, S.A., Gallagher, J.J., Anastasion, N.J., Coleman, M., (2006). Educating Exceptional Children. Houghton Mifflin Company, pp 110-252

Lahey, B.B., (2004).Psychology: An Introduction: eighth edition. McGraw Hill, New York, pp.499-526 Lerner, J.W., (2006). Learning Disabilities and Related Disorders: Houghton Company Nielsen, L.B., (2002). Brief Reference of Studen Disabilities With Strategies for the Classroom. California: A Sage Publication Company Seaward, B., (2006). Managing Stress. Jones & Bartlett publisher, Boston, p. 196

Shore, S.M., (2006). Understanding Autism for Dummies. Wiley Publishing, Canada, pp. 11-108

Tarakeshwar, Nalini., Pargament, ,(2001). Religious Coping in Families of Children with Autism, Focus on Autism & Other Developmental Disabilities; Winter2001, Vol. 16 Issue 4, p247, 14p Videfeck, S. (2003). Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. Lippincott & Wilkins Wall, K., (2004). Autism and Early years Practice. Paul Chapman Publishing, London, pp.33-72

Wall, K., (2007). Education and care for Adolescence and Adults with Autism. Sage Publications, London.

Parenting on Autism Weiten, W., (2008). Psychology: Themes and Variations. Thomson Wadsworth, United States, pp. 374-382

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Department of Psychology College of Arts and Sciences University of St. La Salle Bacolod City Dear Sir/Madame: Greetings of Peace! As part of our course requirement in Psychology 109 (Social Research 1) the undersigned student researchers is presently conducting a stuy entitled The Stress of the Parents with their children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their Coping Stategies. Being one of our identified respondents, may we request you to fill-up to accomplish this questionnaire, interview schedule. Please be assured that information you will share will be treated with utmost confidentiality and will be use for research purpose only. Thank You. _____________________________________________________________________________ _ APPENDIX A

Parenting on Autism Check List Confidential Name (optional):_________________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________________________ Part 1. Personal Information A. Please check: Father ( ) Occupation: ( ) Self-employed ( ) Employed ( ) Unemployed Mother ( )

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( ) Others (please specify): ______________

If employed, No. of hours Spent on Job: ______________________

A. Other Childrens Information (excluding special child) NAME AGE SCHOOL

Part 2. Please encircle the numbers closely reflects your opinions about yourself towards your child. Please answer all items. What you do to your child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder? 3- Strongly agree 2- Agree 1-Disagree

1. It is better to give a little ground and protect the 3 peace than to stand firm and provoke a fight. 2 1

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2. Children need discipline that hurts a little so that 3 they will remember the lesson later. 2 1

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3. Children shouldnt always get their way, but usually

we ought to learn to listen to what they ~~have to say. 3 2 1

4. The parent-child relationship is like a war in which

if the parent wins, both sides win; but if ~~the parent loses, both sides lose 5. If parents provide a good environment, children will 3 pretty much raise themselves. 6. The parents role is like that of a teacher who is 3 preparing the child for a final exam called life. 7. Childhood is so short that parents should do 3 everything to make it a happy time. 8. Spare the rod and spoil the child is still the best 3 policy. 9. Children need to learn what they may or may not do, but we dont have to use punishment ~~to teach. 10. Whether we like it or not, children have the last 3 word about what they will or wont do. 11. If you let children have pretty free rein, they will eventually learn from the consequences ~~ of their behavior what is appropriate. 12. Children first have to learn that the parent is boss. 13. Too many children today talk back to their parents when they should just quietly obey them. 14. If we want children to respect us, we must first treat 3 them with respect. 15. You can never do too much for your child if it 3 comes from genuine love. 2 1 2 1 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 1 3 2 1

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16. I often have to call my child more than once to get 3 her or him out of bed in the morning. 17. I have to constantly stay on top of my child to get 3 things done. 18. When my child misbehaves, he or she usually 3 knows what the consequences will be. 19. I often get angry and yell at my child. 20. I often feel that my child is taking advantage of my good nature. 21. We have discussed chores at our home and 3 everybody takes part. 22. My child gets a spanking at least once a month. 23. My child has no regular chores around the home, but 3 will occasionally pitch in when asked. 1 24. I usually give my child clear instructions as to how I 3 want something done. 2 2 3 2 2 1 1 1 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1

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25. My child is finicky eater, so I have to try various

combinations to make sure he or she gets ~~~the proper nutrition. 26. I dont call my child names, and I dont expect to be 3 called names by my child. 27. I usually give my child choices between two appropriate alternatives rather than telling my ~~~child what to do. 28. I have to threaten my child with punishment at least 3 once a week. 29. I wish my child wouldnt interrupt my conversations 3 so often. 30. My child usually gets up and ready without my help 3 in the morning. 2 1 2 1 2 1 3 2 1 2 1 3 2 1

Parenting on Autism Part 3. Stressor

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Please check all of the following symptoms of stress that you are experiencing with your child with ASD. ___difficulty making decisions ___irritability that is hard to control ___hostility that is hard to control ___feeling dazed or numb ___fear ___feeling helpless or hopeless ___anger ___difficulty remembering things ___difficulty concentrating ___grief ___depression ___difficulty sleeping ___feeling restless ___anxiety

___a sense of reliving a fearful experience ___increased heart rate ___less interest in things I normally enjoy ___feeling detached from others ___changes in eating ___feeling tired ___loss of interest in sex ___feeling overwhelmed ___loss of sense of humor ___ other/s (please specify) Part 4. Coping Strategies What are the strategies that you do to cope with the other stress that you encounter with your child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders? __ Avoid people who stress you out __ Taking control of your environment ___headaches ___fear of death/dying ___increased use of alcohol/drugs ___family relationship conflicts ___feeling less productive than normal ___low motivation ___impulsive behavior

Parenting on Autism __ Making a what todo-list __ managing your time better __ Acceptance __ Learn to forgive __ Do something you enjoy every day __ Praying/Reflect __ Eating a healthy diet __Smoking __Shouting __Overeating or undereating __Sleeping too much __ be more assertive __ being optimistic __ Share your feelings __ Relaxing __ Keep your sense of humor __ Exercise regularly __ Counseling __Drinking alcohol __Run away __Using pills or drugs to relax __Zoning out for hours in front of the TV or computer __Withdrawing from friends, Family and activities __Listen to music ___ other/s (please specify) __Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea __Writing a journal

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Projected Budget Final Study Phase

Transportation/Communication

( ) 700.00

Parenting on Autism Photocopies Printing Panel Members Others ( ) 500.00 ( ) 1000.00 ( ) 1,500.00 ( ) 5000.00

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Total:

P 10,500.00

Attachment A: Grading Sheet

University of St. La Salle College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology

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The Research Proposal and Thesis will be evaluated using the following criteria: EVALUATION FORM 1, Research Substance 45% ____________ Contribution to Knowledge / System Research Coherence Relevance to Psychology 2. Written Presentation 35% ____________ Style (must conform to the Technical Writing Style and APA Format) Grammar Format 3. Oral Presentation OVERALL 20% ____________ 100% ____________

Rated by: _________________________ (Signature over Printed Nam

Date: ________________

Attachment B: Recommendation Form University of St. La Salle College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology Thesis Committee Recommendation Form

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Name of Members: Roxan May Akizuki Angelie Kris Ferrer Raphael Fuentes Patrick John Gubaton Melbutch Maceda

Degree Programs: _________________________________________________________________ Date Required: _____________________ Date Submitted: ____________________ Areas for Suggestions Suggestions 1. Introduction 1.1. Rationale 1.2. Statement of the Problem 1.3. Conceptual / Theoretical Framework 1.4. Significance of the Study 1.5. Scope and Limitations 1.6. Definition of Terms 2. Review of Related Literature

3. Method 3.1. Research Design 3.2. Research Environment 3.3. Participants 3.4. Research Instruments 3.5. Research Procedures 3.5.1. Data Collection 3.5.2. Data Processing / Treatment 4. Results 4.1. Presentation of Data 4.1.1. Content 4.1.2. Organization 4.1.3. Table 4.1.4. Graphs 4.2. Data Analysis 4.2.1. Statistical Computations 4.2.2. Explanation 4.3. Interpretation of Data 4.3.1. Discussion

Parenting on Autism 4.3.2. Use of Related Literature 4.3.3. Implications 5. Synthesis 5.1. Summary 5.2. Findings 5.3. Conclusions 5.4. Recommendations Mechanics 1. Title 2. Approval 3. Table of Contents 4. Headings 5. Introductory Statements 6. Documentation 7. Grammar Tenses 8. References 9. Appendices 10. Others Name and Signature of Panel: ______________________________ ________________________________

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_________________________________ Date: ____________________

Parenting on Autism Attachment C: Recommendation Compliance Form University of St. La Salle College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology THESIS COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS COMPLIANCE FORM (Thesis Presentation) Name of Members: Roxan May Akizuki Patrick John Gubaton Angelie Kris Ferrer Melbutch Maceda Raphael Fuentes Degree Programs: _________________________________________________________________ Date Required: _____________________ Date Submitted: ____________________ Area For Suggestions 1. Introduction 1.1. Rationale of the Study 1.2. Statement of the Problem 1.3 Conceptual / Theoretical Framework 2. Significance of the Study 3. Scope and Limitations 4. Method 4.1 Research Design 4.2 Research Environment 4.3 Participants 4.4 Research Instrument(s) 4.5 Data Collection Procedures 4.6 Data Processing Procedures / Statistical treatment 5. Definition of Terms 6. Related Literature Not Applicable Complied With Yes No Page No. Reasons

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Parenting on Autism

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Parenting on Autism Attachment D: Approval Sheet University of St. La Salle College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology APPROVAL SHEET

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This thesis entitled The Stress of Parents with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders and their Coping Strategies prepared and submitted by Akizuki, R., Ferrer, A., Fuentes, R, Gubaton, P. and Maceda, M. in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts an Sciences in Psychology has been examined and recommended for acceptance and approval for ORAL EXAMINATION Panel of Examiners Approved by the Thesis Committee with a grade of _________

__________________________ Chair __________________________ Member __________________________ Member __________________________ Adviser Accepted and Approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts (AB) / Bachelor of Science (BS) in Psychology ____________________________ Chair, Department of Psychology ____________________________ Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

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University of St. La Salle College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SHEET This is to acknowledge that I have read and understood the Thesis Guidelines for the completion of the Social Research 1 (Psych106) and Social Research 2 (Psych 107) classes. In view thereof, I hold myself responsible for the support and abeyance to the implementation of this Thesis Guidelines.

________________________________________ Students Signature over Printed Name ________________________________________ Parents Signature over Printed Name

__________________ Date