Exploration of caregiver experience for children with ASD: an in-depth perspective

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the psycho-emotional and social experiences of caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Various facets of the caregiving experience are explored, including the feelings and thoughts of the parents/caregivers, such as the resilience experienced in their journey, how they coped with the challenges and also their positive experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, these aspects of the caregiving experience are broadly probed using semi-structured interviews subjected to narrative analysis. Lastly, there is a focus on the role of therapist-led intervention, specifically, the Eye to I^© intervention model and its contributions to the parent/caregiver experience.

Findings

Findings from this study indicate that parents benefit from interventions that bridge gaps in skills and interpersonal communication which parents/caregivers feel they encounter in their day-to-day activities. Additionally, support groups for parents and caregivers could further address these issues.

Originality/value

This exploration reveals insights about the roles of societal structures and the caregiving journey.

Citation

Gupta, N., Khanna, M., Garg, R., Sethi, V., Khattar, S., Tekkar, P., Maria, S., Gupta, M., Saxena, A., Gupta, P. and Ann Schuchert, S. (2023), "Exploration of caregiver experience for children with ASD: an in-depth perspective", Advances in Autism, Vol. 9 No. 3, pp. 217-240. https://doi.org/10.1108/AIA-09-2022-0044