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" African Parents' Perceptions of Autism and Their Relations to Parental Stress and Coping Strategy "
Ayinla, Joshua I.
Ho-Ji, Chang
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Latin Dissertation
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| Language of Document
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English
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| Record Number
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1105956
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| Doc. No
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TLpq2352715295
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| Main Entry
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Ayinla, Joshua I.
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Ho-Ji, Chang
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| Title & Author
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African Parents' Perceptions of Autism and Their Relations to Parental Stress and Coping Strategy\ Ayinla, Joshua I.Ho-Ji, Chang
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| College
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La Sierra University
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| Date
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2019
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| student score
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2019
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| Degree
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Ed.D.
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| Page No
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118
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| Abstract
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The presence of an autistic child in a family has adverse effects on many parts of family life. Parents of autistic children are known to experience disbelief, sadness, depression, self-blame, and anger. Autism is also commonplace in African countries, but little empirical research has been gathered about African parents’ perceptions of autism, psychological stress, and coping strategies. This study intends to fill that research gap. The sample comprises 107 parents with an autistic child who received child support services from government-approved autistic centers in Lagos, Nigeria. Results revealed that the majority of the parents have an inadequate understanding of autism and reported moderate- to high-level stress about rearing autistic children. Parents were found to use negative coping strategies more often than positive coping strategies in dealing with their stress. Analysis also showed that mothers tend to report higher levels of stress than fathers. Additionally, the gender and birth order of autistic children were related to parental perception of autism. Parents reported more negative perception when the autistic child was female, while being a firstborn autistic child was a predictor of parents' more proactive attitudes. Parental attitudes toward autism were not significantly related to either their level of stress or their coping strategies. This study may offer relevant and practical information in understanding and assisting African parents in supporting their autistic children.
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Autistic children
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Coping
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Families family life
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Parents parenting
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Perceptions
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Special education
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