Mothers of autistic children. How do they feel?

Being a parent is a difficult task. Being the parent of a child with autism is a more difficult job and a challenge. Researchers found that mothers of children with autism had higher levels of parenting-related stress (Estes, Munson, Dawson, Koehler, Zhou & Abbott, 2009). This research aims to identify how the diagnosis of autism affects the life of the mother and the whole family. Data were collected from 22 mothers of children with autism. The research method used was a questionnaire based survey with open questions. The themes derived from subjects' responses refer to the difficulty in accepting the diagnosis, the negative impact on relations between parents, and the negative attitude of society; positive aspects identified in mothers' responses refer to: hope in the recovery of their child, determination to fight to help the child. Another issue reflected by mothers' responses relates to the support of relatives, friends and experts to alleviate suffering and to continue efforts to ensure optimal conditions for the development of the child. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Huseyin Uzunboylu