The lived experience of parental stress of fathers of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to expand the current understanding of father parental stress through an interpretive phenomenological analysis of fathers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder’s lived experience. Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder have been found to experience higher levels of stress than both parents of typically developing children and all other special needs children that have been researched to date. The experience of parental stress for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder has primarily looked at the experience of mothers, with limited studies exploring the experiences of fathers. The current study interviewed six fathers who have a child between the ages of six and 12 with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Through analyses of the interviews, five superordinate themes were identified: (1) Covid-19 Pandemic, (2) Isolation, (3) Self-Efficacy, (4) Stressors, and (5) Coping. Participants highlighted the breakdown of their limited supports during the global pandemic, and the sense of loss, isolation, and frustration this created. Participants also identified negative perceptions of their self-efficacy, tied to vague perceptions of success as a father. They experienced isolation, due to stigma and ignorance of their child’s needs and feeling that there is a lack of dedicated supports for fathers. Participants discussed high levels of stress due to the chronic nature of their child’s needs and fear of what their future holds as fathers. Lastly, participants discussed limited options for coping due to guilt when trying to utilize strategies and supports, as well as negative perceptions of masculinity that created barriers and stigma to accessing supports.