Investigating the experiences of families of young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with the use of social support services

Abstract

Previous studies have indicated that families of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) experience challenges caring for their children and that social support services have been found to help families cope or deal with some of these challenges (Hall & Graff, 2010; Ludlow, Skelly & Rohleder, 2012; Lytel, Lopez-Garcia & Stacey 2008). This study used a qualitative research methodology to investigate the experiences of families of young children diagnosed with ASD and accessing and utilizing social support services within an urban center in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Themes were derived from the data and commonalities across participants were explored. This study employed purposeful sampling as the method of participant selection. Parents or guardians of young children [preschool - grade 3] diagnosed with ASD and using social support services from various services providers were invited to participate. Open-ended interviews were used as the primary source of data and thematic analysis was used as the methodology to analyze the data. The findings suggested three overarching themes which included; suitability, barriers to access, and quality. Results from this study suggested that families with young children with ASD had both positive and negative experiences when accessing and utilizing social support services for their children with ASD.