Expectations and Stress Related to Choosing and Providing Treatment: A Comparative Study of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders or with Down Syndrome

This study looked at the level of stress experienced by parents (N = 280) of children with an autism spectrum disorder (Autism, n = 134; Asperger's disorder, n = 36; & PDD-NOS, n = 42) or with Down syndrome (n = 68) as it related to child's impairment and to the process of choosing and providing treatments. Using the new Family Access to Disability Services (FADS) measure, it was discovered that parents of children with an autism spectrum diagnosis had more difficulty in accessing and providing the treatments they wanted for their children. Higher FADS scores predicted parenting stress, even when first controlling for family income, child's impairment level, and diagnosis. Child's impairment was the strongest predictor of parent stress, with social and behavioral impairments being especially salient. Children (mean age = 8.6) were currently enrolled in an average of 5.4 treatments and parents had tried nearly 10 interventions. The total number of treatments tried did not relate to measures of parenting stress.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Year dc:date.available

2007

Author dc:creator

• Mackintosh, Virginia H.

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Barbara J. Myers

• FADS
• pediatric treatment
• autism
• Down syndrome
• stress
• Aspergers
• Psychology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences

Statement dc:rights

• © The Author

Identifier

https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/835

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarscompass.vcu.edu:etd-1834