{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/135568"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/135568","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Parenting Stress, Social Support, and Affiliate Stigma among Asian and White Parents of Children with Autism in the United States","abstract":"The present study examined parenting stress and its predictors among Asian and White parents of autistic children in the United States, with particular attention to parents' race and nativity. In total, 125 parents of autistic children in the United States completed a one-time online survey. Findings revealed that foreign-born Asian parents reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress and received less family and spousal support compared to U.S.-born White parents. Differences also emerged within the Asian parent group, as foreign-born Asian parents reported significantly lower levels of family and spousal support than their U.S.-born Asian counterparts. In contrast, total support, formal support, and non-family informal support did not differ significantly across the three race/nativity groups. These findings suggest that foreign-born Asian parents of autistic children experience greater deficits in family-level support, rather than non-family support, compared to U.S.-born Asian and U.S.-born White parents. Race/nativity was found to moderate the associations between total support and parenting stress, as well as between spousal support and parenting stress. Specifically, both total support and spousal support had stronger stress-buffering effects for foreign-born Asian parents compared to U.S.-born White parents. Although affiliate stigma did not differ significantly across groups, it predicted higher parenting stress for all parents in the current study, regardless of race/nativity groups. These findings support prior research indicating that social support and affiliate stigma are key determinants of parenting stress, while also highlighting the nuanced variations across different domains of social support and the influence of parents' race and nativity. The findings offer both theoretical and practical implications for families, service providers, and social workers, and lay the groundwork for future research aimed at developing more culturally responsive support programs and interventions to support parents of autistic children.","abstract_html":"The present study examined parenting stress and its predictors among Asian and White parents of autistic children in the United States, with particular attention to parents' race and nativity. In total, 125 parents of autistic children in the United States completed a one-time online survey. Findings revealed that foreign-born Asian parents reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress and received less family and spousal support compared to U.S.-born White parents. Differences also emerged within the Asian parent group, as foreign-born Asian parents reported significantly lower levels of family and spousal support than their U.S.-born Asian counterparts. In contrast, total support, formal support, and non-family informal support did not differ significantly across the three race/nativity groups. These findings suggest that foreign-born Asian parents of autistic children experience greater deficits in family-level support, rather than non-family support, compared to U.S.-born Asian and U.S.-born White parents. Race/nativity was found to moderate the associations between total support and parenting stress, as well as between spousal support and parenting stress. Specifically, both total support and spousal support had stronger stress-buffering effects for foreign-born Asian parents compared to U.S.-born White parents. Although affiliate stigma did not differ significantly across groups, it predicted higher parenting stress for all parents in the current study, regardless of race/nativity groups. These findings support prior research indicating that social support and affiliate stigma are key determinants of parenting stress, while also highlighting the nuanced variations across different domains of social support and the influence of parents' race and nativity. The findings offer both theoretical and practical implications for families, service providers, and social workers, and lay the groundwork for future research aimed at developing more culturally responsive support programs and interventions to support parents of autistic children.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Yu, Shuqi"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Doctor of Philosophy","degree_level":"doctoral","degree_discipline":"Human Development","degree_department":"Adult Learning and Human Resource Development","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Choi, Koeun"],"committee_members":["Dolbin-MacNab, Megan Leigh","Shivers, Carolyn","Scarpa-Friedman, Angela"],"year":2025,"date_issued":"2025-06-23","date_published":"2025-06-23","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:37Z","subjects":["autism spectrum disorder","parenting stress","social support","affiliate stigma","race/nativity"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44279"],"render_values":[{"text":"vt_gsexam:44279","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://hdl.handle.net/10919/135568","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Choi, Koeun"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Dolbin-MacNab, Megan Leigh","Shivers, Carolyn","Scarpa-Friedman, Angela"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Adult Learning and Human Resource Development"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Yu, Shuqi"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2025-06-24T08:01:32Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2025-06-24T08:01:32Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2025-06-23"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Human Development"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["doctoral"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["autism spectrum disorder","parenting stress","social support","affiliate stigma","race/nativity"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["vt_gsexam:44279"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/135568"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The present study examined parenting stress and its predictors among Asian and White parents of autistic children in the United States, with particular attention to parents' race and nativity. In total, 125 parents of autistic children in the United States completed a one-time online survey. Findings revealed that foreign-born Asian parents reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress and received less family and spousal support compared to U.S.-born White parents. Differences also emerged within the Asian parent group, as foreign-born Asian parents reported significantly lower levels of family and spousal support than their U.S.-born Asian counterparts. In contrast, total support, formal support, and non-family informal support did not differ significantly across the three race/nativity groups. These findings suggest that foreign-born Asian parents of autistic children experience greater deficits in family-level support, rather than non-family support, compared to U.S.-born Asian and U.S.-born White parents. Race/nativity was found to moderate the associations between total support and parenting stress, as well as between spousal support and parenting stress. Specifically, both total support and spousal support had stronger stress-buffering effects for foreign-born Asian parents compared to U.S.-born White parents. Although affiliate stigma did not differ significantly across groups, it predicted higher parenting stress for all parents in the current study, regardless of race/nativity groups. These findings support prior research indicating that social support and affiliate stigma are key determinants of parenting stress, while also highlighting the nuanced variations across different domains of social support and the influence of parents' race and nativity. The findings offer both theoretical and practical implications for families, service providers, and social workers, and lay the groundwork for future research aimed at developing more culturally responsive support programs and interventions to support parents of autistic children."]},{"key":"dc:description.abstractgeneral","label":"General Abstract","values":["This study explored parenting stress and what contributes to it among parents of autistic children in the United States. It focused on three groups: foreign-born Asian parents, U.S.-born Asian parents, and U.S.-born White parents. The goal was to understand how parents' race and whether they were born in the U.S. or another country (nativity) might shape their experiences. The study also looked at social support and affiliate stigma—feelings of shame, guilt, or embarrassment that parents may experience when they feel judged by others because their child is autistic. This kind of stigma happens when caregivers internalize negative attitudes society may hold about autism. A total of 125 parents completed a one-time online survey. The results showed that foreign-born Asian parents reported the higher levels of parenting stress and received less support from family members and spouses compared to U.S.-born White parents. Within the Asian parent group, foreign-born parents also received less family and spousal support than their U.S.-born Asian counterparts. However, support from professionals (such as schools or intervention providers) and from non-family informal sources (such as friends) did not differ much across groups. Importantly, family and spousal support were especially helpful in lowering stress for foreign-born Asian parents, more so than for U.S.-born White parents. Across all groups, parents who reported more affiliate stigma also experienced higher levels of parenting stress. These findings show that support from close family members plays a crucial role, especially for immigrant parents of autistic children. They also highlight that stigma related to autism is a common challenge for those families. The study highlights the need for culturally responsive support programs and interventions to support parents of autistic children."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Doctor of Philosophy"]},{"key":"dc:format.medium","label":"Dc Format Medium","values":["ETD"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Parenting Stress, Social Support, and Affiliate Stigma among Asian and White Parents of Children with Autism in the United States"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.committeechair":["Choi, Koeun"],"dc:contributor.committeemember":["Dolbin-MacNab, Megan Leigh","Shivers, Carolyn","Scarpa-Friedman, Angela"],"dc:contributor.department":["Adult Learning and Human Resource Development"],"dc:creator":["Yu, Shuqi"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2025-06-24T08:01:32Z"],"dc:date.available":["2025-06-24T08:01:32Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2025-06-23"],"dc:description.abstract":["The present study examined parenting stress and its predictors among Asian and White parents of autistic children in the United States, with particular attention to parents' race and nativity. In total, 125 parents of autistic children in the United States completed a one-time online survey. Findings revealed that foreign-born Asian parents reported significantly higher levels of parenting stress and received less family and spousal support compared to U.S.-born White parents. Differences also emerged within the Asian parent group, as foreign-born Asian parents reported significantly lower levels of family and spousal support than their U.S.-born Asian counterparts. In contrast, total support, formal support, and non-family informal support did not differ significantly across the three race/nativity groups. These findings suggest that foreign-born Asian parents of autistic children experience greater deficits in family-level support, rather than non-family support, compared to U.S.-born Asian and U.S.-born White parents. Race/nativity was found to moderate the associations between total support and parenting stress, as well as between spousal support and parenting stress. Specifically, both total support and spousal support had stronger stress-buffering effects for foreign-born Asian parents compared to U.S.-born White parents. Although affiliate stigma did not differ significantly across groups, it predicted higher parenting stress for all parents in the current study, regardless of race/nativity groups. These findings support prior research indicating that social support and affiliate stigma are key determinants of parenting stress, while also highlighting the nuanced variations across different domains of social support and the influence of parents' race and nativity. The findings offer both theoretical and practical implications for families, service providers, and social workers, and lay the groundwork for future research aimed at developing more culturally responsive support programs and interventions to support parents of autistic children."],"dc:description.abstractgeneral":["This study explored parenting stress and what contributes to it among parents of autistic children in the United States. It focused on three groups: foreign-born Asian parents, U.S.-born Asian parents, and U.S.-born White parents. The goal was to understand how parents' race and whether they were born in the U.S. or another country (nativity) might shape their experiences. The study also looked at social support and affiliate stigma—feelings of shame, guilt, or embarrassment that parents may experience when they feel judged by others because their child is autistic. This kind of stigma happens when caregivers internalize negative attitudes society may hold about autism. A total of 125 parents completed a one-time online survey. The results showed that foreign-born Asian parents reported the higher levels of parenting stress and received less support from family members and spouses compared to U.S.-born White parents. Within the Asian parent group, foreign-born parents also received less family and spousal support than their U.S.-born Asian counterparts. However, support from professionals (such as schools or intervention providers) and from non-family informal sources (such as friends) did not differ much across groups. Importantly, family and spousal support were especially helpful in lowering stress for foreign-born Asian parents, more so than for U.S.-born White parents. Across all groups, parents who reported more affiliate stigma also experienced higher levels of parenting stress. These findings show that support from close family members plays a crucial role, especially for immigrant parents of autistic children. They also highlight that stigma related to autism is a common challenge for those families. The study highlights the need for culturally responsive support programs and interventions to support parents of autistic children."],"dc:description.degree":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"dc:format.medium":["ETD"],"dc:identifier.other":["vt_gsexam:44279"],"dc:identifier.uri":["https://hdl.handle.net/10919/135568"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Tech"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:subject":["autism spectrum disorder","parenting stress","social support","affiliate stigma","race/nativity"],"dc:title":["Parenting Stress, Social Support, and Affiliate Stigma among Asian and White Parents of Children with Autism in the United States"],"dc:type":["Dissertation"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Human Development"],"thesis:degree_level":["doctoral"],"thesis:degree_name":["Doctor of Philosophy"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:20:37Z"}