Outcomes of Autism Care Management Program on Parent‘s Coping Patterns

Abstract

: Parenting a child with autism increases stress in the areas of everyday’s management of disruptive behaviors among those children in addition to the heavy caregiving responsibilities and concerns about the future of their child. This study is a quasi-experimental study aimed to assess the outcomes of autism care management program on improving knowledge, practice and coping patterns among parents who have children with autism. A sample of this study consisted of 60 parents from both settings (40 from special needs care center affiliated to the Institute of postgraduate childhood studies & 20 from the outpatient clinic for a child with autism at El Abbassia mental health hospital). The tools of data collection were: A) Interview questionnaire sheet, B) Parenting Stress Index C) Parent coping scale. Results of this study revealed that there was a lack in knowledge and skills as perceived by parents caring for children with autism before autism care management program. There was a significant difference in coping patterns among parents after program. Also a positive correlation between the four research variables: knowledge, skills, stress and coping patterns among parents caring for children with autism which can reflect the effectiveness of the program. Conclusion: parenting education intervention program has a significant effect on parents' knowledge, skills and coping patterns in caring for children with autism. Recommendation: Continuous health education and counseling programs are necessary to improve parents' coping patterns toward the care of their children with autism through reassuring the importance of follow up care.