Family Functioning and Emotional Aspects of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Southern Brazil.
Tatiana M N Flenik, Tiago S Bara, Mara L Cordeiro
PMID 35298757WHAT IT FOUND
Families of children with autism reported high stress, particularly about their child's future and the constant effort of care.
Most felt unable to relax or maintain social lives. Communication difficulties and a lack of family cohesion were common. These findings describe family experiences, not treatment effects.
Key findings
01Parents reported high levels of stress regarding their child's future and the demands of caregiving, with 90% worrying about what happens when they can no longer care for the child and 76% stating care requires constant effort.
02Family environments were characterized by low cohesion and expressiveness, while children showed high rates of peer relationship problems and social impairment.
03Communication difficulties were a recurrent source of stress, with 52% of families reporting trouble talking to their child due to the child's difficulty understanding.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Small sample size (21 families) prevents statistical correlation analyses. No control group of families with typically developing children. Children with severe ASD were excluded, so findings do not apply to that population. Data collected during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, which may have influenced stress levels and social isolation. Single clinic site in southern Brazil, limiting generalizability.
Declared interests
Funded by Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior. No other conflicts declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these stress levels as a result of ASD severity or treatment failure. The study excluded severe cases and had no control group, so it describes the experience of families with mild-to-moderate ASD in a specific cultural context, not a universal cause-and-effect relationship.