Parental experiences of raising an autistic child in Ireland: A qualitative thematic analysis.
Sally Whelan, Niall Caulfield, Sinéad O'Doherty and 2 others
PMID 39263970WHAT IT FOUND
Parents found navigating support services more stressful than caring for their child.
They relied on peer groups and partners to cope. They appreciated individual therapists but felt parent training courses substituted for direct care. Lack of central post-diagnosis information forced many to pay privately.
Key findings
01Parents reported that dealing with the support system was more challenging and stressful than the autism itself, citing excessive paperwork, waiting lists, and lack of information.
02While parents valued one-on-one professional therapy, they criticized parent training courses for training them to perform clinical roles instead of providing direct support to the child.
03The absence of a central information source immediately after diagnosis led parents to rely on social media and other parents, often resulting in financial strain from private care.
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 (6 parents) limits generalizability. Participants were recruited from a previous study, potentially biasing them toward those already engaged with services. Data did not include information on co-occurring conditions (e.g., ADHD, anxiety) which affect parenting stress. Findings are specific to the Irish health service context (HSE).
Declared interests
The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest and received no financial support for the research.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this small qualitative study as evidence that parent-training interventions are ineffective or harmful. The finding reflects parents' perception that these courses were sometimes offered *instead of* direct therapy in an under-resourced system, not that the techniques themselves lack value.