Level of Parental Stress and Associating Factors of Stress in Parents of Children with Autism

Abstract

This study was conducted to analyze parental stress’ levels and factors contributing to parental stress of children with autism. Data was collected from eighty real parents (forty mothers and forty fathers) of forty children with autism from five institutes dealing with special children in Pakistan using the Parental Stress Catalog and Parental Stress Scale. Data was analyzed on SPSS. Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied. Substantial stress was found among parents of autistic children who increase when their children grow up. Different factors were found which cause high or low levels of stress. Mothers encountered greater stress than fathers at each phase so they need to have special attention by psychologists. There is a serious requirement to additionally investigate the impact of developmental disorders on parents which would have technical significance for remedial involvement with at-risk families.