Predictors of parental attitude formation in mothers of children with autistic disorders

Abstract

Mental health disorders in children is an urgent problem in Ukraine and worldwide. Public attention to medical and psychosocial problems of families, where children with autism spectrum disorders are brought up, is still insufficient. The aim of our study was to find out key predictors of maternal attitudes towards children with autism spectrum disorders and to outline areas of psychotherapeutic correction of maladaptive forms of caregiving and upbringing. 35 mothers of children, diagnosed with childhood autism (F 84.0) and atypical autism (F 84.1) were included into this study. Control group included 20 mothers, who had healthy children (the first group of health), corresponding to the age of the main group women. Parental Attitude Research Instrument (PARI) by E. Schaefer and K. Bell in adaptation of T.V. Neshcheret and Parental Attitudes Questionnaire (by A.Y. Varga, V.V. Stolin) were used as psychological testing tools. Changes in upbringing strategies of mothers, found out by psychological testing, indicated the inaccuracy of mother's behavior, inability or unwillingness to feel and understand the needs of the child and change their own behavior appropriately to meet these needs, unconstructive forms of mother-child relationship, expressed in symbiotic relationship and authoritarian style of upbringing. Thus, revealed changes of child-parent relations in families, where child has autistic disorder, are a component of family dysfunction and have negative impact on sociopsychological adaptation of children and parents. At the same time, mother of a child with autistic disorder can quite effectively help her child to overcome many problems through their own changes. That is why the study of relationships in families, and especially mother's attitude to the child with autism, is a necessary component in terms of development, organizing and implementing into clinical practice sources of medical and psychological support and psychotherapeutic correction of families with children with autism spectrum disorders.