Bidirectional Redemption: The Tourism Experience of Families With Children With Autism

Abstract

The World Health Organization reports that 0.62% of children have autism. Although positive travel experiences can alleviate symptoms of mental health disorders, existing research has paid little attention to the travel experiences of children with autism and their families. This study analyzes interview data from 24 families with autistic children, applying Family Resilience Theory and Flow Theory to explore the formation pathways of travel experiences in these families. The research derives four distinct types of travel experiences from the interview data: family redemption, healing, de-stigmatization, and re-socialization. It suggests that the formation of such experiences can be understood as following a developmental pathway of family resilience: through continuously mobilizing resources and adjusting strategies during travel, families move toward a match between challenges and capabilities, ultimately entering a state of flow experience and achieving a transition from disorder to order.

Keywords

autistic children travel experience Family Resilience Theory flow experience redemption experience

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