A Qualitative Approach to Understanding Turkish Mothers of Children With Autism: Implications for Counselling

Abstract

Most children with autism exhibit a variety of behaviours, which may create considerable stress in families. Parents of children with autism have to learn many strategies to support their children. Understanding the experiences of parents of autistic children is crucial in the design and delivery of the appropriate counselling services. The present study attempted to investigate the impact of having an autistic child on the lives of Turkish mothers. For this aim, a Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) Approach was followed. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 mothers of autistic children. The interview questions were designed to investigate many facets of the mothers' experiences. For the data analysis, steps of CQR were followed, namely transcription of data, identification of main domains and core ideas, identification of categories and subcategories, and cross analysis. The analyses resulted in a variety of domains such as the reactions to the disability of the child, experience of stress and burnout, involvement with the education of the child, and evaluation of the facilities of the special education centre. Recommendations for guidance and counselling were drawn based on the categories of each domain.