"Glimmers of hope and good things": Positive aspects of caregiving to autistic adolescents and young adults.

Autor: Montoya CN; Case Western Reserve University, USA., Ishler KJ; Case Western Reserve University, USA., Obeid R; Case Western Reserve University, USA., Payner J; Case Western Reserve University, USA., Berg KA; MetroHealth Medical System, USA.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Autism : the international journal of research and practice [Autism] 2025 Jan; Vol. 29 (1), pp. 233-246. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 19.
DOI: 10.1177/13623613241272050
Abstrakt: Lay Abstract: We wanted to explore the positive, or rewarding, experiences of caregivers who were caring for older adolescents or young autistic adults. We surveyed 174 caregivers, asking questions about how they dealt with stressors, the support they had from people in their lives, and the different behaviors of the autistic youth they care for. Using an existing measure, as well as an open-ended question, we asked caregivers about the most rewarding aspects of caring for their youth. When examining survey responses, we found that caregivers who reported receiving more help and support from their autistic youth also reported more positive aspects related to caregiving. In response to our study's open-ended question, caregivers talked about the reward of seeing their youth grow and progress (e.g. learning new skills, reaching new milestones), described positive aspects of the relationship with their youth (e.g. sharing a special bond), and reflected on their own learning and personal growth as caregivers and people. Our findings highlight the positive, or rewarding, aspects of caregiving for autistic adolescents and young adults. This work will inform future work studying positive aspects of caring for autistic individuals and how this may impact caregivers' psychological well-being.
Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.
Databáze: MEDLINE