Families of Children with Autism and Stress: A Scoping Review

The American Psychiatric Association defines autism spectrum disorder as a developmental lifelong disorder that includes challenges in social communication and repetitive behavior, like spinning in a circle or hand-flapping, and restricted interests [1; 14].As a result, parents of children with autism can have high levels of stress from the symptoms associated with autism compared to parents of typically developing children or parents of children with other disorders [24].This review organized the research literature on the coping responses of parents of children with ASD using the Double ABCX model of stress and coping.The OneSearch database at Indiana University Bloomington was used to find the related studies based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria.The search identified 3341 results between 1989 and 2022, with 12 results meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria.The findings of the 12 results were organized into the categories of the Double ABCX model which were stressors (A) (e.g., living circumstances, social and financial status, and not having necessary resources), resources (B) (e.g., written emotional disclosure), perceptions (C) (e.g., deficits in child's immune system) and crises or strain (X) (e.g., engagement coping strategy and social support).Studies that addressed strain and coping strategies, especially for our targeted age group, were the most while studies that addressed resources and perceptions were the least, so we recommend having further research on caregivers' resources and different perceptions.