The Experiences of Parenting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Bhutan

Abstract

The World Health Organization (2001) acknowledges that when a person in a family has a disability, the family members also experience the disability due to close contact with the disability, terming it as “third-party disability.” Parents in general, are the primary caregivers to children with disabilities and are bound to face challenges as a result of the disabilities. This study explores the lived experiences of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Bhutan; the challenges they face, and the coping strategies they adopt in parenting a child with ASD. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants who were parents of a child with ASD. Three stages that exhibit the experiences of the parents were discovered, namely crisis event, stressors, and coping and adaptation, using the double ABC-X model. The findings of the study can provide insights into the lives of Bhutanese parents of children with ASD, and deliver information on how it impacts the parents. This will create awareness and understanding about ASD and how it affects not just the child with disabilities but also the caregivers. It will also help parents, especially new parents to children with ASD, on how to tackle the stressors they are likely to face and how to adapt to raising a child with ASD through the experiences of the other parents. In addition, the study provides recommendations on how government and society can help better the lives of children with ASD and their families.