autism

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness training on parenting skills emotional of self-disclosure, care pressure and parental stress of mothers of children with autism. This research is a pre-test and post-test with a control group in terms of applied purpose and in terms of quasi-experimental research design. The statistical population of this study included all mothers with children with autism spectrum disorder in Tabriz in 2021 who referred to autism centers in this city and have a medical record of this disorder. Based on the proposed diagnostic criteria of the latest statistical diagnostic version of mental disorders and by purposeful sampling method, 30 people were selected from the comprehensive group and were divided into two experimental groups (15 people) and control (15 people). To collect data, Snell Emotional Self-Disclosure Scale, Abidin Parental Stress Questionnaire, Zarit et al. Data were analyzed by analysis of covariance. The results showed that parenting skills training has an effect on self-disclosure, parental stress and caring stress and increases emotional self-disclosure and reduces parental stress and caring stress in mothers. Therefore, paying attention to parenting skills plays an important role in improving the problems of mothers with autistic children.

Treatment of children with autism is limited to hospital and treatment spaces, and urban spaces, especially green spaces, do not play a suitable role in their presence in the social setting. In terms of green spaces, landscape healing is debatable and significant, and in terms of therapy, it can be beneficial to the treatment and health of autistic children. This research besides presenting a descriptive description of the characteristics of autistic children in dealing with the environment, and considering the effective factors regarding children's presence in the urban landscape, proposes strategies for designing healing parks through this perspective. This research is done with an applied purpose, based on descriptive-analytical logic and with a qualitative method and classifying interviews with physicians, psychologists, and mothers of children with autism, benefiting from theoretical studies on the environment and disease type. The healing landscape, considering the benefit of a multi-sensory and prone space in the community presence in the open space, can suitably impact the treatment of children, if it benefits from a controllable space and observes physical components in reducing harm to children from the environment.

ASDs are classified as developmental neurological group disorders, which cause significant deficiencies in social interaction and communication. Restricted and repetitive behaviors are also presents. Raising a child with ASD is a difficult experience and it negatively affects both the child and his/her family. The parents of the child with ASD which has the most interaction with whom, suffer from ASDS challenges more than other relatives. Lessen parenting efficiency and increasing their physical and psychiatric problems, are some examples of those challenges. The studies reveal that parents and mothers in particular, experience higher levels of stress compared to the ones with normal children. For many years, most of the studies have been focused on the effects of parents on children with ASDs, but recent research have concentrated on the effects of children with ASDs on their parents' lives. The present research aims to discover the ASDs children’s parents’ sufferings and problems thorough the study of their lived experiences. The current study applies qualitative method with the thematic analysis approach. Purposive sampling is performed on parents of the children with autism spectrum. In this study, 13 interviews were conducted with parents, each of which had lasted between 45 to 70 minutes. The participants were 4 fathers and 9 mothers with a child diagnosed with ASD. The data collection tool was a semi-structured in depth interview. Data analysis process was started from the first interview via MAXQDA software and coding is perfumed after each interview. Data were eventually analyzed by thematic analysis method. Finally, the outcomes of parent’s lived experiences were documented in the primary and secondary themes. In this study, four criteria of Guba and Lincoln were used to increase scientific accuracy. The data was categorized in five main themes. The first category was on the diagnosis process. The sub-themes include pre-diagnosis confusion and the different medical diagnoses. The confounded parents were trying to understand the cause of their child’s abnormal behavior, which was the first step in the hard and tough process of medical diagnose. There is no specific reference available for parents to instruct them how to setup a health record and ease their journey. All the participants complained about the difficulty of that period. Some of them got the definitive diagnosis of autism after years. Different and incorrect diagnosis of the doctors and other professionals was another problem for parents, which prolonged the diagnostic process.
The second theme was on parents' everyday problems. They hardly did their routine chores; suddenly, sleeping and eating turn into big problems as well. The intensity of those problems is a function of disorder severity. The physical problems of these children cause big challenges which negatively affect their parents.
The third theme was the family's presence in the community, which had two sub-themes, lack of awareness and limited interactions. All parents believed that not only public awareness of autism was very low, but also there was no attempt to know the disorder. The lack of awareness eventually raises judgment or pity and compassion, which are not pleasant for parents. As a result families decided to limit their public presence and getting reluctant to go out unless it was necessary. The parent’s problems with public presence do not stop here; traveling and using public transportation are also hard for them.
The next theme was on the support services, which is a hurdle for autistic families. This theme has two subsystems: weak support system and therapeutic problems. The whole 13 participants argued that there is no privileged government support for families with autistic children. Beside poor welfare services, children with ASD have no special insurance, and even those families with golden insurances cannot use them since they do not cover autism costs, including speech therapies and occupational therapy. The scarcity of autism schools and poor condition of care centers are the other aspects of parent’s concerns.
The therapeutic problems were under the second sub-theme. There is no clinic or even a special section for those children. As parents claim being in government (public) hospitals is harder than private hospitals or clinics due to large crowd, but financial and insurance policies do not make any thing easier. Other sicknesses are harder to treat in those children; they also magnify autism related behaviors.
The last theme which causes the greatest suffering for the families is financial problems. The whole 13 participants in the study have been devastated by the costs and the hardships. Autism costs for families, even for those with high incomes are very frustrating. Most of those costs are spent on children’s occupational and speech therapies. Autism costs are not covered by insurance which intensify all the mentioned problems. Some of the participants are no longer able to pay for those costs and in spite of their inner desire they quit classes and occupational therapies. The research was focusing to study the parents lived experience of a child with ASDs. Thus, 13 parents participated in-depth interviews. The results reveals that ASDs completely destroys the family routines and cause so many challenges and sufferings.
Besides those problems that parents faces during the diagnosis process, everyday problems, public presence, lack of support services, medical problems and severe financial problems, cause suffering to those families. Although before the study it was predictable that there are quiet a number of problems for parents with children  in autism spectrum, no one expected this volume of suffer. The parents of the autistic children face many difficulties  and challenges in almost every aspects of their lives. The improvement of these conditions requires complete  transformation.
The interviews of this  study were conducted at various locations٫ in some cases the location were selected by parents, and recorded with their consent. There were cases that recording was not allowed, instead,  noting and writing was employed. All the names are aliases to protect the privacy of the contributors.
We sincerely appreciate all parents who participated, despite of their problems. We also acknowledge the School of Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health and Autistic school of Ray for making the interviews possible.

The Present research aimed to compare the comparison personality traits (neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness, conscientiousness) and mother- child relationship (acceptance, overprotection, over indulgence, rejec - tion) between mothers having autistic and normal children. 50 mothers with autistic children and 50 mothers of normal children in Tehran. Methodology was ex-post facto. Data were collected by questionnaires of NEO-FFI and MCRE AND analyzed through T-student test. The results showed that personality trait of neuroticism, relationship styles of rejection, over indulgence, overprotection in mothers with autistic children significantly were higher than mothers of normal children (P<0.01). Other personality traits and relationship style of acceptance significantly were less than mothers of normal children (P<0.01). The results provide some evidence that have an autistic child increase level of stress and anxiety in mothers, which gradually reduces the desired function of mothers and intensity personality trait of neuroticism and inefficient relationship styles in mothers. Therefore, it is suggested that functioning of mothers with autistic children in psycho educational packages for prevention and treatment should be considered.

This study aimed to investigate the of acceptance commitment therapy on the quality of life among mothers with autistic children. This study was a quasi-experimental pretest - posttest with control group. The study population consisted of all mothers with autistic children in Qom city at 2017. Study sample consisted of 30 (15 for each group) mothers that were selected by as a voluntary and randomly assignment to two groups. experimental group and control group. Instrument for gathering data was WHO quality of life questionnaire. At the next stage, samples of the test group were exposed to 8 sessions of acceptance and commitment therapy while the control group did not receive any special treatment. Both study groups completed the questionnaire at the pretest and posttest stage. The data were analyzed using SPSS.v21 software and statistical tests such as MANCOVA. Based on study findings, the acceptance commitment therapy had a significant impact on quality of life. (P<0/01). It seems that acceptance commitment therapy is an applicable treatment intervention for mental health of mothers with autistic children.

The present study was aimed to examine the effectiveness of teaching mind theory assignments in increasing the level of social interactions and communications in autistic children of Tehran (2018). Research method was semi-experimental, with a pre-test post-test design and a control group. The statistical population consisted of all children with autism in Tehran, in private and public training-rehabilitation centers for autistic children. The statistical sample of the present study included 24 individuals, who were selected using a convenience sampling method; and they were randomly divided into two groups: 1) experiment group (12 individuals) and 2) control group (12 individuals). The experiment group received training for mind theory assignments, and the control group remained on a wait list. Data collection was done based on an autism rating scale (GARS). The analysis of the data obtained from implementing questionnaires was conducted through SPSS-20 software in two sections: descriptive and inferential (covariance analysis test). Results showed that teaching mind theory assignments had a significant effect on improving communicational and social interactions skills of autistic children. Therefore, considering the advantages of this intervention for treating, and considering the importance of increasing the number of sessions for autism children, it is advised to offer this therapy method to the society, along with conventional methods.

Social stigma is a ravaging humiliation felt by autistic individuals and their families commonly face in the society. In this research, 20 mothers and 10 fathers of autistic children in Tehran, have been interviewed. In the interviews, they were asked about their daily routines, leisure activities at home, with family and in society, and their life styles and presence in public sphere. Based on the outcomes of this research, mothers have experienced more labels than fathers, within their own families, relatives, friends and strangers. Also both of them, have experienced similar stigmatization by the doctors who diagnosed their children with autism. They have been humiliated mostly by being stared at, getting abused vocally, and being bullied by adults and by children at the same age. Also women have stigmatized more than men. Furthermore, mothers, when they faced stigma, have chosen strategies like running away from the situation, bribery to the child, isolation, aggression and explanatory strategy along their specific personal strategies.