The Effect of Mindful Parenting Training on Parental Stress in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Children with autism spectrum disorders have communication deficits that can affect their parents' performance, and their parents report higher levels of stress than parents of children of normal developmental age. The aim of the present study was to study the effect of conscious parenting training on parental stress in mothers with children with autism spectrum disorders in Ahvaz.

The statistical population of this study included all mothers with children with autism spectrum disorders who referred to the Ahwaz Autism Association. Of these, 4 mothers were selected by targeted sampling and based on the score of Abidin Parents' Stress Questionnaire (PSI). In this study, a single case study of multiple randomized baseline was used and subjects were treated before treatment, middle treatment (first, third, fifth, seventh), end of treatment (eighth session) and one month after the end of treatment. Answers to Abidin's parents' stress questionnaire were answered. Data were analyzed by visual mapping, recovery percentage and constant change index.

The findings showed that the index of stable change in parental stress variable at the level (p <0.05) was significant.

The results showed that mindfulness parenting training reduces parental stress.