ABSTRACT

A diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) changes family dynamics and impacts family members’ lives. Knowing family perceptions of ASD and understanding their experiences and challenges with children’s ASD provides more important context for socially valid intervention approaches. In particular, given the increased need for culturally responsive interventions, investigating the impact of ASD diagnosis on a particular cultural group offers meaningful preliminary evidence for efficient approaches for educators who seek to serve that population. In this study, the authors used naturalistic inquiry to explore how Korean American mothers experience their children’s ASD and how their cultural values and perceptions of ASD relate to their lives and their children’s education. Five Korean American mothers participated in this study. Using constant comparative analysis, four key themes were identified: (a) chains of emotional distress, (b) impact of ASD on family relationships, (c) lifestyle impact, and (d) cultural differences in navigating educational systems. These findings are discussed for future research and practice.

摘要

自闭症谱系障碍 (ASD) 的诊断会改变家庭动态并影响家庭成员的生活。了解家庭对 ASD 的看法并了解他们对儿童 ASD 的经历和挑战，为社会有效的干预方法提供了更重要的背景。特别是，鉴于对文化响应性干预措施的需求增加，调查 ASD 诊断对特定文化群体的影响为寻求为该群体服务的教育者的有效方法提供了有意义的初步证据。在这项研究中，作者使用自然主义调查来探索韩裔美国母亲如何体验他们孩子的 ASD，以及他们的文化价值观和对 ASD 的看法如何与他们的生活和孩子的教育相关。五名韩裔美国母亲参加了这项研究。通过不断的比较分析，确定了四个关键主题：(a) 情绪困扰链，(b) ASD 对家庭关系的影响，(c) 生活方式的影响，以及 (d) 教育系统中的文化差异。这些发现将在未来的研究和实践中进行讨论。