Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder
This review aimed to identify and synthesise the evidence for the positive aspects of parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, ASD parental research has predominantly focused on the negative aspects; parents and carers are left uninformed of how to strengthen their positive me...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/1/107 |
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| author | Kenneth Curley Robert Hughes Yasuhiro Kotera |
| author_facet | Kenneth Curley Robert Hughes Yasuhiro Kotera |
| author_sort | Kenneth Curley |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This review aimed to identify and synthesise the evidence for the positive aspects of parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, ASD parental research has predominantly focused on the negative aspects; parents and carers are left uninformed of how to strengthen their positive mental wellbeing. Three electronic databases—PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science —were searched for literature reporting positive aspects of parenting a child with ASD, published between January 2013 and December 2023. The PRISMA 2020 checklist was used for reporting. Two hundred and fifty-four articles were retrieved from the databases. After title/abstract screening (<i>n</i> = 213) and full-text reviews (<i>n</i> = 32), six papers were included (<i>n</i> = 6). Sixteen positive aspects of parenting a child with ASD were identified and grouped into three themes: joyful moments, journey to resilience, and social connection. These three themes are eudaimonic wellbeing constructs and often under-represented in ASD parental studies. Focusing on joyful moments, building resilience through the parenting journey, and finding support and connection with others in similar situations can support the mental wellbeing of parents and carers of children with ASD. Future research is needed to further evaluate the positive aspects of parenting a child with ASD. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df2dd0e045264314a40823359f45ec5b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj-art-df2dd0e045264314a40823359f45ec5b2025-01-24T13:27:19ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672025-01-0112110710.3390/children12010107Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum DisorderKenneth Curley0Robert Hughes1Yasuhiro Kotera2College of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UKCollege of Health, Psychology and Social Care, University of Derby, Derby DE22 1GB, UKSchool of Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2HA, UKThis review aimed to identify and synthesise the evidence for the positive aspects of parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). To date, ASD parental research has predominantly focused on the negative aspects; parents and carers are left uninformed of how to strengthen their positive mental wellbeing. Three electronic databases—PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science —were searched for literature reporting positive aspects of parenting a child with ASD, published between January 2013 and December 2023. The PRISMA 2020 checklist was used for reporting. Two hundred and fifty-four articles were retrieved from the databases. After title/abstract screening (<i>n</i> = 213) and full-text reviews (<i>n</i> = 32), six papers were included (<i>n</i> = 6). Sixteen positive aspects of parenting a child with ASD were identified and grouped into three themes: joyful moments, journey to resilience, and social connection. These three themes are eudaimonic wellbeing constructs and often under-represented in ASD parental studies. Focusing on joyful moments, building resilience through the parenting journey, and finding support and connection with others in similar situations can support the mental wellbeing of parents and carers of children with ASD. Future research is needed to further evaluate the positive aspects of parenting a child with ASD.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/1/107parenting a child with ASDpositive parentingpositive aspects of parenting a child with ASDpositive psychologyparenting experiencesoptimism |
| spellingShingle | Kenneth Curley Robert Hughes Yasuhiro Kotera Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder Children parenting a child with ASD positive parenting positive aspects of parenting a child with ASD positive psychology parenting experiences optimism |
| title | Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_full | Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_fullStr | Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_full_unstemmed | Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_short | Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder |
| title_sort | stressful but not unhappy a review of the positive aspects of parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder |
| topic | parenting a child with ASD positive parenting positive aspects of parenting a child with ASD positive psychology parenting experiences optimism |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/12/1/107 |
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