A study of social support and adaptation of autistic children’s mothers at Outpatient Department, Rajanukul Institute.

Abstract

Background : Autistic children’s mothers suffer serious impacts on their body and mind not to mention, economy and social factors. In taking care of an autistic, a mother needs adaptation, and also social supports. This study examined the relationships between social supports and adaptation of mother of autistic children at the institute or personal to help to the autistic and their mothers.

Objective : To study social supports and adaptation of mothers of autistic children. The relationships between social supports and adaptation of mothers of autistic children, and the factors related to the adaptation of the mothers of autistic children.

Design : A cross-sectional descriptive study.

Setting : Rajanukul Institute, Bangkok.

Materials and Methods : The study recruited 92 mothers of autistic children that aged between 3 years to 7 years at Rajanukul Institute. The instruments were; 1) Personal Data Questionnaire; 2) Questionnaire on adaptation of mothers of autistic children by Prapa Maisook fellowing the principles of Roy & Andrew and Bobak & Jensen thought ; 3) Social support of autistic children’s mothers questionnaire’s the personal resource questionnaire: PRQ Part II for Brand and Weinert translated by Supap Chunvirut. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics: percentage, frequency, mean and standard deviation. Inferential statistics were used to analyze the relationship between social support and adaptation of autistic children’s mothers, using Pearson’s correlation, independent samples t-test, one way ANOVA, Multiple linear regression.

Results : The results showed that adaptation and social support of mothers ofautistic children were of the moderate level (68.5%). Factors that were significantly associated of mothers of autistic children were age of autistic children and mother (p <0.05). Mothers with children age 6 or over had total adaptation and ability to look after children significantly better than children age more than 4 years to less than 6 years (p <0.05). Mothers with children age 6 or over had accepting of children status significantly better than children age 4 or lower (p <0.05). And the mothers more than 30 years to less than 40 years old had responsibility to children future significantly better than those who were 30 or lower (p <0.05). Social supports were significantly related to adaptation of mother of autistic children (p <0.01). Social support was the only factor that significantly predicted mother’s adaptation.

Conclusion : This study showed the importance of the age of autistic children, mother’s age and social support were associated with the adaptation of mothers of autistic children. The data could be applied to benefit future practices and research.