{"title":"Stressful but Not Unhappy: A Review of the Positive Aspects of Parenting a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder.","authors":"Kenneth Curley, Robert Hughes, Yasuhiro Kotera","doi":"10.3390/children12010107","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>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.</p>","PeriodicalId":48588,"journal":{"name":"Children-Basel","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.0000,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11763951/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Children-Basel","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3390/children12010107","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PEDIATRICS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
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 (n = 213) and full-text reviews (n = 32), six papers were included (n = 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.
期刊介绍:
Children is an international, open access journal dedicated to a streamlined, yet scientifically rigorous, dissemination of peer-reviewed science related to childhood health and disease in developed and developing countries.
The publication focuses on sharing clinical, epidemiological and translational science relevant to children’s health. Moreover, the primary goals of the publication are to highlight under‑represented pediatric disciplines, to emphasize interdisciplinary research and to disseminate advances in knowledge in global child health. In addition to original research, the journal publishes expert editorials and commentaries, clinical case reports, and insightful communications reflecting the latest developments in pediatric medicine. By publishing meritorious articles as soon as the editorial review process is completed, rather than at predefined intervals, Children also permits rapid open access sharing of new information, allowing us to reach the broadest audience in the most expedient fashion.