Experiences of Korean Fathers of Children With Autism in the United States

There is an increasing number of culturally diverse individuals, particularly Asians, identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States. Nevertheless, research on culturally diverse caregivers, especially fathers, of children with ASD is scarce. Thus, this phenomenological study explored the essence of shared experiences of Korean fathers of children with ASD in the United States. Five fathers who have a child with ASD participated in a semistructured interview with a Korean-English bilingual researcher. Follow-up interviews and field notes were used for triangulation as a part of data analysis. The fathers' narratives regarding family characteristics, interactions, and functioning are discussed in alignment with the family systems theory. The findings provide recommendations for future practice and research.