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Made to feel different : Families perspectives on external responses to autism and the impacts on family well-being and relationships
Trew, Sebastian
Trew, Sebastian
Author
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the impact of external factors on the experiences and family relationships of autistic
adolescents and their families. A qualitative approach was used, with in-depth interviews conducted with 30 participants,
including autistic adolescents, siblings and parents from within families with an autistic adolescent family member. The
findings suggest that external factors significantly influence the well-being of autistic adolescents and their families. The
school environment was identified as a significant factor, with sensory overload, bullying and adverse interactions with
teachers having a negative impact on the mental health and quality of family relationships for participants. In addition, the study highlighted that isolation and stigma were major concerns for families, suggesting a need for public efforts to raise awareness and understanding of autism. The lack of appropriate support and services was also identified as a significant challenge that families face. The study highlights the need for person-centred approaches to service provision, which involves including autistic adolescents and their families in the design and delivery of support and services. The study recommends collaboration among schools, service providers, and families, as well as efforts to promote autism-friendly environments in schools and the broader community.
Keywords
autism spectrum disorders, environmental factors, family functioning and support, health services, school-age children, social services
Date
2024
Type
Journal article
Journal
Book
Volume
28
Issue
8
Page Range
2120-2139
Article Number
ACU Department
Collections
Relation URI
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY 4.0
File Access
Open
Notes
© The Author(s) 2024.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).