TY - JOUR
T1 - A brief report
T2 - community supportiveness may facilitate participation of children with autism spectrum disorder in their community and reduce feelings of isolation in their caregivers
AU - Devenish, Bethany D.
AU - Sivaratnam, Carmel
AU - Lindor, Ebony
AU - Papadopoulos, Nicole
AU - Wilson, Rujuta
AU - McGillivray, Jane
AU - Rinehart, Nicole J.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Copyright © 2020 Devenish, Sivaratnam, Lindor, Papadopoulos, Wilson, McGillivray and Rinehart.
PY - 2020/11/10
Y1 - 2020/11/10
N2 - Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participate at lower rates in their community, and their caregivers experience higher levels of stress, in comparison to families of typically developing (TD) children. The social model of disability positions the environment as the central issue when children with disabilities are unable to participate, yet little is known about the relationship between poor community support, reduced community participation in children with ASD, and caregiver stress. This study examined caregiver perceptions of community supportiveness for the community participation of 48 children with ASD (aged 5–12 years), alongside caregiver-reported child ASD symptom severity, adaptive functioning, and caregiver stress. Community supportiveness predicted child involvement, but not attendance, when child characteristics were held constant. Caregiver perceptions of low community supportiveness significantly predicted caregiver feelings of isolation. The importance of modifying community programs to better support inclusion of children with ASD is discussed.
AB - Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) participate at lower rates in their community, and their caregivers experience higher levels of stress, in comparison to families of typically developing (TD) children. The social model of disability positions the environment as the central issue when children with disabilities are unable to participate, yet little is known about the relationship between poor community support, reduced community participation in children with ASD, and caregiver stress. This study examined caregiver perceptions of community supportiveness for the community participation of 48 children with ASD (aged 5–12 years), alongside caregiver-reported child ASD symptom severity, adaptive functioning, and caregiver stress. Community supportiveness predicted child involvement, but not attendance, when child characteristics were held constant. Caregiver perceptions of low community supportiveness significantly predicted caregiver feelings of isolation. The importance of modifying community programs to better support inclusion of children with ASD is discussed.
KW - autism spectral disorder
KW - caregivers
KW - children
KW - community participation
KW - stress
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85096656261&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.583483
DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.583483
M3 - Article
C2 - 33240173
AN - SCOPUS:85096656261
SN - 1664-1078
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Psychology
JF - Frontiers in Psychology
M1 - 583483
ER -