PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM IN TAIWAN

Children with autism often place increased demands on their families due to the nature of their disorders. Research has repeatedly shown that parents of children with autism experience higher levels of stress and lower levels of overall well-being than parents of children with other disabilities, or parents of typical children. Compared to research on Western families of children with autism, research on Taiwanese families is limited. In addition, the role of parenting self-efficacy and social support and their relationship with parenting stress has remained unclear in the field of autism. The purpose of this study was to compare parenting stress (as measured by the Parenting Stress Index and the Family Stress and Coping Interview-Adapted) in parents of primary school-age children with autism (6-12 years) and parents of adolescent children with autism (13-18 years) in Taiwan. This study also explored the relative contribution of the children’s characteristics, including autism severity, communication skills, socialization skills, daily living skills, and problem behaviors, as well as parenting self-efficacy and social support in relation to parenting stress among parents of children with autism in Taiwan. Moreover, the mediating and moderating effects of parenting self-efficacy an