The importance of parenting self-efficacy and social support for family quality of life in children newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: A one-year follow-up study.

Improving the quality of family life (FQoL) is one of the ultimate goals for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) intervention, and parenting self-efficacy and social support are critical for the well-being of families. However, longitudinal studies focusing on FQoL and its predictors for families of children with ASD are scarce. This study aims to describe the characteristics of FQoL among parents of children newly diagnosed with ASD at two waves (newly diagnosed and diagnosed after one year) and to explore the predictors of FQoL at two waves. It was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Guangzhou, China. A total of 156 parents and their children were included in Wave 1, followed up with 110 in Wave 2 after 1 year. The overall satisfaction of FQoL improved (t = -2.128, p < 0.05), while satisfaction with physical/material well-being decreased (t = 5.972, p < 0.01). Additionally, the overall importance rating of FQoL improved but did not have statistical significance (p > 0.05). Parents with higher parenting self-efficacy (ß = 0.716, P < 0.01), and more subjective social support (ß = 1.127, p < 0.001) reported higher satisfaction with FQoL, and those with better social support utilization (ß = 1.066, p < 0.05) reported higher importance for FQoL. FQoL needs to be improved in the early stage of ASD diagnosis, and parental self-efficacy and social support can serve as the intervention targets.

Improving early detection, diagnosis and intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder: A cross-sectional survey in China.

BACKGROUND: Detection and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are prerequisites for early interventions. However, few studies focused on this topic. AIM: This study aims to characterize the timing from symptom detection to intervention in children with ASD and identify predictors of age at ASD diagnosis, presence of intervention, and the time lag between detection and diagnosis. METHODS AND PROCEDURES: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 303 parents (111 fathers and 192 mothers, 21-54 years) of children with ASD in Guangzhou, China. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: The median time from symptom observation to the first doctor visit was 3 months, while the time to ASD diagnosis averaged 6 months. Most children (76.24 %) were diagnosed within one year after detection, and 25.58 % had no intervention after diagnosis. Predictors of earlier ASD diagnosis included ASD-related symptoms identified at an older age, less serious symptoms, and initial symptoms with atypical motor development and sensory anomalies. ASD-related symptoms observed at an older age, initial symptoms with social deficits, sensory anomalies, and without language impairment, primary caregivers other than parents, families with lower income, and less social support utilization increased the odds of a time lag between detection and diagnosis. Children with fathers having lower education were less likely to receive interventions. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Earlier ASD identification and intervention might be facilitated by health education on typical symptoms of ASD for parents with young children and incorporating ASD screening during routine health examinations for children. For children whose primary caregivers are not their parents and from lower-income families, additional support may be required for timely diagnosis after reporting ASD-related symptoms. Moreover, more intervention supports are expected for children whose fathers have lower education levels. Helping families take full advantage of support is also important for early diagnosis and intervention.

Parenting confidence and social support as predictors of coping strategies in parents of children newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: A cross-sectional study.

AIMS: The aims of the study were to describe coping strategies in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder at the early stage of diagnosis and to examine the predictive effects of parenting confidence and social support on coping strategies. DESIGN: A descriptive cross-sectional study. METHODS: A convenience sample of 193 parents of children newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in Guangzhou, China, were included from October 2020 to January 2021. The Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, Parenting Sense of Competence Scale and Social Support Rating Scale were employed for data collection. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses examined the relationship between coping strategies and the independent variables. RESULTS: The mean positive coping strategies score was higher than the negative coping strategies score. Parenting efficacy, subjective support and support utilization predicted positive coping strategies, and parenting satisfaction was a protective factor against negative coping strategies. CONCLUSION: Parents tend to engage in positive coping at the early stage of diagnosis. Improving parenting confidence and social support might help parents adopt positive coping strategies and prevent negative coping. IMPACT: More effective and long-term support for families of children with autism spectrum disorder is expected. Interventions should be focused on enhancing parenting satisfaction and efficacy to employ positive coping strategies and decrease negative coping. REPORTING METHOD: We adhered to EQUATOR guidelines and reported results based on STROBE guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public involvement.