Use this site to access recordings and presentations from National Conferences
Autism Society records most keynote and concurrent sessions at their annual conferences. You can see and hear those recordings by purchasing full online access, or individual recordings.
3563
Coping Strategies to Help Ameliorate Stress in Families with Children Autism
Thursday, July 10, 2008: 4:00 PM-5:15 PM
Sanibel 1 (Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center)
The stress of families with children with autism is well documented in the research dating back decades. The research has focused on the types of stressors affecting the families, the effects of stress, and the coping strategies used by the families. The presentation will consist of a review of the literature and a discussion of the effective and non-effective coping strategies used by families with children with autism.
Along with the increasing numbers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), there are more families having to learn to cope with the daily demands of having a child on the autism spectrum. According to the literature, parents of children with autism experience higher levels of stress than parents of typically developing children or children with other disabilities such as Down syndrome. This increase in diagnosis of ASD combined with the high levels of stress in families calls for the field to place a greater emphasis on providing support for the families. With this in mind, we conducted an extensive literature review in which the criteria were (a) at least one child was diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, (b) families demonstrated levels of stress, and (c) coping strategies/interventions were use. Our findings indicated that the most commonly identified types of stress were depression, anxiety, frustration, social isolation, and spousal relationship problems. Further, the research indicated that the most effective strategies for coping with the aforementioned stressors are (a) positive reappraisal, (b) confrontive/adaptive coping, (c) social support, (d) religious coping, (e) beliefs about the efficacy of the interventions, and (f) the use of treatment services led to lower levels stress.
The purpose of this presentation is to provide an in-depth analysis of the effective coping strategies provided by the research. The presentation will begin with a review of the literature in which parents and caregivers will be given information on coping strategies.
The parents and caregivers will be able to (a) identify different stressors, and (b) identify and use coping strategies to help reduce stress levels.
Learning Objectives:
- The parents and caregivers will be able to identify different stressors.
- The parents and caregivers will be able to identify and use coping strategies to help reduce stress levels.
Content Area: Family and Sibling Support
Presenters:
Pena Bedesem, M.A.
Doctoral Student
University of Central Florida
Peña Bedesem is a doctoral student at the University of Central Florida. She has taught grades 3rd-8th and worked with students with Aspergers syndrome in the inclusion setting. Her research interest is social skills training of students with Aspergers syndrome in a virtual reality setting.
G. Richmond Mancil, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA
Assistant Professor/ Therapy Director
Louisiana Tech University
Dr. Mancil is a doctoral level board certified behavior analyst and a licensed behavior analyst in the state of Louisiana and Oklahoma and is currently on staff at Louisiana Tech University. He has 17 years clinical experience working with individuals with individuals on the autism spectrum.
Peggy S. Whitby, M.Ed.
Doctoral Student
University of Central Florida
Peggy Schaefer Whitby is a doctoral student at the UCF. Her research interest is the academic achievement of students with high functioning autism and Asperger syndrome. With the increase in autism, it is imperative that educators have effective interventions to teach children with ASD in the inclusive setting.