ERIC Number: EJ1454828
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 11
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-2047-3869
EISSN: EISSN-2047-3877
Available Date: N/A
Parent Perspectives of Children with Selective Mutism and Co-Occurring Autism
S. Keville; P. Zormati; A. Shahid; C. Osborne; A. K. Ludlow
International Journal of Developmental Disabilities, v70 n7 p1251-1261 2024
Selective mutism (SM) and autism frequently co-occur together, exacerbating social communication deficits and associated anxiety. However, professionals have lacked a readiness to diagnose SM and autism together, making the need to understand parental experiences of caring for a child with SM and autism crucial. The current study utilised Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to explore parents' experience of caring for children with SM and autism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eleven mothers and one father of children aged between 5 and 18 years. All children were diagnosed with SM and had undertaken, or were currently undertaking, an autism diagnostic process. Analysis of the transcripts resulted in the following themes: Complexities from co-occurring issues; The overwhelming impact of SM; The diagnostic journey; Finding solutions and advocacy. Judgements and minimisation of symptoms from educational and healthcare systems exacerbated delays in diagnosis preventing appropriate intervention. The complexities of caring for a child with SM and autism, alongside wider misunderstandings, exacerbated parental stress, impacting the family. Parental advocacy and safe environments provided opportunities for children to better manage contextually based mutism. Improvements in identification and compassionate understanding from wider systems by involving parents as key stakeholders are essential to improve this situation.
Descriptors: Parent Attitudes, Anxiety, Psychosomatic Disorders, Communication Problems, Children, Adolescents, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Comorbidity, Foreign Countries, Family School Relationship, Interpersonal Communication, Allied Health Personnel, Well Being, Evaluation, Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Barriers, Family Environment, Parent Role, Intervention, Advocacy
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: United Kingdom
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A