Supporting parents in autism care

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder is a developmental disorder impacting a child’s social interactions, behaviors, and communication skills. One of the crucial aspects of autism care, which is often overlooked, is the parent’s mental health status while trying to improve and overcome challenges faced by their child. A study by Lu et al examined the effectiveness of remote family psychological support courses on the mental health status of parents having children with autism spectrum disorder. It was found that the integration of these remote psychological courses with conventional care had a positive impact on the parents by reducing their stress levels, leading to an increase in their competence, and hence they could engage effectively in child therapy. However, a long-term study is necessary to assess whether these interventions have a sustained effect. The study emphasizes the need for developing such culturally sensitive intervention models on a global scale, making them accessible to all and improving autism care support.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Remote psychological support; Parental mental health; Family-centered care; Caregiver-mediated intervention

Core Tip: Integration of remote psychological interventions into traditional autism care leads to the positive impact of stress-level reduction and increased active engagement of parents in childcare, having a positive impact on a child’s developmental outcomes. There is a need for culturally sensitive and easily accessible interventions on a global scale to have a widespread impact on diverse populations. Therefore, moving forward, the focus should be on scaling interventions globally while ensuring long-term effectiveness through digital adaptation and continuous monitoring.