'We Live in Different Worlds, But We Try to Connect' - Parents' Perceptions of Parenting Experiences With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Qualitative Study

While a great deal of research has been conducted to investigate the parenting experiences of parents with autistic children, much of this research focuses on Western societies; very little is known about the everyday difficulties of and the strategies adopted in raising an autistic child in China, where the prevalence of autism is increasing. The present study is an investigation of Chinese parents' perceptions of their parenting experiences with their autistic children, including the difficulties they face and the strategies they use during daily interactions and their relationships with their children. In this study, we use semi-structured and open-ended interviews with parents to collect qualitative data. Nineteen parents with autistic children were interviewed, with each interview lasting for about 30 min. The interpretative phenomenological analysis approach is used to generate themes. Ten themes were identified under three categories: daily difficulties, parents' coping strategies and parents' perspectives of their relationships with their children. These themes are used to address the research questions. The results indicate that Chinese parents of autistic children face tremendous struggles in daily interactions with their children, especially regarding understanding their children's behaviours and intentions. The findings highlight the need to educate parents about their autistic children's behaviours and characteristics, which would facilitate their emotional regulation.