Socio-demographic Characteristics and Parental Perspective of Autistic Children in Sylhet, Bangladesh

Abstract

Aim: This study addresses the parental perspective on the causes of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the concerns of those who are severely stressed about their offspring with it. The study looks at parental views regarding the reasons behind ASD, some early symptom detection, and demographic characteristics in order to better understand the difficulties families encounter, the length of suffering from this disorder, and to generate some recommendations when necessary. Methodology: In the Sylhet Division, 126 parents of autistic children who were chosen from 9 special schools participated in a cross-sectional study. Using the lottery method, 14 parents were selected from each school out of a sample frame of 200. Data was gathered through personal interviews with a semi-structured questionnaire. Key variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and Microsoft Excel 2013 and SPSS Version 22 were utilized for data analysis. Results: Most parents had at least a secondary level of education, and most participants came from nuclear families. With symptoms often found between the ages of 0 and 5, autism was more commonly diagnosed in male children (74%). The average age at diagnosis was 2.5 years. 48% of the autistic children had been receiving medication for 0–5 years. Parents blamed autism on a variety of causes, including hereditary, environmental, and spiritual elements. Those who had less access to official support services had much greater levels of parental stress. On the other hand, psychological stress levels were lower among parents who received community-based support, counseling, or early intervention. Conclusion: Lack of knowledge about autism, inadequate support networks, and delayed diagnosis are all strongly associated with parental stress. The well-being of autistic children and their parents may be greatly enhanced by enabling early identification initiatives and increasing financial, educational, and psychological assistance.