A study on experiences & challenges of mothers of children with autism in Dhaka city

Abstract

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), also referred to as Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs), are characterized by deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interaction, and repetitive or restricted interests and behaviors. To date, much of the literature on ASDs has been conducted from a western perspective, although interest in ASDs from a global perspective has dramatically increased in recent years. In Bangladesh just a few years back, people were merely aware about disability with Autism. Although a few researches on ASDs have been conducted in Bangladesh, interest in ASDs from a global perspective has dramatically increased in recent years. However, no research has been conducted in this area. The nature of qualitative methodology makes it best suited for capturing the nuances and complexity of the psychological phenomenon underlying the experiences being studied. These experiences help to capture and reflect the ways in which culture impacts these experiences. The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences and challenges of mothers raising children diagnosed with an ASD in Dhaka City using a qualitative research approach. The prevalence is currently rising in many countries around the world. Caring for and educating children and young people with this condition places challenges on health care, education and training programmers. The government is going to count the number of autistic children in Bangladesh. About 10% of Bangladesh's people are challenged of those, 1% is estimated to be autistic, amounting to around 1.5 lakh people. Many children diagnosed with ASDs in our country have very limited access to educational settings, and an abundance of barriers to treatment exist. As such, there is much to be gained from studying mothers’ experiences with their child’s early development and their initial concerns for their child’s development, their experiences with the diagnostic process, the perceived impact of raising a child on the spectrum for themselves and their family, their daily living experiences, their experiences accessing supports and services, their vision for the future, as well as any advice they would give to mothers of children who were recently diagnosed. To this end, the experiences of 20 mothers raising a child diagnosed with an ASD and living in Dhaka City were captured through open-ended interviews in this study.