Coping strategies of Taiwanese children with autism spectrum disorders

Wei‐Chih Chin, Kuo‐Yu Chao, Hsueh‐Ling Chang, Hsin‐Mei Li and Sue‐Hsien Chen

Journal of Clinical Nursing, 2017, vol. 26, issue 21-22, 3408-3421

Abstract: Aims and Objectives To explore and describe the coping experiences of children with autism spectrum disorders in Taiwan. Background Children with autism spectrum disorders are faced with daily social and living challenges, which can cause stress. Chinese culture emphasises discipline and obedience, which may influence coping strategies of children with autism spectrum disorders in Taiwan. Design This qualitative study employed an exploratory descriptive design. Method Data were collected from in‐depth, face‐to‐face structured interviews. Interviews explored coping strategies of Taiwanese school‐aged children (aged 6–19) with autism spectrum disorders. Children (N = 17) and their caregivers were recruited by purposive sampling. Transcribed interview data were thematically analysed using the procedure of Miles and Huberman. Result Five themes emerged from the analysis of the data, which described the coping strategies of the children: (1) problem‐solving, (2) acting‐out, (3) avoidance, (4) seeking help and (5) self‐regulation. These themes included multiple coping strategies, which employed the concepts of engagement and disengagement. Conclusions The children with autism spectrum disorder used many strategies to cope with the stresses resulting from behaviours and symptoms associated with the disorder. Most of the Taiwanese children use both problem‐solving and emotional‐focused coping strategies. Relevance to Clinical Practice Understanding coping strategies of children with autism spectrum disorder could help caregivers (parents, teachers) and medical professionals develop interventions to reduce these challenges, which could alleviate stress and improve social functioning for these children.

Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1111/jocn.13700

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:wly:jocnur:v:26:y:2017:i:21-22:p:3408-3421

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Journal of Clinical Nursing from John Wiley & Sons
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().