The Expectations of Parents Having Children with Autism From Early Intervention Programs

Abstract

There are still efforts to develop family-based or institution-based early intervention programs for autism spectrum disorder, which can be treated with intensive and continuous education. The early approaches regarding the education of children with autism involved programs in which trainers and children worked together intensively. However, programs including the active participation of parents have started to be developed recently. Yet, there are no studies in the literature that involve or dwell on the expectations of parents in these programs. Hence, this study aims to reveal the expectations of parents having children with autism from early intervention programs. To this end, semi-structured interviews were made with 15 parents. The responses were analyzed via content analysis. The study found that parents have different expectations regarding play, communication, interaction, behavior, and daily life skills depending on children's development process. The data are discussed in light of the relevant literature.