Coping with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Pakistan: A phenomenology of mothers who have children with ASD

Abstract

In this study, the authors have explored lived experiences of the mothers who have children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study explored the lived experiences of the mothers of children with ASD, including but not limited to the mothers’ stress, behavioral difficulties, coping strategies, religious, and social support related experiences. This study incorporated the factors that played a part in mothers’ experiences about ASD and whether they receive enough social and educational support. Most mothers are part of the middle and upper-middle class as they can afford extensive therapies for their children. An interpretive phenomenological approach was adopted using 15 interviews conducted in the sociocultural context of Karachi. The interviews gave an in-depth analysis, showing the mothers to be loving and caring towards their child from the start of the journey. This article highlights the lack of institutional as well as emotional support for special populations in Pakistan; thus, the findings are crucial for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education that has the potential to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. This study is a preliminary research that explores experiences of primary caregivers dealing with ASD; hence, it has the ability to set the premise for dialog around inclusivity as well as future research including an onset for a comparative analysis between mothers from lower classes as compared to those from middle and upper classes.