"Glimmers of hope and good things": Positive aspects of caregiving to autistic adolescents and young adults.
Parents who notice everyday wins feel more rewarded, and those rewards feed the coping skills that protect mental health.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Marsack-Topolewski et al. (2025) sent a short survey to caregivers of autistic teens and young adults.
They asked two open questions: ‘What are the good things about caregiving?’ and ‘Tell us a moment that felt hopeful.’
Answers were read for common themes.
What they found
Caregivers wrote most about three rewards: seeing new skills, feeling close to their youth, and growing as a person.
The more support the youth gave back, the more positives the parent listed.
No money or stats were reported; the words themselves were the data.
How this fits with other research
De Laet et al. (2025) asked the same age group about coping. They found positive coping cuts depression. N et al. add the reason parents cope: they already see small wins to hold on to.
Feng et al. (2022) showed social support turns hardship into growth. N et al. show the growth shows up as pride in tiny gains and stronger bonds.
Slattery et al. (2017) said optimism plus support creates ‘benefit finding.’ N et al. list the actual benefits: first joke, first bus ride, first hug back.
Together the four studies tell one story: support → visible progress → caregiver hope → better mental health.
Why it matters
You can start sessions by asking parents what ‘glimmer’ they saw this week. Writing these on a note card gives them a ready coping thought when days feel hard. The study reminds us that tracking joy is data too.
Want CEUs on This Topic?
The ABA Clubhouse has 60+ free CEUs — live every Wednesday. Ethics, supervision & clinical topics.
Join Free →End each parent meeting by writing one ‘glimmer’ the teen showed; give the card to the parent to keep in their wallet.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
We wanted to explore the positive, or rewarding, experiences of caregivers who were caring for older adolescents or young autistic adults. We surveyed 174 caregivers, asking questions about how they dealt with stressors, the support they had from people in their lives, and the different behaviors of the autistic youth they care for. Using an existing measure, as well as an open-ended question, we asked caregivers about the most rewarding aspects of caring for their youth. When examining survey responses, we found that caregivers who reported receiving more help and support from their autistic youth also reported more positive aspects related to caregiving. In response to our study's open-ended question, caregivers talked about the reward of seeing their youth grow and progress (e.g. learning new skills, reaching new milestones), described positive aspects of the relationship with their youth (e.g. sharing a special bond), and reflected on their own learning and personal growth as caregivers and people. Our findings highlight the positive, or rewarding, aspects of caregiving for autistic adolescents and young adults. This work will inform future work studying positive aspects of caring for autistic individuals and how this may impact caregivers' psychological well-being.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2025 · doi:10.1177/13623613241272050