Our Challenges, Our Solutions: The Impact of Autism on Families.
Mothers of preschoolers with autism in Shanghai report real post-traumatic growth, and you can elicit the same strengths in your families.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Trew (2025) talked with mothers of preschoolers with autism in Shanghai. The team used open interviews to learn how the mothers saw their own growth.
Mothers told stories about five kinds of growth: new life views, deeper thanks, closer ties, inner strength, and spiritual change.
What they found
Every mom told of post-traumatic growth. Social support, peer example, coping style, and self-belief helped the growth bloom.
The study shows early autism years can spark positives, not just stress.
How this fits with other research
Carr et al. (2013) found U.S. mothers felt more negative impact as their kids hit teen years. The two studies seem opposite, but the kids were older. Preschool moms see hope; teen moms see strain.
Higgins et al. (2021) asked Israeli parents and heard four growth domains, much like the five in Shanghai. Both papers prove parents can grow, not just cope.
Ming-Zhao et al. (2018) already showed social support lifts Chinese parents’ life satisfaction. Trew (2025) adds that support also fuels growth stories.
Why it matters
You can start sessions by asking moms, “What strengths have you noticed in yourself?” Link them to local parent groups and celebrate small wins. When you note growth, you balance the stress talk and build engagement.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
While the adverse effects of raising a child with autism are well demonstrated, there have been few reports of the post-traumatic growth of mothers of children with autism. The purpose of this research was to explore dimensions of post-traumatic growth in this population in Mainland China and identify the factors facilitating post-traumatic growth. A total of 11 mothers of pre-school children were recruited from five rehabilitation centres of children with disabilities in Shanghai. The semi-structured interviews were conducted between August 2012 and October 2012 and analysed using thematic analysis. The data partially confirmed Tedeschi and Calhoun's model of post-traumatic growth. A new philosophy of life, appreciation of life, relating to others, personal strength and spiritual change were five domains of post-traumatic growth in mothers of children with autism. Perceived social support, peer example, effective coping style and self-efficacy enhancement were facilitating factors of post-traumatic growth. Further studies are needed to understand how to promote the post-traumatic growth of mothers of children with autism.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2025 · doi:10.1177/1362361313509732