Support needs of fathers and mothers of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.

Ohan et al. (2015) asked both moms and dads of kids and teens with autism to rate their support needs.

They used a survey to see which needs felt most important and which ones were still unmet.

Child and family facts, like behavior level or income, were also tracked to see what predicted more needs.

Mothers listed more unmet needs than fathers in almost every area.

Things like child behavior problems and low family income predicted higher needs for both parents.

Bromley et al. (2004) saw the same heavy load in moms only, so the new mom-dad gap is a useful update.

Heald et al. (2020) found that fathers of kids with autism feel support is hard to reach, yet L et al. show dads still report fewer needs than moms—an apparent contradiction that fades when you see moms may simply voice more concerns.

Benson (2016) tracked moms for seven years and showed bigger support networks boost mood, backing the idea that unmet needs are a real risk factor, not just talk.

You can’t write one “parent plan” and call it done. Ask mothers and fathers separately what help is missing, then tailor goals, respite, and training to each parent’s list. When mom says she needs more, believe her and act—history shows her stress will keep growing if you don’t.