A Snapshot of Social Support Networks Among Parental Caregivers of Adults with Autism.
Parents of adults with autism lean on friends and therapists, not autism groups—bridge that gap.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Marsack-Topolewski (2020) sent a short survey to parents who still care for an adult son or daughter with autism.
The parents listed every person or service they turn to for help. The study counted how many use each kind of support.
What they found
Almost every parent leans on a close friend or family member for emotional support.
About half also use formal help like psychiatrists, counselors, or money aid. Only 28% attend autism support groups.
How this fits with other research
Brennan et al. (2025) asked parents of younger kids the same questions and got the same answer: a trusted friend or relative is the main support.
Yan et al. (2022) showed that more family support lowers parent stress and boosts involvement in services. This matches N’s finding that parents keep using informal help year after year.
Lasgaard et al. (2010) seems to disagree. Autistic teenage boys say they feel lonely and get little support. The gap makes sense: N asked parents, Mathias asked the teens themselves. Parents may not see the loneliness their child feels.
Why it matters
If you work with adults with autism, check the parent’s support list. Emotional help is usually covered, but autism-specific groups are missing. Invite the parent to a local group or online forum. One new contact can cut isolation for both parent and client.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study provided a description of types and dimensions of informal and formal social support among aging parental caregivers of adult children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parents participated in a web-based survey regarding use of and satisfaction with social support services for parents or their adult children. Results indicated that many parents participated in autism support groups (27.5%), with psychiatric services (48.8%), counseling (40.6%), and financial assistance (39.7%) the most commonly used formal social supports. Emotional support (88.8%) and informational support (67.5%) were the most common informal social supports used. Professionals who are working with parental caregivers and their adult children diagnosed with ASD should be aware of available social support services to help them find needed services.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2020 · doi:10.1007/s10803-019-04285-6