The parenting experiences and needs of Asian primary caregivers of children with autism: A meta-synthesis.
Asian autism caregivers carry extra cultural weight—fold shame, faith, and elder roles into parent training or they may walk.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Shorey et al. (2020) read 44 smaller studies that asked Asian moms, dads, and grandparents what it feels like to raise a child with autism.
They pulled out six big themes instead of numbers, because every family told a story.
The review covers many Asian countries, so it gives a wide-angle picture of culture and stress.
What they found
Caregivers talked about shame, duty, and hope all at once.
Religion, immigration worries, and the need to keep the family name "good" shaped how they looked for help.
They wanted parent training, but only if trainers respected these same values.
How this fits with other research
Fahmie et al. (2013) counted stress and showed autism parents everywhere feel more of it than other parents. Shefaly’s team keeps that fact but adds culture as the lens.
Chao et al. (2018) mapped five steps Taiwanese parents take from first worry to final acceptance. The 2020 review folds that journey into one of its six themes.
Singh et al. (2017) found that Indian moms grow less depressed when grandparents help, not friends. Shefaly’s paper lifts that finding up for all Asian families.
Samadi et al. (2013) proved a short Iranian parent class cuts stress. The new review says classes like that must first honor Asian values to even get parents in the door.
Why it matters
If you coach Asian families, open with questions about shame, faith, and elders. Fold these into goals, materials, and meeting times. When you show respect for these forces, caregivers stay, practice, and feel less alone.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Parents of children with autism are faced with higher risks of unemployment, divorce, and poorer mental health than parents of children with other disorders. Such parenting stress can be further exacerbated by cultural and environmental factors such as the more conservative and collectivistic Asian values. Therefore, this review identifies and synthesizes literature on the parenting experiences and needs of Asian primary caregivers of children with autism using a critical interpretive method. A qualitative meta-summary was conducted. Seven electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched from each database's date of inception to November 2018. In total, 44 studies were included in this review. Thirteen studies examined Asian immigrant parents' experiences, and 31 studies were done among Asia-based parents. Six domains were identified: "personal parenting journey"; "adaptation and coping strategies"; "family, community, and social support"; "experiences with healthcare, education, and social services"; "future hopes and recommendations"; and "unique experiences of immigrants." The distinctive influence of religious beliefs, cultural values, and environmental factors on Asian parenting experiences were discussed, and recommendations were proposed to better meet the needs of parents with autistic children.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2020 · doi:10.1177/1362361319886513