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. 2021 Jul;25(5):1335-1348.
doi: 10.1177/1362361321989221. Epub 2021 Jan 22.

Cross-cultural perspectives on the meaning of family quality of life: Comparing Korean immigrant families and Canadian families of children with autism spectrum disorder

Vanessa C Fong  1 , Emily Gardiner  2   3 , Grace Iarocci  1
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Cross-cultural perspectives on the meaning of family quality of life: Comparing Korean immigrant families and Canadian families of children with autism spectrum disorder

Vanessa C Fong et al. Autism. 2021 Jul.

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare Korean immigrant families and Canadian families of children with autism in their perceptions and definitions of family quality of life. Interviews were done with 13 Korean immigrant parents and 12 Canadian parents of children with autism living in BC, Canada. For Korean immigrant families, three themes were identified: family cohesiveness, value orientation, and acceptance from society. For Canadian families, themes comprising family interactions, support, emotional well-being, individual characteristics, and comparisons to other families were essential elements in defining their family quality of life. The findings emphasize how differences in culture may impact how we understand and assess family functioning and quality of life. If research informing the development of these tools lacks cross-cultural perspectives, service providers and professionals may fail to address these families' unique needs.

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder; cross-cultural; family quality of life; qualitative research.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of conflicting interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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