Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2023 Aug;70(4):500-513.
doi: 10.1111/1440-1630.12876. Epub 2023 May 4.

Mothers' participation in family gatherings and social events with their children with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review

Shobana Devi Moorthy  1 , Anita Björklund Carlstedt  2   3 , Caroline Fischl  3
Affiliations

Mothers' participation in family gatherings and social events with their children with autism spectrum disorder: A scoping review

Shobana Devi Moorthy et al. Aust Occup Ther J. 2023 Aug.

Abstract

Introduction: Participating in family gatherings can provide enjoyment and quality time together as a family. However, being the primary carers, mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder may experience this phenomenon differently. The purpose of this study is to explore how available literature describes mothers' experiences of participation in family gatherings and social events with their children with autism spectrum disorder.

Methods: A scoping review was used to explore available literature and identify studies describing mothers' experiences of family gatherings and social events with their children. A thematic synthesis was performed to analyse and synthesise the findings.

Results: A total of 8 articles were included for review. The analysis of the included studies resulted in one central theme-Negative experiences despite strategies-and four analytical themes: Feeling fear, stress, and anxiety; Avoiding family gatherings; Enjoying less and becoming less confident; and Using strategies.

Conclusion: These findings indicate that mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder experience difficulties during gatherings even when using strategies, hence limiting their participation.

Keywords: becoming; being; belonging; doing; mothering; occupational therapy; social participation.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

REFERENCES

    1. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
    1. Arksey, H., & O'Malley, L. (2005). Scoping studies: Towards a methodological framework. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8(1), 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1080/1364557032000119616
    1. *Avrech Bar, M., Shelef, L., & Bart, O. (2016). Do participation and self-efficacy of mothers to children with ASD predict their children's participation? Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 24, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2016.01.002
    1. Axelsson, A. K., Granlund, M., & Wilder, J. (2013). Engagement in family activities: A quantitative, comparative study of children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities and children with typical development: Children's engagement in family activities. Child: Care, Health and Development, 39(4), 523-534. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12044
    1. *Barker, E. T., Hartley, S. L., Seltzer, M. M., Floyd, F. J., Greenberg, J. S., & Orsmond, G. I. (2011). Trajectories of emotional well-being in mothers of adolescents and adults with autism. Developmental Psychology, 47(2), 551-561. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0021268

Publication types