The lived experiences of Polish mothers of children on the autism spectrum.

Abstract

This research study examined the lived experiences of Polish mothers of children affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) living in Edinburgh (Scotland). The aim of the study was to find out the experiences with regards to the process and event of diagnosis, symptoms, the relationship between family members (parents, grandparents and siblings), and the impact of school/nursery. Data collection was possible through the use of focus group discussion and Photovoice (Wang and Burris, 1997) The study concluded that recurring patterns have been experienced by families at some point in their child`s development, similarities have been reported in experiences of mothers with a 3-4 year olds and those differed from experiences of mothers of children aged 6-7 year olds. Themes derived from this study were; long/negative diagnosis process, disruptive symptoms, supportive family relationship and impact of school/nursery.