Evaluation of a Support Group for Fathers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Parenting a child with ASD can present significant challenges for parents, and various supports have been designed to help parents in this task, including support groups, which focus on parents’ emotional and psychological concerns and issues. Scant research has examined support group participation and effectiveness, either for parents in general or for parents of children with ASD, and there are a number of methodological flaws (e.g., outcome measures with no psychometric properties). Furthermore, as is the case with other research in field of ASD and special needs, the majority of participants have been mothers. However, qualitative research suggests that fathers would attend such groups if they were available. More research on fathers and their experiences is needed.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a support group for fathers of children with ASD, using quantitative measures and a measure of social validity to examine participants’ psychological experiences.

Methods: Two groups of six fathers (N = 12) attended eight weekly 2-hour sessions that focused on various topics related to parenting a child with ASD. Sample topics included fathers’ experiences with the diagnosis, dealing with the education system, and the impact on personal and professional relationships of parenting a child with ASD. Pre- and post-intervention, participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), the Parenting Stress Index 4th Edition, the Life Orientation Test-Revised, the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, a demographic form, and a social validity questionnaire. In addition, participants in one group also completed these same measures four months after the support group concluded.

Results: Results of a series of paired samples t-tests indicated no significant changes over time for the groups on any of the measures. However, responses to the social validity measure indicated that all fathers found the groups to be meaningful and helpful, enjoyed listening to and sharing personal experiences with other men in similar circumstances, and strongly recommended a similar group to other fathers of children with ASD. Although no statistically significant improvements in psychological functioning were observed within or between groups, there were a number of changes in individual scores, indicating improvements in well-being.

Conclusions: The vast majority of research conducted with parents of children with ASD still includes mostly mothers as participants. Research on fathers’ experiences has increased over time, but more is needed. From an empirical perspective, studying fathers provides important information about their unique experiences and how they differ (or are similar to) those of mothers. Furthermore, it demonstrates respect and appreciation for the unique identity and contributions of fathers. From a clinical perspective, the information gathered via research can be used to develop effective interventions to support and assist fathers to be better parents and partners. In this study, although significant changes were not found on standardized measures of fathers’ well-being, the participants reported that the group was valuable and worthwhile and recommended it highly to other fathers, pointing to an important and exciting area for future research and community intervention.