Emily Shurer

EDA 503.90
Article Summary
Full APA Citation:
Hartley, S. L., & Schultz, H. M. (2015). Support needs of fathers and mothers of children and
adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental
Disorders, 45(6), 1636-1648.
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Overview of Topic/Article:
This study compared support needs of mothers compared to the support needs of fathers
of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The study looked at the
association of these needs with other factors. The participants of the study were 73 married
couples who had a child with ASD. Parents were interviewed at a home visit and completed a
self-report measure about their needs. Then each parent independently completed a daily10-day
online diary describing problem behaviors. A 54 item family needs questionnaire was used to
assess each parents support needs. In the questionnaire parents rated the degree to which certain
needs were perceived as important and whether this need had been met.
Key Points/Findings:

Mothers showed a higher level of stress and more depression symptoms than did fathers.
The high levels of stress seem to be due to their higher level of important support needs

that are not met.

Fathers showed a lower level of unmet important support needs. This may mean they are
less involved in services and therapies for their child with ASD. Fathers may not be as

motivated to be active participants in their childs services.

There was also a high level of agreement between mothers and fathers in important
support needs that are unmet.
Further research may be needed to investigate the support needs in a racially, ethnically
and economically diverse couples.

Implications to Current/Future Practitioners:

Understanding the studys findings could help in understanding discrepancies between

the psychological well-being of mothers versus that of fathers.
Results from the study suggest that fathers may benet from formal supports to give them
more opportunities for self-care and relaxation.
Mothers may benet from the following formal supports: assistance with accessing
treatments and therapies, education about ASD, help with housework, and involvement in

family support groups. These are the needs that are currently not being met.
Couples may benefit from informal supports of encouraging communication about
varying needs as this may increase support between parents.