Parental satisfaction with caregiving among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity, intellectual disabilities and typically developing

ABSTRACT

Background: Parenting of children with Developmental Disabilities is considered to be a challenging task. This group of parents are at risk for lower levels of being satisfied with caregiving to their child compared to parents of typically developing children.

Methods: Participants were recruited from different services in four provinces across Iran to shape a larger research sample. The Parental Satisfaction with Caring for a child with Developmental Disability Index (PSCDDI) was utilized.

Results: Parents of children with DDs particularly parents of children with ASD demonstrated decreased parental satisfaction with caregiving compared with parents of typically developing children. Child behaviour problems, gender and age emerged as a significant predictor of the level of parental satisfaction with caregiving.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that understanding parental satisfaction with caring is an important factor in understanding the challenges associated with caring for a child with DD.

KEYWORDS:

• Developmental disabilities
• impacts on parents/caregivers
• parental satisfaction with caregiving
• Autism
• intellectual disabilities
• ADHD

Acknowledgements

Our thanks to the Iranian State Welfare Organisation (ISWO), parents who responded and the coordination agencies and staff of day-care centres for children with Developmental Disabilities for their co-operation.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Sayyed Ali Samadi is an independent researcher in the field of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. A psychologist by training and a native of Mahabad; a Kurdish city in North Western part of Iran. He received his PhD degree from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland- UK. He has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities for over a decade. He has authored, co-authored and edited over 15 books and published over 40 research papers in domestic and international peer-reviewed journals.

Ghasem Abdollahi-Boghrabadi is an early career faculty member of the Psychology department in Payame Noor University-Kashan branch. He is also engaged in the field of developmental disabilities as a clinician. His research and development interests focus mainly on family support and community involvement.

Roy McConkey is an Emeritus Professor of Developmental Disabilities at the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland. A psychologist by training and a native of Belfast, he has previously held different academic posts. He has worked in the field of intellectual and developmental disability for nearly 40 years and has authored, co-authored and edited over 15 books, and published over 100 book chapters and research papers in learned journals.

ORCID

Sayyed Ali Samadi http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7965-9857

Roy McConkey http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8102-7402