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Exploring Barriers To Fathers' Implementation Of Behavioral Interventions For Nonverbal Children With Autism, Michael Lafasakis

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Many families, regardless of their ethnic and cultural background, find it challenging to raise a nonverbal child with autism. Parent-implemented behavioral interventions can contribute to positive behavior change related to joint attention, imitation, and communication. However, many parents face barriers that prevent them from implementing behavioral interventions in the home. Very little research has been conducted on fathers of nonverbal children with autism to ascertain their perspectives on these barriers. In this qualitative study, a phenomenological design was used to obtain input from 12 fathers of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds residing in New York City regarding barriers to implementing …