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Parenting A Child With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspective Of Jordanian Mothers, Khulood Kayed Shattnawi, Wafa'a M. Bani, Saeed, Ahlam Al-Natour, Mohammed M. Al-Hammouri, Manar Al-Azzam, Rachel Joseph

Faculty Publications and Presentations

Introduction: Parenting a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is challenging for mothers because of concerns related to behavior, difficulties in accessing specialized care, and lack of community acceptance, yet their stories in Jordanian context are still unknown. Common challenges in Jordan include financial burdens, lack of public awareness, and lack of specialized knowledge even among health care providers, which may lead to delays in obtaining the diagnosis and interventions for ASD.

Method: A phenomenological descriptive approach was used to explore and understand the mothers’ everyday lived experiences of raising a child with ASD. Semistructured interviews were conducted with …