The burden of care, parenting stress, and navigating welfare services: parents’ everyday experiences of young children with autism spectrum disorder - Report - MDSpire

The burden of care, parenting stress, and navigating welfare services: parents’ everyday experiences of young children with autism spectrum disorder

  • By

  • Gunn Karin Brechan-Skjetne

  • Ragnhild Bjørknes

  • Maj-Britt Rocio Posserud

  • Rannei Sæther

  • June 30, 2026

  • 0 min

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Challenges of Caregiving, Parental Stress, and Engaging with Support Services

Overview

This study explores the experiences of parents with young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a Scandinavian context. It highlights the significant parenting stress faced by these families.

Background

Parenting a child with ASD presents unique challenges that can significantly impact family dynamics and parental well-being. The complexity of caregiving often leads to elevated levels of stress.

Data Highlights

No numerical data or trial results were provided in the source material.

Key Findings

  • Parents experience continuous adaptation to their child's needs, impacting daily routines.
  • There is a coexistence of feelings of participation and isolation among parents.
  • Preschool services and support are vital for parents managing their child's ASD.
  • Bureaucratic complexities often hinder parents' access to necessary welfare services.
  • Parental stress is exacerbated by fragmented and uncoordinated support systems.

Clinical Implications

Healthcare providers should recognize the dynamic nature of parenting a child with ASD and the associated stressors. It is essential to advocate for coordinated and flexible support services to alleviate parental burden.

Conclusion

The study underscores the importance of understanding the daily experiences of parents of children with ASD to inform better support strategies and interventions.

Related Resources & Content

  1. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 2023 -- Navigating through the care of children with autism spectrum disorder: parents’ lived experiences in a Ghanaian Regional Hospital
  2. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2026 -- The Long-Term Psychological Processing of an Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis in Parents
  3. BMJ Paediatrics Open, 2023 -- Healthcare professionals’ perspectives on the challenges faced by parents of children with autism and recommendations to address them: a qualitative study in Hong Kong
  4. BMC Psychiatry, 2025 -- Caregiver psychiatric symptoms, assessment delay, and access to supports for children with neurodevelopmental conditions
  5. CDC, 2025 -- Clinical Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  6. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2025 -- Hospital-family collaborative DTT intervention to reduce the parenting stress through improving core symptoms and family functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial
  7. Socialstyrelsen, 2023 -- Flera nyheter i nationella riktlinjer för adhd och autism
  8. Clinical Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder | Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) | CDC
  9. Hospital-family collaborative DTT intervention to reduce the parenting stress through improving core symptoms and family functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial
  10. Flera nyheter i nationella riktlinjer för adhd och autism - Socialstyrelsen

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