Abstract
Parents who cope with the challenges of raising a child with special needs describe the experience of receiving the diagnosis as a personal and family crisis. Coming to terms with the diagnosis may involve a period of adjustment. The concept of Resolution with the diagnosis was suggested by Pianta and Marvin (The reaction to diagnosis interview. Charlottesville: University of Virginia. Unpublished manual and material, 1992) to describe the process of acceptance and coming to terms with the diagnosis of one’s child, and it pertains to parents’ reaction to and coping strategies of dealing with this new situation. In this chapter, we will discuss resolution with a diagnosis among parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Using the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview (RDI), resolution with diagnosis was examined among parents of children with various disabilities and disorders including ASD, revealing strong association with better outcomes for children. Research findings as well as parents’ voices regarding the process of becoming resolved will be presented as well as the importance of implementing more tailored and effective prevention/intervention studies and programs for family members of individuals with autism.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Comprehensive Guide to Autism |
| Editors | Vinood B. Patel, Victor R. Preedy, Colin R. Martin |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Publisher | Springer |
| Pages | 355-367 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 1461447887 |
| State | Published - 2014 |