Abstract

While Vietnamese parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience great uncertainty and stress about their children’s development and adjustment to adult life, they have not received sufficient support. This study aims to identify the specific needs for social support of Vietnamese parents of children with autism. To carry out the study, I conducted ten ethnographic interviews with parents of children with ASD who lived in urban areas within Vietnam. The findings of this study led to four main conclusions. First, the parents’ needs for informational, instrumental, and emotional support varied according to their children’s age and level of ASD severity. Second, instrumental support was the most desirable type of functional support for the parents. Third, my study discovered the significant role of other parents of children with ASD in providing support for the ten participants. Lastly, the study recognized the parents’ high expectations for social support from the Vietnamese government and non-governmental organizations.

Advisor

Dr. Denise Bostdorff

Department

Communication Studies

Keywords

autism spectrum disorders, social support, uncertainty reduction, Vietnam

Publication Date

2017

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis Exemplar

Download

Share

COinS
 

© Copyright 2017 Khue M. Hoang