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Stresses and Coping Strategies of Chinese Families with Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities

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Abstract

Data from 368 families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities in the People’s Republic of China were gathered to understand the stresses that families experience and the coping strategies they employ. Chinese families of children with developmental disabilities perceived high levels of stress related to pessimism, child characteristics, and parent and family problems. Regarding coping strategies, acceptance, active coping, positive reinterpretation and growth, suppression of competing activities, and planning were the most frequently employed coping strategies. Parents of children with autism experienced more stress and used planning as a coping strategy to a greater degree than parents of children with other developmental disabilities. The implications and limitations of these findings are discussed.

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Notes

  1. This was part of a larger study, which also gathered data about perceived needs and supports of families of children with autism and other developmental disabilities in the People’s Republic of China. These data are reported separately (see Wang & Michaels, 2009).

  2. Analyses associated with the Family Needs Survey and the Family Support Scale, are not included in this article. They are reported in Wang and Michaels (2009).

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the Research Foundation of the City University of New York, PSC-CUNY Grant # 60092-37-38. The content and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the City University of New York, and no official endorsement should be inferred.

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  1. Department of Educational and Community Programs, Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA

    Peishi Wang, Craig A. Michaels & Matthew S. Day

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  1. Peishi Wang
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Correspondence to Peishi Wang.

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Wang, P., Michaels, C.A. & Day, M.S. Stresses and Coping Strategies of Chinese Families with Children with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. J Autism Dev Disord 41, 783–795 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-010-1099-3

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