Abstract
This study explored potential influence of a text-based program for fathers of children on the autism spectrum. Fathers (N = 184) were recruited through autism services across Australia. Participants received messages focusing on five domains: (a) relationships with parenting partner; (b) formal support; (c) father-child interaction; (d) understanding autism; and, (e) coping. Surveys explored parenting stress, co-parenting quality and autism-specific parenting self-efficacy. Eighty-eight percent completed the program, 43.6% completed pre and post surveys. There was significant reduction in parenting stress (p < .01) and increase in autism-specific parenting self-efficacy (p < .01). Effect sizes indicate these may be clinically meaningful. This highly scalable intervention has potential to influence factors that shape and sustain relationships fathers share with their children on the autism spectrum, families and services.
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Acknowledgments
The contribution from staff at Positive Partnerships is acknowledged. Thank you to Alison Macrae, Laura Owens, Craig Smith, Heath Wild and Lee Casuscelli for their important contribution to the development and implementation of this project.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by CD May. The first draft of the manuscript was written by CD May and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee (University of Newcastle’s Human Research Ethics Committee, Reference No: H-2018-0286 and the Human Research Ethics Committee at Autism Spectrum Australia, Reference: Text2dad) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.
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May, C.D., St George, J.M. & Lane, S. Fathers Raising Children on the Autism Spectrum: Lower Stress and Higher Self-Efficacy Following SMS (Text2dads) Intervention. J Autism Dev Disord 52, 306–315 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04925-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04925-w