Self-reported needs and expectations of parents of children with autism spectrum disorders who participate in support groups

Many parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) participate in support groups, but very few studies have explored their motives to do so. The present study aims to explore the self-reported needs and expectations that parents express according to their gender and education and according to the age and gender of their child with ASD. The 299 parents (72 fathers and 227 mothers) of children who were diagnosed with ASD were aged from 27 to 60 years old (with mean age = 46 years and 8 months). They were asked to complete an anonymous open-ended questionnaire during one of their support group's meetings. The self-reported needs and expectations that parents expressed differed significantly according to their gender and education, as well as the age and gender of their child with ASD. These findings should be taken into consideration when organising and running support groups for parents of children with ASD.