About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 5. Developmental Disabilities

Abstract

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Extensive research has shed light on the elevated parenting stress experienced by parents of children with ASD. However, existing studies conducted in the United States predominantly featured white parents, thus lacking evidence of the parenting stress and its predictors experienced by racial minority parents raising autistic children. Addressing this gap is essential for advancing our understanding of the determinants of parenting stress and minority stress theoretically. Moreover, this will provide valuable information to guide the development of more tailored and culturally sensitive support programs for parents of children with ASD from diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. Therefore, the current study aimed to answer the question of what is the role of race in parenting stress and its predictors among Asian and White parents of children with autism in the United States. Built upon existing literature on parenting stress among families of children with ASD, we hypothesized that Asian parents of children with ASD would experience higher levels of parenting stress, higher affiliate stigma related to ASD, and lower social support. In addition, we raised two research questions to examine the potential differences between two racial groups: 1)Would race moderate the association between social support and parenting stress? 2) Would race moderate the association between affiliate stigma and parenting stress? Using an online survey, in total, 129 parents of children with ASD living across the United States completed our study. Among them, 79 parents identified themselves as White and 50 of them identified themselves as Asian. Multiracial groups were not considered eligible in the study to best serve the research purpose. We found that Asian parents reported higher parenting stress (p=.04) and higher affiliated stigma (p=.01) than White parents. Yet, we did not find any significant difference in social support between the two groups. Furthermore, the regression analyses showed that family socioeconomic status, social support, and stigma were significant predictors of parenting stress. However, race was not a significant predictor after controlling for the covariates. In addition, race was not a significant moderator in the association between social support and parenting stress. Similarly, race was not a significant moderator in the association between affiliated stigma and parenting stress. Consistent with prior literature, the study revealed higher risks for parenting stress among Asian parents in the United States. More importantly, we pointed out that ASD-related stigma could be an important factor that raised parenting stress and reduced family functioning and well-being. Future studies should continue to explore the determinants of parenting stress, particularly among historically underrepresented families who are raising autistic children.

Author information

Author	Role
Shuqi Yu, Virginia Tech	Presenting author
Koeun Choi, Virginia Tech	Non-presenting author
Carolyn Shivers, Niagara University	Non-presenting author

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