A support group for parents of children on a waiting list for an assessment for autism spectrum disorder

Parents of children waiting for a diagnostic assessment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience distress and anxiety while they wait. The present small-scale study took place in a multi-disciplinary therapeutic service in Ireland for children with ASD and was run between April and September 2011. The first author, an educational psychologist on a multi-disciplinary team, designed a qualitative, three-staged study to look at ways of supporting parents of children on the waiting list for assessment. Focus group discussions were analysed using thematic content analysis to identify themes to facilitate the development and evaluation of a pilot parent education group. Findings suggested that the ASD "journey" begins when the disorder is first raised as a possibility. Parents want information about ASD and the diagnostic process at this point. Parents reported benefits from the pilot group through meeting professionals involved in assessment, being supported by other parents, and learning strategies to help their children.