Opinions of Parents of Children with Autism about their Daily Life Characteristics, Play Interactions, and Communication Styles

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine opinions of parents of children with autism about their experiences of daily life routines in which their children are involved and about play interactions, communication skills, and problem behaviors of their children. In this study, semi structured interviews were conducted with 50 parents who were the primary caregivers of children with autism. In regard to the daily life characteristics, findings of this study showed that some parents devoted their whole day to their children, they had less time to rest and their daily activities were more frequent. Regarding the problem behaviors and stereotypical-repetitive behaviors, the vast majority of parents reported that their children had some kinds of problem behaviors or stereotypical behaviors which negatively affect their daily lives. In regard to the communication styles, the great majority of the parents stated that their children mostly used gestures and vocalizations while communicating with their siblings and their parents and they displayed impairments in communication with their peers. In depth parent opinions which were examined in this study are discussed in line of qualitative research studies, and suggestions for future research and practice are also included.

Keywords

• Autism
• parent opinions
• daily routine experiences
• play interactions
• problem behaviors
• communication skills.

Otizmli Çocuğa Sahip Olan Ebeveynlerin Çocuklarının Günlük Yaşam Özellikleri, Günlük Oyun Etkileşimleri, Problem Davranışlar ve İletişim Stillerine İlişkin Görüşleri

Abstract

Bu araştırmada, otizmli çocuğa sahip olan ebeveynlerin, çocuklarının yer aldığı günlük yaşam rutinlerine yönelik deneyimleri ve çocuklarının sahip olduğu sosyal etkileşim ve iletişim becerileri ile sergiledikleri problem davranışlara ilişkin görüşlerinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmada, otizmli çocuğa sahip olan birincil bakım veren durumundaki 50 ebeveyn ile yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşmeler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, günlük yaşam özellikleri açısından bazı ebeveynlerin, tüm günlerini çocuklarına adayarak geçirme ve daha az dinlenme süresine sahip olma ile günlük meşguliyetlerinin daha fazla olması biçiminde günlük yaşam özelliklerine sahip oldukları belirlenmiştir. Problem davranışlar ve tekrarlayıcı-yineleyici davranışlar açısından ise ebeveynlerin büyük çoğunluğu, çocuklarının günlük yaşamı olumsuz etkileyici bir problem davranış veya stereo-tipik davranışa sahip olduğunu bildirmişlerdir. İletişim stilleri açısından, ebeveynlerin önemli bir çoğunluğunun, dil ve iletişim özellikleri bakımından, kendileri ve kardeşleri ile iletişim kurarken yoğun olarak jest ve sesleri kullandıkları; en sık olarak çocuklarının akranları ile olan etkileşimlerinde, iletişim yetersizliği sergiledikleri yanıtları elde edilmiştir. Bu araştırmada elde edilen, derinlemesine ebeveyn görüşleri, ilgili nitel araştırmalar doğrultusunda tartışılmış ve gelecekte yapılacak araştırmalara ve uygulamalara yönelik önerilere yer verilmiştir.

Keywords

• Otizm
• ebeveyn görüşleri
• günlük yaşam özellikleri
• oyun etkileşimi
• problem davranışlar
• iletişim stilleri.

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