Education, the future and employment prospects are the top sources of stress for parents with an autistic child in Hong Kong, according to a survey by Autism Partnership Foundation.
Of the 171 parents of children under 18 with autism interviewed, some 70 per cent said they felt stressed over whether their children could be independent in the future, while about two-thirds indicated they were worried about their children not being accepted by others in the future. On their children's future employment, a total of 65.9 per cent found it a cause for stress, while 64.2 per cent were worried about their children's education.
The findings differed from those of similar studies in Western countries, noted chartered psychologist Dr Danny Lam Fei-yan, with Western parents worrying more about their children’s language abilities and social development, he said.
“The results reflect that the stigma against autistic people is still prevalent in Chinese societies,” Lam added. Toby Mountjoy, associate director of the foundation, called for more governmental support and funding for autistic adults, such as vocational training, work placement and job coaches, which are available in the United States. “It's not just looking at early intervention, but also for autistic people who are getting older,” he said. The survey by the charity group also revealed that mothers faced more stress than fathers, as they bore the brunt of the responsibility for taking care of an autistic child. Lam suggested that fathers take a more proactive role in caring for the child.
Yam Law Kan-wah, a mother of an autistic child, said one often could not tell that a person was autistic from their appearance. She recounted an experience when her son was throwing a tantrum in the public, and she was criticised for not being a good mother.
Yam urged parents with autistic children to have patience and perseverance in bringing their child up, saying this was how she managed to ease her son into society. On changes that could be made to reduce stress for parents, the most desired were: an increase in school support (93.4 per cent) and the provision of free evidence-based treatment for their children (92.8 per cent).
