Education, social care and health services need to become more aware of the important role that fathers play in the lives of children with autism, according to new research.
The finding is based on one of the largest studies to have been undertaken with fathers of children with autism. It was led by Carol Potter, a senior lecturer within the School of Education and Childhood at the UK’s Leeds Beckett University.
The project examined 306 online questionnaires completed by fathers (biological, adoptive, foster or step-fathers) of children with a diagnosis of autism, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or Asperger syndrome in the UK.
Fathers the ‘invisible parent’
Carol explained: “Fathers can often be seen as the ‘invisible parent’ and, as such, are rarely included in research or family support provision, with services being generally much less aware of either their contribution to family life or their needs for support. This may be especially the case in relation to fathers of children with disabilities.”
She added: “This is unfortunate because research over the last 30 years has found that positive father engagement, alongside the input of mothers, leads to a range of educational and psychological benefits for children.”
Significantly involved
The study investigated father engagement in the care, play and education of their children with autism, finding that many men were significantly involved in these areas. Half of the fathers were equally responsible for their children’s daily care routines, including morning and bedtime routines as well as managing sleeping problems.
More fathers spent time engaged in play than any other activity. Three-quarters of men played or spent leisure time with their children every day or several times a week. Some of the most frequent play and leisure activities reported were rough-and-tumble play, looking at books, computing and going for walks.
Many dads also played a significant role in their children’s education and learning, with nearly 40 per cent having helped with homework ‘many times’ during the previous year and more than half attending a number of school meetings during that time.
Demands of employment
Six in ten fathers were satisfied or very satisfied with levels of involvement with their children, while one in five were not. By far the most significant obstacle to involvement generally and in relation to education, in particular, were the demands of employment.
Fathers were asked if having a child with autism had affected their employment in any way. Nearly half had changed their working pattern to some extent (to part-time work, shift work or self-employment) so that they could be more involved in the everyday care of their children. Four in ten men reported some loss of income, often due to opting to work fewer hours to take on greater caring responsibilities.
When asked about stress, more than half of fathers reported feeling stressed for ‘quite a lot’ or ‘most’ of the time. The main causes of stress were worry about the future, managing children’s behaviour, not getting a break, concern about family finances, not enough services, and lack of rest caused by children’s sleeping problems.
No support from paid workers
Just under half of fathers received no support from paid workers and eight in ten fathers believed that professionals working with their children did not sufficiently recognise the importance of their parenting contribution.
Despite experiences that were sometimes challenging, fathers identified a number of positive aspects to their parenting role. They valued the individual personal qualities of their children with autism and the often-strong emotional bond they experienced with them, as well as their own nurturing role.
Carol said: “This study shows that professionals need to become more aware of the important role that fathers play, alongside mothers, in the lives of children with autism, and that they need to develop more effective ways of supporting both parents.”
Published: 2 November 2016
