Caregivers’ expectations of their non-verbal autistic children in rural KwaZulu-Natal

South African Journal of Communication Disorders

 
 
Field Value
 
Title Caregivers’ expectations of their non-verbal autistic children in rural KwaZulu-Natal
 
Creator Haffejee, Fatima Pahl, Jennifer A.H. Karrim, Saira B.
 
Subject speech language therapy; rural health autism spectrum disorder; parents; expectations; caregivers; communication; speech-language therapy; rural; education
Description Background: Caregiver expectations have been shown to impact child outcomes. There is limited research regarding caregivers of non-verbal autistic children in rural South Africa. Autistic individuals form part of a larger environment, which they influence and which impacts them. Caregivers form part of this environment.Objectives: This study aims to explore caregivers’ expectations of communication, education, social implications and intervention for their non-verbal autistic child in rural KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).Method: Bronfenbrenner’s ecological and bioecological systems theory framed the study and allowed the child’s interaction with their environment to be understood through the use of a qualitative study design via interviews. Eleven caregivers (pilot study: n = 1 and main study: n = 10) of non-verbal autistic children were selected and interviewed. Data were analysed thematically.Results: Caregivers had varied expectations. Grandparents were often the primary caregivers (microsystem). Relationships within the mesosystem (caregiver and therapist) and caregiver’s understanding affected their feelings and expectations that changed over time (chronosystem). Education was the predominant expectation. The study highlighted limited resources (schools) within the exosystem. Caregivers reported both support and judgement from their communities.Conclusion: There is a need for public awareness, caregiver counselling and autism support groups in rural KZN and more specialised education options in order to improve caregivers’ expectations.Contribution: This study contributes to the limited literature in the field of autism in South Africa, more specifically the rural context and communication disorders.
 
Publisher AOSIS
 
Contributor South African Red Cross Air Mercy Services
Date 2024-09-27
 
Type info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion — qualitative research; interviews
Format text/html application/epub+zip text/xml application/pdf
Identifier 10.4102/sajcd.v71i1.1049
 
Source South African Journal of Communication Disorders; Vol 71, No 1 (2024); 8 pages 2225-4765 0379-8046
 
Language eng
 
Relation
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:

https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/1049/2308 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/1049/2309 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/1049/2310 https://sajcd.org.za/index.php/sajcd/article/view/1049/2311
 
Coverage Rural South Africa — —
Rights Copyright (c) 2024 Fatima Haffejee, Jennifer A.H. Pahl, Saira B. Karrim https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
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