Parenting a Child with Autism: Filipino American Beliefs and Perceptions
Significance: Few studies have been conducted on ASD in Filipino Americans, and largely remain underreported in the United States. Stigma and shame is associated with parenting a child who is developmentally disabled. Children may experience a delay in treatment as a result of the stigma. Seeking early intervention is necessary to promote optimal development for the child with ASD. Parents may experience psychological and/or physical health consequences from stressors associated with managing care for their child.
Purposes/Aims: This research study aims to attain a better understanding of ASD from the perspective of Filipino American parents. Cultural beliefs and values influence patterns of help-seeking behavior and perception of illness. Filipino American cultural beliefs and perceptions about ASD, and understanding and management of ASD will be explored. A theory about the processes involved in how Filipino American parents of a child with ASD understand and manage their child’s developmental disability will be generated.
Background: Health and illness in Filipino culture is based on timbang (balance), where health stems from attaining balance, and illness stems from a consequence of imbalance. Traditional Filipino cultural values that may affect help-seeking behavior include hiya (shame), amor propio (self-esteem), pakikisama (getting along), and bahala na (leaving things in the hands of God). As a collectivist culture, group needs are prioritized over individual needs, and influence communication patterns and help-seeking behavior.
Methods: Grounded theory will explore ASD from a cultural perspective. In-person interviews will be conducted to glean insight into the beliefs and perceptions of ASD and to capture processes involved in managing and understanding the developmental disability. Research questions will be framed using Kleinman’s exploratory model of illness. The study will be guided using social constructionism as a theoretical perspective, and symbolic interactionism and pragmatism as philosophical underpinnings.
Results: Data analysis will commence with coding processes based in grounded theory. The constant comparative method drives data analysis supported by inductive processes. Other tools will be used in analysis—memos, diagrams, field notes, and reflexive journals. Demographic information will also be collected and analyzed through descriptive statistics.
Implications: Research efforts exploring ASD in the context of Filipino American culture is crucial for nursing interventions and parental management of the developmental disability. Future nursing research will need to focus on the development of culturally-sensitive, validated screening tools to assist with early identification of ASD in Filipino Americans. Implementation of culturally tailored programs would integrate traditional Filipino health beliefs to optimize overall health outcomes in children with ASD through early screening and intervention programs.