Autism in the Context of Humanitarian Emergency: The Lived Experiences of Syrian Refugee Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum
Date
2021-08-26
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Abstract
Autism is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition that varies in severity, presentation, and behavioural expression. Given this heterogeneity and the importance of early intervention, appropriate support, and service is crucial to promote positive outcomes. Research suggests differences in the diagnostic understanding, support acquisition, and service use among diverse, minority, and/or migrant populations. There is a gap in research investigating support and service use among Syrian refugee parents of autistic children in Canada. This study explored the support and service experiences of resettled Syrian refugee parents of autistic children in terms of their pre- and post-migration. These lived experiences were investigated with participants (n = 3) through semi-structured interviews using interpretive phenomenological analysis. This study identified the supports and services parents received, their experiences with those services, their overall experiences with resettlement having an autistic child(ren), the implications of culture in support/service provision, and their perceived areas of service need during and after their resettlement in Alberta, Canada. Parents all had unique experiences that were delineated through clustered emergent themes and subsequently organized into a superordinate conceptual structure. The results of the study are discussed in the context of theory and relevant literature to elucidate and make findings applicable. Practical implications and future directions are discussed.
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Resettlement, Migration, Immigration, Autism, Supports and Services, Cross-cultural, Cross-language, Syrian Refugees, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis, Alberta, Minority Populations
Citation
Bernier, A. S. (2021). Autism in the Context of Humanitarian Emergency: The Lived Experiences of Syrian Refugee Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.