**2.1 The rationale for the present study**

The rationale for utilizing this study was a dearth of information on the impact of caregiving for a child with ASD on parents' coping style to adjust themselves with associated challenges and demands in less affluent countries with limited support and service. The survey study had the following research objectives:


A mixed-method approach is adopted in which both qualitative and quantitative data were used to attain the aims and objectives of the present study based around standardized, self-completed parental rating scales and semi-structured interviews.

sessions were considered. In the first session, parents were provided with the consent form, the information sheet and data collecting questionnaires and the aims of the study were discussed. In the second session, the interview was performed and the previously provided questionnaires which were completed by them were checked and collected. Therefore, the main aim of the first session was focused on informing parents about the study and resolving any possible queries and handing the self-completed questionnaires. The second session devoted to the qualitative interview that took 45–60 min with a 45–30 min fluctuation to cover the parental questions, reception and hospitality that they culturally obligate themselves to do. The interview consisted of three open questions on the challenges of diagnosis, their most challenges with their child, and the way that they cope with the demands on them. Each main question had some probes to help parents to explain more and

*Parental Coping Styles of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Report from Iran*

The interview started by reminding the parents that the session would be recorded as they consented in the form they received in the first session. Therefore,

In sum, a group of 43 volunteer parents of children with ASD who consented to be participating in the study was contacted and interviewed. The group consisted of

Parental demographic data in this study are presentedin the following table (**Table 1**).

Parents in this study were caregiving 11 (26%) girls and 32 (74%) boys. The children ranged from 3 to 17 years (mean = 8.2, SD = 2.9). About 39 (91%) children were living with both parents, and 4 (9%) were living with their mothers (**Table 2**). Sixteen children (37%) were the only child and 26 (60.5%) had one or two sibling (s) and there was one child (2%) who had over three siblings. **Table 3** (see below) shows more information about the ASD symptoms severity in children based on

The five parental scales covered parental general health, reported stress, family functioning, coping style and parental satisfaction with caring for a child with a developmental disability. A specially devised socio-demographic questionnaire was used to collect data about parents' and children's demographic information (i.e. parents and child's gender, living places, parental level of education, profession, ethnicity and families' main wage earner, etc.; see **Tables 1** and **2**). The three scales used to collect data about children's ASD severity were well-validated parent-report

instruments that had been used in the past research internationally.

1.General health questionnaire [25]: this is a 28-item questionnaire

recommended for screening the assessment of psychiatric morbidity [26] with calculated reliability through test-retest of 0.80. The calculated Cronbach's α for the present study was 0.93. The reported tests re-test reliabilities in other

provide more detailed information.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92700*

**3.2 Parental information**

**3.3 Children information**

**3.4 Measures**

*3.4.1 Parental scales*

**109**

*3.4.1.1 Scales with Iranian norms*

all interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim.

16 (37.2%) fathers and 27 (62.8%) mothers.

their parents' reports and understanding.

The combined approach research method involves integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches to generating new knowledge. Combining methods activates their complementary strengths and helps to overcome their discrete weaknesses [22]. In this type of research, different information will be brought together [23]. The basic presumption is that qualitative and quantitative approaches are compatible with a pragmatist paradigm perspective. The pragmatist paradigm has been gaining popularity since the 1980s [24].
