Factors Predicting Parental Self-Efficacy in Parenting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
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Abstract
Purpose: To study factors that could predict parental self-efficacy in raising children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including parents' perceptions of their child's behavioral problems, vicarious learning, social support, and parenting stress, under the conceptual framework of Self-Efficacy Theory.
Design: Predictive correlational research.
Methods: The sample consisted of 206 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder aged 3 years to 6 years 9 months, who received treatment at Rajanukul Institute between December 2023 and April 2024. Questionnaires were used for data collection, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis.
Main findings: It was found that parents' perceptions of their child's behavioral problems, vicarious learning, social support, and parenting stress could jointly and significantly predict parental self-efficacy in raising children with ASD (R2 = .24). Vicarious learning had the highest significant predictive power (β = .30, p < .05), while social support could not predict parental self-efficacy in raising children with ASD.
Conclusion and recommendations: The findings indicate the importance of vicarious learning, parents' perceptions of their child's behavioral problems, and stress management towards parental self-efficacy. Therefore, self-efficacy promotion programs should emphasize creating opportunities for learning from appropriate role models and developing stress management strategies. This will strengthen parents' potential in childcare, support the development of children with ASD, and reduce the long-term mental health risks for parents.
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