OTİZMLE YAŞAMAK: OKUL ÖNCESİ DÖNEMDE TANI ALAN ÇOCUKLARIN AİLELERİNDE KAYGI DÜZEYLERİ: LIVING WITH AUTISM: ANXIETY LEVELS OF FAMILIES OF CHILDREN DIAGNOSED IN THE PRESCHOOL PERIOD

Suat OĞUZ; Eylem Özlem GÖKTAY

doi:10.5281/zenodo.17720286

Authors

Suat OĞUZ Ministry of Education https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0511-5977
Eylem Özlem GÖKTAY Ministry of Education https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5294-169X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17720286

Keywords:

Autism, Parental anxiety, Children with autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

The psychological processes experienced by families of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are among the key factors that directly affect the child’s development. The emotional state of the family plays a critical role in determining the quality of the relationship established with the child, the level of participation in the educational process, and adherence to treatment. In this context, the aim of this study is to examine the anxiety levels of families with children diagnosed with ASD in relation to various variables. The population of the study consists of parents of children diagnosed with ASD, while the sample group comprises parents of children diagnosed with autism residing in Bursa, Türkiye. This research is a descriptive study employing a causal-comparative design. Data were collected from 82 parents. The study was conducted on the selected study group without employing a sampling method. Research data were obtained using a “Personal Information Form” created by the researchers and the “State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.” In order to determine the anxiety levels of parents with children diagnosed with ASD, frequency, percentage, arithmetic mean, and standard deviation were calculated. To decide which statistical analyses to use for comparing group means in the causal-comparative design, score distributions were examined. As the scores were found to follow a normal distribution, independent samples t-tests were used for comparisons between two groups, and ANOVA tests were employed for comparisons among more than two groups to determine whether differences existed according to demographic characteristics. The findings revealed no statistically significant differences in state anxiety scores in relation to gender, maternal education level, or paternal education level. However, a statistically significant difference was observed based on age: parents aged 40-49 exhibited higher levels of anxiety compared to other age groups.

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LIVING WITH AUTISM: ANXIETY LEVELS OF FAMILIES OF CHILDREN DIAGNOSED IN THE PRESCHOOL PERIOD