This review aims to systematically review qualitative research exploring the social support experiences of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (CWASD). Limited to original research in English language only; reported on the social support experiences of parents of CWASD; publication dates 2013 to 2023. PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were systematically searched for qualitative research. The search was conducted on 3/1/2024 (Finally updated on 11/5/2024). The modified Critical Appraisal Skills Program tool was used to assess the overall quality of the included studies, and the GRADE-CERQual tool was used to assess the confidence of the findings. The data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. This review is registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023409344). 18 studies were included. The overall quality of most studies was high. Parents of CWASD lack emotional support from family, professionals, friends, and the community. The social exclusion and stigma surrounding disabilities add pressure, although religious beliefs provide some positive support. They face challenges owing to limited healthcare, financial burdens, and inadequate policies. Additionally, they lack access to helpful information. While peer support can be useful, it often suffers from issues such as negative feedback and inconsistency. This review reveals substantial deficits in social support for parents of CWASD, which leads to stress and social isolation. Comprehensive measures to strengthen family services, policy frameworks, healthcare, and educational support while simultaneously reducing stigma and enhancing information transparency should be implemented.

Referring to Walsh’s theoretical framework of family resilience while taking into account China’s own cultural and institutional context, this study discussed the process of resilience generation in Chinese families of children with ASD. A qualitative approach was taken, using narrative research on 10 Chinese families of children with ASD. Category-content analysis of the data suggests that the generation of resilience in Chinese families of children with ASD is influenced by four factors: (A) cultivating positive family beliefs; (B) adjustment of the family’s organizational pattern; (C) extending external resources positively; and (D) optimizing family communication. Unlike family resilience generation mechanisms in Western countries that emphasize religious beliefs, intrinsic traits, and resources, the resilience of Chinese families of children with ASD is based on a family value system based on a sense of responsibility and the application of internal and external family resources, which is undoubtedly related to China’s long-standing emphasis on collectivist culture. This study has theoretical reference value for the implementation of related social work services.

This study aims to test the effects of the parent-implemented interventions (PIIs) on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in China and to explore the effects of PIIs on the family quality of life of families of children with ASD in China. This study adopted a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design based on PIIs. Participants is divided into intervention group (N(parents) = 35, Age(M ± SD) = 35.69 ± 3.45; N(children) = 35, Age(M ± SD) = 5.49 ± 2.74) and control group (N(parents) = 35, Age(M ± SD) = 36.06 ± 4.28; N(children) = 35, Age(M ± SD) = 5.71 ± 3.25); parents in intervention group were trained with PIIs and required to implement family interventions for their children with ASD as they learned. This study will provide data to support the development and improvement of PIIs, and will also benefit the well-being and sustainability of children with ASD and their families. Compared to control group, the children in intervention group had a significant improvement in social communication ability (p < 0.05), and the families in intervention group had a significant enhancing in family quality of life (satisfaction) (p < 0.001). This study found that PIIs are effective in enhancing the social communication ability of children with ASD in China and the family quality of life (satisfaction) of their families. PIIs is a good and cost-effective complement to rehabilitation training in professional institutions, and have positive significance for the well-being and sustainability of children with ASD and their families.

This study aimed to explore the dynamic adjustment mechanisms of the families of school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in China in coping with challenges, focusing on the roles of belief systems, organizational processes, and communication strategies, as well as the influence of the China-specific cultural and policy contexts. Based on Walsh’s family resilience theory, a qualitative research methodology was used, with semi-structured interviews to collect experience data from these families, and thematic analysis was used to summarize the main challenges and coping processes. The study found that the families mainly faced the following challenges: difficulties in family care, parenting burnout, educational plights, and inadequate community support systems. Regarding belief systems, families enhanced their resilience through emotional acceptance and redefined expectations; regarding organizational processes, families optimized their internal operations through the flexible division of labor and decision-making patterns and actively mobilized external resources; and, regarding communication, reflection and sharing fostered emotional connection within the family, while compromise and patience enhanced the ability to integrate external resources. In addition, the traditional Chinese culture and inadequate policy support had a significant impact on the formation of family resilience. This study validates the cross-cultural applicability of family resilience theory and suggests enhancing family resilience through psychological support, policy optimization, and social advocacy.

This study examined how resilience mediates the relationship between social support and quality of life (QoL) among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (CWASD) in China. A total of 257 parents were recruited using simple random sampling from a hospital. Participants completed the Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC, Chinese version), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQOL-BREF, Chinese Version). Data were analyzed using SPSS 22.0, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and mediating effect analysis with the PROCESS macro. Social support was positively correlated with resilience (r = 0.60, p < 0.01) and all QoL domains, with correlation coefficients ranging from 0.48 to 0.67 (all p < 0.05). Mediating effect analysis revealed that resilience partially mediated the effect of social support on QoL (β = 0.61, t = 4.55, p < 0.001; indirect effect = 0.21, 95% CI [0.06, 0.13]). This study reveals that resilience is a crucial pathway through which social support is translated into improved QoL for parents of CWASD. This finding underscores the need for a dual-focus approach in interventions, one that simultaneously strengthens external support systems and cultivates internal coping capacities.

Research on families of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often marginalizes adult neurotypical (NT) siblings, particularly outside of Western contexts. This study aimed to provide an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of adult NT siblings of individuals with ASD (IWASD) in China. Using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach, this study conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with eight adult NT siblings of IWASD from China. Data were analyzed following IPA procedures. The analysis yielded three group experiential themes: 1) the inescapable responsibility within a culture of blood-ties, 2) the struggle between "flesh-and-blood kin" and "spiritual isolation", and 3) finding identity between "fulfilling others" and "losing the self". The findings reveal that participants' lived experience is a dynamic process shaped by cultural responsibility, mediated by a paradoxical relationship, and ultimately characterized by identity negotiation through sacrifice. The study concludes that in the Chinese context, the experience of adult NT siblings of IWASD dialectically unifies risk (e.g., ceded ideals) and resilience (e.g., pride as family stabilizer) under the core tenet of "sacrificing for the family". This offers a culturally centered, integrative perspective that supplements the dichotomous risk-resilience discussion in existing literature.