Parents’ Perceptions of Their Involvement in the Specialized Support Their Autistic Children Receive in Nova Scotia, Canada
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Date
2025-04
Authors
Mora, Wilson
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Mount Saint Vincent University
Abstract
The specialized support offered to autistic children during their early years, along with their families, has experienced considerable transformations over the past decade. The approach behind specialized support has shifted from a traditional paradigm rooted in biomedical knowledge to one emphasizing the family capacity-building paradigm. In practical terms, services are evolving from a professional-centered framework to a family-centered approach. This qualitative study aimed to explore parental experiences regarding their involvement in services that provide support to autistic children in Nova Scotia. A total of four parents of autistic children under the age of six participated in an online semi-structured interview. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted, identifying four categorical themes: involvement in programming and decision-making, barriers experienced by families, and opportunities in specialized autism services. The findings provided valuable insights into the role of parents of autistic children navigating autism services in Nova Scotia. Parents described their experiences in navigating services with minimal involvement, wherein practitioners assumed the leadership and guidance of the decision-making process. Moreover, parents reported several challenges in accessing and navigating specialized services, which were particularly heightened for one parent living in a rural area of Nova Scotia. Parents shared significant insights and strategies for actively engaging in services to support their autistic children during early childhood. Thus, the perspectives of parents are crucial for the formulation of high-quality services tailored to the unique realities faced by each family with an autistic child.