Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face difficulties adjusting to the developmental changes during puberty due to deficits in social interaction, communication and maladaptive behaviour. Parents therefore have an important role to play in supporting and guiding them. Research suggests that parents of adolescents with ASD experience chronically elevated stress levels and are at increased risk of mental health problems. This work is aimed at gaining insight into the experiences of parents of adolescents with ASD, exploring how they perceive developmental changes, approach sex education and how they cope with the stress of parenting. I was also interested in the perceived impact of ASD on the family and parents' needs for psychological support. In a semi-structured interview, 15 parents described their experiences in raising adolescents with ASD. I analyzed the data through thematic analysis using the ATLAS program. Participants perceive an increase in social challenges, independence, internalizing behaviors, interest in sexuality, and romantic relationships. They face difficulties with adaptive behavior, sensory sensitivities, and externalizing behaviors. Results indicate that parents perceive various stressors, such as concerns about the adolescent's future, inflexibility, behavioral issues, societal non-acceptance, and peer bullying. Parents used coping strategies such as education about ASD, seeking systemic and alternative sources of help, behaviour regulation approaches, and seeking social support and positive reinterpretation. Parents report many adaptations of the family to the needs of the person with ASD, positive impact on personal growth and family relationships, as well as challenges in the partner relationship and worries about siblings feeling neglected. The results suggest that parents need accessible and continuous psychological support for the whole family. They need help in particular in accepting the diagnosis, coping with stress and preventing burnout. The findings can serve practitioners in understanding the difficulties of parents of adolescents with ASD and in designing interventions to support parents.
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