Fatigue, Wellbeing and Parental Self-Efficacy in Mothers of Children with ASD

Raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents significant challenges for parents that potentially have a impact on their health and wellbeing. The current study examined the extent to which parents experience fatigue and its relationship to other aspects of wellbeing and parenting. Fifty mothers of children with an ASD aged 2-5 years participated in the study. Compared with mothers of typically developing children, mothers of children with an ASD reported significantly higher fatigue, with overall scores in the moderate range. Factors associated with high levels of fatigue were poor maternal sleep quality, a high need for social support and poor quality of physical activity. Fatigue was also significantly related to other aspects of wellbeing, including stress, anxiety and depression, and lower parenting efficacy and satisfaction. The need for interventions to specifically target parental fatigue and its impact on families affected by ASDs both in the short and long term is clearly indicated.


Giallo R, Wood CE, Jellett R, Porter R.
SourceParenting Research Centre, Australia.

Conquering Fears

When my daughter was really young, she had a nightmare about a kangaroo nipping at her neck. From then on, she was terrified of them. Later, as a teen, she was nominated to be a student ambassador to Australia. For several weeks her group met and prepared for the nineteen day trip. My daughter wasn't concerned about being far away from home, or being with people that she barely knew, or the fourteen hour flight. The only thing she worried about was having to encounter a kangaroo. That is what makes the picture below so special. My daughter was able to conquer her fear and actually feed a kangaroo. In fact, she fed several of them!