Autism Severity And Parental Affection For Children With Autism As Influenced By Environmental Support

Abstract

Children with autism often face challenges in social interaction, communication deficits, and repetitive behaviors. These issues can pose difficulties for parents in caring for their autistic children. The aim of this research was to explore the relationship between the severity of autism and parents' unconditional love, with religiosity and social support serving as moderating factors. This study employed a quantitative methodology using structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis. The sample consisted of 200 parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), aged 2 to 17 years, selected through non-probability sampling techniques. The instruments used included the unconditional love scale derived from the Porter Parent Acceptance scale (four items; α = .802; AVE = .628), the social support scale (three items; α = .703; AVE = .628), the Brief Multidimensional Measure of Religiousness/Spirituality (ten items; α = .952; AVE = .699), and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (four items; α = .756; AVE = .574). Results showed that parents' unconditional love was significantly influenced by the severity of autism (b = -0.162; t(196) = 2.849, p = .005), religiosity (b = 0.534; t(196) = 7.101, p = .000), and social support (b = 0.157; t(196) = 2.426, p = .016). Religiosity was found to play an important role in moderating the relationship between autism severity and parental unconditional love (b = 0.249; t(196) = 3.262, p = .001), whereas social support did not show a significant moderating effect (b = -0.020; t(196) = .293, p = .770). This suggests that religiosity can help parents maintain their unconditional love for their autistic children, while social support alone may not be sufficient to alleviate the stress involved. Therefore, it is recommended that parents of children with autism enhance their level of religiosity.