Understanding the experience of stigma for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and the role stigma plays in families' lives

Author(s): Sydney H. Kinnear[sup.1] [sup.6] , Bruce G. Link[sup.2] [sup.3] [sup.7] , Michelle S. Ballan[sup.4] [sup.5] , Ruth L. Fischbach[sup.1] [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) Department of Psychiatry, Center for Bioethics, [...]
Stigma is widely perceived in the lives of families with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) yet large, systematic studies have not been undertaken. Following Link and Phelan&apos;s (Ann Rev Sociol 27:363-385, 2001 (See CR12)) model, this study of 502 Simons Simplex Collection families details how different factors contribute to stigma and how each appears to increase the overall difficulty of raising a child with ASD. The model begins with the child&apos;s behavioral symptoms and then specifies stigma processes of stereotyping, rejection, and exclusion. Autism behaviors contribute both to the difficulty families experience raising a child with autism and to the stigma processes associated with those behaviors. Stigma also plays a significant role (.282, p < .001) in predicting how difficult life is overall for parents.