Marital Experiences and Parental 'Highs' and 'Lows' When a Child with Autism Starts School

This study describes parents' daily "highs" and "lows" during their child's transition to school for the first time and examines how those experiences relate to turbulence in the parents' relationship. 106 parents (53 couples) rated their relationship qualities at pre-test and post-test and described "high" and "low" points of their day every three days for 42 days. Content analysis revealed experiences contributing to "high" or "low" points that were primarily related to: the child with ASD, the spouse, other children, personal situations, and other. Latent profile analysis identified three profiles that represented the relationship experiences of couples in the study: "resilient" couples, couples "getting by," and "asymmetrically engaged" couples. Results highlight the variety of daily experiences these parents encounter.