THE STATE OF FORMATION OF PARENTING CULTURE IN FAMILIES RAISING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS AT THE ASCERTAINING STAGE OF THE STUDY

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study on the state of formation of parenting culture in families raising primary school children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). These results reflect the ascertaining stage of the experiment, aimed at determining the content and methods for forming parenting culture. The author investigated the state of formation of each criterion of parenting culture in families raising children with ASD: cognitive, communicative, emotional-value, and behavioral. The study revealed the following data regarding the levels of the cognitive component: 20% of respondents in the experimental group (EG) and 22% in the control group (CG) have a high level; 65% in the EG and 60% in the CG have a medium level; and 15% in the EG and 18% in the CG have a low level. Regarding the communicative component, a high level of formation was observed in 19% of EG respondents and 20% of CG; a medium level in 65% of EG and 63% of CG; and a low level in 16% of EG and 17% of CG. For the emotional-value component, 35% of EG respondents and 36% of CG reached a high level; 65% of EG and 63% of CG reached a medium level; while 1% of EG participants and 2% of CG remained at a low level. The behavioral component showed a high level of formation in 15% of EG and 16% of CG; a medium level in 55% of EG and 56% of CG; and a low level in 30% of EG and 28% of CG respondents. In summary, a high level of parenting culture formation was found in 22% of the EG and 24% of the CG; a medium level was characteristic of 62% of the EG and 60% of the CG; and 16% of parents in both the EG and CG were at a low level. It was established that primary attention should be paid to developing skills for interacting with non-verbal children, overcoming parental autization, and forming the ability to prevent and successfully manage undesirable behavior. Furthermore, parents need to develop sensitivity to the child's problems while maintaining self-care and moral resilience.