Rita Abdel-Baki, Kristel Thomassin
To address this gap, we interviewed 18 caregivers of autistic children in Ontario, Canada about the factors and resources that have impacted their parental self-efficacy.
Caregivers of autistic children access many resources to support themselves and their children, but little is known about the impact of these resources on parental self-efficacy. To address this gap, we interviewed 18 caregivers of autistic children in Ontario, Canada about the factors and resources that have impacted their parental self-efficacy. Reflexive thematic analysis revealed four themes: Circle of Support, Mastery Experiences, Self-Care, and System Knowledge and Access. Study results support the tenet that mastery experiences are a primary source of self-efficacy, while also offering new insights into factors that can impact parental self-efficacy. Importantly, System Knowledge and Access was found to have an overarching and pervasive impact on parental self-efficacy such that service barriers and a lack of system transparency decreased caregivers' parental self-efficacy. Policy and clinical implications are discussed, including the importance of clear and transparent processes for caregivers to access services, shorter waitlists, and caregiver-centered supports.