• KRISHNAKUMAR K. S
• HEERA K.S.
• ARJUNAN N K.

The study examined the differential influence of demographic factors on parenting stress experienced by mothers of children with high functioning autism (HFA). Six null hypotheses were tested by collecting data from a simple random sample of 128 mothers of children with HFA, who were enrolled to various special schools in Ernakulam district (Kerala, India), by administering the Stress Inventory for Mothers of Children with Autism Disorder (SIMCAD) and a Personal Data Sheet. Analysis of the data by employing independent sample t-test, one way ANOVA and Scheffe's post-hoc test revealed that demographic factors like gender of the children with autism, residential locale of the family, type of family, age of the children with HFA, and age of the mother exert significant differential effect on the parenting stress experienced by the mothers of children with HFA. Educational qualification of the mothers, however, do not have any significant differential influence on their stress. Mothers of autistic boys compared to mothers of autistic girls, urban mothers compared to their rural counterparts, and mothers of nuclear families compared to those living in joint families experience higher parenting stress. Likewise, age of the HFA child and age of the mother herself are significant factors in discriminating mothers of children with high functioning autism on the basis of their parenting stress. Educational qualification of the mother, however, is not a decisive factor in the parenting stress they experience while bringing up a child with HFA.

Parenting stress, Children with high functioning autism, Demographic factors

"DIFFERENTIAL DEMOGRAPHICS OF PARENTING STRESS IN MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 3, page no.k164-k169, March-2024, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2403A19.pdf

"DIFFERENTIAL DEMOGRAPHICS OF PARENTING STRESS IN MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH HIGH FUNCTIONING AUTISM", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.11, Issue 3, page no. ppk164-k169, March-2024, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2403A19.pdf