CHALLENGES FACED BY WORKING MOTHERS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM DURING LOCKDOWN PERIOD

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a broad term used to describe a group of neuro developmental disorders. These disorders are characterized by problems with communication and social interaction. People with ASD often demonstrate restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped interests or patterns of behavior.ASD is found in individuals around the world, regardless of race, culture, or economic background. In the lockdown period with professional and social support reduced because of these circumstances, parents and caregivers will almost certainly encounter an increased frequency and severity of challenging behaviour in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Parents of children on the autism spectrum are likely to have personal challenges, including working from home or loss of employment, and could become overwhelmed with the demands of looking after their children without the daily support of specialists. This study aims to explore and better understand the effect of working mothers with autistic child. There is no studies on this topic. This study would also contribute to the knowledge base of social work and facilitate further research in this area. The study is qualitative in nature and multiple case study design was used. Thematic analysis was done to analyse the data. The data were collected from three respondents. The cases were purposively selected and a semi-structured interview guide was used as the tool. The findings of the study is that pandemic effect the working mothers very well like Physical, psychological, financial and social challenges are faced.