How can Educational Psychologists (EPs) support families of autistic children? An exploration of parents' experiences and perspectives

Abstract

This thesis aims to explore the experiences and perspectives of families of autistic children relating to support from professionals and services. Chapter 1 explores this more broadly, whilst the empirical research focuses on support from Educational Psychologists. It consists of four chapters: a systematic literature review, a bridging document to examine methodology and ethics, an empirical project, and a reflective synthesis. Chapter 1: Research suggests families of children on the autism spectrum may experience increased levels of stress, impacting their wellbeing, thereby indicating the importance of these families receiving support. This systematic literature review aims to explore what is known about the experiences of support from professionals and services for families of children on the autism spectrum. Six papers were synthesised using meta-ethnography, resulting in a model which depicts varying experiences, relating to five overarching constructs: ‘provision of support’, ‘professional interactions’, ‘professional knowledge and skills’, ‘family-centred support’ and ‘facilitating community connections’. This contributes to an understanding of the varied experiences of support from professionals and services for families of children on the autism spectrum and offers a starting point for informing how formal support practices may be improved. Chapter 2: This presents a bridging document between the findings of the systematic literature review to the empirical project. Within this, the methodological and ethical considerations are critically examined to provide a rationale for decision-making throughout the research process. Chapter 3: Research suggests families of autistic children may experience elevated levels of stress, impacting their general wellbeing. Providing support for families, including formal support, such as from professionals and services may therefore be beneficial. Despite the role Educational Psychologists (EPs) have in working with families, there is a paucity of research that explores parents’ experiences and perceptions of formal support within the context of Educational Psychology. In relation to the literature gap, this qualitative research aims to explore how EPs can support families of autistic children, by exploring parents’ experiences and perspectives of support from EPs. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven mothers from five Local Authorities in Northeast England. Data was analysed using reflexive thematic analysis which generated four main themes: (1) equitable access to educational psychologist support; (2) adopt a family-centred approach; (3) assume a coordinator role; (4) empower others with knowledge and understanding. 6 Findings contribute to the literature exploring experiences of formal support for families of autistic children and are contextualised within a discussion of implications for individual EP practice, alongside broader service level considerations to support family systems. Chapter 4: This chapter provides a reflective synthesis of the research journey, exploring the influence of the research process on me as a researcher and professional, alongside examining the potential broader implications of the research.