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Research Article: The Diagnostic Process for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study of Jordanian Parents’ Perspectives

Date Published: 2023-08-15

Abstract:
Although extensive research has been conducted worldwide to investigate the diagnostic process of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Jordanian parents’ experiences have been overlooked. This study explored parents’ journeys toward receiving diagnoses for their children with ASD. In particular, it aimed to provide a clear picture of the process for obtaining these diagnoses for children in Jordan. Methods: Eighteen semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 mothers and six fathers of children with ASD aged 5 to 11 years old. Results: The coding process was based on a thematic analysis method and resulted in the identification of three overlapping themes: dissatisfaction with professionals’ abilities to approach parents, an unstructured diagnostic process, and perspectives on diagnosis tools. Conclusions: Our data upheld the idea that parental satisfaction with the diagnostic process is influenced by the duration of the process, the information provided, the support offered, and the communication approach used by professionals. Within the local cultural context, parents were significantly impacted by the societal stigma associated with disability when they sought diagnoses for their children with ASD.

Introduction:
There is worldwide agreement that the number of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasing dramatically [1,2,3,4,5]. Obtaining an accurate diagnosis for children with ASD and their families is challenging, as this process has a significant influence not only on the children but also on their parents [6,7,8,9,10]. There is no doubt that an early diagnosis is particularly important for children, since it usually allows them to access timely and appropriate early intervention services and…

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