THE USE OF ONLINE PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS BY PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

Otistik çocukların ebeveynleri yüksek düzeyde stres, kaygı, hayal kırıklığı ve hoşnutsuzluk yaşarlar. Bu aileler çocuklarına tanı konulduktan sonra hayatlarında değişiklik yaparlar. Tanı sonrasında ebeveynler tedavi hizmetlerinin kullanımı, kişisel ağları ya da aile üyelerinden destek ya da dinsel başa çıkma mekanizmalarının kullanımı gibi farklı başa çıkma mekanizmaları kullanırlar. Ebeveynler bu stratejilere ek olarak bir başa çıkma mekanizması olarak sosyal destek gruplarını da kullanırlar. Özel gereksinimli çocuk sahibi ebeveynler uzun zamandır sosyal destek gruplarını kullanarak yeni bilgiye ulaşma, diğer grup üyeleri ile deneyimlerini paylaşma ve duygusal destek alma imkânına sahiptirler. Bu gruplar arasında olan yüzyüze destek grupları üyelerine deneyimlerini paylaşma, birbirlerine destek olma, yeni bilgilere ulaşma, benzer ilgi ya da kaygıyı paylaşan ebeveynler ile birlikte bir ağ oluşturma imkânı sunmaktadır. Çevrimiçi ebeveyn destek grupları da benzer desteği çevrimiçi sunmakla birlikte üyelerine istedikleri zaman ya da dünyanın neresinden olursa olsun tartışmalara katılma imkânı sunar. Bu makalenin ilk kısmında ebeveynlerin otistik bir çocuk yetiştirme ile ilgili deneyimlerine değinilmektedir. İkinci kısımda ise yüzyüze ve çevrimiçi destek grupları ile ilgili çalışmalar gözden geçirilmekte ve bu grupların avantaj ve dezavantajları tartışılmaktadır. Ayrıca literatürdeki bilgiler ışığında sonuç ve önerilere yer verilmektedir.

OTİSTİK ÇOCUĞU OLAN EBEVEYNLERİN ÇEVRİMİÇİ SOSYAL DESTEK GRUPLARI KULLANIMLARI

Parents of children with autism experience high levels of stress, anxiety, frustration and dissatisfaction. Following the diagnosis in their children families make changes in their lives. After diagnosis parents employ different coping strategies such as use of treatment services, support from other members of the family or personal network or use of religious coping mechanisms. In addition to these strategies parents also use parent support groups as a way of coping. Parents of children with special needs have long been using parent support groups in order to gather new information, share their experiences with other group members, or get emotional support. Among these groups face-to-face support groups provide their members with the opportunity to share their experiences, support each other, obtain new information, and create a network of parents with similar interests or concerns. Online parent support groups provide the same support in online environment with the advantage of participating discussion any time they want and from anywhere in the world. The first section of this article focuses on parents' experiences of raising a child with autism. The second section reviews studies on face-to-face and parent support groups and discusses advantages and disadvantages of these groups. Conclusions and recommendation are made based on literature.

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