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The majority of children with ASC are educated within a mainstream secondary setting. The challenges within the new environment may lead to some children experiencing a breakdown in provision resulting in temporary or permanent exclusions. A gap in the literature highlights a need for research which seeks to understand the views and experiences of year 7 children with ASCs about theirtransition to mainstream secondary school. The research involved four year 7 children with ASC, from across three settings, who had recently transitioned from a mainstream primary school to a mainstream secondary school (without resource based provision). The views of their parents and teachers were also sought. A multiple-embedded case study design was employed involving four cases from across three school settings. This involved utilising a transition Q-sort and a semi-structured interview with four children and semi-structured interviews with six parents and three teachers. The data was analysed using content analysis and thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The findings highlight a need for individualised transition planning for the child with ASC; consideration of co-occurring difficulties and the importance of including the views of the child and parents in transition planning. The findings are discussed in relation to psychological theories and existing literature. The implications for future research, local authority policy, school staff, parents and educational psychologists are considered.

Autism spectrum disorders, as some of psychiatric disorders, which also include childhood autism, atypical autism, Asperegs´syndrome, childhood disintegrative disorder, and Rett syndrome, are considered to be significant anomalies in children´s development, which are characterized by problems in communication, social interaction and behavior. These are the typical symptoms creating barriers between children and their families, medical personnel, or environment. Despite all efforts to improve the care for children with autism spectrum disorders, the situation is generally unsatisfying. Counseling services are not available in all regions and specialized preschool and school facilities are missing in a lot of places. Also, specialists´ awareness is often insufficient and even in health care facilities unfamiliarity with the issue of children with autism spectrum disorders may be seen. On the part of the public a negative reaction, misunderstanding and prejudice against these children and their families are still being expressed, making autism spectrum disorders stigmatizing. A nurse as a professional provides the care through the nursing process, in which her role consists not only in provision of the direct nursing care, but she also takes on the role of the child´s rights advocate and a mediator for information exchange between the child, the parent, the doctor and herself. In the care of children with autistic spectrum disorders, a nurse provides not only nursing care, but also educational care with the aim to support the child's development. In order to succeed in her efforts, the nurse needs a large portion of empathy, patience and communication skills and all the support and cooperation on the part of the child's parents. The above conclusions are related to objectives of the research carried out using in-depth interviews, during which we wanted to determine if this disease is stigmatizing for families caring for a child with autism and also the way a nurse participates in cooperation with the family. The third objective was to define the specifics of nursing care for children with autism spectrum disorders, from which standards of nursing care for these children were established. Based on the objectives and the study of available resources, four research questions were stated. First: Is the disease stigmatizing for families caring for a child with autism? Second: What is the impact of autism on families caring for a child with this disease? Third: What is the way a nurse participates in cooperation with families caring for a child with autism? And fourth: What are the specifics of nursing care for a child with autism? All the objectives were met. We hope that this thesis will provide nurses with so much information on the issue of nursing care for children with autism spectrum disorders, so that nurses could provide quality care based on the child's needs, and the cooperation with the family could become beneficial and joyful.

Thesis(MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition that, at present, affects approximately one out of every 100 children globally and indications are that the prevalence thereof is steadily on the rise. ASD is a complex neurological condition that impairs social interaction, communication and behaviour. Research on the wide-ranging effects of ASD and its unique characteristics in each child with ASD is widely available. Several studies refer to the fact that ASD has an impact on the family unit, but very few researchers have investigated the support that families from different cultural groups in South Africa are enjoying whilst raising a child with autism. The current situation being what it is means that professionals and families have very little data on the subject and inadequate support is available to address the specific needs of families who are raising a child with autism. The aim of this study was to investigate the support structures of three families from three different cultural groups in South Africa who were raising a child with autism. The central issue that was researched was the support structures available to parents raising a child with autism, and how parents access that support. This is a qualitative study within an interpretive research paradigm. In this case study, the methods of data collection comprised semi-structured interviews, observations and reflective journals. This design embraced qualitative research methods that could expose the uniqueness of each family’s experience and allowed participants the freedom to express this. The three families, who were purposefully selected for this study, were from different cultural backgrounds. One of the children in each family met the criteria published in the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fourth edition, text revision (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) for Autism or Pervasive Developmental Disorder not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS). The study found that the parents in the three families received support from their spouses and the neuro-typical siblings. The families also enjoyed physical support, financial support and emotional support from different sources. Parents reported feeling supported when others show acceptance and understanding of their children’s deficits and when such others are prepared to ‘go the extra mile’. The three families also perceived information and guidance as a valuable source of support. Even though they had firm support structures in place, they also reported on the lack of support available to them. All three families enjoyed these forms of support, but it was interesting to find out that the families received the support from different sources. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Outisme of outisme spektrum versteuring (OSV) is 'n toestand wat tans ongeveer een uit elke 100 kinders wêreldwyd affekteer en daar is aanduidings dat die voorkoms daarvan steeds toeneem. OSV is 'n komplekse neurologiese toestand wat swak sosiale interaksie, kommunikasie en gedrag tot gevolg het. Navorsingsresultate oor die breë gevolge van OSV en die unieke eienskappe daarvan in elke kind met OSV is algemeen beskikbaar. Verskeie studies verwys na die feit dat OSV 'n impak het op die gesinseenheid, maar tot dusver het baie min navorsers die ondersteuning ondersoek wat gesinne uit verskillende kulturele groepe in Suid-Afrika tydens die opvoeding van 'n kind met outisme geniet . Die huidige situasie voorsien professionele mense en gesinne van baie min data oor die onderwerp en onvoldoende ondersteuning is beskikbaar om die spesifieke behoeftes van gesinne met 'n kind met outisme aan te spreek. Die doel van hierdie studie was om ondersoek in te stel na die ondersteuning wat gesinne in verskillende kultuurgroepe in Suid-Afrika tydens die opvoeding van ‘n kind met outisme geniet. Die sentrale ondersoekvraag het betrekking gehad op ondersteuningstrukture vir gesinne met ‘n kind met outisme binne hul kultuurgroep, sowel as die wyse waarop die gesinne toegang tot die ondersteuning verkry. Die studie was kwalitatief van aard binne 'n interpretatiewe navorsingsparadigma en ’n gevallestudie is as navorsingsontwerp gekies. Data is deur middel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude, waarnemings en reflektiewe joernale ingesamel. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodes omvat die uniekheid van elke gesin se ervaring en laat deelnemers die vryheid om uitdrukking daaraan te gee. Drie gesinne is doelbewus vir hierdie studie gekies. Die gesinne moes oor die volgende kenmerke beskik: Hulle moes uit verskillende kulturele agtergronde (Afrikaan, Wit en Indiër) kom. Hul kind moes voldoen aan die kriteria in die Diagnostiese en Statistiese Handleiding van geestesversteurings, vierde uitgawe, teks hersiening (2000) vir Outisme of pervasieve ontwikkelingsstoornis nie anders gespesifiseer nie (PDD-NOS). Verskeie etiese beginsels is vir hierdie studie nagekom om te verseker dat die navorsing eties was. Die studie het bevind dat die ouers in die drie gesinne ondersteuning van hul gades en die neurotipiese broers en susters van die kind met outisme ontvang het. Die gesinne het ook fisiese ondersteuning, finansiële steun en emosionele ondersteuning vanuit verskillende bronne geniet. Die gesinne het aangedui dat hul ondersteun voel wanneer hul kinders se afwykings aanvaar word, begrip daarvoor getoon word en andere bereid was om die ‘ekstra myl te loop’. Die drie gesinne het ook inligting en leiding as waardevolle bronne van ondersteuning ervaar. Selfs al het die families sterk ondersteuningstrukture in plek gehad, het hulle ook die gebrek aan ondersteuning uitgelig. Al drie gesinne geniet die bogenoemde vorme van ondersteuning, maar dit was interessant om uit te vind dat die families hierdie ondersteuning vanuit verskillende bronne ontvang het.

This master's thesis discusses the topic of family with a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the support which this family may receive in the Czech Republic. In this context, functions and current functioning of family are described. Furthermore, the text brings information on the causes, manifestations and classification of ASD as well as on various autism spectrum disorders. Reactions of the family to the revelation about child's diagnosis are introduced together with the subsequent problems that the family faces. It also presents support options which families with an ASD-affected child may take advantage of. The following methods are used for the research: questionnaire construction, study of literature and unstructured interviews. The aim of this paper is to create a description of a family with an ASD-affected child and determine whether these families receive the necessary support and whether services provided for them are truly available to them.

This thesis aims on care for child with autism in family. First part is about psychological aspects and sums up klasification autistic disorder, diagnosis and importance of way how is diagnosis told to parents of disabled child. Furthermore this part charakterizes influence caring for child with autism on psychologic health of parents, discuses risks and protective factors which are important in overcoming problems that are connected with this situation. Second part describes social aspects which may influence decesion making of parents about way of caring for child with autism. There are explained opinions of public and church. Special attention is placed on families needs caring for child with autism. Third part discuses parental dilema in decesion about way of how to manage care for their child with autism and exlains some ethical issues of these decesions. There are a lot of factors determinating decesions of parents and the same factors can influence different families in completly different ways. If we sum up theoretical informations and practical experiences we can say that decesion of parents about care for their child cannot be objectively judged, it can be only accepted.

This work deals with the model of care Home Share in the world, especially in Ireland, and introduces its beginning activity in the Czech Republic for people with autism spectrum disorder. For many years, this target group has not found in the Czech system of social services affordable and suitable services, especially of the residential type, which it would need. Parents of these children are thus exposed to the burden of long-term care without the possibility of relieving them. Home Sharing is a way to complement this social system. The practical part focuses on mixed research, which aims to describe and critically reflect the current situation of Home Share in the Czech Republic. Through interviews, I investigated the beginning, course and possible future of organizations that are currently introducing Home Share for families with a person with autism spectrum disorder. Furthermore, I used interviews and a questionnaire to find out the opinions of experts who are in the field of support for families with autistic people.