Caregiving and Autism: How Does Children's Propensity for Routinization Influence Participation in Family Activities?

Children with autism characteristically prefer routinization, yet their mothers seem to experience greater parenting stress orchestrating family life than mothers parenting children with other disabilities. This qualitative study examined the development and use of routines for nine mothers parenting children with autism spectrum diagnoses. Interview transcripts were coded by sorting data into categories and searching for variations within the category and the relationships between categories. Findings describe: (1) development of routines, (2) child's comfort or discontent in routines, (3) child's fluctuations in participation in routines, (4) effects of irregular routines on participation, (5) maternal strategies to manage irregular routines, (6) mothers' selective modification of routines, and (7) alterations in family activities and rituals. The implications of these findings for practice are discussed.