The Research On Autistic Children Caregivers' Social Support Network

Since 2005, autistic patients were included in the disabled list, and the number of them has been increasing with the growth of disabled people. The causes of autism are uncertained, but it is no doubt that it brings great influence to the autistic children caregivers.Using the method of qualitative research and based on the angle of the autistic children caregivers, this study regards ten parents of autistic children in one autistic children rehabilitation centre in Zhejiang as respondent. By understanding the process of their taking care of the children, knowing how they utilize the social support to solve the pressure and difficulty, the study means to explore the meaning of social support on their life.The study shows that the caregivers will meet the pressure and difficulty on economy, spirit, physiology, family and society. Caregivers use official social support like hospital, organization and unofficial social support like family, relatives, friends, internet to solve these problem. Different caregivers own different intend for help, evaluation and expectations on these supports. Then through analyzing the interview contents, it reveals that some problems exists in the caregivers'social support network such as the weak support of the government and society, the lack of systematic publicity approaches, the deficiency on autism society, the difficulty in autism service agencies development and willing and cognitive problem in caregivers. The study gives measures the by perfecting the power system, establishing the system of government support and strengthening professional social work intervention to perfect the social support network of the caregivers.