Exposure to the earthquake with a child with autism: A qualitative study on parenting experiences

For parents, experiencing disasters such as earthquakes with a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves various difficulties and increases vulnerability. But despite its importance for both children with ASD and their parents, the literature does not provide any explanation for the parenting experiences of parents with children with ASD in an earthquake. The aim of this study is to explore the parenting experiences of parents who experienced the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquakes, the second most fatal earthquake in the world, with their children with ASD. In this study, which was conducted with a qualitative phenomenology design, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 parents (16 mothers, 2 fathers) living in eleven earthquake-affected cities and analyzed by qualitative content analysis. The findings of the study revealed the themes of (a) the effects of the earthquake on life, (b) the issues that are difficult to cope with, (c) the effects of the earthquake on parenting a child with ASD, and (d) the requirements on the earthquake. As a result, it is seen that parents experienced more difficulties in the earthquake due to the autism of their children. These difficulties wear out the parents, and ultimately, these difficulties reflect negatively on the parent-child relationship. The findings are discussed in detail in the text.