Co-parent experiences of parents with a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: A qualitative study

In this study, the processes related to the coparenting experiences of parents with a child diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder were investigated. The phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. Within the scope of the study, face-to-face and online interviews were conducted with 14 married couples whose children with Autism Spectrum Disorder continue their special education process in Aydın. Demographic Information Form and Semi-Structured Interview Form developed by the researchers were used as data collection tools in the study. The analysis of qualitative data was carried out in three stages: data reduction, data display, and inference/validation of results. In order to increase the validity in the data analysis process, expert opinion was consulted, coding was carried out with two-week intervals for reliability, and the percentage of agreement in the codings performed ranged from 93.8% to 97.3% and was calculated as 95.2% in total. Furthermore, when the research findings are evaluated in general, it is seen that the participants tried to act together for the well-being of their children in the coparenting processes they carried out for their children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, but the responsibility was largely on the mother, that is, the process was mostly mother-based or mother-based and father-supported; It was seen that the disagreements of the participants were mostly about the parenting style and behaviors, and the male and female participants had different views on the reflection of these disagreements on their children and their relationships with them. When the views on the effects of the experiences of the mother-fatherhood processes on the marital relations are examined, it is observed that the opinion that it reflects negatively on the marital relations is dominant.