Analysis of Future Designs and Sense Self of Families with a Child with Autism

Autism, which is considered as the child's inability to give normal responses to daily warnings, may lead to some problems in the families of children with these characteristics. The concept of self is the result of human interaction with the environment from the time when it emerged as the reason of human mind; is the perception of human being and the perception that occurs in itself. In our study, the future designs and the sense of self of families with a child with autism were examined based on these variables. The aim of this study is to examine how the families of a child with autism are affected by the sense of self and future designs. The sample of the study consisted of 150 autistic children parents and 150 healthy student parents who attend private kindergartens and day care centers. Personal Information Form, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and Social Comparison Scale were used in the study. The data obtained by using the scales were analyzed with statistical methods according to the sub-objectives. The mean self-esteem of the families without a child with autism was found to be higher than the group with autism. The mean of social comparison of families with a child with autism was found to be higher than that of a child with autism. According to the study, families with a child with autism have a positive sense of self and self-esteem increases while positive sense of self increases. In addition to self-esteem and social comparison, there is a weak and directly proportional relationship as well as self-esteem in those with physical disabilities.