Browsing by Author "Comninos, Sinead"
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Results Per Page
Sort Options
- ItemiLizwe lam (my world) : Xhosa-speaking parents’ experiences of caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-12) Comninos, Sinead; Feenstra, Carla; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Educational Psychology.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Although there has been an increase in research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) globally, especially in Western communities, there is little evidence of research exploring African communities; more specifically, the Xhosa-speaking community. Even though the Xhosa-speaking community constitutes 31% of the Western Cape population, little to no research has explored the lives of the Xhosa-speaking community in the Western Cape. To gather insight into what is known and understood about ASD and how the community reacts to the manifestation of ASD, parents of children with ASD were selected for the study. The Xhosa-speaking parents were situated in Cape Town, and their children attended a school that caters for learners with ASD. Parents are the first persons to be confronted with the challenges of the course of ASD. The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of Xhosa-speaking parents caring for their children with ASD. The study focused on understanding how the parents conceptualised ASD, their daily experiences, their experience of the reactions of the community, and the support they received. The researcher attempted to mediate a focus group. Owing to limitations, an individual semi-structured interview, and a joint interview with two other participants were conducted. To facilitate discussion, the participants engaged in a ‘River of Life’ drawing. It was found that there was limited knowledge about ASD in the community, which led to misunderstandings, limited support from the community, isolation, and a possible delay in support. The parents expected limited support from the community. Even so, the parents showed resilience and independence from traditional African beliefs and were able to adapt. The study provides an account of three mothers, and their experiences of the livelihood of ASD, in the Xhosa-speaking community. To gain more insight into how to guide, educate, and support the parents and community, further research on a larger scale needs to be performed.