“Our study shows that the members of immediate and extended family, close and distant relatives, and friends and acquaintances often display harsh stigmatizing attitudes toward PWA. Eight of our female participants (mothers of PWA) reported that fathers of PWA were not willing to take any responsibility for the child and considered them a burden on their family life. […]
Many participants also lived with their extended families, including grandparents of PWA. Ten participants reported that grandparents were often harsh to their grandchild with ASD. The power dynamics of these families, shaped by the power of paternal grandparents, make the consequences worse for PWA. They are often not allowed to take part in family discussions, events, and gatherings because of the rule set by the grandparents. Besides people living with PWA at their home, other relatives often looked down upon the condition of PWA, which was evident from eight of our participants’ stories. These relatives keep telling PWA how ‘worthless’ they are, creating a substantial negative impact on their minds.”
“Our study shows that the members of immediate and extended family, close and distant relatives, and friends and acquaintances often display harsh stigmatizing attitudes toward PWA. Eight of our female participants (mothers of PWA) reported that fathers of PWA were not willing to take any responsibility for the child and considered them a burden on their family life. […]
Many participants also lived with their extended families, including grandparents of PWA. Ten participants reported that grandparents were often harsh to their grandchild with ASD. The power dynamics of these families, shaped by the power of paternal grandparents, make the consequences worse for PWA. They are often not allowed to take part in family discussions, events, and gatherings because of the rule set by the grandparents. Besides people living with PWA at their home, other relatives often looked down upon the condition of PWA, which was evident from eight of our participants’ stories. These relatives keep telling PWA how ‘worthless’ they are, creating a substantial negative impact on their minds.”