I Need You to Give Me More than Blowing Bubbles: What parents want from autism therapists

Parents of children with autism are often required to make decisions about which of a myriad of interventions to implement with their child. One of the factors influencing parental decision-making is their experience with autism interventions, and specifically with their child’s therapists. Though there is some evidence outlining best practice for therapists when working with families of children with disabilities, few studies have examined this from a parental perspective. This study investigated the qualities that parents want in autism therapists. Parents of children with autism (0-5 years post-diagnosis) were recruited from both public and private service providers in South Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 participants, as per the conventions of constructivist grounded theory. Thematic analysis was undertaken, which led to the emergence of two core themes; ‘Partnership’ and ‘Effective Therapy’. The first theme reflected the participants’ desire to work in partnership with therapists, and the need for therapists to collaborate and communicate openly, as well as forming a relationship with parents. The second theme reflected the participants’ want for therapists to provide effective therapy that produces positive outcomes for their children, and the features that parents perceive as needing to be present in order for effective therapy to be delivered. The findings of this research have implications for how therapists work with families of children with autism, and ultimately the outcomes for children with autism, given that parental satisfaction can influence the therapy services accessed by families.