CARE OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN: THE BURDENS OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND INCOME EXPENDITURE ON PARENTS IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA

Authors

  • Oriji, Christian Chigozi

Keywords:

Care of Autistic Children, Burdens of Social Relationships, Income Expenditure, Parents

Abstract

The focus of the study was the care of autistic children and the burdens of social relationships along with income expenditure on parents in Port Harcourt Metropolis in Rivers State, Nigeria. Two objectives and two research questions were generated for the study. Descriptive design was used for the study. The population of the study consisted of parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in autism centres in Port Harcourt Metropolis in Rivers State. A sample of 100 respondents was randomly selected for the study. The selection was done through the use of simple random sampling and accidental sampling techniques. A questionnaire was used for data collection. The questionnaire was face-validated by professionals in the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Port Harcourt, Choba. In addition, the reliability value of 0.82 Correlation Co-efficient was established for the study. Biographic data of the respondents and responses from research questions were analysed using percentage and frequency tables. The results of the analyses revealed that the care of autistic children increased and were linked to the burdens of social relationships and income expenditure on parents in Port Harcourt Metropolis in Rivers State. Based on the findings, the study recommended, among others that the State Government should carry out serious programmes that would sensitise members of society on the pains of stigmatization and discrimination of parents and their autistic children suffer, so that they adopt a lenient and sympathetic relationship with the members of the families of autistic patients.

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Published

2024-03-30

How to Cite

Chigozi, O. C. . (2024). CARE OF AUTISTIC CHILDREN: THE BURDENS OF SOCIAL RELATIONSHIPS AND INCOME EXPENDITURE ON PARENTS IN PORT HARCOURT METROPOLIS IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA. BW Academic Journal, 11. Retrieved from https://bwjournal.org/index.php/bsjournal/article/view/1809