Exploring narrative inquiry as a sense-making tool for parents raising a child with autism from a family systems theory perspective

Abstract

Research in the field of autism and families confirm both the challenges of families raising a child with autism, and the need for a family-focused therapy to address the systemic effect of the disorder. Despite the evidence, interventions continue to focus on the individual, and less on the family requiring much-needed support. Family therapists need empirical evidence of how family therapy can help parents of children with autism make sense of their experiences. Furthermore, such studies currently lack a common theoretical framework. Narrative therapy has proved to be effective in various contexts but there is a need for more empirical evidence to explore the possibilities of using narrative inquiry as a sense-making tool for parents raising a child with autism. The aim of this study was to explore the possibilities of using narrative inquiry as a sense-making tool for parents raising a child with autism, from a family systems theory perspective. Using a qualitative approach, the study collected primary data by means of semi-structured interviews with research participants who were recruited through a collaborative arrangement with a paediatrician based in Pretoria, South Africa. The study used purposive convenience sampling to select three couples who are raising a child who autism, and a longitudinal approach where each couple was interviewed five times over a period of five years. Using a narrative inquiry as research design backed by family systems theory, the study explored the collective experiences of the entire family, examining all inherent family relationships and subsystems. Both family systems theory and narrative inquiry are positioned within the social constructionist paradigm which revolves around the significance of meaning and understanding in human activities. Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the transcribed material. The following themes emerged from the analysis and formed part of the construction of each couple’s narrative: the characteristics of autism, diagnosis, knowledge, the marital relationship, the mother’s relationship with autism, the father’s relationship with autism, the child with autism, the siblings’ relationship with autism, the community and extended family and the future. By linking the themes to the extant literature the findings highlighted the common threads in the stories of the three couples. The construction of each couple’s narrative was discussed and narrative practices applied to highlight the meaning-making process of the participants. At a practical level, the study provides relevant empirical evidence on the effectiveness of using a narrative approach to help families raising a child with autism, make sense of their experiences. At an academic level the study advocates the use of family systems theory (FST) as a common theoretical framework.