Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Eric Youn

Abstract

Military deployments of a caregiver have a powerful and potentially damaging impact of the attachment bond between the service member and their child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research has shown that children with ASD react to their caregiver’s departure, that they direct more social behavior to the caregiver than to a stranger, and that many of them increase their proximity seeking behavior after separation from the caregiver. Military children with ASD were underrepresented in previous attachment and reintegration research. This qualitative study explored the lived of experience of the military caregiver attaching or reattaching to their child with ASD after a prolonged absence. Using Ainsworth and Bowlby’s attachment theory, the study examined four military caregivers who had deployed for a period of 6 months or longer while leaving a child with ASD behind. Data from the interviews with four active duty Navy service members were analyzed to identify relevant themes among the returning service members, which were then broken into structural and textural descriptions thus forming the essence of their experiences. Results of this study indicated that children with ASD separated from their military caregiver for more than 6 months had increased behavioral challenges. In addition, military caregivers discussed the difficulties in finding programs to assist them with returning home to their child with ASD. Professionals supporting military families with children diagnosed with ASD may be able to recognize and provide interventions to address the emotional needs of the exceptional family member along with offering parental support to the military caregiver after a prolong absence.

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