Date of Conferral

1-7-2026

Date of Award

January 2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Karine Clay

Abstract

The experiences of parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been widely studied in Western contexts. Still, limited research has explored how sociocultural factors shape these experiences in India. This qualitative study aims to address this gap by exploring and comparing the lived experiences of mothers and fathers raising a child with ASD in Kerala, India. The purpose of this study was to investigate how gender roles, cultural expectations, and social structures impact parental adaptation, coping, and caregiving practices. Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and Crenshaw’s ideas of intersectionality provide the conceptual framework of this study. Using an interpretative phenomenological analysis design with reflexive thematic analysis, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 participants (i.e., six couples, comprising six mothers and six fathers, who were interviewed independently) who are parenting children diagnosed with ASD. The findings indicated that mothers primarily managed emotional and physical caregiving responsibilities, including therapy coordination and educational support, whereas fathers assumed supportive, yet secondary roles focused on financial and practical needs. These gendered caregiving patterns reflect Kerala’s sociocultural norms that valorize maternal sacrifice and paternal provision. Parents demonstrated resilience despite experiencing stigma, isolation, and inadequate institutional support. The implications for positive social change include promoting culturally responsive, gender-sensitive, and family-centred interventions that strengthen community awareness and improve access to coordinated autism services in India.

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