Social Support, Education Levels, and Parents’ Involvement: A Comparison Between Mothers and Fathers of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Parental involvement plays a critical role in the development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and can promote children’s developmental and educational outcomes. This study aimed to compare mothers and fathers of children with ASD’s social support and education levels in relation to their level of involvement. Participants included 107 parents (61 mothers, 46 fathers) of children with ASD aged 2 to 7 years. Three instruments measured parents’ involvement, formal and informal social support, and education levels. As hypothesized, mothers reported higher levels of involvement than fathers, which related to their informal support (non-formal relatives), while fathers reported receiving greater formal support than mothers. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed unique gender differences in the predictors of parental involvement. For example, parental education positively predicted involvement only among fathers. Practical implications for services and child–family interventions are discussed