The Attachment Process of the Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Pre-School Years: A Mixed...

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by qualitative difficulties in interaction and communication, as well as hyper- or hypo-responsivity to sensory input, which can substantially challenge the formation of mother-child attachment. This study aimed to identify attachment levels among mothers of preschool-aged children with ASD and to delineate the attachment processes associated with those levels, with the goal of developing a grounded theory explaining these processes.

A two-step study using methodological triangulation was conducted. In the first quantitative study, the attachment level of 64 mothers of children with ASD, under the age of 7 years in Korea, were measured. And 12 were selected for a second study using the grounded theory method of Strauss & Corbin.

A significant attachment difference (t = 4.39, p < 0.001) was found in the pregnancy plan. The core attachment category in mothers of pre-school children with ASD was identified as "keep on going with closing the distance". Eight stages and four types were found in their attachment process.

The results of this suggest that it is necessary to develop a personalized intervention strategy and to provide proper nursing by considering the attachment process and type of mothers of children with ASD.