ABSTRACT
Background: An understanding of where families affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) seek help is important in the development of services in a country like Ghana where speech and language therapy is a relatively new concept. It appears there is very limited literature related to the help-seeking behaviour (HSB) of parents of children with ASD in Ghana. It is important to respect where parents seek help from in order to build on the existing practices in the provision of services. Aim: The aim of the study is to explore the help-seeking behaviour of parents of children with ASD in the city of Accra, Ghana. Method: The study employed a qualitative design specifically, phenomenological approach. A convenience sampling technique was employed to select 10 parents of children with ASD. A semi-structured interview guide was used to collect the data. Participants were requested to report on their own experiences of seeking help for their children with ASD. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Results: Ten respondents participated in the study. The results indicated that the places parents seek help from are the educational, health and religious sectors. Parents also seek help from health personnel and religious leaders. The help parents receive from the sources include information, counseling, support, assessment and speech therapy. The major challenge parents face is financial challenge. The most useful source of help identified was the special need school and the least useful help was from the church.
ABBEY, G (2021). Help-seeking behaviour of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Accra, ghana.. Afribary. Retrieved from https://afribary.com/works/help-seeking-behaviour-of-parents-of-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-accra-ghana
ABBEY, GETRUDE "Help-seeking behaviour of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Accra, ghana." Afribary. Afribary, 27 Apr. 2021, https://afribary.com/works/help-seeking-behaviour-of-parents-of-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-accra-ghana. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
ABBEY, GETRUDE . "Help-seeking behaviour of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Accra, ghana.". Afribary, Afribary, 27 Apr. 2021. Web. 30 Apr. 2024. < https://afribary.com/works/help-seeking-behaviour-of-parents-of-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-accra-ghana >.
ABBEY, GETRUDE . "Help-seeking behaviour of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Accra, ghana." Afribary (2021). Accessed April 30, 2024. https://afribary.com/works/help-seeking-behaviour-of-parents-of-children-with-autism-spectrum-disorder-in-accra-ghana