{Reference Type}: Journal Article
{Title}: Living a tormented life: Caregivers' experiences of caring for a child with autism in Northeastern Thailand.
{Author}: Sukmak V;Sangsuk N;
{Journal}: Arch Psychiatr Nurs
{Volume}: 32
{Issue}: 5
{Year}: 10 2018
{Factor}: 2.242
{DOI}: 10.1016/j.apnu.2018.04.005
{Abstract}: Caring for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be a demanding challenge to caregivers. The aim of this study was to learn what caring for children with ASD means to caregivers who live in rural Thailand. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was used to analyze narrative data from interviews of five caregivers. Three themes emerged: (a) being sensitive to the word autism, (b) being trapped in a tunnel of distress, and (c) being the universe for the child. Healthcare professionals need to be sensitive to the caregivers' cultural customs in order to meet their expectations in a respectful way.