Abstract:

 The study was designed to compare parenting stress between Mothers with autistic children and the normal groups. The research is a causal-comparing study and the statistical universe was all mothers of 5 to 12 years old sons with autism who referred to child psychiatry clinics (I bn-e-Sina and Dr Sheikh Hospitals) and all Mothers of normal son (5 to 12 years old) were selected in primary and pre-primary school at 4th educational area of Mashhad city, north-eastern part of Iran. Fifty mothers with autism children by at reached sampling and 80 Mothers with normal children were selected by cluster sampling.  Parenting Stress Index (PSI) was used and data analyzed by descriptive and analytic statistical methods such as T-test in independent groups. Results showed that there was a significant difference between parenting stress (parent realm) and its branches in mothers of autism children and mother of normal children. There was a significant difference between parenting stress (child's realm) and its branches in Mothers of autism children and mother of normal children and difference between parenting stress(parent-child's realm) and its branches in mothers of  autism children and mothers of normal children was significant too. Mothers with autism children had more stress compared with mothers of normal children which it is realized by parenting stress index.

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