Özet:

The purpose of this study was to examine opinions of parents of children with autism about their experiences of daily life routines in which their children are involved and about play interactions, communication skills, and problem behaviors of their children. In this study, semi structured interviews were conducted with 50 parents who were the primary caregivers of children with autism. In regard to the daily life characteristics, findings of this study showed that some parents devoted their whole day to their children, they had less time to rest and their daily activities were more frequent. Regarding the problem behaviors and stereotypical-repetitive behaviors, the vast majority of parents reported that their children had some kinds of problem behaviors or stereotypical behaviors which negatively affect their daily lives. In regard to the communication styles, the great majority of the parents stated that their children mostly used gestures and vocalizations while communicating with their siblings and their parents and they displayed impairments in communication with their peers. In depth parent opinions which were examined in this study are discussed in line of qualitative research studies, and suggestions for future research and practice are also included.

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