Employment Decisions in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Mothers disproportionately quit their jobs compared to fathers to care for a child with ASD and the mothers who continue their professional career face issues at work such as working fewer hours, having to change jobs, and not accepting promotions (Baker & Drapela, 2010). Thus, the first goal of this current study was to determine the factors underlying the reason mothers of children with ASD decide to quit their job versus continuing to work outside of the home. Due to the array of difficulties mothers face in caring for a child with ASD, these mothers face several mental health challenges (Herring et al., 2006; Pisula, 2007; Yamada et al., 2007). Thus, the second goal of this research was to determine the effects of quitting a job to care for a child with ASD versus staying in a career on a mother's mental health. Participants (43 working mothers and 24 mothers who quit their job) completed an online survey that included mental health and employment decision measures. This study found that working mothers experienced higher levels of meaning in life but also higher levels of stress and anxiety whereas the mothers who quit their job to care for their child with ASD experienced higher levels of depressive symptoms. The single biggest factor in a mother's decision to remain in the professional workforce was financial needs while the single biggest factor in a mother's decision to quit her job to care for her child with ASD was child's needs.