| Abstract | Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterized by difficulties in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors that affects 1 in every 88 school-age children (Blumberg et al., 2013). Parenting a child with ASD has proven to be a difficult task, changing the lives and well-being of families. The current research examined the buffering effects of raising an ASD child on the anxieties related to death (terror management theory; Greenberg, Solomon, & Arndt, 2008). To do this, parents of ASD children and parents of typically developing children were asked to complete an online survey reporting thoughts of death, fear of dying alone, and meaning in life. Unexpectedly, parents did not differ on thoughts of death; however, results revealed that parents of ASD children reported decreased fear of dying a lonely death, which in turn, increased feelings of meaning in life. The implications of these results of ASD children parents' well-being will be further discussed. |
