Davoian Y. Psychological features of personality of parents bringing up children with autism

The thesis paper reveals theoretical summarizing of approaches to understanding of autism etiology, it also discovers issues of psychological features of personality of parents bringing up children with autism and analyzes their impact on social withdrawal of a child. There also described conditions that have impact on occurrence of specific features of parents’ personalities. The concept of social and derived social withdrawal are studied; possible factors influencing social with drawаl were determined and the concept of «social withdrawal» was detailed. Analysis of parents’ personalities bringing up children with autism and parents bringing up neurotypical children was performed. Two approaches to working with parents raising children with autism spectrum disorders have been proposed. The «Mother's Notebook» was developed as an aid during work with a woman across pregnancy and the first months after the birth of a child. The purpose of the thesis paper is to study the psychological features of the personality of parents bringing up children with autism. In the dissertation work two approaches in work with parents are offered. We suggested the «Mother’s Notebook» as an additional means of accompanying a woman during pregnancy and the first months after the birth of a child. The scientific novelty of the obtained results consists of: - psychological, psychophysiological psychoanalytical, humanistic, systemic family theory, on the issues of etiology of autism and the influence of parental personality on the child's social withdrawal are generalized and systematized; - the concept of «social withdrawal» was specified; - psychological features of personality of parents bringing up children with autism were defined; - the author's technique «General information about the family» was further developed; «Parent Feedback Questionnaire»; means of detecting changes in the psychological state of mother and child («Mother's Notebook»). Practical importance consists of development and systematization of psychodiagnostic complex aimed to research features of family’s anamnesis; the results of the thesis paper may serve educational function; the “Mother’s Notebook” may be useful as an additional diagnostic means for specialists (prenatal psychologists, psychologists); the results of comparative analysis may be used in work of practical psychologists of educational institutions and other social institutions, special education teachers, teachers of inclusive and resource centers and all persons interested in solving problems regarding autistic disorders. Key words: personality, parents’ personality, etiology of autism, autism, social withdrawal, social autism, derived social withdrawal, psychological features of parents (trait anxiety, depression, neuroticism, psychoticism).