The Description of Parental Stress Coping Strategy in Facing Autical Children Growth

In real life not all parents are blessed with children who are spiritually and physically healthy, there are parents who are blessed with children who experience with developmental disorder, for example autism. The attendance of autistic child in the middle of family will affect family life, especially on the psychological aspect of parents. These conditions are able to direct the parents to stressful condition and it needs effort to overcome problem with various problems faced by parents. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to know the description of parents stress coping strategy in facing autical children growth. Emotional reaction of parents who has children with autism is heterogeneous, parents might be able to deny reality, angry, refuse the situation, depression or surrender. Parents also experiences stress which is coming from problematic child behavior, environmental reaction, worrying about childcare in the future, finance or deep sad feeling, so that coping strategy is needed which is suitable to overcome situation or stressful event in the form of problem focused coping or emotion focused coping. This research is using qualitative approach type of study case with the subject of three parents who has children with autism. Data collection method is using interview method and observation. The procedure for taking respondents is using purposive sampling technique and data analysis is using matchmaking pattern (pattern making). From the interview result and observation, the three subjects have stressor and source of stress which is related with the condition autistic children. The three of subjects also perform more than one coping strategy to overcome the problem that they face. According to research result, the first subject has psychological and social stressor sourced from children behavior, environmental reaction, worrying the future of children and using planful problem solving strategy, escape avoidance, seeking social support to overcome stress. On the second subject has social and psychological stressor that sourced from children behavior, environmental reaction, worrying the future of children, finance and using planful problem solving strategy, escape avoidance, seeking social support to overcome stress. The third subject has psychological stressor that based on children behavior, worrying the future of children and finance by using planful problem solving strategy seeking social support and escape avoidance to overcome stress. Overall conclusion the stressor which is owned by the three subjects is social and psychological stressor sourced from children behavior, environmental reaction, finance and worrying the future of children. The way of the three subjects to overcome stress through planful problem solving, seeking social support and escape avoidance.