Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder: A qualitative study.

Background: Research in India has seldom studied caregivers' perceptions, experiences, and needs for information and personal support after an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis.

Objectives: The objectives of the study were to understand the perceived barriers for obtaining a diagnosis and the perspectives and experiences of parents of children with autism.

Materials And Methods: Parents with a diagnosed ASD child (within a year of diagnosis) in the 3-8 years range were recruited from the Pediatric Psychology and Neurodevelopmental Clinic from a tertiary care teaching hospital in North India.