AMBIGUOUS LOSS IN THE CONTEXT OF EMOTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Abstract

 The article presents a review of research on the emotional experiences of parents of children with autism from the perspective of the concept of ambiguous loss. Based on the method of theoretical generalization and systematization of the results of studies of parents' emotional experience at different stages of raising children with autism, it is established that the reaction to the diagnosis is determined not only by their individual psychological characteristics, but also by the key characteristic of a difficult life situation - ambiguity. One of the most difficult aspects of understanding children with autism is the spectral nature of the disorder, the lengthy diagnostic process, the lack of a single protocol for therapeutic intervention, the difficulty of predicting developmental outcomes, etc.

Parents who have overcome the denial of the diagnosis and accepted the fact of their child's autism may experience the experience of ambiguous loss of a child due to the ambiguity of the stressor, which manifests itself in ambivalence of emotional attitude towards the child, his or her future, confusion about their own prospects, doubts about their ability to control the situation, etc.

One of the negative consequences of the impact of an ambiguous loss on a person is an  identity ambiguity and blurred personal boundaries life.  For parents of children with autism, it manifests itself in the inability to separate themselves from their child, difficulty making decisions, and difficulty adapting to a new life situation. The significant discrepancy between the images of the child before and after diagnosis is another area of manifestation of the experience of ambiguous loss. Strong attachment to the primary image of the lost object creates the basis for complicated grieving.

The feeling of ambiguous loss of a “normal” child, which was previously associated with the diagnostic stage, can appear repeatedly during various life transitions. The main adaptation task of parents is to accept the fact of divergencies between their initial expectations for their children and the real life situation. At the same time, the study showed that experiencing an ambiguous loss is not a mandatory internal process for parents raising children with autism. The identified differences in the processes of parents' adaptation to raising a child with autism should be considered in the process of providing them with psychological assistance.