In-the-moment experiences of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder: A comparison by household status and region of residence

Abstract
Purpose: This study compared the in-the-moment experiences among mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by their household status (i.e., single versus coupled) and region of residence (i.e., regional versus major city area).
Methods: An experience sampling method was employed to collect data, and a total of 40 mothers used an iOS device to record activity types and in-the-moment experiences for one week during school term. Mann-Whitney U test and multilevel analysis were conducted to compare the experiences of these mothers.
Results: The analyses found the following results: 1) mothers spent most time in childcare and least time in self-care activities; 2) coupled mothers were more likely to feel supported; 3) coupled mothers were less likely to feel supported in domestic tasks; 4) mothers from major city were more likely to feel challenged in self-care activity; and 5) mothers from major city were more likely to feel supported in productivity tasks.
Conclusion: Limited but significant differences between single and coupled mothers, as well as mothers from regional and major city areas, were found. Future research direction and service provisions were suggested.