Abstract

Background Couples raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges that may impact on their relationship. The purpose of this review was to compare relationship satisfaction in couples raising children with and without ASD and to identify factors associated with satisfaction in couples with a child with ASD. Methods Thirteen databases were searched and studies were systematically screened against predetermined inclusion criteria. Twenty six articles, ranging from good to strong methodological quality, met the criteria for inclusion. Of these, seven were included in a meta-analysis comparing relationship satisfaction in couples raising a child with ASD with couples raising children without disabilities. Results The meta-analysis showed that couples raising a child with ASD were found to experience less relationship satisfaction than couples raising a child without a disability (Hedges’s g = 0.41, p

Citation

Sim, A., Cordier, R., Vaz, S., & Falkmer, T. (2016). Relationship satisfaction in couples raising a child with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review of the literature. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 31, 30-52. doi: 10.1016/j.rasd.2016.07.004