الفهرس 
ContentsOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Autism is a complex developmental disability that appears during the first three years
of life affecting children’s ability to communicate with others. Aim: the present study was quasiexperimental aiming to assess the effect of an educational program on strains and coping patterns of the family caregivers of autistic children. Setting: the study was conducted in Ismailia city in: Children and Adolescent Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic in Suez Canal University Hospital, El-Terbia El-Fekria and ElSalam El-Engelia Schools, Gamal El-Din El-Afghani and Ard El-Mashtl Primary Schools, Wyana Institution for Integration and Rehabilitation, El-Aml Center for Children with Special Needs, El-Tathkief El-Fekri Institution and the Psychiatric Measures Clinic. The sample included 36 caregivers and 36 autistic children. Data were obtained through interviewing them using four tools: structured interview questionnaire, caregiver strain questionnaire-short form, brief cope scale and assessment sheet to assess extent of the benefit from the program. The results revealed that 44.4% versus 86.1% of the studied caregivers had unsatisfactory and satisfactory total knowledge regarding autism,strains\stressors and coping pre-\post-program respectively with a statistically significant difference (P= 0.000). The total strain scores of the studied caregivers were high among 77.8% and still high among 88.9% of them pre\post- program respectively with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). The majority (97.2% and 91.7%) of the studied caregivers had high total coping scores pre\post-program respectively with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Conclusion: the educational program significantly increased the total knowledge of the studied caregivers and insignificantly nearly maintained their total coping. However, it was insignificantly ineffective in decreasing the total strains of the studied caregivers. Recommendation: Emphasize the importance of carrying out educational programs to improve knowledge and care of autism in children & their care givers.