Exploring the Financial and Time Management Strategies of Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

HRMARS - This study aims to explore the experiences of parents with children who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in two crucial areas that influence caregiving: financial strategy and time management. This qualitative study uses a phenomenological approach and involves in-depth interviews with five primary caregivers, specifically mothers or fathers. The informants, who are parents, have at least seven years of experience caring for children with autism, aged between 30 and 50 years, are currently employed, and reside in Selangor. The findings identified four main themes in financial strategies: selecting care centres within financial means, taking on additional work, utilizing government assistance programs, and practicing prudent budgeting. Meanwhile, three themes for time management strategies practiced by parents of children with ASD were alternating work schedules between spouses, organizing priorities between work and caring for ASD children, and prioritizing the routine needs of ASD children to ensure quality care after working hours. The findings of this study demonstrate how financial strategies and time management practices adopted by parents with ASD children can influence the quality of caregiving and their daily lives. The goal of this study is to help parents of children with ASD deal with difficult time and money management problems by offering them better advice.