Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Acceptance Training Package on the Attitude of Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based acceptance training package on the attitude of mothers of children with ASD. Methods: This quasi-experimental study used a pre-test and post-test design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of mothers of children with ASD attending the Special Children’s Clinic at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran. Using convenient sampling, 30 mothers were selected. These mothers were randomly assigned to either the experimental group or the control group, with 15 participants in each group. The experimental group received the 12-session, 120-minute mindfulness-based acceptance training package, while no intervention was applied to the control group. Both groups completed the Parent Attitude Toward Special Needs Children Scale (Gonder, 2002) before and after the intervention. Data analysis was conducted using the covariance matrix analysis method in SPSS version 27. Findings: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the experimental group, which received the mindfulness-based acceptance training package, and the control group in terms of overall attitude (p < 0.001). The effect of the intervention was also stable at the follow-up stage (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that a mindfulness-based acceptance training package can foster a positive attitude in mothers of children with ASD. Therefore, this training package can be utilized to promote a positive attitude among mothers of children with ASD.