Shaping Religious Practices, Care, and the Upbringing of Children with Autism: Orthodox and Ultra-Orthodox Fathers in Israel

This qualitative study examines how Orthodox and ultra-Orthodox Jewish fathers in Israel describe raising a child with autism within the everyday life of a religious family. Although research on autism and family life has expanded, fathers’ voices remain underrepresented, especially in religious families in which family routines, the Sabbat and holidays, and everyday religious practices shape parenting and participation at home. Data were collected from 127 fathers of children aged 3 to 18 through an online Hebrew questionnaire that included open-ended questions and were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. The findings suggest that religiosity shaped fathers’ caregiving not only as a source of meaning, hope, and emotional strength but also as a practical framework for everyday accommodation and belonging. Four themes emerged: (1) religiosity as an anchor for resilience; (2) paternal love as a religious practice of accommodation; (3) paternal adaptation during the Sabbat and holidays; and (4) religious authority as a basis for legitimizing care practices and preserving the child’s place within family and religious life. Together, these findings underscore the importance of culturally responsive support that acknowledges how religious meaning systems shape paternal care, family participation, and children’s inclusion, while also suggesting that fatherhood may function as an ongoing mediating process within religious family life.