Fathers at the Centre: Exploring the Roles of Fathers in Caring for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Limpopo Province, South Africa

Fathers play a vital role in caring for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Fathers of children with ASD today have moved far beyond the “occasional helper” role. They are deeply involved in daily caregiving routines, supporting their families financially and emotionally. The involvement of the father in raising a child with ASD reduces stress levels for both parents and strengthens family ties. The study explored and described the roles that fathers play in the care of children with ASD. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual research design was used to gain a detailed understanding of the role’s fathers play in the care of children with ASD. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to recruit 15 fathers of children with ASD. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analysed using Tesch’s eight data analysis steps. The findings revealed that fathers play a variety of roles in the care of their children with ASD. These include participating in meeting the needs of their children with ASD, protecting them from harm, promoting their emotional well-being, and supporting the overall operation of the family. The experiences of fathers in this study also reflect the difficulties of raising a child with ASD, such as financial expenses, safety concerns, and community stigma. It is necessary to create father-inclusive guidelines in maternal and child health services formally to integrate fathers into every aspect of children’s care, switching from a mother-centred approach to a family-centred one. As a result, fathers will routinely participate in the consultation, decision making, and treatment of their children with ASD.