Stress, Burden, and Attitude towards Autistic Children in Teachers in and University in Bangkok

Abstract

Objective:

To study the level of stress, burden, and attitude towards autistic children in teachers who teach autistic children at Kasetsart University Laboratory School Center of Educational Research and Development. And explore association between level of stress in teachers and their burden as well as their attitude towards autistic children.

Method:

The data was collected from 160 teachers during August to October 2012. The participants answered five self-reporting questionnaires which consisted of: 1) demographic data 2) stress questionnaire of teachers caring children with autism 3) burden questionnaires of teachers caring children with autism 4) attitude of teachers towards children with autism questionnaire and 5) social support questionnaire. The stress, burden, and attitude was presented by mean, proportion, and percentage. The associated factors of teachers’ stress including teachers’ burden, attitude and social support were analyzed by chi-square test. Logistic regression was performed to find out the predictors of the teachers’ stress.

Result:

Most of the teachers of children with autism (79.4%) had low level of stress. Most of them felt that they had no burden in caring children with autism (76.3%), and had good attitude towards autistic children (75.6%). Factors related to teachers’ stress were their main duties (p<0.05), burden (p<0.05), attitude towards autistic children (p<0.05), and social support (p<0.01). By using logistic regression, the predictors of the mild-to-moderate level of teachers’ stress were teachers’ feeling of being burdened (p<0.05), poor-to-fair attitude toward autistic children (p<0.05), and low-to-moderate level of social support . (p<0.01)

Conclusion:

Most of the teachers of children with autism in Kasetsart University Laboratory School Center for Educational Research and Development had low level of stress, no burden in caring children with autism and good attitude towards children with autism. The factors related to the teachers‘ stress were burden, attitude, and social support.