Thesis (Ph.D.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Nursing - Department of Psychiatric Nursing

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of life adaptation program on daily living skills of autistic children and their parent's stress. A quasi -experimental design was utilized in this study. A purposive sample of thirty autistic children and their parents were recruited from Autism Day Care Unit-Beit El-shams- Child Psychiatry Clinic in El-Abbassia Mental Health Hospital. Three tools were used to conduct the current study, sociodemographic and medical data sheet, autistic child skills scale to assess daily living skills, and parent's stress scale to measure level of stress. The results showed that, more than eighty percent of the studied children had low level of daily living skills, and slightly more than half of the studied parents had moderate stress level. Findings revealed that there was a highly statistically significant difference between pre-post program regarding daily living skills & there was a highly statistically significant difference between parents stress pre and post program. In conclusion, Life adaptation program significantly improves daily living skills, and reducing level of parents stress post intervention when compared to pre intervention. Children with ASD and their families require lifelong provision, management and service coordination

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