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Resilience in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

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Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Definition

Resilience is defined as a “positive adaptation within the context of significant adversity” (Luthar et al. 2000, p. 545). Rutter (1987) described resilience as a response to risk where “some people succumb to stress and adversity whereas others overcome life hazards” (p. 317). Resilience also refers to “the ability to withstand hardship and rebound from adversity, becoming more strengthened and resourceful” (Walsh 1998, 2006, p. 263). These definitions share two similarities: (1) the presence of some type of adversity or risk factor and (2) positive outcomes after exposure to risk or adversity. Moreover, inherent in each definition is the conceptualization of resilience as a process as opposed to a personality characteristic that an individual has (Luthar et al. 2000).

Given the multidimensional nature of the construct of resilience, it is also important to define the various components of resilience. Risk or adversityrefers to “negative life circumstances that are known...

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, TX, USA

    Naomi V. Ekas & Deborah Rafferty

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  1. Naomi V. Ekas
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  2. Deborah Rafferty
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Correspondence to Naomi V. Ekas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Yale Child Study Center, New Haven, CT, USA

    Fred R. Volkmar

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Ekas, N.V., Rafferty, D. (2020). Resilience in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In: Volkmar, F. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102418-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102418-1

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