Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04366-x ORIGINAL PAPER Stigma and Forgiveness in Ghanaian Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) M. Oti‑Boadi 1  · E. Dankyi 2  · C. O. Kwakye‑Nuako 3 © Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020 Abstract This study explored stigma experiences of mothers of children with ASD and forgiveness as their coping response. Semi- structured interviews were conducted with 6 mothers of children with ASD. Results of this study found several noteworthy themes including, feelings of mother, family/societal reactions, forgiveness factors, and impact of forgiveness. Mothers reported significant stigmatization from families and society. Some expressed their feelings towards themselves, others and God, and finally recounted the use of forgiveness as a coping resource which contributed significantly to their well-being. Findings from this study contribute to the emerging literature on forgiveness as a coping resource for persons who are offended. Implications for clinical practice, intervention and policy are discussed. Keywords Stigma · Forgiveness · Mothers · ASD · Coping Introduction Stigma has been found as one of the commonest offenses committed by family members against parents of children with disabilities, and one of the strongest predictors of parental stress and emotional burden (Gray 2002; Green 2003; Kearney and Griffin 2001; Pascoe and Richman 2009). Stigmatization may be in the form of criticism and disap- proval from family members and strangers for having a child with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) (Ambikile and Out- water 2012; Oti-Boadi 2017). Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a group of neu- rodevelopmental disorders characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication and repetitive, restricted patterns of behavior and interest (American Psy- chiatric Association 2013). Recent epidemiological studies estimate that 1–2% of children worldwide are found on the spectrum (Elsabbagh et al. 2012). Most of the statistics on autism are associated with children in western and high- income economies, however, there is a growing concern in the way the condition manifests and is perceived in devel- oping and low-income countries (World Health Organiza- tion 2013). ASD is now considered a global epidemic with prevalence rates estimated at 1:59 (Center for Disease Con- trol [CDC] 2014). Increase in the rates of ASD makes it increasingly important to understand how it impacts the pri- mary caregivers, usually mothers (Lutz, Patterson and Klein 2012) of children with ASD. Mothers are the focus of the research because they are often responsible for caregiving (see Gyekye 2003; Waterhouse, Hill, and Hinde 2017) and are likely to be heavily impacted by the stresses associated with raising children with developmental disabilities than fathers (Baker and Drapela 2010; Smith et al. 2010). Research shows that parents and their children with ASD are often stigmatized and neglected by society, fam- ily, friends, health professionals and teachers (Avoke 2002; Gray 2002; Kinnear et al. 2016). Although children with ASD do not usually have physical markers as a sign of disability, they often exhibit some challenging behaviors that are sometimes considered socially inappropriate (e.g. taking off their clothes in public, having tantrums, self- destructive behaviors like biting themselves, smelling and mouthing objects, aggression). The nature of ASD makes parents experience excessively unique caregiving challenges compared to parents of children with other developmental * M. Oti-Boadi moti-boadi@ug.edu.gh; sweethour2014@gmail.com 1 Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Legon, LG 84 Accra, Ghana 2 Center for Social Policy, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana 3 Department of Psychology, Methodist University College Ghana, Accra, Ghana