Families of adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorders in Taiwan: The role of social support and coping in family adaptation and maternal well-being Ling-Yi Lin a, *, Gael I. Orsmond b , Wendy J. Coster b , Ellen S. Cohn b a Department of Occupational Therapy, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, Tainan City 701, Taiwan, ROC b Department of Occupational Therapy, Boston University, USA 1. Introduction Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are life-long developmental disabilities, and include autistic disorder, asperger’s disorder, and pervasive developmental disorder–not otherwise specified (PDD–NOS) (American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2000)). They are characterized by qualitative impairments in communication, reciprocal social interaction, and the presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors or interests (APA, 2000). Having a member with an ASD in a family poses unique and long-term challenges for each member of the family (Holmes & Carr, 1991; Morgan, 1988). Family members of individuals with an ASD may experience difficulty participating in their own daily activities and social activities (DeGrace, 2004; Dunlap & Fox, 1999; Tunali & Power, 2002). For instance, families may be forced to adopt certain routines and have a restricted social life since their daily lives revolve around the needs and desires of the child with an ASD (DeGrace, 2004). Previous research in Western countries such as the United States has reported that mothers of individuals with an ASD often Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders 5 (2011) 144–156 ARTICLE INFO Article history: Received 2 March 2010 Accepted 2 March 2010 Keywords: Autism Social support Coping Family adaptation Maternal well-being ABSTRACT In this study we examined differences in social support and coping between mothers of adolescents and adults with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Taiwan and the United States and to investigate the effects of social support and coping strategies on family adaptation and maternal well-being. Participants were 76 Taiwanese mothers who had at least one son or daughter with an ASD (10 years old and older), and a comparison group of 325 mothers in the United States matched on the age range of the child with an ASD. Mothers completed self-administered, written questionnaires and participated in an interview. Taiwanese mothers reported significantly greater use of problem-focused and emotion-focused coping strategies than did mothers in the United States. For Taiwanese families, greater use of problem-focused coping strategies was associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety. Emotion-focused coping mediated the relationships between ethnicity/culture and several outcome measures: family adapt- ability, family cohesion, and maternal depressive symptoms. The higher levels of emotion- focused coping in Taiwanese mothers appeared to account for their lower levels of family adaptability and cohesion and higher levels of maternal depressive symptoms. The results from this cross-cultural study helped determine the role of social support and coping strategies in family adaptation and maternal well-being in families of individuals with an ASD in each culture. Implications for service delivery are discussed. ß 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +886 6 2353535x5917; fax: +886 6 2376604. E-mail address: lingyi@mail.ncku.edu.tw (L.-Y. Lin). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders Journal homepage: http://ees.elsevier.com/RASD/default.asp 1750-9467/$ – see front matter ß 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.rasd.2010.03.004