Fathers’ Orientation to their Children’s Autism Diagnosis: A Grounded Theory Study

Sixteen fathers of individuals with autism were interviewed to develop a grounded theory explaining how they learned about their children’s autism diagnosis. Results suggest the orientation process entails at least two phases: orienting oneself and orienting others. The orienting oneself phase entailed fathers having suspicion of developmental differences, engaging in research and education activities, having their children formally evaluated; inquiring about their children’s prognosis, and having curiosities about autism’s etiology. The orienting others phase entailed orientating family members and orienting members of their broader communities. Recommendations for responsive service provision, support for fathers, and future research are offered.