Iranian Parents Describe a Seven-Phase Emotional Journey Through Their Child’s Autism Diagnosis

Parents of young children with autism spectrum disorder in Yazd, Iran, move through a recognisable sequence of emotional phases on the way to acceptance, but their paths are neither uniform nor purely personal, according to a qualitative study published in BMC Psychology. The research, conducted in 2024, identified a culturally grounded trajectory of seven phases of parental response that extends across and beyond the diagnostic journey, from the first recognition of symptoms to eventual adaptation.

The study team recruited twelve parents of children with autism aged six years or younger from two centres in Yazd, Tolou-e-Mehr and Baqa, which at the time of the study were the only diagnostic and rehabilitation centres supervised by the Welfare Organization in the city. Participants were selected through purposive sampling with maximum variation, and the researchers carried out in-depth, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with each parent individually, continuing until data saturation was reached.

Analysis followed conventional content analysis guided by Graneheim and Lundman’s framework, with the data managed in MAXQDA version 18 and rigour assessed against Lincoln and Guba’s trustworthiness criteria. The findings were reported using the 32-item COREQ checklist, a standard for transparent reporting in qualitative research.

Three categories and one overarching theme emerged from the analysis. The overarching theme, which the researchers describe as the parental journey through autism diagnosis amid uncertainty and progressive adaptation, captures how parents’ experiences evolve across the diagnostic pathway. The three categories cover the challenges of the diagnostic process itself, the emotional trajectory of parents during diagnosis, and the phases of parental response running from initial symptom recognition through to post-diagnostic adaptation.

The seven phases of parental response were identified as symptom recognition, denial and shock, anger and frustration, bargaining and resistance to medical advice and treatment, emotional distress or depression, social isolation, and acceptance or adaptation. A notable feature of the analysis is its participant-level granularity: while parents showed an overarching chronological progression toward adaptation without backwards regression, individual trajectories were dynamic and flexible, with parents selectively navigating or bypassing intermediate phases rather than passing through every stage in order.

Two culturally specific elements stand out in the trajectory. One is resistance to medical recommendations expressed through religious practices, which appeared in the bargaining phase as parents weighed clinical advice against their own coping frameworks. The other is stigma-related isolation that extends beyond the individual parent to broader family networks, meaning the social consequences of a diagnosis can ripple outward through extended relatives rather than remaining contained within the immediate household.

Alongside these emotional patterns, parents reported substantial practical obstacles. The study documents diagnostic delays, inconsistent assessments, and fragmented service pathways, all of which intensified the emotional burden families carried during an already difficult period. These systemic problems intersected with personal coping responses, shaping how the diagnostic experience unfolded for each family.

The authors frame the work as addressing a gap in the literature: limited research has explored how parents in non-Western contexts interpret and emotionally navigate the autism diagnostic process. By focusing on Iranian parents’ beliefs, meaning-making processes, and emotional trajectories, the study aims to identify culturally shaped patterns that can inform family-centered care rather than importing assumptions from other settings.

The conclusions point toward practical implications. The findings underscore the need for timely diagnosis, coordinated family-centered services, and culturally sensitive psychosocial support to help parents navigate their dynamic diagnostic pathways. In other words, the emotional phases parents pass through are not only a matter of individual psychology but are shaped by how quickly and coherently the diagnostic system responds.

As with any qualitative study, the scope of these findings should be read carefully. The research involved twelve parents of children aged six or younger, recruited from two centres in a single Iranian city, and it describes participants’ reported experiences rather than measuring clinical outcomes or testing an intervention. The seven-phase trajectory offers a structured account of how these parents described their journeys, and the authors suggest it provides a basis for designing support that reflects the cultural and systemic realities families actually face.

Subject of Research: A qualitative study of Iranian parents' emotional experiences during and after their child's autism spectrum disorder diagnosis

Article Title: Navigating challenges and emotional responses: a qualitative study of Iranian parents’ experiences in the Autism Diagnosis process and beyond

Article References: Doost-Mohammadi, F., Farajkhoda, T., Lotfi, M. H., Dehghani, A., Fallahzadeh, H., Sadeghiyeh, T., & Khazaei, Z. (2026). Navigating challenges and emotional responses: a qualitative study of Iranian parents’ experiences in the Autism Diagnosis process and beyond. BMC Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-026-05848-w

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s40359-026-05848-w

Keywords: autism spectrum disorder, qualitative research, Iran, parents, diagnosis, emotional trajectory, content analysis, family-centered care, stigma, Yazd, Navigating, challenges