Awareness of Psychosocial Needs Among Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities

Awareness of Psychosocial Needs Among Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Awareness of Psychosocial Needs Among Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Anuj Srivastava, Sara Begum This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8626945/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background: Parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) play a critical role in identifying and responding to their child’s psychosocial needs. However, parental awareness often varies based on demographic characteristics such as gender, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, age and community background. Limited empirical evidence exists on how these demographic variables influence the level of such awareness from an under-represented South Asian context. Objective: The present study focuses on exploring parental awareness about the psychosocial needs of NDDs children in the age group of 6 – 12 years and test associations with gender, educational qualification, socioeconomic status (SES), age and community. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 30 parents comprised of 18 mothers and 12 fathers whose children had a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability or Specific Learning Disability. A ‘Psychosocial Needs Checklist’ developed by the researcher, which consisted of 30 items across emotional, behavioural, social, cognitive and adaptive domains, was administered. The scores ranged from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating greater awareness. Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests Kruskal – Wallis H test, Mann – Whitney U test and Spearman’s rank correlation since the score distribution was not normal and the group sizes were not equal. Findings: 1. Parental awareness also showed significant variation across the diagnostic groups in an increasing order: ASD > SLD > ID. 2. Mothers showed a higher level of awareness of psychosocial needs than fathers. 3. Awareness increased consistently with higher level of education, with graduates and parents holding professional degrees showing the strongest awareness. 4. Socio-economic status (SES) was a strong predictor of awareness as parents from high-SES families demonstrated significantly greater awareness compared to middle and low SES groups. 5. Parental awareness varied by age group as parents aged 31 – 40 years showed higher awareness, though the oldest group, which consisted of those aged 41 – 50 years, recorded the lowest scores. 6. Urban and semi-urban parents were significantly more aware than rural parents, indicating a pronounced geographic gap. Conclusion: Parental awareness of psychosocial needs significantly varies across all demographic variables. These disparities signal the importance of targeted psychosocial training, equity in service access and context-sensitive interventions, particularly for fathers, rural families and those from low-SES groups. Awareness Psychosocial Needs Psychosocial Intervention Parents Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDDs) 1. Introduction Neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) represent developmental conditions involving cognitive, communicative and socio-behavioural challenges (American Psychiatric Association, 2022 ; Schwartzman et al., 2024 ). Lack of awareness among parents contributes significantly to delayed identification, less effectiveness of interventions, and increased levels of parental stress (Chansa-Kabali et al., 2025 ; Chow et al., 2024 ). This extends emotional exhaustion, psychological distress and a decrease in coping ability among parents (Usman et al., 2025 ). These issues are intensified in low-resourced settings where poor availability of rehabilitation services is further compounded by social stigma, which acts against timely support being offered (Chansa-Kabali et al., 2025 ). Delayed recognition of early developmental concerns, often because of low parental awareness, remains a key barrier to optimal outcomes for children with NDDs (Kanniappan et al., 2024 ). In many instances, the difference between initial parental concern and formal diagnosis exceeds 1.5 years, especially for autism conditions (Bhavnani et al., 2021). Such delays in diagnosis decreases the effectiveness of early interventions (Collins et al., 2017) and indicates the gaps toward the necessity for studies that examines parental awareness among different demographic variation. There is a need to understand parental awareness in South Asian contexts, as cultural beliefs, socio-economic disparities and lack of service infrastructure shape the way in which caregivers interpret developmental milestones (Estrin et al., 2023; Mohanty et al., 2025). With estimates of one in eight children in India possibly facing developmental challenges due to NDDs (Mohanty et al., 2025), the identification of demographic predictors like gender, education, socio-economic status, age and community background can help target awareness building interventions accordingly. Increased awareness supports accelerated early detection, linkage with services and improved psychosocial well-being for children and caregivers (Koly et al., 2021; Sharma et al., 2023). The present study, therefore, investigates parent’s awareness of psychosocial needs in children with NDDs and explores how key demographic variables influence this awareness. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Psychosocial Needs of Children with NDDs Children with NDDs often have increased psychosocial difficulties, which include emotional dysregulation, behavioral outbursts, difficulties in social reciprocity, anxiety and developmentally inappropriate coping mechanisms (Schwartzman et al., 2024 ). Soliman et al. ( 2020 ) found that a majority of children between the age 6–12 years encountered psychosocial challenges. Such concerns significantly impact daily functioning, school engagement and family functioning. Berens et. al. ( 2019 ) explored early – life psychosocial hazards can impact developmental outcomes among children. Parents are the first point of observation and support in a child’s emotional and behavioral pattern; studies proved that parental age, income, gender and parenting played key roles in these patterns (Arim et. al. 2015 ). In another study conducted in India showed that per capita income, education of mother, nutrition status of child, number of rooms, environmental hygiene, availability of a high school in easy access, availability of a caretaker when mother is busy, child attending nursery school or not, households with access to a newspaper, child has toys or toy substitutes, TV, books, storytelling by mother, were found to be significantly associated with psychosocial development of preschool children (Kumar et. al., 1997); thus, their awareness is quite essential in psychosocial intervention. 2.2 Parental Awareness as a Determinant of Early Identification and Support Parental awareness significantly impacts early detection of psychosocial and developmental difficulties. As revealed by the studies, caregivers who correctly interpret the first signs of emotional distress or behavioral deviances seek professional help sooner, which is associated with better developmental outcomes (Chow et al., 2024 ; Collins et al., 2017). By sharp contrast, delayed identification, frequently longer than one year in disorders like ASD, is strongly associated with poorer long-term functioning (Bhavnani et al., 2021). Gaps in Existing Literature While a number of studies have investigated parental awareness about neurodevelopmental disabilities, few have focused specifically on parent’s awareness of psychosocial needs such as emotional regulation, behavioural challenges and social functioning. Those that do exist typically focus on diagnostic delays or disability awareness rather than psychosocial awareness of parents. Second, few analyses have considered how multiple demographic factors (gender, educational qualifications, socioeconomic status, age and community) interact to influence parental awareness. Research is also currently limited regarding school-aged children aged 6–12 years; most research has been conducted into early childhood. Lastly, there is a dearth of evidence from South Asian contexts, where cultural beliefs, structural barriers and limited-service access distinctly shape parental awareness. These gaps thus underscore the need for focused empirical investigation into the ways that demographic variables shape parental awareness of psychosocial needs in children with NDDs. Significance of the study Denial and delayed acceptance of a child’s development needs, in many cases due to stigma and fear, are important contributors to late initiation of intervention and adverse outcomes (Mazumdar, 2024 ). Empirical evidence brings to notice that parents with multiple and intellectually disabled children are usually deny the developing issues, causing a hindrance to proper analysis and therapy participation (Ho & Keiley, 2003 ). Denial of developing issues in children also poses a delay in receiving early development related services, causing a wasted development period for children due to delayed interventions, as stated in the PEDALS Blog, authored by Laura Tipton, also backed by Goldberg (n.d.) in Special Education Advisor Blog. Denial also affects with family dynamics where father’s rejection heightens maternal caregiving burden and stress (Purba & Simanjuntak, 2021 ), whereas mothers often report increased psychological strain and reduced social participation, which can have adverse effects on child and family functioning (Aydın & Yamaç, 2014 ). Research Questions RQ1 : Does parental awareness of psychosocial needs differ significantly according to the particular neurodevelopmental diagnosis of the child: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability & Specific Learning Disability? RQ2 : Does parental awareness of psychosocial needs differ by gender (mother vs. father)? RQ3 : How does parental educational qualification influence awareness of psychosocial needs? RQ4 : To what extent does socioeconomic status predict parental awareness of psychosocial needs? RQ5 : Are there differences in psychosocial awareness among parents based on age group? RQ6 : Does community background (urban vs. rural) influence parental awareness of psychosocial needs? Hypotheses H₀1 : There is no significant difference in the level of awareness by parents regarding psychosocial needs across different diagnostic categories of neurodevelopmental disabilities. H₀2 : There is no significant difference in psychosocial awareness scores between mothers and fathers. H₀3 : Parental educational qualifications do not significantly influence psychosocial awareness scores. H₀4 : Socioeconomic status does not significantly predict parental awareness of psychosocial needs. H₀5 : Parental age groups do not differ significantly in their awareness of psychosocial needs. H₀6 : Community background (urban vs. rural) does not significantly influence parental psychosocial awareness. 3. Methodology 3.1 Research Design A cross-sectional descriptive design was implemented to evaluate the awareness of parents regarding psychosocial needs and demographic influences. 3.2 Participants The sample included 30 parents of 6–12-year-old children diagnosed with ASD, ID or SLD residing in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), India. Parents were purposively sampled from clinical and community early-intervention settings. Participation was voluntary and oral informed consent was obtained from all the participants. Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional review board (The Department of Teacher Training & Non-Formal Education, Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education (IASEs), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India). The study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki to this effect in the ‘Ethics approval and consent to participate’ section of the Declarations. Demographic Details of the samples : Table 1 Demographic Details of the samples Characteristics N % Diagnosis of the Child Autism Spectrum Disorder 8 29% Intellectual Disability 5 16.67% Specific Learning Disability 17 56.67% Relationship with the Child Mother 18 60% Father 12 40% Educational Qualification of the Parents No Formal Education 2 6.67% Primary 2 6.67% Secondary 2 6.67% High School 3 10% Intermediate / Diploma 4 13.34% Graduate 10 33.34% Professional Degree and above 7 23.34% Socioeconomic Status Lower 5 17% Middle 17 56% Upper 8 27% Age range of the Parents 20–30 years 12 40% 31–40 years 12 40% 41–50 years 6 20% Residential Area Rural 5 16.67% Semi Urban 5 16.67% Urban 20 67% Table 1 (above) shows the sample consisted of 30 parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities from three diagnostic categories, with a majority of the children being diagnosed for Specific Learning Disability 56.67%, followed by Autism Spectrum Disorder 29%, and Intellectual Disability 16.67%. Regarding the parental relationship to the child, mothers were the majority of respondents at 60 percent and fathers composed 40 percent of the sample. The qualification of parents ranged widely. A few had no formal education, primary education and secondary education representing 6.67% each, while about 10% had studied up to high school and 13.34% had an intermediate / diploma qualification. Quite a good number were graduates, with 33.34%, while 23.34% had professional degrees or higher. Socioeconomically, most of the children belonged to the middle-income group, comprising 56%, followed by 27% from the upper group, while 17% came from the lower socioeconomic category. Parents were spread fairly evenly across two age brackets of 20–30 years and 31–40 years at 40%, while the rest were 41–50 years old. Regarding residential background, the majority of the parents belonged to urban background 67%, followed by semi-urban and rural background with 16.67% each. 3.3 Tool Psychosocial Needs Checklist (PNS) A 30-item scale developed and content validated by 24 professionals of rehabilitation field for this study assessed awareness across six domains: Sense of Competence and Achievement Social Interaction and Peer Relationships Encouragement and Motivation Emotional Understanding and Coping Self-Esteem and Identity Formation Role of Family and Environment Responses were recorded in three-point Likert scale with reverse coding in between. Reverse coded questions are 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26 & 28, which are randomly selected (to minimize biasness and logical reasoning) computing 50% of the tool (15 questions out of 30 questions). Table 2 Scoring sheet of the Psychosocial Needs Checklist (PNS) Response Score Positively coded items Reverse-coded items Always 3 1 Sometimes 2 2 Never 1 3 Table 2 shows responses were recorded on a 1–3 scale where minimum score was 1 – Never (in positive coded) and 1 – (in reverse coded), whereas, maximum score was 3 – Always (in positive coded) and 3 – (in reverse coded). Higher scores indicate greater awareness. 3.4 Procedure Participants provided informed consent. Data were collected individually in structured interviews to ensure comprehension. Demographic information was recorded. 3.5 Data Analysis The data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 21. Non-parametric statistical tests were used: the Kruskal – Wallis H test and the Mann – Whitney U test, to test differences among groups along the type of disability, gender, educational qualifications, socioeconomic status and parental age groups, as well as community background. All analyses met the assumptions and followed procedures for non-normally distributed data and unequal sample sizes. 4. Findings and Discussion RQ1 : Does parental awareness of psychosocial needs differ significantly according to the particular neurodevelopmental diagnosis of the child: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability & Specific Learning Disability? Table 3 Variation in Awareness by Child’s Diagnosis (RQ1) Diagnosis N Mean Rank Chi-Square df Asymp. Sig. Awareness Index Autism Spectrum Disorder 8 26.50 23.131 2 .000 Intellectual Disability 5 3.00 Specific Learning Disability 17 14.00 Total 30 The Kruskal – Wallis H test (Table 3 ) revealed that scores in the parental Awareness Index statistically significantly difference across the three diagnostic groups, X 2 = 23.13, p < .001. Hence, H₀1 is rejected. This suggests that parental awareness differ significantly depending on the child’s diagnosis. The mean rank distribution shows a clear hierarchical pattern: Autism Spectrum Disorder with a mean rank of 26.50, showed the highest awareness. Specific Learning Disability had a mean rank of 14.00, reflecting moderate awareness. Intellectual Disability had the lowest awareness, yielding a mean rank of 3.00. Interpretation Large variance indicates that parents of children with particular neurodevelopmental disabilities are significantly more aware of psychosocial needs compared to others. The substantially higher ranks for Autism Spectrum Disorder indicate greater access to specialized services, more extended guidance from professionals or active involvement in psycho – educational processes for the children falling within this diagnosis (Fuentes, et. al., 2021 ), as this disability easily recognizable as early as 3 years of age (The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 ). RQ2 Does parental awareness of psychosocial needs differ by gender (mother vs. father)? Table 4 Variation in Awareness by Gender (RQ2) Gender N Mean Rank Mann-Whitney U Z Asymp. Sig. Awareness Index Father 12 7.46 11.500 − 4.091 .000 Mother 18 20.86 Total 30 The Mann-Whitney U test (Table 4 ) revealed that differences in psychosocial awareness scores between mothers and fathers were statistically significant, U = 11.50, Z = – 4.091, p < .001. Hence, H₀2 is rejected. Mothers reflected significantly higher levels of awareness compared with fathers. This implies that gender plays a meaningful role in shaping the awareness of parents on psychosocial needs. The mean rank values point out a significant difference: Fathers: Mean Rank = 7.46 Mothers: Mean Rank = 20.86 Interpretation The strong gender-based disparity was evidenced by the large difference in mean ranks and a highly significant p-value. This trend follows previous data that suggest the mothers usually play a more intense role in caregiving and therefore have wider exposure to specialist consultations, school-based interactions and therapeutic settings to develop their awareness. The relatively low level of awareness in fathers may reflect lesser involvement in day-to-day care, lesser direct contact with professionals or sociocultural norms positioning mothers as primary caregivers within most Indian families (Purba & Simanjuntak, 2021 ). RQ3 How does parental educational qualification influence awareness of psychosocial needs? Table 5 Variation in Awareness by Educational Qualification (RQ3) Educational Qualification N Mean Rank Chi-Square Z Asymp. Sig. Awareness Index No formal education 2 2.50 6 20.271 .002 Primary 2 2.50 Secondary 2 8.75 High School 3 9.33 Intermediate / Diploma 4 11.13 Graduate 10 21.80 Professional Degree and above 7 21.00 Total 30 The Kruskal – Wallis H test (Table 5 ) highlighted that the difference in awareness among different education levels is statistically significant. Therefore, H₀3 is rejected. A rise could be seen from the data where parents with Professional Degrees, Graduates, etc., had significantly higher awareness as compared to those receiving no formal or primary education. Interpretation The more educated they are, the greater their parental awareness of psychosocial needs, and this is again related to educational exposure, access to information and cognitive capacity to navigate complex psychosocial concepts. Parents with higher levels of education may be acquainted with professional networks, resources and digital platforms through which information on child development is disseminated (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2016). RQ4 To what extent does socioeconomic status predict parental awareness of psychosocial needs? Table 6 Variation in Awareness by Socio Economic Status (SES) (RQ4) Socio Economic Status (SES) N Mean Rank Chi-Square df Asymp. Sig. Awareness Index Lower 5 3.00 23.131 2 .000 Middle 17 14.00 Upper 8 26.50 Total 30 Both the Spearman and Kruskal – Wallis H test (Table 6 ) revealed that Socio Economic Status (SES) is a significant determinant of awareness at p < 0.001. A strong positive correlation was recorded at ρ = 0.950 (Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level, 2-tailed) showing that awareness by parents of their child’s psychosocial needs increases with an increase in family socioeconomic status from Lower to Upper class. Thus, H₀4 is rejected. Interpretation SES affect awareness through resource availability, which encompasses access to special services, private therapy, digital literacy and exposure to professional advice (Kushwaha, 2024 ; Shi et. al., 2024 ). Parents in higher SES are more likely to seek out regular developmental assessments and attend parent training seminars, leading to increasing awareness (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2016). RQ5 Are there differences in psychosocial awareness among parents based on age group? Table 7 Variation in Awareness based on Age Group (RQ5) Parent’s Age Group N Mean Rank Chi-Square df Asymp. Sig. Awareness Index 20–30 years 12 15.21 12.727 2 .002 31–40 years 12 20.92 41–50 years 6 5.25 Total 30 The Kruskal – Wallis H test (Table 7 ) was significant, indicating that there was a difference by age group; older parents (41–50 years) were less aware than younger parents. Therefore, H₀5 is rejected. Interpretation Such differences reflect longer exposure to diagnostic and therapeutic processes and accumulated learning through digital mode over time. Despite longer life experience, older parents (41–50 years) have reduced exposure to contemporary disability services systems or digital informational resources, which explains the observed lower awareness (Amo-Adjei, 2023). Other reasons like social stigma hampers the acceptance of the child and their needs (UNICEF & Institute of Social Studies and Analysis, 2016). RQ6 Does community background (urban vs. rural) influence parental awareness of psychosocial needs? Table 8 Variation in Awareness by Community Background (RQ6) Community Background N Mean Rank Chi-Square df Asymp. Sig. Awareness Index Rural 5 3.00 12.314 2 .002 Semi Urban 5 16.50 Urban 20 18.38 Total 30 The Mann – Whitney U test (Table 8 ) presented a significant difference. The statistical comparison reflected sharp division along the lines of geographic location (p < 0.001). Parents from urban areas scored significantly higher in awareness compared to those from rural areas; this indicates a serious gap in terms of resource availability and dissemination of information within a rural setting. Thus, H₀6 is rejected. Interpretation This finding is in tune with the national disability studies, which report that the rural families have limited access to diagnostic services, fewer special educators, less awareness campaigns, and weak digital infrastructure (Kumar et. al., 2012 ; Lakshmi, 2025; Rose et. al., 2021 ). Accessibility to multi-disciplinary centers, inclusive schools and regular awareness initiatives by NGOs and government departments are advantages enjoyed by the urban parents (Kumar et. al., 2012 ). 5. Future Recommendations Conduct the study on larger, stratified samples to increase representativeness across all demographic variables. Requirement of longitudinal studies to evaluate how parental awareness changes with increasing child age, service exposure and intervention participation. Validate the Psychosocial Needs Checklist across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts for wider applicability. Implement targeted parental training / modules, particularly for fathers, rural families and low-education groups. Integrate various digital awareness programs to bridge the gaps related to SES and location. Identify more predictors of awareness, including parental mental health, caregiving burden and access to multidisciplinary services. Collaborate with schools, community health workers and NGOs for the institutionalization of psychosocial awareness programs at the community level. 6. Conclusion The study demonstrates significant disparities in parental awareness of psychosocial needs by diagnosis, gender, education, socioeconomic status, age and community. Parents of children with ASD, mothers, highly educated and higher-SES families and urban residents showed higher levels of awareness. Such differences reflect structural, informational and resource-related gaps that affect caregiving ability. Improving awareness through psychosocial training / module, equal access to services and culturally sensitive outreach holds the key to ensuring better psychosocial outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Declarations Author Contribution Statement: A.S. worked under the guidance of S.B. Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest, financial or non-financial, related to this work. Funding Statement: This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies whether it is from public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. Ethical Approval and Accordance: The study adhered to all ethical standards for research involving human participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of The Department of Teacher Training & Non-Formal Education, Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education (IASEs), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India prior to data collection. Consent to Participate: All participants were informed about the purpose, procedures, potential risks and benefits of the study. Oral informed consent was obtained from all participants before their inclusion in the research. Clinical Trial Number: Not Applicable. Generative AI Usage: The authors have not used any AI tools in the preparation of this article. It has been found 0% AI use in Copyleaks Software. Data Availability Statement: The data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to ethical constraints and the sensitive nature of the data, which include confidential psychosocial information of parents and children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Public access to these data could violate participant privacy and the terms of informed consent. Although the primary data is provided, but any form of secondary use, redistribution or public sharing of the data is prohibited. References American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Neurodevelopmental disorders . In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787 Amo-Adjei, J., Essuman, R., Nurzhynska, A., Deliege, A., Sharma, G., Iddrisu, I., & Nikoi, C. (2023). Experiences of parents and stakeholders in caring for, and supporting children with special needs in Ghana. PloS one , 18 (3), e0281502. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281502 Arim, R. G., Kohen, D. E., Garner, R. E., Lach, L. M., Brehaut, J. C., MacKenzie, M. J., & Rosenbaum, P. L. (2015). Psychosocial functioning in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and externalizing behavior problems. Disability and Rehabilitation , 37 (4), 345–354. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2014.919361 Aydın, A. & Yamaç, A. (2014). The relations between the acceptance and child-rearing attitudes of parents of children with mental disabilities. Eurasian Journal of Educational Research , 54, 79-98. Berens, A., Kumar, S., Tofail, F. et al. (2019). Cumulative psychosocial risk and early child development: validation and use of the Childhood Psychosocial Adversity Scale in global health research. Paediatric Research . 86:766–775. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0431-7 Chansa-Kabali, T., Banda-Chalwe, M., & Lupenga, J. (2025). Centering caregiver voices on caregiving needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in low-resource settings. PLoS ONE , 20 (10), e0335402. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0335402 Chow, H. Y., Salleh, N. S., Cheng, K. W., & Totsika, V. (2024). Families’ experiences of accessing intervention for their children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in Malaysia: a systematic review. International Journal of Developmental Disabilities , 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2024.2331815 Fuentes, J., Hervás, A., & Howlin, P. (2021). ESCAP practice guidance for autism: a summary of evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and treatment. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry , 30 (6), 961–984. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01587-4 Goldberg, D. (n.d.). Special Education Advisor Blog. The Stages of Grief in Learning your Child has Special Needs . https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/c6079d13e502135389cbb10b5a5e2dc8/Initially%20Learning%20About% 20Your%20Child%20Having%20Special%20Needs.pdf Ho, K. M., & Keiley, M. K. (2003). Dealing with Denial: A Systems Approach for Family Professionals Working with Parents of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities. The Family Journal , 11(3), 239-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480703251891 Kanniappan, V., Muthuperumal, P., Venkataraman, P., Murugesan, A., Chinnasami, B., Muthiah, M., Sethuraman, S., R, A. J., S, S., Nambirajan, M. K., G, A. G., S, V. T., & Deivasigamani, K. (2024). Effect of Targeted Parental Education Intervention to identify Early Childhood Development Disorder – Multisite Interventional Study. Research Square (Research Square) . https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4016898/v1 Kumar, S. G., Roy, G., & Kar, S. S. (2012). Disability and rehabilitation services in India: issues and challenges. Journal of family medicine and primary care , 1 (1), 69–73. https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.94458 Kushwaha R. K., Ahmad, S. (2024). An Association between Socioeconomic Status and Parental Engagement in Enhancing Academic Achievement in Children with Intellectual Disabilities. LibraryProgress International, 44(3), 3272-3280. https://bpasjournals.com/library-science/index.php/journal/article/download/1009/607/1612 Mazumdar, J. (2024). Many parents in denial of their child having special needs, leading to delay in detection. The Telegraph Online. https://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/many-parents-in-denial-of-their-child-having-special-needs-leading-to-delay-in-detection/cid/2033734 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). Parenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0-8 . Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21868. Purba, N., & Simanjuntak, H. (2021). Father’s Acceptance and Rejection of Children with Disabilities. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research/Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research . https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210322.061 Rose, R., Narayan, J., Matam, S., & Sambram, P. R. (2021). A Comparison of Provision and Access to Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in a Metropolitan City and a Rural District in Telangana State, India. Education Sciences , 11 (3), 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030111 Schwartzman, J. M., Williams, Z. J., & Molnar, A. E., Jr (2024). Parent and Provider Differences in Ratings of Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Concerns in Children with Neurologic Disorders. Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings , 31 (3), 526–536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-023-09990-0 Shi, X., He, J., & Niu, G. (2024). The Association between Family Socioeconomic Status and Children’s Digital Literacy: The Explanatory Role of Parental Mediation. Adolescents , 4 (3), 386-395. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents4030027 Soliman, E, S., Mahdy, R, S., Fouad, H, A., Abbas, R, A., & Fayed, A. (2020). Multiple risk factors affecting childhood psychosocial dysfunction in primary school Egyptian children. Middle East Current Psychiatry . 27:16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-020-00023-2 Sri Lakshmi, J. (2025). Empowering persons with disabilities in India: Challenges and strategic interventions. International Journal of Humanities Social Science and Management , 5 (3), 45–50. https://ijhssm.org/issue_dcp/Empowering%20Persons%20with%20Disabilities%20in%20India%20%20Challenges% 20and%20Strategic%20Interventions.pdf The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, [Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Pt. II, Sec. 1, No. 59, Art. 49]. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/15939/1/the_rights_of_persons_with_disabilities_act%2C_2016.pdf UNICEF & Institute of Social Studies and Analysis. (2016). Study on stigmatization of children with disabilities . UNICEF Georgia. https://www.unicef.org/georgia/media/1181/file/stigmatization.pdf Usman, T., Imtiaz, R., & Zaidi, S. S. (2025). Impact of emotional exhaustion and locus of control on psychological distress in parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, Academic Journal of Psychology and Counseling, 6(2), 443-468. https://doi.org/10.22515/ajpc.v7i1.11272 World Health Organization. (2011). World report on disability 2011 . iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/cdced85a-86ce-47b9-ae21-156fab9a96a0/content Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files DataAnalysisthroughSPSS.spv Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 01 Mar, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Feb, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 13 Feb, 2026 Editor invited by journal 23 Jan, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 22 Jan, 2026 First submitted to journal 22 Jan, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8626945","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":593340037,"identity":"76ed871a-1405-4d8f-8584-49b046bdd2bf","order_by":0,"name":"Anuj Srivastava","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"Jamia Millia Islamia","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Anuj","middleName":"","lastName":"Srivastava","suffix":""},{"id":593340039,"identity":"f540ea77-e0e8-4ea6-bb3d-b06e62319ff5","order_by":1,"name":"Sara Begum","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Jamia Millia Islamia","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Sara","middleName":"","lastName":"Begum","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-17 15:23:13","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8626945/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8626945/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":103049517,"identity":"7d5f0b26-40cb-4fa4-b94a-d2a74da26cdf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-20 07:42:03","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1023947,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8626945/v1/ce10ccde-1747-4e29-ac5c-eadd64343566.pdf"},{"id":102982144,"identity":"06918233-6c5a-41f2-92d9-6f7f12e95dbb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-19 09:12:27","extension":"spv","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":27621,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"DataAnalysisthroughSPSS.spv","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8626945/v1/4c1c55ea16796cf35f90d28c.spv"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Awareness of Psychosocial Needs Among Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities","fulltext":[{"header":"1. Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eNeurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) represent developmental conditions involving cognitive, communicative and socio-behavioural challenges (American Psychiatric Association, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e; Schwartzman et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Lack of awareness among parents contributes significantly to delayed identification, less effectiveness of interventions, and increased levels of parental stress (Chansa-Kabali et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e; Chow et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). This extends emotional exhaustion, psychological distress and a decrease in coping ability among parents (Usman et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e). These issues are intensified in low-resourced settings where poor availability of rehabilitation services is further compounded by social stigma, which acts against timely support being offered (Chansa-Kabali et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDelayed recognition of early developmental concerns, often because of low parental awareness, remains a key barrier to optimal outcomes for children with NDDs (Kanniappan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). In many instances, the difference between initial parental concern and formal diagnosis exceeds 1.5 years, especially for autism conditions (Bhavnani et al., 2021). Such delays in diagnosis decreases the effectiveness of early interventions (Collins et al., 2017) and indicates the gaps toward the necessity for studies that examines parental awareness among different demographic variation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThere is a need to understand parental awareness in South Asian contexts, as cultural beliefs, socio-economic disparities and lack of service infrastructure shape the way in which caregivers interpret developmental milestones (Estrin et al., 2023; Mohanty et al., 2025). With estimates of one in eight children in India possibly facing developmental challenges due to NDDs (Mohanty et al., 2025), the identification of demographic predictors like gender, education, socio-economic status, age and community background can help target awareness building interventions accordingly. Increased awareness supports accelerated early detection, linkage with services and improved psychosocial well-being for children and caregivers (Koly et al., 2021; Sharma et al., 2023).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe present study, therefore, investigates parent\u0026rsquo;s awareness of psychosocial needs in children with NDDs and explores how key demographic variables influence this awareness.\u003c/p\u003e "},{"header":"2. Literature Review","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec2\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.1 Psychosocial Needs of Children with NDDs\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eChildren with NDDs often have increased psychosocial difficulties, which include emotional dysregulation, behavioral outbursts, difficulties in social reciprocity, anxiety and developmentally inappropriate coping mechanisms (Schwartzman et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Soliman et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2020\u003c/span\u003e) found that a majority of children between the age 6\u0026ndash;12 years encountered psychosocial challenges. Such concerns significantly impact daily functioning, school engagement and family functioning. Berens et. al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e) explored early \u0026ndash; life psychosocial hazards can impact developmental outcomes among children. Parents are the first point of observation and support in a child\u0026rsquo;s emotional and behavioral pattern; studies proved that parental age, income, gender and parenting played key roles in these patterns (Arim et. al. \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). In another study conducted in India showed that per capita income, education of mother, nutrition status of child, number of rooms, environmental hygiene, availability of a high school in easy access, availability of a caretaker when mother is busy, child attending nursery school or not, households with access to a newspaper, child has toys or toy substitutes, TV, books, storytelling by mother, were found to be significantly associated with psychosocial development of preschool children (Kumar et. al., 1997); thus, their awareness is quite essential in psychosocial intervention.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e2.2 Parental Awareness as a Determinant of Early Identification and Support\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eParental awareness significantly impacts early detection of psychosocial and developmental difficulties. As revealed by the studies, caregivers who correctly interpret the first signs of emotional distress or behavioral deviances seek professional help sooner, which is associated with better developmental outcomes (Chow et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR7\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Collins et al., 2017). By sharp contrast, delayed identification, frequently longer than one year in disorders like ASD, is strongly associated with poorer long-term functioning (Bhavnani et al., 2021).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eGaps in Existing Literature\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eWhile a number of studies have investigated parental awareness about neurodevelopmental disabilities, few have focused specifically on parent\u0026rsquo;s awareness of psychosocial needs such as emotional regulation, behavioural challenges and social functioning. Those that do exist typically focus on diagnostic delays or disability awareness rather than psychosocial awareness of parents. Second, few analyses have considered how multiple demographic factors (gender, educational qualifications, socioeconomic status, age and community) interact to influence parental awareness. Research is also currently limited regarding school-aged children aged 6\u0026ndash;12 years; most research has been conducted into early childhood. Lastly, there is a dearth of evidence from South Asian contexts, where cultural beliefs, structural barriers and limited-service access distinctly shape parental awareness. These gaps thus underscore the need for focused empirical investigation into the ways that demographic variables shape parental awareness of psychosocial needs in children with NDDs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eSignificance of the study\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDenial and delayed acceptance of a child\u0026rsquo;s development needs, in many cases due to stigma and fear, are important contributors to late initiation of intervention and adverse outcomes (Mazumdar, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR14\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Empirical evidence brings to notice that parents with multiple and intellectually disabled children are usually deny the developing issues, causing a hindrance to proper analysis and therapy participation (Ho \u0026amp; Keiley, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). Denial of developing issues in children also poses a delay in receiving early development related services, causing a wasted development period for children due to delayed interventions, as stated in the PEDALS Blog, authored by Laura Tipton, also backed by Goldberg (n.d.) in Special Education Advisor Blog. Denial also affects with family dynamics where father\u0026rsquo;s rejection heightens maternal caregiving burden and stress (Purba \u0026amp; Simanjuntak, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), whereas mothers often report increased psychological strain and reduced social participation, which can have adverse effects on child and family functioning (Aydın \u0026amp; Yama\u0026ccedil;, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eResearch Questions\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRQ1\u003c/b\u003e: Does parental awareness of psychosocial needs differ significantly according to the particular neurodevelopmental diagnosis of the child: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability \u0026amp; Specific Learning Disability?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRQ2\u003c/b\u003e: Does parental awareness of psychosocial needs differ by gender (mother vs. father)?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRQ3\u003c/b\u003e: How does parental educational qualification influence awareness of psychosocial needs?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRQ4\u003c/b\u003e: To what extent does socioeconomic status predict parental awareness of psychosocial needs?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRQ5\u003c/b\u003e: Are there differences in psychosocial awareness among parents based on age group?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRQ6\u003c/b\u003e: Does community background (urban vs. rural) influence parental awareness of psychosocial needs?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eHypotheses\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eH₀1\u003c/b\u003e: There is no significant difference in the level of awareness by parents regarding psychosocial needs across different diagnostic categories of neurodevelopmental disabilities.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eH₀2\u003c/b\u003e: There is no significant difference in psychosocial awareness scores between mothers and fathers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eH₀3\u003c/b\u003e: Parental educational qualifications do not significantly influence psychosocial awareness scores.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eH₀4\u003c/b\u003e: Socioeconomic status does not significantly predict parental awareness of psychosocial needs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eH₀5\u003c/b\u003e: Parental age groups do not differ significantly in their awareness of psychosocial needs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eH₀6\u003c/b\u003e: Community background (urban vs. rural) does not significantly influence parental psychosocial awareness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"3. Methodology","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.1 Research Design\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eA cross-sectional descriptive design was implemented to evaluate the awareness of parents regarding psychosocial needs and demographic influences.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec6\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.2 Participants\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe sample included 30 parents of 6\u0026ndash;12-year-old children diagnosed with ASD, ID or SLD residing in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR), India. Parents were purposively sampled from clinical and community early-intervention settings. Participation was voluntary and oral informed consent was obtained from all the participants. Ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional review board (The Department of Teacher Training \u0026amp; Non-Formal Education, Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education (IASEs), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India). The study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki to this effect in the \u0026lsquo;Ethics approval and consent to participate\u0026rsquo; section of the Declarations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eDemographic Details of the samples\u003c/b\u003e:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDemographic Details of the samples\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"4\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c2\" namest=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCharacteristics\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiagnosis of the Child\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAutism Spectrum Disorder\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e29%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntellectual Disability\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.67%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecific Learning Disability\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56.67%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRelationship with the Child\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMother\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFather\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"6\" rowspan=\"7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducational Qualification of the Parents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo Formal Education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.67%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.67%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.67%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh School\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntermediate / Diploma\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.34%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGraduate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e33.34%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProfessional Degree and above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.34%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocioeconomic Status\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLower\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMiddle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e56%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUpper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e27%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAge range of the Parents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u0026ndash;30 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u0026ndash;40 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e40%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u0026ndash;50 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResidential Area\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRural\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.67%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSemi Urban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.67%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67%\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e (above) shows the sample consisted of 30 parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities from three diagnostic categories, with a majority of the children being diagnosed for Specific Learning Disability 56.67%, followed by Autism Spectrum Disorder 29%, and Intellectual Disability 16.67%. Regarding the parental relationship to the child, mothers were the majority of respondents at 60 percent and fathers composed 40 percent of the sample. The qualification of parents ranged widely. A few had no formal education, primary education and secondary education representing 6.67% each, while about 10% had studied up to high school and 13.34% had an intermediate / diploma qualification. Quite a good number were graduates, with 33.34%, while 23.34% had professional degrees or higher. Socioeconomically, most of the children belonged to the middle-income group, comprising 56%, followed by 27% from the upper group, while 17% came from the lower socioeconomic category. Parents were spread fairly evenly across two age brackets of 20\u0026ndash;30 years and 31\u0026ndash;40 years at 40%, while the rest were 41\u0026ndash;50 years old. Regarding residential background, the majority of the parents belonged to urban background 67%, followed by semi-urban and rural background with 16.67% each.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.3 Tool\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003ePsychosocial Needs Checklist (PNS)\u003c/b\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eA 30-item scale developed and content validated by 24 professionals of rehabilitation field for this study assessed awareness across six domains:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003col\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSense of Competence and Achievement\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocial Interaction and Peer Relationships\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eEncouragement and Motivation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eEmotional Understanding and Coping\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSelf-Esteem and Identity Formation\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eRole of Family and Environment\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/span\u003e \u003c/ol\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eResponses were recorded in three-point Likert scale with reverse coding in between. Reverse coded questions are 1, 3, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 26 \u0026amp; 28, which are randomly selected (to minimize biasness and logical reasoning) computing 50% of the tool (15 questions out of 30 questions).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eScoring sheet of the Psychosocial Needs Checklist (PNS)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"3\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eResponse\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c3\" namest=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eScore\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePositively coded items\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eReverse-coded items\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAlways\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eSometimes\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e2\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNever\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e1\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e3\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eTable\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e shows responses were recorded on a 1\u0026ndash;3 scale where minimum score was 1 \u0026ndash; Never (in positive coded) and 1 \u0026ndash; (in reverse coded), whereas, maximum score was 3 \u0026ndash; Always (in positive coded) and 3 \u0026ndash; (in reverse coded). Higher scores indicate greater awareness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.4 Procedure\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003e Participants provided informed consent. Data were collected individually in structured interviews to ensure comprehension. Demographic information was recorded.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv id=\"Sec9\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e \u003ch2\u003e3.5 Data Analysis\u003c/h2\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe data were analyzed using the IBM SPSS Statistics, Version 21. Non-parametric statistical tests were used: the Kruskal \u0026ndash; Wallis H test and the Mann \u0026ndash; Whitney U test, to test differences among groups along the type of disability, gender, educational qualifications, socioeconomic status and parental age groups, as well as community background. All analyses met the assumptions and followed procedures for non-normally distributed data and unequal sample sizes.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"4. Findings and Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003e \u003cb\u003eRQ1\u003c/b\u003e: Does parental awareness of psychosocial needs differ significantly according to the particular neurodevelopmental diagnosis of the child: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability \u0026amp; Specific Learning Disability?\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariation in Awareness by Child\u0026rsquo;s Diagnosis (RQ1)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eDiagnosis\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Rank\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChi-Square\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsymp. Sig.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwareness Index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAutism Spectrum Disorder\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntellectual Disability\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecific Learning Disability\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Kruskal \u0026ndash; Wallis H test (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e) revealed that scores in the parental Awareness Index statistically significantly difference across the three diagnostic groups, X\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;23.13, p \u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;.001. Hence, H₀1 is rejected. This suggests that parental awareness differ significantly depending on the child\u0026rsquo;s diagnosis.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe mean rank distribution shows a clear hierarchical pattern:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eAutism Spectrum Disorder with a mean rank of 26.50, showed the highest awareness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eSpecific Learning Disability had a mean rank of 14.00, reflecting moderate awareness.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntellectual Disability had the lowest awareness, yielding a mean rank of 3.00.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInterpretation\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eLarge variance indicates that parents of children with particular neurodevelopmental disabilities are significantly more aware of psychosocial needs compared to others. The substantially higher ranks for Autism Spectrum Disorder indicate greater access to specialized services, more extended guidance from professionals or active involvement in psycho \u0026ndash; educational processes for the children falling within this diagnosis (Fuentes, et. al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e), as this disability easily recognizable as early as 3 years of age (The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRQ2\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eDoes parental awareness of psychosocial needs differ by gender (mother vs. father)?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariation in Awareness by Gender (RQ2)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGender\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Rank\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMann-Whitney U\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eZ\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsymp. Sig.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwareness Index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFather\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.500\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u0026minus;\u0026thinsp;4.091\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"1\" rowspan=\"2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMother\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Mann-Whitney U test (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e) revealed that differences in psychosocial awareness scores between mothers and fathers were statistically significant, U\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;11.50, Z = \u0026ndash; 4.091, p \u0026lt; .001. Hence, H₀2 is rejected. Mothers reflected significantly higher levels of awareness compared with fathers.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis implies that gender plays a meaningful role in shaping the awareness of parents on psychosocial needs.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe mean rank values point out a significant difference:\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eFathers: Mean Rank\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;7.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eMothers: Mean Rank\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;20.86\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInterpretation\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe strong gender-based disparity was evidenced by the large difference in mean ranks and a highly significant p-value. This trend follows previous data that suggest the mothers usually play a more intense role in caregiving and therefore have wider exposure to specialist consultations, school-based interactions and therapeutic settings to develop their awareness. The relatively low level of awareness in fathers may reflect lesser involvement in day-to-day care, lesser direct contact with professionals or sociocultural norms positioning mothers as primary caregivers within most Indian families (Purba \u0026amp; Simanjuntak, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRQ3\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eHow does parental educational qualification influence awareness of psychosocial needs?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab5\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 5\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariation in Awareness by Educational Qualification (RQ3)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eEducational Qualification\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Rank\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChi-Square\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eZ\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsymp. Sig.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"6\" rowspan=\"7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwareness Index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eNo formal education\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"6\" rowspan=\"7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"6\" rowspan=\"7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.271\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"6\" rowspan=\"7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrimary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eHigh School\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.33\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntermediate / Diploma\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.13\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eGraduate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e10\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.80\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProfessional Degree and above\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Kruskal \u0026ndash; Wallis H test (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e) highlighted that the difference in awareness among different education levels is statistically significant. Therefore, H₀3 is rejected. A rise could be seen from the data where parents with Professional Degrees, Graduates, etc., had significantly higher awareness as compared to those receiving no formal or primary education.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInterpretation\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe more educated they are, the greater their parental awareness of psychosocial needs, and this is again related to educational exposure, access to information and cognitive capacity to navigate complex psychosocial concepts. Parents with higher levels of education may be acquainted with professional networks, resources and digital platforms through which information on child development is disseminated (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2016).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRQ4\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eTo what extent does socioeconomic status predict parental awareness of psychosocial needs?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab6\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 6\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariation in Awareness by Socio Economic Status (SES) (RQ4)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSocio Economic Status (SES)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Rank\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChi-Square\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsymp. Sig.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwareness Index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eLower\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.131\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.000\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMiddle\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUpper\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eBoth the Spearman and Kruskal \u0026ndash; Wallis H test (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e) revealed that Socio Economic Status (SES) is a significant determinant of awareness at p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001. A strong positive correlation was recorded at ρ\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.950 (Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level, 2-tailed) showing that awareness by parents of their child\u0026rsquo;s psychosocial needs increases with an increase in family socioeconomic status from Lower to Upper class. Thus, H₀4 is rejected.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInterpretation\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eSES affect awareness through resource availability, which encompasses access to special services, private therapy, digital literacy and exposure to professional advice (Kushwaha, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Shi et. al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR19\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). Parents in higher SES are more likely to seek out regular developmental assessments and attend parent training seminars, leading to increasing awareness (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, 2016).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRQ5\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eAre there differences in psychosocial awareness among parents based on age group?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab7\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 7\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariation in Awareness based on Age Group (RQ5)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eParent\u0026rsquo;s Age Group\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Rank\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChi-Square\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsymp. Sig.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwareness Index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u0026ndash;30 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.21\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.727\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e31\u0026ndash;40 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20.92\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e41\u0026ndash;50 years\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5.25\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Kruskal \u0026ndash; Wallis H test (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab7\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e7\u003c/span\u003e) was significant, indicating that there was a difference by age group; older parents (41\u0026ndash;50 years) were less aware than younger parents. Therefore, H₀5 is rejected.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInterpretation\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eSuch differences reflect longer exposure to diagnostic and therapeutic processes and accumulated learning through digital mode over time. Despite longer life experience, older parents (41\u0026ndash;50 years) have reduced exposure to contemporary disability services systems or digital informational resources, which explains the observed lower awareness (Amo-Adjei, 2023). Other reasons like social stigma hampers the acceptance of the child and their needs (UNICEF \u0026amp; Institute of Social Studies and Analysis, 2016).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eRQ6\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eDoes community background (urban vs. rural) influence parental awareness of psychosocial needs?\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab8\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 8\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eVariation in Awareness by Community Background (RQ6)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCommunity Background\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eN\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eMean Rank\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eChi-Square\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003edf\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAsymp. Sig.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAwareness Index\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eRural\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.00\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e12.314\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\" morerows=\"2\" rowspan=\"3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e.002\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSemi Urban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e16.50\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eUrban\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eTotal\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Mann \u0026ndash; Whitney U test (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab8\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e8\u003c/span\u003e) presented a significant difference. The statistical comparison reflected sharp division along the lines of geographic location (p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). Parents from urban areas scored significantly higher in awareness compared to those from rural areas; this indicates a serious gap in terms of resource availability and dissemination of information within a rural setting. Thus, H₀6 is rejected.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eInterpretation\u003c/strong\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis finding is in tune with the national disability studies, which report that the rural families have limited access to diagnostic services, fewer special educators, less awareness campaigns, and weak digital infrastructure (Kumar et. al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e; Lakshmi, 2025; Rose et. al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e). Accessibility to multi-disciplinary centers, inclusive schools and regular awareness initiatives by NGOs and government departments are advantages enjoyed by the urban parents (Kumar et. al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"5. Future Recommendations","content":" \u003cp\u003e \u003cul\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eConduct the study on larger, stratified samples to increase representativeness across all demographic variables.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eRequirement of longitudinal studies to evaluate how parental awareness changes with increasing child age, service exposure and intervention participation.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eValidate the Psychosocial Needs Checklist across diverse linguistic and cultural contexts for wider applicability.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eImplement targeted parental training / modules, particularly for fathers, rural families and low-education groups.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eIntegrate various digital awareness programs to bridge the gaps related to SES and location.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eIdentify more predictors of awareness, including parental mental health, caregiving burden and access to multidisciplinary services.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003cli\u003e \u003cp\u003eCollaborate with schools, community health workers and NGOs for the institutionalization of psychosocial awareness programs at the community level.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/li\u003e \u003c/ul\u003e \u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"6. Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe study demonstrates significant disparities in parental awareness of psychosocial needs by diagnosis, gender, education, socioeconomic status, age and community. Parents of children with ASD, mothers, highly educated and higher-SES families and urban residents showed higher levels of awareness. Such differences reflect structural, informational and resource-related gaps that affect caregiving ability. Improving awareness through psychosocial training / module, equal access to services and culturally sensitive outreach holds the key to ensuring better psychosocial outcomes for children with neurodevelopmental disabilities.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Contribution Statement:\u003c/strong\u003e A.S. worked under the guidance of S.B.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflicts of Interest:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest, financial or non-financial, related to this work.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding Statement:\u003c/strong\u003e This research did not receive any grant from funding agencies whether it is from public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthical Approval and Accordance:\u003c/strong\u003e The study adhered to all ethical standards for research involving human participants. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Ethics Committee of The Department of Teacher Training \u0026amp; Non-Formal Education, Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education (IASEs), Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, India prior to data collection.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Participate:\u003c/strong\u003e All participants were informed about the purpose, procedures, potential risks and benefits of the study. Oral informed consent was obtained from all participants before their inclusion in the research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical Trial Number:\u003c/strong\u003e Not Applicable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGenerative AI Usage:\u003c/strong\u003e The authors have not used any AI tools in the preparation of this article. It has been found 0% AI use in Copyleaks Software.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData Availability Statement:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available due to ethical constraints and the sensitive nature of the data, which include confidential psychosocial information of parents and children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Public access to these data could violate participant privacy and the terms of informed consent. Although the primary data is provided, but any form of secondary use, redistribution or public sharing of the data is prohibited.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmerican Psychiatric Association. (2022). \u003cem\u003eNeurodevelopmental disorders\u003c/em\u003e. In \u003cem\u003eDiagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders\u003c/em\u003e (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAmo-Adjei, J., Essuman, R., Nurzhynska, A., Deliege, A., Sharma, G., Iddrisu, I., \u0026amp; Nikoi, C. (2023). Experiences of parents and stakeholders in caring for, and supporting children with special needs in Ghana. \u003cem\u003ePloS one\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e18\u003c/em\u003e(3), e0281502. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0281502\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eArim, R. G., Kohen, D. E., Garner, R. E., Lach, L. M., Brehaut, J. C., MacKenzie, M. J., \u0026amp; Rosenbaum, P. L. (2015). Psychosocial functioning in children with neurodevelopmental disorders and externalizing behavior problems. \u003cem\u003eDisability and Rehabilitation\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e37\u003c/em\u003e(4), 345\u0026ndash;354. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2014.919361\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAydın, A. \u0026amp; Yama\u0026ccedil;, A. (2014). The relations between the acceptance and child-rearing attitudes of parents of children with mental disabilities. \u003cem\u003eEurasian Journal of Educational Research\u003c/em\u003e, 54, 79-98.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBerens, A., Kumar, S., Tofail, F. et al. (2019). Cumulative psychosocial risk and early child development: validation and use of the Childhood Psychosocial Adversity Scale in global health research. \u003cem\u003ePaediatric Research\u003c/em\u003e. 86:766\u0026ndash;775. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41390-019-0431-7 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChansa-Kabali, T., Banda-Chalwe, M., \u0026amp; Lupenga, J. (2025). Centering caregiver voices on caregiving needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders in low-resource settings. \u003cem\u003ePLoS ONE\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e20\u003c/em\u003e(10), e0335402. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0335402\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eChow, H. Y., Salleh, N. S., Cheng, K. W., \u0026amp; Totsika, V. (2024). Families\u0026rsquo; experiences of accessing intervention for their children with neurodevelopmental disabilities in Malaysia: a systematic review. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Developmental Disabilities\u003c/em\u003e, 1\u0026ndash;14. https://doi.org/10.1080/20473869.2024.2331815 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFuentes, J., Herv\u0026aacute;s, A., \u0026amp; Howlin, P. (2021). ESCAP practice guidance for autism: a summary of evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and treatment. \u003cem\u003eEuropean Child \u0026amp; Adolescent Psychiatry\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e30\u003c/em\u003e(6), 961\u0026ndash;984. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01587-4\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGoldberg, D. (n.d.). Special Education Advisor Blog. \u003cem\u003eThe Stages of Grief in Learning your Child has Special Needs\u003c/em\u003e. https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/c6079d13e502135389cbb10b5a5e2dc8/Initially%20Learning%20About%\u003cbr\u003e20Your%20Child%20Having%20Special%20Needs.pdf\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHo, K. M., \u0026amp; Keiley, M. K. (2003). Dealing with Denial: A Systems Approach for Family Professionals Working with Parents of Individuals with Multiple Disabilities. \u003cem\u003eThe Family Journal\u003c/em\u003e, 11(3), 239-247. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480703251891\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKanniappan, V., Muthuperumal, P., Venkataraman, P., Murugesan, A., Chinnasami, B., Muthiah, M., Sethuraman, S., R, A. J., S, S., Nambirajan, M. K., G, A. G., S, V. T., \u0026amp; Deivasigamani, K. (2024). Effect of Targeted Parental Education Intervention to identify Early Childhood Development Disorder \u0026ndash; Multisite Interventional Study. \u003cem\u003eResearch Square (Research Square)\u003c/em\u003e. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-4016898/v1\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKumar, S. G., Roy, G., \u0026amp; Kar, S. S. (2012). Disability and rehabilitation services in India: issues and challenges. \u003cem\u003eJournal of family medicine and primary care\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e1\u003c/em\u003e(1), 69\u0026ndash;73. https://doi.org/10.4103/2249-4863.94458 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eKushwaha R. K., Ahmad, S. (2024). An Association between Socioeconomic Status and Parental Engagement in Enhancing Academic Achievement in Children with Intellectual Disabilities. LibraryProgress International, 44(3), 3272-3280. https://bpasjournals.com/library-science/index.php/journal/article/download/1009/607/1612 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMazumdar, J. (2024). Many parents in denial of their child having special needs, leading to delay in detection. \u003cem\u003eThe Telegraph Online. \u003c/em\u003e\u003cem\u003ehttps://www.telegraphindia.com/west-bengal/many-parents-in-denial-of-their-child-having-special-needs-leading-to-delay-in-detection/cid/2033734\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2016). \u003cem\u003eParenting Matters: Supporting Parents of Children Ages 0-8\u003c/em\u003e. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/21868.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePurba, N., \u0026amp; Simanjuntak, H. (2021). Father\u0026rsquo;s Acceptance and Rejection of Children with Disabilities. \u003cem\u003eAdvances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research/Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research\u003c/em\u003e. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.210322.061\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRose, R., Narayan, J., Matam, S., \u0026amp; Sambram, P. R. (2021). A Comparison of Provision and Access to Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities in a Metropolitan City and a Rural District in Telangana State, India. \u003cem\u003eEducation Sciences\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e11\u003c/em\u003e(3), 111. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci11030111\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSchwartzman, J. M., Williams, Z. J., \u0026amp; Molnar, A. E., Jr (2024). Parent and Provider Differences in Ratings of Mental Health and Neurodevelopmental Concerns in Children with Neurologic Disorders. \u003cem\u003eJournal of clinical psychology in medical settings\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e31\u003c/em\u003e(3), 526\u0026ndash;536. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10880-023-09990-0 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eShi, X., He, J., \u0026amp; Niu, G. (2024). The Association between Family Socioeconomic Status and Children\u0026rsquo;s Digital Literacy: The Explanatory Role of Parental Mediation. \u003cem\u003eAdolescents\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e4\u003c/em\u003e(3), 386-395. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents4030027 \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSoliman, E, S., Mahdy, R, S., Fouad, H, A., Abbas, R, A., \u0026amp; Fayed, A. (2020). Multiple risk factors affecting childhood psychosocial dysfunction in primary school Egyptian children. \u003cem\u003eMiddle East Current Psychiatry\u003c/em\u003e. 27:16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43045-020-00023-2\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eSri Lakshmi, J. (2025). Empowering persons with disabilities in India: Challenges and strategic interventions. \u003cem\u003eInternational Journal of Humanities Social Science and Management\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003e5\u003c/em\u003e(3), 45\u0026ndash;50. https://ijhssm.org/issue_dcp/Empowering%20Persons%20with%20Disabilities%20in%20India%20%20Challenges%\u003cbr\u003e20and%20Strategic%20Interventions.pdf\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, [Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Pt. II, Sec. 1, No. 59, Art. 49]. https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/15939/1/the_rights_of_persons_with_disabilities_act%2C_2016.pdf \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUNICEF \u0026amp; Institute of Social Studies and Analysis. (2016). \u003cem\u003eStudy on stigmatization of children with disabilities\u003c/em\u003e. UNICEF Georgia. https://www.unicef.org/georgia/media/1181/file/stigmatization.pdf\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eUsman, T., Imtiaz, R., \u0026amp; Zaidi, S. S. (2025). Impact of emotional exhaustion and locus of control on psychological distress in parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities, Academic Journal of Psychology and Counseling, 6(2), 443-468. https://doi.org/10.22515/ajpc.v7i1.11272\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWorld Health Organization. (2011). \u003cem\u003eWorld report on disability 2011\u003c/em\u003e. iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/cdced85a-86ce-47b9-ae21-156fab9a96a0/content\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-public-health","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"pubh","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Public Health](http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/pubh/default.aspx","title":"BMC Public Health","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Awareness, Psychosocial Needs, Psychosocial Intervention, Parents, Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDDs)","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8626945/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8626945/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground: \u003c/strong\u003eParents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDDs) play a critical role in identifying and responding to their child’s psychosocial needs. However, parental awareness often varies based on demographic characteristics such as gender, educational attainment, socioeconomic status, age and community background. Limited empirical evidence exists on how these demographic variables influence the level of such awareness from an under-represented South Asian context.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eObjective: \u003c/strong\u003eThe present study focuses on exploring parental awareness about the psychosocial needs of NDDs children in the age group of 6 – 12 years and test associations with gender, educational qualification, socioeconomic status (SES), age and community.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethod: \u003c/strong\u003eA cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 30 parents comprised of 18 mothers and 12 fathers whose children had a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Intellectual Disability or Specific Learning Disability. A \u003cem\u003e‘Psychosocial Needs Checklist’\u003c/em\u003e developed by the researcher, which consisted of 30 items across emotional, behavioural, social, cognitive and adaptive domains, was administered. The scores ranged from 0 to 60, with higher scores indicating greater awareness. Data were analyzed using non-parametric tests Kruskal – Wallis H test, Mann – Whitney U test and Spearman’s rank correlation since the score distribution was not normal and the group sizes were not equal.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFindings:\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1. Parental awareness also showed significant variation across the diagnostic groups in an increasing order: ASD \u0026gt; SLD \u0026gt; ID.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e2. Mothers showed a higher level of awareness of psychosocial needs than fathers.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e3. Awareness increased consistently with higher level of education, with graduates and parents holding professional degrees showing the strongest awareness.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e4. Socio-economic status (SES) was a strong predictor of awareness as parents from high-SES families demonstrated significantly greater awareness compared to middle and low SES groups.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e5. Parental awareness varied by age group as parents aged 31 – 40 years showed higher awareness, though the oldest group, which consisted of those aged 41 – 50 years, recorded the lowest scores.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e6. Urban and semi-urban parents were significantly more aware than rural parents, indicating a pronounced geographic gap.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusion: \u003c/strong\u003eParental awareness of psychosocial needs significantly varies across all demographic variables. These disparities signal the importance of targeted psychosocial training, equity in service access and context-sensitive interventions, particularly for fathers, rural families and those from low-SES groups.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Awareness of Psychosocial Needs Among Parents of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disabilities","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-19 09:12:22","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8626945/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"140284076885560115321564532095129664007","date":"2026-03-02T03:10:18+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-02-16T12:53:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-02-13T09:09:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-01-23T08:36:25+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-01-22T17:28:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Public Health","date":"2026-01-22T17:18:55+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-public-health","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"pubh","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Public Health](http://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/pubh/default.aspx","title":"BMC Public Health","twitterHandle":"@BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"dc839437-7d50-4c74-afea-fed2b088c6cc","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 19th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-19T09:12:23+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-19 09:12:22","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8626945","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8626945","identity":"rs-8626945","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}