Selection of Research Paper Topic

An analysis of the link between hopefulness, quality of life (QOL) and internalized stigma among autistic kids' parents is the objective of the current research. Autism impacts the patient as well as their parents, who require wide-ranging support services. The entire family of autism patients gets distressed during its attempts at raising the patient/child, potentially leading to diverse psychological and social problems among family members. Therefore, when catering to special needs kids and developing interventions and initiatives for autism-diagnosed kids, mental healthcare providers and social workers need to consider parental mental health status. Family members who are able to enjoy appropriate levels of societal acceptance and assistance tend to adjust better to challenges encountered in the course of raising autistic kids (Papageorgiou & Kalyva, 2010).

Stigma internalization represents a process wherein patients' family members might exhibit elevated negative emotions, withdrawal from society, negative self-assessment and an attempt to hide their stigmatized standing from other people (Corrigan & Watson, 2003). Certain members of the community may stigmatize, ridicule or accuse autistic kids' parents, even going far enough to directly accuse them of the developmental issues surfacing in their children. Stigmatized individuals undergo greater stress compared to others. In the social work subdomain linked to catering to special needs kids, I have personally witnessed parents being subject to considerable stigma, a malice that increases their stress and adversely impacts their QOL.

While these parents' lives are fraught with excessive stress, scholars who examined resiliency elements discovered that every parent isn't a victim of the above-mentioned harmful impacts. A positive outlook, for instance, reportedly corresponds to a growth in social assistance and welfare of autistic kids' moms (Ekas, Lickenbrock, & Whitman, 2010). Preliminary assessments of hope among parents having kids suffering from autism and other intellectual disorders indicate that hopefulness can prove to be a resilience element linked to lower stress and depression (Kashdan et al., 2002). Negligible or no research exists on the subject of positive and negative aspects of parental expectations of their children's future and the impact it has on parental health. Hence, it is imperative that social workers catering to autistic kids comprehend the impact of parental hope and internalized stigmatization on parental QOL, to improve their lives. The alarming growth of the lifetime ailment known as autism (Baird et al., 2006) calls for an urgent understanding of parental challenges and the determination of adjustment techniques for alleviating their negative impacts.

Social workers may contribute extensively to supporting autistic kids and teens and their family members by ensuring they remain hopeful. This forms the fundamental principle of this research work. Family members of autistic youngsters may find it beneficial if they speak to social workers and attempt to jointly tackle the multiple emotions and pressures of seeing the struggles and behaviors of an autistic family member whilst also attempting to fulfill their personal needs. Social workers may work separately with individual family members, offer couple counseling services for parents, or even family counseling for the entire family. These services may concentrate on numerous areas such as adjusting to the diagnosis,... The most salient function of counselors would be inculcating hope in order to improve parental QOL.
The most salient component of this research is its literature search. Literature reviews help researchers gain more knowledge regarding the topic of study. They enable scholars to examine existing information regarding the topic, decide how to differentiate their work from available works (thereby contributing to the literature pool on the subject), and develop a conceptual framework and research design. The latter may also be achieved based on existing literature that serves to guide scholars with regard to sound research performance strategies. For instance, literature on the topic at hand may help instruct the research scholar regarding the research design (qualitative or quantitative or) that will prove most appropriate when it comes to examining gaps in available literature on the subject.

An effective literature search for the purpose of this study will entail consulting every resource accessible. The formal steps to conduct a systematic review of literature (Cronin, Ryan, & Coughlan, 2008) on one's research topic are as follows:

• Choosing a topic for review

• Conducting a literature search

• Collecting, reading and analyzing literature

• Writing down the review

• Referencing

Therefore, subsequent to choosing one's topic, the next step would be to peruse internet databases, books, journal articles, government publications, etc. In the current digital age, a successful, quality literature search is usually conducted with the aid of electronic and computer databases which provide access to huge amounts of swiftly- and easily- retrievable information. Several electronic databases exist; of these, a large number handle specific information areas.

I can also attempt to learn more about my subject of interest by meeting with specialists in the field, talking to coworkers, attending seminars and conferences, and visiting professional organizations. The review of literature must be comprehensive so as to facilitate the identification of gaps in the literature that may facilitate in the framing of this research. By continued refining of research, my work will become increasingly specialized and focused. Lastly, I will need to provide a summary of the literature to form an inclusive picture of literature on the subject.

There are certainly other major sources as well, which must be looked into before embarking on this research project. Indeed, informal discussions with individuals who are already knowledgeable on literature on my study topic may prove to be very valuable, as these individuals can offer pointers pertaining to how I am to move forward with my search. Thus, informal interviews of organizations that work with autistic kids, special educators, psychologists, autistic kids' parents, and other associated social welfare organizations will prove to be a vital source. Additionally, numerous governmental departments may have comprehensive websites that include valuable links and content (such as policy documents and media statements) pertaining to my research question. I may also benefit from seeking a librarian's assistance in acquiring national as well as international resources and literature. My extended study must aim at achieving a very detailed literature review to ensure it enlightens…