Can Mindfulness Enhance Outcomes for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their Parents?

This thesis aimed to investigate if mindfulness can enhance outcomes for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents. The first two studies consist of published systematic reviews investigating the findings of the previous research evaluating the effects of mindfulness interventions for (1) parents of children with ASD and (2) for individuals with ASD. The author then developed an 8-week mindfulness intervention which was evaluated in two pilot, mixed-method case studies. The findings of this thesis contributed original research to the body of literature and considered novel research questions regarding the effect of mindfulness for individuals with ASD and their parents.