Emotional Intelligence and its Relationship to the Needs of Mothers of Children with Autism

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the level of emotional intelligence and the level of children mothers’ needs with autism, and also the relationship between the two variables. The sample of the study consisted of 99 mothers of children with autism. The results revealed that mothers scored high mean scores in the level of emotional intelligence as a total degree. While they scored the highest mean scores in the emotional management dimension, the mothers scored the lowest mean scores in the self-motivation dimension. Therefore, the results indicated that mothers obtained moderate mean scores in the total mean score of needs. They also obtained the highest mean scores in the need for delivering services dimension while they obtained the lowest mean scores in religious counseling needs dimension. However, significant correlations were found between emotional intelligence and mothers’ needs in the total mean score and dimensions. Finally, there were statistically significant differences between the most emotional intelligent mothers and the least emotional intelligent mothers in favor of the former group in the total mean score of emotional intelligence and its dimensions except the financial need dimension.