Parent-Child Interactions in Families of Preadolescent Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Relationships between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents constitute fundamental sources of support for children as they transition into adolescence, yet little attention has been devoted to characterizing these relationships or their associations with child outcomes.

Objectives: The aims of the current study are to 1) characterize parent-child interactions in families of children with ASD using two well-validated, observer-based, family research measures to establish whether the relationships of parents and children with ASD differ from those found in families of typically developing (TD) children, 2) test within-dyad associations of family interaction characteristics, and 3) examine the associations between family interaction characteristics (child and parent positivity; parent control) with child characteristics, including temperament, mental health problems, and autism symptoms.

Methods: Families of children with ASD (n = 21) and families of typically developing children (n = 21), matched on age and intellectual abilities were recruited into the current study. Children received diagnostic and intellectual assessments. Parents were administered the Five Minute Speech Sample (Magaña et al., 1986) to measure aspects of the family environment and reported on their child’s mental health problems via the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2001) and regulation via the Temperament in Middle Childhood Questionnaire (Simonds & Rothbart, 2005). The child and one parent were observed engaging in a standardized discussion task. These interactions were coded for the levels of parent and child positivity (e.g., behaviors that served to show support, warmth, and responsiveness) and control (e.g., behaviors that served to control, influence, or dominate the opinions, actions, or points of view of others during the interactions) with the Iowa Family Rating Scales (Melby et al., 1998). Group differences were tested using multilevel modeling, and Spearman’s correlations were used to test associations between family interaction characteristics and child functioning.

Results: Results showed no diagnostic group differences in the observed levels of positivity exhibited by parents, but significantly less positivity in children with ASD compared to TD children (See Table 1). In addition, parents of children with ASD had higher levels of observed control compared to parents of TD children. Child ADHD symptoms were negatively associated with levels of positivity in parents rs(18) = -.45, p = .04) and children (rs(18) = -.47, p = .04) in the ASD group. Also in the ASD group, child positivity was positively associated with child effortful control (rs(18) = .52 , p = .02). Finally, levels of control in parents were positively associated with child anxiety in the ASD group (rs(18) = .49, p = .03).

Conclusions: Findings highlight both the positive characteristics of parents of children with ASD, and the potential impact of family processes in the development of comorbid mental health problems for youth with ASD. Parent-child relationships may be an important cornerstone of positive development during the transition to adolescence, especially in consideration that peer relationships become increasingly complex and difficult to navigate for individuals with ASD in middle-school and high-school.