Parenting Stress in Mothers and Fathers of Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Associations with Child Characteristics

• Published in: Journal of autism and developmental disorders 2008-08, Vol.38 (7), p.1278-1291
• Main Authors: Davis, Naomi Ornstein, Carter, Alice S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety - diagnosis; Anxiety - psychology; Autism; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Autistic Disorder - psychology; Autistic Disorder - therapy; Autistic young children; Behavior Problems; Behavioral Science and Psychology; Biological and medical sciences; Caregivers; Child and School Psychology; Child Behavior; Child Behavior Disorders - psychology; Child clinical studies; Child Rearing; Child, Preschool; Cost of Illness; Depression - diagnosis; Depression - psychology; Developmental Delays; Developmental disorders; Early Intervention (Education); Fathers; Fathers - psychology; Female; Humans; Infant; Infantile autism; Internal-External Control; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mothers; Mothers - psychology; Neurosciences; Original Paper; Parent Child Relationship; Parent-Child Relations; Parental stress; Parenting - psychology; Pediatrics; Personality Inventory - statistics & numerical data; Pervasive Developmental Disorders; Psychology; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychometrics; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public Health; Stress, Psychological - complications; Toddlers; Young Children
• ISSN: 0162-3257; 1573-3432
• DOI: 10.1007/s10803-007-0512-z

Elevated parenting stress is observed among mothers of older children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but little is known about parents of young newly-diagnosed children. Associations between child behavior and parenting stress were examined in mothers and fathers of 54 toddlers with ASD (mean age = 26.9 months). Parents reported elevated parenting stress. Deficits/delays in children’s social relatedness were associated with overall parenting stress, parent–child relationship problems, and distress for mothers and fathers. Regulatory problems were associated with maternal stress, whereas externalizing behaviors were associated with paternal stress. Cognitive functioning, communication deficits, and atypical behaviors were not uniquely associated with parenting stress. Clinical assessment of parental stress, acknowledging differences in parenting experiences for mothers and fathers of young children with ASD, is needed.