Parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report higher levels of stress than parents of typically developing children. Few studies have examined factors associated with parental stress in early childhood. Even fewer have investigated the simultaneous influence of sociodemographic, clinical, and developmental variables on…

Co-occurring emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) frequently exist in young autistic children. There is evidence based on parental report that parenting interventions reduce child EBPs. More objective measures of child EBPs should supplement parent reported outcomes in trials. We describe the development of a new measure of child and parenting…

This letter to the editor responds to an article by Nicola Brandaro and Biza Stenfert Kroese (2018) entitled "Can adults with Asperger's syndrome learn about positive attachment behaviors between parents and young babies through the use of a skill-training DVD." One of the authors of this letter is an autistic parent who has successfully…

Children with autism spectrum disorder benefit from early, intensive interventions to improve social communication, and parent-implemented interventions are a feasible, family-centered way to increase treatment dosage. The success of such interventions is dependent on a parent's ability to implement the strategies with fidelity. However,…

Excessive exposure of young children to digital devices replaces their active relationships with parents and environmental experiences, and may be it causes children to be neglected and developed in a simple and repetitive environment with little social interaction that can lead to negative outcomes, such as Post-Digital Nanning Autism Symptom in…

A reliable autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis can occur as early as 18 months; however, the average age at diagnosis in the United States is over 2 years later. While there are numerous well-known barriers to seeking an ASD diagnosis, no research has examined if separation between a child's biological parents affects timing of ASD diagnosis…

Emerging research suggests that caregiving environments and genetic variants independently contribute to social functioning in children with typical development or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, biologically plausible interactive models and complimentary assessment of mechanisms are needed to: (1) explain considerable social…

Parenting is a cognitive, emotional, and behavioral endeavor, where parents' control capacities, including executive functions and active control coping, help parents to guide and regulate interactions with their children; yet limited research investigates how these capacities are associated with parent-child affective regulation processes during…

Cross-lagged panel analysis was used to examine associations between two joint engagement variables; higher order supported joint engagement and higher order supported joint engagement that co-occurs with caregiver's follow-in talk (higher order supported joint engagement + follow-in), and expressive and receptive vocabulary in a group of young…

Imitation is an important early social communicative skill that is often impaired in young children with autism. Reciprocal imitation training is an easy-to-implement intervention that targets social imitation and can be taught to parents or other caregivers to implement at home and in the community. In this study, parents of children with autism…

Emotional self-regulation (ESR) challenges are well-documented in the diagnostic profiles of children with Autism; however, less is known about the development of ESR and the role of parents in ESR development for this population. Thirty-seven young children with autism and one of their parents participated in a home-based, observational study…

The Parent-Child Relationally Informed Early Intervention was developed from the clinical application of attachment theory. The premise is to expand the responsiveness of parents and clinicians working with children who have developmental delays. It was evaluated via four single case studies (children aged 18-months to 6 years) using an AB(A)…

Parents are the logical intervention agents for young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The early start Denver model (ESDM) is a promising early intervention approach for children with ASD that can be implemented by parents. This study evaluated the effects of training parents in the use of the ESDM. We used a non-concurrent multiple…

In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released the statistic that 1 out of every 59 children had a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Young children with ASD have unique needs specifically related to the characteristics that impact their communication and social emotional and behavioral development. These unique…

This study examined the interplay of mothers' coherent representations of their child (i.e., multidimensional and balanced view); resolution of the child's ASD diagnosis (i.e., acceptance); and emotional availability to the child in the unique cultural context of Arab-Israeli families. Participants were 46 mothers and their 2-8 year old sons.…