Perception of inter-family relations by children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

The study by researchers at Southern Methodist University in the United States has found that children on the autism spectrum are more likely to interpret healthy arguments between their parents negatively, viewing them as serious conflicts (autismjournal.help).

Researchers Naomi Ekas and Christina Kouros believe that this may cause autistic children to miss out on opportunities to learn how to manage conflict, according to a press release from the university published on the website Medicalxpress.com. The results of the study were published in the scientific journal Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

“Children learn how to manage conflict by watching their parents,” mentioned Kouros, a professor of psychology at Southern Methodist University. “Watching parents resolve their differences respectfully helps children understand how to manage conflict in a healthy way. But children on the autism spectrum may miss out on the beneficial effects of such interactions.”

“Children on the autism spectrum reacted more negatively to conflicts between parents, including those that are not considered harmful to the child’s development, compared to non-autistic children,” noted Ekas. “It is possible that these children perceive any conflicts as more negative than they actually are.”

The researchers are now continuing to study this topic in a larger study among 188 children on the autism spectrum and their parents.

They believe that parents of autistic children may need to separately explain to their children that their disagreements have been resolved and that nothing terrible has happened. They also recommend separately teaching autistic children which conflicts are destructive and which are constructive, such as when people openly and calmly discuss the problem at hand. Ekas mentioned that this can help children better cope with conflicts with peers.

The study involved 21 children on the autism spectrum and 29 children without autism. Their ages ranged from 8 to 13 years old. All children had a clinical diagnosis.