A Pilot Study of Self-Regulation and Behavior Problems in Preschoolers with ASD: Parent Broader Autism Phenotype Traits Relate to Child Emotion Regulation and Inhibitory Control

Elizabeth A DeLucia; Madeline P McKenna; Theresa M Andrzejewski; Kristin Valentino; Christina G McDonnell

doi:10.1007/s10803-021-05322-z

A Pilot Study of Self-Regulation and Behavior Problems in Preschoolers with ASD: Parent Broader Autism Phenotype Traits Relate to Child Emotion Regulation and Inhibitory Control

J Autism Dev Disord. 2022 Oct;52(10):4397-4411. doi: 10.1007/s10803-021-05322-z. Epub 2021 Oct 15.

Authors

Elizabeth A DeLucia¹, Madeline P McKenna², Theresa M Andrzejewski³, Kristin Valentino⁴, Christina G McDonnell³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Williams Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA. lizdelucia@vt.edu.
² Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, 9501 Euclid Ave, Cleveland, OH, 44106, USA.
³ Department of Psychology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Williams Hall, Blacksburg, VA, 24060, USA.
⁴ William J. Shaw Center for Children and Families, University of Notre Dame, 1602 N Ironwood Dr, South Bend, IN, 46635, USA.

PMID: 34655010
DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05322-z

Abstract

Little is known about the development of self-regulation processes during the preschool period in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). How parental characteristics such as the broader autism phenotype (BAP) relate to children's self-regulation is not well understood. Preschool-aged children with (n = 24) and without ASD (n = 21) completed an inhibitory control task and mothers reported on child emotion regulation and their own BAP traits. Children with ASD had lower emotion regulation, and emotion regulation was a protective factor in the association between ASD and internalizing behavioral concerns. Lability/negativity was highly overlapping with externalizing. Maternal BAP characteristics were differentially associated with all self-regulation outcomes across groups. Parental factors should be considered in emotion regulation interventions for young children with ASD.

Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder; Broader autism phenotype; Emotion regulation; Emotion socialization; Parenting; Self-regulation.

MeSH terms

Autism Spectrum Disorder* / diagnosis
Autism Spectrum Disorder* / psychology
Autistic Disorder*
Child, Preschool
Emotional Regulation*
Female
Humans
Mothers / psychology
Parents / psychology
Phenotype
Pilot Projects