Sher-Censor Efrat, Harel Moria, Oppenheim David, Aran Adi
School of Psychological Sciences and the Center for the Study of Child Development, Rabin Building, The University of Haifa, 199 Aba Khoushy Ave., Mount Carmel, 3498838, Haifa, Israel.
Neuropediatric Unit, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, 9103102, Jerusalem, Israel.
J Autism Dev Disord. 2024 Nov 13. doi: 10.1007/s10803-024-06629-3.
Studies suggest that parents' emotional availability (EA) is associated with children's wellbeing, including in the case of children with autism. Our study extended prior research by examining the role of parents' representations in fostering parental EA and by focusing on fathers and on children with autism and severe behavior problems. We expected that parents' positive representations would be associated with higher EA and compared mothers' and fathers' representations and EA. Participants were 79 mothers and 69 fathers (child age range = 61-173 months, 21.95% girls). Representation assessments included the Reaction to Diagnosis Questionnaire, tapping resolution with respect to the child's diagnosis, and the coherence and positive comments in parents' Five Minute Speech Samples about the child. Parents' EA was coded from parent-child play interactions. Controlling for children's autism symptoms and adaptive functioning, mothers' resolution with respect to the child's diagnosis and positive comments (but not coherence) were associated with their EA, and fathers' coherence (but not positive comments and resolution) was associated with their EA. Mothers expressed more positive comments than fathers, and the resolution and EA scores of mothers and fathers were significantly correlated. Our results highlight the importance of considering both parents' representations and EA when studying and working with families of children with autism and severe behavior problems.
研究表明，父母的情感可及性（EA）与孩子的幸福感相关，自闭症儿童的情况亦是如此。我们的研究通过考察父母的认知在促进父母情感可及性方面的作用，并聚焦于父亲以及患有自闭症和严重行为问题的孩子，对先前的研究进行了拓展。我们预期父母的积极认知会与更高的情感可及性相关，并比较了母亲和父亲的认知及情感可及性。参与者包括79名母亲和69名父亲（孩子年龄范围为61 - 173个月，女孩占21.95%）。认知评估包括《对诊断的反应问卷》，该问卷涉及对孩子诊断的应对解决情况，以及父母关于孩子的五分钟言语样本中的连贯性和积极评价。父母的情感可及性是根据亲子游戏互动进行编码的。在控制孩子的自闭症症状和适应性功能后，母亲对孩子诊断的应对解决情况和积极评价（而非连贯性）与她们的情感可及性相关，父亲的连贯性（而非积极评价和应对解决情况）与他们的情感可及性相关。母亲比父亲表达了更多积极评价，且母亲和父亲的应对解决情况得分与情感可及性得分显著相关。我们的研究结果凸显了在对患有自闭症和严重行为问题的孩子的家庭进行研究和工作时，同时考虑父母的认知和情感可及性的重要性。
