Risk Factors for Behavioral and Emotional Problems in Pre-school Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Date Issued
2010
Date
2010
Author(s)
Ou, Wan-Yi
Abstract
Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at high risk for behavioral and emotional problems which may lead to huge negative impacts on their learning, and social relationships, and further interfering with intervention efforts and the long-term prognosis. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for the behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children with ASD from both the perspectives of subject characteristics and of en-vironmental factors. Fifty three children with ASD aged from 3 to 5 years were recruited from developmental centers, pediatric rehabilitation clinics and child psychiatric department in general hospitals in the Greater Taipei area. The relationship between behavioral/emotional problems and the following variables was examined: child gender, child age, socioeconomic status, severity of autistic symptoms, adaptive behaviors, cognitive functioning, expressive language and parent-related risk factors, including parenting stress and mental health. Parents rated their child’s behavioral and emotional problems using the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 (CBCL1.5-5). Multiple linear regression models were fitted to identify the important predictors of behavioral and emotional problems as measured by the CBCL1.5-5 in children with ASD. Results of multiple linear regression analyses showed that parenting stress and pa-rental mental health were associated with higher scores on externalizing problems, whereas birth order and receiving occupational therapy service were associated with lower scores on externalizing problems; parenting stress and parental mental health were associated with higher scores on internalizing problems whereas younger birth order was associated with lower scores on internalizing problems. Findings suggest that the impact of behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children with ASD on parental psychosocial status may be viewed as bidirectional which highlights the need to teach coping strategies or provide social supports to parents of preschool children with ASD to help with their psychosocial adjustment and stress relief.
Subjects
Autism spectrum disorders
behavioral and emotional problems
risk factors
Child and preschool
SDGs
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