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Thursday, May 15, 2008
Champagne Terrace/Bordeaux (Novotel London West)
Background: Parents’ understanding of their children’s diagnoses of autism influences the ways they interact with their children. Maternal synchrony has been associated with gains in developmental milestones in preschool aged children with autism and is related to early interventions implemented with their children. Empirical evidence of dyadic interactions of young children with autism and their mothers’ supports the idea that repeated opportunities of maternal interactions impact the outcome of their child’s developmental and socio-emotional skills.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the trajectories of maternal behavioral ratings (including directiveness, sensitivity, and responsivity) across an intervention program and the relationship of maternal interactions to ratings of maternal stress in an early intervention program.
Methods: Participants included fifteen mothers who have children diagnosed with autism (child ages range from 24 to 38 months). The mother-child dyads participated in daily in-home play interactions over a 16 weeks period. Mothers’ completed the Parenting Stress Index and structured intervention play was coded throughout the joint attention intervention using the Maternal Behavior Rating Scale.
Results: Correlational analyses were conducted to examine the relationship reported between maternal stress on maternal behavior and child joint attention. Findings revealed a strong relationship between increased maternal stress and a decrease in child joint attention (r = -.827, p < .01). Additionally, maternal responsivity was correlated with reported stress with their child’s adaptability (r = .874, p < .01). Paired sample t-tests results indicated that mothers demonstrated increased sensitivity toward their children over the course of the intervention with moderate decreases in reported stress.
Conclusions: With more intervention programs focusing on mothers’ role in therapeutic strategies, it is critical to understand maternal perceptions and behavioral correlates. Further research is warranted to more fully explicate the relationship between maternal parenting behaviors and children’s levels of joint attention.
Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate the trajectories of maternal behavioral ratings (including directiveness, sensitivity, and responsivity) across an intervention program and the relationship of maternal interactions to ratings of maternal stress in an early intervention program.
Methods: Participants included fifteen mothers who have children diagnosed with autism (child ages range from 24 to 38 months). The mother-child dyads participated in daily in-home play interactions over a 16 weeks period. Mothers’ completed the Parenting Stress Index and structured intervention play was coded throughout the joint attention intervention using the Maternal Behavior Rating Scale.
Results: Correlational analyses were conducted to examine the relationship reported between maternal stress on maternal behavior and child joint attention. Findings revealed a strong relationship between increased maternal stress and a decrease in child joint attention (r = -.827, p < .01). Additionally, maternal responsivity was correlated with reported stress with their child’s adaptability (r = .874, p < .01). Paired sample t-tests results indicated that mothers demonstrated increased sensitivity toward their children over the course of the intervention with moderate decreases in reported stress.
Conclusions: With more intervention programs focusing on mothers’ role in therapeutic strategies, it is critical to understand maternal perceptions and behavioral correlates. Further research is warranted to more fully explicate the relationship between maternal parenting behaviors and children’s levels of joint attention.