The Relation Between Family Resources, Child Severity, and Parenting Stress in Parents of Young Children with Autism

Background:

Parents of children with autism report higher stress levels and lower perceived parenting competency relative to parents of children with other developmental disabilities and children with typical development (Bromley et al., 2004; Rodrigue et al., 1990).  One source of parenting stress is worry about the child’s future independence (Koegel et al., 1992), which is partially contingent upon the child’s receipt of and response to intervention. Although intensive early intervention has been associated with improved developmental outcomes for children with autism, the associated time commitment and financial burden can be major stressors for parents. Moreover, recent research has suggested that when parenting stress is high, interventions for children with autism, particularly those that are very time-intensive, are less effective (Osborne et al., 2007). Therefore, clarifying the relations between family resources, autism severity, and parenting stress may provide important information for understanding potential barriers toward accessing and implementing optimal interventions for young children with autism.

Objectives:
To examine the extent to which autism severity and family resources are related to parenting stress.

Methods:

Family resources and parental stress were assessed in the families of 27 young children with autism (mean CA = 32.4 mo; range = 24-46 mo) using the Family Resource Scale (FRS) and Parenting Stress Index – Short Form (PSI-SF), respectively. Most or the respondents (93%) were mothers. Autism diagnoses were confirmed using the ADOS; the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) was also completed by a clinician to rate severity of autism symptomatology. Family resources on the FRS are separated into four categories: resources related to 1) time; 2) money; 3) basic needs; 4) the child.  Bivariate correlations were conducted between family resources, parenting stress, and autism severity measures to determine the relations between these constructs.
Results: 37% of parents had clinically elevated PSI-SF scores. Results revealed a significant correlation between lower family resources and higher parenting stress (r=-.626; p=.001). Specifically, higher parenting stress was associated with fewer resources in the areas of time (r=-.660; p<.001) and money (r=-.581; p=.006), though not with resources related to basic needs or child-related factors.  The relation between autism symptom severity on the CARS and higher parenting stress approached significance (r=.367; p=.071).  In addition, increased autism severity was associated with lower overall resources (r=-.542; p=.003).  

Conclusions:
These results suggest a strong relation between family resources, particularly in the areas of time and money, and parenting stress in parents of young children with autism. Increased severity of the child’s symptoms was not significantly associated with parenting stress, but was associated with reports of fewer overall resources. Thus the severity of the child’s autism symptoms may contribute to parenting stress via its impact on family resources, rather than directly.  These results highlight the importance of developing and providing additional supports for parents of young children with autism to help them manage both the significant resource demands and the increased stress levels associated with this role.  These supports may be critical for family stability as well as child outcomes.