Behaviour Problems and ASD Characteristics Predict Parent Competency and Caregiver Strain

Background:  Research investigating factors that predict parenting stress show mixed findings. Some researchers suggest that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) characteristics are an important determinant of parenting stress (Huang et al., 2014); however, others suggest that behaviour problems may impact parenting stress more than ASD characteristics (Zaidman et al., 2014). Behaviour problems associated with ASD are common and heterogeneous; many children with ASD have a co-occurring diagnosis of a disruptive behaviour disorder, such as conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder (Kaat & Lecavalier, 2013). As a result, it can be difficult to determine the degree to which ASD characteristics or behaviour problems contribute to perceived levels of parent competency and caregiver strain.

Objectives: 1) To investigate whether behaviour problems and ASD characteristics predict significant impairments in parent sense of competency and caregiver strain; and 2) investigate the interaction between behaviour problems and ASD characteristics; and 3) investigate the interaction between behaviour problems and ASD characteristics with child’s sex.

Methods: Two hundred and forty six caregivers (M=44.05; SD=8.24), rated their child's ASD symptoms on the Autism Spectrum Quotient adolescent short form (AQ-10), and behaviour problems on the Brief Child Family Phone Interview (BCFPI). Parents reported levels of their own Parent Sense of Competence (PSOC) and Caregiver Strain (CGSQ).

Results: Hierarchical multiple linear regression analyses indicated that high levels of behaviour problems and ASD characteristics each contributed significantly to low levels of PSOC and high levels of CGSQ. ASD characteristics significantly accounted for an additional 2.1% of the variance in PSOC and 5.8% of the variance in CGSQ.

Further, the interaction between behaviour problems and ASD characteristics was significant for CGSQ, accounting for an additional 1.4 % of the variance in CGSQ scores. When ASD characteristics are low, parents report increasing levels of caregiver strain as their children’s behaviour problems increase (p< .001). When ASD characteristics are high, parents report elevated levels of caregiving stress even when behaviour problems are low (p< .001); caregiving stress then steadily rises as a behaviour problems increase in this population.

The sex by behaviour problems interaction term was significant. Results showed that caregiver strain increases as behaviour problems increased among males and females (p < .001); however, the rate of increase in caregiver strain in relation to behaviour problems was steeper for females (p < .001).

Conclusions:  Behaviour problems and ASD characteristics predict both parent sense of competency and caregiver strain. However, ASD characteristics appear to be a better predictor of parent competency and caregiver strain than behaviour problems. An interaction between behaviour problems and ASD characteristics was found for caregiver strain suggesting that the rate of increase in caregivers’ strain in relation to behaviour problems was steeper when ASD characteristics were low as compared to high, yet parent sense of competency was unaffected. In addition, the rate of increase in caregiver strain in relation to behaviour problems was steeper for females as compared to male children, yet parent sense of competency was unaffected.