The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with co-occurring internalizing problems or externalizing behaviors and parents mental and physical health. Furthermore, this study investigated the roles parent stress, family communication and beliefs had on those relationships. Participants included 2091 parents reporting on their child's internalizing problems or externalizing behaviors, their own individual stress and their family communication and beliefs. Results captured significant negative direct effects between child internalizing problems and parents' mental health and child externalizing behaviors and parents' physical health. Furthermore, results captured two significant mediations with parent stress mediating the relationships between child internalizing problems and externalizing behaviors and parent mental health. Results indicated family communication and family beliefs did not moderate the relationships between child internalizing problems and externalizing behaviors and parent stress.

All parents experience stress as they attempt to meet the challenges of caring for their children. This comprehensive book examines the causes and consequences of parenting distress, drawing on a wide array of findings in current empirical research. Kirby Deater-Deckard explores normal and pathological parenting stress, the influences of parents on their children as well as children on their parents, and the effects of biological and environmental factors. Beginning with an overview of theories of stress and coping, Deater-Deckard goes on to describe how parenting stress is linked with problems in adult and child health (emotional problems, developmental disorders, illness); parental behaviors (warmth, harsh discipline); and factors outside the family (marital quality, work roles, cultural influences). The book concludes with a useful review of coping strategies and interventions that have been demonstrated to alleviate parenting stress.

The aim of the book is to serve for clinical, practical, basic and scholarly practices. In twentyfive chapters it covers the most important topics related to Autism Spectrum Disorders in the efficient way and aims to be useful for health professionals in training or clinicians seeking an update. Different people with autism can have very different symptoms. Autism is considered to be a "spectrum" disorder, a group of disorders with similar features. Some people may experience merely mild disturbances, while the others have very serious symptoms. This book is aimed to be used as a textbook for child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship training and will serve as a reference for practicing psychologists, child and adolescent psychiatrists, general psychiatrists, pediatricians, child neurologists, nurses, social workers and family physicians. A free access to the full-text electronic version of the book via Intech reading platform at http://www.intechweb.org is a great bonus.

This handbook provides a comprehensive review of the numerous factors associated with treatments for children, youth, and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It offers in-depth analysis of evidence-based treatments for young children, providing coverage on interventions within social skills training, school curricula, communication and speech training, and augmentative communication. It also covers treatments for adolescents and adults, including vocational programs, social integration programs, and mental health resources. Chapters also review several popular interventions such as functional behavior analysis, sensory integration therapy, early intensive behavioral interventions (EIBI), and floor time. In addition, the Handbook discusses standards of practice, focusing on ethical issues, review boards, training concerns, and informed consent. Topics featured in the Handbook include: Training for parents of individuals diagnosed with ASD. Treatment of socially reinforced problem behavior. Comorbid challenging behaviors. Post-secondary education supports and programs for adults. The TEACCH Program for people with ASD. Treatment of addiction in adults with ASD. Diet and nutrition based treatments targeted at children with ASD. The Handbook of Treatments for Autism Spectrum Disorder is a must-have reference for researchers, clinicians/professionals, and graduate students in clinical child, school, and developmental psychology, child and adolescent psychiatry, and social work as well as rehabilitation medicine/therapy, behavioral therapy, pediatrics, and educational psychology.

This study studied the relationship between parental perceptions of stressors and indicators of resilience in families with children diagnosed on the autism spectrum. The following parental perceptions were surveyed; (a) parental coping level, (b) parental stress level, (c) child’s health, (d) child’s social and emotional functioning, (e) spouse/partner relationship satisfaction, (f) overall parental health as potential indicators of parental or family resilience. Secondary data from the 2011 National Survey of Children’s Health were used to examine the parent respondents (n = 1376) who were raising at least one child (ages 6-17) currently diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The findings of this study suggested that parental stress is impacted by parental perceptions of their level of coping as an indicator of resilience. This study’s findings suggested that a parent’s perceptions of their level of coping is positively correlated with parental perception of the ASD child’s health, parental perception of their child’s social and emotional functioning, parental relationship satisfaction and parental health of families raising children with ASD. In addition, parents accessing the formal external support of counseling for the child with ASD as an indicator of resilience was analyzed for this research. These results vi specified counseling support to be negatively correlated with parental perception of the health of child with ASD as well as the mother’s perception of her overall health. However, the formal support of counseling as an indicator of resilience positively correlated with parental perception of coping, child social, and emotional functioning, father’s overall health, and parental relationship satisfaction. The final indicator of resilience analyzed in this study was the informal support of parents having an individual they could turn to in a time of need. This research indicated a relationship between the presence of an informal support system for the ASD parent and their perception of spousal relationship satisfaction and overall parental health. The study emphasized the potential benefits of incorporating indicators of resilience to counter the impact of families parenting a child with autism. Implications and recommendations for future research are presented for mental health providers, school, or community professional who are in contact with ASD families.

Publisher description

Ready-to-implement resources and approaches for effective professional care in school and clinical settings. The reverberations of autism spectrum disorders among parents and siblings can be complex. Parents may grapple with the impact of their child's initial diagnosis, wrestle with the tension between their professional ambitions and family obligations, and labor to maintain a healthy union with their partners. Brothers and sisters may be given less attention, asked to assume a more adult role than they feel ready for, or strive for meaningful connection and communication with their sibling and parents. Although the energy of clinicians, teachers, and other professionals working with individuals with autism spectrum disorder is often focused intensively on the child who is diagnosed, the practitioner can also be an invaluable resource for the child's family. Drawing upon clinical research and firsthand family interviews, this book helps clinicians understand the experiences of parents and siblings of a child with ASD from the time of diagnosis through adulthood. It provides clear recommendations for sensitive, informed professional support. Step-by-step in each chapter, Fiske elucidates such vital subjects as: Understanding the experience of diagnosis Recognizing patterns of parent stress over time Appreciating and navigating the effects of ASD on relationships between parents Involving and providing support for siblings Integrating grandparents and other extended family in care and treatment Understanding a family's culture Identifying and developing effective coping strategies Building a strong rapport with parents and family Guiding parents in the treatment of autism And many more, including key takeaways for assisting families in managing feelings of grief and guilt, navigating support options, treatment resources, and related financial concerns, and calibrating the division of labor in the home. Autism and the Family supplies all the foundations necessary for professionals to understand the full impact of ASD on the child, siblings, and parents and cultivate an empathic, supportive approach to treatment for the entire family.