文摘
Research indicates that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience more total stress and more stress within specific domains of the parent-child relationship. Specific externalizing behaviors such as hyperactivity have been related to elevated adverse parent-child outcomes in families with typically developing children. To date, the relation of child hyperactivity to parenting stress has not been examined in children with ASD. This study investigated the extent to which child hyperactivity differs between children who are typically developing (TD) and children with ASD. In addition, this study also examined the relation of child hyperactivity to parenting stress. Participants included 39 typically developing children and 25 children with ASD (68.8% male; 74.3% Caucasian) between the ages of three years and six years eleven months (M age = 56.44 months, SD = 13.64 months). Parent and teacher reports were used to evaluate children's hyperactivity and parent reports were used to determine parenting stress levels. Parents of children with ASD had significantly greater reported overall stress, DeltaR 2 = .22, B = .58, p = .000, in addition to greater stress on each subscale separately: parent distress, DeltaR2 = .18, B = .51, p = .000; parent-child dysfunctional interaction, DeltaR2 = .19, B = .53, p = .000; and difficult child, DeltaR2 = .22, B = .57, p = .000. Children with ASD also had significantly greater teacher reported hyperactivity, DeltaR2 = .05, B = .28, p = .041 and parent reported hyperactivity, DeltaR2 = .24, B = .60, p = .000. Parent reported hyperactivity significantly predicted total parenting, stress, DeltaR2 = .14, B = .53, p = .000, and each subscale separately: parent distress, DeltaR2 = .07, B = .37 p = .018; parent-child dysfunctional interaction, DeltaR2 = .13, B = .52, p = .000; and difficult child, DeltaR2 = .22, B = .67, p = .000. Hyperactivity did not significantly moderate the relation between diagnostic status and parenting stress for either teacher or parent report. However, it was found that increased hyperactivity within both the TD and ASD groups was associated with significant increases in total parenting stress, difficulties within the parent-child interaction and difficulties associated with the child. Post-hoc analysis revealed that parent reported hyperactivity mediated the relation between diagnostic status and parenting stress, providing further insight into the mechanisms by which diagnostic status may convey vulnerability for parenting stress. Collectively, these findings suggest hyperactivity is a vulnerability factor for children and parents across diagnosis and represents a valuable point of intervention.