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How Are Child Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors Associated with Caregiver Stress Over Time? A Parallel Process

Clare Harrop1, Matthew McBee2, Brian A Boyd3

  • 1Department of Allied Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Bondurant Hall, Suite 3093, 321 South Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514, USA. clare_harrop@med.unc.edu.

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
|January 24, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can increase caregiver stress. Targeting restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) in children with ASD may improve caregiver wellbeing.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Caregiver stress is a significant concern for families raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
  • Understanding the interplay between child behaviors and caregiver stress is crucial for developing effective support strategies.
  • Restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) are a core characteristic of ASD that may influence caregiver wellbeing.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the concurrent and longitudinal associations between restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs) and caregiver stress in preschoolers with ASD.
  • To examine how changes in RRBs over time predict changes in caregiver stress.
  • To identify RRBs as a potential target for interventions aimed at reducing caregiver burden.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized parallel process multilevel growth models to analyze data from a large sample of preschoolers with ASD.
  • Examined the relationship between initial levels of RRBs and caregiver stress.
  • Assessed the impact of changes in RRBs on caregiver stress over a defined period.

Main Results:

  • Both the initial severity of RRBs and the rate of change in RRBs significantly predicted fluctuations in caregiver stress.
  • Increases in child RRBs were directly associated with increases in caregiver stress.
  • The findings highlight a dynamic relationship where child behavior directly influences caregiver wellbeing.

Conclusions:

  • Targeted interventions addressing RRBs in children with ASD are warranted.
  • Improvements in RRBs may lead to a reduction in caregiver stress and enhanced overall wellbeing.
  • This study underscores the importance of considering child behavior when supporting caregivers of children with ASD.

Keywords:
AutismCaregiver stressRestricted and repetitive behaviors

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