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Emotional functioning and the development of internalizing and externalizing problems in young boys with and without

Boya Li1, Marieke Gn Bos1,2, Lex Stockmann3

  • 1Leiden University, The Netherlands.

Autism : the International Journal of Research and Practice
|September 25, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show more behavior problems and lower emotional functioning than peers. Early emotion control and recognition help reduce behavioral issues in children with and without ASD.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry
  • Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Background:

  • Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are prone to internalizing and externalizing problems.
  • Limited data exists on early behavioral issues and emotional development in preschool children with ASD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the early development of behavior problems and the role of emotional functioning in preschool boys with and without ASD.
  • To examine the longitudinal associations between emotional functioning and behavior problems.

Main Methods:

  • Longitudinal study of 156 boys (ages 2-6) over three years using parent-report questionnaires.
  • Assessed internalizing/externalizing symptoms and emotional functioning (emotion control, recognition, vocabulary).

Main Results:

  • Boys with ASD exhibited more behavior problems and lower emotional functioning than typically developing peers.
  • No significant age effects on behavior problems were observed for either group.
  • Better emotion control and recognition correlated with decreased problem behaviors in all boys.
  • Improved emotion vocabulary uniquely predicted fewer externalizing problems in boys with ASD.

Conclusions:

  • Boys with and without ASD follow similar developmental trajectories for behavior problems.
  • Lower emotional functioning is evident early in boys with ASD, contributing to increased behavioral challenges.
  • Targeting emotional skills may be crucial for managing behavior problems in children with ASD.

Keywords:
autism spectrum disordercomorbid psychopathologyemotion controlemotion recognitionemotion vocabularylongitudinal studypreschool

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