Autism Spectrum Disorders
Conditions
Brief summary
In the proposed study, the investigators would like to investigate the emotion regulation (ER) strategies children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) demonstrate, and the influence parents have on their children's ER. More specifically, the investigators would like to examine what are the ER mechanisms that parents use, what mechanisms of self regulation children with autism internalize, and how parents support and improve the ER capabilities of their child with ASD. These will be studied in a behavioral level, using micro-analysis of parent-child interaction, and in a physiological level, using indexes of stress control and affiliation. In addition, in order for parental ER support to be effective, it is important to consider more innate neuro-developmental difficulties children with ASD demonstrate that strongly affect their ability to regulate themselves. These include sensory regulation difficulties, temperament, attention disorders and poor executive functioning. Hypotheses: 1. ER strategies used by children with ASD will be more poorly developed and less effective, compared to those of children in the control groups. 2. Difficult temperament and sensory regulation difficulties will hamper ER in children with ASD. 3. ER strategies of parents of children with ASD will be more poorly developed and less effective than those of parents in the control groups. 4. Good parental self-ER and parental attunement to the child will be predictive of improved ER in children with ASD, and in parent-child synchrony, both in the behavioral and in the physiological levels.
Interventions
None listed
Sponsors
Meir Medical Center
Study design
Observational model
CASE_CONTROL
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
3 Years to 6 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* For the study group:Children diagnosed with ASD * For the comparison group:Children with typical development
Exclusion criteria
* For the study group:Non verbal children. * For the comparison group: Any major developmental disability.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Emotion regulation(ER)strategies during emotion eliciting episodes | During a 2hr home visit, while the child interacts with the parent | The Frequency,duration and percentage of ER behaviors presented by the child and the parent will be coded microanalytically using computerized coding system: The Observer, Noldus Co., Waggeniggen, The Netherlands |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Salivary hormone levels: Cortisol and Oxytocin of both parent and child | collected 4 times during the assessment meeting, from both child and parent. | Changes in salivary Cortisol amd Oxytpcin levels over 3 time points during the home visit, before and after emotionally arousing activities. Collected from both parent and child. |
Countries
Israel
Outcome results
None listed