Fathers and Children with Autism: Is the Severity of ASD Symptoms Associated with Emotional CoRegulation During Play?
Christina Garibay, Silvia Gutierrez, Shannon Merrell, Paola Martinez, Sun Kim
Mentors: Wendy A. Goldberg, Yuqing Guo
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disability that remains a major public health
concern. Individuals with ASD typically display deficits in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal
communication, and behavior. During early development, regulating emotional impulses serves a critical
function in establishing social-interaction skills. The current study examines the associations between the
severity of autism symptoms measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2 (ADOS-2) and the
dynamic of how fathers and children with ASD co-regulate emotional engagement. Previously, 92 families
were observed and videotaped in a semi-structured play session in the home. Of those 92 cases, 60 children
(72% male) had been clinically diagnosed with ASD. Father and child interaction was filmed for 10 minutes
during the Three Boxes semi-structured play procedure. An original coding scheme was created by the
research team to evaluate positive, negative, and disengaged interactions between each father and child.
Fathers and children were coded independently by reliable, trained raters. Observed behavior was coded in 5second intervals using Mangold International’s INTERACT 9.47 software. Each child’s severity symptoms
were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2). Coding has been completed on
all father and child videos. Results are forthcoming that will compare symptoms severity with father-child
emotion regulation.