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Parenting Stress and Closeness

Mothers of Typically Developing Children and Mothers of Children With Autism

California State University, choffman{at}csusb.edu

Dwight P. Sweeney

California State University

Danelle Hodge

California State University

Muriel C. Lopez-Wagner

Pitzer College

Lisa Looney

California State University

Mothers of children diagnosed with autism (N = 104) reported higher levels of stress than mothers of typically developing children (N = 342) on 13 of 14 subscales of the Parenting Stress Index. The only scores that did not differ were from the Attachment subscale, which indicates lack of emotional closeness and rather cold patterns of parent-child interaction. Mean Child Domain subscale scores for mothers in the autism group were at the 99th percentile; mean scores on the Attachment subscale were at about the 50th percentile for both groups. Despite substantial stress, mothers of children with autism report close relationships with their children. Results substantiate the need to develop interventions to help these mothers reduce their stress.

Key Words: autism • maternal stress • parenting • attachment

This version was published on September 1, 2009

Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Vol. 24, No. 3, 178-187 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1088357609338715


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