Autism: parents make the difference

by Ivano Abbadessa - 2012.12.03

According to a recent study published in the scientific journal ‘Research in Developmental Disabilities’, the approach that parents take with their children who have developmental disabilities has big impact on their growth.



Researchers at Brigham Young University, who worked on the study, say that when the so-called positive parenting is applied, the symptoms and severity of the child’s disability are more likely to decrease over time. In this cases, kids exhibited greater independence, better language skills, stronger emotional expression and social interaction as well as improved temperament. Scholars identified three main approaches to parenting: while permissive moms and dads are accepting and not demanding, authoritarian parents are more controlling of their kids. Positive parents fall in the middle, striking a balance by allowing their child self-will while also maintaining expectations of discipline.



Despite the clear benefits observed from the balanced approach, researchers admitted that taking the middle road can be especially challenging. When you think of parenting a child with a developmental disability, it might be more intuitive to be authoritarian and assume that the child can’t figure out things alone. On the other hand, with a child who has autism, it may seem easier and less contentious to be more permissive with the child and thereby avoid conflict. The study, however, highlights the need to find a balance. A child with a disability should not be subject to different rules in a family, nor be the centre of a family.



The study is among the first to assess the role of parenting style specifically in kids with developmental disabilities. Thousands of studies exist examining parenting of typically developing children, but researchers behind the new review say they found just 14 studies between 1990 and 2008 focusing on those with autism, Down syndrome and other developmental disabilities. So, the benefits of promoting effective and constant parenting skills as part of early intervention services are clear for children with all types of developmental disabilities no matter their age.



