LINKING PARENTAL PERCEPTIONS TO INTERACTIONS IN YOUNG-CHILDREN WITH AUTISM

This study examines the relation of parental perceptions and observed parent-child interactive behaviors, Samples observed included normally developing children, children with autism, and children with mental r etardation who were equivalent on mental age. Parental perceptions of children's temperament and parental feelings of parenting stress were examined. Results indicated that parental perceptions of autistic chil dren's behavior were more often linked to actual child and parental be haviors than in the comparison samples. Parents who reported their aut istic children as more difficult in temperamental style had children w ho were less engaged during a social game with the parent and less res ponsive in interaction with an experimenter Parents who reported great er stress had autistic children who were less responsive in social int eractions with others.