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Stress in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploration of Demands and Resources

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Abstract

We applied the ABCX model of stress and coping to assess the association between child and family demands, school-based resources (i.e., parent–teacher alliance and COMPASS, a consultation intervention), and two measures of parent stress: perceptions of the demands of raising a child (Child domain) and reactions to those demands (Parent domain). Data were analyzed from seventy-nine parents of children ages 3–9 with ASD participating in two randomized controlled trials of COMPASS. Stronger parent–teacher alliance correlated with decreased Parent domain stress and participation in COMPASS correlated with decreased Child domain stress after controlling for baseline stress. The study indicates that school-based resources can help reduce parent stress.

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Acknowledgments

This work is based on an earlier study and was supported by Grant Numbers R34MH073071 and 1RC1MH089760 from the National Institute of Mental Health. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health or the National Institutes of Health. We would like to thank the families and special education teachers who participated in the two RCTs of COMPASS.

Author Contributions

TK helped to conceive of the study, participated in the analysis and interpretation of data and drafted the manuscript; YY performed the statistical analysis and interpretation of the data and helped to draft the manuscript; LR and JM conceived of the study, participated in its design and coordination and helped to draft the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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  1. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, 402 N, Blackford Street, Indianapolis, IN, 46202, USA

    Teri M. Krakovich, John H. McGrew & Yue Yu

  2. University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

    Lisa A. Ruble

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  1. Teri M. Krakovich
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  2. John H. McGrew
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  3. Yue Yu
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Correspondence to Teri M. Krakovich.

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Krakovich, T.M., McGrew, J.H., Yu, Y. et al. Stress in Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploration of Demands and Resources. J Autism Dev Disord 46, 2042–2053 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2728-2

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