Autism and externalizing behaviors: Buffering effects of parental emotion coaching

The purpose of this study was to examine the relation between parental emotion coaching and externalizing behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Children with ASD often exhibit externalizing behaviors, particularly emotionally driven externalizing behaviors, at a higher rate than their typically developing peers. An examination of parental emotion coaching as a possible protective factor may inform future interventions. Participants included 66 children (44 typically developing and 22 with ASD), ages 3:0 to 6:11, who were matched on verbal mental age, and their parents. Parental emotion coaching and emotionally driven externalizing behaviors were coded individually based on audiotaped responses from parents who completed the Meta-Emotion Interview. Parents also reported on child externalizing behaviors using the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2). ASD status predicted more parent-reported total externalizing behaviors on the BASC-2. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that parental emotion coaching moderated the relation between ASD status and emotionally driven externalizing behaviors, such that children with ASD whose parents provided high emotion coaching reported significantly fewer emotionally driven externalizing behaviors than children with ASD whose parents provided low emotion coaching. These findings suggest parental emotion coaching buffers the effects of ASD status on externalizing behaviors, and thus may be a potential area for intervention.

► Examined emotion coaching and externalizing behaviors in children with ASD. ► ASD status predicted greater externalizing behaviors. ► Emotion coaching buffered against emotionally driven externalizing behaviors. ► Externalizing behaviors similar for ASD and TD groups at high emotion coaching. ► ASD group had higher externalizing behaviors than TD at low emotion coaching.