Supporting the Well Being of Families of Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders

The objective of this 2 year research project is to determine whether an evidenced-based
empowerment strategy, Problem Solving Education (PSE), targeted to mothers of young children
with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs), promotes family well-being by decreasing the burden
of maternal depressive symptoms and maternal parenting stress and improving social
functioning. We propose a randomized control trial involving 140 mothers who have children
<4 years with confirmed ASDs. Based on the paradigm of the IOM report on mental health
prevention research that highlights the importance of targeting interventions to at-risk
populations who may not meet diagnostic criteria, all mothers of young children with ASDs
will be eligible to participate. Consistent with previous studies of cognitive-behavioral
interventions, the mother-child pairs will be followed for 6 months. The intervention will
be embedded in two settings that provide services to young children with ASDs - Early
Intervention (EI) programs and specialty developmental assessment clinics. We aim to support
families during a critical juncture - when they are confronted with a new diagnosis and are
asked to navigate a complex service system on their children's behalf. The hypothesis of
this proposal is that strengthening problem solving skills among mothers of young children
with ASDs serve as an important buffer against the negative impact of life stressors, and
thereby prevent and attenuate depressive symptoms and parenting stress.