Premium
Mothers of securely attached children with autism spectrum disorder are more sensitive than mothers of insecurely attached children
Author(s) -
KorenKarie Nina,
Oppenheim David,
Dolev Smadar,
Yirmiya Nurit
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.02043.x
Subject(s) - strange situation , psychology , autism spectrum disorder , developmental psychology , maternal sensitivity , autism , typically developing , attachment theory
In the current study we examined the links between maternal sensitivity and children’s secure attachment in a sample of 45 preschool‐age boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We hypothesized that mothers of securely attached children would be more sensitive to their children than mothers of insecurely attached children. Children’s attachment was assessed using Ainsworth’s Strange Situation Procedure (SSP; Ainsworth, Blehar, Waters, & Wall, 1978). Mothers’ sensitivity and children’s responsiveness to their mothers were assessed using the Emotional Availability Scales (Biringen, Robinson, & Emde, 1993). The findings supported our hypothesis: mothers of securely attached children were more sensitive to their children even when controlling for the severity of children’s diagnosis (Autism Disorder vs. Pervasive Developmental Disorder – Not Otherwise Specified (PDD‐NOS)), children’s level of functioning (high vs. low), and children’s levels of responsiveness. The significance of sensitivity for security of attachment in ASD and the implications of these findings for the validity of the SSP in children with ASD are discussed.