Date of Award
4-20-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Department
Psychology
First Reader
Dr. Allyson Phillips
Second Reader
Dr. Christin Pruett
Third Reader
Professor Hallie Wallace
Abstract
Parenting impacts a child’s behavior, mental health, social relationships, cognitive development, and more. However, research has shown that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) express more negative behaviors such as being overly controlling, hostile towards the child, and having poor communication with the child when compared to parents of typically developing children (Ku et al., 2019). The current study examines the effects of positive and negative parenting behaviors on the internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and social skills of children with ASD. A meta-analysis was done to analyze the effects of parenting behaviors on children with ASD. Twenty-one studies were found that met the predetermined inclusion criteria through a manual search. Parenting behaviors were categorized as positive parenting or negative parenting. The child behaviors were categorized into internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and positive social skills. Negative parenting behaviors resulted in a positive correlation with externalizing behaviors, while positive parenting behaviors resulted in a positive correlation with social skills and a weak positive correlation with internalizing behaviors. By better understanding common parenting practices for parents of children with ASD, education can be given to optimize positive behaviors and reduce negative ones.
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Recommended Citation
Martin, Allison, "The Effects of Parenting on the Behavior of Children with Autism: A Meta-analysis" (2022). Honors Theses. 831.
https://scholarlycommons.obu.edu/honors_theses/831