Are parental autism spectrum disorder and/or attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder symptoms related to parenting styles in families with ASD (+ADHD) affected children?

An understudied and sensitive topic nowadays is that even subthreshold symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/Hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in parents may relate to their parenting styles. The aim of this study was to explore the influence of (the combined) effect of child diagnosis (ASD or ASD + ADHD affected/unaffected children) and parental ASD and/or ADHD on parenting styles. Ninety-six families were recruited with one child with a clinical ASD (+ADHD) diagnosis, and one unaffected sibling. Parental ASD and ADHD symptoms were assessed using self-report. The Parenting Styles Dimensions Questionnaire (PSDQ) self- and spouse-report were used to measure the authoritative, authoritarian, and permissive parenting styles. Fathers and mothers scored significantly higher than the norm data of the PSDQ on the permissive style regarding affected children, and lower on the authoritative and authoritarian parenting style for affected and unaffected children. Self- and spouse-report correlated modestly too strongly. Higher levels of paternal (not maternal) ADHD symptoms were suboptimally related to the three parenting styles. Further, two parent–child pathology interaction effects were found, indicating that fathers with high ADHD symptoms and mothers with high ASD symptoms reported to use a more permissive parenting style only towards their unaffected child. The results highlight the negative effects of paternal ADHD symptoms on parenting styles within families with ASD (+ADHD) affected offspring and the higher permissiveness towards unaffected offspring specifically when paternal ADHD and/or maternal ASD symptoms are high. Parenting training in these families may be beneficial for the well-being of all family members.     

Rates of comorbid symptoms in children with ASD,ADHD, and comorbid ASD and ADHD

The current diagnostic criteria do not allow co-diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As a result, there has been little research on how these two disorders co-occur in the ASD population. The current study aimed to extend the literature in this area by examining comorbid rates in three different diagnostic groups (ASD, ADHD, and comorbid ASD + ADHD) using the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbidity for Children (ASD-CC). Children with comorbid ASD and ADHD evinced higher rates of comorbid symptoms than children with ASD or ADHD alone. Additionally, children with comorbid ASD and ADHD endorsed more severe comorbid symptoms. Implications regarding these findings are discussed.     

The effect of having a child with ADHD or ASD on family separation

Purpose

The primary aim of this study was to estimate the risk of parental separation associated with having a child with ADHD or ASD when controlling for a large range of known risk factors for parental separation using Danish registries.

Methods

The study included all children with ADHD or ASD born between 1990 and 1998 in Denmark and a sex and age matched random sample of children from the background population. We followed these children and their parents from birth until the child’s 25th birthday, parental separation or December 31, 2015, whichever came first. Data were analyzed using Cox Proportional Hazard models by estimating hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals. Models were adjusted for a range of child, parental, and family variables.

Results

The study included the parents of 12,916 children with ADHD, 7496 children with ASD and 18,423 controls. The study found that, even after controlling for a range of potential risk factors, having a child with either ADHD (HR?=?1.8, 95% CI 1.6–2.0) or ASD (HR?=?1.2, 95% CI 1.1–1.3) significantly increased parents’ risk of separating compared with non-affected families. Other factors associated with parental separation were parental imprisonment, parental psychopathology, low parental education level, low household income and living in a larger city.

Conclusion

Parents of children diagnosed with ADHD or ASD were more likely to separate than control parents. It is important to improve our knowledge about the particular characteristics of families at risk of separating to prevent distress for the families and their child.

     

The association between children's ADHD subtype and parenting stress and parental symptoms

Objective. To investigate the association between two attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) subtypes—combined and inattentive subtypes—and parental stress in a Taiwanese population. Method. One hundred and nine children with ADHD were interviewed using the MINI Kid questionnaire. The children were divided into combined and inattentive subtypes. The level of parenting stress was measured with the self-report Parenting Stress Index and Parental Symptom Scale (Symptom Check List, SCL-90). The data were used to identify child and parental risk factors. Results. Combined subtype was highly associated with parental stress. Parents of children in this group were significantly younger, had a poorer understanding of ADHD, and had significantly higher levels of marital discord, parenting stress, parental symptoms, and life stress (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that age of mother, child with comorbidity diagnosis, and parents with poor understanding of ADHD were significantly associated with the combined subtype relative to inattentive subtype (all P<0.05). Conclusion. The combined subtype of ADHD is associated with more parental psychopathology and stress than the inattentive subtype and the presence of combined subtype may indicate that such a child is at greater risk than the inattentive subtype for comorbid conditions such as oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder.     

A comparison of tantrum behavior profiles in children with ASD,ADHD and comorbid ASD and ADHD

The present study was conducted to compare rates of tantrum behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) (n = 255), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (n = 40) and children with comorbid ASD and ADHD (n = 47). Parents/guardians of children aged 3–16 years were surveyed about their children's behaviors using the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbidity for Children (ASD-C-C). Children with ADHD alone differed from children with ASD alone and children with comorbid ASD and ADHD on rates of tantrum behaviors. Examination of individual tantrum behavior items indicated that children with comorbid ASD and ADHD have a more similar symptom presentation to children with ASD than children with ADHD. This study adds to the literature on the presentation of common co-occurring behaviors of ASD when there is comorbid ADHD. The implications of these findings may aid in the assessment and treatment of tantrum behaviors in children with comorbid ASD and ADHD.     

Comorbid anxiety and depression in school-aged children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and selfreported symptoms of ADHD,anxiety, and depression among parents of school-aged children with and without ADHD

Background

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common psychiatric disorder in children that can extend into adulthood and that is often associated with a variety of comorbid psychiatric disorders.

Aim

Assess the comorbidity of ADHD with anxiety disorders and depressive disorders in school-aged children, and the relationship of the severity of ADHD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms in children who have ADHD with the severity of the corresponding symptoms in their parents.

Methods

A two-stage screening process identified children 7-10 years of age with and without ADHD treated at the Xin Hua Hospital in Shanghai. ADHD and other DSM-IV diagnoses were determined by a senior clinician using the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School-Aged Children (K-SADS-PL). One parent for each enrolled child completed three self-report scales: the ADHD Adult Self Report Scale (ASRS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). In total 135 children with ADHD and 65 control group children without ADHD were enrolled; parents for 94 of the children with ADHD and 63 of the children without ADHD completed the parental assessment scales.

Results

Among the 135 children with ADHD, 27% had a comorbid anxiety disorder, 18% had a comorbid depressive disorder, and another 15% had both comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders. Parents of children with ADHD self-reported more severe ADHD inattention symptoms than parents of children without ADHD and were more likely to meet criteria for adult ADHD. Mothers (but not fathers) of children with ADHD had significantly more severe trait anxiety and depressive symptoms than mothers of children without ADHD. Among children with ADHD, the severity of ADHD symptoms was not significantly correlated with the severity of ADHD symptoms in parents, but depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms in the children were significantly correlated with the corresponding symptoms in the parents.

Conclusion

School-aged children with ADHD commonly suffer from comorbid anxiety and depressive disorders, and the severity of these symptoms parallels the level of anxiety and depressive symptoms in their parents. Self-reported symptoms of ADHD are significantly more common in parents of children with ADHD than in parents of children without ADHD. Longitudinal studies are needed to disentangle the genetic, biological, and social factors responsible for these complex inter-relationships.     

Examining the Links Between Challenging Behaviors in Youth with ASD and Parental Stress,Mental Health,and Involvement: Applying an Adaptation of the Family Stress Model to Families of Youth with ASD

Raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) poses unique challenges that may impact parents’ mental health and parenting experiences. The current study analyzed self-report data from 77 parents of youth with ASD. A serial multiple mediation model revealed that parenting stress (SIPA) and parental mental health (BAI and BDI-II) appears to be impacted by challenging adolescent behaviors (SSIS-PBs) and, in turn, affect parental involvement (PRQ), controlling for social skills (SSIS-SSs). Further, the study explored the malleability of parents’ mental health over the course of a social skills intervention, and provides modest evidence that parent depressive symptoms decline across intervention. This study illustrates the importance of considering the entire family system in research on youth with ASD.     

Neurophysiological responses to faces and gaze direction differentiate children with ASD,ADHD and ASD + ADHD

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) demonstrate face processing abnormalities that may underlie social impairment. Despite substantial overlap between ASD and ADHD, ERP markers of face and gaze processing have not been directly compared across pure and comorbid cases. Children with ASD (n = 19), ADHD (n = 18), comorbid ASD + ADHD (n = 29) and typically developing (TD) controls (n = 26) were presented with upright/inverted faces with direct/averted gaze, with concurrent recording of the P1 and N170 components. While the N170 was predominant in the right hemisphere in TD and ADHD, children with ASD (ASD/ASD + ADHD) showed a bilateral distribution. In addition, children with ASD demonstrated altered response to gaze direction on P1 latency and no sensitivity to gaze direction on midline-N170 amplitude compared to TD and ADHD. In contrast, children with ADHD (ADHD/ASD + ADHD) exhibited a reduced face inversion effect on P1 latency compared to TD and ASD. These findings suggest children with ASD have specific abnormalities in gaze processing and altered neural specialisation, whereas children with ADHD show abnormalities at early visual attention stages. Children with ASD + ADHD are an additive co-occurrence with deficits of both disorders. Elucidating the neural basis of the overlap between ASD and ADHD is likely to inform aetiological investigation and clinical assessment.     

ADHD and parental psychological distress: role of demographics,child behavioral characteristics,and parental cognitions

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the relative roles of demographic, child behavioral, and parental characteristics in understanding the psychological distress suffered by parents of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It was hypothesized that a combination of child and parent demographics, severity of child behavioral disturbance, low knowledge of ADHD, causal and controllability attributions internal to the child, along with lower perceived parental control, would be associated with more severe psychological distress, as measured by parenting stress and depression. METHOD: One hundred mothers were interviewed and provided ratings of behavioral disturbance, severity of ADHD, knowledge of ADHD, attributions of cause and controllability of ADHD-related behaviors, parenting stress and depression. RESULTS: Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the combination of these variables was significantly associated with parental psychological distress, accounting for 24% and 21% of the variance in parenting stress and depression, respectively. Unique contributions were evident for severity of behavioral disturbance and perceived parental control over child behaviors. Child's age, gender, medication status, and maternal education were controlled in the analyses. CONCLUSION: Results support the view that interventions for ADHD aimed only at child behavior are unlikely to alter long-term outcome.     

Externalizing and tantrum behaviours in children with ASD and ADHD compared to children with ADHD

Objective: Compare rates of externalizing in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms to children with ADHD.

Method: Parents/caregivers of 85 children with ASD and/or ADHD were surveyed about their children's behaviours using the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Comorbidity for Children and the Autism Spectrum Disorders-Behaviour Problem for Children.

Results: Specific main effects analyses were then conducted. Children with ASD exhibited a higher number of externalizing (F(1,?83)?=?83.34, p?<?0.001) and tantrum behaviours (F(1,83)?=?781.86, p?<?0.001) than children without ASD.

Conclusions: ASD exacerbates the externalizing symptoms of ADHD during childhood. This study adds to the literature on the importance of assessing for a wide-range of possible behaviour problems in children presenting with ADHD symptomatology. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of other research.     

Risk factors of autistic symptoms in children with ADHD

Autistic symptoms are frequently observed in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but their etiology remains unclear. The main aim of this study was to describe risk factors for increased autistic symptoms in children with ADHD without an autism or autism-spectrum diagnosis. Comorbid psychiatric disorders, developmental delay, current medication, prenatal biological and postnatal psychosocial risk factors as well as parental autistic traits were assessed in 205 children with ADHD. Linear regression models identified maternal autistic traits, current familial risk factors and hyperactive symptoms as predictors of autistic symptoms in children with ADHD. Findings are indicative of possible genetic as well as environmental risk factors mediating autistic symptoms in children with ADHD. An additional validity analysis by ROC, area under the curve (AUC), suggested a cut-off of 11 to differentiate between ADHD and high-functioning ASD by the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ).     

Executive functioning in children with ASD + ADHD and ASD + ID: A systematic review

Executive functions (EF) are skills that impact an individual’s ability to flexibly and efficiently problem solve and react to their environment. Children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), commonly experience EF deficits. However, it is unclear how a co-occurring diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or intellectual disability (ID) impact EF in children with ASD. This study systematically reviewed 26 studies – within 24 journal articles – that examined EF among children with ASD + ADHD and ASD + ID. Results revealed many non-congruent findings regarding EF in children with ASD + ADHD and ASD + ID, including differences across performance-based and indirect measures of EF. Children with ASD + ADHD exhibited unique flexibility and shifting, inhibition, and attention deficits. Among children with ASD + ID, planning and organizing, flexibility and shifting, attention, behavior regulation, and global EF skills significantly differed from comparison groups. Notably, these findings were dependent on assessment type used (performance-based versus indirect). Furthermore, analyses of mean Z-scores suggest that children with ASD + ADHD and ASD + ID exhibited more severe EF impairments than children with ASD. These results may be used to inform assessment practices for differentiating and determining co-occurring diagnoses. Understanding unique EF deficits may also inform the development of targeted treatment and interventions.     

Parental Depression and Child Behavior Problems: A Pilot Study Examining Pathways of Influence

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have higher rates of depressive symptoms than parents of typically developing children and parents of children with other developmental disorders. Parental depressive symptoms are strongly associated with problem behaviors in children; however, the mechanisms through which parental depression influences child behavior in families of children with ASD are unclear. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between parental depression and child behavior problems among families of children with ASD, more specifically to investigate the mediating variables that may explain the processes through which parental depression and child behavior problems are associated. The sample consisted of 33 parents of children with ASD (ages 2 to 5 years old). Findings suggested that authoritative parenting style significantly mediated the relationship between parental depression and behavior problems. This study highlights the importance of considering parental mental health and its impact on parenting behavior in interventions targeting child behavior problems.     

Visual search in ADHD,ASD and ASD + ADHD: overlapping or dissociating disorders?

Recent debates in the literature discuss commonalities between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at multiple levels of putative causal networks. This debate requires systematic comparisons between these disorders that have been studied in isolation in the past, employing potential markers of each disorder to be investigated in tandem. The present study, choose superior local processing, typical to ASD, and increased Intra-Subject Variability (ISV), typical to ADHD, for a head-to-head comparison of the two disorders, while also considering the comorbid cases. It directly examined groups of participants aged 10–13 years with ADHD, ASD with (ASD+) or without (ASD−) comorbid ADHD and a typically developing (TD) group (total N = 85). A visual search task consisting of an array of paired words was designed. The participants needed to find the specific pair of words, where the first word in the pair was the cue word. This visual search task was selected to compare these groups on overall search performance and trial-to-trial variability of search performance (i.e., ISV). Additionally, scanpath analysis was also carried out using Recurrence Quantification Analysis (RQA) and the Multi-Match Model. Results show that only the ASD− group exhibited superior search performance; whereas, only the groups with ADHD symptoms showed increased ISV. These findings point towards a double dissociation between ASD and ADHD, and argue against an overlap between ASD and ADHD.

     

Testing the specificity of executive functioning impairments in adolescents with ADHD,ODD/CD and ASD

Current diagnostic systems conceptualise attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant/conduct disorder (ODD/CD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as separate diagnoses. However, all three demonstrate executive functioning (EF) impairments. Whether these impairments are trans-diagnostic or disorder-specific remains relatively unexplored. Four groups of 10–16 year-olds [typically developing (TD; N = 43), individuals clinically diagnosed with ADHD (N = 21), ODD/CD (N = 26) and ASD (N = 41)] completed Go/NoGo and Switch tasks. Group differences were tested using analysis of co-variance (ANCOVA) including age, IQ, sex, conduct problems and ADHD symptoms as co-variates. Results indicated some disorder-specificity as only the ASD group demonstrated decreased probability of inhibition in the Go/NoGo task compared to all other groups. However, shared impairments were also found; all three diagnostic groups demonstrated increased reaction time variability (RTV) compared to the TD group, and both the ODD/CD and the ASD group demonstrated increased premature responses. When controlling for ADHD symptoms and conduct problems, group differences in RTV were no longer significant; however, the ASD group continued to demonstrate increased premature responses. No group differences were found in cognitive flexibility in the Switch task. A more varied response style was present across all clinical groups, although this appeared to be accounted for by sub-threshold ODD/CD and ADHD symptoms. Only the ASD group was impaired in response inhibition and premature responsiveness relative to TD adolescents. The findings suggest that some EF impairments typically associated with ADHD may also be found in individuals with ASD.     

Vicarious futurity,hope, and well-being in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder

Hope is shown to provide resiliency for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) against the negative effects related to extreme parenting stressors. The broad positivity of hope may overlook opposing parental feelings about their child that may be important for well-being. Vicarious futurity (VF) is the hope and despair a parent feels for the future of their child, which reflects both positive and negative components of parental attitudes directed toward their child. In this study we examined how vicarious futurity related to hope, and how each predicted well-being in 71 parents (53 mothers) of children with ASD. Results indicated that regardless of child symptom severity, vicarious futurity strongly predicted stress experienced by parents, hope predicted depressive symptoms, and both predicted life satisfaction. Vicarious futurity and hope were found to be weakly correlated, indicating that both constructs are largely independent when influencing the well-being of parents raising a child with ASD. General hopefulness is important for parental well-being, but in the unique context of parents raising children with ASD, child focused constructs that measure both positive and negative components, such as vicarious futurity, may be more informative and useful when understanding how parental feelings about their child influence their own well-being.     

ADHD and family functioning

Most of what is known about attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and family functioning has been derived from studies that used children with ADHD as the starting point for their investigations. Such research has consistently reported that parent- child interactions are often characterized by a high degree of negativity and conflict. Also commonly found in such families are the use of less effective parenting strategies, elevated levels of parenting stress, higher rates of parental depression and other types of psychological distress, lower levels of marital satisfaction, and increased sibling conflict. Although a great deal of progress has been made, many questions remain as to how ADHD plays out in families. Several research design issues have limited our understanding of this topic, including an absence of empirical attention to underlying conceptual processes that may serve to explain the link between ADHD and various family outcomes. Implications for future research and clinical practice are discussed.     

Child temperament,ADHD, and caregiver strain: exploring relationships in an epidemiological sample

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between child-reported dimensions of temperament and attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), as well as other indicators of child psychopathology, including disruptive disorders, depression, and anxiety. It also examined whether difficult child temperament scores independently predicted caregiver strain. METHOD: A school-district-wide, two-phase screening design (response rate 70% for phase 2) identified elementary school children at high risk for ADHD. Two hundred high-risk children and their parents completed standardized instruments to assess child temperament, diagnoses of disruptive disorders, children's symptoms of anxiety and depression, and caregiver strain. Relationships were examined using analysis of variance, correlations, and multivariate prediction models, adjusting for child sociodemographic characteristics and psychopathology. All estimates were weighted for sampling design and differential participation. RESULTS: Combined subtype ADHD was associated with lower scores on task orientation and higher scores on general activity level. Depressive symptoms correlated significantly with all but one difficult temperament dimension, in a pattern consistent with clinical symptoms of depression. Child temperament did not vary by ADHD treatment status. Among these high-risk children, maternal caregiver strain experiences were increased by male gender, inattention symptoms, and oppositional defiant disorder, but not by difficult temperament scores. CONCLUSION: This study provides support for Graham and Stevenson's hypothesis of continuity between specific temperament traits and certain child psychiatric disorders, namely ADHD and depressive disorders.     

Prevalence of Parent-Reported ASD and ADHD in the UK: Findings from the Millennium Cohort Study

The UK prevalence of parent-reported autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) were estimated from the Millennium Cohort Study. Case definition was if a doctor or health care professional had ever told parents that their child had ASD and/or ADHD. Data were collected in 2008/2009 for 14,043 children. 1.7 % of children were reported as having ASD (95 % CI 1.4–2.0) at mean age 7.2 years (SD = 0.2; range = 6.3–8.2). 1.4 % reportedly had ADHD (95 % CI 1.2–1.7), and 0.3 % had both ASD and ADHD (95 % CI 0.2–0.5). After adjusting for socio-economic disadvantage, only male sex (p < 0.001 for both conditions) and cognitive ability, p = 0.004 (ASD); p = 0.01 (ADHD) remained strongly associated. The observed prevalence of parent-reported ASD is high compared to earlier UK and US estimates. Parent-reported ADHD is low compared to US estimates using the same measure.     

Are Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents Less Impairing Than ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders? Associations with Child Quality of Life and Parental Stress and Psychopathology

We compared clinically referred children with anxiety disorders (AD; n?=?63) to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD; n?=?39), ADHD Combined (ADHD-C; n?=?62), ADHD Predominantly Inattentive (ADHD-I; n?=?64), and typically developing children (n?=?42) on child quality of life (QOL), paternal and maternal psychopathology and parental stress. Diagnoses were based on DSM-IV-TR criteria. Multilevel analyses showed that QOL in AD was higher on school and social functioning, compared to respectively ADHD and ASD, and lower compared to normal controls on all five domains. Fathers reported their AD children higher QOL than mothers. Also, AD appeared to be associated with less parental stress and parental psychopathology than other child psychopathology. Therefore, parental factors may need to be considered more in treatment of children with ADHD/ASD than AD.