Parenting stress, parenting practice and parenting efficacy of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder transitioning to primary education

Abstract

The stress level of parents of autistic children exacerbates during the transition point. High parental stress may lead to negative outcomes for both parents and children. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between autistic children’s transition difficulties, parenting practices, parenting efficacy, and parental stress by examining a sample of 69 Hong Kong parents of autistic children transitioning to primary education. Regression analyses indicated that parents’ indulgent parenting predicted autistic children’s transition difficulties in the academic, social, emotional, and behavioural aspects, while children’s emotional dysregulation predicted parents’ sense of efficacy. Autistic children's restricted interests and repetitive behaviours, parents' verbal aggression, and parenting efficacy were found to be significant predictors of parenting stress in the transition phase. Children's comorbidity was also found to be a significant predictor of parental stress during the transition. The distinct predictive relationship between parenting factors and children's transition difficulties was further discussed and implications on clinical practice were also examined.