Meta-parenting and parent-child interaction in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder. Contemporary interventions for ASD highlight the parental role in parent-child interaction. However, parents have faced numerous challenges in engaging with their autistic children. Meta-parenting, defined as a class of evaluative parental thought concerning child-rearing, is postulated to enhance parental efficacy. Previous research indicated association between meta-parenting and positive parenting style. However, the number of studies remains scarce and meta-parenting among parents with autistic children has not been examined. Given this research gap, the current study aimed at exploring meta-parenting and parent-child interaction in mothers of children with ASD.

Study One examined the factor structure and scale reliability of a translated Meta-Parenting Profile Questionnaire Short Form in Chinese (C-MPPQ-SF) to measure meta-parenting of Chinese mothers and identify some meta-parenting predictors. Study Two explored the association between meta-parenting and the quality of mother-child interactions. 104 Chinese mothers completed questionnaires about parental thoughts and a non-verbal intelligence test. They were interviewed about the autistic symptoms of their child and observed for 15 minutes in free play with the child through video-recording to assess their skills in supporting the child’s play and emotional development.

Consistent with previous literature, the current results identified three meta-parenting components, namely anticipating, assessing and problem solving, and one non meta-parenting component, ruminating, from the C-MPPQ-SF. However, the hypothesized reflecting component was not found. C-MPPQ-SF had acceptable internal consistency but the alpha values for anticipating and problem solving factors were low. As expected, family socioeconomic status and maternal education positively predicted meta-parenting. Older age of child predicted more frequent meta-parenting after adjusting the effect of family and maternal variables. Meta-parenting significantly predicted parenting sense of competence and maternal interactive skills to support children's complex sense of self development. Drawing from the Affective Process Model and Parental Meta-Emotion Theory, parents' feelings and thoughts about emotion were expected to mediate the association between meta-parenting and parenting competence. The current results supported the hypothesis that the effect of meta-parenting on parenting sense of competence was fully mediated by the mothers' emotion awareness.

Prior literature assumed that socioemotional development goals and filial piety goals carry the characteristics of child-centered goals and parent-centered goals, respectively. In this study, mothers’ value for socioemotional development goals moderated the association between meta-parenting and maternal interactive skills. Higher meta-parenting score predicted better maternal interactive skills for mothers with a high value for socioemotional development. However, the relationship between meta-parenting and maternal interactive skills was non-significant for mothers with a low socioemotional development goals rating. Filial piety goals negatively predicted maternal interactive skills. Consistent with the goal regulation and meta-parenting theory, the current findings suggested the importance of integrating child-centered goals in parent-child interactions.

Previous literature has given little elaboration on parental emotions in meta-parenting. The current research has added information about the mediating role of maternal emotion awareness in the meta-parenting process. The findings provided implication to the inclusion of meta-parenting training in ASD intervention programs to enhance parents’ interactive skills with children. This was a pilot study on the translated scale for measuring meta-parenting in Chinese mothers. A future validation study of standardized measure with larger sample size, and improvement in the number and translation of items would be worthwhile.