DEVELOPMENT OF CHILDREN WITH AUTISM AND THEIR FAMILIES

本项目修订后的目的是：(1)研究自闭症儿童的早期发展过程，研究特定的儿童、家庭和干预因素对自闭症核心症状（即社交障碍、沟通和重复行为/兴趣）的稳定性和变化的影响；(2)调查孤独症儿童早期父母的心理健康状况，探讨儿童、家庭和干预因素对儿童父母正、负幸福感的稳定性和变化的影响。这项工作基于一个发展背景框架，在这个框架中，儿童层面的过程在一个复杂的背景下得到最好的理解，包括父母和家庭的过程和

The revised aims of this project are (1) To investigate the early course of development in children with autism, examining the influence of specific child, family, and intervention factors on stability and change in the core symptoms of autism (i.e., social impairment, communication, and repetitive behaviors/interests); and (2) To investigate the psychological well-being of mothers and fathers of children with autism during early childhood, examining relations between child, family, and intervention factors on stability and change in both positive and negative well-being. This work is based in a developmental contextual framework, in which child level processes are best understood within a complex context that includes parent and family processes and the interventions available to the child and family. We hypothesize that (1) The severity of core symptoms of autism are influenced directly by the presence of co-occurring problem behaviors, competencies and the intensity of intervention services, and indirectly by the child's predisposing temperament and parental well being. (2) Parental well-being is influenced directly by parental resources, family climate, severity of the broader autism phenotype, and the child's symptoms and problem behaviors. These variables also mediate the effects of other child factors and the parents' satisfaction with the intervention services received by their child. To test these hypotheses, we plan to recruit through early intervention specialty service programs 300 18-33 month-old children diagnosed with autism and to conduct a five-year, accelerated cross-sequential longitudinal study of their development and the changes that take place in the family and in the parents' well-being. We believe that the knowledge gained will inform developmental theory and will lead to the development of more effective and responsive child and parent support interventions.