Brief Report: Effects of Sensory Sensitivity and Intolerance of Uncertainty on Anxiety in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Uljarević et al. (2016) asked moms of kids with autism to fill out three short surveys. One asked how bright lights, loud sounds, or scratchy clothes bother them. Another asked how well they handle not knowing what will happen next. The last asked how worried or anxious they feel.

The team used statistics to see if sensory sensitivity raises anxiety only when moms also hate uncertainty.

Moms who reported more sensory discomfort did feel more anxious, but only if they also scored high on intolerance of uncertainty. When moms could handle not knowing what would happen, sensory issues barely affected their anxiety.

In plain words, uncertainty acts like a magnifying glass that turns everyday sensory annoyances into real worry.

Cai et al. (2020) ran a similar survey and found the same intolerance-of-uncertainty link, but they also showed that avoidant coping makes anxiety worse while problem-focused coping keeps moms well. Mirko’s finding is therefore not a one-off; it sits inside a bigger picture where both uncertainty and coping style matter.

Miezah et al. (2026) followed families for two years and showed that boosting social support and active coping lowers long-term parenting stress. Mirko’s cross-sectional snapshot aligns with this: if you reduce uncertainty or improve coping, you should see better mental health over time.

Nahar et al. (2022) compared moms of autistic kids with moms of dyslexic kids and typical kids and found the autism-group moms carry the heaviest mental-health load. Mirko helps explain part of that load by pointing to the sensory-uncertainty pathway.

You already screen for stress; now add two quick questions: 'Do unexpected changes upset you?' and 'Do loud lights or textures bother you?' If both get a big yes, teach uncertainty tolerance—simple scripts like 'First, then' schedules or short social stories. In 60 seconds you can spot the moms who need that extra layer of support before anxiety takes hold.