Emotion regulation in autism spectrum disorder: Where we are and where we need to go.
Current ER research in autism leans too hard on questionnaires, but newer tools and real-life studies now show you how to measure and teach emotion skills better.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The authors read every paper they could find on emotion regulation in autism. They looked at how researchers measured it and what they discovered.
They wrote a narrative review to map the gaps and to say where the field should go next.
What they found
Most studies only used parent or self-report questionnaires. Few looked at real-life flexibility, executive function, or how autistic people boost good feelings.
Because of that, we still do not have clear targets for teaching emotion skills.
How this fits with other research
Laugeson et al. (2014) counted the same problem earlier: only one in four studies mixed methods. The 2018 review repeats the warning and adds a to-do list.
Burrows et al. (2018) and Bradley et al. (2026) answered the call. They built and tested the 30-item Emotion Dysregulation Inventory, a short caregiver scale that now shows strong scores across age and ability.
Cai et al. (2020) moved past paper tests. They pinged autistic adults by phone and found that savoring and acceptance lifted mood, while self-blame did not hurt it. This real-life data fills another gap the review flagged.
Tan et al. (2026) stretched the lens wider. They tracked families for two years and showed that parent emotion skills shape child emotion skills, pointing to a new treatment layer the review did not cover.
Why it matters
You can stop relying on one questionnaire. Add the EDI, use momentary sampling, and watch parent regulation during sessions. These richer data give you clearer targets, such as teaching savoring or coaching parents first.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
UNLABELLED: Emotion dysregulation is a common issue experienced by individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and has been associated with a wide range of negative mental and physical health outcomes. This commentary highlights the role emotion dysregulation plays in ASD by first considering the literature on emotion regulation (ER) in the general population and then summarizing the ER research in ASD. Based on the evaluation of previous research findings, we conclude that individuals with ASD have more ER difficulties and consistently self-report or demonstrate a less adaptive pattern of ER strategy use. In addition, the higher prevalence of internalizing and externalizing issues seen in ASD are associated with the greater habitual use of some ER strategies and less habitual use of others. Conceptual and methodological limitations are discussed, including the use of coping measures and single-method approaches, and ASD gender distribution. We propose a set of new directions for investigating ER in ASD, incorporating knowledge from other literatures on the role of flexibility in healthy adaptation, overlaps between flexibility and executive function deficits, the adaptive value of up-regulation of positive emotions, and the importance of emotional self-awareness. Increasing our capacity for identifying the mechanisms underlying co-morbid affective disorders can ultimately inform the design of effective interventions to maximize the wellbeing of individuals with ASD. Autism Res 2018, 11: 962-978. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: Research has shown that people diagnosed with autism tend to have difficulties with regulating their own emotions. This commentary article summarizes the main information from emotion regulation research conducted both in autism and in other populations. We make suggestions on how we can improve emotion regulation research in autism, with the ultimate goal being to use the learning gained from research to design effective interventions that can improve the wellbeing of people with autism.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2018 · doi:10.1002/aur.1968