An Initial Examination of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Challenging Child Behaviors as Criterion A Traumatic Stressors.
Severe autism behaviors can give mothers full PTSD, so check caregiver trauma at intake and slow your parent training if needed.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team talked to 27 mothers who have a child with autism.
They asked each mom if she had ever felt intense fear, helplessness, or horror after facing her child’s most severe behaviors.
Behaviors like self-injury, suicide threats, or attacks on the parent were counted as possible trauma events.
A clinician then checked if each mother met full DSM-5 rules for PTSD.
What they found
One in every four mothers, 22 %, qualified for a current PTSD diagnosis.
The trauma was tied to parenting, not to car crashes or war.
The mothers linked their flashbacks, nightmares, and avoidance directly to their child’s extreme acts.
How this fits with other research
Bromley et al. (2004) first showed that more than half of ASD mothers feel serious distress; Gregory et al. (2020) now show that for some this distress crosses the trauma line into full PTSD.
Seltzer et al. (2010) found lower daily cortisol in mothers of teens with ASD, hinting their stress systems are worn out; the PTSD finding gives that biology a clinical name.
Porter et al. (2008) showed high parenting stress can erase child gains from early ABA; untreated PTSD could be one reason why the stress stays so high.
Together the papers trace a chain: severe behaviors → trauma reaction → chronic stress → poorer intervention outcomes.
Why it matters
If a mother meets PTSD criteria she may avoid teaching sessions, forget homework, or react with panic to new behavior plans.
Screen every caregiver with a brief trauma checklist when you start services.
If trauma symptoms pop up, refer to a mental-health provider and adjust your parent-training pace.
Reducing the parent’s trauma is not a side issue; it is part of helping the child make progress.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with high levels of stress. Several studies have conceptualized this as a traumatic stress response to challenging child behaviors such as self-harm, suicidal ideation, and physical aggression toward caregivers. In the present study, we explored the relevance of a trauma-based diagnostic framework to a sample of 30 mothers (M age = 42.97, SD = 5.82) of children with ASD (M age = 12.43, SD = 3.15). Participants were interviewed using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and an abbreviated Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview to assess for comorbidity. Three participants were excluded as they met criteria for PTSD from a traumatic event unrelated to their parenting experience. Of the remaining 27 participants, 6 (22.2%) met criteria for PTSD in the context of traumatic parenting experiences. Descriptions of traumatic events experienced are summarized. Results suggest that, for some parents, challenging child behaviors such as physical violence toward the caregiver from the child, self-injurious behaviors, and suicidal behaviors function as traumatic stressors as per Criterion A of PTSD (American Psychiatric Association [2013]. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders [DSM-5]. Arlington, VA). This has implications for health professionals engaged with parents of children with ASD, who should consider the possibility of PTSD when challenging behaviors of a potentially traumatic nature are present. Autism Res 2020. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: This study found that some challenging behaviors exhibited by children with autism spectrum disorder can be traumatic for parents and lead to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder. Some of these behaviors included self-harming behaviors like head banging, expressing suicidal urges, and becoming physically aggressive toward parents during meltdowns. Autism Res 2020, 13: 1527-1536. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research, 2020 · doi:10.1002/aur.2301