An investigation of the security of caregiver attachment during middle childhood in children with high-functioning autistic disorder.
Secure caregiver bonds are intact in middle-childhood autism, so target anxiety or sibling skills next, not attachment repair.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Felicity et al. (2014) compared kids with high-functioning autism to same-age peers.
They asked: do autistic kids feel just as secure with their caregivers in middle childhood?
The team used standard attachment interviews and rating scales to find out.
What they found
Both groups showed the same level of attachment security.
Kids with autism were no more likely to be insecurely attached than neurotypical kids.
How this fits with other research
Ambrose et al. (2022) extends this work. They show anxiety, not autism traits, predicts how often kids join home and community life. Secure attachment alone does not guarantee full participation.
Cullinan et al. (2001) seems to disagree. They found higher separation anxiety in autistic 8- to 12-year-olds. The studies differ because Felicity looked at attachment security (the bond), while A et al. counted anxiety symptoms (the fear). A child can feel securely attached yet still worry.
Gabriels et al. (2001) add the sibling view. They found less warmth between autistic kids and their brothers or sisters. Together the papers map family life: caregiver bond is intact, sibling bond may need help.
Why it matters
You can treat family-based goals without first fixing "attachment problems." Use standard parent coaching, play, and praise. If the child avoids activities, screen for anxiety next. Add coping skills or gradual exposure instead of assuming the parent bond is weak.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Previous research has investigated caregiver attachment relationships in children with autism during early childhood, with few differences found from matched control groups. However, little is known of this relationship during middle childhood (ages 8-12 years). In this study, the aim was to establish whether there are differences in the security of attachment in children with high-functioning autism compared to typically developing children. A secondary aim was to establish whether caregivers' perceptions of their child's attachment to them accorded with the children's own reports. Twenty-one children with high-functioning autism and 17 typically developing children were administered the Kerns Security Scale and the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment-Revised, and caregivers completed the same questionnaires from the viewpoint of their child. There were no differences between the groups in the children's and parents' reports of attachment security. Parents' and children's reports were moderately correlated on the Kerns Security Scale but were not correlated on the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment-Revised. The results indicate that levels of attachment security in children with high-functioning autism are not different from those in typically developing children.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2014 · doi:10.1177/1362361313486205