Contextual determinants of parental reflective functioning: Children with autism versus their typically developing siblings.
Parents think harder about their autistic child’s mind than about the sibling’s—especially when the parent feels capable.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Enav et al. (2020) asked moms and dads to talk about two kids: the child with autism and the typically-developing brother or sister.
The team scored how deeply parents thought about each child’s mind—what scientists call reflective functioning.
They also measured how confident parents felt in their parenting skills.
What they found
Parents showed stronger reflective functioning when they talked about their autistic child.
The gap was biggest for parents who already felt sure of themselves.
In other words, self-efficacy acted like a magnifying glass for the difference.
How this fits with other research
Enav et al. (2026) ran the same comparison and got the same result—parents reflect more on the autistic child.
Acosta et al. (2024) add that higher self-efficacy also lowers parent distress, so confidence helps in two ways.
Lovell et al. (2016) remind us that siblings can feel left out; deeper parent focus on the autistic child may be one reason.
Why it matters
When you coach parents, check how confident they feel. Boosting self-efficacy may deepen their reflection about the autistic child while also cutting their stress. Remember to give the neurotypical sibling some parent mind-reading time too.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
In this study, we examined parental reflective functioning using the Parental Developmental Interview when parents were talking about their interactions with their child with autism versus the child's typically developing siblings. Our sample included 30 parents who had a child between the ages of 3 and 18 years with a clinical diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and at least one typically developing child. Findings indicated that parents exhibited significantly higher reflective functioning when interacting with their child with autism spectrum disorder versus the typically developing siblings, and the difference was moderated by parental self-efficacy.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2020 · doi:10.1177/1362361320908096