Coping by redefinition: cognitive appraisals in mothers of children with autism and children without autism.

Tunali et al. (2002) talked with mothers of autistic children and mothers of typical children. They asked how each mom thinks about daily stress.

The team recorded long interviews. They looked for a style called "redefinition coping." That means the mom re-labels a problem so it feels smaller.

Mothers who used redefinition coping said they felt more satisfied with life. They brushed off outside judgment and leaned on their spouse.

Moms who did not use this style felt lower life satisfaction, even when their child had the same support needs.

Lai et al. (2015) seems to disagree. Their survey found more avoidant coping and higher depression in autism moms. The gap is method: Wei counted all coping as the same, while Belgin singled out the helpful redefinition kind.

Amore et al. (2011) and Downes et al. (2022) back Belgin. They show that warm spouse support and positive views of the child lift mom’s mood and teamwork.

Miezah et al. (2026) tracked families for two years. Active coping kept stress low over time, matching Belgin’s short-term snapshot.

You can teach redefinition in parent training. Ask mom to name one outside judgment she heard this week. Guide her to shrink it: "That stranger only saw five minutes." Then link her to spouse or friend support. One five-minute reframe per session can raise her life satisfaction and keep her engaged in your program.