Interactions between Turkish mothers and preschool children with autism.
Preschoolers with autism tune in when moms follow the child’s lead instead of directing the play.
01Research in Context
What this study did
Diken et al. (2013) watched Turkish mothers play with their preschoolers who have autism.
They sorted moms into three styles: responsive, directive, or not engaged.
Then they scored how much each child joined in during the play.
What they found
Kids played longer and smiled more when moms followed the child’s lead.
Bossy or silent moms had kids who drifted away or stayed still.
How this fits with other research
Zhang et al. (2023) saw the same link in older kids: warm mom style boosts social skills.
Boonen et al. (2015) looked almost opposite at first—moms of school-age kids with autism seemed less sensitive. But once parenting stress was counted, the difference vanished. Stress, not autism, shaped sensitivity.
John et al. (2026) add that Turkish moms of preschoolers feel extra stress. Pair this with Ozlem’s finding and you get a clear plan: lower mom stress so she can stay responsive.
Why it matters
You can coach parents in one short rule: ‘Watch, wait, and respond.’ Model it in session, then send video clips home. When mom mirrors the child’s action with words or toys, engagement jumps within minutes. Less directive talk, more shared smiles—that’s free, needs no gear, and works across cultures.
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Join Free →Count mom’s responsive versus directive turns in a 5-minute play clip; set a goal to flip the ratio to 3:1 responsive.
02At a glance
03Original abstract
This study explored the relationship between Turkish mothers' style of interaction and the engagement of their preschool-aged children with autism. Data were collected from fifty mother-child dyads in which all children had diagnoses of autism. Video recordings of mother-child interaction were analyzed using the Turkish versions of the Maternal Behavior Rating Scale and the Child Behavior Rating Scale (O. Diken, 2009 ). Similar to mothers from Western countries, Turkish mothers tended to engage in highly directive interactions with their children. However, a cluster analysis revealed considerable variability in mothers' style of interaction. This included a directive nonengaged style, a directive/achievement-oriented style, and a responsive style of interaction. Children's level of engagement was associated with differences in mothers' style of interaction. Children were least engaged with directive/nonengaged mothers and most engaged with responsive mothers. However, children's engagement was only associated with their mothers' responsiveness, not with their directiveness. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for early intervention.
Intellectual and developmental disabilities, 2013 · doi:10.1352/1934-9556-51.3.190