Maladaptive Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Role of Emotion Experience and Emotion Regulation.
Teaching clients to re-think upsetting events may lower problem behavior by cutting negative emotion.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The team compared people with autism to neurotypical peers. They asked how often each group used cognitive reappraisal. This means re-thinking a bad event to feel better.
They also tracked negative feelings and maladaptive behaviors like hitting or yelling.
What they found
The autism group used cognitive reappraisal less often. Less reappraisal went hand in hand with more negative emotion and more problem behavior.
The authors say teaching reappraisal skills could cut maladaptive behavior.
How this fits with other research
Nuebling et al. (2024) meta-analysis backs this up. It shows autistic people across the lifespan have more emotion dysregulation than any other group.
Taylor et al. (2017) extends the story to preschoolers. Kids with autism already show delays in using good emotion tools with non-family.
Ben Hassen et al. (2023) adds a twist in adults. They find alexithymia and poor body awareness also hurt emotion regulation, not just weak reappraisal.
Why it matters
You can add reappraisal drills to behavior plans. Start small: prompt clients to name one other way to view a tough moment. Pair the drill with visuals or social stories. Over time, track if problem behavior drops as reappraisal use rises.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Maladaptive behavior is common in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, the factors that give rise to maladaptive behavior in this context are not well understood. The present study examined the role of emotion experience and emotion regulation in maladaptive behavior in individuals with ASD and typically developing (TD) participants. Thirty-one individuals with ASD and 28 TD participants and their parents completed questionnaires assessing emotion experience, regulation, and maladaptive behavior. Compared to TD participants, individuals with ASD used cognitive reappraisal less frequently, which was associated with increased negative emotion experience, which in turn was related to greater levels of maladaptive behavior. By decreasing negative emotions, treatments targeting adaptive emotion regulation may therefore reduce maladaptive behaviors in individuals with ASD.
Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 2015 · doi:10.1007/s10803-015-2388-7