Maternal And Paternal Differences in Parental Stress and Children's Autistic Features Among Parents of Preschool Autistic Children.
Mothers of autistic preschoolers feel stress across most child traits, while fathers mainly stress over behavior problems.
01Research in Context
What this study did
John et al. (2026) asked moms and dads of preschoolers with autism to fill out stress surveys. They also rated their child’s autistic traits and daily behavior problems. The team wanted to see if mothers and fathers feel pressure from different parts of the child’s profile.
What they found
Mothers scored higher on total stress. Their stress rose when the child showed any wider autistic pattern—social, communication, or repetitive traits. Fathers’ stress only jumped when the child had tough behavior like tantrums or non-compliance.
How this fits with other research
The result lines up with an older survey by Hastings (2003). That study also found moms keyed into more child areas, while dads mainly reacted to behavior. It looked like dads ignored child problems, but the new data show they simply zoom in on one slice.
Fucà et al. (2025) saw the same mom-dad split in Down syndrome families. Moms worried about language and daily skills; dads cared about behavior. Rufus et al. extend this pattern into autism, hinting that gendered stress lenses cross diagnoses.
Koegel et al. (1992) first mapped a classic maternal stress profile: dependency worries, future care, and cognitive gaps. The 2026 survey shows those same themes still drive moms today, confirming the profile has stayed stable for decades.
Why it matters
When you coach families, give moms space to talk about every autistic trait. Offer dads bite-size behavior tools first. Tailoring this way can cut each parent’s biggest stress point and boost follow-through on your intervention plan.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
Parents of autistic children experience varying levels of stress, with only few studies examining gender-specific differences and their determinants. This study examined the sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with stress among mothers and fathers of preschool-aged autistic children in Australia. Data were analysed from 516 parents of preschool-aged autistic children enrolled in six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres. Multilevel regression models assessed associations between maternal and paternal stress and sociodemographic factors, parental quality of life, and child's clinical characteristics, while adjusting for key covariates, and accounting for clustering of parent responses within children. Among the sample, 465 mothers and 216 fathers completed the Parental Stress Index-Fourth Edition-Short Form questionnaire, representing 516 unique children, with some children having responses from both parents. Findings showed that culturally and linguistically diverse status was protective against stress for both parents, but higher level of education was protective only against maternal stress. Maternal stress was influenced by a broad range of child's autistic traits, including behavioural differences, social communication, repetitive behaviours and adaptive functioning, whereas paternal stress was only associated with behavioural differences. These findings highlight gender-specific factors affecting stress and reinforce the need for tailored supports for families of autistic preschool children.Lay AbstractMany parents of autistic children experience high levels of stress. While mothers and fathers may face these challenges differently, only a few studies have explored gender-specific differences in parental stress. This study looked at the factors linked to stress in both mothers and fathers of preschool-aged autistic children in Australia. We analysed data from 516 parents whose children were enrolled in six Autism Specific Early Learning and Care Centres nationwide in Australia. Mothers reported higher overall stress than fathers. Parents from a culturally and linguistically diverse background or those who had higher education levels tended to report lower stress. On the other hand, greater child behavioural difficulties, challenges in social communication and poorer parental quality of life were linked to higher stress levels. These findings highlight the need for tailored, culturally sensitive supports for families, especially during the early years when children are starting intervention and parents are adapting to new caregiving demands.
Autism : the international journal of research and practice, 2026 · doi:10.1177/13623613261427131