Parenting stress and coping styles in mothers and fathers of pre-school children with autism and Down syndrome.

The team gave 70 moms and dads three short questionnaires. One asked how stressed they felt as parents. One listed ways people cope, like seeking help or avoiding the problem.

Families had a preschooler with autism, Down syndrome, or typical development. Kids were 3-5 years old.

Mothers of autistic preschoolers scored highest on stress. Their numbers beat moms of Down syndrome kids and moms of typical kids.

Fathers of autistic kids also felt stress, but their scores were lower than the mothers’. Emotion-focused coping, such as venting or wishful thinking, predicted higher stress in moms of autistic children.

Adams et al. (2025) asked the same questions in 152 parents of 3- to young learners. They added quality-of-life scores. Higher coping self-efficacy and income raised life quality, while daily hassles and child autism severity lowered it. The 2010 stress-only picture now looks fuller: stress is just one piece of parent well-being.

Lord et al. (1997) watched autistic preschoolers play with parents. Parents who rated their kids as “difficult” and reported high stress had children who made less eye contact and shared fewer toys. Jones et al. (2010) used surveys, not video, but both studies point the same way: parent stress links to weaker child engagement.

Reyes et al. (2019) moved the clock forward. They surveyed parents of adults with autism. Developmental and money burdens still predicted poor parent quality of life. The stress story does not end at kindergarten; it lasts across the lifespan.

If you coach families of young autistic clients, check mom’s stress first. Offer brief, doable coping tools like 5-minute breathing breaks or peer phone check-ins. Replace emotion-only venting with action steps: visual schedules, respite swaps, or billing help. Lowering parent stress can free up energy for joint attention, play, and compliance work in your next session.