title: A qualitative study of attachment relationships in ASD during middle childhood.
abstract: Although research has indicated that children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) display normative attachment behaviours, to date there has been limited qualitative research exploring these relationships. This study aimed to describe qualitative features of the child-caregiver attachment relationship in children with ASD. Primary caregivers to 26 children with ASD (aged 7-14 years) and 23 typically developing children (aged 7-13 years) were administered the Disturbances of Attachment Interview (Smyke & Zeanah, 1999) to elicit descriptions of children's attachment behaviours. Thematic analysis of interview transcripts indicated that while children with ASD demonstrated a range of normative attachment behaviours, they displayed impairments in the use of the caregiver as a secure base and co-regulating agent. ASD-associated impairments in emotion processing, sharing/reciprocity, and emotion co-regulation, as well as the caregiver's experience, were important in understanding attachment relationships in ASD. Findings highlight the need to consider the bidirectional nature of the attachment relationship in ASD.
authors: a Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences , Monash University , Notting Hill , Australia.
authors: Belinda M
authors: BM
authors: Keenan
authors: b Centre for Women's Mental Health , The Royal Women's Hospital and University of Melbourne , Melbourne , Australia.
authors: Louise K
authors: LK
authors: Newman
authors: a Centre for Developmental Psychiatry and Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences , Monash University , Notting Hill , Australia.
authors: Kylie M
authors: KM
authors: Gray
authors: c Deakin Child Study Centre, School of Psychology , Deakin University , Geelong , Australia.
authors: Nicole J
authors: NJ
authors: Rinehart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D020817:Asperger Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012919:Social Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder; attachment; child–caregiver relationship; mentalisation; middle childhood