“Best Things”: Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time

Katherine T. Cost; Anat Zaidman-Zait; Pat Mirenda; Eric Duku; Lonnie Zwaigenbaum; Isabel M. Smith; Wendy J. Ungar; Connor Kerns; Theresa Bennett; Peter Szatmari; Stelios Georgiades; Charlotte Waddell; Mayada Elsabbagh; Tracy Vaillancourt

doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04890-4

“Best Things”: Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time

Katherine T. Cost, Anat Zaidman-Zait, Pat Mirenda, Eric Duku, Lonnie Zwaigenbaum, Isabel M. Smith, Wendy J. Ungar, Connor Kerns, Theresa Bennett, Peter Szatmari, Stelios Georgiades, Charlotte Waddell, Mayada Elsabbagh, Tracy Vaillancourt

School of Education

Tel Aviv University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

This study examined parental perceptions of the character traits of children with autism from early childhood to age 11. Parents (n = 153) provided descriptions of the “best things” about their children on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at ages 3–4, 7–8, and 10–11 years. Descriptions were coded using the framework of the Values in Action Classification of Strengths, with additional traits added as needed. Parent-endorsed traits included love, kindness, happiness, and humor in children across all ages and traits such as perseverance as children entered school. Higher CBCL scores were associated with a lower likelihood of endorsement for Humanity traits. Results are congruent with a contemporary neurodiversity perspective that emphasizes strengths and resilience.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	4560-4574
Number of pages	15
Journal	Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
Volume	51
Issue number	12
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04890-4
State	Published - Dec 2021

Keywords

Autism spectrum disorder
Character traits
Children
Positive psychology
Strengths

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Developmental and Educational Psychology

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https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04890-4

Cite this

Cost, K. T., Zaidman-Zait, A., Mirenda, P., Duku, E., Zwaigenbaum, L., Smith, I. M., Ungar, W. J., Kerns, C., Bennett, T., Szatmari, P., Georgiades, S., Waddell, C., Elsabbagh, M., & Vaillancourt, T. (2021). “Best Things”: Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51(12), 4560-4574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04890-4

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abstract = "This study examined parental perceptions of the character traits of children with autism from early childhood to age 11. Parents (n = 153) provided descriptions of the “best things” about their children on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at ages 3–4, 7–8, and 10–11 years. Descriptions were coded using the framework of the Values in Action Classification of Strengths, with additional traits added as needed. Parent-endorsed traits included love, kindness, happiness, and humor in children across all ages and traits such as perseverance as children entered school. Higher CBCL scores were associated with a lower likelihood of endorsement for Humanity traits. Results are congruent with a contemporary neurodiversity perspective that emphasizes strengths and resilience.",

keywords = "Autism spectrum disorder, Character traits, Children, Positive psychology, Strengths",

author = "Cost, {Katherine T.} and Anat Zaidman-Zait and Pat Mirenda and Eric Duku and Lonnie Zwaigenbaum and Smith, {Isabel M.} and Ungar, {Wendy J.} and Connor Kerns and Theresa Bennett and Peter Szatmari and Stelios Georgiades and Charlotte Waddell and Mayada Elsabbagh and Tracy Vaillancourt",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC part of Springer Nature.",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

doi = "https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04890-4",

language = "الإنجليزيّة",

volume = "51",

pages = "4560--4574",

journal = "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders",

issn = "0162-3257",

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Cost, KT, Zaidman-Zait, A, Mirenda, P, Duku, E, Zwaigenbaum, L, Smith, IM, Ungar, WJ, Kerns, C, Bennett, T, Szatmari, P, Georgiades, S, Waddell, C, Elsabbagh, M & Vaillancourt, T 2021, '“Best Things”: Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time', Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, vol. 51, no. 12, pp. 4560-4574. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-021-04890-4

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AU - Zaidman-Zait, Anat

AU - Mirenda, Pat

AU - Duku, Eric

AU - Zwaigenbaum, Lonnie

AU - Smith, Isabel M.

AU - Ungar, Wendy J.

AU - Kerns, Connor

AU - Bennett, Theresa

AU - Szatmari, Peter

AU - Georgiades, Stelios

AU - Waddell, Charlotte

AU - Elsabbagh, Mayada

AU - Vaillancourt, Tracy

PY - 2021/12

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N2 - This study examined parental perceptions of the character traits of children with autism from early childhood to age 11. Parents (n = 153) provided descriptions of the “best things” about their children on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) at ages 3–4, 7–8, and 10–11 years. Descriptions were coded using the framework of the Values in Action Classification of Strengths, with additional traits added as needed. Parent-endorsed traits included love, kindness, happiness, and humor in children across all ages and traits such as perseverance as children entered school. Higher CBCL scores were associated with a lower likelihood of endorsement for Humanity traits. Results are congruent with a contemporary neurodiversity perspective that emphasizes strengths and resilience.

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“Best Things”: Parents Describe Their Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Over Time

Abstract

Keywords

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

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