Abstract
This study examined the hypothesis that maternal sensitivity mediates the association between maternal Insightfulness/Resolution and child attachment in a sample of preschool age boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This study used the Insightfulness Assessment to assess insightfulness and the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview to assess mothers' resolution. Maternal sensitivity was assessed from mother-child play observations, and the security of children's attachment was assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure. The results supported the mediation model, and their implications for attachment research, research on intervention in autism, and clinical work are discussed.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 567-584 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Attachment and Human Development |
| Volume | 14 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Nov 2012 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This research was supported by grant 824/02 from the Israel Science Foundation and by a Postdoctoral grant from Autismspeaks awarded to Dr. Smadar Dolev. The authors would like to extend special thanks to the families and children for participating in the study. We also thank Alona Dinnerman, Smadar Gertner, Ayala Fridman, Shirly Gelman, Yamit Nehav, and Efrat Sher-Censor for their help in collecting and coding the data, and Cory Shulman for her assistance with children’s diagnostic assessments.
Keywords
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- attachment
- insightfulness
- maternal sensitivity
- resolution of diagnosis
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Developmental and Educational Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health