Attachment behavior in children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Purpose -Significance of attachment relationship to the development and impairments among children with autism has been studied. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the literature for studies completed on the attachment and assess the effect of autism on attachment development. Different moderators of attachment are also reviewed. Design/methodology/approach -Systematic reviews were searched for in different databases to establish the necessity and relevance of the current paper. The last systematic review on the topic was published in 2004 so studies done after that year were searched for in electronic databases and experts on the filed were also contacted before choosing the ten studies selected for this review. Findings -Attachment is present among children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), however not prevalent as in normally developing children. The security and organization of attachment behavior are affected by the severity of the diagnosis of Autism and the co-morbidities associated. Maternal sensitivity and insightfulness support the development of secure attachment in children with ASD while impairments in joint attention and symbolic play proved to be risk factors for insecurity and disorganization of attachment. Originality/value -The review contributes to the relatively understudied topic of attachment behavior in autism spectrum disorders focussing on the influence brought to the bonding connection by different influencing factors like: mothers' sensitivity, insightfulness and attachment style, parenting style and symbolic play levels.

Parental Attunement, Insightfulness, and Acceptance of Child Diagnosis in Parents of Children With Autism: Clinical Implications

“…Furthermore, in a sample of 39 children with ASD and their mothers, maternal insightfulness and child secure attachment at preschool age predicted better adaptation to developmental tasks, such as school, 4 and 8 years later ( Dolev et al, 2014 ). Consistent with this, a recent systematic review on autism and attachment showed that maternal sensitivity and insightfulness support the development of secure attachment in children with ASD ( Kahane and El-Tahir, 2015 ).…”

“…However, the term attunement was first described by the psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Daniel Stern (Stern et al, 1985) and refers to individual's ability to share affect, empathize, and appropriately respond to another person, not necessarily the child. on autism and attachment showed that maternal sensitivity and insightfulness support the development of secure attachment in children with ASD (Kahane and El-Tahir, 2015).…”

A short-term longitudinal study of correlates and sequelae of attachment security in autism

“…Though there is an emerging literature on the social and cognitive correlates of attachment in autism (e.g. Capps, Sigman, & Mundy, 1994; Koren-Karie Oppenheim, Dolev, & Yirmiya, 2009, 2007b; Naber et al, 2007a; Oppenheim, Koren-Karie, Dolev & Yirmiya, 2009; Van IJzendoorn et al, 2007; Willemsen-Swinkles, Bakermans-Kranenburg, Buitelaar, van IJzendoorn, & van Engeland, 2000), the implications of secure attachment for subsequent development in children with autism remains an understudied topic (Kahane & El-Tahir, 2015). To that end, the goals of the present study were to (1) investigate the correlates of individual differences in the quality of attachment organization in children with autism, including maternal sensitivity as well as child cognitive and social skills, and, (2) for the first time, examine the implications of attachment security for subsequent development of these children.…”

Behavioral Problems and Mother-Child Interaction in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

“…According to the concepts of a child development in the system of their relations with the caregivers (Belsky, 2005), the behavioral features of children, including behavioral disorders, are associated with the specifics of mother-child interaction. Previous studies have shown that emotional and cognitive development, as well as the specific behavior of children with ASD, are related to the characteristics of mother interaction and the quality of child attachment (Baptista et al, 2018;Kahane & El-Tahir, 2015;Levy, Oppenheim, et al, 2019;Teague et al, 2017;Yorke et al, 2018). To assess behavioral disorders in children with ASD, and also as a screening, the CBCL/1½-5 method is used.…”