[Risk/resilience factors in families with children with autism. Association with evolution in adolescence].

This study followed 45 children with autism from childhood into their teenage years to see how family stress affects their development. Families with higher stress levels had teenagers who showed more severe autism symptoms and struggled more with social skills. However, programs that help parents learn coping strategies, therapy techniques, and mindfulness can reduce family stress and help parents feel more confident in supporting their child.

This longitudinal follow-up study examined how family risk factors influence autism outcomes from childhood to adolescence in 45 participants. Families were categorized as high-risk (N=18) or low-risk (N=27) based on family environment characteristics. Results demonstrated that high-risk family environments negatively impacted autism severity and socio-adaptive skill development over time. The study confirms previous cross-sectional findings while providing valuable longitudinal evidence.

Interventions including psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and mindfulness were identified as effective approaches for reducing parental stress and improving parental self-efficacy, suggesting potential pathways for family support interventions.

Family environment assessment should be integrated into autism care planning. Early identification of high-risk families may prevent negative developmental trajectories. Multimodal family interventions combining psychoeducation, CBT, and mindfulness show promise for improving family functioning and child outcomes.

Small sample size (N=45) limits generalizability. Study design details and specific outcome measures are not clearly described in the abstract. Family risk categorization criteria not specified. No control group mentioned for intervention effectiveness claims.

The influence of parental stress and the moderating effect of coping strategies and social support in children with autism is well documented. The number of works with a cross-sectional design contrasts with the scarcity of studies with a longitudinal design that would allow to deepen in the relationships between characteristics of the family context and the evolution of the disorder. The present follow-up study is devoted to the analysis of these relationships over time from childhood (T1) to adolescence (T2), also assessing the results in different developmental domains. Forty-five adolescents with ASD participated, divided into two groups according to family environment, high risk (HR; N=18) and low risk (LR; N=27).

The results confirm and extend those obtained in cross-sectional work, showing the negative influence of a risky family environment on the severity of ASD and the development of socio-adaptive skills. Psychoeducation, cognitive-behavioural therapy and mindfulness have been shown to decrease parental stress and increase feelings of self-efficacy.