Authors:
Fairthorne J, Fisher C, Whitehouse AJO
Authors notes:
Journal of Autism. 2014;1(1)
Keywords:
Autism, phenotype, mothers, autism spectrum disorders, genetic
Abstract:
In a previous study, 16 mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were interviewed about their quality of life.
A number of mothers indicated that they believed the additional demands of parenting a child with ASD led to changes in their behaviour and personality.
These changes are of particular interest in relation to the Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP), which refers to the presence of mild autistic traits in an individual.
Researchers have typically used the existence of a BAP to indicate genetic liability for ASD.
However, it is possible that behavioural and personality changes in response to parenting a child with ASD may be skewing scores on measures of the BAP, such as the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ).
This qualitative study of parental interviews provided a preliminary examination of whether behaviours consistent with the BAP may have been exacerbated by the challenges of raising a child with ASD.
A degree of caution is needed when researchers interpret measures of the BAP in parents who are full-time carers of their child with ASD.
Some scores indicative of this phenotype may not solely represent a genetic liability for ASD.
Longitudinal studies that explore the BAP among parents of children with ASD before, during and after the onset of caring will shed light on this complex research area.