Abstract
Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience significant levels of stress which can interfere with their ability to participate and adhere to child behavior intervention programs. The primary focus of this dissertation is to examine how the effects of parental distress relate to child adaptive behavior skills and autism symptom frequency and severity in the context of child behavior interventions, with a specific focus on the role of parental psychological flexibility and parental adherence to behavior management strategies as mediators. Study 1 used a serial multiple mediation analysis to examine these relations using cross-sectional data ( N = 93). Of primary interest to Study 1 were the significant partial serial multiple mediation findings. Specifically, the relation between parental anxiety and clinical stress symptoms on child adaptive behavior skills could be explained by the following serial multiple mediation sequences: (1) parental acceptance and parental adherence; and (2) parental committed action and parental adherence. In Study 2, participants (N = 11) were randomized to an ACT intervention or treatment and usual groups. Due to the limited sample size, no serial multiple mediation effects or within group or between group differences were found. However, anecdotal data from parents who participated in the workshop further indicated that parents need additional support to help manage their stress (and private events) that can interfere with participation and treatment adherence. As a whole, findings suggest that parental stress and psychological flexibility warrants consideration in the context of child behavior intervention programs as it may directly influence parental treatment adherence.