Oppositional Defiant Disorder and ADHD Symptoms as Predictors of Parenting Stress in Mothers of Sons With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience very heightened levels of parenting stress. Symptoms of ASD, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) vary in children diagnosed with ASD. The current study examined ASD, ADHD, and ODD symptoms in an ASD sample through a hierarchical linear regression to determine which symptoms accounted for the greatest proportion of unshared variance in parenting stress. A total of 84 mothers of sons with ASD participated in an online survey. Findings showed that symptoms associated with ODD accounted for the largest proportion of unshared variance in parenting stress. Symptoms associated with ADHD and ASD did not account for any additional variance in parenting stress above and beyond that explained by ODD symptoms. Interventions for children with ASD should focus on reducing externalizing behaviors to reduce parenting stress.