The Scientific Study of Parents and Caregivers of Children with ASD: A Flourishing Field but Still Work to be Done

Abstract

There is a long history of research on parents and caregivers of individuals within autism. Parents and other primary caregivers typically play the most important part in the lives of persons with ASD although the need for support as the child becomes of age varies widely. This special issue includes 30 articles on central areas related to parenting and caregiving for people with ASD. Some of the key themes include intervention and training, mental health issues related to parent and family stress, measurement and assessment, and parent–child transactional processes. Other articles in this issue consider different but equally important topics such as sibling as potential future caregivers and parent support of preschool peer relationships.