Family Factors and Communicative Skills in Children with Autism Without Intellectual Disability

The primary objective of this study was to identify the profiles of families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability (ID) based on several risk indicators: sociodemographic and emotional indicators, parental stress, confidant social support, and coping strategies. A second aim was to determine the differences in communicative skills between children of family subtypes empirically established according to the aforementioned risk factors. Participants were 52 Spanish mothers and their children with ASD. Through cluster analysis, three subtypes of families were identified, classifying them as “high risk, moderate risk, and little risk”. The “little risk” profile showed significantly less stress and greater use of coping strategies and confidant social support. Furthermore, the children’s communication exhibited better development, compared to children from the other family environments.