Predictors of Severity and Change in Emotion Dysregulation among Children and Adolescents with ASD

Objective Emotion dysregulation problems are prevalent and disruptive for many with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study compared severity and perceived change in emotion dysregulation in youth with and without ASD and probed correlates of emotion dysregulation (including possible two-way interactions) among youth with ASD. Method Participants were drawn from two large online samples (mean age = 12; range: 6-17) with (N = 1323) and without (N = 921) ASD. The study used the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory (EDI), a parent-report measure designed for youth with ASD. The EDI asks parents about current severity and perceived change (i.e. how current severity compares to lifetime severity) in emotion dysregulation, and includes two factors: Reactivity (rapidly escalating, intense negative affect) and Dysphoria (poorly upregulated positive affect, general unease). Results Results indicated that youth with ASD had greater Reactivity severity and also greater positive change in Reactivity than non-ASD peers. Furthermore, differences between youth with and without ASD in the relationship between Reactivity and Dysphoria suggest a distinct profile of emotion dysregulation in ASD. Within the ASD sample, age and severity of stereotyped behavior predicted Reactivity and Dysphoria severity and Reactivity change. Female gender, lower parent education, and fluent verbal ability were additional predictors of increased Reactivity severity, while intellectual disability predicted lower Dysphoria severity. Conclusions This study provides new insight into predictors of emotion dysregulation in youth with ASD and represents a first step toward identifying which children with ASD may be most vulnerable to severe emotion dysregulation problems.