BackgroundThe interactions of typically developing (TD) children within the family context are associated with their social skills in preschool, and the question guiding this study, which focused on boys, was whether the same would be true for autistic children. A specific focus was on the importance of the boys' engagement in triadic, mother–father–child interactions over and above their engagement in dyadic, parent–child interactions. The boys' social skills were assessed concurrently with their family interactions and one year later.MethodsSeventy‐five autistic preschooler boys (Age in months: M = 49.45, SD = 11.03) and both of their parents were recruited through treatment centers and social media. The boys' dyadic engagement was assessed from observations of their interactions with their mothers and fathers (separately), and their triadic engagement from an observation of mother–father–child interactions. The boys' social skills in preschool were assessed using a Q‐sort completed by observers and teachers and by the Social Responsiveness Questionnaire (SRS) completed by teachers.ResultsControlling for the severity of the boys' symptoms and IQ, their dyadic engagement was associated with the concurrent observer Q‐sort and teacher‐reported SRS measures, and their triadic engagement did not explain additional variance in these measures. Predicting over one year, dyadic engagement was associated again with the observer Q‐sort and teacher SRS measures, while the boys' triadic engagement accounted for additional variance in these measures as well as the teacher Q‐sort. Finally, boys' dyadic engagement predicted gains in social skills on the observer Q‐sort, and their triadic engagement was predictive of gains in the observer and teacher Q‐sort.ConclusionsThe engagement that autistic preschool‐age boys displayed in the context of their dyadic and triadic interactions with their parents appears to be transferred to the preschool setting, and triadic interactions are of particular significance.

中文翻译：

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自闭症男孩在学前班的社交技能：他们与父母的二元和三元互动的贡献


背景典型发育 （TD） 儿童在家庭环境中的互动与他们在学龄前班的社交技能有关，指导这项研究（以男孩为重点）的问题是自闭症儿童是否也是如此。特别关注的是男孩们参与三元组、母-父-子互动的重要性，而不是他们参与二元组、亲子互动。男孩的社交技能与他们的家庭互动同时进行评估，并在一年后进行评估。方法通过治疗中心和社交媒体招募了 75 名自闭症学龄前儿童男孩 （月龄： M = 49.45，SD = 11.03） 和他们的父母。男孩的二元参与是通过观察他们与母亲和父亲的互动（分别）来评估的，他们的三元参与是通过对母亲-父亲-孩子的互动的观察来评估的。使用观察员和教师完成的 Q 排序以及教师完成的社会反应问卷 （SRS） 评估男孩在学前班的社交技能。结果控制男孩症状和智商的严重程度，他们的二元参与与同时进行的观察者 Q 排序和教师报告的 SRS 测量相关，并且他们的三元参与并不能解释这些测量的额外方差。预测一年多的时间，二元参与再次与观察者 Q 排序和教师 SRS 测量相关联，而男孩的三元参与解释了这些测量以及教师 Q 排序的额外方差。最后，男孩的二元参与预测了观察者 Q 排序的社交技能的提高，而他们的三元参与预测了观察者和教师 Q 排序的提高。结论自闭症学龄前男孩在与父母的二元和三元互动中表现出的参与度似乎转移到了学龄前环境中，三元互动具有特别重要的意义。