Effect of Reflective Parental Training in Parents of Younger Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder on Alexithymia: Pre and Post Intervention Study

Abstract

Background: Parents of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) may experience difficulties in identifying and describing emotions, which can affect emotional regulation and parent–child interaction. Brief reflective parenting is intended to strengthen reflective functioning and awareness of mental states. Objective: This study examined the effect of a four-week Brief Reflective Parental Training intervention on alexithymia among parents of young children with ASD. Methods: Parents were purposively recruited in Delhi NCR. Approximately 30 parents were contacted, 20 consented to participate, and 13 were included in the final analysis. Eligible parents had children aged 3–8 years who scored above 70 on the Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism and had no neurological conditions. Participants attended four weekly group sessions of 1.5 hours each. Alexithymia was assessed before and immediately after the intervention using the Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire. Pre- and post-intervention scores were compared using the Wilcoxon rank test. Results: The reported mean alexithymia score decreased from 80 (SD = 23.6) before the intervention to 65 (SD = 20.27) after the intervention. The reported Wilcoxon statistic was Z = −3.066, with p = .002. Conclusion: The findings indicate a post-intervention reduction in alexithymia scores. However, the small sample, absence of a control group, reliance on parent-reported assessment, and lack of follow-up mean that the findings should be interpreted as preliminary.