Comparing the typical and autistic children’s parents Expressed Emotion and Predicting the Mother’s Expressed Emotion by Behavioral Problems, Severity of Autism, and the Interaction Difficulties of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

The present study aimed to compare the expressed emotion of normal and autistic children’s mothers and predict the autistic children mothers' expressed Emotion based on behavioral problems, severity of autism, and social interaction. To this end, 50 autistic children in 3 autistic children center were selected by non-random sampling method and 50 normal children in Tehran were selected by random sampling method. Both groups' Parents were matched in terms of socioeconomic status, age and education. The descriptive statistics results, regression analysis and Manova, showed that there were differences between the children’s mothers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the normal children’s mothers in the total mean score of expressed emotion (FQ) (p=0/0001) and Emotional Over-Involvement (EQI) (p=0/0001) and the critical scale (0/003). . The results also showed that the grades and behavioral problems (0/014) and autistic severity (p=0/026) of children can be predicted by maternal expressed emotion but mothers expressed emotion’s scores did not foreseeable rough social interaction problems scores. Furthermore, the mother’s Expressed Emotion was predictable by their education level (p=0/047).