The Effect of Training Mindfulness to the Mothers of the Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder on the Decrease of their Aggression

Autism spectrum disorder leads to acute behavioral disorders such as aggression in the inflected children. Therefore, the present study was conducted to determine the effect of training mindfulness to the mothers of the children with autism spectrum disorder on the decrease of their aggression.

the present study was quasi-experimental with pretest, posttest, control group and one-month follow-up period design. The statistical population of the present study included eighty five six-to-twelve-year-old children with autism spectrum disorder who referred to two autism rehabilitation centers in the city of Tehran (Shamim and Fariha)in the spring and summer of 2019. 20 people (14 boys and 6 girls) were selected through purposive sampling method and they were randomly accommodated into experimental and control groups (each group of ten children). The mothers of the children present in the experimental group received twelve sessions of training mindfulness during three months. The research questionnaires included children’s aggression questionnaire (Shahim, 2006). The data were analyzed via repeated measurement ANOVA.

The findings of the present study showed that training mindfulness to the mothers of the children with autism spectrum disorder was effective on the decrease of their aggression (F=12.06, Eta=0.62, P≥0002).

The findings of the present study indicated that training mindfulness can be used as an efficient method to decrease aggression in the children with autism spectrum disorder through employing techniques such as thoughts, emotions and mindful behavior.