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Abstract
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Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by a persistent deficit in social communication and interaction skills, and repetitive and restricted patterns of behavior. The relationships between emotion regulation and core features of ASD are spoorly investigated. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between social communication deficits, sensory processing patterns, emotion dysregulation, and repetitive behaviors using structural equation modeling (SEM). One hundred and five children with a diagnosis of ASD (between the ages of 3-6 years) and their parents participated in the study. Social communication and interaction skills were measured by Social Communication Checklist-Revised (SCC-R), repetitive and restricted behaviours were measured by Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised (RBS-R), emotion regulation was measured by Child Behavior Checklist-Dysregulation Profile (CBCL-DP), and sensory processing was measured by Dunn Sensory Profile (DSP). According to the SEM, social communication skills predicted sensory processing (0.31), sensory processing predicted emotion regulation (-0.29), and emotion regulation predicted all subtypes of repetitive behavior (repetitive behaviours: 0.24; insistence on samness: 0.71). We also found that repetitive behaviors were directly predicted by social communication and sensory processing (0.05, -0.03, respectively). These findings implies that social communication skills are related with sensory features and repetitive behaviours. Interventions targeting social communication may improve emotion regulation, repetitive behaviours and sensory difficulties in young autistic children.
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