Maternal sensitivity mediates the link between maternal insightfulness/resolution and child-mother attachment: the case of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

This study examined the hypothesis that maternal sensitivity mediates the association between maternal Insightfulness/Resolution and child attachment in a sample of preschool age boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This study used the Insightfulness Assessment to assess insightfulness and the Reaction to Diagnosis Interview to assess mothers' resolution. Maternal sensitivity was assessed from mother-child play observations, and the security of children's attachment was assessed using the Strange Situation Procedure. The results supported the mediation model, and their implications for attachment research, research on intervention in autism, and clinical work are discussed.