Adverse Childhood Experiences in Autistic Children and Their Caregivers: Examining Intergenerational Continuity

Although there is an urgent need to develop trauma-informed services for autistic youth, little research has evaluated adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in autistic youth from an intergenerational perspective. 242 caregivers of autistic (n = 117) and non-autistic (n = 125) youth reported on ACEs that they experienced in their own childhoods and ACEs experienced by their children, as well as measures of depression, stress, and child autistic traits and behavioral concerns. Autistic youth and their caregivers both experienced significantly higher rates of ACEs than the non-autistic dyads. Intergenerational continuity, the association between caregiver and child ACEs, was significantly stronger for autistic youth. ACEs showed differential patterns of associations with parent depressive symptoms and child autistic traits across groups.