Emma Mitchell at the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) conference, presenting her poster comparing different parent-perceived factors between families with one child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and having multiple children with ASD.

Author: Emma Mitchell | Major: Psychology | Semester: Summer 2022

My name is Emma Mitchell, and I am pursuing a degree in Psychology with minors in Human Development & Family Sciences and Agribusiness. I am currently working in the Family and Community Interventions Lab under Dr. Lauren Quetsch. In the lab, I am able to work on a variety of projects exploring Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In the fall semester, I was given the opportunity to create a poster to submit to the International Society for Autism Research (INSAR) conference. I worked, alongside Harlee Onovbiona and Ashanti Salazar, to create a poster titled “Parent-Perceived Parental Stress, Relationship Closeness, and Relationship Satisfaction: Comparison of Simplex and Multiplex Families.”

The goal of my study was to examine if parental stress, relationship closeness, and relationship satisfaction differ between simplex and multiplex families in a sample of families with children with ASD. The study found that parental stress, relationship closeness, and relationship satisfaction between simplex and multiplex families were comparable. Our findings suggest that families are able to connect with their children at similar levels regardless of the number of children with neurodiversity in the house and regardless of high parental stress levels. Alternatively, the results demonstrate that despite feeling close to their child and feeling satisfied with their relationship with their child, families are experiencing high levels of stress.

Due to the pandemic, I presented at and attended the conference virtually. Although I was not able to present in person, I learned valuable lessons that will help me to improve my research skills and public speaking ability. I was able to see the work that is being done in the field of Autism research, which helped spark new interests and questions that I hope to explore further. It was overall a great experience, and I look forward to other opportunities to present research in the future.