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When parents pull away: How experiential avoidance shapes parent-child conflict in families of children with ASD
Author(s)
Date Issued
2026
Conference
Citation
Tong, K. H. (2026). When parents pull away: How experiential avoidance shapes parent-child conflict in families of children with ASD. 2026 Asian Conference on Applied Psychology.
Type
Conference Paper
Abstract
Parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) face profound psychological challenges
that extend beyond individual wellbeing to shape daily family interactions. Drawing on Tong et al.’s
(2026) identification of four experiential avoidance themes among Hong Kong Chinese mothers
— cognitive dissonance between expectations and reality, stigma-related distress, uncertaintyrelated distress, and feelings of powerlessness — this study asks a next-level question: what actually happens between parent and child in the moments these themes are activated?
Using a further qualitative analysis of the same 13 semi-structured interview transcripts, we examined parent-child interactional sequences where mothers described being within or outside these avoidance states, and mapped the corresponding child behavioral responses. Four turntaking patterns emerged: escalating spirals, de-escalating turns, unresolved avoidance loops, and avoided confrontations. When mothers were absorbed in avoidance, children consistently showed heightened externalizing responses — prolonged tantrums, verbal aggression, defiance, and withdrawal. When avoidance was reduced, children de-escalated faster and engaged more cooperatively.
These findings reframe parental experiential avoidance not merely as an intrapersonal problem, but as an interactional one with direct consequences for children’s behavioral regulation. For clinicians, this highlights the dyadic level as a critical target for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy interventions — particularly within Chinese cultural contexts where stigma and unspoken expectations carry distinctive weight. Practical implications for family-based ACT programmes serving ASD populations in Asia are discussed.
Using a further qualitative analysis of the same 13 semi-structured interview transcripts, we examined parent-child interactional sequences where mothers described being within or outside these avoidance states, and mapped the corresponding child behavioral responses. Four turntaking patterns emerged: escalating spirals, de-escalating turns, unresolved avoidance loops, and avoided confrontations. When mothers were absorbed in avoidance, children consistently showed heightened externalizing responses — prolonged tantrums, verbal aggression, defiance, and withdrawal. When avoidance was reduced, children de-escalated faster and engaged more cooperatively.
These findings reframe parental experiential avoidance not merely as an intrapersonal problem, but as an interactional one with direct consequences for children’s behavioral regulation. For clinicians, this highlights the dyadic level as a critical target for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy interventions — particularly within Chinese cultural contexts where stigma and unspoken expectations carry distinctive weight. Practical implications for family-based ACT programmes serving ASD populations in Asia are discussed.
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