Household chaos: Parents' self‐compassion and difficulties of children with and without autism

ABSTRACT Objectives This study examined links among parents' self‐compassion, child‐related difficulties, and household chaos in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing (TD) children. Background Chaotic environments are linked to adverse child outcomes, but parents' self‐compassion may mitigate these effects. Prior research suggests that parents of children with ASD may experience more chaos and less self‐compassion, raising questions about how these associations differ from TD families. Methods A total of 242 parents (106 with ASD children, 136 with TD children) completed online self‐report measures. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using PROCESS. Results In both groups, child‐related difficulties mediated the association between parents' self‐compassion and household chaos: greater self‐compassion related to fewer child difficulties and less chaos. Parents of ASD children reported more child difficulties and household chaos, although self‐compassion levels did not differ. Importantly, among TD families, but not ASD families, child difficulties moderated the link between parent self‐compassion and chaos. Conclusion Findings highlight the value of fostering parents' self‐compassion to better manage child challenges and reduce chaos. Further research is needed to identify additional resources to assist families of children with ASD. Implications Tailored interventions are needed to address the unique challenges facing families of children with ASD.