Predictors of self-regulation in children on the autism spectrum

Early childhood years are a period of rapid change in self-regulation, language, executive functions (EF), and theory of mind (ToM). Identifying how these domains interlock during this window can clarify the developmental mechanisms of self-regulation in autism. Self-regulation plays a critical role in both social development and academic success in early childhood, and influences quality of life in later years. Children on the autism spectrum (AS) often face challenges in self-regulation and related domains, making it essential to examine factors associated with self-regulation in this population. This study aimed to investigate the predictors of self-regulation skills in Turkish-speaking children on the AS. Twenty-nine participants aged 47-95 months were included in the study. Self-regulation was assessed through parental reports, and data on language, ToM, working memory (WM), and inhibitory control were collected directly from the children. Results revealed that self-regulation was positively correlated with language, ToM, and EF. These variables were also positively correlated with one another. Moreover, in the reduced regression model including ToM and verbal WM, ToM was the only statistically significant predictor of parent-reported self-regulation. These findings suggest that ToM may be an important intervention target, alongside language and EF supports, for promoting self-regulation in children on the AS. The study extends evidence on self-regulation to an underrepresented Turkish-speaking context; however, cultural factors were not directly measured. This study contributes to the literature by deepening our understanding of self-regulation development in children on the AS.