The experiences of clinicians working with the ASD population suggest that parents of children with autism frequently misattribute their child's behaviour, particularly misbehaviour, to autism and that this can be a barrier in behavioural interventions (Howlin and Rutter, 1987). However, no research on the specific attributions that parents of children with ASD make for their child's behaviour could be found. The current study is an exploration of parental attributions within the ASD population. Fifty-nine families participated in this study. Analysis identified a tendency for parents to generalise attributions about ASD-related behaviour to misbehaviour. In addition, analysis identified a tendency to believe that the child's positive behaviour is more stable and controllable by the child than misbehaviour. A relationship was found between parental autistic traits and a tendency for the parent to attribute responsibility to themselves for ASD-related behaviour and misbehaviour.
