Editorial: Clinical Implications of Emotional Dysregulation Trajectories in Autism

Abstract

Emotional dysregulation (ED) presents a persistent and multifaceted challenge for autistic children, their families, clinicians, and educators.¹ Characterized by intense emotional responses, frequent irritability, and reactive aggression, ED can disrupt social, academic, and daily functioning, impacting the child's life and placing immense strain on families. Autistic children have a 9-fold increased risk of emergency room visits for psychiatric symptoms compared with neurotypical children,² which is at least partly attributable to the substantially high prevalence of clinically significant emotional regulation difficulties in this population.³ Understanding the trajectories of ED in autistic children is crucial for several reasons. First, ED has long-term impacts on internalizing symptomatology and maladaptive behaviors.⁴ Second, ED is correlated with all core features of ASD,⁵ making processing social information a challenging task, in turn leading to heightened emotional responses.⁶ Third, the variation in ED may reflect the heterogeneity in ASD, which may impede effective interventions that cannot accommodate between-individual differences.⁷ Finally, trajectories of ED may shed light on developmental changes, family dynamics, and educational outcomes, as well as comorbidity patterns. By focusing on these trajectories, researchers and clinicians can gain a more nuanced understanding of ED in ASD, leading to more effective, timely, and personalized interventions that can significantly improve the quality of life for autistic individuals and their families.