Parents' Diagnostic Resolution and Activation: Examining a Mediation Model on Emotional and Behavioral Outcomes in Autistic Children and Adolescents.

A diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder poses significant emotional and practical challenges for parents. Although diagnostic resolution and parent activation have been examined separately, little is known about whether parents' psychological adjustment relates to active caregiving and, in turn, to child outcomes. This study tested: (1) a mediation model linking diagnostic resolution to child emotional-behavioral difficulties through parent activation; (2) psychometric properties of the Italian Parent Activation Measure for Developmental Disabilities (PAM-DD). We hypothesized that diagnostic r