Hidden Shields: How Parental Resilience and Social Intelligence Shape Behavioral Profiles in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background: Parents of autistic children face significant stress, which can impact their child’s behavioral outcomes. Parental psychological resources, specifically resilience and social intelligence, are theorized to be protective factors, yet their combined influence and interplay require further investigation. Objective: This study aimed to examine the relationships between parental resilience, parental social intelligence, and concerning behaviors in autistic children, and to test whether social intelligence mediates the link between parental resilience and child behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 parents of children diagnosed with ASD at a mental health outpatient clinic. Participants completed the Arabic versions of the Brief Resilience Scale, the Tromsø Social Intelligence Scale, and the Assessment of Concerning Behavior scale. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlations, multiple linear regression (controlling for child age, level of needs, parental income, and rehabilitation participation), and mediation analysis with the PROCESS macro. Results: Both parental resilience and social intelligence were negatively correlated with children’s internalizing problems (r = − 0.38 and − 0.33), externalizing problems (r = − 0.23 and − 0.27), and total concerning behavior (r = − 0.36 and − 0.36; all p< 0.001). After controlling for covariates, regression analysis indicated both factors remained significant predictors, explaining 25.8% of the variance in concerning behavior (R2 =0.258, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis confirmed a significant partial mediation, where social intelligence accounted for 17.1% of the association between resilience and child behavior (Sobel z = − 3.08, p =0.002). Conclusion: Parental resilience and social intelligence are significant, interrelated protective factors associated with reduced behavioral problems in children with ASD. Interventions that simultaneously enhance both parental resources may be most effective in improving family well-being and child outcomes. Keywords: child, autism spectrum disorder, resilience, psychological, emotional intelligence, parents