Emotional regulation in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A PRISMA Style Review

Objective: Emotional regulation (ER) is a critical developmental skill often disrupted in autistic preschool-aged children, negatively impacting their adaptive functioning, parental well-being, and broader developmental outcomes. This scoping review aims to synthesize existing literature on ER in autistic preschoolers, providing an overview of current research, identifying intervention strategies, and highlighting methodological gaps to inform future research. Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted using PRISMA guidelines, identifying 17 studies that investigated ER in autistic preschoolers. Inclusion criteria focused on studies examining ER in preschool-aged children (ages 2-6) diagnosed with autism, while exclusion criteria filtered out studies lacking direct relevance to ER or those focused on older populations. Results: Results indicated that autistic preschoolers demonstrated heightened emotional reactivity, prolonged emotional recovery times, and a reliance on maladaptive or caregiver-supported ER strategies. Intervention strategies, such as parent-mediated programs and cognitive-behavioral approaches, showed measurable changes in improving ER abilities and enhancing caregiver confidence in this population. However, the review also highlighted significant gaps in literature, including inconsistent use of validated tools across studies, limited representation of culturally and socioeconomically diverse populations, and a lack of longitudinal data. Conclusion: The findings of this scoping review hope to underscore the importance of ER in autistic preschoolers and the need for culturally inclusive research and standardized methodologies to guide effective interventions and support improved developmental outcomes.