Even though ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a genetic basis, the quality of parent-child relationships and particularly the degree to which parents can tune in to their child with his or her unique and specific characteristics can play an important role in promoting children's development. The vast majority of studies on parent-child interaction in ASD focused on mother-child relationships, and in this study we widen the lens and examine mother-father-child interactions. We do this using the Lausanne Trilogue Play (LTP) procedure developed by Elisabeth Fivaz at the University of Lausanne in which we observe the family interacting in a semi-structured triadic play observation. Here are some of the questions we ask in this project:

· Can families with a child on the Autism spectrum establish cooperative interactions like those we see in families of Typically Developing children?

· What is the impact of children's cognitive development and the severity of their symptoms on family interactions?

· What is the interplay between dyadic, parent-child interactions and triadic, mother-father-child interactions in predicting developmental outcomes in children with ASD?

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