Measure

The families were evaluated during the LTP with the Family Alliance Assessment Scales (FAAS; Favez et al., 2011; Lavanchy Scaiola et al., 2008, unpublished), an observational tool for the assessment of father–mother–child interactions that considers different scales related to specific dynamics of family interactions which could be scored as “appropriate,” “moderate” and “inappropriate.” More specifically, the scales refer to¹:

Postures and gazes which are optimal to create a context that enhances emotional exchanges and the sharing of affects in the family.

Inclusion of the partners in the play, and ability to take each other into account.

Implication of each partner in his role, engaging in interactions when they are supposed to be active and non-interfering in the other partner’s activities when they are supposed to be the third party.

Respect for the task’s structure and timeframe, carrying out and maintaining distinct the four parts of the scenario, with each part lasing enough for a joint activity to be set up but at the same time adjusted to the child’s state and aligned with the progression of the procedure.

Co-construction of a joint activity.

Parental scaffolding, with stimulations adapted to the child’s age and state.

Family warmth, with positive affects circulating through and shared by all partners and with an empathetic attitude shown with respect to negative affects.

Validation of the child’s emotional experience and sensitivity to the child’s cues.

Authenticity of the expressed affects, which are supposed to be congruent with the situation and coherent with respect to the behaviors and the affects expressed by the other partners.

Interactive mistakes and their resolution during activities, so that the interaction could maintain its flow and that the partners are able to smoothly carry out effective resolutions to the possible interactive mistakes.

Interactive mistakes and their resolution during transitions, carrying out the transition from one configuration to another in a fluid way, announcing the change, implicitly or explicitly, and negotiating the transition.

Support and cooperation between the parents, with mutual verbal and non-verbal support.

Conflicts and disruptive interferences in co-parental coordination

Child’s involvement and ability to be engaged in the interaction.

Child’s self-regulation

All the videos were coded by two independent judges trained and reliable to the use of the FAAS, who were blind to the children’s IA diagnosis. The application of the LTP reported good inter-rater reliability, ranging from r = 0.81 to r = 0.97. The application of Cronbach’s alpha coefficient reported acceptable internal consistency in all the variables considered by the coding system of the LTP procedure, both in the Play (0.737 < α < 0.761) and in the Feeding interactional contexts (0.753 < α < 0.767). More specifically, as far as it concerns the application of the LTP to the feeding situation, the presence of such good indexes of internal consistency in all the variables considered appears to support the suitability of the application of the procedure to contexts which are different from the original one represented by the play situation. This result appears in line with previous studies that adapted the LTP procedure according to family culture, children’s age, peculiarities in development, and which did not result to compromise the internal consistency and the reliability of the coding system (Hedenbro et al., 2006; Miscioscia et al., 2013; Gatta et al., 2014, 2015).