Autism in adulthood : challenges and management最新文献

{"title":"Comparing Disclosure and Supports used by Higher-Education Students with Neurodivergent or Mental Health Conditions.","authors":"Lyndel J Kennedy, Amanda L Richdale, Lauren P Lawson","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0118","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0118","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Retention and academic success are associated with accessing supports for students with disabilities and/or mental health conditions (MHCs); however, many students do not disclose to their institution. While disclosure and supports use have been investigated for Autistic students, less is known about other neurodivergent students, those with multiple minority identities, and whether this differs from the experiences of non-neurodivergent students with MHCs (NND-MHCs).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using the bioecological framework, we investigated disclosure experiences and supports use for neurodivergent and NND-MHC students via an anonymous online survey capturing diagnoses, disclosure experiences, supports usage, and new supports wanted from 131 neurodivergent and 42 NND-MHC Australian and New Zealand higher education (HE) students. Kruskal-Wallis, Chi-square, and Fisher's Exact tests were used to compare neuro groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Neurodivergent participants were grouped into Autistic, Attention Deficity/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autistic-and-ADHD (AuDHD), and ND-other. More AuDHD students disclosed to their institution than NND-MHC (83%-19%, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Similar proportions of neurodivergent and NND-MHC students found disclosure helpful and intended to disclose in the future. Minority-identity scores differed significantly, but did not affect disclosure. More AuDHD students (74%) accessed supports than the other groups (38%-58%), but this was not significant (<i>p</i> = 0.074). There were significant group differences in use of note-takers, extended time for examinations/assignments, computer use in examinations, group project alternatives, and modified orientation. NND-MHC students reported lower overall supports use than the neurodivergent groups, <i>p</i> = 0.028. Support helpfulness ratings were similar for neurodivergent (95%) and NND-MHC (96%) students. Neurodivergent groups (77%-87%) wanted new neurodivergent-specific supports in both structured and unstructured formats, with neurodivergent mentors/facilitators preferred by the Autistic, ADHD, and AuDHD groups, 50%-71%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Apart from the AuDHD group, less than half of eligible students disclose to their institution or use supports, but when they do, they find them helpful. A more nuanced understanding of neurodivergent students' support needs is required to improve their HE experience and completion rates.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 4","pages":"462-478"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12417809/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145042324","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing Self-Perceptions, Meta-Perceptions, and Peer Judgments of the Academic Experience of Autistic and Non-Autistic University Students.","authors":"Afaf Alhusayni, Elizabeth Sheppard, Lauren Marsh","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0107","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0107","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous research has shown that, when presented with brief samples of behavior, non-autistic university students judge autistic peers less favorably than non-autistic peers on measures of academic experience (e.g., motivation to study, academic success, average grades). The current research aimed to determine whether these judgments accurately reflect the academic experiences of the autistic students, or represent a bias of non-autistic perceivers. We also investigated whether autistic students are aware of how they are perceived by their peers.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nineteen autistic and 19 non-autistic students (stimulus participants) were video recorded while completing a questionnaire about their academic experience. They self-reported their level of academic success, motivation to study, happiness at university, and average grades. They also reported their meta-perceptions about the same measures. Recorded videos were presented to 30 new non-autistic students (perceivers), who were asked to judge each stimulus participants' academic success, motivation to study, happiness at university, and grades.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Autistic stimulus participants were rated less positively than non-autistic stimulus participants on all measures except motivation to study. Comparison with participants' self-reports showed that perceivers' judgments had a strong negative bias for ratings of autistic stimulus participants, but this bias was also present for non-autistic stimulus participants on some measures. Comparison of perceiver perceptions with stimulus participants' meta-perceptions showed that neither group of participants was aware how they were perceived, and the autistic group expected to be perceived in an overly positive way.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>We replicated previous research showing autistic people are perceived less favorably by non-autistic others in relation to their academic experience. As the perceptions were not accurate, we suggest this reflects a persistent bias in the perception of autistic people. Nevertheless, over time this bias could genuinely impact academic outcomes of autistic students, if it leads to exclusion from social and peer learning opportunities.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 4","pages":"493-504"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12417817/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145042349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An Expert Discussion on Autism in Postsecondary Education and the \"Empowering Engines\" Who Do Good.","authors":"Brett Ranon Nachman, Emily Coombs, Bradley E Cox, Janelle Johnson, Baiyina Muhammad, Edlyn Peña, Jonathan Vincent","doi":"10.1089/aut.2025.0168","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2025.0168","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 4","pages":"333-340"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12417844/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145042334","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neurodiversity, Minority Status, and Mental Health: A Quantitative Study on the Experiences of Culturally Diverse University Students in Canada.","authors":"Rebeca Bayeh, Andrew G Ryder","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0120","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0120","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>There is community knowledge shared among autistic and other neurodivergent (ND) communities that ND individuals are more likely to share other non-normative identities, along with research demonstrating that ND individuals have worse mental health outcomes than neurotypicals (NTs). The purpose of this study is to assess how co-occurrence of neurodivergence with other minority statuses impacts distress and discrimination among students in a large university student sample (<i>N</i> = 2206) in Canada and to examine representation of ND students across different identities and minority groups.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were recruited to an online survey and coded based on reported gender, sexuality, racial and linguistic groups, citizenship status, relationship preferences, religiosity, socioeducational profile, and neurodivergencies. Psychological distress was assessed using the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and experience of discrimination was assessed using the Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS). Analyses of variance were conducted to examine the differences in DASS-21 and EDS scores between ND and non-ND groups across different groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>ND participants were more likely to share Two-Spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, and other nonheterosexual and gender-expansive identities and to engage in nonconventional relationship dynamics, academic trajectories, and spiritual paths. White participants were proportionally more represented among NDs than non-White participants, which might reflect cultural and systemic factors. ND participants had higher scores in all subscales of the DASS-21 but not the EDS. Main and interaction effects in DASS-21 scores were observed between neurodivergence and gender, racial group, and income, and main effects were observed in nonheterosexual participants. Main and interaction effects were found between neurodivergence and racial and linguistic minority statuses in discrimination scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Results of this study reflect the community-based understanding that ND individuals are more likely to share other non-normative identities and enlighten the impact of race, gender, and linguistic status on the mental health of ND university students. Our findings endorse a culturally sensitive approach for supporting neurominoritized students.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 4","pages":"447-461"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12417843/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145042446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Obstetric Care and Pregnancy Health in Autistic Individuals and Those with Other Developmental Disabilities in an Integrated Healthcare Setting in California.","authors":"Jennifer L Ames, Meredith Anderson, Emily Cronbach, Dena L Gassner, Mara Greenberg, Catherine Lee, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, Lisa A Croen","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0323","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0323","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Early evidence suggests that autistic individuals face unique challenges around pregnancy health, including increased risks of perinatal depression and pregnancy complications such as preterm birth. We aimed to compare pregnancy health and obstetric care utilization among autistic individuals, those with other developmental disabilities, and those from the general population in the United States.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC), we identified all pregnancies that occurred between January 1997 and July 2024 among members with a clinician-documented autism diagnosis (n=431) or other developmental disability (DD) (n=3893). From electronic health records, we extracted data on diagnoses during pregnancy and postpartum, birth outcomes, and obstetric care utilization. We matched pregnancies among the general population 100:1 (n=43,100) on birth year and singleton/multiple status to the autistic group. We used adjusted logistic regression to compare outcomes and utilization between the three groups.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Compared with the general population, the autistic and DD groups had higher rates of hyperemesis gravidarum (6.1% and 3.3% vs. 1.9%), prenatal depression (52.8% and 27.7% vs. 15.6%), and preterm birth (11.2% and 14.2% vs. 7.5%). Additionally, the autistic group had a higher rate of therapeutic abortion while the DD group had higher rates of pregnancy-related hypertensive disorders than the general population. We did not see disparities in the use of standard prenatal care. However, both the autistic and other DD groups were more likely than the general population to visit the emergency department during pregnancy and postpartum and deliver via cesarean section. Furthermore, the DD group was less likely than the general population to have a postpartum visit.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings emphasize the importance of addressing the unique obstetric needs of individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities, including facilitating access to family planning services, enhancing the quality of prenatal and postpartum care, and providing adequate perinatal mental health support.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13524429/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148851943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Self-Compassion, Camouflaging, and Mental Health in Autistic Adults.","authors":"John Galvin, Patricia Aguolu, Alice Amos, Fran Bayne, Fatimah Hamza, Louisa Alcock","doi":"10.1089/aut.2023.0110","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2023.0110","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Previous research shows that symptoms of anxiety and depression are positively correlated with camouflaging and negatively correlated with self-compassion in autistic adults. However, no study to date has considered the inter-relationships between autistic traits, camouflaging, self-compassion, and mental health in autistic adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, autistic adults (<i>n</i> = 294) completed demographics (sex, age, and ethnicity), the Autism Spectrum Quotient, the Camouflaging Autistic Traits-Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion Scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found a negative correlation between social camouflaging and self-compassion (<i>r</i> _partial = -0.483, <i>p</i> < 0.001). Serial mediation analyses revealed that camouflaging and self-compassion may indirectly influence the association between autistic traits and mental health outcomes both independently and through each other.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings of this research provide greater insight into the mental health experiences of autistic adults and can inform the development of tailored interventions that target camouflaging and self-compassion.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 3","pages":"324-332"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12174838/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144334504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"Until I Had My Son, I Did Not Realise That These Characteristics Could Be Due to Autism\": Motherhood and Family Experiences of Spanish Autistic Mothers.","authors":"Irene Garcia-Molina, Mónica Cortés-Calvo","doi":"10.1089/aut.2023.0013","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2023.0013","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Knowledge is sparse regarding the motherhood experiences and family relationships of autistic women. Few studies use a qualitative approach to afford autistic mothers (and want-to-be-mothers) a voice. This is an analysis of the experiences of Spanish autistic mothers presented from their perspectives.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Nine autistic mothers responded to open-ended questions and verbalized their experiences of maternity and family relationships in writing or orally. Data obtained were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We developed four main themes about the participants' experiences: (1) autistic mothers were diagnosed after their autistic children (or close relatives) received their diagnosis; (2) role of the nuclear family (partner and children); (3) the influence of sensory processing on coexistence with the partner, and upbringing of the children, of autistic mothers; and (4) the influence of anxiety on coexistence with the partner, and upbringing of the children, of autistic mothers. Their experiences showed that the mother's autism diagnosis can follow the diagnosis of an autistic child and highlighted the importance of a good relationship with their partners and children during the process, increasing their self-acceptance (Themes 1 and 2). Also, the influence of sensory reactivity and anxiety intensified many aspects of their maternity and relations, from pregnancy to intimate experiences (Themes 3 and 4).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In conclusion, there is a need for greater understanding and awareness about the characteristics of autistic mothers in the Spanish context, so that family members or health care professionals could provide better individualized care for them-from their pregnancy to the upbringing of their children.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 3","pages":"303-311"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12174839/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144334503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spotted with AuDHD: Seeing Yourself in a Mentor Who Sees You.","authors":"Laurel Hiatt","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0074","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0074","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 2","pages":"127-129"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12038325/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144027644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"You're Just So Weird and Crazy\": Recounting My Lived Experiences as a PhD Scholar in India.","authors":"Elixir Sagar","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0109","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0109","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 2","pages":"130-132"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12038317/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143999094","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"A System That Wasn't Really Optimized for Me\": Factors Influencing Autistic University Students' Access to Information.","authors":"Kayden M Stockwell, Zoë S Robertson, Andrew J Lampi, Talyn Steinmann, Erline Morgan, Vikram K Jaswal","doi":"10.1089/aut.2023.0139","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2023.0139","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;More autistic adults pursue higher education each year, but rates of mental health conditions and graduation rates suggest that they are not being adequately supported. In this qualitative study, we report on factors that influence how autistic university students learn about the resources and opportunities available to help students succeed in higher education.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We interviewed 14 autistic students at a public university in the United States as part of a larger project to understand the campus climate for autistic students. Participants were interviewed either in groups or individually via Zoom, or asynchronously over email. We used reflexive thematic analysis to identify patterns of meaning across the data set and provide a theoretically informed interpretation of autistic university students' access to information about resources and opportunities.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;We constructed two themes related to the difficulties autistic students face in accessing information. The first theme was Challenges Navigating the Interactions Required to Access Information. This theme positions participants' accounts of difficulty accessing socially mediated information within a reciprocal framework. The second theme was University Expectations Limit Information Access. This theme explains how university expectations, practices, and policies that were not designed with autistic students in mind can serve as a barrier to information access.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Our participants' experiences highlighted how access to information about the resources and opportunities that could support their success can impact not only their academic and interpersonal experiences but also their sense of belonging to their university community. By better understanding the multiple, interacting factors that influence autistic university students' access to information-and subsequently, resources and opportunities-we can move toward informed, structural changes in higher education that will provide more equitable access to autistic people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract: &lt;/strong&gt;More autistic people go to university every year, but many struggle, and universities are still learning how to support autistic students. Many universities have resources for students, but these are only helpful if you know about them and how to access them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract: &lt;/strong&gt;We wanted to understand autistic students' experiences at a particular university and to give recommendations to the university on how to better support their students. After we interviewed autistic students, we noticed that all of them had trouble accessing information about resources and opportunities that could have supported them. We wanted to learn about what influences autistic students' access to information about resources and opportunities in university settings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract: &lt;/strong&gt;We interviewed 14 autistic students","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 2","pages":"171-184"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12038332/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144043187","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}