Autism in adulthood : challenges and management最新文献

{"title":"Development and Initial Validation of the Autism and Neurodiversity Attitudes Scale.","authors":"Rachel A VanDaalen, Frank R Dillon, Carlos E Santos, Cristalis Capielo Rosario","doi":"10.1089/aut.2023.0090","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2023.0090","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Drawn from aspects of the autistic self-advocacy movement, the neurodiversity movement is a conceptual framework and sociopolitical movement that views neurological differences and disabilities (e.g., autism) as natural human variations that can form a central component of one's identity. This study presents the development and validation of a scale to assess endorsement of neurodiversity beliefs with respect to autism among both autistic and nonautistic adults.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Diverse samples of adults were utilized to conduct exploratory (<i>N</i> = 249) and confirmatory (<i>N</i> = 259) factor analyses, resulting in a 17-item second-order three-factor model that demonstrated adequate evidence of reliability and validity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The three factors consisted of <i>Autism Anti-Stigma</i>, <i>Autism Permanence</i>, and <i>Autism as Difference</i>. Additional analyses of measurement validity revealed that endorsement of the neurodiversity framework is positively correlated with sociopolitical engagement, and that endorsement of the neurodiversity framework is negatively correlated with negative attitudes toward people with disabilities. Self-identified autistic adults endorsed the neurodiversity framework to a greater extent than nonautistic adults.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The validity results are congruent with the historical roots of the neurodiversity movement and the attitudes endorsed by many autistic adults. Given the factor structure and reliability results, researchers can use this scale to assess neurodiversity-affirming attitudes as a unitary construct or can use the anti-stigma subscale to assess stigma-related attitudes toward autism. This scale has utility for researchers that seek to understand and promote well-being in autistic adults, as well as research related to potential support systems in the lives of autistic adults. It can also be used to increase self-understanding among autistic individuals and allies, as this scale can be used for both autistic and nonautistic adults.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 1","pages":"39-51"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11937762/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143733415","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":"Development of PREPARE for Autistic Adults: An Adult Autism Training for Resident Physicians Designed with Autistic Adults and Family Members.","authors":"Brittany N Hand, Daniel Gilmore, Holden DeVassie, Anne Longo, Lisa Juckett, Christopher Hanks, Susan M Havercamp, Daniel Coury","doi":"10.1089/aut.2023.0137","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2023.0137","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One barrier to meeting autistic adults' health care needs is the dearth of physicians with autism training. We developed an adult autism training for residents, who are postdoctoral physicians training to become specialists, in internal medicine or family medicine. We used formative evaluation to design the training with autistic adults and family members of autistic adults, who were paid consultants. The training includes six prerecorded presentations, six case studies, and two standardized patient scenarios. We conducted focus groups and interviews with 23 residents and 14 faculty who educate residents. We described the curriculum, reviewed the content in one module, and obtained feedback on maximizing feasibility and scalability. Using semantic-level inductive rapid qualitative analysis we identified three themes and two subthemes. First, \"flexibility is key\" described ways to increase flexibility to accommodate resident and faculty schedules across programs. Second, \"time is the most valuable asset\" described the need to minimize duration and maximize impact. Third, \"buy-in is necessary\" described ways to increase buy-in from residents and residency leadership. Two subthemes, \"we don't talk much about neurodivergence\" and \"this content applies to all patients,\" describe how to increase buy-in by highlighting how this training fills a gap in resident education and can be generalized to multiple populations. Results highlighted ways to modify our training to maximize implementability across different residency programs. Next steps include pilot testing of feasibility, acceptability and effects on resident self-efficacy, attitudes/beliefs, and knowledge. In the long term, we expect this will yield more adult care physicians prepared to meet autistic adults' needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 1","pages":"112-120"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11937756/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143733416","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":"Incorporating Psychoeducational Care in the Autism Diagnosis Pathway: Experiences, Views, and Recommendations of UK Autistic Adults and Autism Professionals.","authors":"Bryony Beresford, Suzanne Mukherjee","doi":"10.1089/aut.2023.0060","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2023.0060","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>When someone receives a diagnosis they may need support with information and emotional needs. These are called psychoeducational needs. For adults diagnosed with autism, these can include needing to understand and make sense of the diagnosis and finding self-management strategies that work for them. When autistic adults do not receive the psychoeducational support they need their mental health and self-confidence in managing everyday life is affected. However, many diagnostic services do not provide psychoeducational care. In this study, we investigated autistic adults' and autism specialist staff's views on the psychoeducational care that diagnostic services should provide.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We recruited 26 autistic adults and 30 staff working in 8 UK autism services commissioned to provide both diagnostic assessments and post-diagnostic care. The staff sample included five autistic adults employed as \"experts by experience\" to co-deliver psychoeducational support. We used group discussions (or, where required, 1:1 interviews) to explore their views and experiences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Study participants believed psychoeducational needs arose during the assessment process (e.g., possible emotional reactions to diagnosis), and when the diagnosis is divulged (e.g., managing disclosure) as well as during the weeks and months following diagnosis. In this period, study participants agreed that the psychoeducational care offered by diagnostic services should include a debrief appointment, psychoeducation program, and the provision of \"curated\" information. That is, information resources carefully selected by staff and in multiple formats (e.g., text-based, videos). Study participants believed autism professionals and \"experts by experience\" had distinct contributions to make in meeting psychoeducational needs.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings support the case for diagnostic services to have the resources to address psychoeducational needs across the diagnostic pathway, including the offer of a debrief appointment and group-delivered psychoeducational program (with the option for 1:1 delivery) post-diagnosis. \"Experts by experience\" should be integral to the development and delivery of psychoeducational care.</p>","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"7 1","pages":"13-24"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11937777/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143733417","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":"Autism Terminology Preferences Among Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults in North America.","authors":"Zoe S Robertson, Kayden M Stockwell, Andrew J Lampi, Vikram K Jaswal","doi":"10.1089/aut.2023.0175","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2023.0175","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;There is widespread debate about the language used to describe autistic people; many professionals prefer person-first language (e.g., \"person with autism\"), and many autistic people prefer identity-first language (e.g., \"autistic person\"). Although prior surveys of the autism community's terminology preferences have reported participants' evaluations of individual terms, limited research has directly compared evaluations of discrete categories of identity- and person-first terms. Additionally, there is a need to more fully understand participants' evaluations of terms relevant to autistic people outside of the identity- and person-first debate.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;In total, 784 North American adults (&lt;i&gt;N&lt;sub&gt;autistic&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/i&gt; = 611; 78%) evaluated two identity-first terms (\"autistic\" and \"autistic person\") and five person-first terms (\"person with autism,\" \"person with autism spectrum disorder,\" \"person with autism spectrum condition,\" \"person on the autism spectrum,\" and \"person diagnosed with autism\"). Participants reported which terms they would use, ranked the terms in order of their preference, and rated how much they liked each term and how offensive each term was. In open-ended responses, participants explained their highest and lowest rankings and provided definitions of (the autism) \"spectrum,\" \"high functioning,\" and \"low functioning.\"&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Both autistic and non-autistic participants were more likely to use identity-first terms than person-first terms, ranked identity-first terms more highly than person-first terms, and liked identity-first terms more than person-first terms. Participants' open-ended responses provided some context for the quantitative findings and highlighted their critical views of functioning labels.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Consistent with other recent work with different samples and different methodologies, the North American participants in the current study preferred identity-first terms over person-first terms. That said, there was variability, with some autistic and non-autistic participants strongly preferring person-first terms. We end by providing recommendations on incorporating our findings into future research and practice.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community brief: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;b&gt;Why is this an important issue?:&lt;/b&gt; The words that are used to describe groups of people can influence how others view and treat those groups. Autistic people should have a say in the words that are used to describe them, so it is important to know how autistic people want to be talked about.&lt;b&gt;What was the purpose of this study?:&lt;/b&gt; The purpose of this study was to learn more about what autistic people think about words used to talk about autistic people. We also asked non-autistic people who know autistic people about their opinions to see if these opinions were similar or different from autistic people's opinions.&lt;b&gt;What did the researchers do?:&lt;/b&gt; We con","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"8 4","pages":"776-787"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315286/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364130","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":"Using Photovoice to Capture the Quality of Life of the Australian Autistic Community.","authors":"Rebecca Kuzminski, Melissa H Black, Sven Bölte, Wenn Lawson, Marita Falkmer, Simon Philips, Sonya Girdler, Ben Milbourn","doi":"10.1089/aut.2023.0178","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2023.0178","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Research suggests that autistic adults experience poorer quality of life (QoL) than their non-autistic peers. However, most research to date has examined QoL in autistic adults through a neurotypical lens. Qualitatively examining QoL factors from the perspectives of autistic individuals themselves is necessary to provide more accurate insights into the nature and measurement of QoL for autistic adults.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We explored factors influencing QoL from the perspective of 15 autistic adults using a participatory photovoice methodology. Participants provided 289 photos capturing the factors influencing their QoL, discussing the meaning of these photos in focus groups and interviews. A steering group of four autistic adults worked in partnership with the research team through the project, co-producing the results.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A thematic analysis of photographs, focus groups, and interviews captured five themes: Activities, Environment, Emotions and Experiences, Individual Identity, and Needs. These themes intersected with one another, influencing other components of QoL. Within these themes and subthemes, autistic adults discussed factors such as passions, identity, and sensory experiences that impact their QoL.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Using photovoice, autistic individuals captured factors influencing their QoL, illuminating the factors that could be included in QoL measurement tools to help measure autistic adults' QoL.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community brief: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;b&gt;Why is this an important issue?:&lt;/b&gt; The autistic community has highlighted quality of life (QoL) as an under-researched priority area. Existing research assumes that the factors contributing to QoL are the same for everyone, but few studies have sought to understand QoL from the perspective of autistic adults. Understanding what factors support autistic adults' QoL is important for ensuring accurate assessment and providing more effective support to enhance autistic adults' QoL.&lt;b&gt;What was the purpose of this study?:&lt;/b&gt; We aimed to understand what factors influence autistic adults' QoL.&lt;b&gt;What did the researchers do?:&lt;/b&gt; Working with a steering group that included four autistic adults, we recruited 15 autistic adults who provided and discussed photos depicting their QoL. Participants discussed the meaning behind their photos. Participants then identified themes portrayed in their photos in a focus group or interview.&lt;b&gt;What were the results of the study?:&lt;/b&gt; Alongside steering group members, we analyzed the photos and interviews. We grouped them into the following themes: autistic adults' activities, the impacts of the environment, emotions and experiences, individual identity, and needs. Factors that may play a role in the QoL of autistic adults include passions, autistic identity, and sensory sensitivities.&lt;b&gt;What do these findings add to what was already known?:&lt;/b&gt; These findings add to the underst","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"8 4","pages":"735-754"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315300/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364212","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":"Developmental Trajectories of Adaptive Behavior from Toddlerhood to Middle Adulthood in Autism.","authors":"Brianne Tomaszewski, Claire B Klein, Allison T Meyer, Elena Lamarche, Laura G Klinger","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0036","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0036","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Adaptive behavior skills are a significant predictor of adult outcomes. However, few studies have examined developmental trajectories in autistic individuals from early childhood into mid-adulthood and how these trajectories are associated with adult outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;This study uses a longitudinal sample (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 266) to investigate age-related adaptive behavior developmental growth trajectories across ages 1-55 years. The study investigated clinic records, including questionnaires, interviews, and diagnostic assessments. Caregivers completed the majority of questionnaires.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A linear spline model best fits the data, suggesting that from early childhood to young adulthood (ages 1-20; autistic individuals gained adaptive behavior skills, but scores declined from young adulthood to mid-adulthood [ages 21-55]). Higher IQs and fewer clinician-endorsed autism characteristics across childhood into mid-adulthood were associated with greater adaptive behavior skill growth over time. Caregiver reports of a higher quality of life and daily living skills in adulthood were related to adaptive behavior growth over time.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Overall, the growth of adaptive behavior skills is positive from young childhood to young adulthood but begins to decline during adulthood. It appeared that there was a potential decline in adaptive behavior towards mid-adulthood. Results confirm the importance of adaptive behavior in caregiver perceptions of quality of life for autistic adults and suggest adaptive behavior is essential to support throughout the lifespan.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community brief: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;b&gt;Why is this an important issue?:&lt;/b&gt; Adaptive behavior skills are tasks that support an individual in their everyday lives. Autistic individuals often have difficulties with these skills from childhood to adulthood, regardless of their cognitive skills. There is not much longitudinal research measuring adaptive behavior beyond young adulthood.&lt;b&gt;What was the purpose of this study?:&lt;/b&gt; The study aimed to look at how adaptive behavior changes from childhood to mid-adulthood and how the quality of life, experiences in employment and postsecondary education, and cognitive skills such as flexibility, memory, and organization support adaptive behavior skills in adulthood.&lt;b&gt;What did the researchers do?:&lt;/b&gt; The researchers analyzed data from a sample of 266 autistic individuals who lived in North Carolina. Some participants had first been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in the late 1960s-1970s at the University of North Carolina TEACCH Autism Program. Participants had multiple evaluations done over time in the clinics. A follow-up survey was sent to caregivers for autistic adults diagnosed before 2000 and who were ages 21-55. Caregivers reported on the autistic adults' daily life activities, such as if they had jobs or went to school and where they lived. Th","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"8 2","pages":"233-245"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13294723/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148347444","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":"Learning from the Experiences of Autistic Professionals Working in Health and Education.","authors":"Eleanor Curnow, Donald Maciver, Lorna Johnston, Mairead Murray, Victoria Johnstone-Cooke, Izy Utley, Natalie Jenkins, Tamsin Meff, Joshua Muggleton, Marion Rutherford","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0168","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0168","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;This study aimed to explore the experiences of autistic professionals working in the public sector in Scotland and investigate the factors that supported them in achieving employment in their chosen career.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We interviewed 34 autistic adults employed in professional roles in the health and education sectors in Scotland about their successes and challenges during training, recruitment, and employment. Interview conversations of 60-90-minute duration were transcribed verbatim. The research team, which included autistic and non-autistic researchers, conducted inductive thematic analysis.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Resultant themes included complexity of disclosure; navigating differences in social communication and across employment stages; and control of the environment. Autistic professionals face inequalities and unsupportive environments. Participants described multifaceted decision-making processes behind choices to disclose or withhold their autism diagnosis, which could determine their right to workplace accommodations or provoke unfavorable treatment. The styles of communication preferred by colleagues could engender misunderstanding and lead to challenges negotiating social situations, recruitment processes, and organizational culture. Participants' needs and preferences for predictability and routine required them to use strategies to overcome the negative impacts of suboptimal social and physical environments.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Findings confirm the importance of acceptance and inclusion and demonstrate that there is a need for culture change within public sector education and health workplaces to improve accessibility. Applying minor changes to the environment and individual communication styles can enhance workplace conditions for autistic employees.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community brief: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;b&gt;Why is this an important issue?:&lt;/b&gt; Fewer autistic people are employed in skilled jobs than we would expect, and autistic graduates are less likely to be employed than graduates with any other disability. We need research to understand what helps autistic people in skilled work and career development, for example, through promotion. It is important that autistic people can follow their chosen career paths without risk to their health.&lt;b&gt;What was the purpose of this study?:&lt;/b&gt; We wanted to know more about the experiences of autistic people employed in public sector professional roles in Scotland. We wanted to find out about work, training, and recruitment from their point-of-view. We wanted to understand what worked well, and what employers can improve.&lt;b&gt;What did the researchers do?:&lt;/b&gt; We interviewed 34 autistic people working in professional roles in health or education in Scotland (including nurses, doctors, teachers, occupational therapists, clinical scientists, and radiographers). We thought about what people told us to help us understand their experiences.&lt;","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"8 4","pages":"788-800"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315297/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364165","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":"Camouflage, Burnout-Exhaustion, and Depression in Autistic Adults.","authors":"Joy Benatov, Ella Sarel-Mahlev, Shahar Bar Yehuda","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0147","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0147","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Autistic adults are at disproportionate risk for developing depression compared with the general population. Social camouflaging of autistic traits is a unique risk factor for depression among autistic people; however, the mechanisms of this association are still unclear. An additional potential risk factor for depression in this population is autistic burnout. The goal of the current study was to examine the role of burnout-exhaustion as a risk factor for depression among autistic adults and its potential role as a mediator in the association between camouflaging and depression.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Method: &lt;/strong&gt;We designed an online survey in partnership with autistic adults measuring camouflage (The Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), and burnout-exhaustion (adapted version of the exhaustion subscale of the Parental Burnout Assessment). We posted an invitation to take part in this study through autistic-led groups and forums, targeting autistic adults. We calculated correlations between the study variables and conducted a series of regression analysis to test mediation. We included the analysis of the responses of 92 autistic adults.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Over 70% of participants scored within the clinical range of depression. Social camouflaging and burnout-exhaustion positively correlated with depression. Burnout-exhaustion partially mediated the association between camouflage and depression.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Burnout is probably a risk factor for depression and may play a role in the association between camouflaging and depression in autistic adults. These findings highlight the importance of assessing the toll of camouflaging and burnout as risk factors to prevent potential escalation to depression and to develop targeted interventions aimed at preventing depression in this population.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community brief: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;b&gt;Why is this an important issue?:&lt;/b&gt; Autistic individuals are at elevated risk of experiencing depression throughout the lifespan. This underscores the need to better understand which factors contribute to depression symptoms in autistic individuals.&lt;b&gt;What was the purpose of this study?:&lt;/b&gt; The purpose was to examine the role of camouflaging (hiding one's autistic traits and trying to act in a neurotypical manner) and burnout-exhaustion (a sense of mental and physical exhaustion due to depletion of resources) as risk factors for depression in autistic individuals.&lt;b&gt;What did the researchers do?:&lt;/b&gt; Ninety-two autistic adults living in Israel completed an online self-report questionnaire on their depressive symptoms, camouflage, and autistic burnout.&lt;b&gt;What were the results of the study?:&lt;/b&gt; Over 70% of the participants scored in the clinical range of depression. We found that camouflaging and burnout-exhaustion are positively associated with depression. Burnout-exhaustion partially mediated the associati","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"8 4","pages":"801-808"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315294/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364182","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":"Sharing an Example of Neurodiversity Affirmative Hiring.","authors":"Stephanie Petty, Christian H Hanser, James A Williams, Lorna G Hamilton","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0134","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0134","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Hiring processes often unintentionally disadvantage neurodivergent candidates by expecting neuronormative performances without due scrutiny of their merits. We offer reflections as a neurodiverse research group on our experiences of hiring a researcher colleague while aligning with compassionate and neurodiversity affirmative frameworks. We make recommendations informed by our learning through this process. Ultimately, we are motivated to enable every candidate to demonstrate their abilities to perform the essential tasks of the job, while minimizing nonessential, and often unspoken, social, sensory, and thinking performances. Our hiring decisions differed from default practices by sharing responsibility for the interview process, making explicit the value of personal and professional experiences of neurodivergence, providing a choice of interview format, allowing the uncertainty of an encounter, providing honest feedback, and minimizing an expectation of neurodivergent disclosure or aesthetic diversity. We readdressed these details to enable each candidate to best represent themselves and minimize learned and ableist conventions. This Perspective offers a novel, critical reflection on recruitment, occupying both the hiring employer and candidate perspectives. We invite further scrutiny from researchers and hiring organizations on decisions that can unintentionally marginalize and stigmatize neurodivergent candidates, and on actions that can enable genuine equal opportunity for employment to all.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community brief: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;b&gt;Why is this topic important?:&lt;/b&gt; Neurodivergent people should be part of workplaces. The ways in which we hire researchers can exclude neurodivergent applicants, sometimes unintentionally. Neurodivergent people then have too little say over research, including who participates and which research methods are used. We describe practical steps that employers may want to follow to make hiring processes fairer for neurodivergent candidates.&lt;b&gt;What is the purpose of this article?:&lt;/b&gt; This article encourages researchers and employers to demonstrate \"compassionate\" and \"neurodiversity affirmative\" hiring practices. This means giving all candidates equal opportunity for employment, including neurodivergent candidates.&lt;b&gt;What personal or professional perspectives do the authors bring to this topic?:&lt;/b&gt; We wrote this article as a research group of mixed neurotypes. We offer reflections from both job applicants and employers in a university setting to share honest and personal experiences of hiring.&lt;b&gt;What is already known about this topic?:&lt;/b&gt; Neurodivergent people do not have fair opportunities for employment. Employment statistics show that many capable and motivated neurodivergent people are not in suitable jobs. Limited workplace opportunities can have negative impacts on physical and mental well-being. A growing body of research has explored barriers that affect neurodivergent people in workplaces and shows ","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"8 4","pages":"563-570"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364241","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":"Relationship Satisfaction Among Autistic Populations: How Partner Neurotype Influences Relationship Satisfaction Factors for Autistic Adults.","authors":"Jessica Khaw, Ty Vernon","doi":"10.1089/aut.2024.0124","DOIUrl":"10.1089/aut.2024.0124","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Autistic individuals report high levels of interest in pursuing and maintaining romantic relationships but indicate fewer and less satisfying relationships when compared with non-autistic populations. In this mixed-methods study, we investigated the self-identified factors that contribute to successful romantic relationships for autistic adults with the additional goal of understanding if and how their partners' neurotypes may influence relationship satisfaction.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We compared levels of relationship satisfaction among 106 autistic individuals by categorizing each participant into one of three groups based on the specific neurotype of their partner: (1) autistic/autistic (A/A) dyads; (2) autistic/neurotypical (A/NT) dyads; and (3) autistic/non-autistic but neurodivergent (A/ND) dyads. All participants completed a series of online surveys to gather information about their autistic traits, overall relationship satisfaction, reciprocal communication and support, and perceived impact of autism on relationships.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Across the three dyads, participants reported similar levels of relationship satisfaction, and we found no statistically significant differences when comparing the mean satisfaction of each sample group. Participants indicated a wide variety of positive and negative relational aspects, with a few themes changing in frequency based on partner neurotype. Participants with autistic partners tended to focus on an inherent and deep sense of understanding when discussing the positive aspects of their relationships, while those with non-autistic partners were more likely to discuss the presence of mutual support and accommodation. In addition to some differences in reported themes, participants tended to report that their autistic traits positively impacted satisfaction in A/A dyads, while those in A/NT and A/ND dyads tended to report that their autistic traits posed challenges in their relationships.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The results of this study indicate that the neurotype of an autistic individual's partner may influence some of the reported positive and challenging aspects of their relationships. However, survey results indicate that autistic populations generally find comparable levels of satisfaction in romantic relationships irrespective of neurotype, which suggests that while partner neurotype may shape the enabling and barring factors for relationship success, it does not directly affect the overall health of a relationship. Finally, how an autistic individual perceives the impact of autism on their relationship may be affected by the neurotype of their partner.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Community brief: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;b&gt;Why is this an important issue?:&lt;/b&gt; Many autistic folks seek out and thrive in romantic relationships, but studies report that autistic people experience lower relationship satisfaction than non-autistic people. Despite this, the auti","PeriodicalId":72338,"journal":{"name":"Autism in adulthood : challenges and management","volume":"8 4","pages":"720-734"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13315295/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148364305","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}