Autism最新文献

{"title":"Caregiver-identified strengths in children attending their first neurodevelopmental assessment: Findings from the Sydney child development research registry and development of a child strengths checklist.","authors":"Kelsie A Boulton, Lorna Hankin, Marie-Antoinette Hodge, Natalie Ong, Natalie Silove, Adam J Guastella","doi":"10.1177/13623613251325287","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251325287","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There has been a growing focus on the importance of understanding strengths in children with neurodevelopmental conditions and how such knowledge can support clinical practices. However, limited research has explored systematic reports of strengths from caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental conditions, most commonly autism. In this study, we explored caregiver-identified strengths in children attending their first neurodevelopmental assessment. Caregivers of 686 children attending a tertiary assessment service answered a survey question about their children's strengths. Content analysis identified 61 unique categories of strengths, which were grouped into six themes: cognitive and intellectual, social and interpersonal, hobbies and passions, character and personality, physical, and behavioural. The most frequently reported specific strengths were kind caring, and compassionate, social and friendly, loving and affectionate, music singing and dancing, and good memory recall. The breadth of positive strengths identified here may reflect the larger population sampled or the diversity of presentations in this cohort. We then present a caregiver checklist, the Child Autism and Neurodevelopment Strengths (CANS) Checklist, that was developed with community representatives, to inform assessment and feedback of child strengths. We discuss what is required to use this knowledge to inform strengths-based practices that can support clinical practice and inform on child development and family well-being.Lay AbstractThere has been a growing focus on the importance of understanding strengths in children with neurodevelopmental conditions, but there is little research exploring caregiver-reported strengths at the time of diagnostic assessment. In this study, we explored caregiver-identified strengths in 686 children who were attending a neurodevelopmental assessment. Content analysis identified 61 unique categories of strengths, which we grouped into six main themes. These six themes were cognitive and intellectual, social and interpersonal, hobbies and passions, character and personality, physical, and behavioural. The most common strengths identified by caregivers were 'kind, caring, and compassionate', 'social and friendly', 'loving and affectionate', 'music, singing, and dancing', and 'good memory recall'. Based on these strengths, we present a checklist that was developed with community representatives, to make sure a strengths-based framework can be used during the diagnostic process. We discuss how we can use this knowledge to develop strengths-based practices that can support clinical practice and inform on child development and family well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251325287"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Autism in the context of joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders, and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes: A systematic review and prevalence meta-analyses.","authors":"Carolina Baeza-Velasco, Judith Vergne, Marianna Poli, Larissa Kalisch, Raffaella Calati","doi":"10.1177/13623613251328059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251328059","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Increasing research suggests a link between autism spectrum disorders and joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders, and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. However, no study systematically examined the available literature about the relationship between these conditions. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies (a) examining the link between autism, joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and (b) reporting the frequency of autism spectrum disorders in people with joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or vice versa. Prevalence meta-analyses were performed. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Twelve studies explored joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in autistic people. Six explored autism spectrum disorders/autistic traits in people with hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Two studies examined autism spectrum disorders in relatives of patients with hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and two explored autistic traits and joint hypermobility in non-clinical samples. Out of 15 studies examining the association between autism spectrum disorders/autistic traits and joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, 12 reported significant results. The overall prevalence of joint hypermobility in autistic individuals was 22.3%, but it was higher (31%) when only studies assessing joint hypermobility clinically (excluding self-reports) were considered. The overall prevalence of hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in autistic samples was 27.9%, but 39% if hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome were assessed clinically. Despite the heterogeneity of studies, these results suggest an association between autism and joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that should be confirmed in further research.Lay abstractIncreasing research suggests a link between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and joint hypermobility (JH), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS). However, no study systematically examined the available literature about the relationship between these conditions. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic literature search to identify studies: (a) examining the link between autism, JH, HSD, or EDS, and (b) reporting the frequency of ASD in people with JH, HSD, or EDS, or vice versa. Prevalence meta-analyses were performed. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Twelve studies explored JH/HSD/EDS in autistic people. Six explored ASD/autistic traits in people with HSD/EDS. Two studies examined ASD in relatives of patients with HSD/EDS, and two explored autistic traits and JH in non-clinical samples. Out of 15 studies examining the association between ASD/autistic traits and JH/HSD/EDS, 12 reported significant results.","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251328059"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of micronutrients on neurodevelopmental disorders through the mediation of brain structure and function: A two-step Mendelian randomization analysis.","authors":"Chanhua Li, Jiatong Deng, Weiyan Huang, Wanling Chen, Lijuan Wei, Guanghui Ran, Lili Liu, Zhongyi Li, Meiliang Liu, Dongping Huang, Shun Liu, Xiaoyun Zeng, Lijun Wang","doi":"10.1177/13623613251326702","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251326702","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The physiological functions of micronutrients in neurodevelopment are well documented, but their protective effects on neurodevelopmental disorders remain controversial. We assessed the associations between micronutrients and three main neurodevelopmental disorders, that is, autism spectrum disorder (18,381 cases), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (38,691 cases), and Tourette's syndrome (4,819 cases), using two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses. In addition, we estimated the mediation role of brain imaging-derived phenotypes (<i>n</i> = 33,224) in these associations. Each 1 <i>SD</i> (0.08 mmol/L) increase in serum magnesium concentration was associated with a 16% reduced risk of autism spectrum disorder (odds ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.72-0.98). Each 1 <i>SD</i> (65 μmol/L) increase in blood erythrocyte zinc concentration was associated with an 8% reduced risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (0.92, 0.86-0.98). Each 1 <i>SD</i> (173 pmol/L) increase in serum vitamin B12 concentration was associated with a 19% reduced risk of Tourette's syndrome (0.81, 0.68-0.97). These effects were partly mediated by alterations in multiple brain imaging-derived phenotypes, with mediated proportions ranging from 5.84% to 32.66%. Our results suggested that interventions targeting micronutrient deficiencies could be a practical and effective strategy for preventing neurodevelopmental disorders, especially in populations at high risk of malnutrition.Lay abstractIncreasing evidence highlights the critical role of micronutrients in neurodevelopment. However, the causal relationship between micronutrients and neurodevelopmental disorders remains unclear. Using genetic variants associated with micronutrient levels and neurodevelopmental disorders, our study revealed the protective effects of magnesium on autism spectrum disorders, zinc on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and vitamin B12 on Tourette's syndrome. These protective effects were partially mediated through alterations in brain structure, function, and connectivity. Our findings emphasize the importance of adequate micronutrient intake for healthy neurodevelopment and may support the development of intervention strategies aimed at preventing neurodevelopmental disorders by addressing micronutrient deficiencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251326702"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mindfulness and parenting stress among parents of autistic children: The mediation of resilience and psychological flexibility.","authors":"Yongshen Feng, Dali Lu, Tsz Ying Christine Ng, Pui Hing Chau, Lily Man Lee Chan, Jojo Yan Yan Kwok","doi":"10.1177/13623613251328465","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251328465","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;High parenting stress is associated with diminished quality of life in parents and more problem behaviors in autistic children. Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated efficacy in mitigating parenting stress. Psychological flexibility and resilience have been recognized as protective factors against psychological distress. However, the extent to which psychological flexibility and resilience mediate the effect of mindfulness on parenting stress among parents of autistic children remains unclear. This cross-sectional study examined the mediating roles of psychological flexibility and resilience in the relationship between mindfulness and parenting stress. We recruited a convenience sample of 181 Chinese parents of autistic children from Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital in Shenzhen, China. This study assessed characteristics, parents' mindfulness, psychological flexibility, resilience, and parenting stress. Results indicated that parents experienced considerable parenting stress. Correlation analysis found that higher mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and resilience were associated with lower parenting stress. After controlling for children's age, gender, core symptom severity, parents' age, gender, marital status, and education levels, psychological flexibility and resilience completely mediated the relationship between mindfulness and parenting stress. These findings suggest that multicomponent psychological interventions may enhance the mental health of parents of children with autism, warranting further investigation.Lay AbstractRaising a child with autism spectrum disorder can be very stressful for parents, and this stress can lead to serious problems, like diminished quality of life in parents and more challenging behaviors in autistic children. But there's something called mindfulness that can help parents feel less stressed. Mindfulness is like training your mind to stay calm and focused. It's like learning to take a deep breath and find calm in a busy day. Our study in China investigated 181 parents of children with autism from Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital in Shenzhen, China. We wanted to see if two things-being able to bounce back from hard times (resilience) and being flexible in how you think and act (psychological flexibility)-help mindfulness work its magic in easing stress. We found that more mindful parents also felt less stressed. Moreover, having psychological flexibility and resilience seemed to be the reason why mindfulness was so helpful. After controlling for covariates including children's age, gender, core symptom severity, parents' age, gender, marital status, occupational status, and education levels, the effects of mindfulness on stress still existed. This tells us that programs that teach mindfulness, along with how to build resilience and be more flexible in thinking, could make a difference for parents of children with autism. It could help them ","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251328465"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143699590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correlates of self-reported life satisfaction among autistic youth with and without intellectual disability.","authors":"Carly Moser, Leann Smith DaWalt, Meghan M Burke, Julie Lounds Taylor","doi":"10.1177/13623613251327347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251327347","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Compared to their nonautistic peers, lower levels of life satisfaction have been reported by autistic individuals. It is unclear, however, whether autistic individuals with intellectual disability report similar levels of life satisfaction as autistic individuals without intellectual disability or which characteristics are associated with life satisfaction. This study sought to examine differences in levels of self-reported life satisfaction across those with and without intellectual disability and explore correlates of life satisfaction in a sample of 35 autistic youth with intellectual disability and 99 autistic youth without intellectual disability. No difference in self-reported life satisfaction was detected between autistic youth with and without intellectual disability. Greater self-reported life satisfaction was associated with higher self-determination for autistic youth without intellectual disability. For autistic youth with intellectual disability, greater self-reported life satisfaction was related to more frequent social participation, lower parent stress, and fewer unmet service needs. Unmet service needs and parent stress were significantly stronger correlates of life satisfaction for youth with intellectual disability compared to youth without intellectual disability. Although the sample size of autistic youth with intellectual disability was small, these findings suggest the importance of considering heterogeneity among individuals on the autism spectrum when seeking to understand their well-being.Lay abstractAutistic people report lower life satisfaction compared to people without autism. It is unclear whether autistic people with intellectual disability report similar levels of life satisfaction to autistic people without intellectual disability. In this study, we did not find a difference in levels of life satisfaction for autistic youth with intellectual disability compared to autistic youth without intellectual disability. We also identified factors that might promote better life satisfaction. Higher self-determination was related to higher life satisfaction for autistic youth without intellectual disability. For autistic youth with intellectual disability, more frequent social participation, lower parent stress, and fewer unmet service needs were associated with higher life satisfaction. Unmet service needs and parent stress were more strongly related to life satisfaction for youth with intellectual disability compared to youth without intellectual disability. Our findings suggest that taking a more individualized approach to support the well-being of autistic youth is important.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251327347"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143699587","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Who Tweets for the autistic community? A natural language processing-driven investigation.","authors":"Canfer Akbulut, Geoffrey Bird","doi":"10.1177/13623613251325934","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251325934","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The formation of autism advocacy organisations led by family members of autistic individuals led to intense criticism from some parts of the autistic community. In response to what was perceived as a misrepresentation of their interests, autistic individuals formed autistic self-advocacy groups, adopting the philosophy that autism advocacy should be led 'by' autistic people 'for' autistic people. However, recent claims that self-advocacy organisations represent only a narrow subset of the autistic community have prompted renewed debate surrounding the role of organisations in autism advocacy. While many individuals and groups have outlined their views, the debate has yet to be studied through computational means. In this study, we apply machine learning and natural language processing techniques to a large-scale collection of Tweets from organisations and individuals in autism advocacy. We conduct a specification curve analysis on the similarity of language across organisations and individuals, and find evidence to support claims of partial representation relevant to both self-advocacy groups and organisations led by non-autistic people. In introducing a novel approach to studying the long-standing conflict between different groups in the autism advocacy community, we hope to provide both organisations and individuals with new tools to help ground discussions of representation in empirical insight.Lay AbstractSome autism advocacy organisations are run by family members of autistic people, and claim to speak on behalf of autistic people. These organisations have been criticised by autistic people, who feel like autism charities do not adequately represent their true interests. In response to these organisations, autistic people have come together to form autistic self-advocacy organisations, or groups in which activists can spread awareness of autism from an autistic point-of-view. However, some people say that autistic self-advocacy organisations do not sufficiently represent the needs of all autistic people. These tensions between organisations and individuals have made it difficult to determine which organisations can make the claim that they represent all autism advocates individuals equally, instead of showing preference to a sub-group within the autism community. In this study, we try to approach this issue using computational tools to see if, in their Twitter posts, both kinds of organisations show a preference for the interests of autistic people or parents of autistic children. We do so by comparing a large body of Tweets by organisations to Tweets by autistic people and parents of autistic children. We find that both kinds of organisations match the interests of one group of autism advocates better than the other. The insight we provide has the potential to inspire new conversations and solutions to a long-standing conflict in autism advocacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251325934"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143699596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gaming in the intervention and support process: A realist evaluation of a gaming-based programme.","authors":"Melissa H Black, Abi Lilford, Vy Nguyen, Erin Walker, Haw HueiWee, Olov Falkmer, Sarah McGarry","doi":"10.1177/13623613251320542","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251320542","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Using games as part of the intervention and support process (sometimes referred to as 'gaming therapy') is an increasingly popular method of supporting autistic youth to develop social competencies and other skills because they are believed to be inherently motivating and fun for youth. Some emerging research has indicated that intervention programmes using games can be beneficial for autistic youth, but little is currently known about why, how and for whom they work. This study conducted a realist evaluation of a programme using the video game \"Minecraft\" for autistic youth, comprising interviews and observations with autistic youth (<i>n</i> = 4), facilitators (<i>n</i> = 2) and caregivers (<i>n</i> = 6). Findings from interviews and observations suggest that leveraging strengths, sharing power by placing youth in the 'expert role' and learning in a naturalistic and motivating environment provided youth with the opportunities to develop social competencies in communicating their wants and needs and supported the development of social connections, independence and emotion regulation. The results of this realist evaluation may provide a framework for future intervention and support programmes using video games.Lay abstractUsing games as part of the intervention and support process (sometimes called 'gaming therapy') is increasingly used with autistic youth. Gaming is believed to be fun, motivating, and helpful in supporting autistic youth to develop social connections and skills, but very little research has explored this. In this study, we looked at a gaming-based programme that uses Minecraft. We did interviews and observations with youth, facilitators and caregivers of youth to find out why, how and for whom it works. We found that the gaming-based programme could be particularly motivating for youth interested in video games. Facilitators shared the interests of the youth and shared power by placing youth in the 'expert role', while providing youth with opportunities to learn and develop in their own way. Feedback from youth, their caregivers and facilitators suggests that the gaming-based programme might help youth develop social connections, independence and emotion regulation. The results of this realist evaluation may provide a framework for future gaming-based programmes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251320542"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143633315","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding decision-making in autistic children and adolescents: Insights from deliberative processes and behavioral economic paradigms.","authors":"Farah Ghosn, Manuel Perea, Marta Lizarán, Melanie Labusch, Alba Moreno-Giménez, Rosa Sahuquillo-Leal, Belén Almansa, Julia Buesa, Laura Campos, Juan A Pérez, Ana García-Blanco","doi":"10.1177/13623613251323493","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251323493","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Prior research has shown conflicting findings on decision-making differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals. To address this issue, we applied the Ultimatum and Dictator Games to examine explicit measures (probability of endorsing monetary offers) and implicit measures (response times) associated with decision-making behaviors. By analyzing response times, we aimed to determine whether decisions were intuitive (rapid) or deliberative (slower) reasoning processes. In addition, we administered an executive functions questionnaire to explore how cognitive skills correlate with implicit and explicit decision-making behaviors. The study included 24 autistic and 24 non-autistic children and adolescents aged 8-18 years. Results showed that autistic participants were less likely to propose selfish offers in the Dictator Game than their non-autistic peers. Among autistic participants, this lower tendency to propose selfish offers correlated with better executive function skills. Regarding response times, autistic participants exhibited slower responses than non-autistic participants when accepting and proposing selfish offers in both games. These findings reveal differences in selfish offer tendencies and deliberative reasoning among participants, suggesting that slower decision-making in autistic participants reflects a focus on fairness and sociomoral reasoning. Future research can explore how this reasoning style influences social interactions in various scenarios.Lay AbstractAutistic kids and teens often have unique ways of communicating and socializing with others. Making decisions is important in how we behave daily and how we socialize. To study if autistic participants tend to make more cooperative or selfish choices, we used two games where participants had to share money between themselves and another player. Previous results were not consistent and that is why general assumptions could not be established. Also, previous results focused on the final decisions and did not consider the process that leads to making decisions. To fill the gap in what we know, this study dug deeper by evaluating how quickly or slowly participants made decisions and explored executive functions needed for daily decisions. The study found that autistic participants, with better executive functions, made less selfish offers (where they could keep more money than their peers) than non-autistic participants. Also, autistic participants took more time to decide than non-autistic participants, only when they could earn more money than the other player. Interestingly, these results are consistent with studies indicating that autistic children distribute resources without a primary focus on personal gains. These findings reshape how we view social exchanges and recognize that slow, deliberate thinking can lead to less selfish decisions in autistic children and adolescents. Future research could explore how this reasoning style influences social interactio","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251323493"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143633322","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Experiences of interoception and anxiety in autistic adolescents: A reflexive thematic analysis.","authors":"Adams Kiera, Smith Jonahs, Brown Mary, Bird Geoffrey, Waite Polly","doi":"10.1177/13623613251314595","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251314595","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most autistic adolescents experience anxiety. Interoception, defined as one's ability to detect and interpret bodily signals, might contribute to this. The aim of this exploratory, qualitative study was to gain a better understanding of interoceptive experiences in autistic adolescents and how this relates to anxiety. Semi-structured 1:1 interviews were conducted with 13 UK-based, autistic adolescents, aged 14-17 years, who reported experiencing significant, day-to-day anxiety. Interviews were analysed using a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Interoception appeared relevant to experiences of anxiety in most participants, although this influence was exerted through various routes. While hypoawareness of interoceptive signals led to a reduced ability to detect and regulate anxiety, hyperawareness became overwhelming and anxiety-inducing. Overly negative evaluations of interoceptive signals, including catastrophising about the signals indicating danger, also triggered anxiety. Relationships between interoception and anxiety appeared bidirectional, with anxiety also affecting interoceptive awareness and evaluation. Interoceptive experiences were variable both across and within participants, with factors such as arousal and cognitive overload affecting experiences. Future research should focus on assessing the feasibility of interventions based on the mechanisms identified here.Lay abstractAnxiety is common in autistic adolescents. The detection and interpretation of signals coming from inside the body (e.g. heartbeat and hunger) is assumed to be related to both anxiety and autism. We interviewed 13 autistic 14- to 17-year-olds who reported experiencing significant anxiety, to explore the role that bodily signals played in their experiences of anxiety. Across most participants, there did appear to be a relationship, although the exact way it was related varied. When participants were very aware of bodily signals, they could become overwhelming, but if they were not aware at all, then it was difficult for them to notice themselves getting anxious until it was too late. If participants interpreted these signals negatively, for example, assuming the signals meant something was wrong with their body, they were also more likely to feel anxious. Whether participants were aware or negatively evaluated these signals was very variable and appeared to be context-dependent.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251314595"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143633312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The use of multisensory environments in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic reviewz.","authors":"Simona Leonardi, Marcella Di Cara, Silvia Giliberto, Adriana Piccolo, Carmela De Domenico, Giulia Leonardi, Angelo Alito, Rosamaria Siracusano, Rocco Salvatore Calabrò, Angelo Quartarone, Francesca Cucinotta","doi":"10.1177/13623613251320424","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251320424","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Multisensory environment is a setting designed with activities and tools that offered sensory stimulation. Despite their widespread use, no evidence-based guidelines are currently available. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the impact of multisensory environment interventions in autism and to provide guidelines. We included all studies of multisensory environment interventions for autistic individuals retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, and Science Direct up to 30 September 2024. Two researchers appraised the included literature and extracted the data. A total of 1247 unique records were screened for eligibility, and 10 studies were included. Data extraction included demographic characteristics, type of intervention, target symptoms, and outcome measures. Quality assessment tools included the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and the Cochrane Risk of Bias for randomized controlled trials. The studies were synthesized narratively based on target symptoms. Four studies reported reductions in stereotypic behavior frequency in children and adults; while other studies suggest positive effects on sustained attention, and aggressive and sensory behaviors. Overall, there was insufficient evidence due to the paucity of literature, the significant variation between interventions, and the small sample sizes. Future research should aim to develop a structured intervention approach to address the common limitations of the included designs.Lay abstractMultisensory rooms, also known as multisensory environments, are widely used in clinical practice and schools for autistic people. Despite their widespread use, their usefulness or effectiveness in achieving specific improvements is still unclear. We carry out a comprehensive and systematic quality assessment of all available studies to test the effectiveness of multisensory environment interventions in autism spectrum disorder and to explore what type of targeted intervention is needed to improve both core symptoms and associated features. The results show that multisensory environment could be a useful tool to modulate aggressive and stereotyped behaviors in autistic individuals. Although there is insufficient evidence to conclude on the efficacy of multisensory environment for other types of targets, overall, the results may provide valuable insights for the development of future studies concerning the utility of multisensory environment in therapeutic intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251320424"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143633317","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}