AutismPub Date : 2025-04-04DOI: 10.1177/13623613251330388
Mindy Scheithauer, Joanna Lomas Mevers, Lawrence Scahill, Sarah Slocum Freeman, Colin Muething, Chelsea Rock, Scott Gillespie, Laura Johnson, Nathan Call
{"title":"A Randomized Trial of Caregiver-Mediated Function-Based Elopement Treatment for Autistic Children.","authors":"Mindy Scheithauer, Joanna Lomas Mevers, Lawrence Scahill, Sarah Slocum Freeman, Colin Muething, Chelsea Rock, Scott Gillespie, Laura Johnson, Nathan Call","doi":"10.1177/13623613251330388","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251330388","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Elopement is a common and dangerous behavior among autistic children. Behavioral treatments can reduce elopement, but most evidence comes from small-N evaluations in specialized settings with strategies varying across studies. The current study compared the efficacy of the caregiver-mediated function-based elopement treatment to parent education program (PEP) in a 16-week randomized clinical trial of 76 autistic children (age = 4-12 years). Function-based elopement treatment involves 12 weekly appointments aimed at improving safety, identifying the function of elopement, and implementing subsequent function-based treatment strategies. No group differences were observed on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist-Hyperactivity (primary outcome). Significant improvement from baseline to endpoint in function-based elopement treatment compared to parent education program participants was observed for secondary outcomes, including caregiver ratings of safety measures (<i>p</i> < 0.01), severity of elopement based on the Elopement Questionnaire (<i>p</i> < 0.01), and caregiver-collected data on elopement (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale (CGI-I) rated by a treatment-blind evaluator found 31.6% of function-based elopement treatment participants improved compared to 2.6% in parent education program (<i>p</i> = 0.001). Improvements were maintained at a 28-week follow-up. Attrition was 5.26%, and no significant adverse events were deemed related to treatment. Function-based elopement treatment was superior to parent education program on elopement-specific outcomes and appears safe and acceptable.Lay AbstractMany autistic children exhibit wandering or running away from supervision (i.e. elopement), which can include leaving the house in the middle of the night or getting lost from a parent in a crowded location. Elopement can result in injury when the child is not supervised and is incredibly stressful for parents. Research suggests that behavioral intervention can help with elopement. However, most studies include only a few children. In addition, treatment strategies differ across studies, making it difficult to compare outcomes. The function-based elopement treatment has compiled strategies across different studies to build a 12-session treatment manual that can be followed by clinicians. The manual guides the therapist on the delivery of parent-training strategies to improve the child's safety and reduce elopement. We compared function-based elopement treatment to a control condition where parents met weekly with a clinician for more general parent training. Children whose parents received function-based elopement treatment showed greater improvement in elopement than children whose parents received more general parent education. This result suggests that the treatment works. Further study is needed to move function-based elopement treatment into clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251330388"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143778786","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-04-03DOI: 10.1177/13623613251329975
David Oppenheim, Michal Mottes-Peleg, Smadar Dolev, Nurit Yirmiya
{"title":"Play interactions of autistic preschoolers with their mothers and fathers without toys yield more positive interactions than play with toys.","authors":"David Oppenheim, Michal Mottes-Peleg, Smadar Dolev, Nurit Yirmiya","doi":"10.1177/13623613251329975","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251329975","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Observations of parent-child play with toys are often used to assess interactions between parents and non-autistic as well as autistic children, but some research indicates that play without toys may elicit more positive interactions than play with toys. The first goal of the study was to examine whether this is true in the case of autistic preschoolers by comparing their play with their parents with versus without toys. The second goal was to compare mother- and father-child interactions. Seventy-eight autistic preschooler boys were observed interacting in counterbalanced mother- and father-child play with or without toys, and interactions were coded using the Emotional Availability scales. Results revealed that for both mothers and fathers scores on all of the EA scales in the play episode without toys were higher than scores in the episode with toys. Also, almost no differences were found between children's interactions with their mothers and fathers in both play with or without toys. Both findings broaden our understanding of the early social experiences of autistic children with their parents.Lay AbstractResearchers that study the development of young children often observe them playing with their parents with toys. However, a few studies and clinical experience suggest that the interactions between parents and children are often more positive when they play <i>without</i> toys. The first goal of the study was to find out if this is true for autistic preschoolers. We observed 78 children playing with each of their parents, and compared their play with and without toys. The second goal of the study was to compare mother- and father-child interactions to discover if they are similar or different from one another. We measured the emotional quality of parent-child interactions using scales that measure the behavior of both parents and children toward one another. We studied only boys because autism may present differently in girls. We discovered that both parents' and children's behavior were more positive when they were playing without toys compared to when they were playing with toys. Also, when we compared the emotional quality of how children played with their mothers and their fathers we found almost no differences, both in how the parents and the children behaved. The findings are important because they can guide researchers, clinicians, and parents to include both play with toys and play without toys in studies, interventions, and daily life. They also emphasize the importance of fathers, because although the fathers in the study were somewhat less involved in everyday caregiving with their children compared to mothers, they had interactions with the children that were as positive as those children had with their mothers. Importantly, we do not know if the findings apply to autistic girls as well.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251329975"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143771227","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-04-03DOI: 10.1177/13623613251322059
Fernanda A Castellón, Ana Dueñas, Paul Luelmo
{"title":"Sacrifice, uncertainty, and resilience: Qualitative study of U.S./Mexico border mothers of autistic children.","authors":"Fernanda A Castellón, Ana Dueñas, Paul Luelmo","doi":"10.1177/13623613251322059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251322059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The purpose of this study was to explore and document the migratory motivations and reasonings of Mexican mothers of autistic children pursuing autism services in the United States. The study was guided by the overarching research question, \"What are the experiences of mothers living in the U.S./Mexico border while seeking services for their autistic children, and what social and financial resources influence their decisions?\". Following a Community-Based Participatory Research approach, we collaborated with organizations and stakeholders in the development of qualitative research materials while also supporting the purposeful recruitment of caregivers who: (1) had lived in the U.S./Mexico border and moved to the United States to pursue autism services, or (2) were currently living in the U.S./Mexico border and were looking to pursue autism services in the United States. Eleven mothers participated in a two-part semi-structured interview protocol alongside a demographic form. Findings outline three global themes that describe the dynamic process of pursuing autism services and migrating to the United States: (1) stage of constant contrast between Mexico and the United States, (2) active pursuit of autism services in the United States, and (3) potential pathways to immigration. The global themes provide a systemic analysis and reflection of the current autism service system in Mexico while also highlighting the gaps in service coordination for first-generation immigrant families.Lay abstractThis study aimed to understand why Mexican mothers of autistic children move to the United States to seek autism services. Using a method that involved the community, we worked with local partners to create research materials and find caregivers for the study. We focused on mothers who had either moved from the U.S./Mexico border to the United States for autism services or were planning to do so. Eleven mothers participated by completing a two-part interview and a demographic form. The results highlight three main themes that explain the complex reasons and motivations behind their decision to seek autism services in the United States: (1) stage of constant contrast between Mexico and the United States, (2) active pursuit of autism services in the United States, and (3) potential pathways to immigration. These findings also highlight the differences in autism services between the United States and Mexico and the challenges faced by immigrant families trying to get the care their children need.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251322059"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143771230","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":"Adaptive behavior and its differences between children with autism spectrum disorder and social communication disorder.","authors":"Deepika Jain, Kawaljit Singh Multani, Anjali Dodiya, Urva Benani, Anand Iyer","doi":"10.1177/13623613251317787","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251317787","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Adaptive behavior is paramount for independent living and is varyingly impaired in different neurodevelopmental disorders. This study aimed to investigate differences in adaptive behavior between children with autism spectrum disorder and social communication disorder, two conditions characterized by deficits in social communication. Data from 232 children with autism spectrum disorder and 90 children with social communication disorder were analyzed. Adaptive behavior was assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-III. Diagnoses were made independently using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition criteria and the AIIMS Modified INCLEN Diagnostic Tool-autism spectrum disorder Diagnostic Evaluation for autism spectrum disorder. Statistical analyses included non-parametric tests and generalized linear models to account for age and sex differences. The results showed that children with social communication disorder exhibited better adaptive behavior than those with autism spectrum disorder across all domains (p < 0.001). The most significant differences were observed in the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-III standard scores in communication (autism spectrum disorder: 50.40 ± 15.51; social communication disorder: 70.53 ± 9.69) and socialization (autism spectrum disorder: 69.46 ± 8.77; social communication disorder: 80.07 ± 6.16) domains. Age and overall adaptive behavior scores correlated well with group membership (p < 0.001). These findings emphasize the importance of distinguishing between autism spectrum disorder and social communication disorder in clinical practice. The results support the use of adaptive behavior assessments in diagnostic evaluations, highlighting the need for tailored interventions.Lay abstractThis study compared adaptive behavior skills between children with autism spectrum disorder and social communication disorder using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-III. The researchers analyzed data from 232 children with autism spectrum disorder and 90 with social communication disorder. Key findings showed that children with social communication disorder demonstrated significantly better adaptive functioning across all areas compared to those with autism spectrum disorder. The largest differences were seen in communication and social skills. However, both groups still showed impairments compared to typical development, especially in expressive language. The study also found that younger children with lower overall adaptive behavior scores were more likely to be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. In addition, there was a higher proportion of males in the social communication disorder group than the autism spectrum disorder group. These results highlight important differences between autism spectrum disorder and social communication disorder, supporting their classification as distinct disorders. The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive adaptive behavior assessment du","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"829-837"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143405605","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2024-10-29DOI: 10.1177/13623613241293088
Norton Kitanishi, Daniela Bordini, Marcos V V Ribeiro, Cristiane Silvestre Paula, Helena Brentani, Joana Portelese, Pamela J Surkan, Silvia S Martins, Jair de Jesus Mari, Paola Matiko Martins Okuda, Sheila C Caetano
{"title":"Validating the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 as a screening tool for autism spectrum disorder.","authors":"Norton Kitanishi, Daniela Bordini, Marcos V V Ribeiro, Cristiane Silvestre Paula, Helena Brentani, Joana Portelese, Pamela J Surkan, Silvia S Martins, Jair de Jesus Mari, Paola Matiko Martins Okuda, Sheila C Caetano","doi":"10.1177/13623613241293088","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241293088","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Early identification of autism spectrum disorder through cost-effective screening is crucial in low- and middle-income countries. The Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5, using the Autism Spectrum Problems and Withdrawn Syndrome subscales, has potential as a level 1 autism spectrum disorder screening tool, though its construct validity in low- and middle-income countries remains underexplored. We aimed to validate the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 for autism spectrum disorder screening in a representative sample of 1292 Brazilian children aged 3-5 years and 70 autism spectrum disorder children aged 1-5 years. Confirmatory factor analysis evaluated model fit indices and correlation strength between Child Behavior Checklist items and autism spectrum disorder diagnoses. Receiver operating characteristic curves assessed the optimal cutoff score. The Autism Spectrum Problems model demonstrated good fit and reliability (comparative fit index = 0.96, root mean square error of approximation = 0.037, ω = 0.869), as did the Withdrawn Syndrome model (comparative fit index = 0.974, root mean square error of approximation = 0.034, ω = 0.776), with one item per model showing low factor loadings. A cutoff score of 6 on the Autism Spectrum Problems yielded 82.5% sensitivity and 83.4% specificity, while a cutoff of 4 on the Withdrawn scale resulted in 87.9% sensitivity and 82.2% specificity. The Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 Autism Spectrum Problems and Withdrawn scales are reliable level 1 autism spectrum disorder screeners for Brazilian children, with good internal consistency and construct validity.Lay abstractEarly identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder is very important, especially in low and middle-income countries, where access to resources is often limited. The Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 is a tool that has been used to help identify children with autism spectrum disorder through specific behavior patterns. However, its effectiveness in low- and middle-income country settings has not been thoroughly studied. This research focused on evaluating the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 as a screening tool for autism spectrum disorder among Brazilian children. The study involved 1292 children aged 3-5 years from the general population and 70 children with autism spectrum disorder aged 1-5 years. Using advanced statistical methods, the study tested how well the Child Behavior Checklist identified children with autism spectrum disorder and how reliable it was in this context. The findings showed that the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 performed well in identifying autism spectrum disorder, with high reliability and consistency in the results. Although one item in each of the autism spectrum problems and withdrawn syndrome subscales did not perform as strongly, the overall tool was effective. In summary, the Child Behavior Checklist 1.5-5 proves to be a reliable and valid tool for early autism spectrum disorder screening in Brazilian children. This can help","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1072-1079"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142520887","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2024-11-12DOI: 10.1177/13623613241292159
Janeth Aleman-Tovar, Meghan M Burke, Edwin Monárrez, Nicole Espinosa Zaldivar
{"title":"Examining the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of an advocacy program for Latinx families of transition-aged autistic youth.","authors":"Janeth Aleman-Tovar, Meghan M Burke, Edwin Monárrez, Nicole Espinosa Zaldivar","doi":"10.1177/13623613241292159","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241292159","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Families of autistic youth often support their children's transition from adolescence to adulthood. During this time, families learn to navigate the complex shift from school-based to adult disability services. For Latinx (vs non-Latinx White) families of autistic youth, transition is especially difficult because of the systemic barriers (e.g. language) Latinx families face when accessing services. Unfortunately, few interventions aim to improve the transition among Latinx families of autistic transition-aged youth. This study examines the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of the ASISTIR (Apoyando a nueStros hIjo/as con autiSmo obTener servIcios de tRansición; Supporting our Children with Autism to Obtain Transition Services) program, a six-session program for Latinx families of autistic youth, with respect to increasing: school-based transition planning and adult disability services knowledge, empowerment, and advocacy. Twenty-nine participants were included in this single-group, intervention study. After completing the program, participants demonstrated significantly improved: knowledge of school-based transition planning and adult disability services, advocacy, and empowerment. In addition, participants were highly satisfied with the program, based on the formative and summative evaluations and individual interviews. Implications for research and practice are discussed.Lay abstractTo support Latinx families of autistic youth navigate school-based transition services and adult disability services, we provided a family advocacy program entitled, ASISTIR (Apoyando a nueStros hIjo/as con autiSmo obTener servIcios de tRansición; Supporting our Children with Autism to Obtain Transition Services). The ASISTIR program consisted of six, two-hour sessions and included the following topics: school-based transition planning, person-centered planning, Supplemental Security Income, Vocational Rehabilitation, and Home and Community-Based Medicaid Waiver. Twenty-nine Latinx family members completed the cohort-based ASISTIR program. After participating family members demonstrated increased knowledge of school-based transition planning and adult disability services. Participants also demonstrated increased empowerment and advocacy.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1005-1018"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142613956","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":"Seeing it in others versus doing it yourself: Social desirability judgements and conversation production data from autistic and non-autistic children.","authors":"Lauren McGuinness, Kirsten Abbot-Smith, Chiara Gambi","doi":"10.1177/13623613241292172","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241292172","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>On average, groups of autistic individuals are more likely than groups of non-autistic individuals to exhibit unconventional conversational behaviours. We examined autistic and non-autistic children's social impressions of unconventional responding, as well as actual conversational behaviours in the same participants. Across two studies, 36 autistic and 36 non-autistic matched 9-13-year-olds listened to conversational vignettes which manipulated the relevance and timing of responses produced by the speaker. They then rated the speaker's social desirability. We also measured the content and latency of the same children's conversational responses. Autistic children aligned with their non-autistic peers in indicating that they were less likely to befriend, or enjoy interacting with, a speaker who provided off-topic or delayed responses. However, the same autistic children provided more off-topic, and fewer topic-continuing, conversational responses than their non-autistic counterparts. These findings suggest that displaying unconventional conversational behaviours may act as a barrier to friendship or inclusion for autistic children, even when socialising with other autistic peers.Lay abstractDuring a conversation, on average, autistic individuals are often more likely than non-autistic people to provide an off-topic comment and/or to pause for longer before providing a response. One possible explanation for this is that autistic individuals prefer, or are more tolerant of, unconventional communication styles. To explore this possibility, we investigated whether autistic and non-autistic 9-13-year-olds find off-topic or delayed responding a deterrent to friendship or interaction. Participants listened to scripted conversations and then rated social desirability statements, such as 'I would enjoy chatting to the [target speaker]'. We also examined the prevalence of these behaviours in children's own conversational responses. We found that autistic children were just as likely as non-autistic children to dis-prefer unconventional conversational responding. Both groups indicated that they were less likely to want to be friends with the speaker, or to chat with them, when they provided off-topic or delayed responses. However, despite their judgements of others, the same autistic children were more likely to provide off-topic responses themselves than their non-autistic peers, as well as giving fewer on-topic responses which facilitate back-and-forth conversation. Overall, this is problematic for autistic children, as our findings suggest that the tendency to exhibit unconventional conversational behaviours will have negative social consequences, even when interacting with other autistic peers.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"975-987"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11967101/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142575155","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AutismPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2024-11-24DOI: 10.1177/13623613241297223
Aspasia Stacey Rabba, Jodie Smith, Gabrielle Hall, Vanessa Alexander, Kate Batty, Poulomee Datta, Emma Goodall, Melanie Heyworth, Siobhan Lamb, Wenn Lawson, Rozanna Lilley, Katy Reid, Najeeba Syeda, Elizabeth Pellicano
{"title":"'I'm sick of being the problem': Autistic mothers' experiences of interacting with schools for their autistic children.","authors":"Aspasia Stacey Rabba, Jodie Smith, Gabrielle Hall, Vanessa Alexander, Kate Batty, Poulomee Datta, Emma Goodall, Melanie Heyworth, Siobhan Lamb, Wenn Lawson, Rozanna Lilley, Katy Reid, Najeeba Syeda, Elizabeth Pellicano","doi":"10.1177/13623613241297223","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241297223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Successful partnerships between families and schools can substantially improve children's success in and out of school. Yet parents of autistic children often report considerable challenges with their children's education. Almost no research, however, has examined autistic parents' own experiences. We, therefore, sought the views and experiences of autistic parents' interactions with schools for their autistic children. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 autistic mothers of autistic children engaged in education in Australia. We analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis. Autistic mothers repeatedly expressed feeling like they were in a 'war zone', fighting ongoing battles to gain the necessary support for their autistic child and were 'sick of being [viewed as] the problem'. They also felt that their expertise as parents - and experiential expertise as autistic parents - was often overlooked or ignored. All of this had negative effects on their and their children's mental health. Despite these negative experiences, autistic mothers who had experienced positive interactions with schools highlighted the importance of mutual respect in establishing and maintaining successful school partnerships and how their own determination and self-advocacy helped to foster these relationships. This research sheds light on the critical ingredients of effective home-school partnerships for autistic families.Lay abstractGood relationships between families and schools make a difference to children's learning - and the same goes for autistic children. But parents of autistic children often find it very stressful interacting with teachers and school staff. In this study, we focused on autistic parents of autistic children. We wanted to know about their experiences of interacting with schools and the impact these had on them and their children. We spoke to 31 autistic mothers of autistic children about their experiences. They told us that they felt they were constantly fighting with schools to get the support needed for their autistic children and compared it to like being in a 'war zone'. They were 'sick of being [viewed as] the problem' and felt that their views and autistic expertise were not taken seriously by teachers and schools. This was damaging to their autistic children's mental health as well as their own. Autistic mothers did share some positive experiences too. They spoke about the value of mutual respect and its impact on successful school partnerships. Autistic mothers also spoke about standing up for themselves and their children and how this advocacy and self-advocacy helped them to build better relationships with schools. This research showed how difficult it can be for autistic families to interact with teachers and schools and the impact this can have on the whole family. It also showed us that strong, trusting relationships between school and families are possible - when autistic parents feel safe, and when their knowle","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1034-1046"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11967083/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142709111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AutismPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2024-10-12DOI: 10.1177/13623613241287573
Dominique Solia, Loai Albarqouni, Paulina Stehlik, Antonia Conroy, Rae Thomas
{"title":"Parent concerns prior to an assessment of autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review.","authors":"Dominique Solia, Loai Albarqouni, Paulina Stehlik, Antonia Conroy, Rae Thomas","doi":"10.1177/13623613241287573","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241287573","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Some parents experience concerns relating to their child's development and seek clinical assessments for their child's behaviour. We sought to understand the concerns that led parents to seek a general clinical assessment where some children were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We conducted a systematic review to identify the types of parent concerns that drives parents to seek professional help for their child's development. Database searching identified 7587 records, where 10 studies (9 cohorts) met our inclusion criteria. Parent reported concerns were categorised using the coding schemes of included studies described as autism spectrum disorder-specific (i.e. communication, social or stereotyped behaviour concerns) or non-autism spectrum disorder-specific concerns (i.e. behaviour/temperament, developmental, medical, sensory or motor concerns). The most reported parental concerns prior to an assessment were speech and language, social and behavioural. Concerns were also reported relating to parent understandings of an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and the positive and negative implications surrounding the autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Data were reported descriptively due to variations in study design and data analyses. Additional rigorous research on parent concerns prior to a diagnostic autism spectrum disorder assessment is required to capture what drives parents to seek professional help to support their child's development.<b>Prospero registration number:</b> CRD42022307436Lay abstractWhen a parent has concerns about their child's development, there is a lag between seeking and receiving health information. When waiting, parents may speculate about a possible diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, but it is unclear what types of concerns might drive this speculation. To determine the types of concerns parents may have before their child is assessed, we conducted a systematic review that explored parent concerns before an autism spectrum disorder assessment. Our aim was to determine the types of concerns that might drive parents to seek medical help for their child's development. Four online databases were searched and 10 articles reporting on 9 studies matched our inclusion criteria. In these cohorts, parents reported autism spectrum disorder-specific concerns (i.e. communication, social or stereotyped behaviour concerns) or non-autism spectrum disorder-specific concerns (i.e. behaviour/temperament, developmental, medical, sensory or motor concerns). Some parents also reported on their positive and negative thoughts of a potential autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and what the diagnosis would mean to them. The most reported parental concerns before an assessment were speech and language, social and behavioural. To understand the types of concerns parents have once they seek medical help, further research into how families speculated a possible autism spectrum disorder is recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"838-849"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11967076/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142456962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AutismPub Date : 2025-04-01Epub Date: 2024-12-20DOI: 10.1177/13623613241292177
Jade Davies, Rachel Melinek, Adam Livesey, Estelle Killick, Evelyn Sam, Anna Melissa Romualdez, Elizabeth Pellicano, Anna Remington
{"title":"'I did what I could to earn some money and be of use': A qualitative exploration of autistic people's journeys to career success and fulfilment.","authors":"Jade Davies, Rachel Melinek, Adam Livesey, Estelle Killick, Evelyn Sam, Anna Melissa Romualdez, Elizabeth Pellicano, Anna Remington","doi":"10.1177/13623613241292177","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241292177","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Employment contributes to well-being, yet many autistic people who want to work face barriers to meaningful employment. Much research focuses solely on employment rates, rather than taking a more holistic view of professional trajectories and occupational experiences. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 autistic adults to explore their experiences of, and perspectives on, career success. Our participants highlighted the overarching importance of finding fulfilment in one's career. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identified five additional key themes: (1) volatile career journeys, (2) the need for continuing career support, (3) the impact (positive or negative) of social interactions, (4) the important role of organisations and (5) the catastrophic impact of poor experiences. Our findings highlight the importance of tailored, lifelong employment support and inclusive workplaces in enabling autistic people to thrive at work. Enabling autistic career fulfilment requires moving beyond entry-level hiring to foster sustainable, fulfilling employment for all autistic people.Lay abstractMany autistic people want to work but have trouble finding jobs they like and can stick with. Most research tries to help more autistic people get jobs, but does not look at whether those jobs are fulfilling, or how people progress once they start working. We spoke to 18 autistic people about their experiences at work, and their ideas about success at work. Participants said finding fulfilment in their careers was key. We found five common 'themes' across the interviews. First, autistic people's careers often take unexpected turns. For example, many participants only got diagnosed as adults, which sometimes changed their work plans. Second, autistic people might need ongoing help with their career, including help with finding jobs they would enjoy and be good at, and advice on how to progress in their job. Third, getting along with others at work is really important. Having supportive colleagues helped our participants thrive, but workplace bullying forced some to leave their jobs. Fourth, workplaces need to be welcoming to everybody. Adjustments and understanding managers helped, but many of our participants' workplaces were not inclusive. Finally, bad work experiences can be devastating for mental health and well-being and negative experiences like bullying led some participants to quit working entirely. Our findings show that lifelong support tailored to each person and welcoming workplaces are important for autistic people to thrive at work. It is not enough to just hire autistic people - we need to help them have jobs they like and can stick with long-term.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"988-1004"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11967104/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142863111","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}