Autism最新文献

{"title":"Atypical development of sequential manual motor planning and visuomotor integration in children with autism at early school-age: A longitudinal kinematic study.","authors":"Anna Bäckström, Anna-Maria Johansson, Thomas Rudolfsson, Louise Rönnqvist, Claes von Hofsten, Kerstin Rosander, Erik Domellöf","doi":"10.1177/13623613241311333","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241311333","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sensorimotor difficulties are common in children with autism spectrum disorder, and it has been suggested that motor planning problems underlie their atypical movements. At early school-age, motor planning development typically involves changes in visuomotor integration, a function known to be affected in autism spectrum disorder. However, there is a lack of detailed characterization of typical motor planning development during this stage, and how motor planning develops in children with autism spectrum disorder is largely unknown. This longitudinal kinematic study examined goal-directed sequential manual movements in children with autism spectrum disorder and in typically developing children across ages 7, 8, and 9 years. We manipulated goal-difficulty and availability of initial visual information to investigate visuomotor integration and chaining of subparts during movement performance. The results revealed emerging group differences at older age, suggesting atypical motor planning development in children with autism spectrum disorder. Notably, unlike the typically developing group, availability of initial visual information did not facilitate motor planning for the autism spectrum disorder group. The results show that motor planning differences in autism spectrum disorder appear related to atypical visuomotor integration and global processing of sensorimotor information. The findings also emphasize the importance of considering developmental aspects in research and practice related to motor problems in children with autism spectrum disorder.Lay abstractMany children with autism struggle with movement difficulties, yet the causes of these difficulties remain unclear. One possible explanation is atypical motor planning and integration of visual and motoric information. Before performing a goal-directed movement, the brain creates a prediction of the movement based on visual and sensory information and previous experience, forming a \"blueprint\" of the motor steps needed to achieve the goal. This process is called motor planning. During movement, adjustments to the plan can be made through feedback mechanisms. This longitudinal study aimed to examine the development of motor planning in children with autism and typically developing children over early school-age (7-9 years). The children performed a sequential manual peg-rotation task, which involved grasping, rotating, and placing a peg, while detailed measures of movement were collected. Task end-goal difficulty varied, and the goal was either initially occluded or fully visible. The results revealed that children with autism showed atypical motor planning development compared with typically developing peers, and these differences became more pronounced as the children grew older. As the typically developing children matured, they appeared to rely more on initial visual information, which assisted them in motor planning. However, this facilitation did not occur for children with autism. T","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1510-1523"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089664/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142930548","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}

{"title":"Identifying the unique determinants influencing rural families' engagement with an existing tele-assessment approach for autism identification: A qualitative study.","authors":"Liliana Wagner, Tori Foster, Kemberlee Bonnet, Anna Kathleen Spitler, David Schlundt, Zachary Warren","doi":"10.1177/13623613241307078","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241307078","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate identification of autism is a pressing challenge for rural, medically underserved communities. Tele-assessment could address some barriers to care by increasing access to expert diagnosticians, but questions remain regarding how best to implement these approaches. To gather community input regarding rural families' perceptions and use of tele-assessment for autism identification, we conducted four focus groups with caregivers of children with autism (<i>n</i> = 22) and community service providers (<i>n</i> = 10) living and working in rural areas in the Southeast region of the United States. An iterative inductive/deductive approach guided qualitative data analysis. Coding reflected four core attitudes central to community perceptions, including (1) questions surrounding the validity (scientific legitimacy) of tele-mediated autism assessment; (2) level of trust in the evaluation process in general (and tele-assessment specifically); (3) beliefs about the feasibility of tele-assessment; and (4) concerns related to privacy. These attitudes and beliefs are influenced by determinants at multiple levels and stages, highlighting the need to adapt the existing tele-assessment approach by embedding implementation strategies that support multiple actors at each stage. This work identifies important targets for ensuring equitable access to tele-assessment for rural families.Lay abstractIt is often difficult for families in rural communities to access autism evaluations for their children when they have concerns. Tele-assessment could make it easier for them to see specialists who give autism diagnoses, but we still need to figure out the best way to carry out these approaches. To understand how rural families view tele-assessment, as well as barriers they may face, we held focus groups with caregivers of children with autism and local service providers in the Southeastern United States. We met with 22 caregivers and 10 providers. We analyzed the discussions and found four key attitudes: (1) questions about whether autism assessment can really be done online; (2) level of trust in the evaluation process, especially tele-assessment; (3) beliefs about whether tele-assessment is practical for families; and (4) worries about privacy. These attitudes and beliefs are shaped by various factors at different stages, indicating that we need to improve tele-assessment by better supporting everyone involved at different stages of the tele-assessment process. This research highlights important areas for improvement to provide fair access to tele-assessment for rural families (e.g. creating education materials, conducting barrier counseling).</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1458-1468"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142863113","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":"How can we make therapy better for autistic adults? Autistic adults' ratings of helpfulness of adaptations to therapy.","authors":"Jessica Paynter, Kristyn Sommer, Amanda Cook","doi":"10.1177/13623613251313569","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251313569","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Autistic people are at elevated risk of mental health conditions and experience significant barriers to effective support. While adaptations to therapy for autistic people have been proposed by clinicians, there is limited research on how helpful autistic people themselves rate these. We aimed to address this gap. Participants were 130 autistic adults aged 18 to 64 years (85.4% female) who completed an online survey of the helpfulness of 55 therapy adaptations. Overall, we found positive ratings of helpfulness for approximately half of the adaptations. However, significant variability was found at an individual level with most adaptations rated from not helpful through to extremely helpful. Neurodiversity-affirming adaptations were rated highest overall. Participants shared additional adaptations including general good practice, financial, modality, neurodiversity-affirming practices, practical, sensory/environmental, structure, and therapy style/techniques. Findings highlight similarities and differences between clinician and autistic people's perspectives, underscoring the need to include autistic people. Limitations of the restricted sample and generalizability are acknowledged. Future research including more diverse samples would be of value to expand on this research. The need to understand general preferences of autistic people and to individualize to the specific client is underscored by findings to begin bridging the mental health support gap for autistic people.Lay AbstractAutistic people experience more mental health conditions like depression or anxiety than non-autistic people. They are also more likely to experience difficulties in accessing mental health supports Clinicians have published suggestions on how to improve therapy for autistic people. However, whether these ways to adapt (i.e. adaptations) therapy for autistic people are seen as helpful by autistic people themselves has not been investigated. We recruited 130 autistic adults to complete an online survey. They rated 55 adaptations to therapy from \"Not at all helpful\" to \"Extremely helpful.\" We also asked for ideas of additional adaptations. Adaptations classified as neurodiversity affirming (e.g. having a therapist that embraces differences in brains and provides support to affirm neurodivergent identity) were rated highest. Approximately half of adaptations were rated positively at a group level. However, for almost every adaptation at least one person rated it as not at all helpful and at least one rated it as extremely helpful. Additional adaptations were around general good practice, financial cost, neurodiversity-affirming practices, practical, sensory/environmental, structure, and therapy style/techniques. Our findings add how helpful autistic people themselves rate adaptations to therapy and similarities and differences to clinicians. This is important to consider how these perspectives can differ. Findings also identify additional suggestions that clinicians","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1540-1553"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089669/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142999270","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}

{"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":"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":"1585-1596"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089679/pdf/","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":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food selectivity and eating difficulties in adults with autism and/or ADHD.","authors":"Sarah C Bayoumi, Ashley Halkett, Meghan Miller, Stephen P Hinshaw","doi":"10.1177/13623613251314223","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251314223","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Children with autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely than neurotypical children to experience eating difficulties, such as picky/selective eating, slow eating, and over/under-eating. Recent studies show that eating difficulties can persist into adulthood for autistic individuals. Yet little is known about the mechanisms involved and whether adults with ADHD also experience such challenges. We (1) compare eating difficulties among adults with autism, ADHD, autism/ADHD, and neither condition and (2) identify predictors of overall eating pathology and of food selectivity. The sample was 50% female and 78% White, consisting of 961 adults aged 19-57 who self-reported their diagnostic status: 184 with autism, 416 with ADHD, 292 with autism/ADHD, and 69 comparisons. Eating difficulties were assessed via self-report survey using the Swedish Eating Assessment for Autism (SWEAA) and Food Preferences Questionnaire. Autistic adults, with or without ADHD, reported significantly more eating difficulties than all other groups. Total eating difficulties were associated with increased insistence on sameness, other autistic features, food selectivity, and hyperactivity-impulsivity. Food selectivity was predicted by increased insistence on sameness, sensory sensitivity, and other core features of autism, and lower hyperactivity-impulsivity. The high degree of eating difficulties in autistic adults warrants clinical attention on this topic.Lay AbstractSome people do not like many foods, eat very quickly or slowly, or eat too much or too little. These problems are more common in children with autism or ADHD and may continue for a long time, but we do not know much about these problems in adults. Our goal was to understand how eating difficulties are similar and different in adults with autism, ADHD, both autism/ADHD, and neither condition. We also wanted to understand factors that relate to picky eating and overall eating difficulties. We found that autistic adults had the most problems with eating compared to all other groups. Adults with ADHD had more eating problems than adults with neither condition. Adults with autism and/or ADHD were more sensitive to taste and texture of foods, had difficulty with spilling food, and found it hard to tell whether they are hungry or full compared to people without these conditions. We also found that autism and ADHD traits were linked to picky eating and having more eating problems. The results show that many autistic adults and some with ADHD might need support with eating. Doctors should pay attention to eating problems to help people get the care they need. Results also show that wanting things to stay the same may be more related to eating problems than researchers previously thought. We need more research to understand how to support adults with eating difficulties.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1497-1509"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089672/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143490491","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}

{"title":"Type, content, and triggers for self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in autistic youth and their disclosure to caregivers.","authors":"Jessica M Schwartzman, Alex Rubin, Kathryn R Fox, Darren Hedley, Alexandra H Bettis","doi":"10.1177/13623613241308327","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241308327","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Rates of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors are elevated among autistic youth, yet research is limited to caregiver report or single-item questionnaires. Investigation of specific suicidal thoughts, triggers, and disclosure is needed to improve risk assessment and interventions. The current study characterized self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in a sample of autistic youth without intellectual disability presenting for outpatient psychological services. The Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale and qualitative follow-up questions were administered to 103 autistic youth (10-17 years of age). Most autistic youth (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 86; 83.5%) reported lifetime suicidal thoughts. Suicide thought content most commonly included abstract thoughts of dying/suicide (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 20; 23.3%) and death by cutting (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 13; 15.1%). Half of youth experiencing suicidal thoughts (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 43; 50.0%) denied disclosure to their caregiver. Nearly one in four youth attempted suicide (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 25; 24.3%), and some youth (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 16; 15.5%) sought help from caregivers to prevent an attempt. Sadness/depression and bullying/teasing were the most commonly reported triggers of suicidal behaviors. Among autistic youth with lifetime nonsuicidal self-injury (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 52; 50.5%), head hitting (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 28; 45.2%) and cutting (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 20; 32.3%) were the most reported types. Findings underscore the importance of targeted prevention and intervention to address self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in autistic youth and continued research to understand barriers and modifiable factors to facilitate self-injurious thoughts and behaviors disclosure.Lay abstractSelf-injurious thoughts and behaviors are high among autistic youth, yet research most often relies on caregiver reports and does not include youth perspectives. Relatedly, specific characteristics of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors (e.g. type of behavior, thought content, triggers), and choices to share these thoughts and behaviors with caregivers/parents (or not), have not been studied in autistic youth. With limited information on self-injurious thoughts and behaviors in autistic youth, clinicians and families supporting autistic youth in crisis continue to experience major challenges to best assess and support youth. Therefore, to begin to understand youth perspectives of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors, we administered a self-injurious thoughts and behaviors clinical interview (Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale; C-SSRS) to 103 autistic youth without intellectual disability (10-17 years of age) at a clinic for outpatient mental health services. We added follow-up questions to the interview about suicide to better understand what youth think about when it comes to suicide, what triggers them to feel suicidal, and whether they let their caregiver know about what they are thinking and feeling. Results show that most autistic youth reported suicidal thoughts at some point in their lif","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1627-1635"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12103288/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142891636","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}

{"title":"Material hardship and sources of support for autistic adolescents and their families.","authors":"Kristy A Anderson, Melissa Radey, Lauren Bishop, Nahime G Aguirre Mtanous, Jamie Koenig, Lindsay Shea","doi":"10.1177/13623613241304503","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241304503","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This exploratory study used the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) to compare the financial well-being of families of adolescents with and without autism. Recognizing the gap in autism research, which predominantly measures financial well-being through household income, this study employed a multidimensional approach, including indicators of assets, material hardships, and both formal and informal safety net access. We found that families with autistic adolescents experienced greater financial instability, including a higher likelihood of substantial income drops and bankruptcy. Despite similar access to food assistance programs, food insecurity was notably higher among these families, especially in the lowest income brackets where nearly all families utilized food assistance. Furthermore, material hardship prevalence (46.4%) exceeded income poverty (29.8%), among families with autistic adolescents. A substantial proportion of middle- to high-income families also experienced hardships, had no assets, and lacked connection to safety net programs, suggesting that income-based metrics may not fully capture the financial challenges families face. The findings highlight the need for policies that acknowledge the broader financial needs of families with autistic adolescents, underscoring the inadequacies of current support systems.Lay abstractOur study looks at how families with autistic teenagers manage financially compared with families with teenagers who do not have autism. We know that money matters are a big part of life's overall quality and that autistic individuals and their families often face more financial challenges. These challenges can affect their health, social connections, and access to needed services. What our research adds is a closer look at these financial difficulties by considering not just how much money a family has but also what they own, their struggles to meet basic needs, and the help they get from both government programs and their own social circles. We found that families with autistic teenagers often deal with more financial problems, including not having enough food, even though they might be using available support programs. This is important because it shows us that the current ways of helping may not be enough. Our findings suggest we need to think more broadly about how to support these families. This could mean making policies that better address their unique needs or coming up with new ways to help them that go beyond just looking at income. Understanding these challenges better can help us make life better for autistic individuals and their families.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1415-1430"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12103290/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142863116","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}

{"title":"Effects of an acceptance and commitment-based parenting program for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder on parenting stress and other parent and children health outcomes: A pilot randomized controlled trial.","authors":"Li Si Ni, Chien Wai Tong, Lam Kam Ki Stanley","doi":"10.1177/13623613241311323","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241311323","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study aimed to investigate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based parenting program for parents of autistic children. A pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted, with 40 parents randomly assigned to either the eight-session ACT-based parenting program or usual care. Feasibility was assessed by the rates of recruitment, attritions, and adherence to the intervention. Acceptability was evaluated through participant satisfaction surveys and semi-structured group interviews. Intervention feasibility was established with very satisfactory recruitment, attrition, and intervention completion rates. Both participant satisfaction survey and qualitative interviews suggested that the intervention was acceptable and beneficial for parents of autistic children. Compared to the usual-care-only group, participants in the ACT-based parenting program showed significant improvements in parental stress, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, psychological flexibility, self-efficacy, and reductions in emotional and behavioral problems in their children at the immediate post-intervention assessment. These findings support the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the ACT-based parenting program for parents of autistic children. Future larger-scale RCTs can be conducted with longer-term follow-ups and more comprehensive assessment of its effectiveness for family caregivers of diverse groups of autistic children and/or other neurodevelopmental conditions.Lay abstractThis study aimed to examine whether an acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)-based parenting program, incorporating topics of emotional and stress management, parenting skills training, autism-related education, and self-care learning, could be successfully implemented, well-received, and beneficial for parents of children with autism. We randomly assigned 40 parents to either participate in the eight-session ACT-based parenting program or receive usual care only. The program was found to be feasible, with many parents willing to participate and complete the sessions. The parents also reported high satisfaction with the program and found it beneficial, according to satisfaction surveys and interviews. The results showed that parents who participated in the ACT-based parenting program had significant improvements in several outcomes compared to parents in usual-care-only group, including reduced parenting stress, decreased depressive and anxiety symptoms, and increased confident in their parenting abilities. Their autistic children showed fewer emotional and behavioral problems after the intervention. Based on these findings, we conclude that the ACT-based parenting program is feasible and acceptable and has promising effects for parents of autistic children. In the future, larger studies should be conducted to further explore its effectiveness for different groups of parents caring for childr","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1524-1539"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142913780","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":"Self-compassion as an antidote to self-stigma and shame in autistic adults.","authors":"Marie Riebel, Raven Bureau, Odile Rohmer, Céline Clément, Luisa Weiner","doi":"10.1177/13623613251316965","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251316965","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Autistic individuals are frequently exposed to stigmatizing attitudes and discrimination. Through the lived experience of stigmatizing attitudes, autistic people can internalize the negative stereotypes associated with autism. This phenomenon is known as self-stigma. In non-autistic populations, self-stigma is associated with shame and negative mental health outcomes. In this study, we aim to better understand the mental health outcomes associated with self-stigma in autism and to investigate whether and how self-compassion compared to camouflaging may protect from self-stigma in autistic individuals. For this purpose, 689 adults who reported a diagnosis of autism were recruited online and completed self-reported questionnaires for self-stigma (Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness Scale-9 items), self-compassion (Self-Compassion Scale-short form), depression (Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21) and camouflaging (Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire). We conducted mediation analysis and moderated mediation analysis. Our results indicate that self-stigma is highly prevalent in autistic adults (45.5%), correlated to depression (ρ (687) = 0.437, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; &lt; 0.001) and that internalized shame mediates the relationship between self-stigma and depressive symptoms (&lt;i&gt;b&lt;/i&gt; = 1.48, 95% confidence interval = (1.11, 1.94)). Self-compassion moderates this mediation (&lt;i&gt;Indirect Effect, IE&lt;/i&gt; = -0.305, 95% confidence interval = (0.601, 0.014), β = 0.183, &lt;i&gt;z&lt;/i&gt; = 2.012, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.044), whereas camouflaging does not (&lt;i&gt;IE&lt;/i&gt; = 0.003, 95% confidence interval = (0.009, 0.015), β = 0.0531, &lt;i&gt;z&lt;/i&gt; = 0.514, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.607). These results highlight the protective effect of self-compassion on the negative impacts of self-stigma in autistic individuals. Future research should explore how to adapt existing compassion-focused interventions and evaluate their feasibility and efficacy to reduce self-stigma and shame in autistic populations.Lay abstract&lt;b&gt;What is already known about the topic?&lt;/b&gt;Autistic individuals are frequently exposed to stigmatizing attitudes and discrimination. Negative stereotypes about autism, such as dangerousness or inability to work, are very frequent in our societies. Through exposure to these stigmatizing ideas, autistic people can internalize these ideas and begin to believe them to be true about themselves. This is self-stigma. Past research conducted with non-autistic individuals indicate that self-stigma can lead people to feel ashamed of who they are and deteriorate their mental health.&lt;b&gt;What this paper adds?&lt;/b&gt;In this paper, we found that self-stigma in autistic people increases depressive symptoms through feelings of shame. We then showed that relating to self with compassion - that is, to be friendly towards oneself (kindness), be aware of one's feelings and thoughts (mindful awareness) and realize that everyone feels pain and makes mistakes (common humanity) - helps reducing the negatives consequences ","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1569-1584"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143439812","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":"'I shouldn't have to educate their school about what autism is': Community attitudes and parent reports of autistic primary and secondary school experiences in Australia.","authors":"Sandra Thom-Jones, Chloe S Gordon, Simone Mizzi","doi":"10.1177/13623613251338908","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251338908","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to understand experiences of inclusion for autistic school students. The study reports on findings from three surveys, one conducted in 2021 with the general population (N = 1983) and two conducted with parents/carers of autistic school students, one in 2020 (N = 2212) and one in 2021 (N = 528). The general population had a favourable attitude towards autistic students receiving supports in school. However, the lived experience of autistic students, as reported on by their parents, highlighted significant gaps in the provision of support. Qualitative data from the 2021 survey with parents of autistic students found that system-level challenges were pervasive, and a lack of inclusion and support caused significant harm to autistic students. Although the perspective is that of the parent rather than the student, this study may provide insight into the experiences of autistic students who otherwise may not engage with traditional research methods. Future research should seek to hear directly from autistic students themselves and to explore case study examples of schools that are excelling in the area of supporting autistic students. These exemplars could be used to advocate for the provision of support in schools and referred to in professional development for school leaders and teachers.Lay abstractThis study explored the experiences of inclusion for autistic students in Australian schools. Our survey in 2021 with the general public (N = 1983) found that people agree that autistic students should receive support in schools. Our surveys with parents of autistic students, one in 2020 (N = 2212) and another in 2021 (N = 528), found many barriers within the school system that make it hard for autistic children to feel included and supported. This lack of support negatively impacts the well-being of autistic children. It is important to note that this study focused on the perspectives of parents, not the students themselves. Future research should identify and learn from schools that are doing a great job supporting autistic students. These examples could be used to advocate for better support for <i>all</i> autistic students and to help train educators to be more effective in meeting the needs of these students.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251338908"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144191426","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}