Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders最新文献

Purpose: Theory of mind is the capacity to understand others' mental states, such as their thoughts, beliefs, and feelings, even when they differ from one's own. The Short Story Task is a measure of individual differences in theory of mind in adults, where respondents are scored on the accuracy of their mental state inferences about characters in the story. However, it collects open-ended responses and thus requires labour-intensive subjective scoring. The present study tested the validity of a new multiple-choice response format of the Short Story Task (SST-MCQ).

Method: People on the Autism Spectrum can have difficulty with theory of mind. Therefore, a common validation approach for theory of mind measures is to demonstrate reduced task performance for those on the Autism Spectrum and/or those higher in autistic traits. Here, participants with an Autism Spectrum diagnosis and neurotypical participants were recruited for two studies, and participants completed the SST-MCQ and Autism Quotient (AQ-10).

Results: A combined analysis of the two studies (256 Autism Spectrum participants and 263 neurotypical) showed higher autistic traits as measured by the AQ-10 were associated with lower SST-MCQ scores (r_s = - 0.11). When restricted to those who AQ scores matched their group classification (126 Autism Spectrum and 246 neurotypical), the Autism Spectrum group had lower SST-MCQ scores than neurotypical participants (r_rb = 0.13).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that SST-MCQ scores provide a valid measure of individual differences in theory of mind ability for adult participants.

Purpose: The diagnosis of Autism relies partly on the evaluation of social behavior. What is perceived as "appropriate" (social) behavior is influenced by culture, as culture shapes norms and beliefs about behavior. Culture might thus influence the interpretation of autistic traits and the diagnostic process. We aimed to study whether culture affects the interpretation and reporting of autistic traits and how autism knowledge is associated with these relations.

Methods: To do so, we investigated cross-cultural differences in self-reported autistic traits (autism-spectrum Quotient) and the commonness of these traits in Iran (n = 88), Malaysia (n = 181), Morocco (n = 94), and the Netherlands (n = 113). Additionally, we explored the relationship between (the commonness of) autistic traits and autism knowledge (Revised Autism Knowledge Survey) across these countries.

Results: The results indicated, consistent with previous studies, cross-cultural differences in both self-reported autistic traits and the commonness of these traits. Cross-cultural differences in reporting autistic traits showed that cultural background might affect their interpretation. There was a relationship between self-reported and the commonness of autistic traits. When autistic traits are considered more common, people also self-report more traits. In addition, more knowledge about autism was related to lower self-reported traits. However, within individual countries, the relationships were more nuanced.

Conclusion: It is, hence, essential to consider cultural background and autism knowledge when assessing autism cross-culturally.

Anxiety is a common co-occurring condition for autistic preschoolers. Whilst there has been extensive research evaluating anxiety prevention/reduction interventions for neurotypical preschoolers, such research is limited for autistic children. Fifty-seven parents of autistic 4-5-year olds, with varying levels of anxiety, participated in a randomised controlled trial of an autism-specific, parent-mediated intervention (CLK-CUES) to prevent or reduce anxiety in autistic preschoolers. Baseline, short-term (post-intervention) and longer term (12 months follow-up) assessments included child anxiety (ASC-ASD-P and PAS-R), intolerance of uncertainty, and parent well-being. (Trial registration ACTRN12620001322921). There were no reports of harmful effects of the intervention or trial. Linear mixed models show a significant group x time interaction for ASC-ASD-P Total score and the Uncertainty subscale with medium and large effect sizes. Post-hoc analyses show a significant decline for only the intervention group in anxiety (specifically, anxiety around uncertainty) from pre-post intervention, maintained at one year follow-up. There was no change on the PAS-R or other ASC-ASD-P subscales. CLK-CUES shows promise as a way to prevent and reduce anxiety in young autistic children, specifically anxiety related to uncertainty. Trials with larger samples are warranted. Findings also highlight the importance of using measures designed for autistic children.

Autistic individuals have varying levels of verbal fluency which can impact social outcomes. Although 70-75% of autistic individuals have functional language, findings regarding language patterns (syntax and semantics) in autistic adolescents remain inconclusive. Additionally, previous studies of language complexity use narrative samples, which do not capture autistic language in conversation. The current study examined language patterns in autistic (n = 20) and non-autistic (n = 17) youth aged 9-16 years during a conversation with a familiar versus unfamiliar adult. The study aimed to address gaps in the literature regarding autistic youth's language patterns, particularly in conversation, and the impact of speaking partners. Recordings of the conversation task were transcribed using SALT software conventions to yield measures of language production. Average length of communication units was higher among autistic compared to non-autistic youth, and among all youth when talking with familiar compared to unfamiliar partners. Youth speech also reflected greater linguistic diversity with familiar interlocutors, with no differences between autistic and non-autistic youth. Additionally, familiar interlocutors used more speech elicitation strategies (i.e., questions, prompts) than unfamiliar interlocutors across groups and interlocutors speaking with autistic youth used more speech elicitation strategies. These findings identify important similarities and differences between autistic and non-autistic youth and interlocutor speech that provide a better understanding of language patterns in autism. Importantly, this study can increase understanding and enhance support of autistic youth by highlighting that some aspects of autistic youth's language patterns in the context of conversation may be currently underestimated.

The purpose of this study was to examine parent perceptions of professional and community attitudes about autism through the lens of parenting their autistic children from birth through adulthood. Implications of this research may assist with future development and study of professional and community supports of individuals on the autism spectrum and their families. The study participants consisted of 51 parents who had an adult-aged child on the autism spectrum. One-on-one interviews were conducted with parents about their experiences raising a child with autism. Data were double-coded and analyzed using a qualitative, phenomenological approach to explore parents' experiences with and perceptions of society members' attitudes towards autism. Positive and negative themes were identified across parents' perceptions of professionals and of community members. Themes regarding professional attitudes included cooperating with family requests, presuming competence of individuals with autism, complacency towards the needs of families and individuals with autism, and discrimination towards the individual with autism based on age or level of need. Themes regarding community member attitudes included valuing the strengths of individuals with autism, accommodating autistic differences, intolerance of autistic traits, and prejudice towards individuals with autism. Findings indicate that professional and community members presented with both positive and negative attitudes towards autism and individuals on the autism spectrum, with negative attitudes proving more prevalent in parent recollections. Results suggest a need for further research and related training to improve interactions with and support of individuals with autism and their families.

Research emphasizes the importance of seamless transitions from Early Behavioral Intervention (EBI) to school-based services, but formal support during this critical period remains limited, leading to decreased parental satisfaction with autism services. This study aimed to systematically document parents' perception of the quality of services received during the transition from EBI to kindergarten, along with the predictors of this perception. The study adopted a prospective longitudinal design and relied on a validated evaluation framework, the Evaluation of the Trajectory in Autism for Parents (ETAP). ETAP allows to investigate five critical determinants (accessibility, continuity, validity, flexibility, empathy) of service quality, as rated by parents (N = 138 families), which were evaluated at three critical periods of the transition: end of EBI, beginning and end of first year of school. Quality ratings indicated generally positive perceptions but showed small to medium effect size decreases over time; validity had the largest decrease. Predictors of quality ratings and changes in ratings differed by phase of the transition and included child characteristics (gender, age, disabilities, challenging behavior), parent characteristics (maternal origin, fluency in the official language of the province, education level), and family characteristics (number of children). This study's comprehensive analysis of service quality determinants and possible risk and protective factors provides insights into improving support for families navigating the transition to school.Keywords: Autism, Early behavioral intervention, School transition, Parental perception, Service quality, Evaluation framework.