Pub Date : 2024-08-16DOI: 10.1177/13623613241272958
Mark L Vickers, Rebecca Sue Menhinnitt, Yoon Kwon Choi, Eva Malacova, Lars Eriksson, Agesilaus W Churchill, Belinda Oddy, Kym Boon, Christopher Randall, Anastasia Braun, Jennifer Taggart, Rodney Marsh, Paul Pun
Lay abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and functional neurological disorders (FND) are relatively common conditions, and there has been recent interest in the overlap between them. Both conditions share core features of alexithymia, impaired interoception and deficits in attentional focus. To date, relatively little is known about the comorbidity rates between ASD and FND. This is the first meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis on the subject. We found that around 10% of children presenting with functional seizures have a comorbid ASD diagnosis. People with ASD are more likely than the neurotypical population to have functional somatic disorders, and there is also evidence that ASD rates are higher for other FNDs such as functional motor disorders. Since FND comes with risks of unnecessary medical procedures and investigations, it is important to recognize the potential for people with ASD to have an FND comorbidity.
{"title":"Comorbidity rates of autism spectrum disorder and functional neurological disorders: A systematic review, meta-analysis of proportions and qualitative synthesis.","authors":"Mark L Vickers, Rebecca Sue Menhinnitt, Yoon Kwon Choi, Eva Malacova, Lars Eriksson, Agesilaus W Churchill, Belinda Oddy, Kym Boon, Christopher Randall, Anastasia Braun, Jennifer Taggart, Rodney Marsh, Paul Pun","doi":"10.1177/13623613241272958","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241272958","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and functional neurological disorders (FND) are relatively common conditions, and there has been recent interest in the overlap between them. Both conditions share core features of alexithymia, impaired interoception and deficits in attentional focus. To date, relatively little is known about the comorbidity rates between ASD and FND. This is the first meta-analysis and qualitative synthesis on the subject. We found that around 10% of children presenting with functional seizures have a comorbid ASD diagnosis. People with ASD are more likely than the neurotypical population to have functional somatic disorders, and there is also evidence that ASD rates are higher for other FNDs such as functional motor disorders. Since FND comes with risks of unnecessary medical procedures and investigations, it is important to recognize the potential for people with ASD to have an FND comorbidity.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141995206","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-14DOI: 10.1177/13623613241271950
Jonathan Lassen, Bob Oranje, Martin Vestergaard, Malene Foldager, Troels W Kjær, Bodil Aggernæs, Sidse Arnfred
Lay abstract: Selective attention to auditory input is reflected in the brain by an electric amplitude called the P3b amplitude, which is measured using electroencephalography. Previous research has shown that children and adolescents with autism have an attenuated P3b amplitude when they have to attend specific sounds while ignoring other sounds. However, it is unknown whether a reduced P3b amplitude in autistic children and adolescents is associated with their autism features, daily functioning and/or cognitive functions. This study aimed to examine these questions. Therefore, we assessed selective attention to auditory input in 57 children with autism aged 7-14 years and 57 neurotypically developing controls while measuring their brain activity with electroencephalography. Participants further underwent cognitive assessment, and parents reported on autistic traits and daily functioning. As expected, children with autism had lower P3b amplitude compared to their neurotypical peers. Importantly, an attenuated P3b amplitude was associated with more parent-reported social-communication problems and difficulties with daily functioning. Children with autism further had reduced processing speed of visual input, which also was coupled to a lower P3b amplitude. In conclusion, we found attenuated P3b amplitude in children with autism performing an auditory selective attention task, which was related to difficulties with processing visual input and allocating attentional resources critical for social and daily functioning. The results suggest that autistic children are more vulnerable to being disturbed when the environment is filled with conflicting sensory input.
{"title":"Reduced P300 amplitude in children and adolescents with autism is associated with slowed processing speed, executive difficulties, and social-communication problems.","authors":"Jonathan Lassen, Bob Oranje, Martin Vestergaard, Malene Foldager, Troels W Kjær, Bodil Aggernæs, Sidse Arnfred","doi":"10.1177/13623613241271950","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613241271950","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>Selective attention to auditory input is reflected in the brain by an electric amplitude called the P3b amplitude, which is measured using electroencephalography. Previous research has shown that children and adolescents with autism have an attenuated P3b amplitude when they have to attend specific sounds while ignoring other sounds. However, it is unknown whether a reduced P3b amplitude in autistic children and adolescents is associated with their autism features, daily functioning and/or cognitive functions. This study aimed to examine these questions. Therefore, we assessed selective attention to auditory input in 57 children with autism aged 7-14 years and 57 neurotypically developing controls while measuring their brain activity with electroencephalography. Participants further underwent cognitive assessment, and parents reported on autistic traits and daily functioning. As expected, children with autism had lower P3b amplitude compared to their neurotypical peers. Importantly, an attenuated P3b amplitude was associated with more parent-reported social-communication problems and difficulties with daily functioning. Children with autism further had reduced processing speed of visual input, which also was coupled to a lower P3b amplitude. In conclusion, we found attenuated P3b amplitude in children with autism performing an auditory selective attention task, which was related to difficulties with processing visual input and allocating attentional resources critical for social and daily functioning. The results suggest that autistic children are more vulnerable to being disturbed when the environment is filled with conflicting sensory input.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141981513","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2023-11-28DOI: 10.1177/13623613231214834
Maria Ashworth, Brett Heasman, Laura Crane, Anna Remington
Lay abstract: Internships designed for autistic people can help them to find employment, but there is little research about the experiences of those involved with internship schemes. To learn more about a new paid internship scheme in the United Kingdom, the Employ Autism network, we interviewed 19 interns, who were autistic young adults without intellectual disability taking part in one of eight different internships. We also interviewed 22 employers (who worked with the interns), and 10 parents (who supported their children in the internship). The interns, employers and parents told us that the Employ Autism network was a valuable experience that helped the interns become more confident. Also, the parents said it helped the interns become more independent. All the groups said the Employ Autism network removed common barriers to employment, and interns and parents said it would help interns get a job in future. Employers and interns said they understood each other better during the internship, and employers said the internship made them think about how their organisations might have accidentally had barriers in place that could stop autistic people getting employed (barriers that they wanted to address in future). However, all groups said some expectations of the internship were not met. These findings suggest the Employ Autism network is helpful for autistic young adults without intellectual disability and employers, but that there are ways that the internships could be improved in future. We discuss the lessons we can learn from the Employ Autism network that might help others who are thinking about setting up, or getting involved in, similar internship schemes.
{"title":"Evaluating a new supported employment internship programme for autistic young adults without intellectual disability.","authors":"Maria Ashworth, Brett Heasman, Laura Crane, Anna Remington","doi":"10.1177/13623613231214834","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613231214834","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>Internships designed for autistic people can help them to find employment, but there is little research about the experiences of those involved with internship schemes. To learn more about a new paid internship scheme in the United Kingdom, the Employ Autism network, we interviewed 19 interns, who were autistic young adults without intellectual disability taking part in one of eight different internships. We also interviewed 22 employers (who worked with the interns), and 10 parents (who supported their children in the internship). The interns, employers and parents told us that the Employ Autism network was a valuable experience that helped the interns become more confident. Also, the parents said it helped the interns become more independent. All the groups said the Employ Autism network removed common barriers to employment, and interns and parents said it would help interns get a job in future. Employers and interns said they understood each other better during the internship, and employers said the internship made them think about how their organisations might have accidentally had barriers in place that could stop autistic people getting employed (barriers that they wanted to address in future). However, all groups said some expectations of the internship were not met. These findings suggest the Employ Autism network is helpful for autistic young adults without intellectual disability and employers, but that there are ways that the internships could be improved in future. We discuss the lessons we can learn from the Employ Autism network that might help others who are thinking about setting up, or getting involved in, similar internship schemes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11301954/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138443621","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2024-01-05DOI: 10.1177/13623613231218314
Manuel Mello, Martina Fusaro, Salvatore Maria Aglioti, Ilaria Minio-Paluello
Lay abstract: What is already known about the topic?At least in neurotypical individuals, social touch represents an important channel for emotional communication associated with social bonding and pain/anxiety modulation. Autistic adults report to avoid social touch more and to have different tactile sensitivity than their non-autistic comparisons.What this paper adds?Few studies specifically investigated social touch in autistic individuals, and none of them examined the role of participants' sex, social context in which social touch occurs, and specific body areas being touched. In our study, adult participants reported how pleasant, erogenous and appropriate they would consider touches delivered by another person over their entire body in intimate (date), friendly (dance class) and professional (physiotherapy-massage session) social contexts. Autistic adults reported social touch to be less pleasant, erogenous and appropriate specifically in intimate and friendly social contexts and in body areas typically touched in these situations. Importantly, autistic females seem more at risk to experience unpleasant social touch as, although they considered it more unpleasant than non-autistic females and autistic males, they did consider it similarly appropriate in professional social contexts where touch is normed to be socially appropriate.Implications for practice, research or policyOur results might improve awareness and understanding about autistic adults' different, and often more discomforting, experience of social touch and thus help consider and respect it during everyday social interactions. Our results might also benefit future research investigating, for instance, the neural underpinnings of social touch differences in autism or aiming at developing support for autistic individuals seeking help in the diverse spheres of social touch.
{"title":"Exploring social touch in autistic and non-autistic adults via a self-report body-painting task: The role of sex, social context and body area.","authors":"Manuel Mello, Martina Fusaro, Salvatore Maria Aglioti, Ilaria Minio-Paluello","doi":"10.1177/13623613231218314","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613231218314","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong><b>What is already known about the topic?</b>At least in neurotypical individuals, social touch represents an important channel for emotional communication associated with social bonding and pain/anxiety modulation. Autistic adults report to avoid social touch more and to have different tactile sensitivity than their non-autistic comparisons.<b>What this paper adds?</b>Few studies specifically investigated social touch in autistic individuals, and none of them examined the role of participants' sex, social context in which social touch occurs, and specific body areas being touched. In our study, adult participants reported how pleasant, erogenous and appropriate they would consider touches delivered by another person over their entire body in intimate (date), friendly (dance class) and professional (physiotherapy-massage session) social contexts. Autistic adults reported social touch to be less pleasant, erogenous and appropriate specifically in intimate and friendly social contexts and in body areas typically touched in these situations. Importantly, autistic females seem more at risk to experience unpleasant social touch as, although they considered it more unpleasant than non-autistic females and autistic males, they did consider it similarly appropriate in professional social contexts where touch is normed to be socially appropriate.<b>Implications for practice, research or policy</b>Our results might improve awareness and understanding about autistic adults' different, and often more discomforting, experience of social touch and thus help consider and respect it during everyday social interactions. Our results might also benefit future research investigating, for instance, the neural underpinnings of social touch differences in autism or aiming at developing support for autistic individuals seeking help in the diverse spheres of social touch.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139097220","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2023-12-28DOI: 10.1177/13623613231220210
Jörg Wittwer, Sandra Hans, Thamar Voss
Lay abstract: Nowadays, autistic students are often enrolled in mainstream schools. To successfully include autistic students in general education, teachers need to possess knowledge about autism, feel competent in teaching autistic students, and have a positive attitude toward their inclusion. However, in Germany, little is known about the knowledge, the self-efficacy, and the attitude concerning autism among teachers working at mainstream schools. Therefore, we conducted a study in which we used items to assess knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitude. A total of 887 general education teachers participated in the study. The results showed that the level of knowledge about autism was moderate among teachers. Similarly, teachers did not hold overwhelmingly high self-efficacy beliefs. However, their attitude toward inclusion of autistic students was rather positive. At the same time, teachers who had experience with teaching autistic students possessed more knowledge and higher self-efficacy than teachers who had no experience with teaching autistic students. In addition, female teachers were more knowledgeable about autism and felt more competent in teaching autistic students than male teachers. In contrast, knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitude were rather similar among teachers from different types of schools. The findings suggest that teachers in Germany should possess more knowledge about autism and feel more competent in teaching autistic students. Therefore, it is important to systematically include autism trainings in teacher education programs.
{"title":"Inclusion of autistic students in schools: Knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitude of teachers in Germany.","authors":"Jörg Wittwer, Sandra Hans, Thamar Voss","doi":"10.1177/13623613231220210","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613231220210","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>Nowadays, autistic students are often enrolled in mainstream schools. To successfully include autistic students in general education, teachers need to possess knowledge about autism, feel competent in teaching autistic students, and have a positive attitude toward their inclusion. However, in Germany, little is known about the knowledge, the self-efficacy, and the attitude concerning autism among teachers working at mainstream schools. Therefore, we conducted a study in which we used items to assess knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitude. A total of 887 general education teachers participated in the study. The results showed that the level of knowledge about autism was moderate among teachers. Similarly, teachers did not hold overwhelmingly high self-efficacy beliefs. However, their attitude toward inclusion of autistic students was rather positive. At the same time, teachers who had experience with teaching autistic students possessed more knowledge and higher self-efficacy than teachers who had no experience with teaching autistic students. In addition, female teachers were more knowledgeable about autism and felt more competent in teaching autistic students than male teachers. In contrast, knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitude were rather similar among teachers from different types of schools. The findings suggest that teachers in Germany should possess more knowledge about autism and feel more competent in teaching autistic students. Therefore, it is important to systematically include autism trainings in teacher education programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11301955/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139058116","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2024-02-12DOI: 10.1177/13623613241231624
Micheal Sandbank, Kristen Bottema-Beutel, Ya-Cing Syu, Nicolette Caldwell, Jacob I Feldman, Tiffany Woynaroski
Lay abstract: When researchers fail to report their findings or only report some of their findings, it can make it difficult for clinicians to provide effective intervention recommendations. However, no one has examined whether this is a problem in studies of early childhood autism interventions. We studied how researchers that study early childhood autism interventions report their findings. We found that most researchers did not register their studies when they were supposed to (before the start of the study), and that many researchers did not provide all of the needed information in the registration. We also found that researchers frequently did not publish their findings when their studies were complete. When we looked at published reports, we found that many of the studies did not report enough information, and that many studies were reported differently from their registrations, suggesting that researchers were selectively reporting positive outcomes and ignoring or misrepresenting less positive outcomes. Because we found so much evidence that researchers are failing to report their findings quickly and correctly, we suggested some practical changes to make it better.
{"title":"Evidence-b(i)ased practice: Selective and inadequate reporting in early childhood autism intervention research.","authors":"Micheal Sandbank, Kristen Bottema-Beutel, Ya-Cing Syu, Nicolette Caldwell, Jacob I Feldman, Tiffany Woynaroski","doi":"10.1177/13623613241231624","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241231624","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>When researchers fail to report their findings or only report some of their findings, it can make it difficult for clinicians to provide effective intervention recommendations. However, no one has examined whether this is a problem in studies of early childhood autism interventions. We studied how researchers that study early childhood autism interventions report their findings. We found that most researchers did not register their studies when they were supposed to (before the start of the study), and that many researchers did not provide all of the needed information in the registration. We also found that researchers frequently did not publish their findings when their studies were complete. When we looked at published reports, we found that many of the studies did not report enough information, and that many studies were reported differently from their registrations, suggesting that researchers were selectively reporting positive outcomes and ignoring or misrepresenting less positive outcomes. Because we found so much evidence that researchers are failing to report their findings quickly and correctly, we suggested some practical changes to make it better.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11301951/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139721430","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2023-12-30DOI: 10.1177/13623613231219306
Laura Hegemann, Ragna Bugge Askeland, Stian Barbo Valand, Anne-Siri Øyen, Synnve Schjølberg, Vanessa H Bal, Somer L Bishop, Camilla Stoltenberg, Tilmann von Soest, Laurie J Hannigan, Alexandra Havdahl
Lay abstract: Using questionnaires in research relies on the expectation that they measure the same things across different groups of individuals. If this is not true, then interpretations of results can be misleading when researchers compare responses across different groups of individuals or use in it a group that differs from that in which the questionnaire was developed. For the questionnaire we investigated, the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), we found that parents of boys and girls responded to questionnaire items in largely the same way but that the SCQ measured traits and behaviors slightly differently depending on whether the children had autism. Based on these results, we concluded that researchers using this questionnaire should carefully consider these differences when deciding how to interpret findings. SCQ scores as a reflection of "autism-associated traits" in samples that are mostly or entirely made up of individuals without an autism diagnosis may be misleading and we encourage a more precise interpretation of scores as a broader indication of social-communicative and behavioral traits.
内容提要:在研究中使用问卷是基于这样一种期望,即在不同的人群中,问卷所测量的内容是相同的。如果事实并非如此,那么当研究人员比较不同群体的回答,或在其中使用与问卷编制群体不同的群体时,对结果的解释就会产生误导。对于我们调查的问卷--社会交流问卷(Social Communication Questionnaire,SCQ),我们发现男孩和女孩的父母对问卷项目的回答基本相同,但根据孩子是否患有自闭症,SCQ 所测量的特征和行为略有不同。基于这些结果,我们得出结论,使用该问卷的研究人员在决定如何解释研究结果时,应仔细考虑这些差异。在大部分或全部由未被诊断为自闭症的个体组成的样本中,将 SCQ 分数作为 "自闭症相关特征 "的反映可能会产生误导,我们鼓励将分数更精确地解释为社会交往和行为特征的更广泛指示。
{"title":"Measuring autism-associated traits in the general population: Factor structure and measurement invariance across sex and diagnosis status of the Social Communication Questionnaire.","authors":"Laura Hegemann, Ragna Bugge Askeland, Stian Barbo Valand, Anne-Siri Øyen, Synnve Schjølberg, Vanessa H Bal, Somer L Bishop, Camilla Stoltenberg, Tilmann von Soest, Laurie J Hannigan, Alexandra Havdahl","doi":"10.1177/13623613231219306","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613231219306","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>Using questionnaires in research relies on the expectation that they measure the same things across different groups of individuals. If this is not true, then interpretations of results can be misleading when researchers compare responses across different groups of individuals or use in it a group that differs from that in which the questionnaire was developed. For the questionnaire we investigated, the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ), we found that parents of boys and girls responded to questionnaire items in largely the same way but that the SCQ measured traits and behaviors slightly differently depending on whether the children had autism. Based on these results, we concluded that researchers using this questionnaire should carefully consider these differences when deciding how to interpret findings. SCQ scores as a reflection of \"autism-associated traits\" in samples that are mostly or entirely made up of individuals without an autism diagnosis may be misleading and we encourage a more precise interpretation of scores as a broader indication of social-communicative and behavioral traits.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11360277/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139073331","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2023-12-11DOI: 10.1177/13623613231215399
Katharine E Zuckerman, Luis Andres Rivas Vazquez, Yesenia Morales Santos, Plyce Fuchu, Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, Jill K Dolata, Steven Bedrick, Jasmine Fernandez, Eric Fombonne, Benjamin W Sanders
Lay abstract: Families may find information about autism online, and health care and education providers may use online tools to screen for autism. However, we do not know if online autism screening tools are easily used by families and providers. We interviewed primary care and educational providers, asking them to review results from online tools that screen for autism. Providers had concerns about how usable and accessible these tools are for diverse families and suggested changes to make tools easier to use.
{"title":"Provider perspectives on equity in use of mobile health autism screening tools.","authors":"Katharine E Zuckerman, Luis Andres Rivas Vazquez, Yesenia Morales Santos, Plyce Fuchu, Sarabeth Broder-Fingert, Jill K Dolata, Steven Bedrick, Jasmine Fernandez, Eric Fombonne, Benjamin W Sanders","doi":"10.1177/13623613231215399","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613231215399","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>Families may find information about autism online, and health care and education providers may use online tools to screen for autism. However, we do not know if online autism screening tools are easily used by families and providers. We interviewed primary care and educational providers, asking them to review results from online tools that screen for autism. Providers had concerns about how usable and accessible these tools are for diverse families and suggested changes to make tools easier to use.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11164823/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138796250","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2023-11-27DOI: 10.1177/13623613231213543
Jessica M Schwartzman, Marissa C Roth, Ann V Paterson, Alexandra X Jacobs, Zachary J Williams
Lay abstract: Depression in youth is a significant public health problem worldwide, particularly for autistic youth who are over twice as likely to experience depression than their non-autistic peers. Although pathways to depression are complex, emotional reactivity and negative self-esteem are two risk factors for depression in autistic and non-autistic youth. Although autistic youth are more likely to experience depression than their non-autistic peers, psychotherapy options for autistic youth are very limited; community guidance in the development and testing of psychotherapy programs is a promising approach in autism. Therefore, in this study, we designed an autism-adapted CBT-DAY, in collaboration with autistic community members. Specifically, CBT-DAY combined neurodiversity-affirming and cognitive behavioral approaches to target emotional reactivity and self-esteem in youth to improve depressive symptom severity in a group setting across 12 weeks. We examined the preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of CBT-DAY in a pilot non-randomized trial. In addition, we implemented a rigorous protocol for assessing, monitoring, and addressing potential harms in this intervention. Results from 24 autistic youth (11-17 years old) suggest that CBT-DAY may be feasible to use in an outpatient clinical setting and generally acceptable to youth and their caregivers. Participation in CBT-DAY may be associated with significant improvements in youth emotional reactivity and self-esteem, as well as depressive symptom severity per self-report only. Exploratory analyses showed that participation in CBT-DAY may also be associated with significant improvements in internalizing symptoms. Findings demonstrate the potential promise of neurodiversity-affirming and cognitive behavioral approaches to treating depressive symptoms in some autistic youth.
{"title":"Community-guided, autism-adapted group cognitive behavioral therapy for depression in autistic youth (CBT-DAY): Preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy.","authors":"Jessica M Schwartzman, Marissa C Roth, Ann V Paterson, Alexandra X Jacobs, Zachary J Williams","doi":"10.1177/13623613231213543","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613231213543","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>Depression in youth is a significant public health problem worldwide, particularly for autistic youth who are over twice as likely to experience depression than their non-autistic peers. Although pathways to depression are complex, emotional reactivity and negative self-esteem are two risk factors for depression in autistic and non-autistic youth. Although autistic youth are more likely to experience depression than their non-autistic peers, psychotherapy options for autistic youth are very limited; community guidance in the development and testing of psychotherapy programs is a promising approach in autism. Therefore, in this study, we designed an autism-adapted CBT-DAY, in collaboration with autistic community members. Specifically, CBT-DAY combined neurodiversity-affirming and cognitive behavioral approaches to target emotional reactivity and self-esteem in youth to improve depressive symptom severity in a group setting across 12 weeks. We examined the preliminary feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of CBT-DAY in a pilot non-randomized trial. In addition, we implemented a rigorous protocol for assessing, monitoring, and addressing potential harms in this intervention. Results from 24 autistic youth (11-17 years old) suggest that CBT-DAY may be feasible to use in an outpatient clinical setting and generally acceptable to youth and their caregivers. Participation in CBT-DAY may be associated with significant improvements in youth emotional reactivity and self-esteem, as well as depressive symptom severity per self-report only. Exploratory analyses showed that participation in CBT-DAY may also be associated with significant improvements in internalizing symptoms. Findings demonstrate the potential promise of neurodiversity-affirming and cognitive behavioral approaches to treating depressive symptoms in some autistic youth.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11128473/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138440193","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}
Pub Date : 2024-08-01Epub Date: 2024-02-22DOI: 10.1177/13623613231226099
Roselyne Bulonza, Kim Watkins, Richard Parsons, Bruce Sunderland, Andrew Whitehouse, Rima Caccetta
Lay abstract: Prescriptions and use of medications to treat mental health conditions in young autistic populations are inconsistent worldwide. This makes it hard to compare findings from international studies to the Australian autistic population, where there are limited relevant studies. Apart from risperidone, there are no other medications specified for direct use in autistic persons. This study aims to gain initial broad understanding of the use of medications, commonly prescribed for mental health conditions, specifically by autistics under the age of 21 years. We analysed data that were previously collected as part of the Western Australian Autism Biological Registry between 2011 and 2015 which amounted to 239 surveys completed on young persons with diagnosed autism. The questionnaires included information on co-occurring conditions, current or previous use of medications and reasons for use of the medications. Only one-quarter of the participants in this study reported using at least one mental health-related medication in their lifetime. The most reported medications were stimulants, antidepressants and antiepileptics. The reasons for using medication included managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, challenging behaviours, seizures, sleep difficulties and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The number of individuals reporting medication use in this study was lower compared to other developed countries. Nevertheless, these medications should be monitored due to limited understanding of their use to manage co-occurring symptoms in young autistic persons. The findings highlight the importance of ongoing research to better understand mental health-related medications and inform best practice.
{"title":"The use of psychotropic medications in autistic individuals (21 years and younger) in Western Australia: A preliminary investigation.","authors":"Roselyne Bulonza, Kim Watkins, Richard Parsons, Bruce Sunderland, Andrew Whitehouse, Rima Caccetta","doi":"10.1177/13623613231226099","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613231226099","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Lay abstract: </strong>Prescriptions and use of medications to treat mental health conditions in young autistic populations are inconsistent worldwide. This makes it hard to compare findings from international studies to the Australian autistic population, where there are limited relevant studies. Apart from risperidone, there are no other medications specified for direct use in autistic persons. This study aims to gain initial broad understanding of the use of medications, commonly prescribed for mental health conditions, specifically by autistics under the age of 21 years. We analysed data that were previously collected as part of the Western Australian Autism Biological Registry between 2011 and 2015 which amounted to 239 surveys completed on young persons with diagnosed autism. The questionnaires included information on co-occurring conditions, current or previous use of medications and reasons for use of the medications. Only one-quarter of the participants in this study reported using at least one mental health-related medication in their lifetime. The most reported medications were stimulants, antidepressants and antiepileptics. The reasons for using medication included managing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, challenging behaviours, seizures, sleep difficulties and symptoms of anxiety and depression. The number of individuals reporting medication use in this study was lower compared to other developed countries. Nevertheless, these medications should be monitored due to limited understanding of their use to manage co-occurring symptoms in young autistic persons. The findings highlight the importance of ongoing research to better understand mental health-related medications and inform best practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11301957/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139929774","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}