Autism最新文献

Lay abstract: Autistic people are more likely to have health problems than the general population. They, and people who care about them, have said mental health research is very important, and some autistic adults have said quality of life is the most helpful area to research when focusing on mental health. Autistic people should also be more deeply involved in making decisions in research. Our review aimed to find out if and how quality of life is being measured when mental health treatments are being tested, and how autistic people and the wider autism community are involved in these studies. We searched four databases and other sources and found over 10,000 records. But just 19 research studies were testing mental health treatments for autistic adults, and only five of those measured quality of life. When they did measure quality of life, it was measured in different ways and there was not much information given on how communities were involved. We suggest mental health research should measure quality of life more often and in ways that are more helpful for autistic people. Our analysis found that mental health research needs to include a wider variety of autistic people, and autistic people should be more involved in the various parts of research.

Lay abstract: Children who struggle to maintain conversation with peers often have fewer friends and lower popularity ratings, which can affect wellbeing. Verbal social communication more broadly is linked to both behavioural difficulties and emotional problems. We carried out three studies to examine children's ability to provide responses which keep a back and forth conversation going. The first study found that while autistic children had on average greater difficulties than their neurotypical peers with certain aspects of conversation topic maintenance, for other aspects the autistic group showed considerable strengths. Both studies 2 (neurotypical children) and 3 (autistic children) found relationships between, on the one hand, conversational ability, and on the other, the ability to consider another's viewpoint and the ability to maintain and update information in short term memory. We suggest support for social conversation skills should be part of mainstream classroom curricula for autistic and neurotypical children alike.

Lay abstract: There is much research on parenting stress and child behaviours of autistic children. However, researchers have rarely explored whether how parents raise their children (called 'parenting practices') links to parenting stress and child behaviours. This is important, as if we know which parenting practices lead to better outcomes, parents can be supported to use parenting practices that are most helpful to them and/or their child. We asked parents of school-aged children to complete a survey on parenting stress, parenting practices and child behaviours. We found that parents who reported being more stressed (i.e. high levels of parenting stress) reported their children showed more observable behaviours that others find challenging such as aggression. Parents who were more stressed also reported lower mindful parenting (i.e. a style of parenting characterised by being present, non-judgementally in the moment) and were more permissive (e.g. giving in) in their parenting. However, these parenting practices did not impact the link between parenting stress and child behaviours. Results suggest we should focus on ways to reduce parents' stress, which could include changing parenting practices which is consistent with strengths-based, neurodiversity-affirming approaches.

Lay abstract: People with a diagnosis of autism are at increased risk of death by suicide. There is a need for clinical instruments that are adapted to the needs of autistic people. In this study, we modified and evaluated a clinical suicide interview (Suicide Assessment Kit-Modified Interview) for use with autistic people who do not have an intellectual disability. Autistic people helped us to modify the original version of the instrument by improving the questions, providing explanations for difficult terms or concepts, and recommending that we use different rating scales. Our results support the use of Suicide Assessment Kit-Modified Interview for assessing autistic adults without intellectual disability for suicidal thoughts and behavior. In the future, we will test how well Suicide Assessment Kit-Modified Interview works in clinical settings and with different clinical populations.

Lay abstract: This study looks at how people use and feel about autism alert cards, which help Autistic people communicate their diagnosis/identity. We surveyed 272 Australian people, including 136 Autistic adults, 128 parents of Autistic children and eight Autistic children. About half of the participants used the card after ordering it, mostly in public places such as public transport, healthcare settings and in retail settings. People found the card helpful because it made it easier to explain their needs without having to speak and provided them a sense of security. However, some people treated Autistic people poorly after being shown the card due to a lack of understanding about autism. Many participants felt that more education about autism is needed to improve how people react to the alert card. Despite these challenges, most participants (76.2%) would recommend the alert card to others. This research shows that while autism alert cards can be very helpful, their effectiveness depends on how well other people understand and accept autism. To make these cards work better, we need more training and awareness programmes for the general public and professionals such as doctors or police officers who may interact with Autistic people.

Lay abstract: Children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and developmental language disorder (DLD) often have difficulties using language in social contexts. An intervention programme for preschool-age children with pragmatic difficulties, called Pragmatic Intervention Programme (PICP), showed positive effects for these children. However, it was important to confirm these effects with a larger group and analyse them separately for each condition. In this study, the effectiveness of the PICP was analysed in preschool-age children with ASD or DLD with difficulties in using language in social contexts. The study was carried out with 36 children. Twenty-two were allocated to an experimental group to receive the PICP-based intervention first, and 14 children were assigned to a control group (waiting list). Each child attended 24 PICP-based intervention sessions provided by a speech and language therapist. Progress was measured using a Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) and other language assessment instruments. The results showed that all children in the experimental group made significant progress in their language competencies, compared to the control group after the intervention. This study confirms that the PICP is effective in improving language competencies in preschool-age children with ASD and DLD with difficulties in using language for social purposes, regardless of their condition. These results emphasise the importance of tailored interventions for these children and point to areas for further research.

Lay abstract: Research has shown that many autistic students do not thrive in mainstream secondary schools. Often studies focus on the challenges autistic people face rather than what supports thriving. We reviewed published articles, exploring what factors helped autistic people create a positive experience in school from their own perspective. We identified 36 studies and analysed the direct quotes made by autistic adolescents and adults in these studies. Factors important for positive experience included the autistic student feeling understood and accepted by adults and peers in school, being able to shape sensory and social environments in ways that suited them and accessing engaging activities. This review highlighted ways in which schools can become more inclusive and positive environments for autistic students.

Lay abstract: Autistic people often experience gastrointestinal issues, with constipation being one of the most common concerns. However, there are currently no specific guidelines for diagnosing constipation in autistic adults. This makes it harder for healthcare providers to identify and treat the condition effectively. In this review, we analysed nine studies from 2012 to 2022 to understand the various methods used to diagnose constipation in autistic adults and their symptoms. We found that most studies used different approaches, such as questionnaires, standardized criteria, or observation. In addition, many studies focused on children and adolescents, leaving a gap in understanding symptoms in autistic adults. The studies highlighted symptoms that were not covered by official diagnostic criteria, such as sleep disturbances and challenging behaviours. This indicates a need for healthcare providers to consider a broader range of signs when diagnosing constipation in autistic people. Our review suggests that more research focusing on adults is needed to create tailored tools for diagnosing constipation in autistic adults. This will help improve accuracy and ensure better treatment outcomes. Understanding the unique ways constipation can present in autistic people is crucial for developing effective care strategies. For healthcare providers, this review emphasizes the importance of recognizing a wide range of symptoms when assessing constipation in autistic people. For policymakers, it highlights the need for age-specific guidelines to ensure that autistic adults receive the care and support they need. Further research will help refine these diagnostic tools and ultimately lead to better healthcare practices for autistic people.

Lay abstract: Autistic people often experience difficulties with healthcare, and are more likely than neurotypical people to have unmet healthcare needs. They may also be more likely to find menstruation and menopause more difficult than neurotypical women. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) often have insufficient training and support to work with autistic adults, and they often lack the skills or confidence to discuss reproductive and sexual health (RSH) with patients. When these two issues are combined, it would appear that autistic people may experience particular difficulties when seeking RSH care. The aim of this study was to explore autistic people's experiences of healthcare related to RSH in the United Kingdom. Surveys were distributed with assistance of an autism charity, and were completed by 136 adults. The survey consisted mainly of tick-box responses, but there were also several opportunities for participants to write comments about their experiences. Respondents felt that HCPs almost never seem to know how autism affects their RSH. There was broad agreement that HCPs need to be more aware of the impact of autism on healthcare experiences in general, and the specific impacts of autism on RSH. The data provide a clear picture of unmet needs for autism-aware healthcare for RSH, but further research is required to explore HCPs' knowledge about how autism affects RSH. Combined with our findings, such research could inform the development of resources and training to improve healthcare for autistic people.

Lay abstract: Professionals often support autistic children by working with them directly (direct support) or by coaching their parents. We know a lot about what parents think about parent coaching, but we do not know as much about what they think about direct support. We also do not know whether parents prefer parent coaching or direct support. The current study involved 22 parents who each received 2 h a week of direct support for their autistic child and up to 1 h a week of parent coaching for 6 months. At the end of 6 months, all these parents indicated in a survey whether they preferred parent coaching or direct support. Eleven of these participating parents also chose to take part in an interview to understand more about these preferences. Our findings suggest that parents generally liked both supports and believed they worked well together; however, they preferred direct support over parent coaching. While parents think that both approaches are beneficial, there are strengths and challenges of each. These findings emphasise the importance of parent choice in the delivery of support. It may also be possible to adapt both approaches to address some of the identified challenges and improve the whole family's experience.