scholarly journals Food Insecurity in Households of People with Autism Spectrum Disorder during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Vasudevan ◽  
Arun Karpur ◽  
Andy Shih ◽  
Thomas Frazier
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Rural Communities ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Free Food ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Federal Response ◽  
Us Census

AbstractObjectivesTo explore differences in food insecurity for individuals and families of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) during the COVID-19 pandemic by individual, family, and neighborhood characteristics.MethodsWe surveyed a convenience sample of households of people with ASD. We calculated food insecurity using items from the US Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey..ResultsOver half of all respondents reported being food insecure (51.8%). Respondents who reported being food insecure were more likely to be minority, have a high school education or less, be on public insurance or uninsured, live in urban/rural communities, and say that their community is not supportive. The majority of respondents did not get free food or groceries (53.2%). Food insecure respondents who got free food was most likely to get them from schools (34.2%).ConclusionThis is the first study of its kind to explore food security in households of people with ASD. The pandemic has exacerbated existing neighborhood disparities. The federal response to food insecurity caused by the pandemic needs to be further explored especially for preferred and medically necessary foods for people with ASD.

Parent Experiences and Perceptions of Safety When Transporting Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Teresa Plummer ◽  
Missy Bryan ◽  
Katherine Dullaghan ◽  
Abigail Harris ◽  
Michaela Isenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Care Needs ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Child Passenger Safety ◽  
Behavioral Safety ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Passenger Safety

Importance: Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of unintentional deaths of children ages 1 and older, particularly children with health care needs. Objective: To explore family caregivers’ experiences and current practices while transporting children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Design: A concurrent nested mixed-methods approach was used to gain insight into caregiver experiences. Setting: Participants completed an online Qualtrics survey. Participants: A convenience sample of 54 caregivers of children with ASD from 17 U.S. states. Results: Themes that emerged include sensory behaviors of children, education related to child passenger safety, and participation in the community. Statistically significant findings suggest a correlation between caregivers (n = 39) being less likely to participate in activities away from home if the child had attempted to elope (p = .013), displayed aggressive behaviors (p = .005), or demonstrated self-injurious behaviors (p = .001). Conclusions and Relevance: The findings suggest a correlation between caregivers limiting the distance traveled during vehicular transportation and behavioral safety concerns. If caregivers must limit travel, they may refrain from accessing the community and engaging in leisure pursuits. What This Article Adds: The findings suggest that therapists who treat children with ASD should be familiar with child passenger safety restraints, particularly for elopement.

Genetic evaluation of children with autism spectrum disorders in developing and low-resource areas

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110555
Author(s):  
Amira T Masri ◽  
Arwa Nasir ◽  
Fatima Irshaid ◽  
Farah Alomari ◽  
Aya Irshaid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Genetic Testing ◽  
Clinical Guidelines ◽  
Genetic Factors ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Low Resource

Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental disorder in which genetic factors play key roles. Limited research has been conducted on genetic testing of children with autism spectrum disorder in low middle-income countries. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the pediatric neurology clinics of three university hospitals in Jordan. Data were obtained from a convenience sample of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder who received care at these hospitals. Research personnel interviewed the parents and completed a questionnaire. A total of 274 parents were interviewed. A minority of children received chromosomal microarray (14.6%) or fragile X syndrome (4.4%) testing, as recommended by clinical guidelines. Karyotyping was performed in 103 (37.6%) patients, and whole-exome sequencing was performed in 9 (3.3%). The most common reason for not performing the recommended diagnostic investigations was that they were not ordered by the physician (185; 67.5%). The majority of children underwent non-genetic evaluations, including brain magnetic resonance imaging (222; 81.0%), electroencephalogram (221; 80.7%), and brain computed tomography scans (136; 49.6%). Only a minority of children with autism spectrum disorder in Jordan receive genetic workup, which may reflect a gap in physicians’ knowledge of clinical guidelines, as well as the availability and affordability of these tests. Lay abstract Autism is the most common neurodevelopmental disorder in children worldwide. Genetic factors play an important role in the risk of developing autism. Determining the genetic cause of autism is key to understanding the biological processes that lead to the clinical manifestations of autism, and can inform the management and even prevention of this condition. Establishing genetic causes of autism requires collection of genetic data on a global scale. Limited research on genetic testing for individuals with autism is available from developing countries in low-resource regions. In this study, we explored the types of investigations ordered for Jordanian children with autism by their physicians. A representative sample of parents of children with autism in Jordan was questioned about the studies that their children received. We found that the recommended genetic testing was only performed in a small number of children with autism. In contrast, most children in the sample received non-genetic testing, which is not routinely recommended. We also explored the sociocultural factors that may influence the decision to perform genetic testing in this population. We discuss our findings in light of the data available from other developing and developed countries.

scholarly journals Food insecurity in the households of children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disabilities in the United States: Analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health Data 2016–2018

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110191
Author(s):  
Arun Karpur ◽  
Vijay Vasudevan ◽  
Angela Lello ◽  
Thomas W Frazier ◽  
Andy Shih
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Food Insecurity ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
National Survey ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cost Of Care ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children's Health ◽  
Children’S Health

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring intellectual disabilities experience substantial challenges in accessing needed supports. This research aimed to understand the prevalence and factors associated with food insecurity among families of children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring intellectual disabilities. Utilizing the National Survey of Children’s Health (2016–2018) data, this article illustrated that the households of children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring intellectual disabilities were about two times more likely to be food insecure than the households of children without disabilities. Furthermore, the households of children with autism spectrum disorder were 1.5 times more likely, and those with other disabilities were 1.3 times more likely to be food insecure than the households of children without disabilities. Implications of these findings in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed. Lay abstract Families of children with autism spectrum disorder are more likely to experience financial strain and resulting food insecurity due to additional cost of care, disparate access to needed services, and loss of income resulting from parental job loss. Utilizing nationally representative data, this analysis indicates that the families of children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring intellectual disabilities are twice as likely to experience food insecurity than families of children without disabilities after adjusting for various factors. Several factors, ranging from state-level policies such as Medicaid expansion to individual-level factors such as higher utilization of emergency room services, were associated with the higher prevalence of food insecurity in families of children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring intellectual disabilities. Implications of these findings on programs and policies supporting families in the COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.

scholarly journals Information behaviour of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD): a case study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Chávez ◽  
◽  
Martha Sabelli ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Web Searches ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Information Behaviour ◽  
Lack Of Information

Introduction. This investigation focuses on the information behaviour of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) inside an organisation (Aletea) located in Montevideo-Uruguay. This study aims to make visible the information needs these parents experience when making decisions for their children’s welfare. It is the first phase of an investigation to provide an indepth comparison with other countries. Method. A literature review, database analyses and web searches were done to standardise the current work with the methodology of the field. Also, with a convenience sample, 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted among parents of this organisation. Analysis. Qualitative analyses were carried out as all the interviews were recorded on audio with prior consent of the interviewees. The questions were classified into categories and sub-categories for a better understanding of the results. Results. Parents' information practices demonstrate obstacles and difficulties in seeking and accessing available and reliable sources regarding autism spectrum disorder. The lack of information generated at local levels leads to consulting and sharing information with their closest contacts and social networks, especially their peers in parent groups. Conclusion. It is considered necessary to continue with this line of research both in Uruguay and around the world since there is a lack of studies on this subject.

Short report: Evaluating the safety and usability of head-mounted virtual reality compared to monitor-displayed video for children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1924-1929 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahan Malihi ◽  
Jenny Nguyen ◽  
Robyn E Cardy ◽  
Salina Eldon ◽  
Catharine Petta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Short Report ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Head Mounted Display ◽  
The Impact

Virtual reality provides a relatively inexpensive way to learn and repeatedly practice skills in personalized, controlled, and safe computer-generated settings. These systems are increasingly receiving attention as an innovative medium for delivering interventions to children with autism spectrum disorder. Although many virtual reality systems are commercially available and their use is increasing, little is known about the safety and usability of these systems for children with autism spectrum disorder. The aim of this study was a first step in addressing this gap. A convenience sample of 35 children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder participated in an immersive head-mounted display virtual reality experience and a control condition (monitor-displayed video). Levels of anxiety and negative effects experienced were not significantly different between the two conditions. Participants reported significantly enhanced spatial presence (p = 0.003; d = 0.3) and naturalness (p = 0.002; d = 0.47) for the head-mounted display–virtual reality condition, and 74% of participants preferred using head-mounted display–virtual reality over monitor-displayed video. These findings provide preliminary evidence to support the safety and usability of head-mounted display–virtual reality for children with autism spectrum disorder. Future studies are needed to replicate the results in a larger sample, a range of virtual reality experiences, and in the context of long-term exposure. Lay abstract This study investigated the safety and usability of a virtual reality experience for children with autism spectrum disorder in a laboratory setting. In our study, the negative effects of head-mounted display–virtual reality were similar to monitor-displayed video watching. At the same time, the participants indicated that the head-mounted display–virtual reality experience provided improved realism and sense of presence. This study is a first step in understanding the impact of head-mounted display on children with autism spectrum disorder.

Development of Neural Structure and Function in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Potential Implications for Learning Language

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1783-1797
Author(s):  
Kelly L. Coburn ◽  
Diane L. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Development ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Intervention ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Neural Structure ◽  
Complex Information ◽  
And Function

Purpose Neurodevelopmental processes that begin during gestation and continue throughout childhood typically support language development. Understanding these processes can help us to understand the disruptions to language that occur in neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Method For this tutorial, we conducted a focused literature review on typical postnatal brain development and structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography, and electroencephalography studies of the neurodevelopmental differences that occur in ASD. We then integrated this knowledge with the literature on evidence-based speech-language intervention practices for autistic children. Results In ASD, structural differences include altered patterns of cortical growth and myelination. Functional differences occur at all brain levels, from lateralization of cortical functions to the rhythmic activations of single neurons. Neuronal oscillations, in particular, could help explain disrupted language development by elucidating the timing differences that contribute to altered functional connectivity, complex information processing, and speech parsing. Findings related to implicit statistical learning, explicit task learning, multisensory integration, and reinforcement in ASD are also discussed. Conclusions Consideration of the neural differences in autistic children provides additional scientific support for current recommended language intervention practices. Recommendations consistent with these neurological findings include the use of short, simple utterances; repetition of syntactic structures using varied vocabulary; pause time; visual supports; and individualized sensory modifications.

Parent Education in Studies With Nonverbal and Minimally Verbal Participants With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 890-902
Author(s):  
Lynn Kern Koegel ◽  
Katherine M. Bryan ◽  
Pumpki Lei Su ◽  
Mohini Vaidya ◽  
Stephen Camarata
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Parent Education ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Verbal Communication ◽  
Fidelity Of Implementation ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Education Programs ◽  
Minimally Verbal ◽  
Parent Education Programs

Purpose The purpose of this systematic review was to identify parent education procedures implemented in intervention studies focused on expressive verbal communication for nonverbal (NV) or minimally verbal (MV) children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parent education has been shown to be an essential component in the habilitation of individuals with ASD. Parents of individuals with ASD who are NV or MV may particularly benefit from parent education in order to provide opportunities for communication and to support their children across the life span. Method ProQuest databases were searched between the years of 1960 and 2018 to identify articles that targeted verbal communication in MV and NV individuals with ASD. A total of 1,231 were evaluated to assess whether parent education was implemented. We found 36 studies that included a parent education component. These were reviewed with regard to (a) the number of participants and participants' ages, (b) the parent education program provided, (c) the format of the parent education, (d) the duration of the parent education, (e) the measurement of parent education, and (f) the parent fidelity of implementation scores. Results The results of this analysis showed that very few studies have included a parent education component, descriptions of the parent education programs are unclear in most studies, and few studies have scored the parents' implementation of the intervention. Conclusions Currently, there is great variability in parent education programs in regard to participant age, hours provided, fidelity of implementation, format of parent education, and type of treatment used. Suggestions are made to provide both a more comprehensive description and consistent measurement of parent education programs.

The Influence of Language Context on Repetitive Speech Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Gladfelter ◽  
Cassidy VanZuiden
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Context

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.

Instruction Using Augmentative and Alternative Communication Supports: Description of Current Practices by Speech-Language Pathologists Who Work With Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 586-596 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaitlyn A. Clarke ◽  
Diane L. Williams
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Communication Systems ◽  
Diagnostic Category ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
Processing Differences

Purpose The aim of this research study was to examine common practices of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) who work with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with respect to whether or not SLPs consider processing differences in ASD or the effects of input during their instruction. Method Following a qualitative research method, how SLPs instruct and present augmentative and alternative communication systems to individuals with ASD, their rationale for method selection, and their perception of the efficacy of selected interventions were probed. Semistructured interviews were conducted as part of an in-depth case report with content analysis. Results Based on completed interviews, 4 primary themes were identified: (a) instructional method , (b) input provided , (c) decision-making process , and (d) perceived efficacy of treatment . Additionally, one secondary theme, training and education received , was identified . Conclusions Clinicians reported making decisions based on the needs of the child; however, they also reported making decisions based on the diagnostic category that characterized the child (i.e., ASD). The use of modeling when teaching augmentative and alternative communication to individuals with ASD emerged as a theme, but variations in the method of modeling were noted. SLPs did not report regularly considering processing differences in ASD, nor did they consider the effects of input during instruction.

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