scholarly journals Understanding and improving the care pathway for children with autism

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 208-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Hurt ◽  
Kate Langley ◽  
Kate North ◽  
Alex Southern ◽  
Lauren Copeland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Care Pathways ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Education Professionals ◽  
Entry Points ◽  
High Level

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to describe current care pathways for children with autism including enablers and barriers, as experienced by health professionals, education professionals and families in South Wales, UK. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on a mixed-methods approach using focus group discussions, creative writing workshops and visualisation using rich pictures. Findings The experiences of the care pathways differed significantly across the three groups. Health professionals described the most rigidly structured pathways, with clear entry points and outcomes. Education professionals and parents described more complex and confusing pathways, with parents assuming the responsibility of coordinating the health and education activity in a bid to link the two independent pathways. All three groups identified enablers, although these differed across the groups. The barriers were more consistent across the groups (e.g. poor communication, missing information, lack of transparency, limited post-diagnosis services and access to services based on diagnosis rather than need). Practical implications This research could inform the design of new services which are premised on multi-agency and multi-disciplinary working to ensure children with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) receive joined up services and support. Originality/value Although this study did not represent all professional groups or all experiences of autism, the authors examined three different perspectives of the ASD pathway. In addition, the authors triangulated high-level process maps with rich pictures and creative writing exercises, which allowed the authors to identify specific recommendations to improve integration and reduce duplication and gaps in provision.

Using digital social stories to improve social skills in children with autism: a pilot experimental single-subject study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed F. Safi ◽  
Maitha Alnuaimi ◽  
Abdelaziz Sartawi
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Causal Relation ◽  
Social Stories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intervention Phase ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face difficulty with educational attainment because of to their inability to interact with others. One intervention that is used to increase social skills in individuals with ASD is social stories. This study aimed at exploring the impact of digital social stories in improving social skills of two students with ASD in the UAE. Design/methodology/approach An experimental AB single-subject study was conducted to investigate the impact of digital social stories on nonverbal communication, targeting two specific behaviors: raising hands before leaving one’s seat (TB1) and playing and sharing toys with peers (TB2). Two digital social stories (DSS1 and DSS2) were developed for the purpose of this study and transformed using a digital platform to be displayed on an iPad (tablet). Findings This study involved two male participants with ASD (10 and 11 years old). Participant one demonstrated improvement in TB1 (mean of 1.11) because of DSS1 in the intervention phase. Participant two demonstrated improvement of 18% in TB2 ( mean of 0.18) as a result of DSS2 in the intervention phase. Practical implications Both students that participated in the study showed a positive change in their target behaviors during the intervention phase intervention at different levels. Using an ABA study design would have been stronger in establishing a more valid causal relation in this single-subject design study. However, due the COVID-19 closures and curfews, the researchers had to switch to the AB design. Originality/value This study demonstrated how social stories had a positive impact on ASD social skills. Further, it indicated the potential effectiveness of using digital social stories to reduce undesirable behaviors or increase a desirable behaviors in children who have ASD.

The acquisition of the Arabic construct state (CS) constructions by Arabic-speaking children with ASD

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdel Rahman Mitib Altakhaineh ◽  
Razan N. Alkhatib
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Head Direction ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Arabic Speaking ◽  
Better Than

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether age plays a role in the acquisition of construct state (CS) constructions in Arabic by 14 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It also examined the challenges faced by children with ASD in producing different types of CS constructions. Finally, the study analysed the sources of difficulties children with ASD encounter during the learning process of the CS.Design/methodology/approachFor the purposes of this study, the participants were asked to orally complete short sentences with the help of illustrative pictures.FindingsResults revealed that the age of the 14 children with ASD plays a role in the acquisition of CS constructions. Children of age 12–15 performed better than those of age 8 and 10. Results also showed that children with ASD performed better in producing phrases rather than compounds. Moreover, the participants performed better on endocentric compounds as opposed to exocentric ones. Finally, analysing the errors produced on the text revealed that the acquisition of head direction precedes definiteness.Originality/valueThe topic of the study has not been investigated yet and the study concluded with some important findings concerning teaching Arabic CS to children with ADS.

scholarly journals Robots in special education: reasons for low uptake

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 59-69
Author(s):  
Maria Jose Galvez Trigo ◽  
Penelope Jane Standen ◽  
Sue Valerie Gray Cobb
Keyword(s):  
Special Education ◽  
Learning Disabilities ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Learning Activities ◽  
Autism Spectrum Conditions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the main reasons for low uptake of robots in special education (SE), obtained from an analysis of previous studies that used robots in the area, and from interviewing SE teachers about the topic. Design/methodology/approach An analysis of 18 studies that used robots in SE was performed, and the conclusions were complemented and compared with the feedback from interviewing 13 SE teachers from Spain and the UK about the reasons they believed caused the low uptake of robots in SE classrooms. Findings Five main reasons why SE schools do not normally use robots in their classrooms were identified: the inability to acquire the system due to its price or availability; its difficulty of use; the low range of activities offered; the limited ways of interaction offered; and the inability to use different robots with the same software. Originality/value Previous studies focussed on exploring the advantages of using robots to help children with autism spectrum conditions and learning disabilities. This study takes a step further and looks into the reasons why, despite the benefits shown, robots are rarely used in real-life settings after the relevant study ends. The authors also present a potential solution to the issues found: involving end users in the design and development of new systems using a user-centred design approach for all the components, including methods of interaction, learning activities and the most suitable type of robots.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a group webinar and individual video-conferencing support program designed to upskill staff working with children with autism in regional and remote areas

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Genevieve Johnsson ◽  
Michelle Lincoln ◽  
Anita C. Bundy ◽  
Debra Costley ◽  
Kim Bulkeley
Keyword(s):  
Allied Health ◽  
Mode Of Delivery ◽  
Community Support ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Allied Health Professionals ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Remote Areas

PurposeThe rollout of individualised disability funding in Australia resulted in an increased demand for services for people with a disability, particularly support for the high percentage of Australians with autism spectrum disorder. Continuing professional development is one way to grow and maintain a skilled workforce; however, face-to-face opportunities can be limited in remote areas of Australia. Technology may provide a low-cost and widely accessible platform for providing education and support for staff in these areas.Design/methodology/approachThe current study evaluated a novel webinar training and individual online support program for 36 allied health, education and community support staff. Data were collected via a survey on changes in perceived “knowledge and skills” and “confidence” in supporting children with autism, as well as mode of participation, and accessibility of the program.FindingsParticipants reported a significant increase in their “knowledge and skills” and “confidence”, in working with children with autism. This increase was positively related to the number of webinars the participants accessed. The mode of webinar access was predominantly via watching recordings of webinars (asynchronous learning). Synchronous learning via individual online sessions was accessed by a small number of participants, mostly allied health professionals. Workload and scheduling were identified as barriers to engaging in the program. The technology platform was found to be accessible and acceptable.Originality/valueA predominantly asynchronous mode of delivery was successful, thereby increasing program access and flexibility for remote staff. Technology was not a barrier to accessing the program regardless of remoteness or job role.

The effectiveness of sensory integration intervention on the emotional-behavioral problems of children with autism spectrum disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ghorban Hemati Alamdarloo ◽  
Hasan Mradi
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Sensory Integration ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Attention Problems ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Autism spectrum disorder is a kind of neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction across multiple contexts, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests or activities. The purpose of this paper is to determine the effectiveness of sensory integration intervention on emotional-behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. Design/methodology/approach This research was conducted in a pretest-posttest design with control group. The participants were 30 children with autism spectrum disorder (6–11 years old) who were selected through convenience sampling from among children with autism spectrum disorder in Zeinab center of Isfahan and were randomly divided into two groups of 15 subjects. The children of the experimental group received 14 sessions of sensory integration intervention while the control group did not receive this intervention. To measure emotional-behavioral problems, the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Second Edition was used. To analyze the data, ANCOVA and MANCOVA tests were used. Findings The results showed that sensory integration intervention improves emotional-behavioral problems and its subscales (hyperactivity, aggression, behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, somatization, attention problems, learning difficulties, atypicality and withdrawal) in children with autism spectrum disorder. Research limitations/implications Therefore, it can be concluded that sensory integration intervention can be a suitable treatment for reducing sensory problems and improving emotional-behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder. Originality/value The study of the effect of sensory integration on emotional-behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorder is necessary as a simple and non-side-effect educational and therapeutic method, both as a step to fill the research gap in this field, besides being a cheap and affordable way for improving the various skills of children with autism spectrum disorder for professionals, teachers, parents and educators.

The psychometric properties of the Iranian version of Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in children with autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeid Bashirian ◽  
Ali Reza Soltanian ◽  
Mahdieh Seyedi ◽  
Salman Khazaei ◽  
Ensiyeh Jenabi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Psychometric Properties ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Autism Diagnostic Interview ◽  
Sensitivity Specificity

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the validity of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in an Iranian population to determine its efficacy in identifying children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who parents have Persian-speaking parents. Design/methodology/approach A case–control study was performed in March until July 2020 in Hamadan city, Iran. The case group was children were examined by the clinicians used a coding scheme based on the DSM-IV criteria for ASD. The control group was all children in the family, including healthy siblings, were asked to participate in the study. The reliability, content and face validity were performed to assess the psychometric properties of the tool. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to evaluate the four-dimensional structure of the tool (Scores A, B, C and D). Statistical analysis was performed using AMOS for SPSS 21, and the statistical significant level was less than 0.05. Findings The quantitative content validity analysis revealed that the mean of content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) for all domains was 0.94 and 0.91, respectively. For CFA, four domains A, B, C and D were used and demonstrated a good fit (CFI = 0.92 and RMSEA = 0.06). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) in domains A, B (verbal), C and D were 100%. For domain B (non-verbal), the sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV were 86.7%, 100%, 100% and 88.2%, respectively. Research limitations/implications This study showed that ADI-R has sufficient ability to discriminate between children with ASD and those with no psychiatric diagnosis, and it is a reliable tool in Iran. The sensitivity and specificity for correctly diagnosing ASD was high, regardless of the age and cognitive level of the examiner. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper on psychometric properties of ADI-R in children with ASD.

Difficulties in spontaneously performing level 2 perspective-taking skills in children with autism spectrum disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 243-254
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Asaoka ◽  
Tomoya Takahashi ◽  
Jiafei Chen ◽  
Aya Fujiwara ◽  
Masataka Watanabe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Explicit Condition ◽  
Level 2 ◽  
Implicit Condition

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate why children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) tend to respond to tasks from their own perspective. The authors investigated the effects of explicitness of viewpoint on performance of spontaneous level 2 perspective-taking skills in six- to eight-year-old children with ASD. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted visual perspective-taking tasks with explicit and implicit instructions about the viewpoint to be used. Participants operated a toy car on a map while listening to the experimenter’s instructions. In the implicit condition, when the experimenter said “Turn right/left” at each intersection, the participants moved the car accordingly. Subsequently, in the explicit condition, the experimenter said “Look from the driver’s viewpoint and turn right/left” at each intersection. Findings In the implicit condition, the authors did not observe a clear developmental change in performance between six- and eight-year-old children in the ASD group. In contrast, performance in the ASD group improved under the explicit condition relative to that under the implicit condition. Originality/value The results suggest six- to eight-year-old children with ASD tend not to spontaneously use level 2 perspective-taking skills. Therefore, viewpoints should be explicitly instructed to children with ASD. In addition, it is also important to implement training to encourage spontaneous transitions from self-perspective to other-perspective under the implicit condition.

Parents’ and Child Health Professionals’ Attitudes Towards Dietary Interventions for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2013 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 747-757 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Winburn ◽  
Jenna Charlton ◽  
Helen McConachie ◽  
Elaine McColl ◽  
Jeremy Parr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Health Professionals ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
And Child Health

scholarly journals An integrative approach to improving patient care pathways

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 810-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Williams ◽  
Zoe Radnor
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Healthcare Delivery ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Care Pathways ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integrated Care Pathways ◽  
Improving Patient Care ◽  
First Time

Purpose Globally, healthcare managers continue to struggle with increasing demands for their services being delivered with limited or shrinking resources. It is, therefore, clear that systems, processes and practices need to change to meet these challenges. The purpose of this paper is to assess how integrating two improvement technologies, Lean and integrated care pathways (ICP) might help. Design/methodology/approach Lean and ICP in healthcare provide a platform to develop conceptual frameworks for integrating two approaches. Findings A conceptual integrated framework is provided to assist care pathway designers and implementers to consider the synergistic benefits of combining approaches to improvement. Research limitations/implications The authors provide a conceptual framework that requires empirically testing. Practical implications This research provides a conceptual framework to aid practitioners to improve healthcare design and delivery. Originality/value For the first time, the authors bring together two approaches to improving patient care pathway design and consider how these are linked in relation to improving healthcare delivery.

Characteristics of peer models at a summer camp for children with autism

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 237-248
Author(s):  
Jonna L. Bobzien ◽  
Sharon Judge
Keyword(s):  
Summer Camp ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Attitudes And Behaviors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Community Based Programs ◽  
And Behaviors ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Peer Buddies

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to examine the openness, growth and loneliness of typical peers volunteering at a summer day camp for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Design/methodology/approach – In this study, the authors obtained descriptive data on the attitudes and behaviors of 38 adolescent peer buddies without disabilities volunteering at a summer camp for children with ASD using four short surveys. Surveys were given prior to the start of camp in an attempt to capture the attitudes and perspectives of the participants before they became more familiar with the characteristics of the children with ASD who were attending the camp. The authors examined if there were group differences on attitudes and behaviors based on age, gender and first-time volunteer versus returning volunteer peer buddy. Findings – The analysis showed that all volunteer peer buddies appeared open to interacting, playing and developing friendships with the child represented in the vignette with ASD. Participants indicated increased feelings of independence, ample ability to establish friendships and a desire for adventurous and explorative activities. Significant differences were found based on age and gender on openness to a peer with ASD characteristics. Originality/value – The results of this study have the potential to serve a broader purpose by demonstrating the types of children and adolescents that may be optimal choices to serve as peer mentors or buddies for peers with ASD attending summer camps or other community-based programs, as well as in classroom settings.

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