scholarly journals Empirical evaluation of the association between daily living skills of adults with autism and parental caregiver burden

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0244844
Author(s):  
Christina N. Marsack-Topolewski ◽  
Preethy Sarah Samuel ◽  
Wassim Tarraf
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Time Dependence ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Daily Living ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Parental Perceptions ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Adults With Asd

Background Despite the joy of parenting, the burden of daily caregiving for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be overwhelming and constant. Parents can expect to provide enduring care for their children with ASD. Given that the majority of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) remain in their family homes well into adulthood, often the need for assistance with activities of daily living (ADLs) is placed on parents. Providing ongoing support to adult children who have difficulty with completing ADLs can increase parental caregiving demands. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the ability of adults with ASD to perform ADLs with parental perceptions of caregiver burden. Methods Quantitative analysis of cross-sectional multi-state data gathered electronically using Qualtrics from 320 aging parents of adults with ASD was conducted. Regression models were fit to examine the association of ADL challenges with total caregiver burden and its four domains (emotional, financial, time dependence, and developmental). Results Parental perceptions of caregiver burden decreased, particularly time dependence and developmental burden, when adult children were less dependent in ADLs, even after adjusting for parental health and behavioral challenges. Conclusions Findings support the need for family-centered interventions to improve the capacity of adults with ASD to perform ADLs independently.

Informal Support, Health, and Burden Among Parents of Adult Children With Autism

2018 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1112-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina N Marsack ◽  
Faith P Hopp
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Time Dependence ◽  
Caregiver Burden ◽  
Adult Children ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Caregiver Support ◽  
Informal Social Support ◽  
Caregiver Health ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background and Objectives Many adults with autism spectrum disorders require lifelong reliance on caregiver support. As these caregivers age and experience health challenges, social support can be critical. This study seeks to understand if caregiver health moderates the relationship between informal social support and caregiver burden. Research Design and Methods A total of 320 parents (age 50+ years) of adult children diagnosed with ASD were recruited from autism organizations and support groups and completed a web-based survey. Separate moderation analyses were used to determine if caregiver health was moderating the relationship between informal social support and composite caregiver burden, as well as the separate domains of developmental, time dependence, emotional burden, and impact of caregiving on finances. For each analysis, perceptions of available informal social support were the independent variable, composite and domains of caregiver burden were dependent variables, and parents’ self-reported general health was the moderating variable. Results Caregiver health had a statistically significant moderating effect when predicting the relationships between informal social support and composite caregiver burden, as well as time dependence burden and impact of caregiving on finances. Discussion and Implications Increased attention should be focused on supporting the current and future needs of both aging caregivers and their adult children with ASD. Future research on the dynamics of social support, health, and burden is also urgently needed to address the growing number of aging caregivers of adults diagnosed with ASD.

Narrative Skills in Young Adults With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Rosenthal Rollins
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Personal Narratives ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Type I ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Standard Mean Difference ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Adults With Asd

In this study, the author investigated narrative performances of 10 high-functioning young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) across personal and storybook narratives. Narratives were elicited with genre-specific procedures and then transcribed and scored using the narrative scoring scheme (NSS). One-tailed paired-sample t tests were conducted on four variables, for which the standard mean difference between the genres (NSS Total Score, Introduction, Conclusion, and Mental States) was large. To avoid inflating Type I error, an alpha of .012 was set. Results indicated that, on average, high-functioning adults with ASD had poorer quality personal narratives for NSS Total Score, Mental States, and Conclusion. This suggests that many high-functioning adults with ASD have difficulty in expressing how they feel and often neglect to conclude and make sense of their experiences in a social context. Telling personal narratives is an important skill for high-functioning adults with ASD because narratives support social interaction and relationships.

A study of the neuropsychological correlates in adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorders

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 286-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronna Fried ◽  
Gagan Joshi ◽  
Pradeep Bhide ◽  
Amanda Pope ◽  
Maribel Galdo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
High Functioning Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Sight Words ◽  
Adhd Group ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Neuropsychological Correlates ◽  
Comparison Groups ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Adults With Asd

ObjectiveTo examine the unique neuropsychological presentation in adults with high functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD) by comparison with adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).MethodsAdults with ASD referred to a specialty clinic (n=26) were compared to two non-ASD groups with (n=52) and without (n=52) ADHD of similar age and sex.ResultsNo differences in IQ were found. Subjects with HF-ASD were significantly more impaired than both comparison groups in processing speed, cognitive flexibility and sight words. Subjects with HF-ASD were more impaired than controls in working memory, but not the ADHD group.ConclusionThese findings suggest that there may be specific neuropsychological correlates of HF-ASD differing from ADHD that could have significant implications for identifying individuals at risk for ASD.

Conclusion

2017 ◽  
pp. 320-324
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Life Outcomes ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Adults With Asd

Adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders face a multitude of challenges and are experiencing poor life outcomes. This book has summarized the research on practices designed to mitigate these challenges and to improve their life outcomes. There are two recurrent and interconnected themes that have been present throughout the book. The first is that there is immense heterogeneity across individuals with ASD. The second is that the tools for improving outcomes for this population exist, but they may not have been systematically researched with this population. Given the current outcomes for this population, continued research all areas is essential for discovering approaches that will improve the outcomes and quality of life for young adults with ASD. This chapter summarizes the book and provides suggestions for future research.

Employment Outcomes of Transition-Aged Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A State of the States Report

2014 ◽  
Vol 119 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sloane Burgess ◽  
Robert E. Cimera
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Employment Outcomes ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Vocational Rehabilitation Services ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Adults With Asd ◽  
Over Time

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the employment outcomes of transition-aged adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) served by vocational rehabilitation services (VR) over the last 10 years by state. A secondary purpose was to compare employment outcomes of individuals with ASD to those of the overall transition-aged population served by VR for the same time period. Although there was variability both within and among states, the results of this study indicate that, over time, the number of young adults with ASD seeking VR services has increased; however, employment outcomes including the percent of adults with ASD achieving employment, the number of hours worked, and wages earned have not improved for this group. The cost to provide VR services to transition-aged adults with ASD was relatively stable over time. Transition-aged adults with ASD were more likely to become successfully employed as a result of receiving VR services than the overall population of transition-aged adults served by VR. However, the employed transition-aged adults consistently worked fewer hours and earned lower wages than those in the overall population. Factors that may influence variability within and among states, and between groups, and implications for research and practice are discussed.

scholarly journals Relations Among Detection of Syllable Stress, Speech Abnormalities, and Communicative Ability in Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders

2016 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 206-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niko Kargas ◽  
Beatriz López ◽  
Paul Morris ◽  
Vasudevi Reddy
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Stress Perception ◽  
Communicative Ability ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Adults With Asd ◽  
Syllable Stress

Purpose To date, the literature on perception of affective, pragmatic, and grammatical prosody abilities in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has been sparse and contradictory. It is interesting to note that the primary perception of syllable stress within the word structure, which is crucial for all prosody functions, remains relatively unexplored in ASD. Thus, in the current study, we explored syllable stress perception sensitivity and its relationship to speech production abnormalities and communicative ability in adults with ASD. Method A same–different syllable stress perception task using pairs of identical 4-syllable words was delivered to 42 adults with/without high-functioning ASD, matched for age, to investigate primary speech perception ability in ASD. Speech production and communicative ability in ASD was measured using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (Lord et al., 2000). Results As predicted, the results showed that adults with ASD were less sensitive in making judgments about syllable stress relative to controls. Also, partial correlations revealed a key association of speech production abnormalities with stress perception sensitivity, rather than communicative ability. Conclusions Our findings provide empirical evidence for deficits on primary syllable stress perception in ASD and its role on sociocommunicative difficulties. This information could facilitate the development of effective interventions for speech and language therapy and social communication.

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