Parental Attunement, Insightfulness, and Acceptance of Child Diagnosis in Parents of Children With Autism: Clinical Implications

Thirty-one children with and without autism spectrum disorder were asked to draw the meaning of 10 basic concepts. Following each drawing, children explained their drawing to the experimenter. Transcripts of the drawing task were coded for children’s use of personal pronouns and internal state terms. Children’s use of on- and off-task comments while explaining each drawing was examined. Both groups of children had a longer mean length of utterance when prompted to explain their drawings than while they were drawing. Analyses revealed no significant differences between children with and without autism in their use of internal state terms, pronouns, or their use of on- and off-task language during the drawing task. Clinical implications for the use of drawings as expressive language supports for children with autism are discussed.

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Observing Children with Autism in Interaction: Clinical Implications of Sequential KMP Patterns

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e510682014-001 ◽

2009 ◽

Author(s):

K. Mark Sossin ◽

Susan Loman

Keyword(s):

Children With Autism ◽

Clinical Implications

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The association between epilepsy and autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽

10.1177/1362361313508027 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 996-1006 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Emma W Viscidi ◽

Ashley L Johnson ◽

Sarah J Spence ◽

Stephen L Buka ◽

Eric M Morrow ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Clinical Implications ◽

Maladaptive Behaviors ◽

Autism Symptoms ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Simons Simplex Collection ◽

Autism Phenotype

Epilepsy is common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but little is known about how seizures impact the autism phenotype. The association between epilepsy and autism symptoms and associated maladaptive behaviors was examined in 2,645 children with ASD, of whom 139 had epilepsy, from the Simons Simplex Collection. Children with ASD and epilepsy had significantly more autism symptoms and maladaptive behaviors than children without epilepsy. However, after adjusting for IQ, only hyperactivity symptoms remained significantly increased (13% higher) in the epilepsy group. Among children with ASD without co-occurring intellectual disability, children with epilepsy had significantly more irritability (20% higher) and hyperactivity (24% higher) symptoms. This is the largest study to date comparing the autism phenotype in children with ASD with and without epilepsy. Children with ASD and epilepsy showed greater impairment than children without epilepsy, which was mostly explained by the lower IQ of the epilepsy group. These findings have important clinical implications for patients with ASD.

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Longitudinal psychometric evaluation of the developmental disorder parenting stressor index with Japanese parents of children with autism

Autism ◽

10.1177/13623613211009349 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136236132110093

Author(s):

Takahiro Yamane

Keyword(s):

Stress Response ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Parenting Stress ◽

Parental Stress ◽

Developmental Disorder ◽

Cognitive Appraisal ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Clinical Implications ◽

Personal Distress ◽

Parent Relationships

Assessing parenting stress in parents of children with autism has crucial clinical implications because increased parental stress is associated with psychological disorders and personal distress, which can result in worse child–parent relationships. We examined the psychometric properties of a new index for assessing parenting stressors—the Developmental Disorder Parenting Stressor Index and the temporal variability of parenting stressors using longitudinal data of 212 Japanese parents of children with autism aged 2–18 years. The findings indicated that the Developmental Disorder Parenting Stressor Index has appropriate cross-validity, structural validity, construct validity, and reliability. Moreover, the psychometric properties and the brevity of the Developmental Disorder Parenting Stressor Index increase the clinical utility of the scale. The implications of the findings of this study are discussed. Lay abstract Parents of children with autism experience high rates of parenting stress. Assessing parenting stress in them has crucial clinical implications because increased parental stress is associated with psychological disorders and personal distress, which can result in worse child–parent relationships. Theorists have proposed that a person’s cognitive appraisal determines whether or not a situation or an encounter is personally stressful. However, prior scales merely measure the outcomes of parental stress as a stress response: little the scales were designed to assess events and cognitive appraisal-related parenting stressors of parents of children with autism. We investigated whether a new index for assessing parenting stressors—the Developmental Disorder Parenting Stressor Index is a valid measure to assess parenting stressors of parents of children with autism using longitudinal online surveys at three times. Participants were 212 Japanese parents of children with autism aged 2–18 years who completed the Developmental Disorder Parenting Stressor Index and measures of autism symptoms and stress response . Overall, the findings indicated that the Developmental Disorder Parenting Stressor Index can be reliably used to measure both experiences and cognitive appraisal of parenting stressors among parents of children with autism. Moreover, the Developmental Disorder Parenting Stressor Index has several advantages and is a valuable measurement tool to be able to evaluate parenting stressors in clinical settings; Developmental Disorder Parenting Stressor Index is shorter, easier to complete, and can evaluate both viewpoints of parenting stressors.

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The Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities: Assessing and understanding restricted interests in children with autism spectrum disorder

Autism ◽

10.1177/1362361317742140 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 247-259 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

A Smerbeck

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Clinical Implications ◽

Adaptive Coping ◽

Restricted Interests ◽

Considerable Evidence ◽

New Instrument ◽

Social Flexibility

Restricted interests are an established diagnostic symptom of autism spectrum disorder. While there is considerable evidence that these interests have maladaptive consequences, they also provide a range of benefits. This article introduces a new instrument, the Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities, and uses it to examine the nature of restricted interests in autism spectrum disorder. Respondents report substantial benefits of restricted interests as well as areas of difficulty. The Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities assesses Social Flexibility, Perseveration, Respondent Discomfort, Adaptive Coping, and Atypicality. All scales have Cronbach’s α > 0.70. Age and socioeconomic status have little effect on Survey of Favorite Interests and Activities scales; nor does gender with the exception of interest Atypicality. The expected pattern of correlations with existing scales was found. Research and clinical implications are discussed.

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Discrimination and Generalization of Negatively-Reinforced Mands in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Behavior Modification ◽

10.1177/0145445518781957 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 43 (5) ◽

pp. 656-687

Author(s):

Laura C. Chezan ◽

Erik Drasgow ◽

Gabriela Z. McWhorter ◽

Kristine I. P. Starkey ◽

Brooke M. Hurdle

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Young Children ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Clinical Implications ◽

Language Delays ◽

Mand Training ◽

Food Items ◽

Young Children With Autism

In this study, we extended the literature on the generalization of negatively-reinforced mands in three young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). First, we used example and nonexample stimuli embedded in mand training to teach a new, socially appropriate, negatively-reinforced mand to reject unpreferred food items while continuously assessing mand discrimination. Second, we evaluated the discriminated generalization of the newly acquired mand by using untrained example and nonexample stimuli. Finally, we conducted maintenance probes to examine if the new, discriminated mand occurred over time in the absence of training. Results suggest that our mand training produced acquisition of a discriminated negatively-reinforced mand in all three children. Data indicate that the newly acquired, discriminated mand generalized to untrained food items and was maintained after training was discontinued. We discuss the conceptual significance and clinical implications of using example and nonexample stimuli to produce acquisition, generalization, and maintenance of negatively-reinforced mands in young children with ASD and language delays.

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Clinical Implications of Research in Nonverbal Behavior of Children With Autism

Nonverbal Behavior in Clinical Settings ◽

10.1093/med:psych/9780195141092.003.0012 ◽

2003 ◽

pp. 287-318 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Gail McGee ◽

Michael Morrier

Keyword(s):

Nonverbal Behavior ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Clinical Implications

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“It feels like something difficult is coming back to haunt me”: An exploration of ‘meltdowns’ associated with autistic spectrum disorder from a parental perspective

Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/1359104517730114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 125-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Indiana Montaque ◽

Rudi Dallos ◽

Becky McKenzie

Keyword(s):

Early Intervention ◽

Autistic Spectrum Disorder ◽

Children With Autism ◽

The Self ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Clinical Implications ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Predictable Process ◽

Anxiety And Fear

The research explored the experience and understandings expressed by parents of children with autism concerning ‘meltdowns’, which are commonly described as distressing, escalating episodes of conflicts. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six parents of children with a diagnosis of autism regarding their experience of ‘meltdowns’. Parents were asked to track the process of the meltdowns as well as to describe their experiences. Three over-arching themes emerged which encapsulated their experience: Living in Dread: Anxiety and fear of escalating patterns, Attempting to Correct for Negative Childhood Experiences and Condemnation from the Self and Others. The findings suggested that the meltdowns were perceived as having an escalating and predictable process, that parents anticipated meltdowns with anxiety, experienced feelings of helplessness and felt condemned by others. Importantly, it also appeared that parents’ responses were influenced by their own childhood experiences of parenting and that they attempted to ‘correct’ these to be better parents. A model of the meltdowns is suggested along with a discussion of clinical implications for early intervention with families.

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Study of the Development of Dialogue Speech in Preschoolers with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Bulletin of Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University ◽

10.12958/2227-2844-2021-1(339)-2-208-218 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (1 (339)) ◽

pp. 208-218

Author(s):

Olena Proskurniak ◽

◽

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Diagnostic Techniques ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Speech Development ◽

The State ◽

Child Diagnosis ◽

Communication Ability ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Selection Of

The article analyzes the research on the diagnosis of speech development among children with autism spectrum disorders. It is taken into account that a comprehensive idea of the state and features of a child's formation speech as a means of communication can be obtained only in the process of a comprehensive examination and analysis of his or her speech activity. It is proved that the majority of diagnostic techniques are not suitable for use in diagnosing of the level of speech and communication development of autistic children. It is noted that to assess the formation of dialogic speech of preschool children with autism, there are very few methodological developments, they are not perfect, and they should be adapted to the characteristics of each child. Diagnosis of the level of development of dialogic communication is to determine the level of formation of actual dialogic skills: the initiation of a communicative act, the ability to support and complete the conversation, coherence and logic of expression, intonation of dialogue; ability to communicate in pairs, groups, teams; ability to address with a request, a message, a demand, a greeting, to meet, to apologize, to thank, to say goodbye, to attract attention; an ability to use non-verbal means of communication; ability to ask questions, to use replica-stamps in speech, knowledge of dialogue etiquette and grammatical correctness. In accordance with the outlined indicators, a selection of diagnostic techniques aimed at determining the state of development of dialogic speech in children with autism spectrum disorders was carried through. The levels of development of dialogic speech in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders are described: low, medium, sufficient (which was not recorded among the respondent. All children have had echolalia, speech stereotypes, autodialogues recorded, which indicates a lack of understanding of what they are told, misunderstanding of requirements, disability to form answers or reluctance of communication in general. Analysis of the results of the study showed that misunderstanding of speech, of the meaning of nonverbal means of communication by children with autism spectrum disorders and the inability to initiate conversation leads to refusal to interact with other people, and their alienation.

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