scholarly journals Savouring as an Intervention to Decrease Negative Affect in Anxious Mothers of Children with Autism and Neurotypical Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 652
Author(s):  
Ariel Pereira ◽  
Atiqah Azhari ◽  
Chloe Hong ◽  
Gerin Gaskin ◽  
Jessica Borelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Positive Experience ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Mother Child Relationships ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
The Individual

Savouring is an emotion regulation strategy and intervention that focuses on the process of attending, intensifying and prolonging positive experiences and positive affect associated with these memories. Personal savouring involves a reflection on positive memories that are specific to the individual and do not involve others. In contrast, relational savouring entails reflecting on instances when people were responsive to the needs of their significant others. Such interventions hold potential benefits in enhancing positive affect (PA) and reducing negative affect (NA) for both parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and parents of neurotypical children. Adults with greater symptoms of generalised anxiety have been found to have less PA and more NA. However, no study has investigated the effects of a mother’s anxiety symptoms on the efficacy of savouring in enhancing PA and reducing NA. Thus, this paper combined personal and relational savouring to investigate whether savouring may enhance PA and reduce NA of a pooled sample of mothers of neurotypical children and mothers of children with ASD. 52 mothers of neurotypical children and 26 mothers of children with ASD aged 3–7 years old were given a series of questionnaires and randomly assigned to either relational savouring or personal savouring conditions. In relational savouring, mothers were asked to reflect upon a shared positive experience with their child while in the personal savouring condition, a personal positive experience was recalled. Across mothers of children with ASD and neurotypical children, findings suggest that savouring leads to a decrease in NA (p < 0.01) but not increases in PA. Similarly, mothers with higher levels of anxiety experience a greater decrease in NA (p < 0.001) compared to mothers with lower levels of anxiety post-savouring. This study proposes that a brief savouring intervention may be effective among mothers of preschoolers. As lower levels of negative affect is linked to healthier psychological well-being, mothers might be able to engage in more effective and warm parenting after savouring exercises, which would cultivate positive mother-child relationships that benefit their children in the long-term.

scholarly journals Savouring as an Intervention to Decrease Negative Affect in Anxious Mothers of Children with Autism and Neurotypical Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ariel S. Pereira ◽  
Atiqah Azhari ◽  
Chloe A. Hong ◽  
Gerin E. Gaskin ◽  
Jessica Borelli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Recent Decade ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Positive Experience ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Mother Child Relationships ◽  
The Individual

Savouring is an emotion regulation strategy and intervention that focuses on the process of attending, intensifying and prolonging positive experiences and positive affect associated with these memories. Personal savouring involves a reflection on positive memories that are specific to the individual and do not involve others. In contrast, relational savouring entails reflecting on instances when people were responsive to the needs of their significant others. Such interventions hold potential to benefit parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Mothers of children with ASD tend to experience higher anxiety, lower positive affect (PA) and more negative affect (NA) compared to mothers of neurotypical children, leading to a diminished overall well-being. Moreover, ASD has multiplied by up to four times in the recent decade. Thus, this paper investigates whether savouring may enhance the overall well-being of mothers of young children with ASD by increasing positive affect and decreasing negative affect. 52 mothers of neurotypical children and 26 mothers of children with ASD aged 3-7 years old were given a series of questionnaires and randomly assigned to either relational savouring or personal savouring conditions. In relational savouring, mothers were asked to reflect upon a shared positive experience with their child while in the personal savouring condition, a personal positive experience was recalled. Across mothers of children with ASD and neurotypical children, findings suggest that savouring leads to a decrease in NA (p &amp;lt; .01) but not increases in PA. Similarly, mothers with higher levels of anxiety experience a greater decrease in NA (p &amp;lt; .001) compared to mothers with lower levels of anxiety post-savouring. This study proposes that a brief savouring intervention may be effective among mothers of preschoolers. As lower levels of negative affect is linked to healthier psychological well-being, mothers might be able to engage in more effective and warm parenting after savouring exercises, which would cultivate positive mother-child relationships that benefit their children in the long-term.

scholarly journals Fenomenologia da Qualidade de Vida de Mães de Crianças Autistas

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-134
Author(s):  
Maria P. M CHAIM ◽  
Sebastião B. C. NETO, ◽  
Aminn y F. PEREIRA, ◽  
Virgínia E. S. M. COSTA
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Public Health Services ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Phenomenological Psychopathology

The quality of life (QOL) of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is related to the symptomatic and idiopathic characteristics of the existential condition of the child and is determined by the subjective understandings attributed according to the individual experience. The primary objective of this article is to describe and understand the subjective constructs about the self-referenced QOL of mothers of children with ASD. It is an empirical study, qualitative and based on a reading of phenomenological psychopathology. Participated 10 mothers of children with ASD, users of public health services in Goiânia. The following instruments were used: a sociodemographic and clinical data questionnaire and a semi-structured interview script about QOL. The interviews were submitted to the construction of thematic categories, according to the methodology of Giorgi (1985), and later were correlated with the existential categories of Augras (2004). It was observed that although a standard is sought to understand QOL, each mother has subjective factors that reflect in her way of experiencing the condition of being a mother of a child with special needs. It is concluded that it is the science, when seeking to understand the quality of life of people with similar characteristics, to consider the relevance of the subjective aspects and the meaning that each mother constructs of its own reality.

scholarly journals E-books for children with autism: Best read alone or with a therapist?

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-32
Author(s):  
Erin Soares ◽  
Therese Miller ◽  
Kathleen Ciffone ◽  
Kirsten Read
Keyword(s):  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Ideal Condition ◽  
Storybook Reading ◽  
Applied Behavioral Analysis ◽  
Story Reading ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Shared Storybook Reading ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Ideal

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) seemingly prefer tablets to other methods of intervention, though professionals posit that a therapist’s presence is beneficial. In this experiment, two unique e-stories were created specifically for children with ASD. Ten children with low- or nonverbal ASD heard each story presented on an iPad; one narrated through the iPad, and one read by a therapist trained in Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). The within-participants design enabled researchers to measure the individual benefit of each type of story reading. After hearing each book, participants were tested on their comprehension via multiple choice, sequencing, and open-ended questions. Results indicated that the ideal condition for these young children with low- and nonverbal ASD was the therapist-read condition. These findings suggest that simple stories presented on a rewarding platform, with the minimally intrusive assistance of a therapist, provide young, verbally-challenged children with ASD with a foundation for receiving the benefits of shared storybook reading.

scholarly journals Investigating SOcial Competence and Isolation in children with Autism taking part in LEGO-based therapy clubs In School Environments (I-SOCIALISE): study protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. e030471
Author(s):  
Danielle Varley ◽  
Barry Wright ◽  
Cindy Cooper ◽  
David Marshall ◽  
Katie Biggs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Skills ◽  
Usual Care ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
School Level ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social

IntroductionSocial skills training interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically focus on a skills deficit model rather than building on existing skills or encouraging the child to seek their own solutions. LEGO-based therapy is a child-oriented intervention to help improve social interactional skills and reduce isolation. The therapy is designed for school-age children with ASD and uses group-based play in a school setting to encourage peer relationships and social learning. Despite the reported potential benefits of LEGO-based therapy in a prior randomised controlled trial (RCT) and its adoption by many schools, the evidence to support its effectiveness on the social and emotional well-being of children with ASD is limited and includes no assessment of cost-effectiveness.Methods and analysisThis multicentre, pragmatic, cluster RCT will randomise 240 participants (aged 7–15 years) with a clinical diagnosis of ASD to receive usual care or LEGO-based therapy with usual care. Cluster randomisation will be conducted on a school level, randomising each school as opposed to each individual child within a school. All prospective participants will be screened for eligibility before assenting to the study (with parents giving informed consent on behalf of their child). All participants will be followed up at 20 and 52 weeks after randomisation to assess for social, emotional and behavioural changes. The primary outcome measure is the social skills subscale of the Social Skills Improvement System completed by a teacher or teaching assistant associated with participating children at the 20-week follow-up time point.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval has been obtained via the University of York Research Ethics Committee. The results of the trial will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal and will be disseminated to participating families, education practitioners and the third sector including voluntary and community organisations.Trial registration numberISRCTN64852382; Pre-results.

scholarly journals Peculiarity of Efficiency Assessment for Educational and Psychological Interventions Used with Children with ASD

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-67
Author(s):  
A.B. Sorokin ◽  
E.Yu. Davydova ◽  
A.V. Khaustov
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Efficiency Assessment ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Individual

Timely identification of appropriate intervention is prerequisite for amelioration of deficits in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is a complicated choice because of the high heterogeneity of ASD manifestations and insufficient state of knowledge about intervention efficiency. The article introduces an approach that will allow professionals who plan educational and psychological interventions for children with ASD and caregivers to assess the methods in terms of their congruence with the evidence-based criteria. Such assessment is conducted based on published experimental data. The article presents characteristics that are worth considering while making an informed decision about the preferred intervention. They include formal features, such as sample sizes, study length, compliance with the target group description, and validity, as well as subjective criteria that enable appropriate choice of intervention at the individual level.

scholarly journals Interventions to support parents of pre-school children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (14) ◽  
pp. e102101421932
Author(s):  
Maria Zygopoulou ◽  
Eleni Gkiolnta ◽  
Elpis Papaefstathiou ◽  
Kyriaki Sarri ◽  
Christine K. Syriopoulou-Delli
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Parents of children with a recently ASD diagnosis face elevated distress and mental health problems like stress, depression, and anxiety. Lately, few interventions which target directly parents of preschool children well-being have been implemented in some researches. It was conducted a review of studies that empirically tested the effects of different kind of interventions targeting improvements in parents of preschool children with ASD well-being. The objective of this review is to find out the different types of interventions that have been used and the outcomes on parental well-being enhancement. Searching on four databases and following a range of search strategies, a total of 9 studies met inclusion criteria. Findings suggest that in most cases, any type of intervention leads to positive effects on parents’ distress and well-being. However, comparisons and conclusions among the different approaches are difficult to be made, as each of the presented studies follows different methodology. Certainly, more studies have to focus on the parents of preschool children with ASD well-being and take into consideration all the limitations of the studies that are reviewed in this paper. Despite this fact, it is very encouraging that more and more researchers and clinicians are concerned about these kinds of interventions in order families with a child with ASD to get supported appropriately.

Evaluating response to group CBT in young children with autism spectrum disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deanna Swain ◽  
Haley G. Murphy ◽  
Tyler A. Hassenfeldt ◽  
Jill Lorenzi ◽  
Angela Scarpa
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Treatment Responder ◽  
Group Cbt

AbstractMany children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit difficulties with negative affect. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has been successfully adapted for individuals with ASD to treat these difficulties. In a wait-list control study, for example, group analyses showed promising results for young children with ASD using a developmentally adapted group CBT approach. This report examined response to group CBT in terms of individual-level change in young children with ASD. Eighteen children with ASD, aged 5–7 years, and their respective parents participated in treatment. Parents completed pre- and post-treatment measures of negative affect and related behaviours. Treatment responders and non-responders were grouped based on significant treatment outcomes as assessed by statistically significant change for lability/negativity and 20% decrease in intensity, duration or frequency of emotional outbursts. Results indicated that 67% of children met criteria as a treatment responder, showing meaningful improvement in at least two outcome measures. No significant group differences emerged for initial characteristics before treatment. Wilcoxon signed rank tests determined pre-/post-treatment change in parental confidence for each treatment responder group. Results indicated statistically significant increase for the treatment responder group in parent-reported confidence in their own ability and in their child's ability to manage the child's anger and anxiety, but these results were not significant for the treatment non-responder group. Results provide additional evidence that CBT can significantly decrease expressions of anger/anxiety in children with ASD as young as 5 years, yet also suggest need for further improvement.

scholarly journals Exploring the Participation Patterns and Impact of Environment in Preschool Children with ASD

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5677
Author(s):  
Ghaidaa Khalifa ◽  
Peter Rosenbaum ◽  
Kathy Georgiades ◽  
Eric Duku ◽  
Briano Di Rezze
Keyword(s):  
Preschool Children ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Everyday Activities ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
At Home

Participation in everyday activities at home and in the community is essential for children’s development and well-being. Limited information exists about participation patterns of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study examines these participation patterns in both the home and community, and the extent to which environmental factors and social communication abilities are associated with participation. Fifty-four parents of preschool-aged children with ASD completed the Participation and Environment Measure for Young Children and the Autism Classification System of Functioning: Social Communication. The children had a mean age of 48.9 (8.4) months. Patterns of participation were studied using descriptive statistics, radar graphs, and Spearman correlations. Children with ASD participated in a variety of activities at home and in the community, but showed a higher participation frequency at home. Parents identified different barriers (e.g., social demands) and supports (e.g., attitudes) in both settings. There was a moderate positive association between children’s social communication abilities and their levels of involvement during participation and the diversity of activities. This study highlights the importance of social communication abilities in the participation of preschool children with ASD, and the need to support parents while they work to improve their child’s participation, especially within their communities.

scholarly journals Detecting Feeding Problems in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. W. G. van Dijk ◽  
M. E. Buruma ◽  
E. M. A. Blijd-Hoogewys
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Population Sample ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Response Patterns ◽  
Feeding Problems ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Young Children With Autism ◽  
The Individual ◽  
And Child Health

AbstractFeeding problems are prevalent in children with ASD. We investigated whether the Montreal Children’s Hospital Feeding Scale (MCH-FS, Ramsay et al. in Pediatrics and Child Health 16:147–151, 2011) can be used for young children with ASD. Participants (1–6 years) were selected from a clinical ASD sample (n = 80) and a general population sample (n = 1389). Internal consistency was good in both samples. In general, parents of children with ASD reported more feeding problems than those from the population sample. The response patterns on the individual items was highly similar. There was a slight increase in symptoms with age in the population sample, but not in the ASD sample. These results suggest that the MCH-FS can be used in populations that include children with ASD.

scholarly journals Nature as a Healer for Autistic Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Hadeer Barakat ◽  
Ali Foaad Bakr ◽  
Zeyad El-sayad
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Sensory Integration ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Physical Symptoms ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Scientific Conference ◽  
Children With Asd

According to estimates from the Center for Disease Control (CDC's) in 2008 and the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network in 2010, about 1 in 88 children had Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in 2008 and about 1 in 68 children had Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in (2010). The eighth Scientific Conference for Autism held by the College of Education in conjunction with the Egyptian Society for Hydration Capacities of Children with Special Needs revealed that 1 out of every 80 children in Egypt are suffering from autism and this number in Egypt was expected to rise from 2.3 million in 2001 to 2.9 million in 2017. The reason for many of autistic children’s symptoms is sensory integration; it is the power to understand, organize, and feel sensory data from the environment and body. The issues surrounding sensory integration are presented in hyposensitive and hypersensitive reactions by children with autism to the vestibular, proprioception, tactile, audio, visual, and olfactory senses. A great deal of research has been conducted on gardens and their effect on health outcomes and how a garden may provide benefit: 1. Relief from physical symptoms or awareness of those symptoms. 2. Stress reduction. 3. Improvement in overall sense of well-being. The aim of this paper is to establish a group of guidelines for designing a therapeutic garden for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to treat the sensory integration problems of children with ASD by designing a sensory garden which should focus on therapeutic interference. By using the elements and principles of design, the guidelines for this garden are focused on producing calming effects for hyper reactive children with ASD and stimulating effects for hypo reactions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document