scholarly journals A Systematic Review on the Impact of the Social Confinement on People with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Caregivers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1389
Author(s):  
Yurena Alonso-Esteban ◽  
María Fernanda López-Ramón ◽  
Verónica Moreno-Campos ◽  
Esperanza Navarro-Pardo ◽  
Francisco Alcantud-Marín
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Psychological Consequences ◽  
The Social ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
Adults With Asd ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic had imposed a variety of containment measures on the general population for prolonged periods. Confinement has had, and still has, social, economic, educational, health, and psychological consequences on the entire population. Objective: In this article, a systematic search has been performed based on studies carried out since the beginning of the pandemic, regarding the impact of these containment measures on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population and their caregivers. Method: We consulted six databases (i.e., PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct) and selected ten studies that met the inclusion criteria. The chosen studies have been classified according to their theoretical focus, methodology, and target population. Results: We found an increase in stress and a decrease in psychological well-being among individuals diagnosed with ASD (i.e., parents and caregivers). Additionally, in studies focused on children, youth, and adults with ASD diagnosis, the results are contradictory depending on variables such as age, ASD severity, or type of family structure. Conclusions: The results show that the consequences of quarantine and social confinement are quite contradictory and depend on variables such as age, ASD severity, and family features.

scholarly journals Renaming schizophrenia: 5 × 5

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (03) ◽  
pp. 254-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinan Guloksuz ◽  
Jim van Os
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Long Run ◽  
The Social ◽  
Technical Features ◽  
In The Beginning

AbstractThere had been a long way to go before we felt comfortable about even discussing the issues revolving around the concept of ‘schizophrenia’, let alone reckoning on mere semantic revision. In this editorial, we aim to extend our discussion on the reasons behind the slow death of the concept of ‘schizophrenia’ and the benefits of changing the name and embracing a spectrum approach with an umbrella psychosis spectrum disorder (PSD) category (similar to autism spectrum disorder) that goes further than a mere semantic revision. We attempted to cover the topic of the renaming by providing five most pertinent points categorised under five domains: reasons, signals, challenges, promises and steps for the change. Admittedly, even a modest revision, such as classifying all psychotic disorder categories under an umbrella category of PSD, and abolishing the term schizophrenia requires careful deliberation and some effort in the beginning, but the revision is well worth the effort considering the benefits in the long run. Renaming a particular form of mental suffering should be accompanied by a broader debate of the entire diagnosis-evidence-based-practice (EBP)-symptom-reduction model as the normative factor driving the content and organisation of mental health services that may be detached from patients’ needs and reality, overlooks the trans-syndromal structure of mental difficulties, appraises the significance of the technical features over the relational and ritual components of care, and underestimates the lack of EBP group-to-individual generalisability. Individuals may make great strides in attaining well-being by accommodating to living with mental vulnerabilities through building resilience in the social and existential domains. Changing the name and the concept of ‘schizophrenia’, which goes beyond a mere semantic revision, may become the first step that allows catalysation of the process of modernising psychiatric science and services worldwide.

MAAN: A Multi-Modal Messaging Application for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamad Hassan Fadi Hijab ◽  
Dena Al-Thani ◽  
Bilikis Banire
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Communication Skills ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Rate Of Change ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Short Version ◽  
The Social ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Adults With Asd

BACKGROUND Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit difficulties in social and communication skills. For more than 30 years, specialists, parents, and caregivers use techniques such as Applied Behaviour Analysis, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, and Picture Exchange Communication System to support social and communication skills of people with autism. The existing messaging and social media applications do not cater features that help users with ASD to construct sentences and hence aid their communication and social skills. OBJECTIVE This paper aims to investigate the effect of adding features such as Text-to-Speech (TTS), Speech-to-Text (SST), and Communication Symbols (CS) to a messaging application. The work hypothesizes that the usage of TTS, STT, and CS can enhance the social and communication skills of adults with ASD. It also hypothesizes that the usage of the application can ease the communication of adults with ASD with others. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 5 experts working in the fields related to ASD to help design the application. 7 adults with ASD participated in the study for a period of 10 to 16 weeks. Data log of participant interaction with the application was collected. Additionally, 6 participants’ parents and 1 caregiver were asked to complete a short version of Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA – S) questionnaire for pre-post study results, for comparison. User Mobile Application Rating Scale Questionnaire has been used to evaluate the application’s usability. Following the study, interviews were conducted to discuss the experience with the app. RESULTS The SELSA–S questionnaire results showed no change in the Family subscale; however, the social loneliness subscale showed difference between pre-post study results and the Wilcoxon rank signed test, indicating that post-study SELSA–S results were statistically significantly higher than the pre-study results(z=-2.047,P<.04). The point-biserial correlation indicated that SELSA–S rate of change was strongly related to the usage of TTS feature (r=.708,P<.038) and CS features (r=.-917,P<.002) and moderately related to the usage of STT features (r=.428,P<.169). Lastly, we adopted grounded theory to analyze the interview data, and 5 categories emerged: application support, features relevance, user interface design, overall feedback, and recommendations. CONCLUSIONS This study discusses the potential for improving the communication skills of adults with ASD through special features in mobile messaging applications. The developed application aims to support the inclusion and independent life of adults with ASD. The study’s results showed the importance of using the TTS, STT, and CS features to enhance their social and communication skills.

scholarly journals Grief Experiences in Family Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (23) ◽  
pp. 4821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Bravo-Benítez ◽  
María Nieves Pérez-Marfil ◽  
Belén Román-Alegre ◽  
Francisco Cruz-Quintana
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Family Members ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Caregiver Role ◽  
The Impact

The main objective of this study was to analyse the experience of grief and feelings of loss in family caregivers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as the perceived overload from taking on the primary caregiver role. Twenty family caregivers of children with ASD participated. The family members were assessed using an ad-hoc semi-structured interview that addressed the families’ reactions to the diagnosis, implications for daily functioning, and concerns for the immediate and long-term future of their relatives with ASD. The results indicate that family caregivers of children with ASD endure intense and continuous sorrow and grief due to the impact that having and caring for a child with these characteristics has on all aspects of their lives. These data highlight the importance of creating support and intervention programmes and services focused on the feelings and manifestations of ambiguous grief that occur in these family members, in order to improve their well-being and quality of life and reduce caregiver role overload.

scholarly journals Anxiety and depression in adults with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 559-572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J Hollocks ◽  
Jian Wei Lerh ◽  
Iliana Magiati ◽  
Richard Meiser-Stedman ◽  
Traolach S Brugha
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
Adults With Asd ◽  
The Impact

AbstractAdults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are thought to be at disproportionate risk of developing mental health comorbidities, with anxiety and depression being considered most prominent amongst these. Yet, no systematic review has been carried out to date to examine rates of both anxiety and depression focusing specifically on adults with ASD. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the rates of anxiety and depression in adults with ASD and the impact of factors such as assessment methods and presence of comorbid intellectual disability (ID) diagnosis on estimated prevalence rates. Electronic database searches for studies published between January 2000 and September 2017 identified a total of 35 studies, including 30 studies measuring anxiety (n= 26 070; mean age = 30.9,s.d.= 6.2 years) and 29 studies measuring depression (n= 26 117; mean age = 31.1,s.d.= 6.8 years). The pooled estimation of current and lifetime prevalence for adults with ASD were 27% and 42% for any anxiety disorder, and 23% and 37% for depressive disorder. Further analyses revealed that the use of questionnaire measures and the presence of ID may significantly influence estimates of prevalence. The current literature suffers from a high degree of heterogeneity in study method and an overreliance on clinical samples. These results highlight the importance of community-based studies and the identification and inclusion of well-characterized samples to reduce heterogeneity and bias in estimates of prevalence for comorbidity in adults with ASD and other populations with complex psychiatric presentations.

scholarly journals The Social Shapes Test as a Self-Administered, Online Measure of Social Intelligence: Three Studies with Typically Developing Adults and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Brown ◽  
Christopher Chabris ◽  
Patrick Ryan Heck
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Intelligence ◽  
Verbal Ability ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Testing Time ◽  
Adults With Autism ◽  
The Social ◽  
Intelligence Theory ◽  
Adults With Asd

The Social Shapes Test (SST) was designed as a measure of social intelligence, theory of mind,or mentalizing without using human faces or relying on extensive verbal ability and iscompletely self-administered online. Despite promising validity evidence, there have been nostudies of whether this task is suitable for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Acrossthree studies, we find that the SST is an equally reliable test for adults with ASD. We detect amodest difference in SST performance due to ASD and no evidence for differential itemfunctioning. We also provide a ten-item version for whenever testing time is limited. The SST isa suitable measure of social intelligence, especially for studies where remote, online assessmentis needed

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Containment Measures on Families and Children with Moderate and High-Functioning ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 783
Author(s):  
Margarita Saliverou ◽  
Maria Georgiadi ◽  
Dimitra Maria Tomprou ◽  
Nataly Loizidou-Ieridou ◽  
Stefanos Plexousakis
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Prevention Measures ◽  
High Functioning ◽  
Telephone Interviews ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
The Impact

The present study focuses on the impact of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) transmission prevention measures and, in particular, home confinement of families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Greece. It is assumed that the implemented new measures during the pandemic constitute a profound change for children on the spectrum, considering that the core ASD symptoms include the persistence and adherence to routine and stability, a condition that also directly affects the children’s parents. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted. Participants were 10 caregivers with a child diagnosed with ASD of medium or high functioning in Greece. The ages of the children range from 6.5 to 15 years old. The results of the thematic analysis revealed three main themes: (1) the educational framework, (2) the management of daily life, and (3) the construction of the new daily routine. These three themes represent the levels that have undergone a decisive transition, and the sub-themes recommend the areas, individual ways of dealing with this shift. So far, the impact of the pandemic mitigation measures cannot be described as generally positive or negative, as there have been advances and setbacks for children and families alike. Finally, governmental measures and technology-assisted teaching (distance learning) were considered necessary but not sufficient enough for full adaptation.

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