scholarly journals Emotional–Behavioral Disorders in Healthy Siblings of Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Medicina ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 56 (10) ◽  
pp. 491 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariarosaria Caliendo ◽  
Valentina Lanzara ◽  
Luigi Vetri ◽  
Michele Roccella ◽  
Rosa Marotta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
At Risk ◽  
Behavioral Disorders ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Emotional Behavioral Disorders ◽  
Disabled Children ◽  
Healthy Siblings

Background and Objectives: Siblings of disabled children are more at risk of developing mental illnesses. More than 50 international studies show that about 8% of children and adolescents suffer from a mental disorder, which is almost always a source of difficulties both at the interpersonal level (in the family and with peers) and at school. Healthy siblings of children with disabilities are one of the groups most at risk for consequences in psychological health and well-being. As some authors suggest, siblings build their idea of “being people”, in terms of character and personality, by continuously and daily confronting themselves with the theme of disability and a family context subjected to continuous stress. The following contribution aims to compare emotional–behavioral disorders in healthy siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder, in healthy siblings of children with Down’s syndrome and in healthy siblings of children with typical development. Materials and Methods: The results involve 153 children from the region of Campania and their caregivers through the administration of the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results: From the data, it emerged that siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder and siblings of children with Down’s syndrome have a greater emotional fragility, especially among male subjects. Conclusions: Our results require us to reflect on the clinical and policy measures needed to ensure the well-being of siblings of disabled children, mainly through appropriate sibling coping training.

Stability and change in resolution of diagnosis among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: Child and parental contributions

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (4pt1) ◽  
pp. 1045-1057 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nurit Yirmiya ◽  
Ifat Seidman ◽  
Nina Koren-Karie ◽  
David Oppenheim ◽  
Smadar Dolev
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Maternal Attachment ◽  
Child Characteristics ◽  
Mothers And Fathers ◽  
Mental Age ◽  
Parental Characteristics

AbstractThe contribution of change over time in parent and child characteristics to parents’ resolution of child's diagnosis was examined among 78 mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Children's characteristics (e.g., mental age and severity of symptoms), parental characteristics (e.g., attachment-related anxiety and stress level), and parents’ resolution of their child's diagnosis (resolved vs. unresolved) were examined at Time 1, and reassessed 3 years later at Time 2. Results indicated a deferential contribution of change in parent and child characteristics among mothers and fathers. An increase in child symptom severity and in maternal attachment-related anxiety, as well as longer durations of time since receiving the diagnosis, significantly predicted maternal resolved status at Time 2. Conversely, none of the changes in children's or paternal characteristics predicted paternal resolved status at Time 2. Results are discussed in relation to child and parental contributions to resolution, the differences in the adjustment and well-being of mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder, parental growth following receiving the diagnosis, and the need for intervention components specific to parental resolution and attachment-related anxiety.

Gastrointestinal concerns in children with autism spectrum disorder: A qualitative study of family experiences

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110626
Author(s):  
Calliope Holingue ◽  
Ohemaa Poku ◽  
Danika Pfeiffer ◽  
Sarah Murray ◽  
M. Daniele Fallin
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Quality Healthcare ◽  
Gastrointestinal Distress ◽  
Gastrointestinal Problems ◽  
Verbal Behaviors

Gastrointestinal distress is a prevalent issue in the autism spectrum disorder community, with implications for the person living with autism spectrum disorder and their families. However, the experiences of families caring for a child with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms have not been explored to date. We conducted one-on-one semi-structured interviews with 12 parents of children with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms. Using an inductive analysis approach, drawing on phenomenology, we identified four major themes across interviews. First, parents reported that their child had difficulty verbally communicating the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms, leading parents to rely on bodily signs and non-verbal behaviors to recognize when their child was experiencing gastrointestinal distress (Theme 1). Next, gastrointestinal issues impacted the child’s well-being and the ability to participate in and fully engage in activities (Theme 2), and the family’s well-being (Theme 3). Finally, parents often experienced challenges with seeking accessible and quality healthcare for their child’s gastrointestinal problems (Theme 4). These findings elucidate the incredible toll that gastrointestinal symptoms have on the overall wellness of children with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Lay abstract Gastrointestinal problems are common in the autism spectrum disorder community and may affect both the person with autism spectrum disorder and their families. However, little research is available on the experiences of families who have a child with both autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms. We held one-on-one interviews with 12 parents of children who had both autism spectrum disorder and gastrointestinal symptoms. We analyzed the raw text responses from these interviews and identified four main themes. First, parents shared that their children had trouble verbally communicating when they were experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms (Theme 1). This led parents to use bodily signs, such as changes in the stool, and non-verbal behaviors, such as irritability, to recognize when their child was having gastrointestinal symptoms. Next, gastrointestinal issues affected both the child’s well-being and their ability to attend class and extracurricular or social activities (Theme 2). The gastrointestinal issues also affected the family’s routines, overall well-being, and their ability to go out and do activities together as a family (Theme 3). Finally, parents often had challenges receiving accessible and quality healthcare for their child’s gastrointestinal problems (Theme 4). Together, these findings highlight the enormous burden that gastrointestinal symptoms have on the wellness of children with autism spectrum disorder and their families.

scholarly journals Parental perception of stress and emotional-behavioural difficulties of children with autism spectrum disorder and specific language impairment

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 239694152097150
Author(s):  
Magda Di Renzo ◽  
Federico Bianchi di Castelbianco ◽  
Elena Vanadia ◽  
Massimiliano Petrillo ◽  
Lidia Racinaro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Specific Language Impairment ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Specific Language

Background and aims The daily challenges of caring for a child with autism spectrum disorder affect many areas of everyday life and parental well-being, as well as parents’ ability to manage the needs of the family and the child concerned. A better understanding of parents’ perception of their child’s characteristics can allow better support for them and individualize intervention protocols in a more accurate way. The main objective of this study is the evaluation of the perception of stress by parents of children with autism compared to parents of children with specific language impairment. Methods The parents of 87 children aged between 2 and 6 years were included in this study, 34 children with a specific language impairment diagnosis and 53 children with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (ASD) or at risk of developing it. They were asked to complete a self-report on perceived stress and rating scales on adaptive/problematic behaviours, executive functions and sensory profile of the child. Results The results reveal that parents of ASD children, compared to the control group, showed significantly higher levels of stress, mainly due to the difficulty of managing unexpected events, the feeling of loss of control over one's life and the fear of not being able to cope with the adversities they were experiences. The most critical area, both for ASD and control group, concern the executive function related to emotional reactions. Conclusions Thus, we argue that the difficulties in self-control, sensory modulation and emotional regulation, represent an element of stress for parents of children with developmental disorders. Implications: Regarding the difficulties of children with ASD, supporting the ways in which caregivers adapt to the signals of children is an important strategy, which has now become a key element of treatments for autism mediated by parents.

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