Experiences of Affiliate Stigma and Depressive Symptoms in Caregivers of Autistic Children: The Moderating Effect of Social Support.

Caregivers with an autistic child often experience stigma, which can lead to detrimental mental health consequences. Affiliate stigma is the internalization of, and psychological responses to, stigma experienced due to an individual's association with a person who is stigmatized. Social support has been shown to mediate the relationship between affiliate stigma and depression in caregivers of special needs children.

Brief Report: Positive Caregiver Perceptions on Receiving Research Summary Reports in Autism Longitudinal Research.

Purpose: Although participating in research is often presented as something that can 'help others in the future', research participants may also benefit from accessing and understanding their own research data. However, participant attitudes toward receiving individual data via research reports are under researched. This study examined participant perceptions of research reports within the context of the pilot phase of the Pediatric Autism Research Cohort (PARC) Study.

Exploring the association between social skills struggles and social communication difficulties and depression in youth with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by social communication difficulties and social skills abilities that are significantly differ from neurotypical populations as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. Furthermore, many autistic youth experience co-occurring conditions, with one of the most common being depression. This depression is suggested to be, in part, the result of the relative social isolation experienced by autistic youth.

What parents want: A qualitative analysis of a parent-implemented intervention for autistic children.

Background And Aims: Guidelines regarding social cognitive interventions for autistic children suggest incorporating a holistic approach. This includes increasing the family's understanding of difficulties associated with autism, integrations of natural environments, and parents as active agents in the intervention while being supported for their well-being. The current availability of holistic parent-implemented interventions for autistic children is limited, with no qualitative understanding of how parents view the benefits for themselves or their children.