Sociodemographic Differences Impact the Perceived Importance of Social Communication and Interaction Behaviors.

The evaluation of social communication and interaction (SC/I) behaviors is foundational to the autism identification process. However, this type of evaluation is made difficult by the fact that SC/I is a construct in which perceptions and expectations are largely influenced by norms and attitudes of different sociodemographic groups. While there are many factors that influence differences in SC/I behaviors across sociodemographic groups, one factor that may be especially important is the perceived value of these behaviors.

Re-Evaluating the Appropriateness of the "Don't Know" Response Option: Guessing Rate as a Source of Systematic Error on Autism Knowledge Assessments.

Several autism knowledge assessments include "don't know" as a response option. The inclusion of this response option may lead to systematic error, such that participants' guessing rate affects the measurement of their autism knowledge. This study examines both predictors of guessing rate for autism knowledge and predictors of autism knowledge, including guessing rate.

Improving student outcomes through interprofessional and interagency collaboration.

The articles in this special issue collectively provide important information about engagement, perceptions, and experiences that enhance our understanding of the current context of educational and health care delivery across systems of care; the importance of perspectives of collaboration and engagement in collaborations; and the direct benefits of interagency collaboration (IAC) on improving mental health among students. Moreover, these articles highlight the importance of specific training and interprofessional collaboration (IPC) and the importance of ethical considerations in IPC and IAC. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Teaching Constant Rate-of-Change Problem-Solving to Secondary Students With or at Risk of Learning Disabilities.

Rate of change (i.e., slope) is a critical mathematics concept for success in everyday life, academics, and professional careers.

Autism Knowledge Assessments: A Closer Examination of Validity by Autism Experts.

The goal of the current study was to conduct a substantive validity review of four autism knowledge assessments with prior psychometric support (Gillespie-Lynch in J Autism and Dev Disord 45(8):2553-2566, 2015; Harrison in J Autism and Dev Disord 47(10):3281-3295, 2017; McClain in J Autism and Dev Disord 50(3):998-1006, 2020; McMahon in Res Autism Spectr Disord 71:101499, 2020). 69 autism experts who served on the editorial board of one or more peer-reviewed autism journals evaluated the accuracy and ambiguity of autism knowledge questions. 34% of the questions were flagged as "potentially problematic" for accuracy, and 17% of the questions were flagged as "potentially problematic" for ambiguity.

Vineland-3 Measurement Non-Invariance in Children With and Without Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.

Measurement of adaptive skills is important in the diagnosis, intervention planning, and progress monitoring of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Thus, ensuring accurate measurement, including measurement invariance, across children with and without IDD is critical. In this study, we evaluate the measurement invariance using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MG-CFA) of the Vineland-3 Comprehensive Interview (CIF) across children ages 6-21 years with and without IDD (N = 1,192) using archival data.

Caregiver Perceptions of Social Communication and Interaction: Development and Validation of the SCIPS.

Social communication and interaction (SC/I) skill quality may be influenced by cultural values, norms, and expectations. Because difficulties in SC/I is a core criterion for identifying autism and is a frequent construct of interest in autism research, a measure designed to capture cross-cultural differences in the perspectives of SC/I skills is warranted. To address this need we developed and validated the Social Communication and Interaction Perceptions Scale (SCIPS), a caregiver report measure for children ages 6-18 years, that measures both frequency and perceived importance of various SC/I skills.

The Experience of ADHD as Reported by Racially and Ethnically Minoritized Adolescents: a Survey-Based Phenomenological Investigation.

The variety of possible suboptimal long-term outcomes associated with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when left unsupported highlights the importance of timely and accurate identification followed by intervention. Though considerations of race and ethnicity are essential to service delivery, disparities in ADHD identification and intervention persist for racially and ethnically minoritized (REM) youth. This is exacerbated by a lack of research focusing on REM populations.

Executive functioning skills in early childhood children with autism, intellectual disability, and co-occurring autism and intellectual disability.

Background: Many children with autism and intellectual disability (ID) experience executive functioning (EF) difficulties. However, there is minimal research on EF skills in children with autism, ID, and co-occurring autism/ID in early childhood.

Aims: To address this gap in the research, we evaluated EF profiles using the BRIEF-P among early childhood children (2-5 years of age) with autism, ID, and co-occurring autism/ID.

Cultural differences in social communication and interaction: A gap in autism research.

Social communication and interaction deficits are a diagnostic criteria of autism and integral to practitioner and researcher conceptualization. Culture is an influential factor in expectations for, and demonstration of, social communication and interaction skills, but there is limited research published in autism journals on this topic. This paucity of autism research examining cultural factors related to social communication and interaction may contribute to known identification disparities for racial and ethnic populations minoritized by systemic factors and research bias.

Brief Report: A Brief Video Intervention for Increasing Autism Knowledge in a General Population Sample.

As many individuals in the general population will likely interact with autistic persons in various contexts, ensuring adequate autism knowledge and awareness is important. Increased knowledge of autism has been linked to positive outcomes such as a reduction in explicit bias against autism by non-autistic adults and an increase in service quality for autistic individuals provided by indirect professionals. For this study we developed an informational video about autism and employed a randomized control trial to evaluate its effectiveness at increasing autism awareness in a general population sample.

Influences of student race/ethnicity and gender on autism special education classification considerations.

Autism prevalence has continued to rise in recent years. However, females and children from Black, Latinx, and Asian backgrounds are often misidentified or identified less often than White males. These identification disparities make it difficult for children to receive appropriate special education and school intervention services.

System navigation models to facilitate engagement in pediatric behavioral health services: A systematic review.

Introduction: Despite increased prevalence and identification of pediatric behavioral health concerns, families face many barriers when attempting to access behavioral health services. System navigators, or individuals experienced in navigating the health system, help to engage families in services by helping individuals overcome barriers for accessing care. However, limited research to date has systematically reviewed the implementation and effectiveness of navigation models in pediatric populations.

Interagency Collaboration for Pediatric Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives of Community-Based Providers.

Background: Interagency collaboration between community and school settings is one mechanism to serve the complex needs of pediatric patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Purpose: We surveyed a national sample of community-based providers to examine their perspectives on interagency collaboration with school-based providers when serving pediatric patients with ASD.

Method: Medical and behavioral/mental health professionals practicing in community settings were recruited.

Assessing Interdisciplinary Trainees' Objective and Self-Reported Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Confidence in Providing Services.

The importance of accurate identification and high-quality intervention for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is indisputable. Clinicians from multiple professions need adequate knowledge of ASD to make appropriate referrals to specialists, conduct thorough evaluations, and provide effective interventions. ASD knowledge development for many professionals may start at the pre-service training level.

Implications of COVID-19 on School Services for Children with Disabilities: Opportunities for Interagency Collaboration.

The transition to virtual and hybrid schooling given the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has upended the education system and may be widening gaps in service disparities, particularly for children with disabilities. Schools often function as "de facto" service systems for most children with disabilities, particularly those from racially and ethnically minoritized, economically vulnerable, and bilingual populations. The impact of school closures on children with disabilities poses significant ramifications for the medical, behavioral health, and educational systems in which they are served, necessitating the need for pediatric clinicians to collaborate with schools in purposeful ways.

Methods for addressing publication bias in school psychology journals: A descriptive review of meta-analyses from 1980 to 2019.

Although meta-analyses are often used to inform practitioners and researchers, the resulting effect sizes can be artificially inflated due to publication bias. There are a number of methods to protect against, detect, and correct for publication bias. Currently, it is unknown to what extent scholars publishing meta-analyses within school psychology journals use these methods to address publication bias and whether more recently published meta-analyses more frequently utilize these methods.

Validation of the ASKSG with a Parent Sample in the United States.

Parents play a critical role in the early identification of ASD because of their experiential knowledge and frequent observations of their children. Being knowledgeable about ASD may help parents recognize early signs and symptoms, know to which professionals to express their concerns, and better navigate systems of care. An appropriate measure of ASD knowledge for parents is essential to further understand the importance of ASD knowledge in this population.

The ASKSP Revised (ASKSP-R) as a Measure of ASD Knowledge for Professional Populations.

It is important for all professionals who work with individuals who have ASD to have sufficient knowledge of the disorder. The development of ASD knowledge may occur during preservice training and/or through professional development. Currently, there is no "gold standard" measure of ASD knowledge.

Confidence of School-Based Speech-Language Pathologists and School Psychologists in Assessing Students With Hearing Loss and Other Co-Occurring Disabilities.

Purpose This study assessed the confidence of speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and school psychologists (SPs) in working with children with hearing loss (HL) and other co-occurring disabilities. Professionals' opinions on barriers to and importance of interdisciplinary collaboration were also of interest. Method A 59-item online survey was distributed to SLPs and SPs in the United States through state professional organizations and social media posts.

Brief Report: Development and Validation of the Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale General Population Version: Preliminary Analyses.

Despite the dramatic rise in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence, limited information is known about ASD knowledge of the general population. The Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale, General Population version (ASKSG) was collaboratively constructed to create a measure of ASD knowledge specifically for the general population. The ASKSG is a 31-item measure that assesses one's knowledge and understanding of ASD.

School-Clinic Care Coordination for Youth with ASD: A National Survey of School Psychologists.

Many youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may benefit from interdisciplinary care coordination. Communication and collaboration between the school and clinic settings is particularly important when youth with ASD are receiving both special education and clinic-based services. The responsibility of initiating coordinated care has historically been with the medical home (e.

Linking the Medical and Educational Home to Support Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Practice Recommendations.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with complex medical problems that are often exacerbated by a range of other intellectual and psychiatric comorbidities. These children receive care for their physical and mental health from a range of providers within numerous child-serving systems, including their primary care clinic, school, and the home and community. Given the longitudinal nature in which care is provided for this chronic disorder, it is particularly necessary for services and providers to coordinate their care to ensure optimal efficiency and effectiveness.

Inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity among children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity-disorder, autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability.

Background: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and Intellectual Disability (ID) are common co-occurring neurodevelopmental disorders; however, limited research exists regarding the presentation and severity of overlapping symptomology, particularly inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, when a child is diagnosed with one of more of these neurodevelopmental disorders.

Aims: As difficulties with inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity are symptoms frequently associated with these disorders, the current study aims to determine the differences in the severity of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity in children diagnosed with ADHD, ASD, ID, and co-occurring diagnosis of ADHD/ID, ASD/ADHD, and ASD/ID.

Methods And Procedures: Participants in the current study included 113 children between the ages of 6 and 11 who were diagnosed with ADHD, ASD, ID, ADHD/ID, ASD/ADHD, or ASD/ID.