Inner experiences, mental health, and well-being in autistic and non-autistic adults.

The nature of autistic adults' everyday inner experiences has been largely unstudied. The purpose of this study was to examine patterns of inner experiences and how they relate to mental health and wellness among autistic and non-autistic adults. Autistic (n = 303) and non-autistic (n = 289) adults (ages 21-82) completed online surveys assessing their anxiety, depression, happiness, life satisfaction, and inner thinking patterns, (inner speaking [i.

Integration of Family Navigation into ECHO Autism for Pediatric Primary Care in Underserved Communities.

Children with autism from underserved communities face complex system-, provider-, and family-level barriers to accessing timely diagnosis and early intervention. The current study evaluated the preliminary effects and feasibility of a new program (ECHO Autism LINKS) that integrated pediatric primary care provider (PCP) training with family navigation (FN) to bridge the gaps between screening, referral, and service access. Three cohorts of PCPs (n = 42) participated in the program, which consisted of 60-minute sessions delivered by Zoom twice per month for 12 months.

Snack Talk: Effects of a Naturalistic Visual Communication Support on Increasing Conversation Engagement for Adults with Disabilities.

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities frequently experience poor life outcomes, with individuals reporting lower levels of social support, relationships, gainful employment, and satisfaction in their quality of life. To ameliorate these outcomes, social skills and social communication interventions aligned with the needs of adults are warranted. This study examined the efficacy of Snack Talk, a supplemental naturalistic visual communication support, with five adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Visual Supports to Increase Conversation Engagement for Preschoolers With Autism Spectrum Disorder During Mealtimes: An Initial Investigation.

The diversity of children within the preschool classroom is dramatically changing as children with autism spectrum disorder are increasingly included within it. To engage in the benefits of inclusion, social skills are needed. Yet, children with autism commonly experience difficulties in this area.

Keeping Teachers Engaged during Non-Instructional Times: An Analysis of the Effects of a Naturalistic Intervention.

As the prevalence of autism continues to rise, early childhood programs continue to evolve to meet the needs of children across a spectrum of abilities. To do this, strategies and supports are needed for teachers to engage with children who experience difficulties across developmental domains. Snack Talk, a naturalistic visual communication intervention, focuses on increases in conversation engagement for children with autism and related disabilities during mealtimes.

A mixed methods study of autistic adults' mental health therapy experiences.

Autistic adults are at high risk for co-occurring mental health problems and need access to effective and appropriate mental health treatment. However, the relative effectiveness or acceptability of specific mental health strategies among autistic adults has not been previously examined. The current study sought to gain a deeper understanding of autistic adults' experiences and preferences regarding mental health strategies using a mixed methods approach.

Associations Among Autism Symptom Domains and Facets of Caregiver Strain.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience elevated levels of caregiver strain (CGS). Few studies have examined the relationship between core ASD symptoms and each facet of CGS: objective, subjective internalized, and subjective externalized strain. The predictive effect of core and associated features of ASD on CGS facets were investigated, while also exploring the moderating effect of age.

Preliminary Validation and Feasibility of the Autism Detection in Early Childhood-Virtual (ADEC-V) for Autism Telehealth Evaluations in a Hospital Setting.

This study provided preliminary validation of the Autism Detection in Early Childhood-Virtual (ADEC-V) for telehealth assessment of possible autism. Participants were 121 children (24.79% female) aged 18-47 months who completed telehealth evaluations at a large pediatric hospital in the Midwestern United States between October 2020 and February 2021.

Interobserver agreement: A preliminary investigation into how much is enough?

Interobserver agreement (IOA) is important for research and practice, and supports the consistency of behavioral data (Kahng et al., 2011). Although general parameters for how much IOA is needed have been suggested (Bailey & Burch, 2018), it is unknown if the total number of sessions with IOA might impact the IOA coefficient.

The Development, Reliability, and Validity of the Social Impact of Repetitive Behavior Scale in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Introduction: Current measures of restrictive and repetitive behavior (RRB) in people with autism focus on severity and intensity and, to some degree, the global interference of the behavior. In this study we developed the Social Impact of Repetitive Behavior Scale (SIRBS) to capture several different contexts in which repetitive behavior is likely to occur and interfere.

Methods: SIRBS items were selected through reviewing the RRB literature, participant chart reviews, and consensus among authors, followed by an initial piloting and further refinement of the tool.

Brief Report: Replication and Validation of the Brief Autism Detection in Early Childhood (BADEC) in a Clinical Sample.

We investigated the clinical validity of the BADEC, an abbreviated, five-item version of the Autism Detection in Early Childhood, level-2 screening tool for autism. Initially developed by Nah et al. (2019) using a research sample, the present study replicated Nah et al.

Brief report: Poor self-regulation as a predictor of individual differences in adaptive functioning in young children with autism spectrum disorder.

The present study examined the link between poor self-regulation (measured by the child behavior checklist dysregulated profile [DP]) and core autism symptoms, as well as with developmental level, in a sample of 107 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 19-46 months. We further examined the utility of DP in predicting individual differences in adaptive functioning, relative to the influence of ASD severity, chronological age (CA), and developmental level. Poor self-regulation was unrelated to CA, developmental level, and severity of ADOS-2 restricted and repetitive behaviors, but was associated with lower ADOS-2 social affect severity.

Meta-analysis of parent-mediated interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder.

A number of studies of parent-mediated interventions in autism spectrum disorder have been published in the last 15 years. We reviewed 19 randomized clinical trials of parent-mediated interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 1 and 6 years and conducted a meta-analysis on their efficacy. Meta-analysis outcomes were autism spectrum disorder symptom severity, socialization, communication-language, and cognition.

Language profiles in young children with autism spectrum disorder: A community sample using multiple assessment instruments.

This study investigated language profiles in a community-based sample of 104 children aged 1-3 years who had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder using (5th ed.) diagnostic criteria. Language was assessed with the Mullen scales, Preschool Language Scale, fifth edition, and Vineland-II parent-report.

The Relationship Between Clinicians' Confidence and Accuracy, and the Influence of Child Characteristics, in the Screening of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The study examined the confidence accuracy relationship, and the influence of child characteristics on clinician confidence, when predicting a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder during screening of 125 referred children aged under 3.5 years. The diagnostic process included observation, interview, language and developmental testing.

Efficacy of the ADEC in Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorder in Clinically Referred Toddlers in the US.

The Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) is a brief, play-based screening tool for the assessment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children aged 12-36 months. We examined the psychometric properties of the ADEC in a clinical sample of toddlers (n = 114) referred to a US pediatric hospital for assessment due to concerns of developmental delay or ASD. The ADEC (cutoff = 11) returned good sensitivity (.

College students' openness toward autism spectrum disorders: improving peer acceptance.

One probable consequence of rising rates of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in individuals without co-occurring intellectual disability is that more young adults with diagnoses or traits of ASD will attend college and require appropriate supports. This study sought to explore college students' openness to peers who demonstrate ASD-characteristic behaviors. Results showed a significant difference in openness between students who had a first-degree relative with an ASD (n = 18) and a gender-matched comparison group of students without such experience (F = 4.