School‐age children with autism spectrum disorders: screening and identification

This paper reports on the findings of a multi-centre, year-long study commissioned in July 1999 by the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), Department of Health (DOH) and the National Assembly for Wales; the focus here is upon the perspectives of parents of children with a variety of speech and language needs, at various stages of assessment and provision within educational settings. Groups of parents were interviewed about their perceptions of the extent and nature of collaboration existing between the agents of health and education, and during the final ‘research into practice’ stage of the study, parents joined managers and practitioners from the two agencies in discussion groups aimed at generating innovative and practical ideas for facilitating future collaboration between the two agencies. Emphasizing their wish for a partnership relationship with professionals, some parents highlighted professionals' failure at times to communicate effectively with them. They perceived a lack of transparency in the process of assessment and provision, voicing concerns about continuity of provision, particularly at the stage of transition from primary to secondary education. In a context of insufficiently defined professional roles, some parents lacked confidence in a move towards a consultative model of speech and language therapy; they suggested a need for greater mutual understanding between teachers and speech and language therapists to provide a more secure basis for implementing therapy effectively.     

Dyslexic,delayed, precocious or just normal? Word reading skills of children with autism spectrum disorders

Word reading skills and reading‐related language and cognitive correlates were examined in Swedish 10–15‐year‐olds with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The full group with ASD did not differ statistically from an age‐matched comparison group in word reading, but a poor‐readers subgroup was identified who displayed severe difficulties. Normal readers with ASD did not differ from the comparison group in nonverbal ability, phonological processing, rapid naming or receptive vocabulary. The poor subgroup performed, however, below on all measures except nonverbal ability. When poor readers with ASD were matched for reading level with younger controls, no difference was found on any reading‐related skill. No significant correlation was furthermore found between autistic symptomatology and word reading within the ASD group. It is concluded that the pattern of individual differences in word reading among children with ASD conforms well to that seen in children without ASD of normal or delayed reading abilities.     

Post-primary school teachers’ knowledge and understanding of autism spectrum disorders

Current national policy in the Republic of Ireland advocates for the inclusion of students with learning difficulties in mainstream schools. With Asperger’s syndrome (AS) specifically, it is essential that teachers understand the syndrome and are well versed in appropriate approaches to effectively create an inclusive environment for these students in the mainstream classroom. This paper explores teacher knowledge and understanding of AS while also exploring what affects their confidence in educating students diagnosed with the syndrome. Data collection pre-dated changes to the DSM-V and as such AS is used throughout this paper. A survey was distributed nationally to a random sample of qualified post-primary school teachers. The findings revealed that teachers did not appear to possess an adequate level of knowledge and understanding in relation to the syndrome. Continued professional development programmes in the area appeared to have minimal effect, with those completing programmes scoring only marginally better than those who did not (2.85%). These findings are of concern if these teachers are then expected to foster an inclusive environment, particularly when a high proportion of teachers have previously taught a student diagnosed with the syndrome and their knowledge remains limited.     

‘I'm ready for a new chapter’: The voices of young people with autism spectrum disorder in transition to post-16 education and employment

This study explores the views and experiences of 12 young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in transition to post-16 education and employment, in light of the changes introduced by the new special educational needs and disability (SEND) legislation in England. The extension of provision until the age of 25, and the introduction of person-centred education, health and care (EHC) plans, have given a significant place to the views of young people with SEND and their families. The views, wishes and aspirations of young people must be captured in the newly developed plans, reflecting the statutory requirement for local authorities to systematically record these in a biopsychosocial way, focusing on participation and well-being. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with young people with ASD attending specialist settings or receiving specialist support under the new EHC plans. These were analysed inductively, through thematic analysis. The findings suggest that at the time of transition, young people with ASD want to become increasingly more independent, present ambivalent feelings about their future and acknowledge the relevance of support systems in their lives. Implications for practice and future research are discussed, in light of the new English policy context.     

Training from cradle to grave? Social justice and training for people with learning difficulties

In this paper we question whether the radical change in the life situation of people with learning difficulties triggered by the closure of long‐stay hospitals does in fact represent an adequate inclusion into civil society or whether people with learning difficulties continue to experience strong exclusionary tendencies. We will explore the implications of a range of contemporary social justice theories for people with learning difficulties and examine the justice inherent in arrangements for training people with learning difficulties made by Local Enterprise Companies (LECs). We argue that training may be seen as a crucible of social values since its distribution transmits powerful messages about who is considered salvageable or unsalvageable, who is likely to become economically active and who is to be consigned to some special status of otherness. Finally, we consider what conceptualizations of social justice might hold out most hope for people with learning difficulties.     

Destination unknown? Study choices and graduate destinations of Hungarian youth in Slovakia

Focusing on Hungarian minority youth in a rural Slovakian setting, this article analyses their higher education aspirations and choices amidst significant economic, political and educational reforms. Relying on mixed methods and a longitudinal design, the research follows a cohort of high school students from their last year of secondary school through university up to their graduate destinations several years onwards. The data reveal three main study-work trajectories reflecting different trade-offs in terms of higher education studies, graduate careers and ethnic identity maintenance that affect life-chances and the future of the Hungarian community in Slovakia.     

A UK and Ireland survey of educational psychologists’ intervention practices for students with autism spectrum disorder

Although evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been identified in recent systematic literature reviews, the extent to which the practice of educational psychologists (EPs) in the UK and Ireland is informed by these is unknown. This study presents the results of a questionnaire that surveyed 146 EP practitioners in the UK and Ireland about their use of 31 EBIs for ASD. This survey also explored the factors that influence EP practitioners’ decision-making when planning interventions for students with ASD. Of the 31 EBIs, EP practitioners were most often involved with implementing visual supports, social stories, reinforcement, modelling, antecedent-based interventions, prompting, and social skills training. The most salient factors that influenced EP practitioners’ decision-making when planning interventions for students with ASD included the student’s individual needs and factors related to the school context. Implications for EP practice are discussed in addition to the limitations of this study.     

An evaluation of the “FRIENDS for Life” programme among children presenting with autism spectrum disorder

“FRIENDS for Life” is a cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) programme which aims to reduce anxiety and promote resilience among children. This study evaluated the “FRIENDS for Life” (FRIENDS) programme used as an intervention for seven children between the ages of 10 and 11 presenting with high functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFA) who attend mainstream schooling. The study adopts a mixed methodology, explanatory research design, which included pre- and post-quantitative anxiety scales, parental interviews completed post-intervention, narrative observation of FRIENDS sessions and a post-intervention children’s evaluation questionnaire. Quantitative findings from this study suggest that participation in the “FRIENDS” programme does not reduce anxiety levels to promote resilience. Such results are discussed with regard to the utility of using standardised self-report measures among children with HFA. Despite this, qualitative information indicates that “FRIENDS” can be made accessible for children with HFA. Recommendations and implications for future research and FRIENDS implementations are outlined.     

Unexpected changes of itinerary – adaptive functioning difficulties in daily transitions for adults with autism spectrum disorder

Adaptive functioning skills, also known as adaptive behaviours, refer to a multifaceted concept defined as behaviours necessary for age-appropriate, independent functioning in social, communication, daily living or motor areas. In light of the growing population of children with ASD who will eventually become adults, increased understanding of adaptive functioning during the transition to adulthood is of importance, but current research in this area lacks first-hand evidence presenting adaptive skills difficulties among older adolescents and adults with ASD. This article focuses on adaptive functioning skills in daily transitions for adults with Asperger’s syndrome (AS) or high-functioning autism (HFA). It draws on evidence from 12 interviews with individuals on the autism spectrum age 16–43, and 2 focus groups with 8 family members of people affected by ASD. Particular emphasis is placed on impact of adaptive functioning difficulties on well-being and quality of life for adults with ASD. Grounded theory approach has been used to analyse the gathered data. Interviewees reflected on daily challenges associated with unexpected changes in routine, sensory difficulties and social interactions. These in turn had an impact on their adaptive functioning skills by introducing complications in the process of making transitions between different contexts and decreasing interviewees’ ability to tackle challenges of daily life. Importance placed on societal expectations towards meeting bespoken standards and conforming to norms ruling the structure and interactions of daily life were also widely discussed. Frequently such expectations did not allow for factoring in the developmental nature of ASD and related difficulties, which as a result triggered additional complexity in managing daily transitions for adults on the spectrum. Further research addressing adaptive functioning skills in daily transitions for adults with ASD is needed.     

Young people with high‐functioning autism and Asperger's syndrome planning for and anticipating the move to college: what supports a positive transition?

For many young people in England, the move into continuing education involves a transfer from the school where they were educated to a further education college. For those with high‐functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome, this can be a challenging process. Past research has demonstrated some of the problems that these young people can encounter. This article by Wendy Mitchell and Bryony Beresford, both based in the Social Policy Research Unit at the University of York, adds to the evidence base by describing how best to support these young people, focusing specifically on ‘young person endorsed’ practice. Data are gleaned from qualitative interviews with 18 young people with high‐functioning autism/Asperger's syndrome. Findings reveal that young people welcomed the involvement of practitioners; however, specific forms of help and knowledge were particularly valued. In addition, it was parents, as opposed to professionals, who typically emerged as the most significant and valued source of support. Implications for practice are discussed, including the support needs of parents.     

Can a dog be used as a motivator to develop social interaction and engagement with teachers for students with autism?

Research into children with autism indicates that therapeutic sessions with dogs might provide a way of encouraging social interaction and reducing solitary or repetitive behaviours. With recent educational ASD interventions aimed at providing ways of encouraging intrinsic motivation to socially engage, it is possible that sessions with dogs could be used in a similar way. The present study involved three students with ASD who were given five sessions with a dog and their teacher. Sessions followed a semi‐standardised approach and were recorded and coded on social behaviours, with qualitative observations made. Pre and post measures entailed ADOS‐2 assessments and teacher questionnaires. Results suggest that students' responses in sessions were highly individual; all showed an increase in meaningful social interactions with dog and teacher, reduction in solitary or repetitive behaviours within the sessions and reported generalisation effects in some areas. The study lends support to the research base on the beneficial impact of dogs for children with autism and suggests that sessions with dogs in school could act as a way to strengthen interactions and engagement with teachers.     

Is contact with people with disabilities a guarantee for positive implicit and explicit attitudes?

In the past 50 years research on attitudes toward people with disabilities has repeatedly revealed negative attitudes by predominantly using self-report measures. The main aim of the present contribution was to develop an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to assess implicit attitudes toward people with disabilities. For this purpose 47 university students majoring in special education (11 male, 36 female) were asked to complete the IAT in addition to self-reported explicit attitudes (affective, cognitive, and behavioural component). Moreover, the students were asked about the amount and perceived quality of their contact experience with people with disabilities. Results showed that participants reported on average most negative explicit attitudes in the affective, followed by the cognitive and the behavioural component. On average, students were more likely to associate the category ‘disabled’ with the attribute ‘unpleasant’ on the IAT. Overall, explicit and implicit attitudes were only weakly correlated. The amount of contact significantly predicted the three components of explicit attitudes, but not implicit attitudes. The results and limitations of this study will be discussed with respect to their implications for the educational context.     

Do we need norms of fitness for children with autistic spectrum condition?

The increasingly sedentary habits of children, and rising obesity levels, are prompting concern for children's future health. Children with autistic spectrum condition (ASC) show a clear trend in this regard. Within school, an understanding of how an individual's fitness compares to age norms is important in order to design appropriate exercise programmes. This study, by Maurice Place, Kathleen Dickinson and Joanna Reynolds, all based at Northumbria University, assessed 100 children with ASC and learning difficulty, and found a wide variation in fitness levels as measured by the Eurofit tests. In addition the measure of cardio‐pulmonary fitness (VO_{2 max}) was generally poor. In boys, body mass index (BMI) showed only a modest correlation with this measure of cardio‐pulmonary fitness, with the results for the girls not being significant. Using a variant of the established BMI calculation did not improve the correlation. To our knowledge this article offers the first set of published Eurofit test results for children with ASC and highlights the generally poor level of cardio‐pulmonary fitness in this group of children.     

Do adolescents with emotional and behavioral disturbances attending schools for special education have lower expectations regarding the transition to adulthood?

Individuals with emotional and behavioral disturbances (EBD) and those attending special schools tend to have poorer adult outcomes than adolescents without EBD and peers from regular schools. Using a four-group comparison (students with or without EBD from special schools and students with or without EBD from regular schools), the present study examined whether German adolescents with EBD and adolescents attending special schools also have lower expectations regarding their transition to adulthood (moving out of parents’ home, finishing postsecondary education, being full-time employed, getting married, and becoming parents) than adolescents without EBD and adolescents attending regular schools. Only small between-group differences were found regarding the expected timing of transitions and the anticipation to not attain transitions at all. Adolescents with EBD reported later expected ages of marrying and adolescents with EBD attending regular schools expressed later ages of being full-time employed. Students from special schools more often anticipated remaining unmarried. The results are discussed with concern to how adolescents’ overoptimistic expectancies can be handled. Also, the instrumentality of confidence of success is considered.