Screening for Asperger syndrome in school‐age children: issues and instruments

Many children with Asperger syndrome are not identified prior to school entry, and difficulties associated with the condition may only become evident when a child enters school. Failure to identify children with the syndrome may lead to increased risk for psychopathology, and lack of understanding of the reasons for social and communicative impairments, and the display of atypical behaviours. Therefore, there is a great need for effective screening instruments to be used with at risk children. This article reviews a number of screening instruments for Asperger syndrome and higher functioning autism spectrum disorders, and highlights the need for surveillance for the conditions among professionals who work in educational settings.     

The use of ‘Circle of Friends’ strategy to improve social interactions and social acceptance: a case study of a child with Asperger's Syndrome and other associated needs

The study outlined here was an attempt to examine the use of ‘Circle of Friends’ as a single intervention approach in addressing the issue of inappropriate social interactions in a child with Asperger Syndrome. The child selected was in a mainstream setting, as the main feature of a circle of friends is peers supporting peers. The child was involved in the selection of peers for the development of the circle of friends and it was hoped the approach would challenge children's attitudes in relation to the child with Asperger Syndrome and also improve social understanding for the focus child. The results clearly indicated that the intervention had been successful in reducing the stigma around ‘difference’ for the focus child and it was clearly evident that the ‘circle of friends’ approach had provided a much needed network of social support in a mainstream school. The conclusion highlighted that the focus child was able to understand far more easily the ‘hidden curriculum’ that neuro‐typical children find so easy to decipher.     

Motor milestone development in young children with autism spectrum disorders: an exploratory study

This study aimed to determine if a sample of children currently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) would have shown motor milestone delays before age three as compared to typically developing children. Given delays in motor skills, the study also strived to determine which specific skills might be delayed. Parents of 44 children who had been diagnosed with ASDs answered survey questions related to their child’s early motor milestone development. Survey responses were compared to Bayley’s motor milestone data for typically developing children. Results suggested that all 44 children (age range 82–90 months) with ASDs were delayed on all 26 motor milestones. Specifically, children with autistic disorder (n = 26) were significantly delayed on 11 motor milestones; nine of them delayed before age two. Children with Asperger Syndrome (n = 18) showed significant delay on four milestones; three of them delayed before the age of two.     

Cultural Beliefs about Autism in Indonesia

Cultural beliefs about parenting have an important influence on parenting behaviours, including considerations about appropriate ways to parent children with autism. Although Indonesia has one of the largest and most ethnically diverse populations in the world, little is known about cultural beliefs regarding children with autism within Indonesian cultures. The goal of the present study was to investigate how Indonesian mothers from a range of backgrounds and without a child with autism understood autism and the most appropriate ways to parent such a child. The study was a qualitative investigation using semi-structured interviews with nine Indonesian mothers. Five aspects were investigated: understanding about autism, beliefs about causes of autism, possible reactions to having a child with autism, perceptions of parenting a child with autism, and perceptions of parent-child relationships. The interviews revealed five related themes about autism, including traditional cultural beliefs about appropriate behaviour during pregnancy, karma, and God’s plan, that are not usually reported in the literature from western countries.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed in this article:
Kate Wall, Special Needs and the Early Years
Tessa Knott (ed.), An Introduction to Special Educational Needs in Early Years
Linda Watson, Spotlight on Special Educational Needs: Hearing impairment
John Thacker, Dave Strudwick and Elly Babbedge, Educating children with emotional and behavioural difficulties: Inclusive practice in mainstream schools
David Allen (ed.), Ethical Approaches to Physical Interventions: Responding to challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities
Rebecca A. Moyes, Addressing the Challenging Behaviour of Children with High-functioning Autism/Asperger Syndrome in the Classroom: A guide for teachers and parents
Lisa Pyles, Hitchhiking through Asperger Syndrome     

An Integrative Review of Parenting Stress in Mothers of Children with Autism in Japan

Abstract

Parents of children with autism experience elevated stress that may be influenced by specific characteristics of the child and parent, including cultural norms and beliefs about parenting. However, there is little research on families of children with autism from cultural perspectives. The purpose of this integrative review is to identify factors influencing parenting stress in mothers of children with autism in Japan. A final sample of 15 primary research articles (2000–2015) on parenting stress in mothers of Japanese children with autism was selected using several databases. The findings suggested that these mothers experience much greater parenting stress than mothers of typically developing children and children with other disabilities. Japanese mothers also demonstrate stress related to attachment difficulties, low parenting efficacy and lack of support, reflecting Japanese parenting styles and gender ideology. Parent-directed and culturally calibrated interventions are needed to support parents of children with autism, especially cultural minority parents.     

The Unexpected for the Expecting Parent: Effects of Disruptive Early Interactions on Mother–Infant Relationship

SYNOPSIS

High-quality parental caregiving promotes children’s development from their day of birth or even earlier. Whether there are ways to predict, and ultimately enhance, parental caregiving quality during the prenatal stages of development has been less well understood. This circumstance is even truer when things do not go according “to plan.” In this commentary, we explore two possible scenarios, perhaps unexpected for expectant parents, that can affect children’s development: (1) postpartum parental displays of atypical behaviors and parental caregiving strategies (i.e., maternal/paternal depression) and (2) postpartum child displays of atypical behaviors (i.e., autism spectrum disorder).     

Asperger Syndrome (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) and the Self-Reports of Comprehensive School Students

Relatively little information exists concerning the experiences of young people with Asperger Syndrome elicited while at secondary-school level. Accordingly, a sample of students diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome was interviewed about day-to-day school issues; and the experience of the special educational needs (SEN) Co-ordinators was tapped. While marked individual differences may exist among young people legitimately diagnosed, there were consistently expressed concerns about peer interactions or the use of break and lunchtimes. It was concluded that, even among students in mainstream schools whose autistic disorders are towards the mild end of the spectrum, the potential or actual difficulties should never be underestimated.     

Epilepsy in Children with ASD: An Overview of Evaluation Procedures,Child Characteristics and Treatment Options

The rates of epilepsy among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are higher than that of the general population. The exact prevalence and aetiology of the comorbidity of autism and epilepsy are not well understood; however, the connection is well-documented. This common comorbidity makes the treatment of epilepsy increasingly complex for children with ASD. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the relevant literature for individuals with epilepsy with a particular focus on individuals with both ASD and epilepsy according to the following framework: (a) evaluation procedures, (b) child characteristics and outcomes and (c) treatment options. Thirty articles met specific inclusion criteria. Several treatment options for epilepsy in children with ASD were uncovered, including medications, vagus nerve stimulation and surgery. Still, more research is needed to identify comprehensive treatments that have been empirically proven to be successful for children with ASD.     

The mind behind the message: advancing theory-of-mind scales for typically developing children, and those with deafness, autism, or Asperger syndrome

Children aged 3-12 years (n = 184) with typical development, deafness, autism, or Asperger syndrome took a series of theory-of-mind (ToM) tasks to confirm and extend previous developmental scaling evidence. A new sarcasm task, in the format of H. M. Wellman and D. Liu's (2004) 5-step ToM Scale, added a statistically reliable 6th step to the scale for all diagnostic groups. A key previous finding, divergence in task sequencing for children with autism, was confirmed. Comparisons among diagnostic groups, controlling age, and language ability, showed that typical developers mastered the 6 ToM steps ahead of each of the 3 disabled groups, with implications for ToM theories. The final (sarcasm) task challenged even nondisabled 9-year-olds, demonstrating the new scale's sensitivity to post-preschool ToM growth.     

国内Asperger综合征的研究现状

Asperger综合征是一组以社交障碍和狭窄、刻板的兴趣行为为特征,但无语言发育障碍,且认知能力正常的儿童。为了了解国内对AS的研究现状,本文从AS的智力水平、对刺激信号的接受与加工过程、社会适应能力的研究、家庭环境因素对AS儿童的影响及干预方法等方面对国内当前的研究成果进行了梳理,以飨广大同仁。     

Marginalisation,autism and school exclusion: caregivers' perspectives

The article presents findings from interviews with five caregivers of children with autism excluded from schools in England. Objectives : to determine the barriers and enablers to mainstream schooling for children with autism and to explore the emotional effect of the journey to school exclusion on the child and caregivers. Background : research has highlighted that some mainstream schools do not listen to caregivers concerns about their child's development, behaviours and mental health. Methods : interpretative phenomenological analysis was employed to understand how participants made sense of their lived experiences, revealing four superordinate themes: inadequate special educational needs and disability (SEND) support, psychological impact, health-imposed barriers to diagnoses, and effective support. Findings : Theographs present the caregivers' journeys, illustrating that the onus fell on the caregivers to advocate for effective support from schools. A lack of prompt diagnose and effective school support is detrimental to the emotional and physical health of both children and caregivers. Training is needed to ensure thresholds for education, health and care needs assessments are understood, alongside evidence-based approaches to support children with SEND. There is a policy need to address barriers to prompt health assessments across services and the impact of decreased funding on schools.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed:
James F. Leckman and Donald J. Cohen (eds.), Tourette's Syndrome. Tics, Obsessions, Compulsions: Developmental Psychopathology and Clinical Care
S. Edwards, Modern Foreign Languages for All
Peter Clough (ed.), Managing Inclusive Education: from Policy to Experience
Patricia Howlin, Children with Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Guidefor Practitioners and Carers
Ruth A. Wilson, Special Educational Needs in the Early Years
Nicola Grove, Literature for All: Developing Literature in the Curriculum for Pupils with Special Educational Needs
Sylvia Edwards, Reading for All
Ayshe Talay-Ongan, Typical and Atypical Development in Early Childhood: The Fundamentals     

Grandparents of Children with Autism: A Review with Recommendations for Education,Practice, and Policy

One in 166 grandparents will become grandparent to a child with autism. A review of empirical studies suggests that these grandparents experience significant role confusion. They provide the autistic child's parents—who are more likely to be depressed, single, or divorced—with both burden (e.g., conflict regarding behavioral symptoms) and emotional and instrumental support (e.g., childcare; financial assistance; advocacy). Unique stressors of autism upon families include social isolation and financial burden. Custodial grandparents face additional stressors. Opportunities for education, practice, and policy that are designed to help grandparents redefine their role, share in the diagnosis and treatment of autism, and obtain social support are advanced.     

Investigating the social engagement of children with autism in mainstream schools for the purpose of identifying learning targets

The social needs of children with autism are complex, and their inclusion in mainstream schools necessitates a consideration of the nature of a child's participation in peer culture and how it is received by others. The case study reported here sought to investigate the social engagement of a child with autism and his peers using naturalistic methods to provide contextualised and detailed information. A comparative approach was used to study different social contexts: the wider class group, the peer group which included the child with autism, and the individual participation of the child with autism compared with this smaller group. Findings indicate that the child with autism demonstrated a number of competencies in relation to his own social group and that social difficulties were not necessarily seen as a weakness within the peer culture. The importance of careful analysis of social processes and the use of reflective assessment to autism education is highlighted.     

The role of co-occurring intimate partner violence,alcohol use,drug use,and depressive symptoms on disciplinary practices of mothers involved with child welfare

BackgroundEvidence suggests intimate partner violence (IPV), substance use, and depression adversely affect the disciplinary practices of caregivers involved with child welfare; however, it remains uncertain whether the combined effects of these conditions are syndemic.ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to examine the (1) associations between IPV, problematic drug use, problematic alcohol use, and depressive symptoms and self-reported disciplinary practices among a sample of mothers with child welfare contact; and (2) effect of co-occurrence of these conditions on child disciplinary practices.Participants and settingWe used data from the second cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II). The analysis focused on 965 biological mothers with children who were subjects of child abuse/neglect investigations between February 2008 and April 2009 in the United States.MethodWe conducted multiple linear regression analyses.ResultsOur findings showed that IPV (B = .28; 95% CI = [.04, .53]) and depressive symptoms (B = .27; 95% CI = [.03, .52]) were independently associated with psychologically aggressive disciplinary practices. Also, IPV was independently associated with physically aggressive disciplinary practices (B = .64; 95% CI = [.18, 1.11]); and IPV (B = .21; 95% CI = [.06, .35]) and depressive symptoms (B = .22; 95% CI = [.07, .37]) were independently associated with neglectful parenting strategies. A significant effect was found for the interaction between problematic drug use and depressive symptoms with physically aggressive practices as the outcome. As the number of conditions caregivers had increased, so did their propensity for self-reporting each of the disciplinary practices (p < .05).ConclusionsThe findings highlight the need for using a more holistic/multidisciplinary approach to child maltreatment prevention research, policy, and intervention.     

Standing out and fitting in: a report on a support group for individuals with Asperger syndrome using a personal account

In this article, Andrea MacLeod, lecturer in autism studies at the University of Birmingham, and Paula Johnston, a woman with Asperger syndrome who now focuses on writing and speaking about her condition, consider the function of specialist group interventions for individuals with Asperger syndrome. These authors report on one model - a discussion and support group aimed primarily at young adults. The self-report of a former participant, a woman with Asperger syndrome, is used as a case study to illustrate issues and processes. Her report suggests that peer support and peer learning should be recognised as significant goals of such interventions and that interventions should be planned to respond to the needs that follow diagnosis. The authors suggest that clinical and educational services need to work together to ensure that children and young people have immediate access to such support models, which should be viewed as preventative therapies. This article provides evidence that first-hand accounts can offer new insights into how such interventions are experienced by those involved. Andrea MacLeod and Paula Johnston argue that future research in this area should seek to employ participatory methodologies.     

Book Reveiws

Book reviewed in this article:
Physical Interventions and the Law Christina M. Lyon & Alexandra Pimor
Parenting a Child with Asperger Syndrome Brenda Boyd
Children with Developmental Co-ordination Disorder David Sugden and Mary Chambers (eds)
Dyslexia Action Plans for Successful Learning Glynis Hannell
Leadership and SEN: meeting the challenge in special and mainstream settings Nick Burnett
Removing Barriers to Learning in the Early Years Angela Glenn, Jacquie Cousins and Alicia Helps
Dramatherapy: developing emotional stability Penny McFarlane
Research on Counselling Children and Young People: a systematic scoping review Belinda Harris and Sue Pattison     

Do resource bases enable social inclusion of students with Asperger syndrome in a mainstream secondary school?

This research identifies the way in which one secondary school with a resourced provision for students with Asperger syndrome promotes social inclusion for them, and the perceptions of staff members and parents on the social experience of schooling for these children. Interviews were conducted with five teachers, two learning support assistants, and the head of the resourced provision. Questionnaires were completed by eight parents of students with Asperger syndrome who attend the provision. The research found that a positive social experience of schooling was perceived by members of staff and parents due to the additional support of the resource in teaching social skills, providing a safe place and support from the learning support assistants. Some negative perceptions of social experience were also reported, which highlighted the need for educational provision for students on the autism spectrum to be considered at an individual level.