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Mire SS, Truong DM, Sakyi GJ, Ayala-Brittain ML, Boykin JD, Stewart CM, Daniels F, Duran B, Gardner S, Barth AM, Richardson G, McKee SL. A Systematic Review of Recruiting and Retaining Sociodemographically Diverse Families in Neurodevelopmental Research Studies. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:2307-2321. [PMID: 37022579 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05968-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
Underrepresentation of socioeconomically, culturally, and/or linguistically diverse (SCLD) children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) and their families has become a focal point for researchers. This systematic review aimed to identify researchers' strategies for recruiting and retaining SCLD families of children with NDD, published between 1993 and 2018. One hundred twenty-six articles were included, and study samples were categorized as "High SCLD" and "Low SCLD". Chi-square tests of independence were used to determine associations between sample composition (i.e., High/Low SCLD sample) and study characteristics reported. Significant associations were found between sample composition and studies that explicitly stated intention to recruit SCLD families, χ2(1) = 12.70, p < .001, Phi = 0.38 (moderate); and for studies that reported the following participant characteristics: language, χ2(1) = 29.58, p < .001, Phi = 0.48 (moderate-to-large); and race/ethnicity + SES + language, χ2(1) = 19.26, p <. 001, Phi = 0.39 (moderate). However, associations were not found between recruitment and retention approaches and whether studies included High SCLD or Low SCLD samples. Further study of NDD researchers' recruitment and retention approaches that successfully include SCLD families is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah S Mire
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
- School of Education, Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University, One Bear Place #97304, Waco, TX, 76798-7304, USA.
| | - Dieu M Truong
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Georgina J Sakyi
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Mycah L Ayala-Brittain
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Jelisa D Boykin
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Christian M Stewart
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Fre'Dasia Daniels
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brenda Duran
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Scarlett Gardner
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Alexandra M Barth
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Georgette Richardson
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shannon L McKee
- Department of Psychological, Health, & Learning Sciences, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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Bhat AN. Fewer children with autism spectrum disorder with motor challenges receive physical and recreational therapies compared to standard therapies: A SPARK data set analysis. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:1161-1174. [PMID: 37605823 PMCID: PMC10881894 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231193196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT There are clear disparities in motor services provided to children with autism spectrum disorder (physical and recreational therapies) compared to their standard therapies (speech-language and occupational therapies). Children with autism spectrum disorder need greater access to and funding for motor services (physical and recreational therapies) and physical activity programs. Movement experts including PTs, adapted physical educators, and community exercise/sports coaches/professionals need basic, specialized, and continuing education training to meet the needs of children and adults with autism spectrum disorder not only for providing early developmental and school-based services but also for ensuring appropriate built environments and providing general physical therapy/adapted physical education services as well as physical activity programs.
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Tsai JM, Bhat AN. Demographic differences in access to health/therapeutic services over first year of the pandemic: a SPARK COVID-19 impact survey analysis. FRONTIERS IN HEALTH SERVICES 2024; 4:1343636. [PMID: 38745995 PMCID: PMC11091302 DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2024.1343636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Introduction This analysis examined changes in services received and service recovery one-year post-pandemic compared to pre-pandemic levels in children with ASD aged between 19 months and 17 years in various subgroups based on factors such as age, income, race/ethnicity, geographic location, and sex. Methods An online, parent report survey was completed by the parents of children with ASD in the SPARK study cohort (N = 6,393). Descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, and Spearman correlations were performed to study associations between various factors and service access, pre-pandemic and one-year, post-pandemic. Results One year after pandemic, the lag in service recovery in children with ASD was greatest for PT/OT services followed by SLT. ABA services only recovered in half of the subgroups. In contrast, SES fully recovered and MH and MED services superseded pre-pandemic levels. Across majority of the timepoints, younger children received more SLT, PT/OT, and ABA services whereas older children received more SES, MH, and MED services. Higher income families accessed more SES, SLT, and ABA whereas lower income families received more MH services. White families received less SLT compared to non-white families. Hispanic families received more SLT services compared to non-Hispanic families. Compared to rural families, urban families received more ABA services at baseline which also recovered one year after the pandemic. Certain counterintuitive findings may be attributed to home/remote schooling leading to reduced access to related services. Conclusions Future research and policy changes are needed to address the American healthcare vulnerabilities when serving children with ASD by enhancing the diversity of healthcare formats for continued service access during future pandemics and other similar crises.
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Affiliation(s)
- J.-M. Tsai
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
| | - A. N. Bhat
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Biomechanics & Movement Science Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, United States
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Huang Y, Arnold SRC, Foley KR, Trollor JN. A Qualitative Study of Adults' and Support Persons' Experiences of Support After Autism Diagnosis. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1157-1170. [PMID: 36484961 PMCID: PMC9734854 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05828-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Adulthood autism diagnosis has become increasingly common, but little is known about post-diagnosis support experiences and needs. We interviewed 19 autistic adults and 4 support persons on experiences of formal and informal post-diagnosis support. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Participants reported difficulties accessing suitable formal support, especially regarding education and employment. Informal support was helpful but created challenges in the relationships between autistic adults and support persons. For autistic adults, support from autistic peers fostered belonging and self-acceptance. We also identified complex interactions between adults' post-diagnosis identity development and support experiences as they resolved the dilemma between self-acceptance and a desire to change. Findings have important implications for services working with autistic adults and their families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunhe Huang
- Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Samuel R C Arnold
- Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
| | - Kitty-Rose Foley
- Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Faculty of Health, Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia
| | - Julian N Trollor
- Department of Developmental Disability Neuropsychiatry (3DN), Faculty of Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC), Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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Rivard M, Mello C, Patel S, Morin M, Morin D. A Window into the Use of Post-diagnostic Services for Autism and Parents' Perspective on the Quality of Early Childhood Services Trajectory in a Canadian Province. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06265-x. [PMID: 38367101 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06265-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The pathway for post-diagnostic services for autism tends to be complex, heterogeneous, and fraught with delays. This situation has repercussions for families' experience with care systems, the quality of early interventions, and family adjustment. To date, studies of parents' point of view on autism services have predominantly focused on the diagnostic phase of the services trajectory. The goal of the present study was to investigate the perspective of parents on autism early childhood services within a public healthcare and social services system in a Canadian province (Québec). Participants were 91 parents who completed a structured framework for the evaluation of the quality of services trajectories, the Evaluation of the services Trajectory in Autism by Parents (ETAP; Mello et al., in Research in Developmental Disabilities 133, 2023). Approximately three-quarters of families received interim services (e.g., punctual speech therapy interventions) for which they had overall neutral-to-positive appraisals but viewed as having comparably low validity and continuity. Although all children diagnosed with autism are entitled to receive early behavioral intervention (EBI) dispensed by the public health and social services system, approximately a quarter of families did not receive this service. Families who received EBI evaluated this service positively on all ETAP dimensions. The empathy (i.e., parent-provider relationships) dimension was rated highest for both interim and EBI services. Some systemic, family, and child-related factors were associated with the perceived quality of services for both interim and early childhood services. Our results emphasize the need for services for children and families as soon as possible, both during assessment and after diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélina Rivard
- Département de Psychologie, succursale Centre-ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, C.P. 8888, H3C 3P8, Canada.
| | - Catherine Mello
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University - Berks, State College, USA
| | - Shaneha Patel
- Département de Psychologie, succursale Centre-ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, C.P. 8888, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Marjorie Morin
- Département de Psychologie, succursale Centre-ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, C.P. 8888, H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Diane Morin
- Département de Psychologie, succursale Centre-ville, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, C.P. 8888, H3C 3P8, Canada
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Pickard K, Maddox B, Boles R, Reaven J. A cluster randomized controlled trial comparing the effectiveness of two school-based interventions for autistic youth with anxiety. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:6. [PMID: 38166851 PMCID: PMC10763300 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05441-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent systematic reviews have indicated that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is effective in reducing anxiety symptoms for autistic and non-autistic children. However, the vast majority of CBT research for autistic youth has been implemented within university settings and primarily by mental health providers. Schools hold great promise to equitably manage the mental health symptoms of autistic youth. Although preliminary research evaluating CBT within schools has been promising, CBT has not yet been compared to another readily available school mental health program. The goal of this protocol paper is to describe a multi-site study comparing two school-based interventions, Facing Your Fears-School Based (FYF-SB) and Zones of Regulation (ZOR) via a cluster randomized controlled type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial to determine which of the two interventions will best support autistic youth with anxiety in schools. METHODS Up to 100 elementary and middle schools will be randomized into FYF-SB or ZOR. Once schools are randomized, a minimum of two interdisciplinary school providers at each school will be trained to deliver either FYF-SB or ZOR over the course of 12 weeks to groups of 2-5 autistic students ages 8-14 years. Over the course of two years, a total of 200 autistic students will receive either ZOR or FYF-SB. The primary outcome of this trial is child anxiety, as rated by masked evaluators and via caregiver- and student-report, which will be measured at baseline, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Semi-structured interviews will also be conducted with a purposive sample of students, caregivers, and school providers to understand the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of either ZOR or FYF-SB. Stakeholder engagement is a central component of this project via two stakeholder advisory boards that will directly inform and oversee the project. DISCUSSION Results of this study will provide evidence about the relative impact of two school-based mental health interventions on outcomes reported as meaningful by caregivers and school providers. The additional focus on evaluating factors that support the implementation of FYF-SB and ZOR will allow future studies to test targeted implementation strategies that support mental health programming uptake and implementation within public schools. TRIAL REGISTRATION This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05863520).
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Pickard
- Emory School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Division of Autism and Related Disabilities, 1920 Briarcliff Road, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA.
| | - Brenna Maddox
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Richard Boles
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, JFK Partners, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Judy Reaven
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, JFK Partners, Aurora, CO, USA
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Quetsch LB, Bradley RS, Theodorou L, Newton K, McNeil CB. Community-based Agency Delivery of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy: Comparing Outcomes for Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder and/or Developmental Delays. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:33-45. [PMID: 36323995 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05755-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
While externalizing behaviors are common among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a shortage of specialist community-based clinicians to provide treatment. Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), an intervention designed to reduce child disruptive behaviors, may be effective for families of children with ASD but has rarely been studied outside of university-based research settings. We examined the effectiveness of PCIT delivered for children with (N = 109) and without (N = 2,324) ASD/developmental delays (DD) across community-based agencies in Oregon. Findings revealed significant reductions in disruptive behavior and positive changes in the parent-child relationship in both groups. These findings support PCIT as an efficacious intervention for children with ASD/DD and demonstrate PCIT's promise in community-based agencies with non-specialized clinicians.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Cheryl B McNeil
- West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, United States
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
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8
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Chatterjee R, Fears NE, Lichtenberg G, Tamplain PM, Miller HL. Identity and Discourse Among #ActuallyAutistic Twitter Users With Motor Differences. JOURNAL OF MOTOR LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT 2023; 11:525-540. [PMID: 38274158 PMCID: PMC10810310 DOI: 10.1123/jmld.2023-0007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Despite a growing awareness of the prevalence of motor differences in the autistic community, their functional impact is poorly understood. Social media offers the ideal setting to observe this discourse in a less-contrived setting than lab-based structured interviews. The aims of the present study were (a) to determine the proportion of Twitter users who self-identify as autistic and dyspraxic/having developmental coordination disorder, relative to autistic alone, and (b) to identify common themes emerging from two moderated chat threads with motor-related prompts. Using the Twitter research application programming interface, we harvested data from users' public profiles and tweets containing terms related to autism and developmental coordination disorder within a 1-month time period. We also harvested data from two #AutChat threads related to motor skills, which included 151 tweets from 31 unique autistic users (two with co-occurring developmental coordination disorder). Of these tweets, 44 were explicitly about motor differences, while the remainder consisted of discussion topics more loosely associated with motor skills. The following common themes were quantified: manual dexterity, lower extremity, oral motor, gross motor, posture, balance, stimming, movement pain, and coordination. Together, these findings indicate that motor differences are highly recognized and discussed among autistic individuals but are not overtly integrated into their identities at the same rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riya Chatterjee
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Nicholas E Fears
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- School of Kinesiology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | | | - Priscila M Tamplain
- Department of Kinesiology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, TX, USA
| | - Haylie L Miller
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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9
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Drahota A, Sridhar A, Moskowitz LJ, Kerns CM, Soorya L, Wainer A, Cohn E, Lerner MD. Community-based care for autistic youth: community providers' reported use of treatment practices in the United States. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1212084. [PMID: 37791130 PMCID: PMC10544899 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1212084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction To illustrate the landscape of community-based care for autistic youth in the United States, we identified transdisciplinary psychosocial intervention practice sets that community providers report utilizing to care for this population, and examined characteristics associated with provider-reported utilization. Methods The Usual Care for Autism Study (UCAS) Survey assessed provider demographics and provider-reported use of transdisciplinary practices for common ASD co-occurring problems: social difficulties, externalizing behaviors, and anxiety. Community practitioners (N = 701) from allied health, behavioral, education, medical, mental health and other disciplines who treat or work with autistic youth (7-22 years) participated. Results Exploratory factor analysis yielded four factors: Consequence-Based Strategies (CBS), Cognitive-Behavioral and Therapy Strategies (CBTS), Antecedent-Based Strategies (ABS), and Teaching Strategies (TS). Providers across disciplines reported utilizing ABS more often than other sets. Providers from behavioral disciplines, with less than 4-year or Master degrees, or with more experience reported the most use of ABS, CBS and CBTS. Medical and behavioral providers reported the most use of TS. Setting and child characteristics were associated with practice set use, indicating variability by disability and client socioeconomic status. Discussion Findings reflect the complexity and inconsistency of the service landscape for autistic youth across the U.S. Only by understanding the service landscape and predictors of practice utilization, can researchers, policymakers, provider groups, and the autistic community facilitate effective implementation strategy development and use to ultimately improve community-based care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Drahota
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Aksheya Sridhar
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
| | | | - Connor M. Kerns
- Department of Psychology, University British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Latha Soorya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Allison Wainer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Elizabeth Cohn
- School of Nursing, Hunter College, CUNY, New York, NY, United States
| | - Matthew D. Lerner
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
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10
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Boulton KA, Guastella AJ, Hodge MA, Demetriou EA, Ong N, Silove N. Mental health concerns in children with neurodevelopmental conditions attending a developmental assessment service. J Affect Disord 2023; 335:264-272. [PMID: 37119867 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
Abstract
Children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) experience co-occurring mental health concerns. Little research has examined mental health symptoms in children attending developmental assessment services. This study profiled mental health symptoms in children with NDCs attending a hospital-based diagnostic service for their first diagnostic assessment. Participants were 232 children aged 1.96-17.51 years. Mental health concerns were assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), a caregiver-rated, questionnaire-based assessment of behavioural and emotional difficulties. Subclinical or clinically elevated internalising, externalising and total scores on the CBCL were reported in over one third of children. These increased prevalence rates remained after excluding items specifically relating to neurodevelopmental concerns. More school-aged females reported elevated internalising problems, relative to males (67 % vs 48 %). The number of diagnoses impacted symptoms, with children who received two or more DSM-5 diagnoses showing a greater rate of subclinical or clinically elevated scores, relative to children who received one DSM-5 diagnosis. Our findings demonstrate that children attending developmental assessment services have considerable mental health needs. It is critical that mental health concerns are identified and addressed in children when they first present to developmental assessment services, and that service providers are equipped to provide appropriate resources and pathways to ongoing care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsie A Boulton
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment (CAN) research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia.
| | - Adam J Guastella
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment (CAN) research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Marie-Antoinette Hodge
- Child Development Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Eleni A Demetriou
- Clinic for Autism and Neurodevelopment (CAN) research, Brain and Mind Centre, Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Australia; Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - Natalie Ong
- Child Development Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia
| | - Natalie Silove
- Child Development Unit, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Child Neurodevelopment and Mental Health Team, Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney, Australia
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11
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Gilroy SP, McCleery JP, Leader G. A delayed intervention start randomized controlled trial of high- and low-tech communication training approaches for school-age autistic children with co-occurring intellectual disability. J Appl Behav Anal 2023. [PMID: 37092868 DOI: 10.1002/jaba.989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
The researchers designed a delayed intervention start randomized controlled trial to compare improvements in functional communication following augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions. The study compared outcomes from function-based applied behavior analytic (ABA) and eclectic non-ABA forms of classroom-based communication strategies (waitlist control) as well as from high- and low-tech forms of AAC. High-tech AAC consisted of tablet-based communication, and low-tech AAC used an exchange of picture cards. The community-based sample consisted of 29 autistic children with a co-occurring intellectual disability. Participants were randomized to groups (AAC, waitlist control), and each group received approximately 3 months of communication intervention. Multilevel modeling of learner outcomes indicated that the function-based approach produced greater improvements than the eclectic alternative, but significant differences were not observed between outcomes of high- and low-tech forms of function-based AAC. These results are consistent with earlier investigations and provide supporting evidence that both high- and low-tech forms of function-based intervention are effective for use with autistic children with accompanying intellectual disability. Additional discussion is provided regarding further research into how technology is applied and incorporated into behavior analytic programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn P Gilroy
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
| | - Joseph P McCleery
- Department of Psychology, Saint Joseph's University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, PA, USA
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12
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Fears NE, Sherrod GM, Templin TN, Bugnariu NL, Patterson RM, Miller HL. Community-based postural control assessment in autistic individuals indicates a similar but delayed trajectory compared to neurotypical individuals. Autism Res 2023; 16:543-557. [PMID: 36627838 PMCID: PMC10023334 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Autistic individuals exhibit significant sensorimotor differences. Postural stability and control are foundational motor skills for successfully performing many activities of daily living. In neurotypical development, postural stability and control develop throughout childhood and adolescence. In autistic development, previous studies have focused primarily on individual age groups (e.g., childhood, adolescence, adulthood) or only controlled for age using age-matching. Here, we examined the age trajectories of postural stability and control in autism from childhood through adolescents using standardized clinical assessments. In study 1, we tested the postural stability of autistic (n = 27) and neurotypical (n = 41) children, adolescents, and young adults aged 7-20 years during quiet standing on a force plate in three visual conditions: eyes open (EO), eyes closed (EC), and eyes open with the head in a translucent dome (Dome). Postural sway variability decreased as age increased for both groups, but autistic participants showed greater variability than neurotypical participants across age. In study 2, we tested autistic (n = 21) and neurotypical (n = 32) children and adolescents aged 7-16 years during a dynamic postural control task with nine targets. Postural control efficiency increased as age increased for both groups, but autistic participants were less efficient compared to neurotypical participants across age. Together, these results indicate that autistic individuals have a similar age trajectory for postural stability and control compared to neurotypical individuals, but have lower postural stability and control overall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E. Fears
- University of Michigan, 830 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48170, USA
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Health Professions, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
- Louisiana State University, 50 Fieldhouse Dr. Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70802, USA
| | - Gabriela M. Sherrod
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Health Professions, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Tylan N. Templin
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Health Professions, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
- Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX, 78238, USA
| | - Nicoleta L. Bugnariu
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Health Professions, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
- University of the Pacific, School of Health Sciences, 155 Fifth St., San Francisco, CA, 94103, USA
| | - Rita M. Patterson
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Haylie L. Miller
- University of Michigan, 830 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, Michigan, 48170, USA
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Health Professions, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
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Roudbarani F, Tablon Modica P, Maddox BB, Bohr Y, Weiss JA. Clinician factors related to the delivery of psychotherapy for autistic youth and youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:415-427. [PMID: 35786029 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221106400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autistic children and youth often experience mental health problems, such as anxiety, depression and behavioural challenges. Although there are therapy programmes that have been found helpful in reducing these issues, such as cognitive behaviour therapy, autistic children often struggle to receive adequate mental health care. Clinicians' knowledge, attitudes, confidence and beliefs about treating mental health problems in autistic people may be related to their choices in providing psychotherapy. Across Ontario, Canada, 611 mental health clinicians, working in publicly funded agencies, completed an online survey about their experiences and opinions on delivering therapy for autistic clients compared to those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Clinician knowledge was associated with their intention to treat autistic clients or clients with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, partly because of their attitudes and the social pressures or values they felt. Clinicians reported feeling less intent on providing therapy to autistic youth compared to youth with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder because of differences in their attitudes, social pressures and knowledge. This research can inform the training and educational initiatives for mental health practitioners.
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Semovski V, King C, Lapshina N, Stewart SL. A cross-sectional examination of service complexity in youths with co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and psychiatric or medical diagnoses across service sectors. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1027373. [PMID: 36817386 PMCID: PMC9930473 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1027373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous, life-long, and complex condition. Youth diagnosed with ASD require several supports addressing core symptoms associated with the disorder, but also those resulting from co-occurring mental and physical health conditions. As a result, their care is overseen by numerous professionals spanning various service sectors, but communication between sectors is hindered due to the absence of a standardized assessment system to identify and triage youth to services. A paucity of information surrounding this population's service use lingers and a siloed delivery system persists. Methods Using archival data collected from 1,020 youth between 12 and 18 years of age, this study explored service complexity among autistic youth with and without psychiatric and medical co-occurring conditions in Ontario, Canada. In doing so, a negative binomial regression was utilized to investigate which predisposing, enabling, and need variables were associated with service complexity. Results Results revealed that experiencing financial difficulties was not associated with service complexity. However, age, sex, caregiver distress, comorbidity, intellectual disability, and evaluated health status were significant predictors. More specifically, female youth and youth with distressed caregivers had greater mental health service complexity scores. Additionally, youth diagnosed with two or more conditions in addition to ASD who required longer durations of programming, controlling for other predictors, had greater mental health service complexity scores. Yet, youth with an intellectual disability had lower service complexity scores. Discussion Clinical implications of this study are discussed to inform future investments into mental health efforts for autistic youth.
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Perceptions of the Professionals and Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders About Autism Services; A Qualitative Study. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:96-109. [PMID: 34982323 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05388-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
In this qualitative study, we aimed to explore the challenges of providing services and supports for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their families from the perceptions of professionals and parents of children with ASD. We classified the results of the study into three key categories including shortcomings in the management of children with ASD; shortcomings of supportive programs and facilities for children with ASD and their families; and organizational challenges in providing services for these children. We analyzed data using the content analysis method. The results showed that there is a wide range of challenges in providing sufficient and high-quality services for children with ASD and empowerment programs for their parents.
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16
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Brasher S, Stapel-Wax JL, Muirhead L. Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Autism Spectrum Disorder. Nurs Clin North Am 2022; 57:489-499. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cnur.2022.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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17
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Okwara FNO, le Roux SM, Donald KA. Health Service Utilization by Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Versus Global Developmental Delay at a Tertiary Center in a Resource-Limited Setting. J Dev Behav Pediatr 2022; 43:e320-e329. [PMID: 35125466 DOI: 10.1097/dbp.0000000000001034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We investigated patterns and predictors of health service utilization (HSU) among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and global developmental delays (GDD, non-ASD) attending tertiary services in a resource-constrained setting. METHOD Caregivers and children (diagnosed with either ASD or GDD) attending the developmental service were enrolled into a retrospective cohort study. Sociodemographic factors, clinical factors, and service use over the preceding year were collected using structured questionnaires and medical record reviews. RESULTS We enrolled 240 households (116 ASD, 124 GDD; ages 3-8 years; male:female ratio 2:1). The majority (84%) had moderate-to-severe symptoms, and 42% were nonverbal. Children with GDD had higher levels of underlying syndromic diagnoses than those with ASD (46, 37.1%; 14, 9.5%); (p < 0.01) and more co-occurring comorbidities (51, 41.0%; 14, 12.1%; p = 0.0001). Those with GDD had higher mean total HSU visits (13.3; 11.5; p = 0.02), higher mean specialist visits (4.0:2.0; p = 0.001), and more hospitalizations than those with ASD (38, 31%; 16, 14%; p = 0.02). Other services were similarly attended by both groups: therapy 6.0 (2.0-10.0), emergency visits 1.0 (1.0-2.0), auxiliary services 0 (0-1.0), and primary care visits 0 (0-1.0). Having an employed parent was the strongest predictor of increased HSU (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION Despite high functional impairment in this cohort, many households underutilized therapy services. There was skewed attendance of emergency and specialist services over primary care services. Children with GDD had greater HSU compared with those with ASD, primarily because of more specialist visits. HSU could be improved by caregiver education, household economic empowerment, and strengthening of primary care services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence N O Okwara
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Kenyatta University, Kenya
| | - Stanzi M le Roux
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kirsten A Donald
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, South Africa
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, South Africa
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18
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Fears NE, Templin TN, Sherrod GM, Bugnariu NL, Patterson RM, Miller HL. Autistic Children Use Less Efficient Goal-Directed Whole Body Movements Compared to Neurotypical Development. J Autism Dev Disord 2022:10.1007/s10803-022-05523-0. [PMID: 35441912 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05523-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Autistic children have differences in their movements which impact their functional performance. Virtual-reality enables researchers to study movement in safe, engaging environments. We used motion-capture to measure how 7-13-year-old autistic and neurotypical children make whole-body movements in a virtual-reality task. Although children in both groups were successful, we observed differences in their movements. Autistic children were less efficient moving to the target. Autistic children did not appear to use a movement strategy. While neurotypical children were more likely to overshoot near targets and undershoot far targets, autistic children did not modulate their strategy. Using kinematic data from tasks in virtual-reality, we can begin to understand the pattern of movement challenges experienced by autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Fears
- School of Health Professions, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, 830 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48170, USA
| | - Tylan N Templin
- School of Health Professions, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
- Southwest Research Institute, 6220 Culebra Rd., San Antonio, TX, 78238, USA
| | - Gabriela M Sherrod
- School of Health Professions, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
- University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1720 University Blvd., Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
| | - Nicoleta L Bugnariu
- School of Health Professions, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
- School of Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, 155 Fifth St., San Francisco, CA, 94103, USA
| | - Rita M Patterson
- University of North Texas Health Science Center, Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA
| | - Haylie L Miller
- School of Health Professions, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd., Fort Worth, TX, 76109, USA.
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, 830 N. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI, 48170, USA.
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Song W, Salzer MS, Nonnemacher SL, Shea L. Lifespan service receipt and unmet needs among individuals on the autism spectrum. ADMINISTRATION AND POLICY IN MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH 2022; 49:694-705. [PMID: 35320442 DOI: 10.1007/s10488-022-01192-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Timely data on service use and needs across the lifespan are essential to developing an effective and efficient service delivery system that is responsive to developmental issues. This study uses data from one of the largest statewide surveys conducted between 2017 and 2018 to compare service use and unmet needs among individuals on the autism spectrum across the lifespan. A statewide sample of 5792 caregivers of autistic children and adults were included in the study. Logistic regressions were conducted to compare service use and need among six age groups ranging from early childhood (0-5 years) to later adulthood (31+) while adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics. We found that the transition-age adult group (18-21 years) was less likely to receive services, including speech/language therapy, occupational therapy, one-on-one support, and social skill training, than adolescents. However, case management and mental health services increased with age. Young adults (22-30 years) were more likely to report unmet needs than both adolescents and transition-age adult groups. The use of services overall decrease and service needs increased compared to results from an earlier statewide survey that was conducting in 2009-2010. These results can be used to inform developmentally appropriate autism-related healthcare policies and service development and delivery. This study offers a more detailed look at differences between adult age subgroups that are novel. Further research is needed about the prevalence of ASD in adulthood, clinical trajectories, and outcomes in order to support autistic adults in getting the appropriate services and supports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Song
- College of Public Health, Temple University, 1700 N. Broad St., Suite 313, 19122, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | - Mark S Salzer
- Temple University Collaborative on Community Inclusion of Individuals with, Psychiatric Disabilities, 1700 N. Broad St., Suite 304, 19122, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Stacy L Nonnemacher
- Bureau of Supports for Autism and Special Populations, Department of Human Services, 801 Market St, 19107, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Lindsay Shea
- Policy and Analytics Center, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, 3020 Market Street, Suite 560, 19104, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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Dreiling NG, Cook ML, Lamarche E, Klinger LG. Mental health Project ECHO Autism: Increasing access to community mental health services for autistic individuals. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:434-445. [PMID: 34218685 PMCID: PMC8814946 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211028000] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Although many autistic individuals have additional mental health conditions, most have a hard time getting services from mental health providers. One reason why these services can be hard to access is that many mental health providers do not feel confident in their ability to provide services to autistic individuals. To share autism expertise with local community providers and boost their confidence in working with autistic individuals, we created a mental health version of the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (Project ECHO) Autism virtual teleconsultation program. In this pilot study, we recruited 51 community mental health providers to participate in Project ECHO Autism. During each biweekly session, providers received information from autism experts about how to tailor mental health interventions (e.g. attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder or anxiety interventions) for use with autistic individuals. They also had the opportunity to ask questions and get advice on their current cases. At the end of the 6-month study, mental health providers showed improvements in their confidence, in their knowledge of autism, and in their problem-solving skills. Nearly half (45%) of these providers participated from rural counties, suggesting that the Project ECHO Autism teleconsultation model was able to reach mental health providers who might not have been able to get training otherwise. This study supports the feasibility of using Project ECHO Autism to share autism knowledge with mental health providers, consequently expanding mental health service options for autistic individuals with co-occurring mental health conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Ginn Dreiling
- Nicole Ginn Dreiling, TEACCH Autism Program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#7180, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7180, USA.
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21
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Rosen TE, Pickard K, Ponomaryova A, Kerns CM, Reaven J. From Clinic to Classroom: Two Case Studies of Youth With ASD and Anxiety From the School-Based Facing Your Fears Program. J Cogn Psychother 2022; 36:24-41. [PMID: 35121677 DOI: 10.1891/jcpsy-d-20-00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is considered best practice for treating anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in clinic settings. However, there is significant need to translate CBT into school settings. This paper presents two case illustrations of students who participated in the Facing Your Fears: School-Based program (FYF-SB), a manualized, group CBT intervention for anxiety in ASD, adapted for delivery in schools by interdisciplinary school providers. Students showed improvement in anxiety across multiple domains following intervention, according to clinical interview and parent- and self-report. These outcomes suggest that anxious youth with ASD can benefit from CBT delivered by interdisciplinary school providers. Importantly, decreases in anxiety symptoms were evident in domains that were not explicitly targeted during intervention. Overall, these case illustrations help frame areas of future research, including examining how treatment gains may generalize across anxiety domains as well as whether corresponding improvement in school functioning occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara E Rosen
- JFK Partners, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Katherine Pickard
- Marcus Autism Center, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Anastasiya Ponomaryova
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Montefiore Hospital/Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Connor M Kerns
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Judy Reaven
- JFK Partners, Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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22
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Lerner MD, Brown CE, Sridhar A, Tschida JE, Felsman P, Libsack EJ, Kerns CM, Moskowitz LJ, Soorya L, Wainer A, Cohn E, Drahota A. Usual care for youth with autism spectrum disorder: Community-based providers' reported familiarity with treatment practices. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:923025. [PMID: 35958649 PMCID: PMC9360540 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.923025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine patterns and predictors of familiarity with transdisciplinary psychosocial (e.g., non-pharmacologic) practices for practitioners treating youths with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the United States. METHOD Practitioners (n = 701) from behavioral, education, medical, and mental health backgrounds who worked with youth (ages 7-22) with ASD completed the Usual Care for Autism Survey, which assessed provider demographics and self-reported familiarity with transdisciplinary treatment practices for the most common referral problems of ASD. We examined relations between provider-, setting-, and client-level characteristics with familiarity of key groups of the treatment practices (practice sets). Practice sets were identified using exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and demographic predictors of practice subsets were examined using generalized estimating equations (GEE). RESULTS The EFA yielded a three-factor solution: (1) environmental modifications/antecedent strategies; (2) behavior analytic strategies; and (3) cognitive strategies, with overall familiarity ranked in this order. Medical providers indicated the least familiarity across disciplines. More experience with ASD and treating those with intellectual disabilities predicted greater familiarity with only environmental modifications/antecedent strategies and behavior analytic, but not cognitive strategies. Experience treating low SES clients predicted familiarity with environmental modification and behavior analytic strategies while experience treating high SES clients predicted familiarity with behavior analytic and cognitive strategies. CONCLUSION This is the first study to identify transdisciplinary, interpretable sets of practices for treating youth with ASD based on community providers' reported familiarity. Results highlight factors associated with familiarity with practice sets, which is essential for mapping practice availability, and optimizing training and dissemination efforts for youth with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Lerner
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Cynthia E Brown
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.,School of Graduate Psychology, Pacific University, Hillsboro, OR, United States
| | - Aksheya Sridhar
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Jessica E Tschida
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, United States
| | - Peter Felsman
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States.,Department of Social Work, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, United States
| | - Erin J Libsack
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Connor M Kerns
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Lauren J Moskowitz
- Department of Psychology, St. John's University, Queens, NY, United States
| | - Latha Soorya
- Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Allison Wainer
- Department of Psychiatry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Elizabeth Cohn
- Hunter-Bellevue School of Nursing, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Amy Drahota
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, Lansing, MI, United States
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Pickard K, Meyer A, Reyes N, Tanda T, Reaven J. Using evaluative frameworks to examine the implementation outcomes of a cognitive behavioral therapy program for autistic students with anxiety within public school settings. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 26:640-653. [PMID: 34961348 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211065797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Cognitive behavioral therapy helps to treat anxiety symptoms in autistic youth, but it is difficult for families to access cognitive behavioral therapy in the community. Training school providers to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy may help autistic youth and their families to access these programs. Unfortunately, we do not know how cognitive behavioral therapy programs can be delivered by school providers and how these programs help the autistic students who access them. This study addressed this gap and was part of a larger study that looked at the effectiveness of Facing Your Fears-School-Based in 25 public schools. The study goals were to understand whether Facing Your Fears-School-Based helped students and the factors that made it easy or difficult to deliver Facing Your Fears-School-Based in schools. Thirty providers participated in interviews guided by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework. Participants shared information that fell into several major categories that included (1) delivering Facing Your Fears-School-Based to many different students; (2) the positive impact of Facing Your Fears-School-Based on students' school participation; and (3) plans to continue using Facing Your Fears-School-Based. School providers also shared that Facing Your Fears-School-Based was easy to use for non-mental health providers and reported adapting Facing Your Fears-School-Based to meet student needs. The results of this study suggest that Facing Your Fears-School-Based may help autistic students and highlight the importance of using mental health programs in schools that are flexible, able to be adapted, and that are able to be used by many different types of school providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Pickard
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA.,Emory School of Medicine, USA
| | | | - Nuri Reyes
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
| | - Tanea Tanda
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
| | - Judy Reaven
- University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, USA
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Autism: Comorbidities and Treatment Patterns in the Real World, a Retrospective Cohort Study Among Children, Adolescents and Adults Newly Diagnosed with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:4311-4320. [PMID: 34623581 PMCID: PMC9508210 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05289-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
We used real world data to summarize comorbidities and interventions among patients newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were derived from two claims-based US healthcare databases; Medicaid and Optum to construct a retrospective cohort of 36,000 patients. Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD) was the most common co-morbidity (Medicaid: 50.09%; Optum: 44.16%), followed by mood disorder (Medicaid: 16.56% and Optum: 17.47%). Most patients received at least one type of treatment. Behavioral therapy was common (74.64% in Medicaid and 71.97% in Optum). More than half the cohorts received at least 1 pharmacotherapy. However, pharmacotherapies were diverse. Combination therapy and therapy switching was common. Understanding the clinical diversity and complexity of patients with ASD is an important first step in understanding unmet therapeutic needs.
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25
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"I Don't Do Much Without Researching Things Myself": A Mixed Methods Study Exploring the Role of Parent Health Literacy in Autism Services Use for Young Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:3598-3611. [PMID: 34435270 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05240-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about how parent health literacy contributes to health-related outcomes for children with autism. This mixed-methods study included 82 U.S. parents of a child with autism 2-5 years-old and sought to describe (1) health literacy dimensions, (2) how health literacy influences services use, and (3) health literacy improvement strategies. Results showed: autism information was accessed from multiple sources; understanding autism information involved "doing your own research"; autism information empowered decision-making; health literacy facilitated behavioral services use; health literacy influenced medication use; family and system characteristics also affected services use; autism education remains needed; services information is needed across the diagnostic odyssey; and greater scientific information accessibility would increase uptake. Findings demonstrate how parent health literacy affects services use.
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Menezes M, Robinson MF, Harkins C, Sadikova E, Mazurek MO. Unmet health care needs and health care quality in youth with autism spectrum disorder with and without intellectual disability. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2021; 25:2199-2208. [PMID: 34030515 DOI: 10.1177/13623613211014721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT The increase in the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder has placed greater demands on the health care system. Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder often experience challenges accessing high-quality physical and mental health care due to characteristic social-communication deficits and behavioral difficulties, as well as high rates of complex medical and psychiatric comorbidities. Intellectual disability commonly co-occurs with autism spectrum disorder and individuals affected by this co-occurrence may have additional impairments that compound challenges accessing health care. This study investigated the relations among co-occurring intellectual disability, unmet physical and mental health care needs, and health care quality in a large, nationally distributed sample of youth with autism spectrum disorder using structural equation modeling techniques. Co-occurring intellectual disability was significantly associated with unmet mental health care needs in children with autism. In addition, unmet mental health care needs mediated the relationship between co-occurring intellectual disability and health care quality; youth with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring intellectual disability who had a past-year unmet mental health need had significantly poorer caregiver-reported health care quality. These findings suggest that youth with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring intellectual disability may be more likely to experience unmet mental health care needs and receive poorer quality of care than the broader autism spectrum disorder population.
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Wood JJ, Wood KS, Cho AC, Rosenau KA, Guevara MC, Galán C, Bazzano A, Zeldin AS, Hellemann G. Modular cognitive behavioral therapy for autism-related symptoms in children: A randomized controlled trial. J Consult Clin Psychol 2021; 89:110-125. [PMID: 33705167 PMCID: PMC8284564 DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To date, no one-on-one psychotherapy protocol for elementary and middle school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been found to be efficacious for treating autism-related symptoms such as failure to initiate social interactions. This study compared modular cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with enhanced standard community treatment (ESCT) in terms of impact on the severity of autism-related symptoms. METHOD Children with ASD (N = 107; aged 6-13 years) were randomly assigned to a treatment condition (CBT or ESCT). Both treatments provided 32 therapy sessions. The CBT condition utilized a modular design, matching specific evidence-based treatment elements to each child's clinical needs (e.g., social-communication symptoms). The ESCT condition provided social skills training and cognitive behavioral training in a structured and linear group therapy format. The primary outcome measure was independent evaluator ratings of peer engagement during school recess using a structured and validated observation system. Parents also made session-by-session ratings on personalized autism-related symptom profiles throughout treatment. RESULTS CBT outperformed ESCT on the primary outcome measure (p < .001; d = .50; 95% CI [.06, .93]) and the secondary outcome measure (p = .003; d = .87; 95% CI [.45, 1.27]). CONCLUSIONS The modular one-on-one CBT program evaluated in this study may be beneficial for reducing the severity of autism-related symptoms in some children with ASD. Further research is needed to clarify the extent of the treatment effect and the feasibility of implementation for therapists in the community. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J. Wood
- Department of Education, Division of Human Development and Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Karen Sze Wood
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - An Chuen Cho
- Department of Education, Division of Human Development and Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | - Kashia A. Rosenau
- Department of Education, Division of Human Development and Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | | | | - Alicia Bazzano
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
| | | | - Gerhard Hellemann
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles
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Health Care Transition Planning Among Youth with ASD and Other Mental, Behavioral, and Developmental Disorders. Matern Child Health J 2021; 24:796-804. [PMID: 31897930 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-019-02858-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To estimate the prevalence of health care transition components among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) aged 12-17 using the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), compared to youth with other mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders (MBDDs) or youth without MBDDs. METHODS The 2016 NSCH is a nationally and state representative survey that explores issues of health and well-being among children ages 0-17. Within the NSCH, parents of a subset of youth, ages 12-17, are asked a series of questions about their youth's eventual transition into the adult health care system. The current study explores components of this transition, comparing youth diagnosed with ASD, youth with other mental, behavioral, or developmental disorders (MBDDs), and youth without MBDDs. RESULTS Approximately 1-in-4 youth with ASD had actively worked with their doctor to understand future changes to their health care, significantly less than youth with other MBDDs and youth without MBDDs. Fewer than 2-in-5 youth with ASD had met with their doctor privately or had a parent who knew how their youth would be insured when they reached adulthood. CONCLUSIONS The current analysis of a nationally representative sample of youth reveals discrepancies in the proportion of youth with ASD receiving appropriate health care transition planning compared to youth with other MBDDs and youth without MBDDs. These findings suggest the potential for barriers among youth with ASD to effectively transitioning into the adult health care system.
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McLennan JD, Bahadur A, Cobigo V, Hrycko S, Fulford C. Cross-sector service use patterns among children with developmental disabilities in a district in Canada. JOURNAL OF APPLIED RESEARCH IN INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES 2020; 34:546-555. [PMID: 33070429 DOI: 10.1111/jar.12821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a lack of information about cross-sector service use by children with developmental disabilities despite their need for services from multiple sectors. METHODS Responses to service use questions from a parent-completed survey on school-aged children who attended clinics specific for those with developmental disabilities at a Canadian children's hospital were examined. RESULTS School meetings were the most common of three professional meeting types attended in the last 12 months (64.9%) for the sample of 205 children. Recreational services were the most common of five service types received in the same time period (79.0%). Using ordinal logistic regression models, a higher number of behavioural difficulties was the only variable consistently related to indices of more meeting types (school, physician, other) attended and more service types received (recreation, respite, etc.). CONCLUSIONS The service relationship with behavioural problems, and not socio-demographic variables, is consistent with a needs-based oriented delivery system.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D McLennan
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario-Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | | | - Virginie Cobigo
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario-Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sophia Hrycko
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Casey Fulford
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
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30
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Quebles I, Solomon O, Smith KA, Rao SR, Lu F, Azen C, Anaya G, Yin L. Racial and Ethnic Differences in Behavioral Problems and Medication Use Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. AMERICAN JOURNAL ON INTELLECTUAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2020; 125:369-388. [PMID: 32936891 PMCID: PMC8423191 DOI: 10.1352/1944-7558-125.5.369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We examined racial and ethnic differences in the prevalence of behavioral problems measured by the Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL), sleep disturbances measured by the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and medication use among children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). We analyzed data from the Autism Treatment Network (ATN) dataset for 2,576 children ages 6 to 18 years of age diagnosed with ASD. Multivariable logistic regression accounting for age, gender, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th Edition - Text Revision), diagnosis (Autistic Disorder, PDD-NOS, Asperger's Disorder), and parents' education did not show any racial or ethnic differences in behavioral challenges, conduct problems, or sleep disturbances for any of the groups, but Black children had lower odds of Total Problem Behaviors and Asian children had lower odds of Hyperactivity compared to White children. As a group, children from racial and ethnic minorities had lower odds of Total Problem Behaviors and Conduct Problems compared to White children. Hispanic children had lower odds of medication use for Behavioral Challenges, Total Problem Behaviors, Hyperactivity, and Conduct Problems. Asian children had lower odds of medication use for Behavioral Challenges, Total Problem Behaviors, and Hyperactivity; and had close to lower odds in medication use for Conduct Problems. Black children had lower odds for medication use for Total Problem Behaviors only. As a group, children from racial and ethnic minorities had lower odds for medication use for Behavioral Challenges, Total Problem Behaviors, Hyperactivity, and Conduct problems, but not for Sleep Disturbances. While these results are consistent with previous studies showing that White children are significantly more likely to receive psychotropic medication compared to children from racial and ethnic minority groups, we found no such differences for sleep challenges, suggesting that they are more consistently identified and equitably treated than other behavioral problems associated with ASD. We draw upon Andersen's (1995) Behavioral Model of Healthcare Use to suggest predisposing, enabling, and needs factors that may contribute to this pattern of racial and ethnic differences in the use of medications among children ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Quebles
- Irina Quebles, Olga Solomon, and Kathryn A. Smith, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California
| | - Olga Solomon
- Irina Quebles, Olga Solomon, and Kathryn A. Smith, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California
| | - Kathryn A Smith
- Irina Quebles, Olga Solomon, and Kathryn A. Smith, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California
| | - Sowmya R Rao
- Sowmya R. Rao and Frances Lu, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Frances Lu
- Sowmya R. Rao and Frances Lu, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
| | - Colleen Azen
- Colleen Azen, Grace Anaya, and Larry Yin, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California
| | - Grace Anaya
- Colleen Azen, Grace Anaya, and Larry Yin, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California
| | - Larry Yin
- Colleen Azen, Grace Anaya, and Larry Yin, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, University of Southern California
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31
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Brief Report: Assessment Experiences of Children with Neurogenetic Syndromes: Caregivers' Perceptions and Suggestions for Improvement. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:1443-1450. [PMID: 31955311 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04363-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
It is well-recognized that measurement options for diagnosing and monitoring children with neurogenetic syndromes (NGS) associated with moderate to severe intellectual impairment are limited (Berry-Kravis, Dev Med Child Neurol https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.13018, 2016), and caregivers experience significant concerns regarding the assessment process. However to date, these concerns have not been summarized into actionable steps for clinicians and test-makers. As such, we used a mixed methods approach to assess caregiver-derived perceptions and suggestions for improving assessments in NGS. Results indicated many shared challenges and suggestions for improvement, particularly in the domains of testing procedures and examiner communication. Integrating these suggestions into future protocols is an important next step toward improving the quality of assessment procedures for children with NGS and their families across both clinical and research contexts.
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Bordini D, Paula CS, Cunha GR, Caetano SC, Bagaiolo LF, Ribeiro TC, Martone MCC, Portolese J, Moya AC, Brunoni D, Bosa C, Brentani H, Cogo-Moreira H, de Jesus Mari J. A randomised clinical pilot trial to test the effectiveness of parent training with video modelling to improve functioning and symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual disability. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2020; 64:629-643. [PMID: 32608096 DOI: 10.1111/jir.12759] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poor eye contact and joint attention are early signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and important prerequisites for developing other socio-communicative skills. Teaching parents evidence-based techniques to improve these skills can impact the overall functioning of children with ASD. We aimed to analyse the impact of conducting a group parent-training intervention with video modelling to improve the intelligent quotient (IQ), social and communication functioning and to minimise symptoms in children with ASD and intellectual disability (ID). METHODS Study design: A multicentre, single-blinded, randomised clinical pilot trial of parent training using video modelling was conducted. SAMPLE Sixty-seven parents of children with ASD, aged between 3 and 6 years and with IQs between 50 and 70, were randomised: 34 to the intervention group and 33 to the control group. Intervention program: The intervention group received parent training over 22 sessions, and the control group received the standard community treatment. INSTRUMENTS Pre-evaluation and post-evaluation (week 28), the following were used: Autism Diagnostic Interview, Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale I, Snijders-Oomen Nonverbal Intelligence Test, Autism Behaviour Checklist and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. DATA ANALYSIS Intention to treat and complier-average causal effect (CACE) were used to estimate the effects of the intervention. RESULTS There was a statistically significant improvement in the Vineland standardized communication scores in CACE (Cohen's d = 0.260). There was a non-statistically significant decrease in autism symptomatology (Autism Behaviour Checklist total scores) and a significant increase in the non-verbal IQ in the intervention group. After the false discovery rate correction was applied, IQ remained statistically significant under both paradigms. The effect size for this adjusted outcome under the intention-to-treat paradigm was close to 0.4, and when considering adherence (CACE), the effect sizes were more robust (IQ's Cohen's d = 0.433). CONCLUSIONS Parent training delivered by video modelling can be a useful technique for improving the care given to children with ASD and ID, particularly in countries that lack specialists.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Bordini
- Social Cognition Clinic - TEAMM, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - C S Paula
- Social Cognition Clinic - TEAMM, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Development Disorders Program, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - G R Cunha
- Social Cognition Clinic - TEAMM, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - S C Caetano
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - L F Bagaiolo
- Social Cognition Clinic - TEAMM, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
- Gradual - Behavioral Intervention Group, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - T C Ribeiro
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - M C C Martone
- Department of Psychology - LAHMEI, Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCar), Sao Carlos, Brazil
| | - J Portolese
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - A C Moya
- Social Cognition Clinic - TEAMM, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - D Brunoni
- Development Disorders Program, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - C Bosa
- Department of Psychology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - H Brentani
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - H Cogo-Moreira
- Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - J de Jesus Mari
- Social Cognition Clinic - TEAMM, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Stadnick NA, Lau AS, Dickson KS, Pesanti K, Innes-Gomberg D, Brookman-Frazee L. Service use by youth with autism within a system-driven implementation of evidence-based practices in children's mental health services. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 24:2094-2103. [PMID: 32686469 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320934230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Public mental health systems play an important role in caring for youth with autism spectrum disorder. Like other dually diagnosed populations, youth with autism spectrum disorder may receive services in the context of evidence-based practice implementation efforts within public mental health systems. Little is known about service use patterns within the context of system-driven implementations efforts for this population. This case-control study examined mental health service patterns of 2537 youth with autism spectrum disorder compared to 2537 matched peers receiving care in the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the largest public mental health department in the United States, within the context of a system-driven implementation of multiple evidence-based practices. Although not the primary target of this implementation effort, youth with autism spectrum disorder were served when they met criteria for the services based on their presenting mental health symptoms. Comparative analyses using administrative claims data were conducted to examine differences in mental health utilization patterns and clinical characteristics. Findings revealed significant differences in the volume and duration of mental health services as well as differences in the service type and evidence-based practice delivered between youth with and without autism spectrum disorder. Results provide direction targeting implementation efforts for youth with autism spectrum disorder within a public mental health system care reform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Stadnick
- University of California, San Diego, USA.,Dissemination and Implementation Science Center, University of California San Diego, USA.,Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, USA
| | - Anna S Lau
- University of California Los Angeles, USA
| | - Kelsey S Dickson
- Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, USA.,San Diego State University, USA
| | - Keri Pesanti
- Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, USA
| | | | - Lauren Brookman-Frazee
- University of California, San Diego, USA.,Dissemination and Implementation Science Center, University of California San Diego, USA.,Child and Adolescent Services Research Center, USA.,Autism Discovery Institute, Rady Children's Hospital San Diego, USA
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34
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Robinson LA, Menezes M, Mullin B, Cook BL. A Comparison of Health Care Expenditures for Medicaid-Insured Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Asthma in an Expanding Accountable Care Organization. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:1031-1044. [PMID: 31836944 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04327-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
As value-based care continues to expand, more children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) will be treated by accountable care organizations (ACOs), provider organizations seeking to improve population health while reducing costs. To inform ACO strategies for children with ASD, this study compared health care expenditures of children insured by a Medicaid managed care organization, empaneled to a safety net ACO, with ASD, asthma, and neither diagnosis. Compared to other study groups, children with ASD were more costly, had lower rates of acute care, and had higher rates of "leaked" care provided by home- and community-based mental health agencies outside of the ACO. These findings highlight the need for unique value-based strategies for children with ASD in a public sector ACO.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee A Robinson
- Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | | | | | - Benjamin Lê Cook
- Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Cantor J, McBain RK, Kofner A, Stein BD, Yu H. Fewer Than Half Of US Mental Health Treatment Facilities Provide Services For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Health Aff (Millwood) 2020; 39:968-974. [PMID: 32479238 PMCID: PMC7773216 DOI: 10.1377/hlthaff.2019.01557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Despite estimates of rising prevalence of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the US, there is little research on the availability of behavioral health care services for this vulnerable population. To fill the gap, we surveyed 8,184 mental health treatment facilities in the contiguous US. As of August 2019, 43.0 percent of facilities reported providing behavioral health care for children with ASD, and 36.6 percent were accepting such children as new patients. Only 12.7 percent reported having a clinician with specialized training, and 4.3 percent reported having a specialized treatment program. Multivariable regression results indicated that there was poorer access to specialized ASD care in rural and lower-income communities. New policies are needed to increase the availability of behavioral health care for children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Cantor
- Jonathan Cantor is an associate policy researcher in the Department of Economics, Sociology, and Statistics, RAND Corporation, in Santa Monica, California
| | - Ryan K McBain
- Ryan K. McBain is a policy researcher in the Department of Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, in Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Aaron Kofner
- Aaron Kofner is a research programmer in the Research Programming Group, RAND Corporation, in Arlington, Virginia
| | - Bradley D Stein
- Bradley D. Stein is a senior physician policy researcher in the Department of Behavioral and Policy Sciences, RAND Corporation, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at the University of Pittsburgh
| | - Hao Yu
- Hao Yu is an associate professor of population medicine at Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute, both in Boston
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Wood JJ, Kendall PC, Wood KS, Kerns CM, Seltzer M, Small BJ, Lewin AB, Storch EA. Cognitive Behavioral Treatments for Anxiety in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry 2020; 77:474-483. [PMID: 31755906 PMCID: PMC6902190 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.4160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Anxiety is common among youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), often interfering with adaptive functioning. Psychological therapies are commonly used to treat school-aged youth with ASD; their efficacy has not been established. OBJECTIVE To compare the relative efficacy of 2 cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) programs and treatment as usual (TAU) to assess treatment outcomes on maladaptive and interfering anxiety in children with ASD. The secondary objectives were to assess treatment outcomes on positive response, ASD symptom severity, and anxiety-associated adaptive functioning. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This randomized clinical trial began recruitment in April 2014 at 3 universities in US cities. A volunteer sample of children (7-13 years) with ASD and maladaptive and interfering anxiety was randomized to standard-of-practice CBT, CBT adapted for ASD, or TAU. Independent evaluators were blinded to groupings. Data were collected through January 2017 and analyzed from December 2018 to February 2019. INTERVENTIONS The main features of standard-of-practice CBT were affect recognition, reappraisal, modeling/rehearsal, in vivo exposure tasks, and reinforcement. The CBT intervention adapted for ASD was similar but also addressed social communication and self-regulation challenges with perspective-taking training and behavior-analytic techniques. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES The primary outcome measure per a priori hypotheses was the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale. Secondary outcomes included treatment response on the Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement scale and checklist measures. RESULTS Of 214 children initially enrolled, 167 were randomized, 145 completed treatment, and 22 discontinued participation. Those who were not randomized failed to meet eligibility criteria (eg, confirmed ASD). There was no significant difference in discontinuation rates across conditions. Randomized children had a mean (SD) age of 9.9 (1.8) years; 34 were female (20.5%). The CBT program adapted for ASD outperformed standard-of-practice CBT (mean [SD] Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale score, 2.13 [0.91] [95% CI, 1.91-2.36] vs 2.43 [0.70] [95% CI, 2.25-2.62]; P = .04) and TAU (2.93 [0.59] [95% CI, 2.63-3.22]; P < .001). The CBT adapted for ASD also outperformed standard-of-practice CBT and TAU on parent-reported scales of internalizing symptoms (estimated group mean differences: adapted vs standard-of-practice CBT, -0.097 [95% CI, -0.172 to -0.023], P = .01; adapted CBT vs TAU, -0.126 [95% CI, -0.243 to -0.010]; P = .04), ASD-associated social-communication symptoms (estimated group mean difference: adapted vs standard-of-practice CBT, -0.115 [95% CI, -0223 to -0.007]; P = .04; adapted CBT vs TAU: -0.235 [95% CI,-0.406 to -0.065]; P = .01); and anxiety-associated social functioning (estimated group mean difference: adapted vs standard-of-practice CBT, -0.160 [95% CI, -0.307 to -0.013]; P = .04; adapted CBT vs TAU: -0.284 [95% CI, -0.515 to -0.053]; P = .02). Both CBT conditions achieved higher rates of positive treatment response than TAU (BIACA, 61 of 66 [92.4%]; Coping Cat, 47 of 58 [81.0%]; TAU, 2 of 18 [11.1%]; P < .001 for each comparison). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE In this study, CBT was efficacious for children with ASD and interfering anxiety, and an adapted CBT approach showed additional advantages. It is recommended that clinicians providing psychological treatments to school-aged children with ASD consider developing CBT expertise. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02028247.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey J. Wood
- Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles,Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
| | - Philip C. Kendall
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Karen S. Wood
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
| | - Connor M. Kerns
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael Seltzer
- Department of Education, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles
| | - Brent J. Small
- University of South Florida School of Aging Studies, Tampa
| | - Adam B. Lewin
- Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, University of South Florida, Tampa
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Ziskind D, Bennett A, Jawad A, Blum N. Therapy and Psychotropic Medication Use in Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Pediatrics 2020; 145:S99-S107. [PMID: 32238536 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2019-1895m] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Guidelines suggest young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) receive intensive nonpharmacologic interventions. Additionally, associated symptoms may be treated with psychotropic medications. Actual intervention use by young children has not been well characterized. Our aim in this study was to describe interventions received by young children (3-6 years old) with ASD. The association with sociodemographic factors was also explored. METHODS Data were analyzed from the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (AS-ATN), a research registry of children with ASD from 17 sites in the United States and Canada. AS-ATN participants receive a diagnostic evaluation and treatment recommendations. Parents report intervention use at follow-up visits. At follow-up, 805 participants had data available about therapies received, and 613 had data available about medications received. RESULTS The median total hours per week of therapy was 5.5 hours (interquartile range 2.0-15.0), and only 33.4% of participants were reported to be getting behaviorally based therapies. A univariate analysis and a multiple regression model predicting total therapy time showed that a diagnosis of ASD before enrollment in the AS-ATN was a significant predictor. Additionally, 16.3% of participants were on ≥1 psychotropic medication. A univariate analysis and a multiple logistic model predicting psychotropic medication use showed site region as a significant predictor. CONCLUSIONS Relatively few young children with ASD are receiving behavioral therapies or total therapy hours at the recommended intensity. There is regional variability in psychotropic medication use. Further research is needed to improve access to evidence-based treatments for young children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ziskind
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
| | - Amanda Bennett
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
| | - Abbas Jawad
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and.,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nathan Blum
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and.,Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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38
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Banire B, Khowaja K, Mansoor B, Qaraqe M, Al Thani D. Reality-Based Technologies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Recommendation for Food Intake Intervention. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 24:679-693. [PMID: 32006380 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-30402-7_26] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Food selectivity by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is relatively high as compared to typical children and consequently puts them at risk of nutritional inadequacies. Thus, there is a need to educate children with ASD on food types and their benefits in a simple and interesting manner that will encourage food acceptance and enable a move toward healthy living. The use of technological intervention has proven to be an effective tool for educating children with ASD in maintaining attention and mastering new skills as compared to traditional methods. Some of the popularly used technologies are computer-based intervention and robotics which do not support ecological validity (i.e., mimicking natural scenario). Consideration of natural factors is essential for better learning outcomes and generalized skills which can easily be incorporated into reality-based technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality. These technologies provide evidence-based support for ecological validation of intervention and sustaining the attention of children with ASD. The main objective of this study is to review existing reality-based technology intervention for children with ASD and investigate the following: (1) commonly used reality-based technology, (2) types of intervention targeted with reality-based technology, and (3) what subjects' inclusion types are used in the reality-based interventions. These objective statements have guided our recommendation of reality-based technology that can support ecological validity of food intake intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bilikis Banire
- Department of Information, and Computing Technology, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Kamran Khowaja
- Department of Information, and Computing Technology, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Bilal Mansoor
- Mechanical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Doha, Doha, Qatar
| | - Marwa Qaraqe
- Department of Information, and Computing Technology, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Dena Al Thani
- Department of Information, and Computing Technology, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar.
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Abstract
Objective: Children with ADHD frequently present with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomatology, yet there is a notable gap in the treatment needs of this subpopulation, including whether the presence of ASD may be associated with more severe ADHD symptoms. Method: Data from the 2014 National Survey of the Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD and Tourette Syndrome (n = 2,464) were used to compare children diagnosed with ADHD and ASD with children with ADHD, but not ASD. Children were classified as needing treatment if it was received or their parents reported it was needed, but not received. Results: Approximately one in eight children currently diagnosed with ADHD was also diagnosed with ASD. Children diagnosed with both disorders had greater treatment needs, more co-occurring conditions, and were more likely to have a combined hyperactive/impulsive and inattentive ADHD subtype. Conclusion: These findings highlight the complexity of children diagnosed with both ADHD and ASD.
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Rubenstein E, Croen L, Lee LC, Moody E, Schieve LA, Soke GN, Thomas K, Wiggins L, Daniels J. Community-based service use in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder and associations with insurance status. RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS 2019; 66:101410. [PMID: 32831903 PMCID: PMC7430759 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2019.101410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND ASD-related services can improve outcomes for children, but less is known about service outside of school settings during preschool age. We aimed to describe amount and category of community-based service use among 3-5-year-old children with ASD and examine differences by health insurance. METHODS We used cross-sectional data on 792 children with ASD diagnoses in the Study to Explore Early Development, a community-based study of neurodevelopment with enrollment between 2012-2016. Mothers reported current child service use and insurance status at study entry. We used log-Poisson and logistic regression to compare service use by insurance group. RESULTS Nearly 40% of children were not receiving community-based services at study entry. Children with public insurance had fewer total services than children with private or both insurances. After adjustment for sociodemographic confounders, insurance status was not associated with types of different categories of community-based services. However, children with public insurance alone were least likely to receive community-based behavioral therapy and most likely to receive psychotropic medication compared to other insurances. CONCLUSION Many preschool-aged children do not receive community-based services, with receipt associated with insurance type. Increasing access and availability for evidence-based service, especially for beneficiaries of public insurance, may improve service use and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Rubenstein
- University of Wisconsin Madison, Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison WI, 53705
| | - Lisa Croen
- Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente of Northern California, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
| | - Li-Ching Lee
- Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University, 315 N Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21231
| | - Eric Moody
- Wyoming Institute of Disabilities, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071
| | - Laura A. Schieve
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Gnakub N. Soke
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Kathleen Thomas
- Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, 725 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7590
| | - Lisa Wiggins
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, 1600 Clifton Road, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Julie Daniels
- University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Biostatistics, 137 East Franklin Street Room 6702 CB# 8030 Chapel Hill, NC 27514
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Parent Perceptions of Community Autism Spectrum Disorder Stigma: Measure Validation and Associations in a Multi-site Sample. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 48:3199-3209. [PMID: 29700707 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3586-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In this study we developed a brief, English/Spanish bilingual parent-reported scale of perceived community autism spectrum disorder (ASD) stigma and tested it in a multi-site sample of Latino and non-Latino white parents of children with ASD. Confirmatory factor analysis of the scale supported a single factor solution with 8 items showing good internal consistency. Regression modeling suggested that stigma score was associated with unmet ASD care needs but not therapy hours or therapy types. Child public insurance, parent nativity, number of children with ASD in the household, parent-reported ASD severity, and family structure, were associated with higher stigma score. The scale and the scale's associations with service use may be useful to those attempting to measure or reduce ASD stigma.
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Lindly OJ, Zuckerman KE, Kuhlthau KA. Healthcare access and services use among US children with autism spectrum disorder. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2019; 23:1419-1430. [PMID: 30497274 PMCID: PMC6941887 DOI: 10.1177/1362361318815237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to determine associations of healthcare access problems with services use among US children with autism spectrum disorder. We analyzed 2011-2014 National Health Interview Survey data on 651 children with autism spectrum disorder aged 2-17 years. There were three measures of healthcare access problems: (1) delays accessing healthcare, (2) difficulty affording healthcare, and (3) trouble finding a primary care provider. There were five service use measures: (1) ⩾4 office visits, (2) ⩾1 well-child visit, (3) flu vaccine, (4) prescription medication, and (5) ⩾1 emergency department visit. Multivariable regression models estimated associations of ⩾1 healthcare access problem with each service use variable and effect modification by socioeconomic status and race and ethnicity. Twenty-nine percent of children with autism spectrum disorder had ⩾1 healthcare access problem. Having ⩾1 healthcare access problem was associated with lower adjusted odds of ⩾1 well-child visit or prescription medication use but higher adjusted odds of ⩾4 office visits or ⩾1 emergency department visit. No significant association was found for flu vaccine. Associations of healthcare access problems with emergency department use were most pronounced for higher socioeconomic status and White, non-Hispanic subgroups. Intervention, such as insurance expansion, is needed to improve healthcare access for children with autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia J Lindly
- 1 Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
| | | | - Karen A Kuhlthau
- 1 Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, USA
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43
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Azad GF, Singh V, Kalb L, Pinkett-Davis M, Landa R. Child and Family Characteristics that Predict Autism Spectrum Disorder Specialty Clinic Appointment Attendance and Alignment with Providers. J Autism Dev Disord 2019; 49:3060-3072. [PMID: 31030311 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-019-04027-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
We examined factors contributing to initial appointment attendance, alignment between parents' pre-visit and clinicians' diagnostic impressions, and family commitment to follow-ups at an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) specialty clinic. Sample sizes were n = 6558 (initial), n = 1430 (alignment), and n = 1353 (follow-up). Parents completed surveys and clinicians provided their ASD diagnostic impressions. When children were not receiving intervention, families were less likely to keep their initial appointment. Families residing long distances and having older children were less likely to keep their initial and follow-up appointments. African American families were less likely to keep their initial appointment and expressed initial doubts with providers about the diagnosis. Findings suggest that some children are not getting diagnostic clarity or accessing timely services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gazi F Azad
- Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Autism and Related Disorders, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA.
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
| | - Vini Singh
- Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Autism and Related Disorders, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA
| | - Luke Kalb
- Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Autism and Related Disorders, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA
- Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, 615 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Melanie Pinkett-Davis
- Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Autism and Related Disorders, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA
| | - Rebecca Landa
- Kennedy Krieger Institute's Center for Autism and Related Disorders, 3901 Greenspring Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21211, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 733 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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Duvall SW, Lindly O, Zuckerman K, Msall ME, Weddle M. Ethical Implications for Providers Regarding Cannabis Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders. Pediatrics 2019; 143:e20180558. [PMID: 30610100 PMCID: PMC7250053 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-0558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for self-injurious behaviors that can be difficult to treat in the context of co-occurring low IQ and adaptive skills. Increased prevalence and decriminalization of cannabis in some states have led to more frequent questions for pediatricians about the use of cannabis for difficult-to-treat developmental and behavioral conditions. What do we know about the possible benefits and risks of cannabis use in children with ASD? How should the clinician respond to a parent who expresses interest in cannabis to manage behavior in a child with ASD? Ethical analysis that includes harm reduction, health concerns, and information sharing will be discussed. We present commentary on the ethical implications of cannabis use in children with ASD and severe self-harm behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Olivia Lindly
- Division of General Pediatrics and
- Department of General Academic Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Katharine Zuckerman
- Division of General Pediatrics and
- Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
- School of Public Health, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Michael E Msall
- Section of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, UChicago Medicine Comer Children's Hospital, Chicago, Illinois; and
- Joseph P. Kennedy Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, University of Chicago, Chicago Illinois
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Health Disparities among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Analysis of the National Survey of Children’s Health 2016. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 49:1652-1664. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3862-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Dai YG, Brennan L, Como A, Hughes-Lika J, Dumont-Mathieu T, Rathwell IC, Minxhozi O, Aliaj B, Fein DA. A Video Parent-Training Program for Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Albania. RESEARCH IN AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS 2018; 56:36-49. [PMID: 31275428 PMCID: PMC6605780 DOI: 10.1016/j.rasd.2018.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Behavioral intervention with parent participation is effective in reducing symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but access to intervention is limited. The current study explored whether a video-enriched parent-training program would (a) be comprehensible and acceptable to parents in the Republic of Albania, (b) increase parental knowledge of behavioral strategies and (c) increase parental self-efficacy. METHODS Twenty-nine parents of children with ASD aged 18-70 months completed the Early Intervention Parenting Self-Efficacy Scale (EIPSES, Guimond, Wilcox, & Lamorey, 2008) and a quiz to assess their knowledge of behavioral strategies. Parents in the Treatment Group then received access to a parent-training (PT) program on evidence-based teaching and behavior management techniques. The program was based on empirical research, but considered Albanian cultural norms and included topics Albanian parents requested. Parents in the Treatment Group rated the program using the Treatment Evaluation Inventory Short Form (TEI-SF; Kelley, Heffer, Gresham, & Elliott, 1989). Change in parents' quiz scores and EIPSES ratings from baseline to post-treatment were compared by group. RESULTS Parents rated this video training program as comprehensible and valuable. The program modestly increased aspects of self-efficacy as well as parents' knowledge of effective teaching strategies. CONCLUSION Remote PT may be useful in low-resource settings to help parents develop techniques for teaching skills and forestalling problem behavior in children with ASD. Additional research, with a larger sample size, that observes the effect of the program on child behavior is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael G. Dai
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | | | - Ariel Como
- Tirana Medical University and Regional Center on Autism, Dëshmorët e 4 Shkurtit, Pallati nr. 30, Tirana, Albania
| | - Jamie Hughes-Lika
- Summit Autism Services, Las Vegas, NV, USA; 48 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89107, USA
| | - Thyde Dumont-Mathieu
- Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, 282 Washington St, Hartford, CT 06106, USA
| | | | - Ola Minxhozi
- Tirana Medical University and Regional Center on Autism, Dëshmorët e 4 Shkurtit, Pallati nr. 30, Tirana, Albania
| | - Blerina Aliaj
- European University of Tirana, Bulevardi Gjergj Fishta Nd. 70, Tirana 1023, Albania
| | - Deborah A. Fein
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
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Kogan MD, Vladutiu CJ, Schieve LA, Ghandour RM, Blumberg SJ, Zablotsky B, Perrin JM, Shattuck P, Kuhlthau KA, Harwood RL, Lu MC. The Prevalence of Parent-Reported Autism Spectrum Disorder Among US Children. Pediatrics 2018; 142:peds.2017-4161. [PMID: 30478241 PMCID: PMC6317762 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2017-4161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED : media-1vid110.1542/5839990273001PEDS-VA_2017-4161Video Abstract OBJECTIVES: To estimate the national prevalence of parent-reported autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis among US children aged 3 to 17 years as well as their treatment and health care experiences using the 2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH). METHODS The 2016 NSCH is a nationally representative survey of 50 212 children focused on the health and well-being of children aged 0 to 17 years. The NSCH collected parent-reported information on whether children ever received an ASD diagnosis by a care provider, current ASD status, health care use, access and challenges, and methods of treatment. We calculated weighted prevalence estimates of ASD, compared health care experiences of children with ASD to other children, and examined factors associated with increased likelihood of medication and behavioral treatment. RESULTS Parents of an estimated 1.5 million US children aged 3 to 17 years (2.50%) reported that their child had ever received an ASD diagnosis and currently had the condition. Children with parent-reported ASD diagnosis were more likely to have greater health care needs and difficulties accessing health care than children with other emotional or behavioral disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, behavioral or conduct problems, depression, developmental delay, Down syndrome, intellectual disability, learning disability, Tourette syndrome) and children without these conditions. Of children with current ASD, 27% were taking medication for ASD-related symptoms, whereas 64% received behavioral treatments in the last 12 months, with variations by sociodemographic characteristics and co-occurring conditions. CONCLUSIONS The estimated prevalence of US children with a parent-reported ASD diagnosis is now 1 in 40, with rates of ASD-specific treatment usage varying by children's sociodemographic and co-occurring conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael D. Kogan
- Health Resources and Services Administration,
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Catherine J. Vladutiu
- Health Resources and Services Administration,
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Laura A. Schieve
- National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities and
| | - Reem M. Ghandour
- Health Resources and Services Administration,
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Stephen J. Blumberg
- National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland
| | - Benjamin Zablotsky
- National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Hyattsville, Maryland
| | - James M. Perrin
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School,
Harvard University and MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston,
Massachusetts
| | - Paul Shattuck
- AJ Drexel Autism Institute, School of Public Health,
Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and
| | - Karen A. Kuhlthau
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School,
Harvard University and MassGeneral Hospital for Children, Boston,
Massachusetts
| | - Robin L. Harwood
- Health Resources and Services Administration,
Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Michael C. Lu
- Office of the Dean, Milken Institute School of Public
Health, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia
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48
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Chaidez V, Fernandez y Garcia E, Wang LW, Angkustsiri K, Krakowiak P, Hertz-Picciotto I, Hansen RL. Comparison of maternal beliefs about causes of autism spectrum disorder and association with utilization of services and treatments. Child Care Health Dev 2018; 44:916-925. [PMID: 30136409 PMCID: PMC6447086 DOI: 10.1111/cch.12612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 06/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to describe parental perceptions of the causes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an ethnically diverse sample and explore whether these perceptions relate to treatment choices. METHODS The sample consisted of White (n = 224), Hispanic (n = 85), and Asian (n = 21) mothers of a child with ASD. A mixed methods approach was used in this secondary analysis focusing on parental perceptions about the causes of ASD and the relationship of these to utilization of services and treatment. RESULTS Environmental and genetic factors were most often believed to be the cause or one of the causes of ASD by mothers across all ethnic groups studied. Asian mothers were more likely to cite multiple causes. Environmental causes were associated with receiving 20 or more hours of autism-related services per week, whereas belief in environmental exposures and vaccines and medications as causes were associated with complementary-alternative medicine (CAM) use. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that ethnic differences in autism causal beliefs and treatment choices may exist. Future research should be conducted to specifically confirm the findings, to understand parental motivation behind their service and treatment choices, and to gain more insight into the types, usage, and sources of CAM treatments. Clinicians can use parental autism causal beliefs in discussions about treatment recommendations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Chaidez
- Present address,Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California
| | - Erik Fernandez y Garcia
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Lulu W Wang
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.) Institute, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, California.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Kathleen Angkustsiri
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.) Institute, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, California.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
| | - Paula Krakowiak
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California,Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.) Institute, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, California
| | - Irva Hertz-Picciotto
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Davis, California,Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.) Institute, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, California
| | - Robin L Hansen
- Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (M.I.N.D.) Institute, University of California Davis Health System, Sacramento, California.,Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, California
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49
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Expanding the Capacity of Primary Care to Treat Co-morbidities in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 48:4222-4230. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-018-3630-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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50
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Sagar-Ouriaghli I, Lievesley K, Santosh PJ. Propranolol for treating emotional, behavioural, autonomic dysregulation in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. J Psychopharmacol 2018; 32:641-653. [PMID: 29484909 DOI: 10.1177/0269881118756245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To date, there is no single medication prescribed to alleviate all the core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD; National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, 2016). Both serotonin reuptake inhibitors and drugs for psychosis possess therapeutic drawbacks when managing anxiety and aggression in ASD. This review sought to appraise the use of propranolol as a pharmacological alternative when managing emotional, behavioural and autonomic dysregulation (EBAD) and other symptoms. MATERIALS AND METHODS Sixteen reports examined the administration of propranolol in the context of ASD. RESULTS Sixteen reports broadly covered cognitive domains, neural correlates, and behavioural domains. From the eight single-dose clinical trials, propranolol led to significant improvements in cognitive performance - verbal problem solving, social skills, mouth fixation, and conversation reciprocity; and changes in neural correlates - improvement in semantic networks and functional connectivity. The remaining eight case series and single case reports showed improvements in EBAD, anxiety, aggressive, self-injurious and hypersexual behaviours. Additionally, propranolol significantly improved similar behavioural domains (aggression and self-injury) for those with acquired brain injury. CONCLUSION This review indicates that propranolol holds promise for EBAD and cognitive performance in ASD. Given the lack of good quality clinical trials, randomised controlled trials are warranted to explore the efficacy of propranolol in managing EBAD in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kate Lievesley
- 1 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.,3 HealthTracker Ltd., Gillingham, UK
| | - Paramala J Santosh
- 1 Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, King's College London, UK.,2 Centre for Interventional Paediatric Psychopharmacology and Rare Diseases, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, UK.,3 HealthTracker Ltd., Gillingham, UK
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