The Knowledge of Autism Questionnaire-UK: Development and Initial Psychometric Evaluation

Tools to measure autism knowledge are needed to assess levels of understanding within particular groups of people and to evaluate whether awareness-raising campaigns or interventions lead to improvements in understanding. Several such measures are in circulation, but, to our knowledge, there are no psychometrically-validated questionnaires that assess contemporary autism knowledge suitable to the UK context. We aimed to produce a brief measure to assess between-respondent variability and within-respondent change over time. A pool of questionnaire items was developed and refined through a multi-stage iterative process involving autism experts and a lay sample. Attention was paid to face validity, clarity, consensus on correct responses, and appropriate difficulty levels. Initial validation data was obtained from a lay sample of 201 people. Difficulty and discrimination ability were assessed using item response theory and low-performing items were removed. Dimensionality was evaluated with exploratory factor analysis, which revealed a one-factor structure of the questionnaire. Further items were removed where they did not load strongly on their main factor. This process resulted in a final 14-item questionnaire called the Knowledge of Autism Questionnaire-UK. Internal consistency was satisfactory, and the final questionnaire was able to distinguish between parents of autistic people and those without an affiliation to autism. The KAQ-UK is a new, freely-available measure of autism knowledge that could be used to assess between-respondent variability and within-respondent change over time. Further evaluation and validation of its measurement properties are required.

Group Psychoeducational Intervention for Grandparents of Young Children with ASD: An Open Feasibility Study

This initial open feasibility trial reports on feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the manualized, group-based psychoeducational intervention for grandparents of preschool-aged children with ASD provided by the outpatient habilitation services in Stockholm, Sweden. One hundred and twenty non-custodial grandparents participated in a 6-h intervention program. The study demonstrated good feasibility: 114 (95%) grandparents completed both pre- and post-intervention measures and evaluations and reported high intervention acceptability. The results also indicated that grandparents increased their knowledge about ASD from pre-intervention to post-intervention, gained skills about strategies of supporting their grandchildren and adult children, and appreciated the opportunity to meet and share experiences with other grandparents. Follow-up with a randomized controlled trial design is needed to firmly establish efficacy of this intervention.

A Longitudinal RCT of P-ESDM With and Without Parental Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction: Impact on Child Outcomes

This randomized controlled trial (NCT03889821) examined Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) in conjunction with the Parent-implemented Early Start Denver Model (P-ESDM). A previous report described improved metrics of parental distress (Weitlauf et al. in Pediatrics 145(Supplement 1):S81-S92, 2020). This manuscript examines child outcomes. 63 children with ASD (< 36 months) and their parents received 12 P-ESDM sessions. Half of parents also received MBSR. Longitudinal examination of whole sample means revealed modest improvements in autism severity, cognitive, and adaptive skills. There was not a significant time × group interaction for children whose parents received MBSR. Future work should examine more proximal markers of child or dyadic change to enhance understanding of the impact of providing direct treatment for parents as part of early intervention initiatives.

A scoping review of education and training interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorder

OBJECTIVE

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder. Living with ASD requires that individuals and parents develop skills in order to cope with daily life. Education interventions are recommended to support them. This study aims to get an overview of education and training interventions in ASD.

METHODS

A scoping review of international literature was conducted.

RESULTS

43 articles were analyzed. Four main types of intervention stand out: support groups, parental training; psychoeducation; therapeutic patient education. However, the majority of publications is focused on the parents rather than on individuals living with ASD, and the needs assessments identified focused on general needs rather than educational needs.

CONCLUSION

While educational interventions for parents and individuals with ASD are now encouraged, considerable heterogeneity is observed. But this variety is not based on a reasoned approach to matching supply and needs. Future studies could focus more on the educational needs of individuals with ASD.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Overview of education and training interventions in ASD help health care providers to better understand the strengths and limitations of their interventions.

Parental experience of parent-mediated intervention for children with ASD: A systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis

LAY ABSTRACT

The effectiveness of parent-mediated interventions in the field of autism spectrum disorder is well documented but information on the experience of parents involved in parent-mediated interventions is limited.This study is the first synthesis of evidence concerning the experience of parents involved in parent-mediated interventions. It synthesizes the voice of 345 parents across the world into four general themes: barriers to implementation and logistical issues, feeling overwhelmed and stressed (a need for support), facilitators of implementation, and empowerment in the parent and improvement in the child.The findings of our study provide evidence that parent-mediated interventions should be adapted to the needs of each family. Specific care and support should be offered to parents in addition to parent-mediated interventions. Our study, however, highlights which outcomes are important to parents and should be considered in future studies.

Competencies and preferences of online psycho-education for caregivers of transition-aged autistic youth

Purpose

The need for more accessible services is apparent and has become more urgent due to the pandemic, COVID-19. While online psycho-education exists, its feasibility is rarely tested. This study explored the online learning experiences and technology competencies of caregivers of transition-aged autistic youth. Their preferred online transition-related training topics were also explored.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey was developed based on the review of related literature. The survey was distributed to caregivers of autistic children in the USA.

Findings

Results showed that these caregivers are open to online learning (84%) while preferring asynchronous (74.6%) over synchronous mode (12%). The highest-rated topics include life/independent living skills, employment and social and community involvement.

Originality/value

This paper presented valuable information for researchers and educators who are interested in developing online learning programs for the caregivers of autistic children.

A comparative feasibility study of two parent education and training programmes for autism spectrum disorder in a low-resource South African setting

LAY ABSTRACT

After a diagnosis of autism, it is an important first step to give families information about autism and skills to help them support their child. These interventions are called Parent Education and Training programmes. Little is known about these programmes or if they can make a difference to families, particularly in countries with few autism resources. In this study, we compared two Parent Education and Training programmes in South Africa. EarlyBird/EarlyBird Plus was developed in the United Kingdom, and Autism Cares in South Africa. We wanted to know if parents found the programmes useful, and if any changes were required. We collected information from parents through questionnaires and interviews before and after the group. We also asked a panel of experts (including parents) to compare the programmes. In total, 18 parents attended the EarlyBird/EarlyBird Plus group and 11 attended the Autism Cares group. Parents found both programmes helpful and made suggestions for improvements. Parents showed less stress, more knowledge of autism, and saw improvements in their children. The expert panel rated EarlyBird/EarlyBird Plus as better because it was more supportive of parents and was seen as easier to run in the country. Our study showed that Parent Education and Training programmes are important, but that researchers must study not only the outcomes but also the implementation needs of these programmes.