Autistic adults' perspectives and experiences of diagnostic assessments that include play across the lifespan / Emma PRITCHARD-ROWE in Autism, 29-1 (January 2025)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 29-1 (January 2025) . - p.64-75 Titre : Autistic adults' perspectives and experiences of diagnostic assessments that include play across the lifespan Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Emma PRITCHARD-ROWE, Auteur ; Carmen DE LEMOS, Auteur ; Katie HOWARD, Auteur ; Jenny GIBSON, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.64-75 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : assessment  autism  autistic perspectives  diagnosis  neurodiversity  play Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Play is often included in autism diagnostic assessments. These tend to focus on 'deficits' and non-autistic interpretation of observable behaviours. In contrast, a neurodiversity-affirmative assessment approach involves centring autistic perspectives and focusing on strengths, differences and needs. Accordingly, this study was designed to focus on autistic perspectives of diagnostic assessments that incorporate play. Autism community stakeholders were consulted on the design of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 autistic adults aged 18-57 years who live in the United Kingdom. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify themes. Autistic adults highlighted the varying ways in which play was included in their diagnostic assessments, such as via the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Our findings highlight the importance of better adapting assessment to the heterogeneity of autism. For example, our findings question the extent to which play is useful for assessing autistic women and girls who mask. Our findings also suggest that holistic, neurodiversity-affirmative assessment practices should be adopted. Our findings support the importance of adopting a personalised approach to diagnostic assessments that use play, in addition to assessing strengths and differences as well as needs.Lay abstractPlay is often included in autism diagnostic assessments. These assessments tend to focus on negatives and how people who are not autistic interpret observable behaviours. It is important to take a neurodiversity-affirmative assessment approach. This involves focusing on what autistic people say and looking at strengths and needs. We wanted to find out how autistic adults experience diagnostic assessments that include play. We asked autistic and non-autistic people to help us design our study and interview questions. We then interviewed 22 autistic adults to find out what they think about the use of play in assessments. We used a qualitative method called interpretative phenomenological analysis to analyse the data. Autistic adults told us about the different ways play was included in their diagnostic assessments. For example, some completed a diagnostic tool called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Autistic adults also talked about the importance of considering how autistic people are different to each other. For example, we found that play may not be useful for assessing women or girls who mask. This suggests that professionals should adopt a personalised approach to diagnostic assessments that use play catering to each person?s needs. Our findings also suggested that professionals should assess strengths and differences as well as needs. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241257601 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=544 [article] Autistic adults' perspectives and experiences of diagnostic assessments that include play across the lifespan [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Emma PRITCHARD-ROWE, Auteur ; Carmen DE LEMOS, Auteur ; Katie HOWARD, Auteur ; Jenny GIBSON, Auteur . - p.64-75. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 29-1 (January 2025) . - p.64-75 Mots-clés : assessment  autism  autistic perspectives  diagnosis  neurodiversity  play Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Play is often included in autism diagnostic assessments. These tend to focus on 'deficits' and non-autistic interpretation of observable behaviours. In contrast, a neurodiversity-affirmative assessment approach involves centring autistic perspectives and focusing on strengths, differences and needs. Accordingly, this study was designed to focus on autistic perspectives of diagnostic assessments that incorporate play. Autism community stakeholders were consulted on the design of the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 autistic adults aged 18-57 years who live in the United Kingdom. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to identify themes. Autistic adults highlighted the varying ways in which play was included in their diagnostic assessments, such as via the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Our findings highlight the importance of better adapting assessment to the heterogeneity of autism. For example, our findings question the extent to which play is useful for assessing autistic women and girls who mask. Our findings also suggest that holistic, neurodiversity-affirmative assessment practices should be adopted. Our findings support the importance of adopting a personalised approach to diagnostic assessments that use play, in addition to assessing strengths and differences as well as needs.Lay abstractPlay is often included in autism diagnostic assessments. These assessments tend to focus on negatives and how people who are not autistic interpret observable behaviours. It is important to take a neurodiversity-affirmative assessment approach. This involves focusing on what autistic people say and looking at strengths and needs. We wanted to find out how autistic adults experience diagnostic assessments that include play. We asked autistic and non-autistic people to help us design our study and interview questions. We then interviewed 22 autistic adults to find out what they think about the use of play in assessments. We used a qualitative method called interpretative phenomenological analysis to analyse the data. Autistic adults told us about the different ways play was included in their diagnostic assessments. For example, some completed a diagnostic tool called the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Autistic adults also talked about the importance of considering how autistic people are different to each other. For example, we found that play may not be useful for assessing women or girls who mask. This suggests that professionals should adopt a personalised approach to diagnostic assessments that use play catering to each person?s needs. Our findings also suggested that professionals should assess strengths and differences as well as needs. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241257601 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=544

Parental Perceptions and Decisions Regarding Maintaining Bilingualism in Autism / Katie HOWARD in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 51-1 (January 2021)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > 51-1 (January 2021) . - p.179-192 Titre : Parental Perceptions and Decisions Regarding Maintaining Bilingualism in Autism Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Katie HOWARD, Auteur ; Jenny GIBSON, Auteur ; Napoleon KATSOS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.179-192 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism  Bilingualism  Parental experiences Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : A growing body of evidence suggests that bilingual exposure does not negatively impact children on the autism spectrum. This study sought to illuminate parents' perceptions and choices regarding maintaining bilingualism in autism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 family members in England and Wales. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Although parents expressed positive attitudes towards bilingualism, these views were not always congruent with their language practices. Instead, several factors influenced decisions about language maintenance in autism, including the severity of the child's autism, advice received, and the importance of English as the dominant societal language. This article calls for greater support for families in making language decisions that are suitable for the individual child and their family. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04528-x Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=437 [article] Parental Perceptions and Decisions Regarding Maintaining Bilingualism in Autism [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Katie HOWARD, Auteur ; Jenny GIBSON, Auteur ; Napoleon KATSOS, Auteur . - p.179-192. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders > 51-1 (January 2021) . - p.179-192 Mots-clés : Autism  Bilingualism  Parental experiences Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : A growing body of evidence suggests that bilingual exposure does not negatively impact children on the autism spectrum. This study sought to illuminate parents' perceptions and choices regarding maintaining bilingualism in autism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 family members in England and Wales. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Although parents expressed positive attitudes towards bilingualism, these views were not always congruent with their language practices. Instead, several factors influenced decisions about language maintenance in autism, including the severity of the child's autism, advice received, and the importance of English as the dominant societal language. This article calls for greater support for families in making language decisions that are suitable for the individual child and their family. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10803-020-04528-x Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=437

Respite and connection: Autistic adults' reflections upon nature and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic / Samantha FRIEDMAN in Autism, 27-8 (November 2023)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 27-8 (November 2023) . - p.2483-2495 Titre : Respite and connection: Autistic adults' reflections upon nature and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Samantha FRIEDMAN, Auteur ; Roan NOBLE, Auteur ; Stephanie ARCHER, Auteur ; Jenny GIBSON, Auteur ; Claire HUGHES, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2483-2495 Mots-clés : autism  Covid-19 pandemic  nature  stress reduction theory  well-being Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : The Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns provided opportunities to engage and reconnect with nature, with many people noting associated benefits to well-being. Research from the pandemic period has largely focused on the way neurotypical or general populations experienced nature; less is known about how autistic people used nature to support well-being during this time. In this qualitative survey study of 127 autistic adults in the United Kingdom, we used reflexive thematic analysis of text box responses to develop two themes: respite in nature and connecting amid widespread disconnection. For some autistic adults during the pandemic, nature provided physical distance from others or from crowded homes, enabling them to use nature to experience relief from stress. In addition, some participants felt more psychologically connected to nature itself during the pandemic, while for others, nature served as a way of connecting with others during a potentially isolating time. These findings have implications for autistic people and their families and carers who may want to seek out nature-based activities to support well-being in the wake of the pandemic.Lay abstractThe Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns provided opportunities to spend time in nature, with many people reporting that this benefitted their well-being. However, existing research from the pandemic period has focused on the way general populations experienced nature; less is known about how autistic people used nature to support their well-being during the pandemic. We created a survey that invited autistic adults living in the United Kingdom to reply to text box questions. A total of 127 people responded to our survey; we analysed their responses using a method called reflexive thematic analysis and developed themes based on patterns among all the responses. We developed two themes: respite in nature and connecting amid widespread disconnection. For some autistic adults during the pandemic, nature provided physical distance from others or from crowded homes, which helped them reduce their stress. In addition, some participants felt more psychologically connected to nature itself during the pandemic, while for others, nature served as a way of connecting with others during a potentially isolating time. These findings are important for autistic people and their families and carers who may want to seek out nature-based activities to support well-being in the wake of the pandemic. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231166462 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=513 [article] Respite and connection: Autistic adults' reflections upon nature and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Samantha FRIEDMAN, Auteur ; Roan NOBLE, Auteur ; Stephanie ARCHER, Auteur ; Jenny GIBSON, Auteur ; Claire HUGHES, Auteur . - p.2483-2495. in Autism > 27-8 (November 2023) . - p.2483-2495 Mots-clés : autism  Covid-19 pandemic  nature  stress reduction theory  well-being Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : The Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns provided opportunities to engage and reconnect with nature, with many people noting associated benefits to well-being. Research from the pandemic period has largely focused on the way neurotypical or general populations experienced nature; less is known about how autistic people used nature to support well-being during this time. In this qualitative survey study of 127 autistic adults in the United Kingdom, we used reflexive thematic analysis of text box responses to develop two themes: respite in nature and connecting amid widespread disconnection. For some autistic adults during the pandemic, nature provided physical distance from others or from crowded homes, enabling them to use nature to experience relief from stress. In addition, some participants felt more psychologically connected to nature itself during the pandemic, while for others, nature served as a way of connecting with others during a potentially isolating time. These findings have implications for autistic people and their families and carers who may want to seek out nature-based activities to support well-being in the wake of the pandemic.Lay abstractThe Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns provided opportunities to spend time in nature, with many people reporting that this benefitted their well-being. However, existing research from the pandemic period has focused on the way general populations experienced nature; less is known about how autistic people used nature to support their well-being during the pandemic. We created a survey that invited autistic adults living in the United Kingdom to reply to text box questions. A total of 127 people responded to our survey; we analysed their responses using a method called reflexive thematic analysis and developed themes based on patterns among all the responses. We developed two themes: respite in nature and connecting amid widespread disconnection. For some autistic adults during the pandemic, nature provided physical distance from others or from crowded homes, which helped them reduce their stress. In addition, some participants felt more psychologically connected to nature itself during the pandemic, while for others, nature served as a way of connecting with others during a potentially isolating time. These findings are important for autistic people and their families and carers who may want to seek out nature-based activities to support well-being in the wake of the pandemic. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231166462 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=513

Social communication disorder outside autism? A diagnostic classification approach to delineating pragmatic language impairment, high functioning autism and specific language impairment / Jenny GIBSON in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 54-11 (November 2013)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry > 54-11 (November 2013) . - p.1186-1197 Titre : Social communication disorder outside autism? A diagnostic classification approach to delineating pragmatic language impairment, high functioning autism and specific language impairment Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Jenny GIBSON, Auteur ; Catherine ADAMS, Auteur ; Elaine LOCKTON, Auteur ; Jonathan GREEN, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1186-1197 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Social communication disorder  high functioning autism  language impairment  pragmatics  restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests  social functioning  diagnosis Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Developmental disorders of language and communication present considerable diagnostic challenges due to overlapping of symptomatology and uncertain aetiology. We aimed to further elucidate the behavioural and linguistic profile associated with impairments of social communication occurring outside of an autism diagnosis. Methods Six to eleven year olds diagnosed with pragmatic language impairment (PLI), high functioning autism (HFA) or specific language impairment (SLI) were compared on measures of social interaction with peers (PI), restricted and repetitive behaviours/interests (RRBIs) and language ability. Odds ratios (OR) from a multinomial logistic regression were used to determine the importance of each measure to diagnostic grouping. MANOVA was used to investigate differences in subscale scores for the PI measure. Results Greater degrees of PI difficulties (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.05–1.41), RRBI (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.06–1.42) and expressive language ability (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.03–1.30) discriminated HFA from PLI. PLI was differentiated from SLI by elevated PI difficulties (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.70–0.96) and higher expressive language ability (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.77–0.98), but indistinguishable from SLI using RRBI (OR = 1.01, 95% CI=0.94–1.09). A significant effect of group on PI subscales was observed (? = 1.38, F(4, 56) = 19.26, p .01) and PLI and HFA groups shared a similar PI subscale profile. Conclusions Results provide empirical support for a conceptualisation of PLI as a developmental impairment distinguishable from HFA by absence of RRBIs and by the presence of expressive language difficulties. PI difficulties appear elevated in PLI compared with SLI, but may be less pervasive than in HFA. Findings are discussed with reference to the proposed new category of ‘social communication disorder’ in DSM-5. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12079 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=217 [article] Social communication disorder outside autism? A diagnostic classification approach to delineating pragmatic language impairment, high functioning autism and specific language impairment [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Jenny GIBSON, Auteur ; Catherine ADAMS, Auteur ; Elaine LOCKTON, Auteur ; Jonathan GREEN, Auteur . - p.1186-1197. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry > 54-11 (November 2013) . - p.1186-1197 Mots-clés : Social communication disorder  high functioning autism  language impairment  pragmatics  restricted and repetitive behaviours and interests  social functioning  diagnosis Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background Developmental disorders of language and communication present considerable diagnostic challenges due to overlapping of symptomatology and uncertain aetiology. We aimed to further elucidate the behavioural and linguistic profile associated with impairments of social communication occurring outside of an autism diagnosis. Methods Six to eleven year olds diagnosed with pragmatic language impairment (PLI), high functioning autism (HFA) or specific language impairment (SLI) were compared on measures of social interaction with peers (PI), restricted and repetitive behaviours/interests (RRBIs) and language ability. Odds ratios (OR) from a multinomial logistic regression were used to determine the importance of each measure to diagnostic grouping. MANOVA was used to investigate differences in subscale scores for the PI measure. Results Greater degrees of PI difficulties (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.05–1.41), RRBI (OR = 1.23, 95% CI = 1.06–1.42) and expressive language ability (OR = 1.16, 95% CI = 1.03–1.30) discriminated HFA from PLI. PLI was differentiated from SLI by elevated PI difficulties (OR = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.70–0.96) and higher expressive language ability (OR = 0.88, 95% CI = 0.77–0.98), but indistinguishable from SLI using RRBI (OR = 1.01, 95% CI=0.94–1.09). A significant effect of group on PI subscales was observed (? = 1.38, F(4, 56) = 19.26, p .01) and PLI and HFA groups shared a similar PI subscale profile. Conclusions Results provide empirical support for a conceptualisation of PLI as a developmental impairment distinguishable from HFA by absence of RRBIs and by the presence of expressive language difficulties. PI difficulties appear elevated in PLI compared with SLI, but may be less pervasive than in HFA. Findings are discussed with reference to the proposed new category of ‘social communication disorder’ in DSM-5. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12079 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=217

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