Development and validation of the conversation questionnaire: A psychometric measure of communication challenges generated from the self-reports of autistic people / Alexander C. WILSON in Autism & Developmental Language Impairments, 7 (January-December 2022)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism & Developmental Language Impairments > 7 (January-December 2022) Titre : Development and validation of the conversation questionnaire: A psychometric measure of communication challenges generated from the self-reports of autistic people Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism  social communication  conversation  pragmatics  psychometrics  community engagement Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Existing measures of communication challenges in autism are based on diagnostic criteria and research/clinical observations of autistic people, rather than what autistic people themselves identify as difficulties. In this study, the Conversation Questionnaire (CQ) was developed based on community engagement with autistic people to identify what they find challenging about conversation. This new tool was then administered online to autistic, dyslexic and neurotypical people (N=312) in a validation phase of the study. Item-response theory modelling indicated that a two-dimensional structure accounted for response patterns. These dimensions reflected difficulties knowing what to say (15 items) and engaging in behaviours possibly disruptive to neurotypical conversation (21 items). The dimensions showed good internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity, and could distinguish between autistic and neurotypical people (d=1.59 and d=2.07 respectively). The CQ might help contribute to diagnostic assessment for autism in adults as part of a holistic assessment. The questionnaire might also be useful with other neurodiverse groups, and provide a tool for clinicians and researchers to identify individuals’ strengths and difficulties in conversation (e.g., as part of interventions in speech and language therapy). En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23969415221123286 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=491 [article] Development and validation of the conversation questionnaire: A psychometric measure of communication challenges generated from the self-reports of autistic people [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism & Developmental Language Impairments > 7 (January-December 2022) Mots-clés : Autism  social communication  conversation  pragmatics  psychometrics  community engagement Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Existing measures of communication challenges in autism are based on diagnostic criteria and research/clinical observations of autistic people, rather than what autistic people themselves identify as difficulties. In this study, the Conversation Questionnaire (CQ) was developed based on community engagement with autistic people to identify what they find challenging about conversation. This new tool was then administered online to autistic, dyslexic and neurotypical people (N=312) in a validation phase of the study. Item-response theory modelling indicated that a two-dimensional structure accounted for response patterns. These dimensions reflected difficulties knowing what to say (15 items) and engaging in behaviours possibly disruptive to neurotypical conversation (21 items). The dimensions showed good internal consistency and convergent and discriminant validity, and could distinguish between autistic and neurotypical people (d=1.59 and d=2.07 respectively). The CQ might help contribute to diagnostic assessment for autism in adults as part of a holistic assessment. The questionnaire might also be useful with other neurodiverse groups, and provide a tool for clinicians and researchers to identify individuals’ strengths and difficulties in conversation (e.g., as part of interventions in speech and language therapy). En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/23969415221123286 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=491

Do animated triangles reveal a marked difficulty among autistic people with reading minds? / Alexander C. WILSON in Autism, 25-5 (July 2021)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 25-5 (July 2021) . - p.1175-1186 Titre : Do animated triangles reveal a marked difficulty among autistic people with reading minds? Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1175-1186 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorder  Autistic Disorder  Humans  Reading  Theory of Mind  animated triangles  autism  mentalising  meta-analysis  theory of mind  of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this  article. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic people are thought to have difficulty with mentalising (our drive to track and understand the minds of other people). Mentalising is often measured by the Frith-Happé Animations task, where individuals need to interpret the interactions of abstract shapes. This review article collated results from over 3000 people to assess how autistic people performed on the task. Analysis showed that autistic people tended to underperform compared to non-autistic people on the task, although the scale of the difference was moderate rather than large. Also, autistic people showed some difficulty with the non-mentalising as well as mentalising aspects of the task. These results raise questions about the scale and specificity of mentalising difficulties in autism. It also remains unclear how well mentalising difficulties account for the social challenges diagnostic of autism. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1362361321989152 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=475 [article] Do animated triangles reveal a marked difficulty among autistic people with reading minds? [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur . - p.1175-1186. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 25-5 (July 2021) . - p.1175-1186 Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorder  Autistic Disorder  Humans  Reading  Theory of Mind  animated triangles  autism  mentalising  meta-analysis  theory of mind  of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this  article. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic people are thought to have difficulty with mentalising (our drive to track and understand the minds of other people). Mentalising is often measured by the Frith-Happé Animations task, where individuals need to interpret the interactions of abstract shapes. This review article collated results from over 3000 people to assess how autistic people performed on the task. Analysis showed that autistic people tended to underperform compared to non-autistic people on the task, although the scale of the difference was moderate rather than large. Also, autistic people showed some difficulty with the non-mentalising as well as mentalising aspects of the task. These results raise questions about the scale and specificity of mentalising difficulties in autism. It also remains unclear how well mentalising difficulties account for the social challenges diagnostic of autism. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1362361321989152 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=475

Do animated triangles reveal a marked difficulty among autistic people with reading minds? / Alexander C. WILSON in Autism, 26-5 (July 2022)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 26-5 (July 2022) . - p.1175-1186 Titre : Do animated triangles reveal a marked difficulty among autistic people with reading minds? Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.1175-1186 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorder  Autistic Disorder  Humans  Reading  Theory of Mind  animated triangles  autism  mentalising  meta-analysis  theory of mind  of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this  article. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic people are thought to have difficulty with mentalising (our drive to track and understand the minds of other people). Mentalising is often measured by the Frith-Happé Animations task, where individuals need to interpret the interactions of abstract shapes. This review article collated results from over 3000 people to assess how autistic people performed on the task. Analysis showed that autistic people tended to underperform compared to non-autistic people on the task, although the scale of the difference was moderate rather than large. Also, autistic people showed some difficulty with the non-mentalising as well as mentalising aspects of the task. These results raise questions about the scale and specificity of mentalising difficulties in autism. It also remains unclear how well mentalising difficulties account for the social challenges diagnostic of autism. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1362361321989152 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=483 [article] Do animated triangles reveal a marked difficulty among autistic people with reading minds? [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur . - p.1175-1186. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 26-5 (July 2022) . - p.1175-1186 Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorder  Autistic Disorder  Humans  Reading  Theory of Mind  animated triangles  autism  mentalising  meta-analysis  theory of mind  of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this  article. Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic people are thought to have difficulty with mentalising (our drive to track and understand the minds of other people). Mentalising is often measured by the Frith-Happé Animations task, where individuals need to interpret the interactions of abstract shapes. This review article collated results from over 3000 people to assess how autistic people performed on the task. Analysis showed that autistic people tended to underperform compared to non-autistic people on the task, although the scale of the difference was moderate rather than large. Also, autistic people showed some difficulty with the non-mentalising as well as mentalising aspects of the task. These results raise questions about the scale and specificity of mentalising difficulties in autism. It also remains unclear how well mentalising difficulties account for the social challenges diagnostic of autism. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1362361321989152 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=483

'It?s not always textbook social anxiety': A survey-based study investigating the nature of social anxiety and experiences of therapy in autistic people / Alexander C. WILSON in Autism, 28-11 (November 2024)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 28-11 (November 2024) . - p.2923 - 2936 Titre : 'It?s not always textbook social anxiety': A survey-based study investigating the nature of social anxiety and experiences of therapy in autistic people Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur ; Fiona GULLON-SCOTT, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2923 - 2936 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  cognitive behaviour therapy  mental health  social anxiety Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Little is known about the nature of social anxiety in autistic people: What is similar and different about factors contributing to social anxiety in autistic and non-autistic people? There is also very limited research about autistic people?s experiences of therapy for social anxiety in current routine clinical practice. This study investigated these issues by analysing responses to an online questionnaire for 308 adults with elevated social anxiety (232 autistic people and 76 non-autistic people) using mixed-methods approaches. Distinct factors influenced social anxiety in autistic participants, including individual and environmental factors relating to autistic experiences in the social world. We propose a 'distinct' model of social anxiety in autism. In addition, many participants had not had helpful experiences in therapy, especially cognitive behaviour therapy, for social anxiety: They thought therapists did not always acknowledge the basis of their social fears, did not adapt the therapy process in an individualised way and did not understand neurodiversity or recognise neurodivergence. Our results suggest that social anxiety needs to be understood specifically in the context of autism, and if this is neglected, therapy is unlikely to be helpful. Based on participants' comments, this article makes some practical recommendations for therapists supporting autistic adults with social anxiety. Lay Abstract The nature of social anxiety has been widely researched in non-autistic people. This existing research has allowed therapists to develop effective therapy for social anxiety in non-autistic people. Meanwhile, some research suggests that autistic people may have different experiences of anxiety compared to non-autistic people. In addition, there is some evidence that modified therapy may help autistic people with social anxiety, although we also know that many autistic people feel failed by existing mental health services. This article provides a detailed picture of social anxiety in autistic people. This includes similarities and differences compared to non-autistic people. In terms of similarities, people often described feeling afraid that others would judge them, and this would have negative consequences. In terms of differences, autistic people commonly reported a clash between their traits and their social environment, which caused them distress and discomfort. This included factors only rarely reported by non-autistic people (such as struggling with too much sensory stimulation or inaccessible forms of communication and encountering discrimination for these problems). Based on this, we propose a 'distinct' model of social anxiety with particular relevance to autistic people. In addition, many participants reported negative experiences in therapy for social anxiety. They thought therapists wrongly viewed their fears of social situations as irrational and ungrounded. They thought therapists did not adapt the therapy process in an individualised way and did not understand neurodiversity or recognise neurodivergence. Standard approaches for social anxiety may not always suit autistic people, so this needs further exploration. We highlight several practical recommendations for therapists offering therapy for social anxiety to autistic people. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241251513 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=537 [article] 'It?s not always textbook social anxiety': A survey-based study investigating the nature of social anxiety and experiences of therapy in autistic people [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur ; Fiona GULLON-SCOTT, Auteur . - p.2923 - 2936. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 28-11 (November 2024) . - p.2923 - 2936 Mots-clés : autism  cognitive behaviour therapy  mental health  social anxiety Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Little is known about the nature of social anxiety in autistic people: What is similar and different about factors contributing to social anxiety in autistic and non-autistic people? There is also very limited research about autistic people?s experiences of therapy for social anxiety in current routine clinical practice. This study investigated these issues by analysing responses to an online questionnaire for 308 adults with elevated social anxiety (232 autistic people and 76 non-autistic people) using mixed-methods approaches. Distinct factors influenced social anxiety in autistic participants, including individual and environmental factors relating to autistic experiences in the social world. We propose a 'distinct' model of social anxiety in autism. In addition, many participants had not had helpful experiences in therapy, especially cognitive behaviour therapy, for social anxiety: They thought therapists did not always acknowledge the basis of their social fears, did not adapt the therapy process in an individualised way and did not understand neurodiversity or recognise neurodivergence. Our results suggest that social anxiety needs to be understood specifically in the context of autism, and if this is neglected, therapy is unlikely to be helpful. Based on participants' comments, this article makes some practical recommendations for therapists supporting autistic adults with social anxiety. Lay Abstract The nature of social anxiety has been widely researched in non-autistic people. This existing research has allowed therapists to develop effective therapy for social anxiety in non-autistic people. Meanwhile, some research suggests that autistic people may have different experiences of anxiety compared to non-autistic people. In addition, there is some evidence that modified therapy may help autistic people with social anxiety, although we also know that many autistic people feel failed by existing mental health services. This article provides a detailed picture of social anxiety in autistic people. This includes similarities and differences compared to non-autistic people. In terms of similarities, people often described feeling afraid that others would judge them, and this would have negative consequences. In terms of differences, autistic people commonly reported a clash between their traits and their social environment, which caused them distress and discomfort. This included factors only rarely reported by non-autistic people (such as struggling with too much sensory stimulation or inaccessible forms of communication and encountering discrimination for these problems). Based on this, we propose a 'distinct' model of social anxiety with particular relevance to autistic people. In addition, many participants reported negative experiences in therapy for social anxiety. They thought therapists wrongly viewed their fears of social situations as irrational and ungrounded. They thought therapists did not adapt the therapy process in an individualised way and did not understand neurodiversity or recognise neurodivergence. Standard approaches for social anxiety may not always suit autistic people, so this needs further exploration. We highlight several practical recommendations for therapists offering therapy for social anxiety to autistic people. En ligne : https://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613241251513 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=537

"Second guessing yourself all the time about what they really mean…": Cognitive differences between autistic and non-autistic adults in understanding implied meaning / Alexander C. WILSON in Autism Research, 14-1 (January 2021)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism Research > 14-1 (January 2021) . - p.93-101 Titre : "Second guessing yourself all the time about what they really mean…": Cognitive differences between autistic and non-autistic adults in understanding implied meaning Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur ; Dorothy V. M. BISHOP, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.93-101 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : autism  communication  communication disabilities  language  pragmatics Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : This study investigated cognitive differences between autistic and non-autistic people in understanding implied meaning in conversation using a novel computerized test, the Implicature Comprehension Test. Controlling for core language ability, autistic participants (N =?66) were over twice as likely to endorse a non-normative interpretation of an implied meaning and over five times as likely to select "do not know" when asked about the presence of an implied meaning, compared to non-autistic participants (N =?118). A further experiment suggested that the selection of "do not know" reflected a cognitive preference for certainty and explicit communication, and that the normative inference could often be made when the test format was more constrained. Our research supports the hypothesis that autistic individuals can find it challenging to process language in its pragmatic context, and that cognitive preferences play a role in this. LAY SUMMARY: We investigated differences between autistic and non-autistic people in understanding implied meanings in conversation. We found that autistic people were more likely to select a different interpretation of implied meanings compared to other people, and also much more likely to avoid processing implied meanings when the task allowed this. Our research supports the view that autistic people can find it challenging to process indirect meanings, and that they tend to prefer explicit forms of communication. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aur.2345 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=441 [article] "Second guessing yourself all the time about what they really mean…": Cognitive differences between autistic and non-autistic adults in understanding implied meaning [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Alexander C. WILSON, Auteur ; Dorothy V. M. BISHOP, Auteur . - p.93-101. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism Research > 14-1 (January 2021) . - p.93-101 Mots-clés : autism  communication  communication disabilities  language  pragmatics Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : This study investigated cognitive differences between autistic and non-autistic people in understanding implied meaning in conversation using a novel computerized test, the Implicature Comprehension Test. Controlling for core language ability, autistic participants (N =?66) were over twice as likely to endorse a non-normative interpretation of an implied meaning and over five times as likely to select "do not know" when asked about the presence of an implied meaning, compared to non-autistic participants (N =?118). A further experiment suggested that the selection of "do not know" reflected a cognitive preference for certainty and explicit communication, and that the normative inference could often be made when the test format was more constrained. Our research supports the hypothesis that autistic individuals can find it challenging to process language in its pragmatic context, and that cognitive preferences play a role in this. LAY SUMMARY: We investigated differences between autistic and non-autistic people in understanding implied meanings in conversation. We found that autistic people were more likely to select a different interpretation of implied meanings compared to other people, and also much more likely to avoid processing implied meanings when the task allowed this. Our research supports the view that autistic people can find it challenging to process indirect meanings, and that they tend to prefer explicit forms of communication. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/aur.2345 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=441

Social Anxiety in Autistic People: Does the Clark and Wells Model fit? / Alexander C. WILSON in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 54-10 (October 2024)  

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