1. Callander EJ, Lindsay DB. {{The impact of childhood autism spectrum disorder on parent’s labour force participation: Can parents be expected to be able to re-join the labour force?}}. {Autism};2017 (Mar 01):1362361316688331.
Parental employment is a significant factor in ensuring financial ability to access care for children with autism spectrum disorder. This article aimed to identify the influence of autism spectrum disorder on parental employment and whether childcare access may effect labour force participation using the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Children, with 12 years of follow-up data (2004-2015). Parental employment when the child was aged between 0 and 11 years was assessed. A significantly larger percentage of parents whose children had autism spectrum disorder were not in the labour force when their child was aged between 2-3 and 10-11 years. However, between the ages of 2 and 5 years, these differences were not significant after accounting for maternal and paternal age, education attainment, marital status and mother labour force status prior to birth. Childcare access did not moderate the relationship between autism spectrum disorder and maternal labour force participation. Once children were of schooling age, mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder had up to two times the odds of being not in the labour force compared to other mothers, after adjusting for confounders. Evaluations of new interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder should consider how the proposed service impacts on the labour force participation of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, particularly when the children are of schooling age.
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2. de Veld DM, Howlin P, Hoddenbach E, Mulder F, Wolf I, Koot HM, Lindauer R, Begeer S. {{Moderating Effects of Parental Characteristics on the Effectiveness of a Theory of Mind Training for Children with Autism: A Randomized Controlled Trial}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Apr 08)
This RCT investigated whether the effect of a Theory of Mind (ToM) intervention for children with ASD was moderated by parental education level and employment, family structure, and parental ASD. Children with autism aged 8-13 years (n = 136) were randomized over a waitlist control or treatment condition. At posttest, children in the treatment condition had more ToM knowledge, showed fewer autistic features, and more ToM-related behavior than children in the control condition. Children who had one or two parents with at least a college degree, and children with parents not diagnosed with/suspected of having ASD themselves benefitted from the training. These findings provide valuable information about family variables that need to be taken into account in treatment design and implementation.
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3. Hedley D, Cai R, Uljarevic M, Wilmot M, Spoor JR, Richdale A, Dissanayake C. {{Transition to work: Perspectives from the autism spectrum}}. {Autism};2017 (Mar 01):1362361316687697.
To improve employment outcomes for adults with autism spectrum disorder, it is necessary to identify factors associated with successful transition to work from the perspectives of the individual and from those who work with or support them. This study involved focus groups with adults with autism spectrum disorder ( n = 9) participating in a 3-year employment and training programme, as well as focus groups with family members ( n = 6), support staff ( n = 7) and co-workers ( n = 6). The aim was to gain better understanding of the experience of transition to work, barriers and also the factors that promote workplace success. Main themes included factors that facilitated success at work ( Enablers), barriers to success ( Challenges) and programme outcomes ( Outcomes). Organisation support, advice from co-workers, supportive leadership, allowance of environmental modifications and presence of a consultant were identified as enablers that most facilitated success at work. Challenges included task-related difficulties, individual factors, social difficulties and distractibility, not managing work-related stress, and being perceived to be too frank. Outcomes were rated as positive and encompassed work-related outcomes, as well as outcomes related to sense of purpose, achieving personal independence and improvements in social relationships, both with work colleagues and within families.
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4. Joginder Singh S, Hussein NH, Mustaffa Kamal R, Hassan FH. {{Reflections of Malaysian parents of children with developmental disabilities on their experiences with AAC}}. {Augment Altern Commun};2017 (Apr 07):1-11.
Parents play an important role in the successful implementation of AAC. Previous research has indicated that parents in different countries have varying perceptions about the use of AAC and face different challenges in its implementation. To date, there is limited information about the use of AAC by children in Malaysia or parents’ views about its use. The aim of this study was to explore Malaysian parents’ perception of AAC and their experience when supporting their children who use AAC. For this study, 12 parents of children with autism spectrum disorder and cerebral palsy were involved in semi-structured individual interviews. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze interview data. Following analysis, three themes were identified: (a) impact of the use of AAC, (b) challenges faced, and (c) hopes and expectations. Participants reported that the use of AAC had a positive impact on their children, but that they faced challenges related to the child, the settings, and the system itself, as well as a lack of time and support. Findings from this study provide an insight for Malaysian speech therapists about the challenges faced by parents when supporting their children who use AAC, and how important it is to overcome these challenges to ensure successful implementation of AAC.
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5. Liu JJ, Grace KP, Horner RL, Cortez MA, Shao Y, Jia Z. {{Neuroligin 3 R451C mutation alters electroencephalography spectral activity in an animal model of autism spectrum disorders}}. {Mol Brain};2017 (Apr 07);10(1):10.
Human studies demonstrate that sleep impairment is a concurrent comorbidity of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but its etiology remains largely uncertain. One of the prominent theories of ASD suggests that an imbalance in synaptic excitation/inhibition may contribute to various aspects of ASD, including sleep impairments. Following the identification of Nlgn3R451C mutation in patients with ASD, its effects on synaptic transmission and social behaviours have been examined extensively in the mouse model. However, the contributory role of this mutation to sleep impairments in ASD remains unknown. In this study, we showed that Nlgn3R451C knock-in mice, an established genetic model for ASD, exhibited normal duration and distribution of sleep/wake states but significantly altered electroencephalography (EEG) power spectral profiles for wake and sleep.
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6. Liu L, Gao J, He X, Cai Y, Wang L, Fan X. {{Association between assisted reproductive technology and the risk of autism spectrum disorders in the offspring: a meta-analysis}}. {Sci Rep};2017 (Apr 07);7:46207.
The association between the use of assisted reproductive technology (ART) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) risk in offspring has been explored in several studies, but the result is still inconclusive. We assessed the risk of ASD in offspring in relation to ART by conducting a meta-analysis. A literature search in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Knowledge databases through April 30, 2016 was conducted to identify all the relevant records. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) were computed to analyze the strength of association by using fixed- or random-effect models based on heterogeneity test in total and subgroup analyses. Analysis of the total 11 records (3 cohort studies and 8 case-control studies) revealed that the use of ART is associated with higher percentage of ASD (RR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.09-1.68, P = 0.007). In addition, subgroup analyses based on study design, study location and study quality were conducted, and some subgroups also showed a statistically significant association. Our study indicated that the use of ART may associated with higher risk of ASD in the offspring. However, further prospective, large, and high-quality studies are still required.
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7. Mak AS, Leung KY. {{Challenges in prenatal screening and counselling for fragile X syndrome}}. {Hong Kong Med J};2017 (Apr);23(2):108-109.
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8. McVey AJ, Schiltz H, Haendel A, Dolan BK, Willar KS, Pleiss S, Karst JS, Carson AM, Caiozzo C, Vogt E, Van Hecke AV. {{Brief Report: Does Gender Matter in Intervention for ASD? Examining the Impact of the PEERS(R) Social Skills Intervention on Social Behavior Among Females with ASD}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Apr 08)
A paucity of research has been conducted to examine the effect of social skills intervention on females with ASD. Females with ASD may have more difficulty developing meaningful friendships than males, as the social climate can be more complex (Archer, Coyne, Personality and Social Psychology Review 9(3):212-230, 2005). This study examined whether treatment response among females differed from males. One hundred and seventy-seven adolescents and young adults with ASD (N = 177) participated in this study. When analyzed by group, no significant differences by gender emerged: PEERS(R) knowledge (TASSK/TYASSK, p = .494), direct interactions (QSQ, p = .762), or social responsiveness (SRS, p = .689; SSIS-RS, p = .482). Thus, females and males with ASD respond similarly to the PEERS(R) intervention.
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9. Paulus M, Rosal-Grifoll B. {{Helping and sharing in preschool children with autism}}. {Exp Brain Res};2017 (Apr 06)
Autism is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social-cognitive and social-communicative behaviors. Yet, little is known about the extent to which children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in prosocial action. We assessed helping and sharing behaviors in 3- to 6-year-old neurotypically (NT) developing children and children diagnosed with ASD. Children with ASD were more inclined to show spontaneous helping in the absence of the helpee than NT children. In the sharing task, NT children shared the resources equally between themselves and the recipients. In contrast, ASD children kept less for themselves and gave more resources away. In addition, the stronger the ASD symptoms were and the less cognitively weaker they were, the more children preferred to give resources to a rich than to a poor other.
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10. Zhao S, Uono S, Yoshimura S, Kubota Y, Toichi M. {{Atypical Gaze Cueing Pattern in a Complex Environment in Individuals with ASD}}. {J Autism Dev Disord};2017 (Apr 08)
Clinically, social interaction, including gaze-triggered attention, has been reported to be impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but psychological studies have generally shown intact gaze-triggered attention in ASD. These studies typically examined gaze-triggered attention under simple environmental conditions. In real life, however, the environment is complex. Previous studies have shown that an enhanced cueing effect was found when using eye gaze compared with arrow cues in unpredictably complex conditions in typically developing (TD) individuals. However, in the current study, compared with TD individuals, the cueing effect failed to enhance when using eye gaze compared with arrow cues under complex conditions in individuals with ASD. This may reflect the atypical style of gaze-triggered attention when individuals with ASD adapt to environmental complexity.
