Brief transition-focused education for families of autistic youth: preliminary mixed-methods investigation.

PURPOSE: The transition to adulthood is one of the most challenging and complex processes for autistic youth and their families. Few evidence-based transition support programs exist, and those that have garnered support require long-term commitments and resources that may prohibit participation by families with financial and time limitations. The current study investigated the feasibility and initial promise of a brief, caregiver-focused educational transition program for families of autistic youth delivered in the community over a single day. METHODS: Quantitative informant-report and qualitative interview data were collected from 12 caregivers of autistic youth before and after program participation. Using a partially mixed sequential equal status design, quantitative and qualitative data were integrated to evaluate change in caregiver transition knowledge and empowerment, as well as caregivers' perceptions of program feasibility, acceptability, and usefulness. RESULTS: Caregivers reported significant increases in knowledge of transition-related topics and sense of empowerment regarding their family life. Caregiver perceptions of the intervention suggest they found it feasible, acceptable, and useful. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term transition programming may be a helpful option for caregivers who seek transition supports for autistic youth.

The transition to adulthood is a stressful and complex process for autistic adolescents and their caregivers.Many caregivers lack time, financial resources, and access to comprehensive transition supports.Brief educational support is a potential alternative for aiding caregivers in planning for and assisting with adolescents' postsecondary training/education, employment, social, and living arrangements.The Planning for your Loved Ones Future (PLOF) intervention showed promise in improving caregiver knowledge about transition and sense of empowerment, and was described as feasible, accessible, and helpful by those who participated in a pilot study.

Depression, Anxiety, and Hyperactivity in Youth with HFASD: A Replication and Extension of Symptom Level Differences in Self-Report Versus Parent Report.

The present study compared parent ratings to self-report ratings of depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, attention problems, and atypical behaviors in youth with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) and typically developing (TD) controls. Measures included parent and self-report forms from the Behavioral Assessment System for Children-Second Edition (BASC-2), and self-report forms from the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). Results across all five BASC-2 scales indicated parent ratings for the HFASD condition were significantly higher than HFASD self-ratings, and were significantly higher than parent and self-ratings from the TD condition. In addition, average self-report scores did not differ significantly between HFASD and TD conditions on any of the BASC-2 scales, the CDI, or the MASC.

Characterizing the parent role in school-based interventions for autism: A systematic literature review.

Parent-focused intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has garnered considerable evidence of effectiveness for treating core symptoms of the disorder. However, these programs often teach parents discrete skills that may or may not align with school-based interventions. Family-school partnerships (FSPs) are essential for children with ASD given the complex presentation of symptoms characteristic of this disorder. It is unclear how and to what degree current school-based interventions for children with ASD include parents and whether their inclusion is consistent with definitions of parent involvement or FSPs established in the literature. A systematic review of the school-based intervention literature for children with ASD was conducted on studies published between 2002 and 2017. Thirty-six articles met inclusion criteria. Results indicated interventions included parents in ways consistent with both parent involvement and FSPs, though the former model was more common. Findings suggest a need for greater focus on measuring parent behavioral outcomes when evaluating intervention effectiveness and developing or refining interventions to include meaningful family-school partnering. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The parent role in school-based teams for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.

For youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families, adolescence presents unique challenges that require parents work closely with school teams. Both parent involvement in education and family school partnerships are associated with positive student outcomes. However, research characterizing parents' role in working with school-based teams across the middle and high school years for youth with ASD is limited. The present study presents qualitative data illustrating the perspectives of 23 parents of students with ASD regarding their experiences working with middle and high school teams. Participants completed semistructured interviews, which were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Six themes were reflected in the experiences and perspectives of parents, including collaboration/partnership, advocacy, relationships, parental background, expectations, and impact on the parent. Results indicated variability in the nature and impact of parents' experiences and a need for intentional formation of meaningful partnerships between educators and families that honor the unique needs and strengths of youth and maximize team effectiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The relation of parenting, child temperament, and attachment security in early childhood to social competence at school entry.

A wealth of research demonstrates the importance of early parent-child interactions on children's social functioning. However, less is known about the interrelations between child and parent characteristics and parent-child interactions in early childhood. Moreover, few studies have broadly examined the longitudinal relations between these constructs and social competence. This study is an examination of the relations between parent responsiveness, negativity, and emotional supportiveness, attachment security, and child temperament, and their impact on children's social competence from infancy to kindergarten entry. The sample was derived from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study--Birth Cohort and included 6850 parent-child dyads. Observational and rating scale data were used. The proposed model was nearly fully supported by path analysis, and it provides insight into the complex relations between early parenting behaviors, child characteristics, and parent-child interactions in the development of social competence.