Autistic Young Adults Research Articles

Could linguistic and cognitive factors, degree of autistic traits and sex predict speech disfluencies in autistic young adults and controls?

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of linguistic complexity and individual background variables (i.e. linguistic and cognitive abilities, degree of autistic traits, and sex) on speech disfluencies in autistic young adults and controls. Thirty-two 19- to 33-year-old autistic adults and 35 controls participated in this study. The frequency of disfluencies and stuttering severity were evaluated based on a narrative speech task. Linguistic complexity was assessed by evaluating the syntactic structures of the narratives. Cognitive and linguistic abilities were assessed using the General Ability Index (GAI), Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) and Perceptual Reasoning Index (PRI) from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale IV. Autistic traits were measured using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Multiple-linear regression analyses (syntactic complexity, GAI, AQ, sex, and group status as predictors) showed that (a) syntactic complexity predicted total and stuttering-like disfluencies and stuttering severity, (b) GAI predicted typical disfluencies, and (c) sex predicted total, typical, and stuttering-like disfluencies. Additional correlation analyses revealed negative association between PRI and disfluencies in the control group but not in the autistic group. No connection was found between AQ and disfluencies. It seems that while some connections between disfluencies and individual cognitive features were found, some of the possible contributing factors for greater speech disfluency might differ between autistic and typical speakers.

Barriers to Providing Transitional Supports for Autistic Students: Insights of School Professionals.

Following high school exit, many autistic young adults are not enrolled in post-secondary education or employed, and few are engaged in community activities. This disengagement among autistic young adults may be a result of the limited or inadequate supports provided to autistic transition-age youth in schools. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to explore how school professionals report preparing transition-age autistic youth for adulthood and the barriers that make it difficult for school professionals to provide quality transition services. We surveyed 21 school professionals who work with transition-age autistic students. The survey solicited descriptions of transition supports provided to youth, and barriers that make it difficult for school professionals to provide high quality transition supports. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify themes from the data. Participants described barriers related to the autistic youth they taught or supported, their families, the classroom environment, and the community. Barriers were either framed as deficits inherent to autistic students and their families, or larger systemic issues that make it challenging to implement high quality transition supports. We recommend implementation of autism-specific trainings within teacher preparation programs and school districts, professional development opportunities that create spaces for educators to challenge and resist deficit views of autism, and development of strengths-based transition programs that are implemented by school-based professionals who work with autistic students.

Being able to be myself: Understanding autonomy and autonomy-support from the perspectives of autistic adults with intellectual disabilities.

Autistic young adults with intellectual disabilities want to be autonomous but are less autonomous than other people. However, they can be autonomous with appropriate support. We wanted to learn how we can support autistic adults with intellectual disabilities to be more autonomous. We designed our study with help from five autistic community partners to make sure the research was relevant to autistic people and would improve their lives. We talked with eight autistic young adults with intellectual disabilities about autonomy. We defined "talk" as verbal language, as well as non-verbal cues such as body language, facial expressions, vocalizations, and laughter. We did art projects and played games while we talked. We met in small groups over multiple sessions. Our participants told us that being autonomous meant being able to be themselves. They told us three main ways to support their autonomy: (1) having choice and control, (2) being able to communicate in their own way, and (3) being in a safe environment. Families, support staff, and caregivers can use this information to help autistic young adults with intellectual disabilities to be autonomous.

"Getting Autism": Educators, Parents, and Autistic Adults and Teens Reflect on the Importance of Teachers Who Understand.

To explore the perspectives of educators, parents, and individuals on the autism spectrum regarding the qualities of teachers best equipped to support autistic students. In qualitative interviews parents of autistic adults (n = 35) discussed experiences they and their child faced during the school years, as did young autistic adults (n = 12) and teens (n = 11). Nineteen educators were also interviewed regarding how autistic students and their teachers were faring in public schools as well as what qualities and skills teachers needed to best support these students. A critical emergent theme was the importance of educators who possess a deep, intuitive understanding of autistic individuals. "Getting autism" involved autism knowledge, obtained through training or experience; an intuitive ability to read, respond to, and appreciate autistic students; and flexibility adapting to these students' needs. Autistic students, parents, and educators alike experienced a stigmatizing judgement and lack of support from unenlightened individuals in the schools. In contrast, there was great appreciation for those who "got autism" and were able to ease the way of autistic students, or support autism-friendly teachers, in whatever grade or situation. Research investigating how to cultivate, support, and reward autism-affirming teachers is needed. This will likely involve both didactic and experiential autism-focused training as well as recognition of the importance of high emotional intelligence and other qualities of teachers who "get autism." Future research should also explore the effects on these teachers and their students of larger systems, policies, and practices.

The Codesign and Initial Evaluation of a Peer Support Program for Autistic Young Adults

The Codesign and Initial Evaluation of a Peer Support Program for Autistic Young Adults

Autistic students speak about their experience with their one-to-one teaching assistants in general high schools

ABSTRACT The number of autistic students in general schools has increased substantially. Traditionally, ‘one-to-one teaching assistants’ (TAs) support them academically and socially. Little is known about the impact of the TA from autistic students’ points of view. This qualitative study aimed to understand the perceptions of autistic high school graduates regarding their experiences with their TA. Fourteen autistic young adults (ages 19–27) who had graduated from general high schools in which a TA had accompanied them were individually interviewed. The thematic analysis showed a complex response. The strongest negative responses reflected unsuitable educational support, unnecessary dependencies, and disrupted social interactions with classmates. It seems that personal TAs can hinder the student’s learning and social interactions. Therefore, it is essential to hear autistic students’ suggestions about what can improve their inclusion experience in general high school and ensure that the students are both aware of and involved in the support options available to them.

Where Does Hope Lie? The Dialectical Tensions Between Hopes and Expectations of Vocational Transition Planning from the Perspectives of Autistic Young Adults, Parents, and Practitioners.

The post-secondary transition for autistic youth is a complex process, with hopes and expectations serving as malleable mediators often overlooked in research and practice. Career awareness, exploration, and counseling services play a critical role in facilitating vocational transition, but the vocational hopes and expectations of autistic youth and their parents are often disregarded. This study aims to explore these aspirations and their impact on the vocational transition process, seeking to harmonize elements to better align with the needs of autistic youth and their families. This study used a focus group design involving group interviews with three participant groups: autistic transition-aged youth, parents, and practitioners. The findings reveal five key themes: 1) Accepting Disability or Constrained by Ableism: Resisting Marginalization, 2) Finding the Sweet Spot: Are Parents and Youth's Expectations Too High or Too Low, 3) Market Forces at Work-Finding a Meaningful Vocational Path in a Capitalist Society, 4) Despite Meticulous Planning, there is a Disconnect Between Needs and Resources, and 5) The Hills and Valleys of Finding Resilience. Navigating the multifaceted landscape of vocational transition planning for autistic youth necessitates a collaborative and flexible approach. Identified tensions serve as opportunities for growth and transformation. Recognizing and addressing system shortcomings is crucial for informed decision-making. Challenges extend beyond individual circumstances, reflecting broader systemic issues, and identifying these gaps allows for a comprehensive understanding of available resources, cultivating a basis of hope as uncertainties are addressed.

"I have to charge my social battery": Perspectives from autistic young adults on Quality of Life.

In this study we have asked a group of autistic young adults to describe what is important for their quality of life. The 14 participants (aged 21-29 years) were recruited from a 10-year follow-up study of autistic people. During interviews, our participants described the importance of having relationships with family, friends and pets. Having meaningful activities and being able to immerse themselves in particular interests was also reported to be important for a good quality of life. Interests had also guided their choice of what to study and what to do for work. They also spoke of how communication problems with professionals, bullying and sensory and emotional overload could have a negative impact on quality of life. Future interventions should focus on how professionals can help autistic people to connect to people/animals and meaningful activities, as the participants described this as important for having a good quality of life. These findings may be helpful in enhancing how passions and interests can be seen as opportunities for both academic and work careers for autistic people. Future research and interventions should also look at the communication barriers between autistic people and professionals, and how two-way understanding can be improved.

Employment needs of and barriers for Chinese youth and young adults with Autism Spectrum Conditions in Ontario, Canada

BackgroundCultural-based literature focusing on Asian autistic immigrants living in Western countries is very limited. AimsThe present study is a quality improvement exercise aiming to fill the gap by investigating the employment needs of and barriers for Chinese autistic youth and young adults in Ontario, Canada. Methods & procedures71 individuals diagnosed with autism and 24 diagnosed with other mental illnesses, aged 12–29, participated in an online survey regarding their work readiness, work skills, interests, health and cultural concerns. Analyses were conducted to compare the autistic group and the mental health group. Outcomes & resultsResults show that the autistic sample has inferior (1) work habits related skills, (2) work style related skills, (3) level of independence, (4) skills to perform routine daily activities, (5) interpersonal skills at work, and (6) ability to tolerate visual and moving stimuli in the work environment. It is also found that the autistic group has more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and autism than that of the non-autistic group. Conclusions & implicationsThe study shed light into the unique needs and barriers of Chinese autistic young adults and the service gap in supporting their transition to employment.

Auditory feedback decreases timing variability for discontinuous and continuous motor tasks in autistic adults.

Autistic individuals demonstrate greater variability and timing error in their motor performance than neurotypical individuals, likely due at least in part to atypical cerebellar characteristics and connectivity. These motor difficulties may differentially affect discrete as opposed to continuous movements in autistic individuals. Augmented auditory feedback has the potential to aid motor timing and variability due to intact auditory-motor pathways in autism and high sensitivity in autistic individuals to auditory stimuli. This experiment investigated whether there were differences in timing accuracy and variability in autistic adults as a function of task (discontinuous vs. continuous movements) and condition (augmented auditory feedback vs. no auditory feedback) in a synchronization-continuation paradigm. Ten autistic young adults aged 17-27 years of age completed the within-subjects study that involved drawing circles at 800 milliseconds intervals on a touch screen. In the discontinuous task, participants traced a series of discrete circles and paused at the top of each circle for at least 60 milliseconds. In the continuous task, participants traced the circles without pausing. Participants traced circles in either a non-auditory condition, or an auditory condition in which they heard a tone each time that they completed a circle drawing. Participants had significantly better timing accuracy on the continuous timing task as opposed to the discontinuous task. Timing consistency was significantly higher for tasks performed with auditory feedback. This research reveals that motor difficulties in autistic individuals affect discrete timing tasks more than continuous tasks, and provides evidence that augmented auditory feedback may be able to mitigate some of the timing variability present in autistic persons' movements. These results provide support for future investigation on the use of music-based therapies involving auditory feedback to address motor dysfunction in autistic individuals.

What Matters Most? An Exploration of Quality of Life Through the Everyday Experiences of Autistic Young People and Adults

What Matters Most? An Exploration of Quality of Life Through the Everyday Experiences of Autistic Young People and Adults

Associations between social anxiety, physiological reactivity, and speech disfluencies in autistic young adults and controls

IntroductionThe aim of this study was to examine possible associations of social anxiety (SA) and speaking-related physiological reactivity with the frequencies of a) total disfluencies, b) typical disfluencies, and c) stuttering-like disfluencies, as well as d) stuttering-severity in autistic young adults and controls. MethodsThirty-two autistic young adults and 35 controls participated in this study. Participants were presented with video clips (viewing condition) and were then asked to talk about the videos (narrating condition). SA was measured by the self-report Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI). Speaking-related physiological reactivity was measured by the electrodermal activity (EDA), an index of emotional arousal. The speech samples from the narrating condition were analyzed for type and frequency of speech disfluencies and used for determining the stuttering severity. SA and speaking-related physiological reactivity were compared between the groups. Correlation between SA, physiological reactivity, disfluency frequencies, and stuttering severity were tested separately for both groups. ResultsNo between-group differences were found in the overall SA, yet differences were found in SPAI subscales of social interaction, group interaction, and avoidance, as well as in agoraphobia. Both groups had higher physiological arousal in narrating condition in comparison to the video viewing condition, yet there was no between-group difference in the reactivity. No associations were found between SPAI measures, physiological reactivity, disfluency frequencies, and stuttering severity in the autistic group. In the control group, a negative association was found between physiological reactivity and total and typical disfluency frequencies. ConclusionsSA or speaking-related physiological reactivity were not associated with disfluency frequencies or stuttering severity in autistic persons. Negative association between physiological reactivity and disfluency frequencies found in the control group may indicate that the physiological arousal may impact the speech production process by reducing the overt disfluencies.

Promoting Success in College: A Scoping Review of Autistic Students’ Postsecondary Education Experiences

Abstract Objective To identify and analyze peer-reviewed qualitative or mixed methods studies published in the last 10 years that examined autistic individuals’ perspectives on their postsecondary experiences. Data Sources A scoping review was conducted in the PsycInfo, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Web of Science databases for studies published between January 2013 and March 2023 in the USA for studies focusing on the experiences of autistic college students. Studies were excluded from consideration if they did not include autistic individuals as participants, were not published in the USA, were case studies, review articles, or experimental designs testing an intervention. Data Synthesis Twenty-two studies were included in this scoping review. The main themes were: availability in services and service gaps, mental and physical health, individual characteristics, strategies for success, identity and disclosure, and social environment/supports. Across numerous studies, many students reported that the services they received were either inappropriate to their needs or inadequate to promote academic and social success in a postsecondary educational environment. However, many participants in the articles reviewed mention college as a fruitful environment for finding special interest clubs and bonding with other students with similar interests, indicating that college can be a conducive environment for expanding social horizons and finding social support. Conclusions Findings from the articles reviewed above indicate that, while many autistic college students have positive experiences with campus life and certain services received through disability supports and other campus resources, there is still much to be desired in the college experiences of many autistic students. Despite the needs of this population, the extant literature is scant and sample sizes are small. With more autistic young adults heading to college than ever before, it is critical to understand the experiences of these students.

Stress Detection of Autistic Adults during Simulated Job Interviews Using a Novel Physiological Dataset and Machine Learning

The interview process has been identified as one of the major barriers to employment of autistic individuals, which contributes to the staggering rate of under and unemployment of autistic adults. Decreasing stress during the interview has been shown to improve interview performance. However, in order to effectively provide insights on stress to both interviewees and interviewers, it is necessary to first effectively measure stress. This work explores physiological stress detection through wearable sensing as a means of obtaining quantitative stress measures from young autistic adults undergoing a virtual simulated interview using supervised machine learning techniques. Several supervised learning models were explored and it was found that Elastic Net Regression had the best accuracy with individual models with an accuracy of 84.8% while Support Vector Regression models evaluated with leave-one-out cross validation had a group accuracy of 75.4%. The predictions from the stress model were used with data visualization techniques in order to provide insights on the interview process from both a group and individual viewpoint, showing that stress trends can be found and evaluated using the stress model. This work also addresses a major gap in physiological stress detection literature by presenting a novel dataset of physiological data and ground truth labels for 15 autistic young adults undergoing a simulated interview.

Describing Outcomes in Autistic Young Adults One Year After High School Graduation.

Research documents poor outcomes for autistic adults in the domains of employment, independent living, and social relationships. Measurement and sample limitations in prior studies may have amplified past estimates of poor outcomes. The goal of the current study was to improve upon past approaches and to create and describe a measurement approach to capture adult outcomes that reflected the context of young adulthood and the perspectives of autistic individuals, pairing objective outcome indicators with subjective satisfaction indicators. Thirty-six autistic young adults (mean age 19.8 years) and a parent completed self-report surveys. Using these data, we defined an objective and subjective (i.e., satisfaction) outcome indicator in each of three domains: productivity (employment or post-secondary education), social well-being (frequency of contact with friends), and living situation (autonomy). Three-quarters of young adults experienced at least 5 out of 6 positive outcomes. Over 90% were engaged in school, work, or a structured transition program, and an equal percentage were satisfied with their productivity activity. Over three-quarters of adults had a good amount of contact with friends and were satisfied with their social life. Most young adults had a moderate level of autonomy in their daily lives, and all were satisfied with their living situation. Tailoring outcome measurement approaches specifically for autistic young adults provided a more optimistic portrayal of outcomes than previously noted in the literature. The approach used better reflects a neurodiversity approach and may be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of transition services or interventions.

Brief Report: Convergence and Discrepancy Between Self- and Informant-Reported Depressive Symptoms in Young Autistic Adults.

Autistic individuals exhibit elevated rates of depression; however, assessment is complicated by clinical presentations and limited validation in this population. Recent work has demonstrated the utility of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) in screening for depression in ASD. The current study extends this work by examining the convergence and divergence of self- and informant-reported depression in autistic (n = 258) and non-autistic (n = 255) young adults. Participants completed the BDI-II as a self-report measure of depression; informants completed the Achenbach Adult Behavior Checklist. Analyses probed for between-group differences in rates of depression symptoms, convergence between self- and informant-reported depression, and discrepancy between self- and informant-reported depression. Results indicated significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms in the autistic group. Convergence was significant in both groups, with significantly greater agreement in the autistic group. There was differential divergence, with the autistic group reporting significantly lower scores relative to informants, and the non-autistic group reporting significantly higher scores relative to informants. Consistent with prior reports, results suggest that depression rates are elevated in autism. Additionally, while the BDI-II may be adequate for screening depressive symptoms in speaking autistic young adults, eliciting information from a close adult informant provides valuable diagnostic information, due to clinically critical concerns about underreporting in this population. Although controlled in analyses, between-group differences in gender, age, race, and informant identity, and a predominantly White and non-Latinx sample, limit the generalizability of these results.

Autism identity in young adults and the relationships with participation, quality of life, and well-being

BackgroundAutism presents self-identity challenges across the lifespan. Like “illness identity,” the degree to which a person integrates chronic illness into their self-identity, autism identity entails unique issues following diagnosis. Accepting the diagnosis allows better coping with its challenges and psychological, social, and physical functioning. However, knowledge of autism identity’s relationship with social participation in environments such as home, school, and community, quality of life (QoL), and personal well-being is limited. This study aimed to present an autism-identity profile of young adults and assess those relationships. MethodThis cross-sectional study included 42 autistic adults (18–25 years; M = 19.62, SD = 1.1) recruited from a postsecondary training program. All completed an Illness Identity Questionnaire adapted for autism, Child and Adolescent Scale of Participation, QoL Questionnaire, and Personal Well-Being Index. We calculated autism-identity profiles using descriptive statistics and examined relationships between self-reported autism-identity perceptions and participation, QoL, and well-being using Pearson’s correlations and stepwise linear regressions. ResultsThe participants reported significantly higher positive than negative autism-identity feelings, t(41) = 6.17, p < .001, d = .95. Higher positive autism-identity perception significantly correlated with higher reported participation (r = .44, p < .01) and QoL (r = .36, p < .05). Higher engulfment feelings (i.e., feeling that autism overwhelms the individual’s identity) significantly predicted lower social participation and well-being. ConclusionsAlthough natural development and social and educational environments affect identity and self-perception, caregivers, educators, and support services should help autistic young adults adopt more positive and reduce negative feelings about their autism.

A Pilot Program for Teaching Sexuality and Relationships to Adults with Autism and Developmental Disabilities.

Background: People often have an innate interest in both platonic and romantic relationships. In fact, feelings toward sexuality and sexuality education do not differ between various individuals. Yet, autistic individuals have been shown to score significantly lower on measures of sexual awareness than their typically developing counterparts. Aims: The current project sought to investigate the benefits of a specially tailored socio-sexuality curriculum on the interpersonal relationship knowledge of 12 autistic young adults. Methods and Procedures: The eight-session sexuality education intervention was carefully tailored from an existing, online guide from the Organization for Autism Research. Pre- and post-test data were collected via the Assessment of Functional Living Skills Interpersonal Relationships domain. T-tests were conducted to determine significance. Outcomes and Results: Results from paired-sample t-tests indicated significant gains in interpersonal relationship knowledge from pre- to post-intervention. Conclusions and Implications: When provided with specifically tailored sexuality education, young autistic adults can experience socially valid, significant gains on interpersonal relationship knowledge.

Bringing the autistic lifeworld to supportive technology design: an enactive approach

ABSTRACT Supportive technologies for autistic individuals are promising in principle, yet their uptake remains limited. Critics argue that in current designs of supportive technologies, autism is mostly framed as a ‘disorder’ whose limitations can be pragmatically compensated for. To increase uptake, designers should get a better handle on how to incorporate the full richness of the autistic experience into the design process. This paper presents an integrative framework of the autistic lifeworld, called Autistic Lifeworld Design (hereafter: ALD). ALD evolved in a transdisciplinary research setting, substantiated by 11 design case studies with autistic young adults as well as theoretical inquiries into enactivism, design and autism. It consists of four dimensions of experience – sensory, habitual, social, and affective –, each providing specific pointers on how to better understand how autistic people experience the world and how supportive technologies may complement that experience. By adopting an enactive approach, ALD enables a reframing of supportive technology as helping to sustain different levels of homoeostasis. It offers a novel lens that allows designers to put the lived experiences of autistic individuals at the centre of the design process, with special attention to the role of bodily structures and processing in shaping these experiences.

Navigating the Transition to Adulthood: Insights from Caregivers of Autistic Individuals.

With many teens having to transition from a mainly educational system of support to a set of health and social service systems (Shattuck et al. in Autism Res Treat https://doi.org/10.1155/2014/924182 , 2017), there is a critical need to advance research and support services in the area of autism and transition to aid autistic* individuals and their families. This study aims to learn more about the experiences of caregivers of autistic young adults, their experiences navigating the transition process post-graduation, and what realistic steps could be undertaken by high schools, vocational schools, colleges, Regional Centers, and places of employment to ease this transition. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted with caregivers of autistic young adults over the age of 18 focused on their experiences helping their children navigate the transition to adulthood. Using an iterative and inductive coding approach, three overarching themes were uncovered with twelve subthemes. The three major themes recurring in caregiver interviews were their experiences with navigating service receipt, exploring the landscape of opportunities available for their children, and the parent experiences specific to their role in their child's transition into adulthood. Findings from this study provide a chance for stakeholders to learn from the lived experiences of caregivers navigating the frustration and confusion pertaining to transition for their autistic adult child due to the highly prohibitive access to service receipt, experiencing significant financial burdens, finding a niche for their children that fits their needs, desires, and talents, and managing their well-being.