Autism Awareness Research Articles

Utahns' understanding of autism spectrum disorder

BackgroundThe general public has numerous misconceptions and a lack of awareness and understanding regarding some of the prevalence, characteristics, and treatments of autism. As a result, education and awareness activities to increase the general public's understanding and awareness of autism are important. This study was conducted throughout Utah to inform public education and awareness efforts being planned as part of Utah's State Plan for Improving Outcomes for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Development Disorders. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to identify public awareness and knowledge of ASD in Utah, such as the public's understanding of the prevalence, characteristics, and treatments of autism, as well as the sources of this information. MethodsTo identify public perceptions and attitudes of autism spectrum disorder, 1001 Utah residents 18 years of age or older were surveyed using a 32-question statewide random-digit dialed telephone survey. ResultsThe percentages of responses for 15 of the 20 autism-related questions are presented by ethnicity (Hispanic or Latino), education level, and income level. ConclusionsThe study indicates that autism education efforts need to address the least understood aspects of autism; the causes of autism, how autism is diagnosed, and how autism is treated. Radio or TV outlets are more effective, particularly so with Hispanic or Latinos and populations with less education. Medical professionals are also an important resource for families with direct autism-related needs.

A Global Public Health Strategy for Autism Spectrum Disorders

In recent years, there has been increasing awareness about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) around the world, including in low and middle income countries. Unlike countries in Western Europe and North America where infrastructure and capacity are available to help meet some of the needs of individuals with ASD, little expertise or capacity exists in most of the developing world. In 2008 Autism Speaks launched the Global Autism Public Health (GAPH) Initiative to facilitate the development of systematic and sustainable solutions for enhancing global autism awareness, research, training and service delivery. In the last 3 years Autism Speaks has established collaboration with stakeholders from over 20 countries who are working alongside dedicated local and international stakeholders to effect change. In this article, the GAPH framework is described, along with a few brief case examples that illustrate how the framework for implementation of the model can occur. GAPH is still in its infancy but has the potential to have significant impact through inclusive collaboration with local and international stakeholders to develop effective and sustainable public health solutions for disseminating best practices and delivering tangible benefits to individuals with ASD and their families.

The Autism Strategy: implications for people with autism and for service development

PurposeThe aim of this article is to critically review the Autism Strategy and to discuss its implications.Design/methodology/approachThis is a summary and critical review of the Autism Strategy and its implementation. This includes discussion of the political context, reactions to the strategy by stakeholders, economic considerations, equity, integration across health and social care and the role of diagnostic services and specialist interventions.FindingsThe Autism Strategy Fulfilling and Rewarding Lives was published in 2010. It aimed to increase awareness of autism, establish clear pathways for diagnosis and needs assessment, promote independent living and access to work, and help the development of local services. It focuses on intended outcomes, is not prescriptive about how those aims are achieved, and relies on existing legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act. The emphasis on accessing mainstream services may limit the development of appropriate specialist services, especially in the current economic climate. Specialist interventions that may follow diagnosis are not prioritised, even though the economic case for them has been well made by the Audit Commission. Although the Department of Health has produced “outcomes and ambitions” to measure implementation of the Strategy, local authorities are not required to measure themselves against these targets or publish their results. However, organisations such as the National Autistic Society have already developed training materials to help with implementation, and the NICE guidelines for adults with autism due in 2012 may help the development of better services.Originality/valueThis article provides new insights into the implications of the strategy for service users, service managers and healthcare professionals. Although the strategy applies to England only, the principles are of interest to stakeholders in other countries.

‘Do you have any difficulties that I may not be aware of?’ A study of autism awareness and understanding in the UK police service

The autism ‘triad of impairments' will often disadvantage those with autism when they come into contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) when compared with people without autism. Existing research suggests that people with developmental disabilities such as autism are between 4 and 10 times more likely to become victims of crime than those without such disabilities and may be 10 or more times as likely to be victims of sexual assault and robbery. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people with autism are the subject of discrimination in the CJS due to a general lack of awareness and understanding of autism and its implications in that environment.This study seeks to assess the current understanding of autism awareness and understanding in the UK police service through the means of a questionnaire, and by comparing the results with an earlier study undertaken by researchers in the USA. The long-term aim is to improve responses by CJS personnel to those affected by autism.Overall, as a broad generalisation, individual self-assessments of competency indicated that, currently, police officers are probably unable to deal appropriately with persons with autism. However, in many cases, self-assessments may exaggerate competence. The US study also found that police officers tended to perceive themselves as competent when they may not have been. Not one respondent in this study had received training from the police service fitting him/her to interact effectively with persons on the autism spectrum.

From interprofessional education to interprofessional practice: exploring the implementation gap

Research repeatedly suggests that a lack of autism awareness, plus poor interprofessional working, is undermining the development of effective autism provision across Scottish services. In response, the University of Aberdeen developed an interprofessional education (IPE) programme in Autism and Learning designed to address these problems. This paper critically examines an evaluative research study of the effectiveness and impact of the programme. An adapted version of the Kirkpatrick–Barr et al. Framework of Outcomes is used as an analytical tool to explore the facilitating and inhibiting factors that influence the ‘implementation gap’; that is, translation of policy into effective interprofessional practice. Key barriers to implementation are explored in detail. It is concluded that effective interprofessional practice and positive outcomes for service users can only be assured by a commitment to ongoing IPE and service evaluation, followed by concerted, joint action to address barriers to implementation.

Awareness and knowledge of autism among pharmacists

BackgroundIn the past few decades, the prevalence of autism has increased tremendously in the United States. The prevalence of autism is now higher than the combined prevalence of juvenile diabetes, pediatric cancer, and pediatric AIDS. As health care professionals with a high visibility in a community, pharmacists are likely to encounter more and more families having a child affected by this disorder. ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to assess pharmacists’ awareness and knowledge of autism. The study aimed to assess pharmacists’ familiarity with autism symptoms, treatment medications, and community resources devoted to this disorder. Further, pharmacists’ knowledge of common myths associated with autism, etiology, prognosis, and treatment were assessed. MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, an online survey of pharmacists registered in the state of Mississippi (MS) was conducted, using the Qualtrics software program. Descriptive analysis of study items was conducted. ResultsA total of 147 usable responses (5.8%) were received. The results indicated gaps in pharmacists’ awareness and knowledge of autism. Approximately, 23% of pharmacists did not know that autism is a developmental disorder, and 32% did not believe that genetics has a major role in autism etiology. More than 18% believed that vaccines can cause autism. Most (>90%) felt that they could benefit from autism continuing education (CE). ConclusionPolicy makers and autism agencies should consider providing educational interventions or CE programs to increase pharmacists’ awareness and knowledge of autism.

Autism awareness and attitudes towards treatment in caregivers of children aged 3–6 years in Harbin, China

To (1) estimate the proportion of people in the community who could correctly recognize autism spectrum disorders (ASD); (2) describe the attitudes towards various treatments for ASD; and (3) identify factors associated with ASD recognition. A population-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Harbin, China (n=4,947). We estimated the proportions of participants who were at different levels of knowledge about ASD and of their attitudes towards mental health service use. Multivariate logistic regression modeling was used to identify factors associated with the recognition of ASD. Overall, 2,786 (57.8%) of the respondents could recognize the ASD. Recognition of autism depended on gender, residing areas, age and educational levels. With respect to the attitudes towards mental health service use for ASD, 4,007 respondents (84.6%) chose to visit a health organization for treatment; 2,470 (68.2%) made the choice of consulting a psychotherapist. There is a large room for improvement in awareness about ASD and treatment in the Chinese communities. Insufficient knowledge about ASD and inappropriate attitudes towards mental health service use may impede the efforts of early identification and intervention. Health education and promotion are needed to improve people's knowledge about ASD and available mental health services.

Late Identification of Autistic Disorder in Nigeria: An Illustration with 2 Case Reports

Background: Autistic disorder is a severe neuro-developmental disorder.In recent years, there has been an increased concern about the upsurgein the prevalence of autism. Psychiatrists and other clinicians have a pivotal role in its identification.Methods: This is a report of 2 cases of autistic disorder seen at a child andadolescent psychiatric clinic in Nigeria.Results: The first case was a boy (17 years) and the second was a girl (14years). Both cases had severe impairments in social relationships, communication, and behaviour; masked by non-specific autistic symptoms. They were diagnosed late.Conclusion: The importance of early identification was illustrated. Factorsimplicated in late identification include non specific pattern of presentation,poor level of autism awareness, late referral to specialist centres andinadequate child psychiatric facilities in Nigeria. These should be reviewedand given urgent attention.

Autism On the Web: “Oh, the Places You'll Go!”

In July 2010, entering the term “autism” into the Google search box resulted in more than 19 million hits in 0.21 seconds. Although this is much too general of a search term for such an immense topic, it does provide some measure of the vast amount of information about autism on the World Wide Web (web)...

REVIEW OF SCHREIBMAN'S: THE SCIENCE AND FICTION OF AUTISM

Although the awareness of autism in the general public has increased significantly over the past 20 years, much of the widely disseminated information is not fully grounded in scientific fact. In The Science and Fiction of Autism (2005), Laura Schreibman addresses a series of debates and controversies in areas ranging from diagnostic practices and etiological theories to effective clinical practices. This book provides an overview of the field of autism that is suitable for well‐educated parents and new professionals in the field.

Middle School Students’ Knowledge of Autism

Authors examined 1,015 middle school students' knowledge of autism using a single item of prior awareness and a 10-item Knowledge of Autism (KOA) scale. The KOA scale was designed to assess students' knowledge of the course, etiology, and symptoms associated with autism. Less than half of students (46.1%) reported having heard of autism; however, most students correctly responded that autism was a chronic condition that was not communicable. Students reporting prior awareness of autism scored higher on 9 of 10 KOA scale items when compared to their naïve counterparts. Prior awareness of autism and KOA scores also differed across schools. A more detailed understanding of developmental changes in students' knowledge of autism should improve peer educational interventions.

‘Do You Have Any Difficulties That I May Not Be Aware of?’ A Study of Autism Awareness and Understanding in the UK Police Service

The autism ‘triad of impairments' will often disadvantage those with autism when they come into contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) when compared with people without autism. Existing research suggests that people with developmental disabilities such as autism are between 4 and 10 times more likely to become victims of crime than those without such disabilities and may be 10 or more times as likely to be victims of sexual assault and robbery. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people with autism are the subject of discrimination in the CJS due to a general lack of awareness and understanding of autism and its implications in that environment. This study seeks to assess the current understanding of autism awareness and understanding in the UK police service through the means of a questionnaire, and by comparing the results with an earlier study undertaken by researchers in the USA. The long-term aim is to improve responses by CJS personnel to those affected by autism. Overall, as a broad generalisation, individual self-assessments of competency indicated that, currently, police officers are probably unable to deal appropriately with persons with autism. However, in many cases, self-assessments may exaggerate competence. The US study also found that police officers tended to perceive themselves as competent when they may not have been. Not one respondent in this study had received training from the police service fitting him/her to interact effectively with persons on the autism spectrum.

Evolution of Autism Support and Understanding Via the World Wide Web

Internet technology has radically changed society, widely affecting communication and the availability of information. The digital age holds unique significance for autism spectrum disorder. In this article I explore the interface between autism and the World Wide Web by reviewing evolving virtual communities pioneered by individuals with autism, exploring the online growth of advocacy organizations, and considering the positive and negative consequences that arise from autism’s fledgling voices.

Plan to boost staff awareness of autism includes training

Plan to boost staff awareness of autism includes training

Commentary: Effects of diagnostic thresholds and research vs service and administrative diagnosis on autism prevalence

King and Bearman are to be congratulated on their sophisticated analysis of the Californian Department of Developmental Services (DDS) database. In contrast with previous attempts to examine diagnostic substitution and diagnostic accretion (both in the same data source and in national administrative data sources), which allowed time trends but not individual child-level diagnostic substitutions and accretions to be examined, they demonstrated that children previously classified with ‘mental retardation’ account for one-quarter of the measured increase in autism prevalence in the DDS. However, King and Bearman highlight the fact that this leaves nearly three-quarters of the increase to be explained by other factors. The information available in administrative databases such as the DDS do not allow for any test of what these ‘other factors’ might be. Thus, their analysis does not answer the ‘great questions’ that have engaged both the scientific community and the general public: has there been a real increase in incidence and, if so, why? What has been the impact of changes in diagnostic practice, public and professional awareness of autism and other methodological factors (e.g. broadening of our concept of autism, different methods of ascertainment, inclusion of individuals with average IQ and those with other neuropsychiatric and medical disorders) that likely account for much of these dramatic time trends? Service administration databases are not prevalence studies and changes in recorded need might reflect changes in entitlement or availability of particular services, rather than true changes in prevalence. However, over the past 10 years epidemiological studies have also found much higher rates of autism than previously; so the administrative increase identified in the DDS data has also been reflected in the findings from prevalence studies. For several decades following Lotter’s seminal study, the autism prevalence figure that he reported of 4.5 cases per 10 000 was broadly accepted, although 20 per 10 000 children was noted as showing the broader ‘triad of impairments’ characterized by Wing and Gould. Over the past decade, prevalence rates for autism in the range of between 20 and 40 per 10 000 have been reported. The rates for the broader autism spectrum have ranged from 60 per 10 000 to close to and even over 100 per 10 000. However, quantifying the effects of the various methodological factors that might help explain the higher figures found in more recent studies is difficult. Williams et al. conducted a systematic review of autism prevalence studies and found that diagnostic criteria [higher prevalence in studies using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)], age of the sample (higher prevalence in younger samples) and study location (higher prevalence in Japanese vs US studies), are systematically related to the prevalence figures reported across 37 studies. A significant proportion (61%) in the variance in prevalence rates across studies could be explained by these factors. However, Williams et al. concluded that the three factors identified might be acting as a proxy for other study characteristics that affect prevalence rate. In a univariate analysis, they found that decade of study had the largest

‘Learn the signs. Act early’: A campaign to help every child reach his or her full potential

To examine the application of a social marketing approach to increase the early identification and treatment of autism and other developmental disorders. The intervention used formative research, behaviour change theory and traditional social marketing techniques to develop a campaign targeting parents, healthcare professionals and early educators to increase awareness of autism and other developmental delays, and to prompt action if a developmental delay was suspected. Using social marketing principles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention applied baseline research with the target audiences to understand the barriers and motivators to behaviour change, which included a lack of knowledge and resources (barriers), along with a willingness to learn and do more (motivators). Focus group testing of potential campaign concepts led to one particular approach and accompanying images, which together increased perceived severity of the problem and encouraged taking action. The audience research also helped to shape the marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion). Three-year follow-up research in this case study indicates a significant change in parent target behaviours, particularly among parents aware of the campaign, and substantially more healthcare professionals believe that they have the resources to educate parents about monitoring their child's cognitive, social and physical development. Qualitative results from early educators and childcare professional associations have been positive about products developed for daycare settings. The application of social marketing principles, behavior change theory and audience research was an effective approach to changing behaviours in this case. Understanding what the target audiences want and need, looking beyond parents to engage healthcare professionals and early educators, and engaging many strategic partners to extend the reach of the message helped campaign planners to develop a campaign that resonated with the target audiences and, importantly, moved them towards action.

Facilitating the Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorders in School-Age Children

Recent special education trends suggest that students with autism spectrum disorders are underrepresented in our schools’ special education programs. The increased awareness and prevalence of autism, together with the clear benefits of early intervention and special education, have created an urgent need for school-based professionals to identify children who may have an autism spectrum disorder. Screening is an important first step for securing the appropriate educational services. The aim of this article is to provide school professionals with a review of five screening instruments that hold promise for identifying school-age children in need of a more in-depth diagnostic assessment.

Effectiveness of a computer assisted learning (CAL) package to raise awareness of autism

BackgroundPromoting awareness of autism in populations who work with children may result in an earlier diagnosis of the condition. In this study, a computer assisted learning (CAL) package, containing educationally appropriate knowledge about autism was developed; and the effectiveness of this CAL package was evaluated.MethodsThe CAL package was developed using computer software, "Xerte" and "Flash Macromedia". The effectiveness of the CAL package was evaluated in 32 childcare students in the UK, who were randomised to watch the CAL package or to read the information leaflet containing the same information (n = 16 in each group). Retention performance, level of enjoyment, and level of confidence to identify a child with autism, after the interventions, were evaluated. The data obtained from two studied groups was analysed using unpaired Student's t-test, 95% confidence interval, and effect size.ResultsStudents who watched the CAL package had superior retention performance percentage scores (p = 0.02, 95% CI = 0.83–12.19, effect size = 0.8) and level of enjoyment (p = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.03–2.75, effect size = 0.7) compared with students who read the information leaflet. However, there was no significant difference in level of confidence to identify a child with autism (p = 0.39, 95% CI = -1.80–0.72, effect size = -0.3).ConclusionThe CAL package developed was an effective method of educating people who work with children about autism.

Sentinels of Safety: Service Dogs Ensure Safety and Enhance Freedom and Well-Being for Families With Autistic Children

Children with autism might display unpredictable and volatile behavior that places them in considerable physical danger and creates stress for the family. Families of autistic children often have limited freedom and experience difficulty with everyday activities. In this qualitative ethology study, we examined the effect of integrating service dogs into ten families with an autistic child. Data included participant observation, video recordings of family-parent-dog interaction, and semistructured interviews with the parents. The themes were (a) the dog as a sentinel of safety, (b) gaining freedom through enhanced safety, facilitating public outings and family activities, and (c) improving social recognition and status, in which the presence of the dog promoted awareness of autism and affected social interaction. The triadic relationship between parent, autistic child, and service dog constantly evolves. This research provides valuable information for parents interested in having a service dog for their autistic child, and has implications for long-term human-animal companionship for children with special needs and their caregivers.

Attention focuses on autism

Attention focuses on autism