Autism Spectrum Disorder Face Research Articles

Correlations of Physical and Psychological Health in Parents of Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have social communication difficulties and restricted, repetitive, and/or sensory behaviors or interests. The prevalence of ASD is now 1 in 36 individuals. Parents of individuals with ASD face challenges that can affect their physical and psychological well-being. With the long-term goal to tailor an exercise program, the purpose of this study was 2-fold: (1) establish the baseline physical and mental health of parents of individuals with ASD and (2) estimate the relationship of physiologic variables with psychological variables of health for parents of individuals with ASD. This descriptive, cross-sectional study (N = 44) explored physical health measures and the correlation between physical and psychological health, using measures of anxiety, stress, parenting depression, and positive thinking for parents who care for individuals with ASD. The common characteristics that these parents shared was high body fat and low physical activity. Body fat was negatively correlated to total step count (r = -0.428, P < .05), grip strength (r = -0.319, P < .5), and total distance walked in the week (r = -0.661, P < .01), and positively correlated to 5-times sit to stand (r = 0.337, P < .05). Low activity correlated to increased parenting stress of advocating for child's needs (r = -0.310, P = .043). Understanding relationships between physical and psychological health informs effective interventions and support systems for parents. Parents need supports to be able to prioritize exercise. Future studies should include a larger sample to verify these effects.

Atypical neural encoding of faces in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience pervasive difficulties in processing social information from faces. However, the behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying social trait judgments of faces in ASD remain largely unclear. Here, we comprehensively addressed this question by employing functional neuroimaging and parametrically generated faces that vary in facial trustworthiness and dominance. Behaviorally, participants with ASD exhibited reduced specificity but increased inter-rater variability in social trait judgments. Neurally, participants with ASD showed hypo-activation across broad face-processing areas. Multivariate analysis based on trial-by-trial face responses could discriminate participant groups in the majority of the face-processing areas. Encoding social traits in ASD engaged vastly different face-processing areas compared to controls, and encoding different social traits engaged different brain areas. Interestingly, the idiosyncratic brain areas encoding social traits in ASD were still flexible and context-dependent, similar to neurotypicals. Additionally, participants with ASD also showed an altered encoding of facial saliency features in the eyes and mouth. Together, our results provide a comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social trait judgments in ASD.

Planning and Pedagogical Considerations for Teaching Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Physical Education

Around the world, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition. It is linked to a wide range of deficiencies across multiple domains, including restrictive and repetitive behaviors that impair interaction or engagement with others. School-aged children with ASD face challenges that make physical activity more difficult. To address challenges associated with ASD, physical education interventions need to be tailored to the child’s needs and abilities. Despite advances in research on children with ASD in physical education, adopting contemporary approaches is yet to be the norm. This review aimed to examine the literature on intervention models to improve the physical activity skills of children with ASD and to suggest practical considerations for delivering an effective physical education program and lessons. The recommendations provided in this review support teachers in applying strategies that maximize meaningful learning opportunities for children with ASD and use effective pedagogies that meet their needs.

A qualitative investigation on the resilience of parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Macau

Parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be more stressful and discouraging than parenting a child with typical development, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to unpack the factors and processes contributing to resilience among parents of children with ASD and the difficulties they faced during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in a City in China (Macau SAR). We conducted individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 16 parents of 13 children with ASD (11 mothers and 5 fathers; Mage = 42.36 years; 12 boys and 1 girl; Mage = 8.08 years). Data was analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis approach. Overall, the results revealed several noteworthy themes: stressors, mental health, marital relationships, individual resources, social support, coping strategies, and resilience. The findings of this study deepen our understanding of the challenges that parents of children with ASD face, by identifying factors and processes contributing to resilience during the lockdowns enforced during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is especially relevant in a city like Mainland China where there is a dearth of various support resources for families that have children with special needs. Limitations, implications, and future directions are discussed.

The adult experience of being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: A qualitative meta-synthesis.

There is little research looking at the experience of individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as adults. Adults diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder face different challenges than children, and more research is needed to better understand those challenges. For this review, autistic and non-autistic researchers looked at research on the experience of receiving a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder as an adult. We looked for themes in people's experience leading up to diagnosis, going through the diagnostic process, and living their life after diagnosis. We analyzed 24 studies and found three overarching themes that captured thirty-two themes describing the experience of diagnosis. The three overarching themes expressed issues with identity and relationships before and after the diagnosis and identified that the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder in adulthood impacted people's adaptation to and assimilation (i.e. the making sense of and internalizing the diagnosis) of autism spectrum disorder. While the diagnostic process itself was confusing and disappointing for many, it often led to a sense of relief and clarity regarding past experiences and had effects on identity and self-esteem. It created opportunities to connect with other autistic individuals and to access services, though appropriate supports were widely lacking. Recommendations are made that the impact of the diagnosis on people's identity and choices about telling others about their diagnosis, and whether and how people want to make adaptations, should be discussed and thought through in the process of diagnosis.

A qualitative enquiry into the challenging roles of caregivers caring for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Ghana

BackgroundAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a condition commonly characterized by challenges with social interaction, repetitive atypical behaviour, and restricted interest. It is estimated that about 1 in 160 children has ASD. Caring for children with ASD is challenging for many parents or caregivers. ObjectivesThe study aims at exploring the challenges experienced by caregivers of children with ASD. MethodsA qualitative phenomenological study was employed using an exploratory descriptive research design. A total of 10 participants were recruited in this study using a purposive sampling technique. Data were analysed using content analysis procedures. ResultCaregivers of children with ASD face social, financial, and emotional challenges, challenges in accessing health care, education and training of their children in mainstream school settings. ConclusionThe numerous challenges have implications for the quality of life of the caregivers and their children. The financial challenges and inaccessibility of specialist health services have serious implications for the continuous medical care and monitoring of children with ASD. The challenges in education and training of children with ASD has negative consequences for enrolment and retention of children with ASD in mainstream school settings.

Examining the Impact of Group-Based Social Skills Intervention in Autistic Children Aged Eight to 15 Years.

Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurological and developmental disorder, which poses challenges to social communication and behavior, particularly affecting social functioning. Individuals with ASD face significant social challenges, including difficulty understanding social cues and body language, limited ability to engage in reciprocal social interactions, and challenges with establishing empathy. A preference for routines and repetitive behaviors limits their ability to adapt to new or unexpected social situations. These problems tend to escalate during adolescence. These often cause distress to the individual as well as the caregivers. Group-based social skills interventions (GSSIs) are a widely used and effective modality for addressing core social impairments in children with autism. This study aims to assess the impact of GSSI on the broad age group of eight to 15 years, involving parents to enhance the transferability of children's social skills. Methods This was a single-arm interventional studywhere 30 verbal autistic children, aged eight to 15 years, withintelligence quotient (IQ) > 70 were enrolled after utilizing theBinet Kamat Test of Intelligence (BKT) to assess IQand the Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism (ISAA) tograde severity of autism. The children received GSSI frominterdisciplinary therapists for 12 sessions, on a weekly basis, lasting 90 minutes each for a period of three months. After each therapy session, parents received summaries of each session and were delegated reinforcing homework assignments to enable generalization and maintenance of the skills taught. Outcome measures were taken at three points in time by utilizing the Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) and the parent-rated Social Responsiveness Scale 2 (p-SRS-2):T1: pre-therapy at the time of enrolment; T2: immediately post-therapy at the end of three months of training; and T3: long-term follow-up, three months after the end of training. Results Mean SCQ scores were as follows: T1 = 21.87, T2 = 18.57, and T3 = 18.57 (p = 0.000). This progressive decline at T1, T2, and T3indicated a decreasing trend in the severity of difficulties in the social communication domain. Mean p-SRS-2 scores were as follows: T1 = 73.00, T2 = 64.57, and T3 =64.30 (p < 0.0001). This declining trend at T1, T2, and T3suggested a statistically significant decrease in the severity of difficulties faced in various social aspects tested by the p-SRS-2, i.e., social awareness, social cognition, social communication, and social motivation, along with a reduction in restricted interests and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). Very strong correlation coefficients were obtained for SCQ scores (T1-T2 = 0.921, T1-T3 = 0.921, and T2-T3 = 1.000), as well as for p-SRS-2 scores (T1-T2 = 0.743, T1-T3 = 0.746, and T2-T3 = 0.989), which reinforced the statistical significance of the data. Conclusion GSSI is an effective parent-assisted intervention foradolescents with ASD, with effects lasting up to three months post-intervention.

Increased risk of acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a nation-wide cohort study in Taiwan.

Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be particularly vulnerable to the impact of traumatic events, yet the association between ASD and the risk of developing acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) remains uncertain. This study aims to investigate this association, addressing the gap in large-scale evidence on the subject. Conducted as a retrospective and matched cohort study, data was sourced from the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) in Taiwan, spanning from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2015. The study included patients aged 18 years or under newly diagnosed with ASD (n=15,200) and compared them with a matched control group (n=45,600). The Cox proportional regression model was employed to assess the risk of acute stress disorder and PTSD. Over the 15-year follow-up period, a total of 132 participants developed either acute stress disorder or PTSD. Among them, 105 cases (0.691% or 64.90 per 100,000 person-years) were in the ASD group, while 27 cases (0.059% or 5.38 per 100,000 person-years) were in the control group. The adjusted hazard ratio for the ASD group was significantly higher compared to the control group (25.661 with 95% CI = 15.913-41.232; P < .001). This study provides compelling evidence that individuals with ASD face an elevated risk of developing acute stress disorder and PTSD. The findings underscore the importance of clinicians recognizing and addressing this vulnerability in ASD individuals exposed to traumatic events. This emphasizes the need for heightened attention to the risk of PTSD and acute stress disorder in the ASD population.

Inclusion of young children with autism spectrum disorder during the COVID-19 lockdowns

Children with autism spectrum disorder face numerous challenges throughout their childhood and beyond. These challenges include demonstrating behavioural and emotional immaturity, and a lack of grasping intuitively unspoken rules and norms, to mention but a few. Deviating from the norm heightens these challenges. One of the sudden changes brought about by the national lockdown was the extended closure of early childhood development centres. There is a dearth of studies that explored the perceptions of early childhood care and education educators’ knowledge of the inclusion of children with autism spectrum disorder. As a result, I employed case study methodology to explore these educators’ perceptions of the inclusion of young children with autism spectrum disorder in regular education, as well as how these perceptions influenced the inclusion of these children in regular education during the lockdowns of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) period. Three early childhood care and education educators from a semi-urban early childhood development centre were purposively sampled. Using the 4 key principles of special education needs and disabilities, I concluded that early childhood care and education educators lacked knowledge of teaching and accommodating young children with autism spectrum disorder in everyday education during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The study calls for a stern consideration of these educators’ knowledge development and reimagination of their understanding of children with autism spectrum disorder during trying times and beyond.

Hubungan parental stress terhadap self-esteem orang tua yang memiliki anak dengan autism spectrum disorder

Parents of children with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) face challenges that put them at high levels of stress. Self- esteem can reduce the negative impact of parental stress. The aim of this research is to analyze the relationship between parental stress and self-esteem in parents who have children with ASD. The method used in this research uses quantitative methods with a correlational design. The sample for this study was 114 parents with ASD. Parental stress was measured using the Parental Stress Scale (PSS) and self-esteem was measured using the self-esteem scale. Pearson product moment correlation was used to analyze the data. The results of the Pearson product moment test obtained r = -.46 and p = 0.00. The results of this study found that parents had moderate levels of parental stress (69.3%) and had moderate self-esteem (60.5%). These results prove that there is a significant relationship between parental stress and self-esteem in ASD parentsKeywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder, parental stress, self-esteem

‘How does universal design for learning help me to learn?’: students with autism spectrum disorder voices in higher education

ABSTRACT The number of students with autism spectrum disorder in university is progressively increasing, which implies great challenges for higher education. Existing literature indicates that students with Autism Spectrum Disorder face many barriers to their participation and learning, some of which are attributed to teaching practices. Thus, this keeps us still on the road towards achieving genuinely inclusive institutions. With the purpose of promoting more inclusive practices according to students’ preferences, this article aims to analyse the learning enablers for students with autism, which are related to inclusive teaching practices based on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). A qualitative approach was selected, which allowed to gather the testimonies of seven university students with this disorder through semi-structured interviews conducted at a university in Spain. These students reported several enablers that supported their learning at university. Many of them indicated highlighting key concepts or receiving the information progressively. The majority described feeling more engaged when teachers considered their opinions and valued their efforts, among other facilitators. The study concludes with valuable recommendations, based on students’ testimonies, for teachers to incorporate into their teaching practices. The perspectives of students with ASD have highlighted the significance of their voices. However, there is still a need to develop a shared speech that directly impacts the transformation of practices. The UDL approach could benefit students with ASD and others. Therefore, investigating how to introduce these practices into teacher training programs in higher education should be a priority for future research.

Comprehensive Social Trait Judgments From Faces in Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Processing social information from faces is difficult for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether individuals with ASD make high-level social trait judgments from faces in the same way as neurotypical individuals. Here, we comprehensively addressed this question using naturalistic face images and representatively sampled traits. Despite similar underlying dimensional structures across traits, online adult participants with self-reported ASD showed different judgments and reduced specificity within each trait compared with neurotypical individuals. Deep neural networks revealed that these group differences were driven by specific types of faces and differential utilization of features within a face. Our results were replicated in well-characterized in-lab participants and partially generalized to more controlled face images (a preregistered study). By investigating social trait judgments in a broader population, including individuals with neurodevelopmental variations, we found important theoretical implications for the fundamental dimensions, variations, and potential behavioral consequences of social cognition.

Healthcare Experience of Pediatric Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face several challenges in the healthcare setting. This study defines the challenges experienced by children with autism in hospitals in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted using a questionnaire for guardians of autistic children in outpatient clinics, autism support groups, and rehabilitation centers. A total of 199 participants were included. The medical procedures causing the most anxiety to children were injections and getting their blood drawn (68.3%), vital sign measurement (41.6%), and height and weight measurement (37.8%). Long waiting hours (44.1%), increased sensory stimuli (33.2%), and overcrowding of hospital staff (27.9%) were stress-inducing in the healthcare environment. The guardians recommended that loud noises (44.7%), crowdedness (41.2%), and long waiting hours (42.1%) be avoided. The nonverbal children experienced significantly higher levels (p < 0.001) of agitation, irritability, and outbursts during doctor visits than their verbal counterparts. The children with intellectual disabilities were more tense and unresponsive during doctor visits (33.3%) than their intellectually able counterparts, who more frequently were calm and responsive (44.9%) during visits. Most patients with ASD face hardships during hospital visits. Nonverbal patients and those with intellectual disabilities have a higher tendency for hospital setting anxiety-induced outbursts, which may be eased by avoiding loud noise and overcrowding.

IMPROVING ORAL HYGIENE STATUS IN CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN BANDUNG THROUGH EDUCATION USING “TOOTH BRUSHING VISUAL PEDAGOGY” FLIPCHART

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits and restricted interests. Children with ASD face challenges in oral health, necessitating education. Education with visual pedagogy using “Tooth Brushing Visual Pedagogy” flipchart can be used to improve dental health in ASD children. Purpose: This study examined the effectiveness of the "Tooth Brushing Visual Pedagogy" flipchart in improving oral hygiene among children with ASD at Biruku Indonesia Foundation. Methods: A quasi-experimental study with 14 participants measured the Patient Hygiene Performance (PHP) plaque index pre- and post-education. The flipchart was used, followed by a toothbrushing session Results: A significant improvement (p &lt; 0.05) was observed (p-value = 0.000071). Before education, plaque index varied from excellent (0.0%) to poor (21.42%). After education, excellent and good oral hygiene increased (0.0% and 71.42%, respectively), while fair and poor levels decreased (28.57% and 0.0%, respectively). Conclusion: The "Tooth Brushing Visual Pedagogy" flipchart effectively improved oral hygiene among children with ASD.

Investigating the Face Inversion Effect in Autism Across Behavioral and Neural Measures of Face Processing

Face processing is foundational to human social cognition, is central to the hallmark features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and shapes neural systems and social behavior. Highly efficient and specialized, the face processing system is sensitive to inversion, demonstrated by reduced accuracy in recognition and altered neural response to inverted faces. Understanding at which mechanistic level the autistic face processing system may be particularly different, as measured by the face inversion effect, will improve overall understanding of brain functioning in autism. To synthesize data from the extant literature to determine differences of the face processing system in ASD, as measured by the face inversion effect, across multiple mechanistic levels. Systematic searches were conducted in the MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, and PubMed databases from inception to August 11, 2022. Original research that reported performance-based measures of face recognition to upright and inverted faces in ASD and neurotypical samples were included for quantitative synthesis. All studies were screened by at least 2 reviewers. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted according to the 2020 Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) reporting guideline. Multiple effect sizes were extracted from studies to maximize information gain and statistical precision and used a random-effects, multilevel modeling framework to account for statistical dependencies within study samples. Effect sizes were calculated as a standardized mean change score between ASD and neurotypical samples (ie, Hedges g). The primary outcome measure was performance difference between upright and inverted faces during face recognition tasks. Measurement modality, psychological construct, recognition demand, sample age, sample sex distribution, and study quality assessment scores were assessed as moderators. Of 1768 screened articles, 122 effect sizes from 38 empirical articles representing data from 1764 individual participants (899 ASD individuals and 865 neurotypical individuals) were included in the meta-analysis. Overall, face recognition performance differences between upright and inverted faces were reduced in autistic individuals compared with neurotypical individuals (g = -0.41; SE = 0.11; 95% credible interval [CrI], -0.63 to -0.18). However, there was considerable heterogeneity among effect sizes, which were explored with moderator analysis. The attenuated face inversion effect in autistic individuals was more prominent in emotion compared with identity recognition (b = 0.46; SE = 0.26; 95% CrI, -0.08 to 0.95) and in behavioral compared with electrophysiological measures (b = 0.23; SE = 0.24; 95% CrI, -0.25 to 0.70). This study found that on average, face recognition in autism is less impacted by inversion. These findings suggest less specialization or expertise of the face processing system in autism, particularly in recognizing emotion from faces as measured in behavioral paradigms.

Time-Based and Event-Based Prospective Memory in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Virtual Week Investigation

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition including persistent challenges with social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behavior. Though prospective memory failures are commonly observed in ASD population it has been less studied among adults with ASD. Prospective memory (PM) refers to the execution of delayed intentions. There are contradictory findings of regular and irregular prospective memory task among autistic adults. The present study is an attempt to investigate prospective memory performance among adults with autism spectrum disorder using the Virtual Week board game. Virtual Week (Rendell & Craik, 2000) (3-day Version) is a computerized board game in which participants after rolling a die move token clockwise around the board. Each round of the board represents one virtual "day." Adults between 16 and 25 years of age who were diagnosed with ASD (N = 23) were compared with non-ASD (N = 26) adults. Analyses of variance were used to analyze the data. Results revealed that autistic adults as compared to normal adults showed poorer performance on time-based task than on event-based task. A significant difference was evident between regular and irregular prospective memory tasks across both tasks among autistic adults. Results also revealed that ASD difficulties are associated with the prospective component of the irregular task. Prospective memory failures are widely observed in ASD group, and have important implications for functional independence. The findings of this study provide insight into prospective memory challenges that adults with autism spectrum disorder face in a daily basis.

Using Digital Storytelling to Improve Knowledge Acquisition of Circumscribed Interests of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder face difficulties in many areas, such as academic performance and social integration. However, suppose the circumscribed interest of the children with Autism Spectrum Disorder could be adequately taken advantage of. In that case, more career opportunities could be open to them, which may facilitate their social integration. Hence, exploring how to better shape the knowledge acquisition process of the circumscribed interest areas is meaningful. Digital storytelling is considered to be an excellent pedagogical method for teaching children with autism. Therefore, this study aims to test whether digital storytelling positively influences knowledge acquisition in the CI area. Two websites with similar content but different design structures (one with digital storytelling and one without digital storytelling) are given to two children with autism between nine to twelve years old. It was predicted that a website with a digital storytelling design has a higher attraction level and thus leads to a better learning outcome. The result demonstrates that children with ASD prefer the design structure of digital storytelling and could correctly answer more questions on the website with digital storytelling. Future studies may use digital storytelling to smooth the knowledge acquisition in the CI areas.

Sensory salience processing moderates attenuated gazes on faces in autism spectrum disorder: a case–control study

BackgroundAttenuated social attention is a key marker of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Recent neuroimaging findings also emphasize an altered processing of sensory salience in ASD. The locus coeruleus–norepinephrine system (LC-NE) has been established as a modulator of this sensory salience processing (SSP). We tested the hypothesis that altered LC-NE functioning contributes to different SSP and results in diverging social attention in ASD.MethodsWe analyzed the baseline eye-tracking data of the EU-AIMS Longitudinal European Autism Project (LEAP) for subgroups of autistic participants (n = 166, age = 6–30 years, IQ = 61–138, gender [female/male] = 41/125) or neurotypical development (TD; n = 166, age = 6–30 years, IQ = 63–138, gender [female/male] = 49/117) that were matched for demographic variables and data quality. Participants watched brief movie scenes (k = 85) depicting humans in social situations (human) or without humans (non-human). SSP was estimated by gazes on physical and motion salience and a corresponding pupillary response that indexes phasic activity of the LC-NE. Social attention is estimated by gazes on faces via manual areas of interest definition. SSP is compared between groups and related to social attention by linear mixed models that consider temporal dynamics within scenes. Models are controlled for comorbid psychopathology, gaze behavior, and luminance.ResultsWe found no group differences in gazes on salience, whereas pupillary responses were associated with altered gazes on physical and motion salience. In ASD compared to TD, we observed pupillary responses that were higher for non-human scenes and lower for human scenes. In ASD, we observed lower gazes on faces across the duration of the scenes. Crucially, this different social attention was influenced by gazes on physical salience and moderated by pupillary responses.LimitationsThe naturalistic study design precluded experimental manipulations and stimulus control, while effect sizes were small to moderate. Covariate effects of age and IQ indicate that the findings differ between age and developmental subgroups.ConclusionsPupillary responses as a proxy of LC-NE phasic activity during visual attention are suggested to modulate sensory salience processing and contribute to attenuated social attention in ASD.

Suicide and non-fatal self-injury-related emergency department visits among individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

This study used data for 14.4 million individuals with 43.5 million emergency department visits from all hospitals in the state of New York to explore the association between suicide and non-fatal self-injury-related (self-injury) emergency department visits and autism spectrum disorder. Overall, we found that individuals with autism spectrum disorder had more emergency department visits and admissions through the emergency department, more years of emergency department utilization, and higher prevalence of mental health-related comorbidities. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder were also significantly more likely to have at least one self-injury-related emergency department visit compared to those without autism spectrum disorder. These results emphasize the need to raise awareness across both family caregivers and healthcare providers on the increased suicide and self-injury risks that individuals with autism spectrum disorder face and to improve care delivery practices. In addition, effort to promote and increase timely access to mental health care is an urgent priority for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

The Impact of Pressure Upon Parents in Raising Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders

In 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that 1 in 160 children worldwide is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which continues to grow worldwide. This statistic proves that many parents worldwide continue to battle the challenge of raising and educating this select group of children. This paper is a comprehensive study, gleaning information from various pieces of writing and research focused on the pressure influencing parents of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in terms of caregiving whilst finding a practical alternative in caring for children with special needs. This research has revealed that behavioral difficulties, financial constraints, and societal acceptance largely contribute to the pressure parents of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) experience. The result of this research shows that parents of children with ASD face a plethora of difficulties and require support from various entities in order to navigate them successfully. To lessen the caregiver's burden, spouses, typically developing children, the community, and the government must provide unwavering support and understanding. Hence, this research aims to provide insight into the struggles faced by parents of children with ASD or even serve as a guideline to develop support or intervention programs for children with ASD and their parents