Parents Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Children Research Articles

Perceived psychological status among family caregivers of an autistic child: the role of coping strategies and self-esteem as predictors

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess psychological distress among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), self-esteem as a predictor of such distress and the effect of coping strategies. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive correlational study design was conducted using a convenient sample of parents of ASD children (N = 93). Findings This study revealed that the parents of an ASD child experienced a high level of anxiety (M = 15.89), a moderate level of depression (M = 15.85) and a mild level of stress (M = 16.86). Parents of ASD children also reported a low self-esteem score (M= 13.27). Mothers of ASD children reported higher levels of psychological distress, lower levels of self-esteem and more frequent utilisation of maladaptive coping strategies than fathers of ASD children. Practical implications Parents of children with ASD experience a significant level of psychological distress; however, this may be improved by developing programmes and psychological interventions focused on improving parents’ self-esteem and using more active coping strategies. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study conducted in Saudi Arabia that predict the psychological status among family caregivers of an autistic child.

A case study on peer relationships between children with and without autism spectrum disorder in a Chinese inclusive kindergarten

The development of sustainable early childhood education advocates for the holistic development of all children, including children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As an important indicator of children’s social development, peer relationships between children with and without ASD in inclusive kindergarten have not gained much attention. Adopting peer nomination, semi-structured interviews, and participant observations, this study described peer relationships between the two types of children in a Chinese inclusive kindergarten and explored its influential factors. Fourteen children with ASD, 12 children without ASD, 4 teachers, the principal of the kindergarten, and 4 parents of children with ASD participated in this study. The results indicated three types of peer relationships: rejected, neglected, and average. ASD children’s emotional and behavioral challenges, their limited social interaction skills, and teachers’ positive feedback on children with ASD were the major reasons for being labeled the above three types respectively. Furthermore, three protective factors (the rule of child pairing in the kindergarten, innovative curriculum and instructional design, and assistance from parents of ASD children) and three hindering factors (hierarchical roles of the children, the dominance of the medical model, and lack of professional knowledge and skills) of children’s peer relationships were identified. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Assessment of Feeding Behaviors and Parents' Frustrations of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Lebanon: A Case-Control Study.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit restrictive and repetitive behaviors that affect their eating habits. The purpose of this study is to identify the behavioral feeding problems and eating habits among ASD children compared to typically developed (TD) children age/gender-matched controls, along with their parents'/caregivers' strategies for dealing with them. It included 43 ASD children and 43 TD children aged two to eleven years. The analysis was performed based on two valid questionnaires: the Behavior Pediatrics Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFA) and "My Child Eating Habits" (MCEH). The BPFA and MCEH scores conceded three manifestations that fall into food selectivity and problematic mealtime behavior in both groups of children. Compared to TD children, children with ASD exhibited higher BPFA scores, which indicated food-related behavioral and skill-based problems (p = 0.004). Children with ASD were less likely to consume fruits, vegetables, and milk than TD children, which may lead to nutritional deficiencies (p = 0.003, p = 0.003, and p = 0.010, respectively). Parents of ASD children were concerned about their behavioral problems and expressed their intention of an early intervention. These findings highlight the importance of nutritional clinical routines that incorporate the evaluation of the nutritional status and feeding behaviors of ASD children.

Birthpangs of Thivra: surmounting the hurdles to launch “Dwani”

Study level/applicability The case focuses on Thivra Info Solutions Pvt Ltd, an entrepreneurial organization incubated by Prasannan (she/her) in 2017. The organization started with a mission to provide technology-based learning solutions for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Thivra Info Solutions Pvt Ltd had developed multiple offerings, including gamified learning, targeted to ASD and general ed-tech users. The firm also launched “Dwani,” the communicative-based learning app for ASD children. The initial feedback by users, parents and teachers had been encouraging. Prasannan was exploring avenues to scale the business when the Covid-19 pandemic affected all the operations.The case presents the multiple dilemmas entrepreneurial firms face in managing resources, finances, growth and product and customer focus. Students are encouraged to debate the organization strategy, product and consumer target segments and solutions to scale the business while managing frugal resources. Subject area This case study can be used in entrepreneurship, leadership, crisis management, business development, organizational behavior and technology. Case overview The case study describes the navigation of Thivra from a Generic Gamified App to its niche of catering for ASD students. The case presents the challenges presented to leadership to manage the crisis and try to grow their entrepreneurial venture. This case has been designed for use in business-to-consumer marketing or entrepreneurship, gender entrepreneurship, ed-tech-based startups, in MBA, executive MBA or executive education programs in the field. The case is suitable for those doing business in Asia, for post-graduate and under-graduate students studying business innovation, entrepreneurship, strategy and marketing. It is also appropriate for courses on gender entrepreneurship; women and crisis management; and product management. The case aims at facilitating classroom discussion on the extension of Indian-based ed-tech startups to ASD children. Expected learning outcomes Students will also be able to explore the following issues: to study the role played by a business model that withstands the competition over a long period and adopting sustainability; to describe the concept and implications of paradoxical leadership, thereby drawing its impact on business decisions; to analyze how a leader acts in terms of crisis from a startup point of view; to draw the phases and constraints of the enterprise development and compare and contrast it based on gender; to demonstrate the value to different constituents (ASD students, parents, teachers and ASD counselors) by understanding their differentiated needs and developing powerful value propositions for each. Articulating and demonstrating this value is key to gaining the buy-in of the various decision-making units; to understand how, having gained traction in one market segment (in this case, tractions with parents of ASD children), a company can develop new market segments; to study the issues and problems faced by startups in developing economies, especially the tech-based ones; and to understand the application of gamification on education and communication for ASD children. Supplementary materials Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 3: Entrepreneurship

What children with and without ASD see: Similar visual experiences with different pathways through parental attention strategies.

Although young children's gaze behaviors in experimental task contexts have been shown to be potential biobehavioral markers relevant to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we know little about their everyday gaze behaviors. The present study aims (1) to document early gaze behaviors that occur within a live, social interactive context among children with and without ASD and their parents, and (2) to examine how children's and parents' gaze behaviors are related for ASD and typically developing (TD) groups. A head-mounted eye-tracking system was used to record the frequency and duration of a set of gaze behaviors (such as sustained attention [SA] and joint attention [JA]) that are relevant to early cognitive and language development. Twenty-six parent-child dyads (ASD group = 13, TD group = 13) participated. Children were between the ages of 3 and 8 years old. We placed head-mounted eye trackers on parents and children to record their parent- and child-centered views, and we also recorded their interactive parent-child object play scene from both a wall- and ceiling-mounted camera. We then annotated the frequency and duration of gaze behaviors (saccades, fixation, SA, and JA) for different regions of interest (object, face, and hands), and attention shifting. Independent group t-tests and ANOVAs were used to observe group comparisons, and linear regression was used to test the predictiveness of parent gaze behaviors for JA. The present study found no differences in visual experiences between children with and without ASD. Interestingly, however, significant group differences were found for parent gaze behaviors. Compared to parents of ASD children, parents of TD children focused on objects and shifted their attention between objects and their children's faces more. In contrast, parents of ASD children were more likely to shift their attention between their own hands and their children. JA experiences were also predicted differently, depending on the group: among parents of TD children, attention to objects predicted JA, but among parents of ASD children, attention to their children predicted JA. Although no differences were found between gaze behaviors of autistic and TD children in this study, there were significant group differences in parents' looking behaviors. This suggests potentially differential pathways for the scaffolding effect of parental gaze for ASD children compared with TD children. The present study revealed the impact of everyday life, social interactive context on early visual experiences, and point to potentially different pathways by which parental looking behaviors guide the looking behaviors of children with and without ASD. Identifying parental social input relevant to early attention development (e.g., JA) among autistic children has implications for mechanisms that could support socially mediated attention behaviors that have been documented to facilitate early cognitive and language development and implications for the development of parent-mediated interventions for young children with or at risk for ASD.Note: This paper uses a combination of person-first and identity-first language, an intentional decision aligning with comments put forth by Vivanti (Vivanti, 2020), recognizing the complexities of known and unknown preferences of those in the larger autism community.

Prevalence of Child’s Behavioural Feeding Problems, Body Mass Index and Mental Health Issues Among Parents and Children with Autism in Malaysia

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a group of pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders that include significantly impaired functioning in terms of cognitive skills and socialization, verbal and receptive communication, and repetitive behaviors. Several problems arise when handling children with ASD which of them is related to eating behavior. The challenges in daily life that need to be faced by parents of ASD children during mealtime are increased food selectivity, food refusal, and problematic mealtime behaviors. A cross-sectional study was carried out to identify prevalence of child’s behavioural feeding problems, body mass index and mental health issue experience by both parents and children with ASD in Malaysia. A total of 213 parents participated in this study. Data on sociodemographic, eating behavior were collected using a questionnaire. Respondents completed the self-reported Sociodemographic form, anthropometry form and Behavioral Paediatric Feeding Assessment Scale (BPFAS) questionnaire, Strength and Difficulty questionnaire and answer 10-item perceived stress scale to evaluate the intended measures. The prevalence abnormal of eating behavior is higher among the participants was 80.8% (n=172). For BMI, 49.8% (n=106) of the respondents reported the highest prevalence of overweight. Peer and pro-social problems were the most frequently reported mental health issues among ASD children, but emotional, behaviour, and hyperactivity issues were reported less frequently. The majority of parents surveyed in this study assessed themselves to be under considerable stress (93.4 percent). In conclusion, this cross-sectional study demonstrated a high frequency of behavioural feeding difficulties, mental health concerns, and obesity among children with autism spectrum disorders in Malaysia. The findings from this study will contribute to the body of information regarding the nutritional health of children with autism spectrum disorders. The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity in children with ASD is one of the indicators that this study should investigate additional factors that may influence children's weight status.

Urine Nitric Oxide Is Lower in Parents of Autistic Children.

Parents raising children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) usually carry on their daily life under tremendous stress, but limited empirical research has been devoted to this population. It is known that parents' health status directly impacts therapeutic outcome of ASD children. As an important regulator in cardiovascular, nervous and immune systems, nitric oxide (NO) levels haven't been reported in parents of ASD children yet. In this study, we measured urine nitrite and nitrate from 43 ASD parents (ASD-P), and 43 healthy adults in the same range of age (Control) who didn't have any ASD descendants. Comparison between the ASD-P and Control groups showed that , , and / were all significantly lower in the ASD-P group. Analysis on the interaction effect of sex and group indicated that urine of mothers in ASD-P was lower than that in females of the Control group, but no significant difference was observed between males in both groups. It is for the first time that urine nitric oxide metabolites (nitrite, nitrate) levels were precisely reported to differentiate parents of autistic children from other adults without ASD descendants. This phenomenon suggests that parents (especially mothers) of autistic children might have experienced more mental and physical stressors, which led to decreased NO levels during metabolism. Further investigations are necessary to uncover the etiology of low urine NO among parents of autistic children.

Parenting Stress, Social Support and Parental Characteristic in Parents of ASD Children

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have developmental problems that can be a source of stress for parents. This study aimed to measures the parenting stress experienced by parents of ASD children in relation to social support and parental characteristics, namely education level and income. This study involved 50 parents of ASD children who send their children to several special schools in Lampung, Indonesia. Research data were obtained using the parenting stress index, social support scale, and parental characteristics data. The collected data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. The results of the study found that parents of ASD children experienced moderate parenting stress. Social support and a high level of education were found to have a significant effect on parenting stress, while income did not. Social support was found to be the strongest predictor of parenting stress. The results of the study illustrate that the parenting stress experienced by parents of ASD children in Indonesia is not as high as found in other countries. This study has implications on the emphasis of social support as an interventions to deal with parenting stress in parents of ASD children in Indonesia.

Challenges of Autism Spectrum Disorders Families Towards Oral Health Care in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Objective: To assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practice regarding oral health care among parents of autistic children and also the challenges faced by them in providing dental care for their Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) children’s in four regions of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Material and Methods: In total, 263 parents of autistic children participated in this cross-sectional study who were enrolled from 4 major regions of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire formulated in simple Arabic was distributed to parents of children diagnosed with autism or any form of ASD. The questionnaires consisted of demographic questions and also to assess their knowledge on oral health, child’s oral hygiene practices and visits to their dentist, oral hygiene, experience and challenges in waiting room area before the dental treatment, acceptance of treatment or rejection, accessibility to find non-dental centers either government or private for treatment and their recommendations . Results: All the parents brushed their child’s teeth using a toothbrush and fluoridated toothpaste. A total of 29.7% of the parents informed that their child never brushes teeth. A total of 41.4% of the parents visit the dental clinic when the child complains about dental problems and 54% find difficulty in locating appropriate dental clinic to deal with their ASD children. Most parents reported taking their child to a private office (38.8%). Only 3.8% of parents reported that their children had seizures during dental procedures. Conclusion: The knowledge toward oral health was found to be inadequate among the majority of the parents. Parents of ASD children need to be educated about the consequences of oral health neglect and the importance of regular check-ups.

The broad autism phenotype in real-life: clinical and functional correlates of autism spectrum symptoms and rumination among parents of patients with autism spectrum disorder.

Increasing literature reported higher rates of psychiatric disorders in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as of autistic-like features in social and cognitive functioning. However, little attention has been paid to the association between autistic traits (AT) and global functioning in this population. The aim of the present work was to investigate clinical and functional correlates of AT among parents of ASD children, with a specific focus on ruminative thinking. One hundred and twenty parents of ASD children were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), the Adult Autism Subthreshold Spectrum (AdAS Spectrum), the Ruminative Response Scale (RRS), the Social and Occupational Functioning Assessment Scale (SOFAS). Subjects with at least 1 psychiatric disorder (39.2%) showed significantly higher AdAS Spectrum and RRS scores. Subjects with a history of school difficulties and with language development alterations scored significantly higher on specific AdAS Spectrum domains. A significant negative correlation was found between SOFAS and AdAS Spectrum scores, as well as between SOFAS and RRS scores. AdAS Spectrum nonverbal communication domain score was identified has a statistically predictive variable for the presence of psychiatric disorders and lower SOFAS scores. Finally, we found a significant indirect effect of AdAS total score on SOFAS score, which was fully mediated by RRS total score. AT in parents of ASD children seem to be associated with a higher vulnerability toward psychopathology and with a lower global functioning. Ruminative thinking may play a role in the relationship between AT and functional outcome.

Socio-demographic status of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and their Parents in Dhaka city

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased dramatically in the last two decades in the whole world. ASD hampers child’s and their parent’s quality of participation in everyday life. This study examined socio-demographic status of ASD children and their parents in Dhaka city, Bangladesh.Methodology: This is a descriptive type of crosssectional study. Total 44 parents of Autistic children were interviewed, excluding 9 non respondent parents. We collected data by using self-administered questionnaires. Data was analyzed in SPSS-16.Results: Majority (52.3%) ASD children were within 11-15 years, 75% of them had 2-4 siblings and 95.5% of them had no health insurance for themselves or their parents. About parents of ASD children, majority (34.1%) were between 41-50 years old, 90.9% of the participants were mother, 90.9% were married, 79.5% parent lives in a nuclear family, 75% of them were unemployed and most (29.5%) of them are with medium education (HSC). However, male female ratio of ASD children was 2.05:1 in our study.Conclusion:The findings from this study indicated that parents of children with ASD are with medium education. They are unemployed and with no medical insurance either for themselves or for their children. Again, abetter study design is needed in future to collect gender of all selected ASD population.International Journal of Human and Health Sciences Vol. 04 No. 01 January’20 Page : 36-40

Otizm spektrum bozukluğu tanılı çocukların kardeşlerinde şimdiki ve yaşam boyu psikiyatrik bozuklukların değerlendirilmesi

Objective: Families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have both psychiatric genetic burden and are exposed to negative effects of chronicity of the illnes. In our study, we aimed to investigate the psychiatric disorders in the families of the individuals with ASD, the familial psychiatric burden and the effects on the families of having a child with OSB. Method: The case group of our study consisted of siblings (n=70) of children who were followed up with ASD diagnosis between the ages of 8-18 years and control group of siblings (n=45) of children with type 1 DM diagnosed at the pediatric endocrinology policlinic. The investigators applied the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime Version (6-18) (K-SADS PL) to assess psychiatric diagnoses in the siblings. All participants were assessed by self-reports of Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), Social Phobia Scale for Children and Adolescents, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Children (STAIC). Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Social Reciprocity Scale (SRS) were fullfilled by the parents. The disease severity of the ASD child was assessed by Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). The obtained data and scale results were evaluated statistically. Results: Siblings of ASD children had statistically higher rates of speech delay, obsessive-compulsive symptoms and social anxiety disorder (p 0.05). The rates of psychiatric admission in the mothers were higher in the case group (34%) than in the control group (14%), but this difference was not statistically significant (p> 0,05). Correlation analysis performed in case group showed positive correlation between OSB severity and behavioral problems and lifetime psychopathology. Conclusions: It has been observed that siblings and parents of ASD children have increased risk for psychiatric disorders. We think that in cases of ASD children, the treatment team needs to consider the familial burden and develop strategies for this.

PARENT-CHILD CHARACTERISTICS AND ITS CORRELATION TO PARENTAL REJECTION OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS CHILDREN

The presence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) children in the family affect the parental acceptance and rejection of a child's condition which involves a psychological response at every process. This study aims to determine the correlation between parent and children characteristics with parental rejection level of children with ASD. Cross-sectional analytic was performed in this study. The variable was categorical and numerical. The participant of this study were sixty one parents of ASD children in South Jakarta that recruited by cluster random sampling. This study used parental acceptance-rejection questionnaire which adapted from Parent Acceptance-Rejection Questionnaire (PARQ) and modified by researcher. Bivariate analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between parent gender (p=-0145; r=0,264), parent age (p=-0,104; r=0,425), parent ethnic (p=-0,123; r=0,345), parent religion (p=-0,072; r=0,345), parent occupation (p=0,138; r=0,285), parent income (p=0,010; r=0,938), amount of children (p=-0,121; r=0,353), and child gender (p=-0,088; r=0,499) with parental rejection of ASD child. In contrast, there was a significant correlation between parent education level (p=0,008; r=-0,337) and child age (p=0,020; r=-0,296) with the levels of parental rejection. In conclusion, only parents educational background and child age which affects to parental rejection of ASD child condition. This result showed that it is quite important to all nurses for giving more attention to factors that may relate to parental acceptance which can be affecting to child care. Article DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.20319/lijhls.2017.41.5464 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, PO Box 1866, Mountain View, CA 94042, USA.

Couple satisfaction and parenting stress in parents of children with ASD

IntroductionLiterature on parents’ adjustment in families with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children highlights on one hand that raising a child with ASD represent a higher stressful experience comparing to families of children with other disabilities and families of children with typical development. On the other hand, a recent systematic review on relationship satisfaction of these parents stressed the very lower levels of couple satisfaction in parents raising a child with ASD. Give that, the aim of this study is to investigate the association between relationship satisfaction and parental stress in a sample of parents of ASD children.Method70 parents were recruited (34 = M and 36 = F) to sign the following self-reports: Parenting stress index-short-form (PSI-SF), to assess stress relative to parental role, and dyadic adjustment scale (DAS), to assess couple satisfaction.ResultsThe analysis showed no differences between mothers and fathers respect to investigated variables. Negative correlations between almost all subscales of the PSI-SF and the subscales of DAS emerged. Moreover, from the regression analysis performed, it can be concluded that the values of the total score of the DAS predicts the PSI-SF total score.ConclusionsIn accordance with and building on the achievements of previous studies, these data illustrate a positive influence of couple adjustment on parental stress in parents of ASD children, supporting the hypothesis that relationship satisfaction emerge as a protective variables in the process of parental adaptation.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Emotion-Related Socialization Behaviours in Parents of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Eisenberg, Cumberland and Spinrad (1998) defined Emotion-Related Socialization Behaviours (ERSBs) as parents’ behaviours that tend to promote their children’s emotional and social abilities. They distinguish three types of ERSBs in parents: their reactions to their children’s emotions, their emotion-related conversations and their emotional expressiveness. The two present studies compare these reactions (Study 1) and conversations (Study 2) in parents of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and parents of typically developing (TD) children. Moreover, by applying several linear regression analyses by the stepwise method, they examined the extent to which such ERSBs vary according to individual characteristics in children and parents. Study 1 included 39 mothers and 31 fathers of ASD children and 39 mothers and 31 fathers of TD children. In Study 2, 29 mothers and 15 fathers of ASD children and 29 mothers and 15 fathers of TD children participated. For the two studies, children were matched for gender and global developmental age. Parents’ ERSBs, their openness to emotional processes and children’s personality were assessed by means of questionnaires. Children’s developmental age was assessed using the Differential Scales of Intellectual Efficiency. For each study, we considered mothers and fathers independently in our analyses, with a view to adapt parenting programmes for each parent if necessary. Results revealed that there are few differences between the two groups of parents in their ERSBs. Regression analyses showed that the variance in ERSBs in parents of ASD children was explained partially by their openness to emotional processes and by their children’s personality. Our results suggest that, although parents of ASD children are good “socializers of emotions”, intervention programs should take account of the fact that their ERSBs vary according to their own emotional abilities and their children’s personality. These studies emphasize the importance of identifying which individual characteristics are protective or risk factors for parent’s behaviours.

Knowledge, attitude and practice towards oral health care among parents of autism spectrum disorder children

Background: Parents, usually, are the primary decision makers on matters aff ecting their child’s overall health including oral health. Owing to the lack of cooperation, cooccurring disorders and its fi nancial burden on parents, oral health is often neglected in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice toward oral health care among parents of ASD children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at an Autistic school for children, in North Bengaluru. The data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which was distributed to 60 parents. Oral examination of the children was done to record gingival status using dichotomous scale and dentition status was recorded using decayed missing fi lled teeth (DMFT)/dmft indices. Descriptive analysis was performed. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Science Version 19.0 (IBM Corp. Released 2010. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 19.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp.). Results: About 76.9% of the parents had the knowledge that oral health aff ects the overall health of the child. 40.4% thought that they should consult a pediatric dentist when the child had dental problems. 71.2% parents felt the importance of maintaining primary teeth. However 61.5% did not want any treatment for decay in primary teeth. 82.7% parents brushed their child’s teeth once daily. 94.2% of the parents used conventional toothbrushes for their children. Attitudes and practice of parents seemed to be governed by fi nancial restraints, and preconceived notions regarding co-operation of their child. Conclusion: The knowledge toward oral health was noted to be inadequate among majority of the parents. Furthermore, parents whose knowledge was adequate had not incorporated healthy daily practices. Parents of ASD children need to be educated about consequences of oral health neglect and importance of regular check-ups. Education of parents, access to dental care and aff ordability of oral health care services for this special group are critical factors for achieving optimal oral health in these patients.

Communication difficulties perceived by parents of children with developmental disorders.

The child's inclusion in his/her social-cultural context is very important to his/her adaptation and well-being. The family has a major role as a facilitator of this process. Therefore the difficulties of these families in communicating with children with communication disorders are an important issue to be assessed in order to support orientations to families. The present study aimed to identify and compare communication difficulties perceived by parents of children with Down Syndrome (DS), Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and Specific Language Impairment (SLI). Information was gathered with the use of a questionnaire with 24 questions regarding the perception of parents about their child communication disorders and the difficulties they identify. The questions were divided into four domains: 1 - Parents' personal difficulties; 2 - Parents' impression about themselves regarding their child; 3 - Parents' impressions about other persons' reactions to their child and 4 - Parents' impression about their child. Sixty parents were the subjects of this study: 20 had children with DS, 20 with SLI and 20 with ASD. All children had ages between 6 and 12 years. It was possible to observe that there was significant difference between the parents of ASD children with those of DS and SLI on the second, third and fourth domains. The questionnaire is effective to the identification of the communication disorders of ASD children based on their parents' reports but not to other developmental disorders.

EPA-1121 – Patterns of object play in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and in typical development (TD). a case study

Several types of play seem to be impaired in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that set limits to development. Detailed observation of interactive play can give insights into how parents of ASD children adapt to the special needs of the child, and how the child is using the parent as a resource. The aim of our study was to explore intaraction patterns emerging in child-mother and child-sibling dyads while playing with objects, including two families, each with an ASD diagnosed kindergarten-aged child. We also included in the design two families with age-matched typically developing children, for sake of comparison. In the analysis we focused on the role of the mother and the sibling in shaping the interaction. The semi-structured play situations in the homes of the families were recorded for later analysis by Noldus Observer XT 8.0 software. Mothers of the ASD children were prone to intervene in the play and direct it, whereas mothers of the TD-children tended to let the child mobilize his imagination and allowed him to play his own way. This could also be observed in the child-sibling dyads, with a more flexible, open-ended play in typical development. Individual needs of the ASD-child influenced the mothers’ behavior, but the, teaching attitude’ they tended to adopt also restricted the activity of the children. This observation raises the importance of understanding interactions from the mother's and sibling's point of view, and the necessity of diversified methods during therapeutic intervention.

Internalization of stigma for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder in Hong Kong

An attribution model was tested to explain the internalization of stigma among parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In the model, the internalization paths from courtesy stigma to affiliate stigma and the impact of three types of social support on affiliate stigma and psychological well-being were examined. The study was conducted in Hong Kong, China; one hundred and eighty-eight parents of children with ASD were recruited to complete the questionnaire. The model showed excellent fit to the data. Path analysis suggested three possible paths of internalizing courtesy stigma, including the direct path to affiliate stigma, through perceived controllability, or through perceived responsibility and self-blame. Support from family, significant others, friends, or professionals was found to be related to affiliate stigma and psychological well-being differentially. The internalization of stigma among parents of ASD children was severe. The path model sheds light on possible ways to reduce stigma in future services.