| 41. |
- Hatfield, Megan, et al.
(författare)
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Factors related to successful transition planning for adolescents on the autism spectrum
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1471-3802. ; 18:1, s. 3-14
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adolescents on the autism spectrum often have difficulties with the transition from high school to post-school activities. Despite this, little is known about the transition planning processes for this group. This study explored predisposing, reinforcing and enabling factors related to the transition planning processes for adolescents on the autism spectrum in Australia. The PRECEDE model guided a needs assessment, in which descriptive data about transition planning processes were collected via an online questionnaire from adolescents on the autism spectrum, their parents and professionals (N = 162). Predisposing factors included: an individualised and strengths-focused approach, and adolescent motivation, anxiety and insight. Reinforcing factors included: support and guidance, skill development and real-life experiences. Enabling factors were: having a clear plan with a coordinated approach, scheduled meetings and clear formal documentation. Whilst some factors aligned with recommendations for transition planning for adolescents with disabilities in general, there were some autism-specific factors. For example: anxiety, motivation and insight were important predisposing factors, and providing choice and flexibility was an enabling factor.
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| 42. |
- Hatfield, Megan, et al.
(författare)
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"Leaps of faith" : Parents' and professionals' viewpoints on preparing adolescents on the autism spectrum for leaving school
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1471-3802. ; 17:3, s. 187-197
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adolescents on the autism spectrum experience difficulty transitioning from secondary school to post-school activities, often due to transition planning processes that do not meet their unique needs. This study identified parents' and professionals' viewpoints on transition planning for adolescents on the autism spectrum. Interviews were completed with nine parents of adolescents on the autism spectrum and four professionals who worked with adolescents on the autism spectrum. A constant comparison approach was used to analyse the transcripts. Four themes were identified, reflecting parents' and professionals' viewpoints on how to meet the transition planning needs of adolescents on the autism spectrum. Supporting adolescents to grasp the big picture can enhance motivation to participate in transition planning. Autism can be an ‘invisible disability’; therefore, encouraging adolescents to be active participants and to be seen in transition planning ensures their individual needs are met. Encouraging adolescents to have high aspirationsin transition planning develops their self-determination. Finally, to be prepared for the transition from school may reduce the adolescent's' anxiety. Adolescents on the autism spectrum face unique challenges in transition planning. The themes identified in this study provide insight into how parents and professionals might support adolescents with these challenges.
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| 43. |
- Hatfield, Megan, et al.
(författare)
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Leaps of faith
- 2017
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Ingår i: Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs. - : WILEY. - 1471-3802. ; 17:3, s. 187-197
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Adolescents on the autism spectrum experience difficulty transitioning from secondary school to post-school activities, often due to transition planning processes that do not meet their unique needs. This study identified parents and professionals viewpoints on transition planning for adolescents on the autism spectrum. Interviews were completed with nine parents of adolescents on the autism spectrum and four professionals who worked with adolescents on the autism spectrum. A constant comparison approach was used to analyse the transcripts. Four themes were identified, reflecting parents and professionals viewpoints on how to meet the transition planning needs of adolescents on the autism spectrum. Supporting adolescents to grasp the big picture can enhance motivation to participate in transition planning. Autism can be an invisible disability; therefore, encouraging adolescents to be active participants and to be seen in transition planning ensures their individual needs are met. Encouraging adolescents to have high aspirations in transition planning develops their self-determination. Finally, to be prepared for the transition from school may reduce the adolescents anxiety. Adolescents on the autism spectrum face unique challenges in transition planning. The themes identified in this study provide insight into how parents and professionals might support adolescents with these challenges.
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| 44. |
- Hatfield, Megan, et al.
(författare)
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Pilot of the BOOST-A™ : An online transition planning program for adolescents with autism
- 2017
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Ingår i: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0045-0766 .- 1440-1630. ; 64:6, s. 448-456
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Many adolescents with autism face difficulties with the transition from high school into post-school activities. The Better OutcOmes & Successful Transitions for Autism (BOOST-A™) is an online transition planning program which supports adolescents on the autism spectrum to prepare for leaving school. This study describes the development of the BOOST-A™ and aimed to determine the feasibility and viability of the program.Methods: Two pilot studies were conducted. In Pilot A, the BOOST-A™ was trialled by six adolescents on the autism spectrum, their parents, and the professionals who worked with them, to determine its feasibility. In Pilot B, 88 allied health professionals (occupational therapists, speech pathologists, and psychologists) reviewed the BOOST-A™ to determine its viability.Results: Participants rated the BOOST-A™ as a feasible tool for transition planning. The majority of allied health professionals agreed that it was a viable program. Based on participant feedback, the BOOST-A™ was modified to improve usability and feasibility.Conclusion: The BOOST-A™ is a viable and feasible program that has the potential to assist adolescents with autism in preparing for transitioning out of high school. Future research will determine the effectiveness of the BOOST-A™ with adolescents across Australia.
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| 45. |
- Hatfield, Megan, et al.
(författare)
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Process Evaluation of the BOOST-A (TM) Transition Planning Program for Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: A Strengths-Based Approach
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of autism and developmental disorders. - : SPRINGER/PLENUM PUBLISHERS. - 0162-3257 .- 1573-3432. ; 48:2, s. 377-388
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A process evaluation was conducted to determine the effectiveness, usability, and barriers and facilitators related to the Better OutcOmes amp; Successful Transitions for Autism (BOOST-A (TM)), an online transition planning program. Adolescents on the autism spectrum (n = 33) and their parents (n = 39) provided feedback via an online questionnaire. Of these, 13 participants were interviewed to gain in-depth information about their experiences. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: (i) taking action to overcome inertia, (ii) new insights that led to clear plans for the future, (iii) adolescent empowerment through strengths focus, and (iv) having a champion to guide the way. The process evaluation revealed why BOOST-A (TM) was beneficial to some participants more than others. Trial registration #ACTRN12615000119594.
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| 46. |
- Horlin, Chiara, et al.
(författare)
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Proficiency of individuals with autism spectrum disorder at disembedding figures: A systematic review
- 2016
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Ingår i: Developmental Neurorehabilitation. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1751-8423 .- 1751-8431. ; 19:1, s. 54-63
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: This systematic review examines the proficiency and visual search strategies of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) while disembedding figures and whether they differ from typical controls and other comparative samples.Methods: Five databases, including Proquest, Psychinfo, Medline, CINAHL and Science Direct were used to identify published studies meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria.Results: Twenty articles were included in the review, the majority of which matched participants by mental age. Outcomes discussed were time taken to identify targets, the number correctly identified, and fixation frequency and duration.Conclusions: Individuals with ASD perform at the same speed or faster than controls and other clinical samples. However, there appear to be no differences between individuals with ASD and controls for number of correctly identified targets. Only one study examined visual search strategies and suggests that individuals with ASD exhibit shorter first and final fixations to targets compared with controls.
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| 47. |
- Horlin, Chiara, et al.
(författare)
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The cost of autism spectrum disorders
- 2014
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science (PLoS). - 1932-6203. ; 9:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- ObjectiveA diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorders is usually associated with substantial lifetime costs to an individual, their family and the community. However, there remains an elusive factor in any cost-benefit analysis of ASD diagnosis, namely the cost of not obtaining a diagnosis. Given the infeasibility of estimating the costs of a population that, by its nature, is inaccessible, the current study compares expenses between families whose children received a formal ASD diagnosis immediately upon suspecting developmental atypicality and seeking advice, with families that experienced a delay between first suspicion and formal diagnosis.DesignA register based questionnaire study covering all families with a child with ASD in Western Australia.ParticipantsFamilies with one or more children diagnosed with an ASD, totalling 521 children diagnosed with an ASD; 317 records were able to be included in the final analysis.ResultsThe median family cost of ASD was estimated to be AUD $34,900 per annum with almost 90% of the sum ($29,200) due to loss of income from employment. For each additional symptom reported, approximately $1,400 cost for the family per annum was added. While there was little direct influence on costs associated with a delay in the diagnosis, the delay was associated with a modest increase in the number of ASD symptoms, indirectly impacting the cost of ASD.ConclusionsA delay in diagnosis was associated with an indirect increased financial burden to families. Early and appropriate access to early intervention is known to improve a child's long-term outcomes and reduce lifetime costs to the individual, family and society. Consequently, a per symptom dollar value may assist in allocation of individualised funding amounts for interventions rather than a nominal amount allocated to all children below a certain age, regardless of symptom presentation, as is the case in Western Australia.
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| 48. |
- Horlin, Chiara, et al.
(författare)
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The influence of static versus naturalistic stimuli on face processing in children with and without Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism
- 2013
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Ingår i: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. - : Elsevier. - 1750-9467 .- 1878-0237. ; 7:12, s. 1617-1624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Questions regarding the use of static or dynamic facial stimuli in experimental studies investigating facial processing of individuals with AS/HFA raises issues of both ecological validity and the applicability of experimental findings to clinical or everyday practice. Children with and without AS/HFA (n = 38) were fitted with a head-mounted eye-tracker and exposed to either static or interactive dynamic facial stimuli. Average fixation duration, the proportion of fixations in areas of interest and a comparative index that was independent of differences in presentation length between stimuli types were calculated. Visual scanning patterns of individuals with AS/HFA were not affected by stimuli type. However, control participants exhibited different scanning patterns between dynamic and static stimuli for certain regions of the face. Visual scanning patterns in children with AS/HFA are consistent regardless of the stimuli being a static photo or dynamic in the form of a real face. Hence, information from experimental studies with static photos of faces provide information that is valid and can be generalised to "real world" interactions.
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| 49. |
- Horlin, C., et al.
(författare)
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Visual search strategies of children with and without autism spectrum disorders during an embedded figures task
- 2014
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Ingår i: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. - : Elsevier. - 1750-9467 .- 1878-0237. ; 8:5, s. 463-471
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Individuals with ASD often demonstrate superior performance on embedded figures tasks (EFTs). We investigated visual scanning behaviour in children with ASD during an EFT in an attempt replicating a previous study examining differences in visual search behaviour. Twenty-three children with, and 31 children without an ASD were shown 16 items from the Figure-Ground subtest of the TVPS-3 while wearing an eye tracker. Children with ASD exhibited fewer fixations, and less time per fixation, on the target figure. Accuracy was similar between the two groups. There were no other noteworthy differences between children with and without ASD. Differences in visual scanning patterns in the presence of typical behavioural performance suggest that any purported differences in processing style may not be detrimental to cognitive performance and further refinement of the current methodology may lead to support for a purported advantageous cognitive style. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.
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| 50. |
- Jacob, Andrew, et al.
(författare)
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The Costs and Benefits of Employing an Adult with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review
- 2015
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 10:10, s. e0139896-
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Despite an ambition from adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to be employed, there are limited opportunities for competitive employment for this group. Employment is not only an entitlement enjoyed by others in society, but employing adults with ASD also has economic benefits by decreasing lost productivity and resource costs for this group. Few studies have explored the cost-benefit ratio for employing adults with ASD and even fewer have taken the viewpoint of the employer, particularly applying this situation to ASD. Until such study occurs, employers may continue to be reluctant to employ adults from this group. Objective This review aimed to examine the costs, benefits and the cost-benefit ratio of employing adults with ASD, from a societal perspective and from the perspective of employers. Methods Eight databases were searched for scientific studies within defined inclusion criteria. These databases included CINAHL Plus, Cochrane Library, Emerald, Ovid Medline, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. Results and Conclusion Enhancing the opportunities for adults with ASD to join the workforce is beneficial from a societal perspective, not only from an inclusiveness viewpoint, but also from a strict economic standpoint. Providing supported employment services for adults with ASD does not only cut the cost compared with providing standard care, it also results in better outcomes for adults with ASD. Despite the fact that ASD was the most expensive group to provide vocational rehabilitation services for, adults with ASD have a strong chance of becoming employed once appropriate measures are in place. Hence, rehabilitation services could be considered as a worthwhile investment. The current systematic review uncovered the fact that very few studies have examined the benefits, the costs and the cost-benefit ratio of employing an adult with ASD from the perspective of employers indicating a need for this topic to be further explored.
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