Search

The stressors autistic individuals encounter and experience as traumatic may vary from non-autistics. We conducted a qualitative study to identify potential sources of trauma for autistic individuals and evaluate correspondence with a standard measure. We enrolled autistic adults (N = 14) and caregivers (N = 15) with varied adversities, levels of functioning, and socio-demographics. Participants completed standard measures of autism, traumatic exposures and stress, and qualitative interviews, which were submitted to thematic analysis. A wide range of experiences were described as traumatic. Whereas some reflected traditional traumas (e.g. maltreatment) and forms of social marginalization, others reflected conflicts between autistic characteristics and the environment (e.g. sensory trauma). All adults and caregivers described sources of trauma in interviews not captured by standardized measures. Varied stressful experiences, many not detected by a standardized measure, may have a traumatic effect on autistic individuals. Whereas some reflect commonly recognized trauma sources, others may reflect particular vulnerabilities for autistic individuals. Results have implications for assessing traumatic events and understanding their contribution to mental health inequities in the autistic population. The stressors autistic individuals encounter and experience as traumatic may vary from those not on the spectrum and typically measured. We conducted in-depth interviews with autistic adults and caregivers of children and adults on the spectrum to identify potential sources of trauma for autistic individuals and evaluate the ability of a standard trauma measure to capture those experiences. Fourteen autistic adults and 15 caregivers with varied backgrounds, clinical profiles, and histories of adversity were interviewed. Participants also completed standard measures of autism, traumatic exposures, and stress. Interviews were analyzed to record both traditional sources of trauma, for comparison with the standard measure, and distinct sources, described as traumatic only in the narratives of participants. Participants described varied experiences as traumatic. Whereas some reflected traditional traumas (e.g. maltreatment) and forms of social marginalization, others reflected conflicts between autistic characteristics and the environment (e.g. sensory trauma). All adults and most caregivers described sources of trauma in interviews not reported on the standard measure. Results have implications for assessing traumatic events in autism and for understanding their contribution to the mental health of this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a cross-sectional survey of 673 multidisciplinary autism spectrum disorder providers recruited from five different sites in the United States, we examined the frequency with which community-based providers inquire about, screen, and treat trauma-related symptoms in their patients/students and assessed their perceptions regarding the need for and barriers to providing these services. Univariate and bivariate frequencies of self-reported trauma service provision, training needs, and barriers were estimated. Multivariable logistic regressions identified provider and patient-related factors associated with trauma-related symptoms screening and treatment. Over 50% of providers reported some screening and treatment of trauma-related symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder. Over 70% informally inquired about trauma-related symptoms; only 10% universally screened. Screening and treatment varied by provider discipline, setting, amount of interaction, and years of experience with autism spectrum disorder, as well as by patient/student sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Most providers agreed that trauma screening is a needed service impeded by inadequate provider training in trauma identification and treatment. The findings indicate that community providers in the United States of varied disciplines are assessing and treating trauma-related symptoms in youth with autism spectrum disorder, and that evidence-based approaches are needed to inform and maximize these efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many autistic children experience changes in core symptom severity across middle childhood, when co-occurring mental health conditions emerge. We evaluated this relationship in 75 autistic children from 6 to 11 years old. Autism symptom severity change was evaluated for total autism symptoms using the autism diagnostic observation schedule calibrated severity score, as well as social-communication symptoms calibrated severity score, and restricted/repetitive behaviors calibrated severity score. Children were grouped based on their symptom severity change patterns. Mental health symptoms (attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, disruptive behavior problems) were assessed via parental interview and questionnaire and compared across the groups. Co-occurring mental health symptoms were more strongly associated with change in social-communication symptom or restricted/repetitive behavior severity than with total autism symptom severity. Two relevant groups were identified. The social-communication symptom-increasing-severity-group (21.3%) had elevated and increasing levels of anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and disruptive behavior problems compared with children with stable social-communication symptom severity. The restricted/repetitive behavior-decreasing-severity-group (22.7%) had elevated and increasing levels of anxiety; 94% of these children met criteria for an anxiety disorder. Autism symptom severity change during middle childhood is associated with co-occurring mental health symptoms. Children that increase in social-communication symptom severity are also likely to demonstrate greater psychopathology, while decreases in restricted/repetitive behavior severity are associated with higher levels of anxiety. For many autistic children, the severity of their autism symptoms changes during middle childhood. We studied whether these changes are associated with the emergence of other mental health challenges such as anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Children who had increased social-communication challenges had more anxiety and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms and disruptive behavior problems than other children. Children who decreased their restricted and repetitive behaviors, on the contrary, had more anxiety. We discuss why these changes in autism symptoms may lead to increases in other mental health concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autistic children experience high rates of anxiety. Insistence on sameness behaviour (IS) is a core feature of autism that appears correlated with anxiety severity. The objective of this study was to examine the longitudinal relations between anxiety and IS in autistic children using a developmental cascade model. A longitudinal cohort of 421 autistic children was followed between 4 and 11 years of age. Anxiety was quantified using items from the Anxiety Problems subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist; sameness behaviours were measured using the Repetitive Behavior Scale-Revised, Ritualistic/sameness subscale (both parent-report measures). Structural equation modelling was used to examine the longitudinal and directional associations between anxiety and IS at four time-points, through cross-lagged panel models (CLPM) with and without a random-intercepts component (RI-CLPM). Both the CLPM and the RI-CLPM had good fit. Significant directional associations were detected whereby elevated or increasing IS preceded elevated or increasing anxiety symptoms 1–2 years later, respectively. Stable baseline tendencies towards anxiety and IS as between-person traits (intercepts) were strongly associated (standardized estimate = 0.69, p < 0.001). The magnitude of the cross-sectional associations between anxiety and IS appeared to lessen with age. IS and anxiety symptoms in autism are closely related. They appear to be shared traits that mirror each other particularly in younger children. Increasing IS may be a sign of emerging future anxiety. Interventions that target IS to reduce or prevent anxiety amongst school-aged autistic children merit further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Heterogeneity in adaptive behavior abilities among people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is expressed not only as uneven levels of impairment across domains, but also in the developmental trajectories of adaptive skills. We studied the question of whether, after accounting for global adaptive behavior development, we find evidence of heterogeneity in the trajectories of specific domains of adaptive behavior. Methods: A sample of 504 children with ASD was obtained by combining data from two independent natural history studies conducted in North America. We used a factor of curves model to explain growth between 36 and 138 months in Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, Second Edition (VABS) age equivalents as a function of domain‐specific and global growth processes. Results: The domain‐specific trajectories in all three domains (Communication, Daily Living Skills, and Socialization) reflected impairment relative to age expectations as well as slower‐than‐expected growth with age, and the parameters of these trajectories were moderately‐to‐strongly correlated across domains. The global adaptive behavior trajectory had an initial (36–41 months of age) developmental level of about 22 age‐equivalent months, and eventually slowed after initially increasing by about 6 months each year. The global trajectory accounted for the majority of variance in the domain‐level processes; however, additional variance remained (14%–38%) in the domain‐level intercepts, slopes, and quadratic processes. Conclusions: These results extend existing theoretical and empirical support for the hierarchical structure of adaptive behavior to include its development over time in clinical samples of children with ASD. A latent global trajectory may be sufficient to describe the growth of adaptive behavior in children with ASD; however, the remaining domain‐specific variability after accounting for global adaptive behavior development allows for the possibility that differential effects of intervention on specific domains may be possible and detectable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many caregivers of autistic people experience mental health issues, and the impact of disruptions due to COVID-19 may present additional challenges for these individuals. This study characterized caregiver stress, anxiety, and resilient coping during COVID-19 and investigated the impact of COVID-19 disruptions, demographic variables, and resilient coping on mental health. The majority of caregivers reported some degree of disruption associated with COVID-19, and more than half reported moderate levels of stress and high anxiety. Resilient coping did not emerge as a moderator between COVID-19 disruptions and caregiver mental health, but instead had a direct effect on outcomes. Future research is needed to understand additional factors impacting the mental health of caregivers of autistic people during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Executive functioning (EF) varies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is associated with clinical symptoms, academic, and adaptive functioning. Here, we examined whether middle‐childhood EF mediates associations between early‐childhood autism symptoms and adolescent outcomes in children with ASD. Methods: The Pathways in ASD Cohort comprising children recruited at the time of ASD diagnosis (at 2–4 years‐of‐age) and followed prospectively across eight subsequent timepoints over ~10 years was used. A subset of Pathways participants (n = 250) with Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)‐Parent Form data from at least one timepoint when participants were school‐aged was analyzed. A mediation framework was used to examine whether BRIEF‐measured EF across age 7–10 years (middle‐childhood) mediated associations between early‐childhood autism symptoms (measured using the parent‐report Social Responsiveness Scale across age 2–6 years) and clinical, academic, and functional outcomes, indexed at age >10–11.8 years (early‐adolescence) using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)‐Internalizing and Externalizing Scales, Academic Performance from the Teacher's Report Form, and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Models were rerun substituting clinician‐rated and teacher‐rated measures, where possible. Results: Mediation models indicated a significant indirect effect of middle‐childhood EF on associations between early‐childhood autism symptoms and externalizing behavior, academic performance, or adaptive functioning in early adolescence; kappa squared (κ2) effect sizes ranged from large to small. Model findings were stable across raters. Middle‐childhood EF did not mediate associations between early‐childhood autism symptoms and adolescent internalizing behavior. Conclusions: Among children with an ASD diagnosis, middle‐childhood EF may be one pathway through which early‐childhood autism symptoms influence a variety of outcomes in early‐adolescence. An experimental study targeting middle‐childhood EF to improve adolescent academic, emotional/behavioral, and adaptive functioning is needed to evaluate the clinical meaningfulness of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the trajectories of autistic symptom severity in an inception cohort of 187 children with ASD assessed across four time points from diagnosis to age 10. Trajectory groups were derived using multivariate cluster analysis. A two trajectory/cluster solution was selected. Change in trajectory slopes revealed a turning point marked by plateauing in symptom reduction during the period of transition to school (age 6) for one of the two trajectories. Trajectories were labelled: Continuously Improving (27%) and Improving then Plateauing (73% of sample). Children in the two trajectories differed in levels of symptom severity, language, cognitive, and adaptive functioning skills. Study findings can inform the development of more personalized services for children with ASD transitioning into the school system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated rates of suicidal ideation (SI) and suicidal and/or self-injurious behaviour (SSIB) reported by parents on the Child Behavior Checklist for 178 children with ASD over four annual assessments (ages 7–11 years). Analyses examined the frequency and persistence of SI and SSIB, and the association of SI and SSIB at any time point with child characteristics and internalizing and externalizing problems at age 7. SI occurred in 9.6% of children and was associated with fewer ASD symptoms and better adaptive functioning at age 7. SSIB occurred in 14.6% and was associated with poorer adaptive functioning and more externalizing behaviour at age 7. Internalizing problems were not associated with SI or SSIB at any time point. SI and SSIB rarely co-occurred (4%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]