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Over the last several decades there has been increasing recognition that symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) vary along a continuum from absent to present and mild to severe. Relatives of those with autism may present with subclinical traits that do not meet diagnostic thresholds, but may nevertheless reflect challenges like those of people diagnosed with ASD. The Broad Autism Phenotype (BAP) reflects a dimensional approach to ASD that includes characteristics of the ‘milder but qualitatively similar’ (Hurley et al, 2007) presentation that is often seen in family members of those with ASD (Happé & Frith, 2020; Robinson, Koenen et al., 2011) as well as the general population (Constantino & Todd, 2003). Understanding the characteristics of this subclinical group may be important for research and clinical contexts, including identifying affected individuals and selecting interventions that may be helpful for functional impairments. As such, accurate measurement of the BAP is critical. Various questionnaires have been used for assessing the BAP; however, the Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ; Hurley et al., 2007) is one of the most widely used (Beaver, 2018). Despite its wide use, the limited existing psychometric research on the BAPQ is mixed. Some research suggests problems with its internal structure and construct validity, particularly with its Pragmatic Language subscale (e.g., Godoy-Gimenez et al., 2018; Sasson et al., 2013a). This study examines the factor structure and construct validity of the BAPQ in a sample of 899 Canadian undergraduate students who participated for course credit. Participants completed a series of online measures assessing the BAP, pragmatic language difficulties, executive functioning, and personality. Confirmatory factor analytic methods were used to examine its internal structure. Validity evidences based on relationships between BAPQ scores and other variables were examined. Four out of five fit indices examined suggeste

As many as 20% of adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) display challenging behaviours such as self-injury or aggression, which may negatively impact quality-of-life, learning, employment, and social integration (Bowring et al., 2019; Emerson et al., 2001; Sheehan & Hassiotis, 2017). Without adequate intervention, disruptive challenging behaviours may lead to a behavioural crisis (McCombe et al., 2022; Weiss et al., 2009). A behavioural crisis occurs when an individual with ID engages in aggressive behaviour that results in imminent and significant threats to safety (their own, or safety of others) (McCombe et al., 2022; Rubin et al., 2007). In the context of behavioural crises, behavioural stabilization services can provide assistance through behavioural consultation and assessment to create a path for successful community integration (Rubin et al., 2007; Wieseler et al., 2002). Previous literature is lacking in guidance on the best way to structure a behaviour stabilization service (McCombe et al., 2022). A logic model framework to evaluate a behaviour stabilization program provides a consistent and systematic way to understand program components and compare programs. Prior evaluations of behaviour stabilization programs that performed outreach and capacity building did not use a logic model framework and lacked social validity information from multiple perspectives. The purposes of this research were to comprehensively evaluate St.Amant's Community Stabilization Service (CSS) through the use and co-construction of a logic model and social validity measures, to identify the strengths and weaknesses of CSS at St.Amant, and provide a list of recommendations to strengthen the program and improve service. Two studies were conducted that used anonymized retrospective data and prospective data. Retrospective data from CSS and two outside organizations were collected and analyzed from April 1, 2017-March 31, 2021, to characterize the program’s inputs, activities, ou

Stimulus preference assessments are important procedures for identifying preferences with people diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and/or autism who are nonverbal. Research has shown that video modeling plus instruction was effective in teaching mediators to conduct preference assessment. The purpose of this study was to compare two ways to embed instructions into video modeling, namely, on-screen caption and voice-over instructions. Sixteen undergraduate university students participated. Participants were randomly assigned to view videos to teach paired-stimulus procedure with either on-screen or voice-over instructions and videos to teach multiple-stimulus-without-replacement procedure with either on-screen or voice-over instructions. All sessions were conducted online without in-person contact due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants’ performance was measured during baseline, at post-training, and at a one-week follow-up. During each phase, participants were shown a video of the experimenter conducting a preference assessment with a confederate, with procedural errors deliberately built into the videos, and participants were asked to identify as many procedural errors as possible. Analysis of variance at post-training showed that the difference between the on-screen and voice-over instruction groups was not statistically significant. Analysis of covariance was also not statistically significant when baseline performance was controlled. However, there was a statistically significant gain in performance between baseline and post-training, and between baseline and follow-up in both voice-over groups and on-screen groups. In a post-study feedback survey, participants felt that the goal of the study was important and felt that the videos were easy to follow but overestimated the effectiveness of the videos. Factors influencing the effectiveness of the intervention in the present study are discussed.

Background: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience elevated stress and poor mental health compared to parents of neurotypical children and children with other neurodevelopmental disabilities. Yet, these parents access mental health services at low rates, and information on barriers and facilitators to mental health service use is scarce. This study examined facilitators and barriers for accessing mental health support for parents of children with ASD in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Method: Two separate but related studies were conducted. Data were collected through 1) an online survey (N = 44) to quantify descriptive characteristics of those accessing and not accessing services, and 2) individual interviews (N = 10) with parents on mental health service use experiences. Results: Quantitative results indicated the majority of parents had accessed mental health services (N = 32), with the most common facilitator the belief that they needed them. For parents who did not access (N = 12) the most frequently reported barrier was having no time/energy. Parents, ‘on average’, reported clinically significant levels of parenting stress. Qualitative results generated themes related to barriers (lack of time, services, cost, flexibility, stigma, negative social influence) and facilitators (information gathering, advertisements, self-realization, accessibility, positive social influences). Impact: This study aimed to advance empirical knowledge on mental health service use in parents of children diagnosed with ASD. The results can inform targeted interventions and program development at organizations supporting families of children with ASD, having indirect implications for lower parental stress and improved child outcomes.

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) are at an increased risk to experiencing limited social network size, dependency on paid support staff and family members, as well as behavioural deficits and excesses that serve as barriers to social inclusion (Bigby & Knox, 2009). Research has identified staff behaviours that facilitate and maintain social inclusion in the lives of individuals with IDDs, but few studies have analyzed repeated observation of actual staff behaviours shortly after support was provided. The purpose of this research was to learn from staff what they do to support social interactions by analyzing repeated self-observations of staff behaviour when supporting clients towards social inclusion. This study analyzed anonymized service data where 136 staff indicated whether they prompted, reinforced, or provided other support during social interactions of 58 clients. Data was obtained from St.Amant, a community-based service provider, and was analyzed descriptively and qualitatively to determine the prevalence, frequency, and types of various staff and client behaviours. Staff reported providing three main types of prompts in 23% of records, six main types of support in 25% of records, and three main types of reinforcement in 9% of records. Staff described clients responding to promote social connection in 74% of records. This study furthered our knowledge of the role of staff when promoting social inclusion of individuals they support by analyzing repeated self-observations made by staff to determine relevant frequencies of staff behaviour, the specific kinds of supportive behaviours performed, as well as the types of relevant behaviours clients engage in to promote social connection.

Teaching skills to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an effective way to promote independence and enhance quality of life. Persons with ASD may have less access to existing community programs and are at higher risk of injury. The acquisition of pedestrian safety skills assists in removing barriers associated with travel and can also help foster safety. Virtual Reality (VR) combined with evidence-based techniques such as Behaviour Skills Training (BST) offers unique advantages to expand an individual’s repertoire of abilities. This study evaluated the effectiveness of using VR combined with BST to teach pedestrian safety skills to individuals with ASD, facilitated by remotely trained parents. Two individuals with ASD were recruited and taught pedestrian safety skills using components of BST; instructions, rehearsal, and feedback. This was accomplished through the safety of simulated Virtual Environments (VE) where participants were taught specific street-safety discriminations by a designated parent according to a task analysis. An AB design was used for participant 1, and a multiple baseline design across settings was used for participant 2. Results across both participants and across settings for participant 2 showed an immediate improvement in the proportion of task components performed correctly during intervention compared to baseline. Data from participant 2 provides supporting evidence that a BST intervention is effective at teaching pedestrian safety skills to individuals with ASD in a VE.

The use of sound to enhance both the learning and performance of motor skills has recently gained interest in rehabilitation and sports contexts. While the benefits of auditory information for motor learning have been explored, studies have commonly implemented auditory cues or auditory feedback only, and the effects may be task specific. For example, sequence learning in the Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT) is enhanced when auditory feedback is provided in the form of congruent tones, yet it is unknown if auditory cues facilitate motor sequence learning with the same processes, or to the same extent as auditory feedback. In the present experiment, 53 neurotypical adults (18-35years; 32 cis-females; 21 cis-males) were randomly assigned to three different groups in which they practiced a visual SRTT: Group 1 was supplemented with auditory cues; group 2 received auditory feedback; and group 3 performed without sound (control). Retention and transfer tests (i.e., the same sequence in the other two sensory conditions), and an explicit awareness test, were conducted 48 hours after the practice session. Changes in Total Sequence Time (TST), Constant Error (CE) and Variable Error (VE), and acquired knowledge of the 10-item sequence order quantified sequence learning and were assessed using a two-way mixed analysis of variance. A significant main effect of time was found, where performance improved during acquisition and was retained short-term. A group by block interaction indicated that learning was sequence-specific and only the auditory cue group maintained performance improvements when the sequence was perturbed. CE and VE outcomes showed that movement amplitude was generally undershot, while target midpoints in the X axis were overshot. On day 2, all groups performed better in the no sound transfer condition compared to the cueing transfer condition, indicating that participants were able to maintain performance when sound was removed. The explicit awareness test reve