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Mathematics learning is illustrated as a developmental progression in the direction of concrete-to-abstract by educational theorists. Various studies rooted in this notion were conducted in the past. This study aimed to profile the landscape of research rooted in this notion which was published from 1968 to 2021. The bibliographic data of 425 related publications were retrieved from the Scopus database for bibliometric analysis. Descriptive analysis and regression analysis were performed to profile the publication trend. Then, author bibliographic coupling analysis was carried out to identify the domains of research related to mathematics learning from concrete to abstract. The findings show an increasing trend of publication following the exponential model. The research was clustered into five research domains: (i) 'manipulatives and arithmetic learning'; (ii) 'mathematics learning of students with learning disabilities'; (iii) 'Concrete-Representational-Abstract sequence in elementary mathematics teaching'; (iv) 'Ideal mathematics teaching'; and (v) 'mathematics problem-solving and mathematics learning of students with autism spectrum disorder'. The two emergent research domains in this research area are (i) 'mathematics learning of students with learning disabilities'; and (ii) 'mathematics problem-solving and mathematics learning of students with autism spectrum disorder', which have the highest proportion of publications since 2015. The findings of this study can help researchers to understand the current landscape of research with the notion of mathematics learning from concrete to abstract, and hence propose pathways for future research.

Although the impact of peer-mediated interventions on students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) has been studied extensively, little attention has focused on the peers without disabilities who are so central to these interventions. We reviewed 98 studies to examine the portrait of more than 3,000 peers without disabilities who have participated in peer-mediated interventions involving middle and high school students with IDD. Peer and student demographics were very diverse, as were the methods for peer recruitment and selection, the interventions they delivered, the settings in which they spent time with students with IDD, and the ways in which they were prepared for these roles. However, reporting in these areas was limited across studies. We offer recommendations for strengthening research and practice focused on the contributions of peers within these evidence-based interventions.

Paraprofessionals are critical members of instructional teams for students with autism; however, little is known about their job preparation and professional development needs. This study addressed the gap in the literature by surveying 325 paraprofessionals in public school settings in the United States and Guam who reported working with students with autism. Data were gathered on paraprofessionals' (a) roles and responsibilities, (b) applied knowledge from different types of professional development, (c) perceived barriers to professional development, and (d) types and timing of communication with their supervising teachers. The results of this study have direct implications for individuals interested in developing a model of professional development that will meet the unique needs of paraprofessionals who work with students with autism.

Music-based speech language interventions have shown promise to support young children with autism, other speech and language deficits, and Dual Language Learners (also known as DLL, English Language Learners, or ELL). Online edtech learning programs may produce greater positive outcomes for children by including parents as mediators of the intervention. This study measured the preliminary effectiveness of Sing and Speak 4 Kids (SS4Kids), a music-based online speech and language development game, administered to 26 children ages 2-6 years old with or at risk for a diagnosis of autism, other speech and language deficits or DLL. The children were trained in early intervention settings across 4-6 sessions over a 2-week period in one of three group conditions: (a) teacher only in clinic; (b) parent only at home; (c) both teacher + parent. Measurement of verbal production of target words in pre- and post-training sessions showed that trained words significantly improved from pre-test to post-test Additionally, there was no effect of different group conditions (teacher only vs. parent only vs. both teacher + parent) on children's performance. Results suggest that the SS4Kids program is an effective music-based speech and language training method for supporting target word production in young children across a two week timespan. Importantly, the results also found that group conditions did not influence the improvement, confirming effectiveness of both clinic and home-based parent mediation. During a time when traditional in-person intervention services may be restricted, the current work provides cautious but emerging evidence of the effectiveness of an online edtech evidence-based practice to support the speech and language outcomes for a variety of children in early intervention.

High schools hold great potential as contexts within which educators implement evidence-based practices shown to change post-school outcomes for youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Unfortunately, educators feel unprepared to use transition and disability-focused evidence-based practices. Coaching, as an essential feature of effective professional development, is an important process for supporting educators in their development of competencies for use of these practices. To inform the use of coaching in complex high school settings, the model used by the Center on Secondary Education for Students with ASD to implement a comprehensive package of disability- and transition-focused interventions in 30 schools is described and coaching data analyzed to offer lessons learned for developing professional development supports for secondary school practitioners. Limitations and implications for research and practice are discussed.

Few transition studies have involved training supervisors on interacting and relaying feedback to individuals with intellectual disability during vocational training. We used a multiple baseline across participants design to examine the efficacy of an adaptive check-in/check-out (CICO) intervention for increasing the rate of performance feedback statements given by a supervisor to an intern with an intellectual disability during vocational training. The CICO intervention was effective at increasing the rate of performance feedback statements given by each supervisor. We recommend research and practice focused on training supervisors to use the CICO intervention to assist in helping foster natural job supports.

Scaling up the use of evidence-based practice (EBP) for autism across service sectors and regions has presented a considerable challenge indicating a clear need for continued development. The California Autism Professional Training and Information Network (CAPTAIN) integrates implementation drivers into specific procedures and methodology as an implementation strategy to support statewide scale up. The current study was designed to evaluate the impact of CAPTAIN on provider-level outcomes including attitude toward, and knowledge, fidelity and use of autism EBPs, and overall classroom quality. Overall, results indicated variability across measures, with some significant differences between CAPTAIN-trained and non-CAPTAIN-trained providers. CAPTAIN-trained providers reported more openness to EBP. Significantly more CAPTAIN-trained direct service providers reported collecting fidelity of implementation data (X[superscript 2](2, N = 1515) = 10.95, p = 0.004), collecting student data (X[superscript 2](2, N = 1509) = 14.19, p = 0.001), and reported using their primary EBP with "most or all students" (X[superscript 2](2, N = 1514) = 11.41, p = 0.003) than providers not trained by CAPTAIN. In summary, these preliminary findings show promise for the efficacy of the CAPTAIN model to increase dissemination and implementation of EBP at the classroom level.

The purpose of this study was to examine influences on the implementation of a school-based comprehensive program for autistic children. Following the conceptual framework suggested by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) model, variables from the outer context, inner context, and also that were part of the comprehensive program were explored. An index approach was employed for assessing implementation. The study was part of a larger cluster randomized control trial and took place in 39 elementary schools in a southeastern state within the United States. Variables associated with implementation were transformational leadership style of the principal, percentage of students in the school who were white, and adequacy of coaching. Implications for practice and future research were identified.

Transitioning Together is a multi-family intervention designed to support families of adolescents on the autism spectrum as they prepare for the transition to adulthood. Questions remain regarding its wide-scale adoption and implementation in real-world settings such as high schools. We examined student, teacher, and school-level facilitators and barriers to adopting and implementing Transitioning Together at 30 public high schools across three US states that were participating in the intervention arm of a larger randomized trial, which provided training and coaching for implementation of comprehensive evidence-based autism programming. Seventeen of the 30 schools adopted Transitioning Together. Community socioeconomic status and pre-existing quality of programming for family involvement and transition planning significantly predicted intervention adoption. Thirteen of the 17 schools that adopted Transitioning Together did so with a high level of fidelity (>90%). The areas of fidelity that schools struggled with most related to session structure, facilitating problem-solving and dialogue, and collecting feedback from families. Findings highlight struggles and successes with real-world adoption of the intervention in its current form. Future research is needed to further examine how to facilitate adoption across public high schools and/or other service systems, while maximizing effectiveness, as well as reach to historically underserved autism spectrum populations.

Clinicians' beliefs about an intervention's fit with an individual family influence whether they use it with that family. The factors that influence clinicians' decisions to implement evidence-based practices for young autistic children have yet to be evaluated systematically. These factors may partially account for the significant disparities in quality of and access to early intervention. We examined disparities in clinicians' reported use of caregiver coaching, an evidence-based practice, with families from minoritized or structurally marginalized groups, and the perceived reasons for those disparities, to assess the factors that influence clinicians' use of caregiver coaching. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 36 early intervention clinicians from publicly funded early intervention agencies in two distinct geographic regions in the United States. Clinicians identified social and structural factors, including perceived family characteristics and stigma, that influenced their beliefs about the fit of coaching with families from minoritized or structurally marginalized groups. These findings point to the presence of beliefs that likely exacerbate disparities in access to evidence-based practices and reduce the quality of care for minoritized families of young autistic children. These findings highlight the need to develop and deploy equity-focused implementation strategies to improve both access to and quality of evidence-based practices for young autistic children from minoritized groups. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED618068.]

Best-practice recommendations for young children at high likelihood of autism include active involvement of caregivers in intervention. However, the use of evidence-based parent-mediated interventions in community practice remains limited. Preliminary evidence suggests that Project ImPACT for Toddlers demonstrates positive parent and child outcomes in community settings. Project ImPACT for Toddlers was adapted specifically for toddlers and teaches parents of young children strategies to build their child's social, communication, and play skills in daily routines. This study reports implementation outcomes from the initial community rollout of Project ImPACT for Toddlers and examines the system-wide intervention reach, with the goal of informing continued community sustainment and scale-up. Participants include 38 community providers who participated in a Project ImPACT for Toddlers' training study who completed an implementation survey and semi-structured interviews after approximately 3 months of community implementation. Participants perceived the training model as acceptable and appropriate, and identified several strengths of the approach. Interview themes also supported the feasibility, acceptability, and utility of the intervention in community settings. Quantitative findings complemented the thematic results from interviews. Intervention reach data indicate an increasing number of agencies delivering and families receiving Project ImPACT for Toddlers. Efforts to scale-up evidence-based interventions in early intervention should continue to build upon the model of the Bond, Regulate, Interact, Develop, Guide, and Engage Collaborative.

Preschool children with disabilities spend more time when transitioning between activities and settings than their typically developing peers. Extended transition duration leads to reducing the time spent on teaching. Various antecedent-based transition strategies are used to increase independent transition and decrease the transition duration of children with autism spectrum disorder. One of these strategies is video priming. This study aimed to examine the efficacy of video priming, an antecedent-based transition strategy, on increasing independent transitions of children with autism spectrum disorder and decreasing the time these children spent in transitions. Also, identifying opinions of parents of and teaching staff for participating children regarding the acceptability of video priming was aimed. Four children with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 4 and 6 participated in the study. An ABAB design was used to evaluate the effects of video priming. Results indicated that video priming effectively increased all children's independent transitions and decreased transition duration. The results also showed that the parents and teaching staff had a highly positive opinion about the video priming and its acceptability. This study provided additional evidence that video priming can facilitate children's transition with autism spectrum disorder. The implication for future research and practice were discussed.

One of the earliest indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is delay in language and social communication. Despite consensus on the benefits of earlier diagnosis and intervention, our understanding of the language growth of children with ASD during the first years of life remains limited. Therefore, this study compared communication growth patterns of infants and toddlers with ASD to growth benchmarks of a standardized language assessment. We conducted a retrospective analysis of growth on the Early Communication Indicator (ECI) of 23 infants and toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis in the future. At 42 months of age, children with ASD had significantly lower rates of gestures, single words, and multiple words, but significantly higher rates of nonword vocalizations. Children with ASD had significantly slower growth of single and multiple words, but their rate of vocalization growth was significantly greater than benchmark. Although more research is needed with larger samples, because the ECI was designed for practitioners to monitor children's response to intervention over time, these findings show promise for the ECI's use as a progress monitoring measure for young children with ASD. Limitations and the need for future research are discussed.

Many early childhood educators use the evidenced-based practice of interactive shared book reading (ISBR) to promote the development of important communication and literacy skills. ISBR for preschoolers has been shown to build both vocabulary and conceptual knowledge, which in turn contributes to later language and reading comprehension development. While Early Childhood Special Educators (ECSE) recognize the importance of engaging in ISBR with their students, children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often struggle to meaningfully participate in ISBR because of the children's difficulties in language/communication, joint attention, and social reciprocity. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe an approach to support children with ASD to engage in ISBR to build oral language skills (e.g., vocabulary knowledge and comprehension) and ultimately to support later reading comprehension. The approach is RECALL: Reading to Engage Children with Autism in Language and Learning. This article describes the RECALL ISBR approach, explains how to implement RECALL, and provides information on additional enhancements that support social communication engagement.

This study examined the use of a wearable smartwatch-based intervention to support the executive functioning needs of college students with intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorders. The study was designed to address the universal design for learning guidelines and checkpoints for Provide options for Executive Functions. Three students with intellectual disability, two on the autism spectrum, participated in this multiple-probe across participants with an embedded ABAB design to determine whether a causal relationship exists between the smartwatch intervention and the percentage of tasks completed independently. Students were taught to use a wearable smartwatch device to enter novel appointments for the coming week and the associated tasks. All students self-operated the wearable device to enter appointments, attend appointments on time, and complete associated tasks. Results are discussed in the context of applying new technology applications to assist individuals with intellectual disability and autism to self-manage technological supports to learn new skills, set reminders, and enhance independence.

Video modeling (VM) has demonstrated efficacy in teaching a variety of skills (e.g., social skills, communication, vocational tasks) to learners with autism spectrum disorder. Previous research indicates teachers and learners have supported the use of VM. However, the majority of studies have focused on elementary-school students; less research has explored the use of VM in secondary education settings. To extend the literature, this article describes the use of VM with three high school student-teacher dyads. Each teacher adapted the VM intervention to meet the needs of their student as well as to fit with the current technology available and utilized in their classrooms. All of the three students learned a different target skill with VM and achieved mastery criteria. Results for the three student skills, as well as implementation guidelines and future directions, are discussed.

The present study aimed to determine the level of social acceptance of children with autism spectrum who are integrated into regular schools from the parents' and teachers' perspectives in Jordan. The researcher built a scale of social acceptance of children with an autism spectrum disorder. It consists of (34) items distributed in three dimensions; it was applied to an exploratory sample from outside the study sample consisting of (22) parents and teachers to verify the indications of validity and reliability, as the indications for content validity and construction validity were reached. The indications of reliability were reached through the restoration and the internal reliability of Cronbach Alpha. Finally, the tool was applied to the final study sample, which consisted of (74) teachers and (74) parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, the social acceptance dimension related to the school and the family. The results indicated that the level of social acceptance was moderate. It also indicated no statistically significant differences for the variables of gender and degree of infection, as the study came out with a set of research and educational recommendations.

A deficit in social skills often makes teaching academics a second thought when instructing students with autism. Peer-mediated instruction has been well studied for increasing academic skills across various disabilities and social skills for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect size of peer-mediated academic instruction (PMAI) to increase academic skills for students with ASD. Results indicate studies demonstrate a weak to moderate effect when using PMAI to teach students with ASD. These results validate PMAI can be effective when teaching academic skills to students with ASD; however, more studies are needed to better understand for whom and under what conditions PMAI is most effective.

A growing body of literature supports the effectiveness of Modified Schema-Based Instruction (MSBI) to improve mathematical problem-solving for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). MSBI is an intervention package that teaches students to identify the problem structure and use a problem-solving heuristic to solve mathematical word problems. Previous research has primarily implemented MSBI in a one-on-one setting with a researcher as the interventionist. This study aimed to investigate the effects of a teacher-delivered MSBI in a small group format on the multiplicative word problem-solving skills of six middle school students with ASD/ID as well as their ability to generalize from word problems to video-based problems. Results of the multiple probe across participants design indicate a functional relation between MSBI and word problem-solving, but generalization varied across participants and maintenance was limited to two participants due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic school closures. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is defined as a lifetime developmental disorder usually identified by social interaction impairment, communication deficits, and repetitive behavior. The cases of children detected with ASD are rising globally, including Malaysia. Parents, as the prime caregiver to these children, face numerous challenges due to what is entailed in taking care of their children. This paper describes a case study where we examined the views and experience of three mothers, each of whom has an ASD child. Data were gathered through face-to-face semi-structured interviews, after which they were transcribed and analyzed using the thematic analysis method. The mothers narrated that the challenges they encountered include the difficulty they had in initially accepting their child's diagnosis; labelling and discrimination; phase-based temporal challenges; endless physical, emotional, and mental sacrifices; finding the strength and patience to deal with the situation; academic vs. non-academic struggles, as well as their own coping mechanisms. This paper concludes with the need to provide support for parents-especially mothers-to enable them to overcome their challenges and focus on the development of their autistic children.

Early Childhood Special Education teachers select practices to use to promote social communication development for their students with autism spectrum disorder. Understanding what evidence-based practices teachers select and why can inform the development of dissemination and implementation supports at the critical Adoption-Decision stage of implementation. The researchers used discrete choice analysis to examine and test the effects of Early Childhood Special Education teachers' beliefs (self-efficacy, attitude, subjective norms; Theory of Planned Behavior) about key evidence-based practices on their practice selections. To assess malleable determinants of practice selection, this study addressed these aims: (1) assess Early Childhood Special Education teachers' beliefs (attitudes, subjective norms, and self-efficacy) about key evidence-based practices, (2) describe which evidence-based practices teachers selected, and (3) examine whether teachers' beliefs predicted practice selections. A web-based survey gathered responses from 222 Early Childhood Special Education teachers. Participants had the most favorable beliefs about naturalistic intervention and the least about discrete trial teaching and scripting. These beliefs aligned with the frequencies with which these practices were selected, and teachers' beliefs predicted which practices they selected. Together, these findings suggest that beliefs serve as determinants of Early Childhood Special Education teachers' practice selections that can be acted on to tailor pre-implementation supports and improve implementation from the start. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED613817.]

We tested the efficacy of a comprehensive intervention program designed for high school students across the autism spectrum, the Center on Secondary Education for Students with Autism (CSESA) model, in a cluster randomized control trial involving 60 high schools in three states (California, North Carolina, Wisconsin), with implementation occurring over a 2-year period. We examined outcomes for the schools, students (N = 547), and families. At the conclusion of the study, CSESA schools had significantly higher program quality than the services-as-usual (SAU) schools. In addition, students in the CSESA schools had significantly higher total attainment of educational goals than students in SAU schools. There were not significant differences between the two groups on standardized assessment outcomes. We discuss implications for intervention implementation and future research with this population in the public school context.

This study investigates the effects of FigureNotes on sensory processing abilities and the learning behaviors of young children. The settings for this research were a non-profit early-intervention center and a private preschool in the metropolitan, where one hundred and twenty private preschool children and 32 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, aged 40-63 months, were selected as the research participants by purposive sampling. The research design incorporated HMEAYC with FigureNotes. Each participant participated in one 40-minute session per week for 16 weeks. The research results showed the positive effects of FigureNotes on the children's sensory processing abilities and learning behaviors. The research illustrated FigureNotes not only enhanced visual processing and learning habits in young children, but also enhanced tactile processing in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In this first of its kind, research in Taiwan we propose to prove that FigureNotes can improve young children's visual processing and positive learning habits, and it can enhance the tactile processing of children with ASD. Therefore, we highlight the benefits to promote the use of FigureNotes to assist and support the effective development of young children at different developmental levels.

Many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience associated difficulties in reading comprehension. This may be due to the social nature of fictional texts, which require the reader to interpret what characters are thinking and feeling and to make inferences about the cause and effect between events in a story. This paper outlines strategies that teachers can use to assist their learners with ASD in reading comprehension, including activating social background knowledge, encouraging series and familiar genres, identifying and teaching figurative language, and using graphic organizers to support perspective-taking. These strategies are tailored to the social phenotype of children with ASD to best address the underlying difficulties that may be impeding their reading comprehension.

Background: This implementation feasibility study was conducted to determine whether an evidence-based parent-implemented distance-learning intervention model for young children at high likelihood of having ASD could be implemented at fidelity by Part C community providers and by parents in low-resource communities. Methods: The study used a community-academic partnership model to adapt an evidence-based intervention tested in the current pilot trial involving randomization by agency in four states and enrollment of 35 coaches and 34 parent-family dyads. After baseline data were gathered, providers in the experimental group received 12-15 h of training while control providers received six webinars on early development. Providers delivered 6 months of intervention with children-families, concluding with data collection. Regression analyses were used to model outcomes of the coach behaviors, the parent fidelity ratings, and child outcomes. Results: A block design model-building approach was used to test the null model followed by the inclusion of group as a predictor, and finally the inclusion of the planned covariates. Model fit was examined using changes in R[superscript 2] and "F"-statistic. As hypothesized, results demonstrated significant gains in (1) experimental provider fidelity of coaching implementation compared to the control group; and (2) experimental parent fidelity of implementation compared to the control group. There were no significant differences between groups on child developmental scores. Conclusions: Even though the experimental parent group averaged less than 30 min of intervention weekly with providers in the 6 months, both providers and parents demonstrated statistically significant gains on the fidelity of implementation scores with moderate effect sizes compared to control groups. Since child changes in parent-mediated models are dependent upon the parents' ability to deliver the intervention, and since parent delivery is dependent upon providers who are coaching the parents, these results demonstrated that two of these three links of the chain were positively affected by the experimental implementation model. However, a lack of significant differences in child group gains suggests that further work is needed on this model. Factors to consider include the amount of contact with the provider, the amount of practice children experience, the amount of contact both providers and parents spend on training materials, and motivational strategies for parents, among others.

Early elementary students on the autism spectrum are at risk for poor quality student-teacher relationships (STRs), a key contributor to student outcomes. However, these students' own appraisals of their STRs are nearly absent from the literature. This study examined children's perspectives of STRs and agreement with teacher-reported STRs for a sample of young autistic students (N = 136; 5-9 years). Although a majority of students responded affirmatively to items reflecting positive perceptions of STRs (e.g., 80.7% reported liking their teacher, 75.0% reported being liked by their teacher), results also revealed that some students perceived negative STR experiences (e.g., 14.7% reported that they get angry with their teacher, 17.6% reported that they get in trouble a lot). Student and teachers' scores were not significantly correlated, suggesting that students and teachers may have unique perspectives on specific aspects of their relationship.

To identify target areas for professional development, this mixed-methods study examined general education teachers' perceptions of autism and pedagogical practices in early elementary classrooms in the United States. In focus groups, teachers (N = 18) identified terms they associated with autism and strategies they used for inclusion and relationship building. Participants systematically free-listed and ranked their responses to three prompts. Using ranked responses, saliency scores were calculated to assess the perceived importance and frequency of responses. Teachers' most salient perceptions of autism (e.g., social difficulties, focused/fixed interests) revealed an awareness of core symptoms. Salient inclusion practices included assigning special classroom responsibilities and showcasing student talents; salient relationship-building strategies included embracing students' special interests and engaging in one-on-one time. Implications for teacher trainings are discussed. [This article was published in "Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders" v52 p3977-3990 2022 (EJ1343886).]

The purpose of this study is to explore a variety of technologies used in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) education by examining published studies. A systematic literature review was conducted by using the Web of Science database to collect related studies. In total, 100 studies were reviewed comprehensively to investigate the trend regarding type and purpose of technology use, the kinds of technology commonly used for targeted skill development and instructional delivery tool. The results revealed that (1) the trend of scholarly publications have increased until 2016; (2) there are more studies targeted social skill rather than academic skills; (3) video, computer software, and mobile applications are commonly used software/multimedia; and (4) computers, mobile devices, and nondigital object are the most frequent used hardware for targeted skills.

The aim of this study is to determine the physical fitness levels of individuals with autism by comparing them with individuals in the early and middle adolescence periods with normal development and the needs of the individuals with autism in terms of physical fitness. This study is carried out at the Selçuklu Autism Foundation, which is the largest autism education center in Turkey. It is carried out in this center with autistic individuals aged 10-17 who have received sports training for at least one year, and randomly selected individuals between the ages of 10-17 who do not do sports and show normal development. In this study, the cross-sectional survey model, one of the survey models, is used. The physical fitness levels of individuals with and without autism participating in the research are determined by the Brockport Physical Fitness Test developed by the State University of New York and some motoric test batteries. The t-test for the difference between arithmetic means in independent groups is used. The other measurement is the non-parametric Mann Witney U test. According to the study findings, a high level of significant difference is found between BMI, triceps, calf, right and left hand grip, back strength, trunk lift, long jump and one mile running values in both t-test and Mann-Whitney U results in early and middle adolescence periods. As a result, according to Brockport test values, it shows that all values of individuals with autism are physically behind the individuals with normal development. These results show that individuals with autism are shorter in stature, have higher body weights and have higher BMI values than individuals with normal development.

When considering the parent voice as an individual subjective reality, it is observed as unique to the parent and not shared by others. This research sought to explore if parent voices could constitute intersubjective realities; inviting narratives from parents and professionals that may reveal a shared existence. The first theme explored the journeys of the parent as a nomad in their search for services to support their children. The second theme describes the position of the parent during the period of their child's assessment, diagnosis and intervention, as that of 'in-betweenness'. The third theme describes parents' experiences as those of journeys, during which their identities change. Qualitative, in-depth, longitudinal case studies were undertaken with parents of young children with ASD and professionals over eighteen months. Semi-structured interviews (n-83) were conducted. Autoethnography was critical as a methodological tenet in defense of a position that states that research is an extension of our lives. The findings of this research show evidence of parental isolation and marginalization when procuring services for their children or when children failed to experience inclusion. This research suggests that nomads navigate (difficult) ways of forming new multiple selves and identities.

(1) Teachers' attitudes toward the inclusion of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools influence daily educational practices. Depending on whether these attitudes are favorable or not, inclusive education could be fully or partially reached. This systematic review aims to analyze teachers' attitudes toward ASD and to determine the variables that moderate them. (2) We conducted a systematic review in WoS, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases, obtaining an amount of 16 studies included in this review. (3) The results revealed inconclusive levels in teachers' attitudes: Some of the teachers reported positive attitudes, some neutral, and some negative. (4) Among the variables that probably moderate attitudes, we found knowledge, experience, training, and gender. Future research and implications for pre-service and in-service teachers, school administrators, and policy makers are suggested.

Background: In recent reviews of autism spectrum disorder screening tools, the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/FTM) has been recommended for use in lower middle-income countries to promote earlier identification. Aim: The study aim was to culturally adapt and translate the M-CHAT-R/FTM into Northern Sotho, a South African language. Setting: An expert panel was purposively selected for the review and focus group discussion that was conducted within an academic context. Method: The source translation (English) was reviewed by bilingual Northern Sotho-English speech-language therapists who made recommendations for cultural adaptation. A double translation method was used, followed by a multidisciplinary expert panel discussion and a self-completed questionnaire. Results: Holistic review of test, additional remarks and grammar and phrasing were identified as the most prominent themes of the panel discussion, emphasising the equivalence of the target translation. Conclusion: A South African culturally adapted English version of the M-CHAT-R/FTM is now available along with the preliminary Northern Sotho version of the M-CHAT-R/FTM. The two versions can now be confirmed by gathering empirical evidence of reliability and validity.

This research determined the predictors of the adaptive behaviour of children with autism who are enrolled in special education centres using a descriptive correlational design. There were 40 children with autism whose adaptive behaviour was assessed in terms of their communication, daily living, social and motor skills using the modified Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (Vineland-3) together with their profile. Data gathered were treated using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that most of the children were males whose average age was 9.6 years who belonged to low-income families and were enrolled in 2 to 3 years. The children had moderately low adaptive skills in all areas of the adaptive behaviour. Moreover, the profiles of the children were not significant predictors of the four adaptive skills being assessed. Thus, it is recommended that other factors may be considered to identify the predictors of the adaptive behaviour of children with autism.

This systematic review provides a synthesis of intervention research that taught mathematical word problem solving skills to students with autism spectrum disorder between 1975 and April of 2020 by evaluating the body of research in terms of "what works", "for whom" and "under what conditions". The Council for Exceptional Children (CEC, 2014) quality indicators were used to evaluate methodology of the 20 included studies. The 18 studies that met the criteria to be classified as "high quality" were further analyzed in terms of intervention components (i.e., the "what"), how effectiveness was measured (i.e., defining "works"), characteristics of individuals included in the research (i.e., "for whom") and the tasks, settings, and instructors used (i.e., "under what conditions"). While six practices met the CEC criteria for classification "evidence based", including task analysis, system of least prompts, graphic organizers, explicit instruction, schema-based instruction, and technology assisted instruction, these practices were consistently used in combination as "treatment packages". Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

American Psychiatric Association defined autism spectrum disorder as a neurological disorder due to which a diagnosed child may face difficulty in social communication or have a repeated or restricted set of behaviors. Learners with autism are primarily visual strategy learners, and they tend to learn better through pictures and images. Due to their cognitive disabilities, most learners with autism struggle to acquire new vocabulary. There have been many inventions invented by researchers all over the world to help autistic children with their education; however, not much emphasis put on the interventions that can assist autistic children with their English vocabulary learning process. Hence, this study intends to investigate the stakeholders' acceptance and thoughts on the use of augmented reality mobile applications for children with autism. This study is a qualitative research study where interviews are used as an instrument to gather stakeholders' views on the usefulness of the designed and developed augmented reality technology mobile application. This study involved seven respondents who come from different backgrounds and in different field areas. The results have gathered that the designed and developed mobile application has the prospect of helping children with autism with their English language learning process. With further improvements, the designed and developed mobile application is believed to be able to help autistic children to learn English vocabulary in a more exciting yet meaningful manner and at the same time help to spark their interest in their English vocabulary language learning process.

Autism Focused Intervention Resources and Modules (AFIRM) are a set of self-paced, online learning modules designed to disseminate information about the 27 evidence-based practices identified through a large-scale review of focused intervention practices for individuals with autism. In this study, we used descriptive statistics and an analysis of variance to analyze more than 67,000 pre-tests completed by over 22,000 school-based AFIRM users to determine whether there are differences by occupation in the (a) selection of evidence-based practices, (b) knowledge of evidence-based practices, and (c) average number of evidence-based practices selected. Results reveal statistically significant differences between groups and have implications for providers and administrators responsible for designing and delivering professional development for school-based professionals working with students with autism. [For the corresponding grantee submission, see ED609034.]

Project START (Students and Teachers Actively Reading Together) is an adaptive shared reading intervention designed to address the varied learning needs of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This report summarizes procedures and results of the developmental year of the project, which focused primarily on evaluating implementation fidelity and social validity of the intervention. The final sample consisted of four classrooms with 10 students with ASD (M[subscript age]= 4.32 years) and their teachers (N = 4). Classrooms were randomized to either a 4- or an 8-week first-stage small-group dialogic reading condition. Children who were early responders continued with the initial intervention; those who were slower to respond were randomized to one of two intensified reading conditions. Results indicate that teachers perceived the intervention as feasible and child outcomes as acceptable. Implementation fidelity was low during initial weeks (33%-50%), improving to 67% to 83% by the last weeks of the study. Neither children's engagement nor vocabulary growth differed between treatment levels or conditions. We discuss lessons learned from the study's developmental year and changes that will be made in subsequent years to improve implementation and feasibility.

Children with autism demonstrate considerable heterogeneity in their social skills and, therefore, their school intervention needs. No single intervention is expected to address the needs of all children with autism. In addition, not all evidence-based school interventions can be provided to all children with autism at all times. Thus, there is a need to understand how best to combine, sequence, and individualize social skills interventions to meet the heterogeneous needs of these children. "Adaptive interventions" (AIs) are prespecified sequences of decision rules used to guide schools in how best to combine, sequence, and individualize social skills interventions. However, there are currently no empirically derived AIs shown to improve social skills in schoolchildren with autism; moreover, there is a dearth of literature on the acceptability and feasibility of schoolwide, multilevel AIs that combine both environmental-level and individual-level interventions. The purpose of this study is to understand the acceptability and feasibility of four AIs in a SMART (sequential multiple-assignment randomized trial) implemented by educators and parents. The AIs include environmental (Remaking Recess, classroom supports) and individual interventions (parent assisted, peer mediated). Thirty-three elementary-age students with autism (male = 76%, Hispanic = 73%) were educated in 21 classrooms across seven schools by 25 teachers and 24 teaching assistants. Treatment expectations, acceptability, feasibility, and implementation data were collected over 18 weeks. Results indicated respondents were agreeable to treatment changes, but perceived feasibility was average and implementation was moderate. A number of lessons learned and proposed changes for scaling up are discussed.

Autistic individuals experience higher rates of psychiatric comorbidities than their peers. Camouflaging, the process through which individuals hide autistic traits, can be detrimental to mental health. This may be particularly true for autistic females, although research on sex differences in the relationship between camouflaging and mental health has focused on adults. The purpose of this study was to extend previous research on camouflaging and mental health through examining age, sex, autism diagnosis, and camouflaging as predictors of depression, anxiety, and stress levels in autistic and non-autistic adolescents. One hundred forty adolescents ages 13-18 years (62 non-autistic, 58 female) completed an online survey including measures of camouflaging, autistic traits, and internalizing symptoms. Hierarchical linear regression was used to examine age, sex, diagnosis, and camouflaging as predictors of internalizing symptoms. Findings suggest that level of camouflaging is an important predictor of depression, anxiety, and stress in autistic and non-autistic adolescents and that camouflaging may be particularly distressing for females, regardless of diagnosis. These findings inform our understanding of camouflaging and its consequences and point to future directions for support for autistic and non-autistic adolescents. Clinicians may consider interventions targeting social skills, self-acceptance, and self-esteem to reduce possible negative effects of camouflaging.

Communication is a vital social phenomenon; therefore, its study must be related to theories of social structure, social behavior, and human interaction. Successful communication is substantially crucial for better social life in all contexts. Unfortunately, the process of communication in medical settings and healthcare is challenging, especially when communicating with patients who are affected by cognitive communicative disorders including people with Autism Spectrum Disorders. This paper aims to address the difficulties and the different encumbrances related to autism and communication in the Algerian context. It attempts to evaluate the effectiveness of communication interventions in children with ASD, and look for reliable methods to help families promote their children's communication abilities. The current research is a case study of a six-year-old child with ASD, in addition to the participants involved; his caregivers, parents, escorts, and the speech therapist. The study shows that the child suffers from language impairments that are typical of autistic children's verbal repertoire: lexical, grammatical, morphological, and syntactic impairments that lead to a failure in the communicative task. The analysis of the data indicates that patients with ASD suffer also from different extra-linguistic problems which can be diminished through successful social interaction and effective therapeutic interventions.

This paper evaluates the satisfaction and impact of a self-directed, web-based or mobile app, student support program designed to facilitate self-determination of secondary or postsecondary students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the United States. Five professionals and four successful college graduates with ASD evaluated the program and completed an intervention satisfaction rating and an ePlatform performance questionnaire. Program content and ePlatform function was modified based on reviewers' feedback. Following modification, the program was piloted with three high school seniors and one freshman at a two-year college with ASD. Results pointed toward strengths and limitations of the program protocol and future directions.