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This initial open feasibility trial reports on feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the manualized, group-based psychoeducational intervention for grandparents of preschool-aged children with ASD provided by the outpatient habilitation services in Stockholm, Sweden. One hundred and twenty non-custodial grandparents participated in a 6-h intervention program. The study demonstrated good feasibility: 114 (95%) grandparents competed both pre- and post-intervention measures and evaluations and reported high intervention acceptability. The results also indicated that grandparents increased their knowledge about ASD from pre-intervention to post-intervention, gained skills about strategies of supporting their grandchildren and adult children, and appreciated the opportunity to meet and share experiences with other grandparents. Follow-up with a randomized controlled trial design is needed to firmly establish efficacy of this intervention. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10803-021-05189-0.

Very little is known about the status of autism research in Central Asia. The purpose of this scoping review was to examine the scope and focus of the peer-reviewed research studies conducted with autistic people and their families in five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The electronic databases of EBSCO Host and Web of Science were used for systematic search of literature. Eleven articles that met eligibility criteria were included in the review and analyzed for topics and research areas outlined in the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee Strategic Plan. Ten of these studies were conducted in Kazakhstan and one in Uzbekistan using qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods research designs. Five of the seven research areas—Diagnosis, Biology, Risk Factors, Services, and Treatment and Interventions—were represented in these studies, while there were no studies identified in the areas of Lifespan Issues or Infrastructure and Surveillance, highlighting a gap in research. None of the studies reported co-authorship of scientists from Central Asian countries. The review identified knowledge gaps and research needs to guide future research in autism in Central Asia to address the needs of autistic individuals and their families living in this region. Lay abstract Very little is known about the status of autism research in Central Asia. Through the library databases, we identified and reviewed 11 scientific studies conducted with autistic people and their families in five Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Of the 11 studies, 10 were conducted in Kazakhstan and 1 in Uzbekistan. Within these limited number of research studies, different topics such as diagnosis, risk factors of autism, biology, and various service and intervention areas were addressed. We identified several knowledge gaps and research priorities to address the needs of autistic people, their families, and professionals in Central Asia.

Little is known about needs of grandparents of young children with autism in family and community settings. This study investigated perceived needs of grandparents of preschool-aged children diagnosed with ASD in the cultural context of Sweden. Participants were 120 grandparents of children enrolled into autism intervention programs provided by the public disability services in Stockholm. The Grandparents’ Needs Survey and the SDQ Impact supplement were used to collect data. Grandparents expressed most needs in topic areas of information and childcare. No significant relations were found between grandparents’ demographics and perceptions of needs; grandparents’ needs were predicted by their perceived burden. The findings provide insight into understanding of grandparents’ needs essential for planning and provision of quality family-centered early intervention services. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10803-019-03946-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Systematic reporting of cultural variables in research publications is important to address disparities in diagnostics and treatment for children with ASD from diverse backgrounds. The present review examined reporting of cultural factors in ASD publications in the Swedish research context by using the GAP-REACH checklist developed by the Cultural Committee of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry. Thirty peer-reviewed articles published in English between 2013 and 2015 met inclusion criteria. Depending on research designs, 46% of the reviewed studies defined cultural factors using various proxies for ethnicity to describe study participants; none of the studies used the “race” variable; 23.3% provided rationale for inclusion of cultural factors. The checklist in its modified form is applicable within the Swedish context.

The aim of this study is twofold: firstly the aim is to give a short description of the policy context of Sweden, which is relevant for the topic of “Play for children with disabilities”, through a ...

This pilot study examined the relations among preschool teachers' attitudes towards the inclusion of children with autism and perceived self-efficacy, as well as demographic characteristics such as ...

The objective of this study was to test the utility of the International classification of functioning, disability and health--children and youth's (ICF-CY) Environmental Factors component by classifying family interview data from two ethnically and culturally diverse--Kyrgyz and Uzbek--families that have children with various types of disabilities in Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia.The eco-cultural family interview (EFI) was used to interview four Kyrgyz and four Uzbek families. The obtained data were analysed by using manifest content analysis; identified units of meaning named as 'EFI items' and 'EFI concepts' were then linked to the ICF-CY's codes by application of ten linkage rules.The analysis of transcribed interviews identified 669 EFI items and 745 EFI concepts. The linking of EFI items to the ICF-CY showed: 92 EFI items and concepts were linked to nd (not definable); 104 items were linked to nc (not covered by the ICF-CY); 15 items were categorised as pf (personal factors); 21 items were linked to categories found in Activities and Participation; and 3 were linked to Body Functions components. The rest of EFI items and concepts were linked to categories of the Environmental Factors component.The codes included into Chapters 1, 2 and 5 of the ICF-CY environmental component can be easily assigned to the relevant EFI items. There is a necessity to add more codes in Chapters 3 and 4 of the Environmental Factors component, and the inclusion of a separate component of Personal Factors into the classification is suggested.