Support needs of ASD families in the Manawatu DHB catchment area : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University, Manawatū, New Zealand

Figure 1 Te Whare Tapa Whā removed for copyright reasons but may be accessed via https://www.maorimenshealth.co.nz/te-whare-tapa-wha-health-whare/Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is becoming increasingly understood as being both widely heterogeneous and complex for the individual on the spectrum. Similarly, families are also highly variable and complex; they are arguably the most important support unit a child with ASD has, with their own resources, constraints, values and beliefs. Service individualisation, which accounts for such variances within the individual, and the collective, is broadly seen as critical for service delivery success. To date, little research has gauged the extent of ASD service individualisation abroad, and an understanding of how this is done in Aotearoa New Zealand is absent. The intent of this research was to investigate whether or not existing services and supports target the uniqueness of both the individual with ASD, and their families to enable them to participate in society. In particular, a key focus was if services are appropriate, accessible and sufficient. To accomplish the intent of the research a concurrent triangulation mixed-methods design was utilised. Both quantitative and qualitative data was gathered from caregivers of autistic children – firstly, through an online survey featuring several lifespan themes, and subsequently, qualitative data was collected through caregiver interviews carried out with participants recruited from the MidCentral and Nelson Marlborough District Health Board (DHB) areas. Analyses of the prioritised qualitative data indicated that a variety of service delivery factors prevented families with autistic children from optimal functioning, and participating in society. Furthermore, systemic issues were theorised to be the underlying causes of several of the difficulties faced by autistic children, and their families. The importance of individualised care packages that meet the needs of the families spoken to was emphasised, and the 'wicked problem' (Stace, 2011) of services that are appropriate, accessible and adequate remains ongoing. Recommendations for meeting the needs of individuals with ASD and their families are discussed

Autism, Sexuality, and BDSM

This paper will explore the following areas in which idiosyncratic, sensitive and intense autistic ways of being result in patterns of sexual behavior and reasons autistic people may be particularly drawn to BDSM: 1) autistic sensorimotor intensity promotes non-normative movement, including sadomasochistic, patterns of movement 2) the autistic preference for literal and concrete language matches the BDSM culture’s norms of explicit verbal consent 3) idiosyncratic autistic attention fits will with opportunities within BDSM for developing a long-term career of learning and deep engagement. 4) the double empathy problem results in marginalization of autistic people from mainstream society while BDSM communities can offer norms better suited to autistic people

Understanding Autism: Exploring Society\u27s Classification of the Autistic Body and the Representations of Autism in Literature and Film

In this paper, I argue that society has classified autism as a single experience and have falsely promoted that individuals have an autistic experience . I claim that no single, true experience such as this can exist for truth is an ever evolving ideal in discourse. The concept of an autistic experience is what society constructs, reproduces and essentially what society gives credit to as a representation of autism. Therefore, no actual set standard of an experience exists since each individual has his own experience. In countering the concept that a true autistic experience exists, I examine the works of Mark Haddon and Clara Park as limited representations

Autism, the Integrations of 'Difference' and the Origins of Modern Human Behaviour

It is proposed here that the archaeological evidence for the emergence of 'modern behaviour' (160,000-40,000 bp) can best be explained as the rise of cognitive variation within populations through social mechanisms for integrating 'different minds', rather than by the development of a single 'modern human mind'. Autism and the autistic spectrum within human populations are used as an example of 'different minds' which when integrated within society can confer various selective benefits. It is proposed that social mechanisms for incorporating autistic difference are visible in the archaeological record and that these develop sporadically from 160,000 years bp in association with evidence for their consequences in terms of technological innovations, improved efficiency in technological and natural spheres and innovative thinking. Whilst other explanations for the emergence Of modern human behaviour may also contribute to observed changes, it is argued that the incorporation of cognitive differences played a significant role in the technological, social and symbolic expression of 'modern' behaviour

Autism & mental health

This is a short talk introducing the topic of autism and mental health. Covering how autistic persons spikey profile often includes co-occurring difficulties, which are frequently caused by how poor practice by broader society towards autistic persons. Suggesting suitable approaches working with autistic persons, including viewing them as being fully human. Briefly outlining the speaker’s own spikey profile of strengths and difficulties, and the approach others should adopt when working with them. Concluding with calling for people to empathise with struggles many autistic persons experience

Recognising and Protecting the Communication Rights of Autistic Children

•Autistic children are at risk of having their communication rights violated. This risk is heightened for autistic children with communication disability, which can emerge from factors inherent autism, co-occurring language disorders and societal barriers. This risk is also unacceptably high for autistic children from minority groups. • The autistic community, researchers, clinicians and policymakers must work together to promote the communication rights of all autistic children. In particular, Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) can contribute valuable expertise to the development and implementation of impactful policies in this field. • We propose three areas of policy action to better protect the communication rights of autistic children: o Area 1: Promoting more Inclusive Communication practices in our society; o Area 2: Enabling the co-creation of communication support services with autistic children and other relevant stakeholders; o Area 3: Increasing the visibility, access and inclusivity of specialist services

The Curious Incident of Autism Myths in The Portrayal of an Autistic Character

This paper aims to investigate the portrayal of an autistic character in relation to autism myths in the novel written by Mark Haddon in 2003 entitled The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. Autistic characters have gained considerable attention in many contemporary literary works. Within the realm of autism myths and method of textual analysis, the main character in The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (2003) was analyzed to see if it is constructed on the stereotypical autistic character. It is found that the autistic character in the novel is portrayed as an autistic child who has a tendency to avoid social contact with others, independent, affectionate and has special talent and savant skill. Moreover, the study also reveals that the portrayal of an autistic character in the novel confirms three myths of autism but negates four other myths. These findings show that current literary works still rely on the myths of autism that are formed by society to portray an autistic character. Keywords: autism, autistic character, myths of autism, portraya

Exploring autistic adults' psychosocial experiences affecting beginnings, continuity and change in camouflaging over time: A qualitative study in Singapore

Over their lifetimes, many autistic people learn to camouflage (hide or mask) their autism-related differences to forge relationships, find work and live independently in largely non-autistic societies. Autistic adults have described camouflaging as a 'lifetime of conditioning . . . to act normal' involving 'years of effort', suggesting that camouflaging develops over an autistic person's lifetime and may start early on, in childhood or adolescence. Yet, we know very little about why and how autistic people start to camouflage, or why and how their camouflaging behaviours continue or change over time. We interviewed 11 Singaporean autistic adults (9 male, 2 female, 22-45 years old) who shared their camouflaging experiences. We found that autistic adults' earliest motivations to camouflage were largely related to the desire to fit in and connect with others. They also camouflaged to avoid difficult social experiences (such as being teased or bullied). Autistic adults shared that their camouflaging behaviours became more complex and that, for some, camouflaging became a part of their self-identity over time. Our findings suggest that society should not pathologise autistic differences, but instead accept and include autistic people, to reduce the pressure on autistic people to hide who they truly are

Understanding and Promoting the Human Rights of Autistic People

Rates of autism diagnosis are on the rise and autistic people are entering the public sphere in new ways, represented in theater, on television, as international experts, and more. Yet, do autistic people experience their full human rights? Experts argue that autistic people suffer discrimination and violations of their human rights, noting that more must be done to ensure the full entitlement of human rights for autistic people (Autism Society ND, Baron-Cohen 2017 and Sarrett 2012). To better understand and promote the human rights of autistic people, this paper applies theories of disability to autism, looking at the biomedical model, the social model, and the capabilities approach. The capabilities approach asserts the universality of human capabilities and the importance of protecting the human rights of all people to develop their capabilities (Lynch 2013). The capabilities approach offers the best framework to support the human rights of autistic people, which can be seen through the application of the capabilities approach to their experiences. After a brief look at the comparative research in this area, revealing a consensus on human rights for autistic people in word if not in deed, it is possible to see opportunities for autistic people to realize their human rights as autistic people

Sex differences in predictors and outcomes of camouflaging: comparing diagnosed autistic, high autistic trait and low autistic trait young adults

Many autistic individuals camouflage socially atypical behaviours. Evidence suggests autistic females camouflage more than autistic males. Although camouflaging may confer some benefits, it is also associated with negative outcomes including poorer mental health and well-being. Those with high autistic traits but no clinical diagnosis are not seldom included in camouflaging research, therefore we cannot ascertain whether camouflaging plays a role in the underdiagnosis of autistic females. Data from young adults with a diagnosis of autism (n = 78), high autistic traits but no diagnosis (n = 177) or low autistic traits (n = 180) revealed autistic females reported camouflaging significantly more than other groups. Males and females with low autistic traits reported significantly lower camouflaging than high trait and diagnosed groups. Loneliness was a key predictor of camouflaging for the diagnosed group only. Camouflaging was found to predict lower psychological quality of life for the diagnosed group, and lower social quality of life for the high trait and low trait groups. Overall, findings indicated that, although all groups reported camouflaging, the motivations for doing so may be different for diagnosed autistic individuals. It is important for stakeholders and society to improve understanding of autism and acceptance of atypical behaviour to alleviate possible negative outcomes associated with camouflaging