Experience of parents whose children with autism spectrum disorder are starting primary school.

The transition to school is considered a key event in a child’s life. It is also a major event in their parents’ lives. Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are considered to be particularly vulnerable in the transition process because of their difficulties with social communication, social interaction and change. Transition programmes that facilitate the child in starting school naturally focus on the child’s needs but a review of the literature revealed little research into the experiences of parents whose children with ASD were starting school. In this study, a qualitative method, Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), was used to explore the perceptions and experiences of parents whose young children with ASD were starting school in September 2013. Interviews with six participants were transcribed and analysed and examined individually. A cross-case analysis revealed three common overarching themes which reflected their experiences of the transition process and their interactions with other people in the child’s life. These include ‘I think they need to believe, believe what we’re telling them’, ‘Experience of ASD: It’s a very labelling thing’ and ‘Preparing for school and feelings about the future’. Key findings which add to the literature on this under-researched topic are described and implications are discussed with particular reference to the role of the educational psychologist in facilitating optimal outcomes for parents of children with ASD in the transition process

Parents' perspectives on the value of assistance dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study

Objective While there is an emerging literature on the usefulness of assistance dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a dearth of quantitative data on the value of assistance dog interventions for the family unit and family functioning. Using previously validated scales and scales developed specifically for this study, we measured parents’/guardians’ perceptions of how having an assistance dog affects: (1) child safety from environmental dangers, (2) public reception of ASD and (3) levels of caregiver strain and sense of competence. We also obtained open-ended response data from parents/guardians on benefits and constraints of having an assistance dog. Setting This study was based in the primary care setting, within the context of a specific accredited assistance dog centre in Ireland. Participants A total of 134 parents/guardians with an assistance dog, and 87 parents of children on the waiting list were surveyed. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome measures were scores on environmental hazards and public reception scales. The secondary outcome measures were scores on caregiver strain and competence scales. Results Parents/guardians of children who have ASD and an assistance dog rate their child as significantly safer from environmental dangers (p<0.001), perceive that the public act more respectfully and responsibly towards their child (p<0.001) and feel more competent about managing their child (p=0.023) compared with parents on the waiting list. There was a concentration of positive feeling towards assistance dog interventions with particular focus on safety and comfort for children, and a sense of freedom from family restrictions associated with ASD. The amount of dedication and commitment required to care for a dog were viewed as the primary constraints. Conclusions Our findings indicate that parents perceive that assistance dog interventions can be a valuable intervention for families with children who have ASD

Who, Me? Yes, You!- Consultation and Collaboration in the Museum as a Form of Crisis Remediation

Museums face what has been named the “curation crisis” in a variety of manners. The crisis itself ranges from lack of personnel, funding, depleted storage space, etcetera. The question then presents itself, how do we, as museum professionals, remediate the effects of the curation crisis and prevent it from growing and occurring in new institutions. One such manner must include an increased level of consultation between museum personnel and outside sources. Here, I analyze the uses of consultation in the museum setting, ranging types of museums, and the benefits that may or may not occur in remediation efforts using this method of intervention. Museums must engage in active communication and collaboration with communities, not just of the artifact’s provenance, but also of the local communities which surround the museum. Museums are multidimensional institutions that are meant to play social roles in today’s age. Part of playing this social role includes the need to incorporate the viewpoints of those the collection/ museum is representing. This representation takes many forms, but the end result is that collaboration and consultation has the potential to be mutually beneficial. Museums may use outside collaborators to determine proper storage, catalog description, even as labor, those collaborating with the museum may be able to receive input on revitalization efforts, reconnect with important objects from their past, and make their voices heard. With the Covid-19 pandemic, the use of telecommunication in the museum sector has become normalized. This results in an increased capacity for consultation, and as such, collaboration with outside groups must become part of museum standard practice

Parents\u27 perspectives on the value of assistance dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder: a cross-sectional study

Objective While there is an emerging literature on the usefulness of assistance dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is a dearth of quantitative data on the value of assistance dog interventions for the family unit and family functioning. Using previously validated scales and scales developed specifically for this study, we measured parents’/guardians’ perceptions of how having an assistance dog affects: (1) child safety from environmental dangers, (2) public reception of ASD and (3) levels of caregiver strain and sense of competence. We also obtained open-ended response data from parents/guardians on benefits and constraints of having an assistance dog. Setting This study was based in the primary care setting, within the context of a specific accredited assistance dog centre in Ireland. Participants A total of 134 parents/guardians with an assistance dog, and 87 parents of children on the waiting list were surveyed. Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome measures were scores on environmental hazards and public reception scales. The secondary outcome measures were scores on caregiver strain and competence scales. Results Parents/guardians of children who have ASD and an assistance dog rate their child as significantly safer from environmental dangers (p<0.001), perceive that the public act more respectfully and responsibly towards their child (p<0.001) and feel more competent about managing their child (p=0.023) compared with parents on the waiting list. There was a concentration of positive feeling towards assistance dog interventions with particular focus on safety and comfort for children, and a sense of freedom from family restrictions associated with ASD. The amount of dedication and commitment required to care for a dog were viewed as the primary constraints. Conclusions Our findings indicate that parents perceive that assistance dog interventions can be a valuable intervention for families with children who have ASD

Functional genomic landscape of acute myeloid leukaemia

The implementation of targeted therapies for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) has been challenging because of the complex mutational patterns within and across patients as well as a dearth of pharmacologic agents for most mutational events. Here we report initial findings from the Beat AML programme on a cohort of 672 tumour specimens collected from 562 patients. We assessed these specimens using whole-exome sequencing, RNA sequencing and analyses of ex vivo drug sensitivity. Our data reveal mutational events that have not previously been detected in AML. We show that the response to drugs is associated with mutational status, including instances of drug sensitivity that are specific to combinatorial mutational events. Integration with RNA sequencing also revealed gene expression signatures, which predict a role for specific gene networks in the drug response. Collectively, we have generated a dataset-accessible through the Beat AML data viewer (Vizome)-that can be leveraged to address clinical, genomic, transcriptomic and functional analyses of the biology of AML