Anxiety problems in young people with Asperger syndrome: a case series

It is now well established that the prevalence of mental health difficulties in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is considerably higher than in the general population. With recent estimates of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders being as high as one percent, increasing numbers of children and young people are presenting to local and specialist services with mental health problems in addition to a diagnosis of ASD. Many families report that the impact of the mental health problems can be as or more impairing than the autism spectrum difficulties themselves. Clinical services are frequently called upon to treat these difficulties; however, there is limited evidence for the effectiveness of treatments in this population. This paper reports a case series of children and adolescents with ASD and an anxiety disorder who were treated with a standard cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) rationale adapted to take account of the neuropsychological features of ASD. Common features of the presentation of the disorders and also treatment processes are discussed

How do children’s challenges to function and participation impact maternal stress? A survey of mothers of children with suspected developmental co-ordination disorder

Mothers of children with suspected developmental coordination disorder qualitatively report high levels of parenting stress. The parent-child relationship impacts on opportuni-ties for participation available to the child and family. This study used standardised measures to quantify maternal stress and to examine factors that may be associated with parenting stress (social support and coping child diagnosis, motor skills and sensory pro-cessing). Maternal stress was high but not associated with child motor impairment. In-stead, stress was correlated with child sensory processing problems, maternal social sup-port and coping. Mothers are at risk and concerns about the child should be considered in the context of family need

The Role of Maternal and Child Health Beliefs in Children's Somatic Symptoms and General Practitioner Attendance

This paper proposes a multifactorial model for the origin of somatic symptoms in children, their cognitive appraisal and the subsequent processes involved in the decision whether or not to consult a medical practitioner. The model suggests that symptoms arise for a numvber of reasons which include illness, child factors such as psychiatric disorder and family factors such as dysfunctional family systems and modelling. Following onset, the symptom is cognitively appraised by both the child and mother, a process which is influenced by health beliefs and involves an assessment of the personal risk and saliency of the symptom. Finally, a decision is made over the action to be taken. A number of factors are important here, including health beliefs, sociodemograhic variables such as social support and psychological factors such as neuroticism

The Effectiveness of Telemedicine in Coaching Parents of Autistic Children Using Naturalistic Developmental Early Interventions: a Rapid Review

Evidence on the effectiveness of telemedicine in coaching parents of autistic children using naturalistic developmental early interventions is limited. This review aimed to examine the literature on the effectiveness of telemedicine on children’s social communication following parent-mediated naturalistic developmental early interventions. A total of nine studies were identified. Intervention characteristics, outcomes, and research quality were assessed. Findings suggest insufficient evidence for the effectiveness of telemedicine on child social communication. All the included studies were at high risk of bias in at least one quality indicator of the risk of bias tools. More high-quality research is required to examine the effectiveness of telemedicine applications on child social communication to support access and continuity of early intervention services

Coaching Parents of Children with Sensory Integration Difficulties: A Scoping Review

Aim. To review current evidence regarding the effectiveness of occupational therapy coaching interventions for parents of children with sensory integration difficulties, delivered to individuals or groups of parents. Method. A historical scoping review was completed of empirical research records to summarize what is known and how this information can guide future research. The process was guided by PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were English language and peer-reviewed empirical studies of parent coaching intervention for children with sensory processing or sensory integration difficulties. Five databases were searched. Papers were critically reviewed using McMaster’s guidelines. Results. Four studies met the search criteria. Three studies took a direct coaching approach with individual parents or families. The fourth study took a mixed educational/coaching approach with groups of parents and teachers. Conclusion. There is some evidence to conclude that occupational therapists can deliver individual parent-focused coaching interventions which impact positively on individual child goals, parental stress, and sense of competence. Group intervention can lead to caregivers’ improved perceived and actual knowledge of sensory integration, as well as a sense of self-efficacy in dealing with sensory-related child behaviors. Current evidence is limited. Suggestions for future research are offered

The effects of a 16-week school-based exercise program on anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorder

Physical activity interventions have been shown to decrease anxiety in children with ASD. There is little known regarding the effects of an exercise program on anxiety in both home and school settings and the optimal dosage to reduce anxiety. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the effects of a 16-week exercise program on the anxiety levels of children with moderate to severe symptoms of ASD in home and school settings, and to compare the effects at 8 and 16 weeks. This study was a within-subject, non-controlled design, intervention study. Twenty-four children (5−18 years) with moderate to severe ASD were included. A school-based exercise program was implemented three days a week for 16 weeks. Parents and teachers completed the Anxiety Scale for Children for ASD (ASC-ASD) at baseline, week 8, and week 16. A one-way repeated-measure ANOVA with post hoc analysis using Bonferroni adjustment was used to test for a significant effect for time (p 0.05), with Cohen’s d used to calculate the effect size. For teacher-reported anxiety, there were significant decreases from baseline to week 16 for total ASC-ASD (p 0.001), performance anxiety (p 0.001), anxious arousal (p 0.001), and uncertainty (p 0.001). There was no significant decrease in parent-reported anxiety. The findings demonstrate that a 16-week exercise program can reduce anxiety in children with ASD in school settings. Results demonstrate that 16 weeks, as opposed to 8, may be necessary to have a significant effect on in-school anxiety

Mothers’ perspectives: daily life when your child has sensory differences

A child’s sensory processing and sensory integration (SP-SI) differences can be a barrier to participation in daily life for both child and mother. Supporting mothers is advocated for, but little is known about the everyday experiences of these mothers. To gain an understanding of daily life for mothers and their children with SP-SI differences. Qualitative semi-structured interviews with six mothers were analyzed through thematic analysis. Theme 1 described the impact of child SP-SI on daily life, including challenges in occupations across environments, adaptations required, and the lack of knowledge and understanding from social and professional networks. Theme 2 identified what helps: empowering mothers through relationships based on listening, gaining knowledge, and understanding, and adapting the activity and the environment. Mothers report that their child’s SP-SI differences impact daily occupations and social relationships. In addition, supportive relationships, adapting activities, and adapting the environment, support participation

Myths about autism: an exploratory study using focus groups

Individuals with autism are often stigmatised and isolated by their typically developing peers according to parental, teacher and self-reports. Whilst quantitative studies often report negative attitudes towards individuals with autism, it is still unclear how understandings of autism influence attitudes. In this exploratory study, misconceptions or myths about autism, i.e. the cognitive component of attitudes, were examined using focus groups. Purposive sampling was used to recruit undergraduate and postgraduate students, and adults with and without experience of autism, to one of five focus groups (n = 37). Content analysis was used to identify emergent themes. The data identified seven commonly held beliefs about individuals with autism. The first four were related to social interaction, such as that people with autism do not like to be touched. The fifth reflected the view that all individuals with autism have a special talent and the final two concerned beliefs that people with autism are dangerous. The findings from this study demonstrate that people with varying experience or knowledge of autism often hold inaccurate beliefs about autism. These findings improve our understandings of lay-beliefs about autism, and will aid the development and implementation of interventions designed to improve lay-knowledge of autism

Pilot study of fascia Bowen therapy for 8-11 year-old boys with developmental coordination disorder

Background: Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), also known as dyspraxia, is characterised by motor skill impairments. The motor difficulties often produce negative effects in other areas of life, such as poor self-esteem and reduced social interactions. One treatment used for DCD is fascia Bowen therapy, which involves stimulating the fascia tissues of the body using finger and thumb rolling movements over the skin to improve overall muscle movement. However, no studies to date have been reported testing the effectiveness of fascia Bowen in DCD. Methods: The present pilot study tested the effectiveness of 6 weeks of fascia Bowen in 10 boys aged 8-11 years with DCD. None of the boys had ever received treatment in any form before this study. Motor skills were assessed using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 (MABC-2) and the DCD questionnaire, and psycho-social functioning was measured using the Self-Perception Profile, Spence Social Skills Questionnaire, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. All measures of interest were assessed before and after the therapy. Results: Results showed significant improvement in motor function post-intervention, with 60% of the children no longer clinically being classified as having a movement difficulty on the MABC-2. However, no significant improvements were seen in psycho-social measures. Conclusions: The current pilot study revealed improvements in motor functioning after fascia Bowen therapy across both performance and questionnaire measures, but improvements did not extend to wider areas. Further research in DCD is needed testing fascia Bowen in larger studies with expanded ages and both genders over longer periods