Social Characteristics of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Across Classroom Settings

Social Characteristics of Students with autism spectrum disorders across Classroom Settings The current study examined the differences in social characteristics between students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) primarily educated in full inclusion and non full inclusion classrooms. One hundred and forty six parents of children with ASD completed a questionnaire regarding the social experiences of their child. Results indicate that after controlling for severity of disability and age, higher social competence was related to placement in full inclusion classrooms. Regression analyses indicate that ASD severity predicted social competence and quality of friendships, and age and problem behaviour predicted the number of friends outside school. Implications for future studies are discussed

Bullying Experiences among Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

DOI: 10.1007/s10803-011-1241-xFew studies have investigated bullying experiences among children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, preliminary research suggests that children with ASD are at greater risk for being bullied than typically developing peers. The aim of the current study was to build an understanding of bullying experiences among children with ASD based on parent reports by examining rates of various forms of bullying, exploring the association between victimization and mental health problems, and investigating individual and contextual variables as correlates of victimization. Victimization was related to child age, internalizing and externalizing mental health problems, communication difficulties, and number of friends at school, as well as parent mental health problems. Bullying prevention and intervention strategies are discussed.Ontario Mental Health Foundatio

Parent Empowerment and Mental Health: Understanding Parent Perceptions of the Educational Experience

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are important partners with schools in ensuring effective education, and it is important to examine the factors that influence parent perceptions of their children’s educational experience. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relations among parent empowerment, parent mental health, and perceptions of children’s educational experience in 176 parents of children with ASD. Parent empowerment and mental health were found to be significant predictors of parents’ perceptions of their child’s educational experience. The importance of understanding constructs such as empowerment and mental health and how they relate to school satisfaction is discussed

A randomised controlled trial of a computerised intervention for children with social communication difficulties to support peer collaboration

An intervention aiming to support children with social communication difficulties was tested using a randomised controlled design. Children aged 5–6 years old (n = 32) were tested and selected for participation on the basis of their scores on the Test of Pragmatic Skills (TPS) and were then randomly assigned to the intervention arm or to the delayed intervention control group. Following previous research which suggested that computer technology may be particularly useful for this group of children, the intervention included a collaborative computer game which the children played with an adult. Subsequently, children's performance as they played the game with a classmate was observed. Micro-analytic observational methods were used to analyse the audio-recorded interaction of the children as they played. Pre- and post-intervention measures comprised the Test of Pragmatic Skills, children's performance on the computer game and verbal communication measures that the children used during the game. This evaluation of the intervention shows promise. At post-test, the children who had received the intervention, by comparison to the control group who had not, showed significant gains in their scores on the Test of Pragmatic Skills (p = .009, effect size r = −.42), a significant improvement in their performance on the computer game (p = .03, r = −.32) and significantly greater use of high-quality questioning during collaboration (p < .001, r = −.60). Furthermore, the children who received the intervention made significantly more positive statements about the game and about their partners (p = .02, r = −.34) suggesting that the intervention increased their confidence and enjoyment

The Prevalence and Psychopathological Correlates of Sibling Bullying in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder

Using data from a prospective population based study, the prevalence and psychopathological correlates of sibling bullying in children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were estimated. There were 475 children with ASD and 13,702 children without ASD aged 11 years. Children with ASD were more likely to be bullied by their siblings compared to those without ASD. They were also more likely than those without ASD to both bully and be bullied by their siblings, which was associated with lower prosocial skills as well as more internalizing and externalizing problems compared to those not involved in any sibling bullying. Interventions to improve social and emotional outcomes in children with ASD should focus on both the affected and the unaffected sibling

Public Stigma of Autism Spectrum Disorder at School: Implicit Attitudes Matter

This study examines the public stigma of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by their school-aged peers, focusing on both explicit and implicit attitudes. The twofold aims were to provide a broader picture of public stigma and to explore age-related changes in attitudes. Students completed an explicit measure of the public stigma and an implicit measure of attitudes after watching a video displaying children with ASD vs. typically developing (TD) children. Both measures showed more negative perceptions towards children with ASD compared to TD children. However, while explicit attitudes improved with age, implicit attitudes remained constantly negative. This finding suggests that both explicit and implicit attitudes should be considered when promoting an inclusive climate at school

Comparing early adolescents’ positive bystander responses to cyberbullying and traditional bullying: the impact of severity and gender

Young people are frequently exposed to bullying events in the offline and online domain. Witnesses to these incidents act as bystanders and play a pivotal role in reducing or encouraging bullying behaviour. The present study examined 868 (47.2% female) 11-13-year-old early adolescent pupils’ bystander responses across a series of hypothetical vignettes based on traditional and cyberbullying events. The vignettes experimentally controlled for severity across mild, moderate, and severe scenarios. The findings showed positive bystander responses (PBRs) were higher in cyberbullying than traditional bullying incidents. Bullying severity impacted on PBRs, in that PBRs increased across mild, moderate, and severe incidents, consistent across traditional and cyberbullying. Females exhibited more PBRs across both types of bullying. Findings are discussed in relation to practical applications within the school. Strategies to encourage PBRs to all forms of bullying should be at the forefront of bullying intervention methods