The Gestalt of functioning in autism revisited: First revision of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Core Sets

Functioning is a construct capturing how an individual’s engagement in everyday life emerges from the interaction between the individual and their environment. The World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a biopsychosocial framework of functioning. Previously, the ICF was adapted for use in autism by developing Core Sets, a selection of ICF codes from the entire classification for specific conditions. Here, we present the first revision of the ICF of the Core sets for autism from a Delphi-like technique, based on evidence from Core Sets validation/linking studies, stakeholder feedback, and the development and piloting of the autism ICF Core Sets platform. Two ICF second-level codes were removed, and 12 were added to the comprehensive autism Core Set. The added codes reflect body functions in various sensory domains, fine hand use, and environmental factors. Changes were extensive for the age-appropriate brief Core Sets where ICF codes from the initial Core Sets were added or removed. The revisions conducted indicate a continued need for regularly updating Core Sets, based on empirical evidence and stakeholder involvement. We recommend the updated Core Sets for future use in autism research and practice in different age groups and contexts

A general model for batch building processes under the timeout and capacity rules

In manufacturing systems, batch building processes are very common, as goods are often transported or processed in batches and must therefore be collected before these transport or processing steps can occur. In this paper, we present a method for the performance analysis of general batch building processes in material flow systems under the timeout and capacity rules. The proposed model allows for stochastic collecting times and incorporates no restrictions with respect to the number of arriving units and their interarrival times. The accuracy of the discrete-time approach is demonstrated by comparing this approach with a discrete-event simulation model in continuous-time. Subsequently, the model is applied to two cases: a transportation case from the health care industry and the process of building a batch for a batch processor