The Institute for Faculty Excellence: A Study of the Personal and Professional Development of Judges

The purpose of this study is to understand the role that participation in IFEJE played in the personal and professional development of six judges who participated in the Institute since 2001. Three perspectives of education, including the history of adult learning, continuing professional education, and judicial branch education are discussed. The theoretical perspectives that provide the foundation for IFEJE are reviewed in the literature discussion to support the need for the study.Case study as methodology was employed to understand participants’ experiences at IFEJE. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews served as the primary data source in this study. A protocol was developed to learn how IFEJE contributed to their professional development and/or their roles as a judges and growth as individuals, and how the program was different from other professional development programs they have attended. In addition to interviews, archival data including Institute evaluations compiled since 2002, the IFEJE Impact Evaluation (Younger, 2004), and emails that have been collected since 2004 were analyzed. Coding and categorizing the interview, evaluation, and email texts was the main analytic strategy used to develop themes from the data.Two themes emerged from the analysis process: 1) community and 2) self-efficacy. The sense of connections attributed to participant experiences at IFEJE assisted them in the development of a new community of friends and colleagues, in the realm of human experiences, and in their roles as judges and teachers. The categories brought forward in the analysis process indicated that each of the IFEJE study participants felt connection to: 1) themselves; 2) other participants and faculty; 3) the theoretical material; 4) their topics/projects; 5) IFEJE locations and experiential learning opportunities (ELOs); and 6) judging and the judicial system. Self-efficacy was the second major theme identified in this study. The following categories brought forward in the analysis process were generated from study participants’ reports of self-efficacy related to: 1) conducting self assessment; 2) importance of storytelling; 3) collegial support; 4) freedom; and 5) purposefulness discovered through the processes and projects completed at the Institute. In the process of establishing the two major themes from the data, participants described a unique culture at IFEJE. What was unusual about the culture was the requirement that all involved, including participants, faculty, and program staff, participate fully and share of themselves and that participants were held accountable for their learning by creating a project, and thus new knowledge

Investigating the structure of the autism-spectrum quotient using Mokken scaling

Traits similar to those shown in autism spectrum condition (ASC) are apparent in relatives of individuals with ASC, and in the general population without necessarily meeting diagnostic criteria for an ASC. We assess whether the Autism-Spectrum Quotient (AQ), a self-report measure, has hierarchical properties using Mokken scaling. Hierarchical scales allow the presence of a latent trait to be identified by discovering whether and how many specific items form an ordered array along it. Data were collected from 2 groups: (1) people with ASC (n = 449: 240 males, 209 females, M age 35.4 years, SD = 12.8) and (2) university students (n = 943: 465 males, 475 females, M age = 23.0 years, SD = 8.4). A single Mokken scale was obtained in the data from university students and 3 scales were obtained in the data from people with ASC. The scales all showed moderate Mokken scaling properties with the single scale obtained from university students showing weak invariant item ordering and 2 of the scales from people with ASC showing weak invariant item ordering. The AQ formed reliable Mokken scales. There was a large overlap between the scale from the university student sample and the sample with ASC, with the first scale, relating to social interaction, being almost identical. The present study confirms the utility of the AQ as a single instrument that can dimensionalize autistic traits in both university student and clinical samples of ASC, and confirms that items of the AQ are consistently ordered relative to one another

Understanding the substance use of autistic adolescents and adults: a mixed-methods approach.

BACKGROUND: Autistic individuals might be more likely to misuse substances than non-autistic individuals. Better understanding of these patterns can help clinicians identify strategies to reduce substance use, protecting physical and mental health. The aim of this study was to compare the experiences of substance use between autistic and non-autistic adolescents and adults. METHODS: This study is a mixed-methods study, including both quantitative (closed-ended questions) and qualitative (one open-ended question) online assessments. Data were collected as part of a larger study, the Autism and Physical Health Survey, in which we administered an anonymised, online questionnaire to autistic and non-autistic individuals aged 16-90 years. In the present study, we investigated data on substance use or misuse, using two overlapping but separate samples from the survey (one sample with complete quantitative responses and one sample with complete qualitative responses). Binary measures of substance use were investigated using unadjusted and adjusted binomial logistic regression models. Content analysis was used to compare experiences of autistic and non-autistic adolescents and adults. We used Fisher's exact tests to assess differences in frequency of reporting particular qualitative themes and subthemes. FINDINGS: Survey recruitment was done between Feb 7, 2018, and Aug 26, 2019. At the end of the recruitment, 3657 individuals had accessed the survey. After excluding duplicates as well as participants with missing or incomplete responses, we had data from 2386 participants (1183 autistic and 1203 non-autistic participants; 1571 female and 815 male participants) for the quantitative analyses and data from 919 participants (429 autistic and 490 non-autistic participants; 569 female and 350 male participants) in the qualitative analyses. The samples for the quantitative and qualitative analyses were predominantly composed of female individuals, White individuals, UK residents, and those without intellectual disability. Autistic individuals were less likely than non-autistic individuals to report consuming alcohol regularly (16·0% of autistic individuals vs 22·2% of non-autistic individuals; adjusted model: odds ratio [OR] 0·69, 95% CI 0·55-0·86; p=0·0022) or binge-drinking (3·8% vs 8·2%; adjusted model: OR 0·38, 0·26-0·56; p<0·0001). Autistic male participants were less likely than non-autistic male participants to report ever having smoked (50·8% of autistic male participants vs 64·6% of non-autistic male participants; adjusted OR 0·50; 0·32-0·76; p=0·0022) or ever using drugs (35·4% vs 52·7%; adjusted OR 0·53; 0·35-0·80; p=0·0022). Regarding our qualitative analyses, among participants who reported a specific motivation for drug use, compared with non-autistic individuals, autistic individuals were nearly nine times more likely to report using recreational substances to manage behaviour (OR 8·89, 2·05-81·12; p=0·0017) and more likely to report using recreational substances to manage mental health symptoms (OR 3·08, 1·18-9·08; p=0·032). Autistic individuals were also more likely to report vulnerability associated with substance use (OR 4·16, 1·90-10·05; p=0·00027), including childhood use of drugs and being forced or tricked into using drugs. INTERPRETATION: Autistic individuals might be less likely than non-autistic individuals to report engaging in substance misuse. They also report using drugs to self-medicate. Clinicians should be aware of vulnerability linked to substance use among autistic patients and should work cooperatively with patients to effectively manage autistic and comorbid symptoms. FUNDING: Autism Research Trust, Rosetrees Trust, Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.Autism Research Trust, Cambridge and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Rosetrees Trust, Corbin Charitable Trust, Autistica MRC, ARC-EoE, and Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertakin

The Q-CHAT (Quantitative CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers): A Normally Distributed Quantitative Measure of Autistic Traits at 18–24 Months of Age: Preliminary Report

We report a major revision of the CHecklist for Autism in Toddlers (CHAT). This quantitative CHAT (Q-CHAT) contains 25 items, scored on a 5 point scale (0-4). The QCHAT was completed by parents of n = 779 unselected toddlers (mean age 21 months) and n = 160 toddlers and preschoolers (mean age 44 months) with an Autism Spectrum Condition (ASC). The ASC group (mean (SD) = 51.8 (14.3)) scored higher on the QCHAT than controls (26.7 (7.8)). Boys in the control group (27.5 (7.8)) scored higher than girls (25.8 (7.7)). The intraclass correlation for test-retest reliability was 0.82 (n=330). The distribution in the control group was close to normal. Full examination of the clinical validity of the Q-CHAT and test properties is underway

Defining the broader, medium and narrow autism phenotype among parents using the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ).

BACKGROUND: The Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) is a self-report questionnaire for quantifying autistic traits. This study tests whether the AQ can differentiate between parents of children with an autism spectrum condition (ASC) and control parents. In this paper, the use of the AQ to define the broader, medium and narrow autism phenotypes (BAP, MAP, NAP) is reported, and the proportion of parents with each phenotype is compared between the two groups. METHODS: A sample of 571 fathers and 1429 mothers of children with an ASC completed the AQ, along with 349 fathers and 658 mothers of developing typically children. RESULTS: Both mothers and fathers of the diagnosed children scored higher than the control parents on total AQ score and on four out of five of the subscales. Additionally, there were more parents of diagnosed children with a BAP, MAP or NAP. CONCLUSIONS: The AQ provides an efficient method for quantifying where an individual lies along the dimension of autistic traits, and extends the notion of a broader phenotype among first-degree relatives of those with ASC. The AQ is likely to have many applications, including population and clinical screening, and stratification in genetic studies.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are

Mirror-Touch Synaesthesia Is Not Associated with Heightened Empathy, and Can Occur with Autism.

Research has linked Mirror-Touch (MT) synaesthesia with enhanced empathy. We test the largest sample of MT synaesthetes to date to examine two claims that have been previously made: that MT synaesthetes (1) have superior empathy; and (2) only ever experience their MT synaesthesia in response to viewing a person being touched. Given that autism has been suggested to involve deficits in cognitive empathy, we also test two predictions: that MT synaesthetes should (3) be less likely than general population individuals without MT synaesthesia to have an autism spectrum condition (ASC), if MT is characterized by superior empathy; and (4) have fewer autistic traits. We selected three groups: a pure MT synaesthesia group (N = 46), a pure grapheme-colour (GC) synaesthesia group (N = 36), and a typical control group without synaesthesia (N = 46). Participants took three measures of empathy and one measure of autistic traits. MT synaesthetes did not show enhanced empathy. In addition, 30% of all MT synaesthetes recruited into this study (N = 135) reported also having ASC, and MT synaesthetes showed higher autistic trait scores than controls. Finally, some MT experiences were reported in response to viewing objects being touched. Our findings dispute the views that MT synaesthesia is linked with enhanced empathy, is less likely to occur with ASC or elevated autistic traits, and is specific to seeing a person being touched.European Commission (studentship), Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, Autism Research Trust,National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care East of England at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, William Binks Autism Neuroscience Fellowship, Wolfson College Cambridge, O’Brien Scholars Program within the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, CanadaThis is the final version of the article. It first appeared from the Public Library of Science via http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.016054

An investigation of the diet, exercise, sleep, BMI, and health outcomes of autistic adults.

BackgroundStudies of autistic children suggest that restricted eating, reduced physical activity, and sleep disorders are common; however, no studies attempt to broadly describe the diet, exercise, and sleep patterns of autistic adults or consider relationships between lifestyle behaviors and the widely reported increased risks of obesity and chronic conditions. To address this, the authors developed the largest study of lifestyle patterns of autistic adults and assessed their relationships to body mass index, health outcomes, and family history.MethodsWe administered an anonymized, online survey to n = 2386 adults (n = 1183 autistic) aged 16-90 years of age. We employed Fisher's exact tests and binomial logistic regression to describe diet, exercise, and sleep patterns; mediation of seizure disorders on sleep; body mass index (BMI); relationships of lifestyle factors to BMI, cardiovascular conditions, and diabetic conditions; and sex differences among autistic adults.ResultsAutistic adults, and particularly autistic females, exhibit unhealthy diet, exercise, and sleep patterns; they are also more likely to be underweight or obese. Limited sleep duration and high rates of sleep disturbances cannot be accounted for by epilepsy or seizure disorders. Lifestyle factors are positively related to higher risk of cardiovascular conditions among autistic males, even more than family history.LimitationsOur sample may not be representative of all autistic and non-autistic people, as it primarily comprised individuals who are white, female, have a high school education or higher, and reside in the UK. Our sampling methods may also exclude some individuals on the autism spectrum, and particularly those with moderate to severe intellectual disability. This is a cross-sectional sample that can test for relationships between factors (e.g., lifestyle factors and health outcomes) but cannot assess the direction of these relationships.ConclusionsAutistic adults are less likely to meet minimal health recommendations for diet, exercise, and sleep-and these unhealthy behaviors may relate to excess risk of cardiovascular conditions. Although the present study can only provide preliminary, correlational evidence, our findings suggest that diet, exercise, and sleep should be considered and further investigated as key targets for reducing the now widely reported and dramatically increased risks of health comorbidity and premature death among autistic individuals compared to others. Physicians should work cooperatively with patients to provide health education and develop individualized strategies for how to better manage challenges with diet, exercise, and sleep

Autism and the criminal justice system: An analysis of 93 cases

We investigate whether autistic people's vulnerability is taken into account at each stage of the criminal justice system (CJS). Defense lawyers from 12 nations were included in the study although the sample was predominantly from the UK. Lawyers completed an online survey regarding one case in which they had defended an autistic client between January 2015 and January 2020; and on one case in which they had defended a nonautistic client charged with a similar offense, to provide a comparison group. Ninety-three lawyers (85% in the UK) reported on one autistic case, and 53 also reported on one nonautistic case. 75% of autistic clients were not given reasonable adjustments during the process. Only 43% were offered an appropriate adult during police investigations, even though they had an existing diagnosis of autism. 59% of prosecution barristers and 46% of judges said or did something during the trial that made the lawyers concerned that they did not have an adequate understanding of autism. Lawyers were 7.58 times more likely to be concerned about their autistic client's effective participation in court and were 3.83 times more likely to be concerned that their autistic clients would engage in self-harm, compared with their nonautistic clients. There is a failure to identify and address autistic peoples' disability within the CJS. There is a need for mandatory autism training for police officers and the judiciary, with a focus on identifying autism and understanding the needs of autistic people so that reasonable adjustments are offered in all cases. LAY SUMMARY: This study sought to investigate if the needs of autistic people are being overlooked by the police and other professionals within the CJS. Results show that autistic people are not always given the support they need during police questioning or in court. The experience of being involved with the police may also have a more negative impact on autistic peoples' mental health than that of nonautistic people

Exploring Preschool-Age Children’s Ability to Write Letters

The purpose of this study was to examine the letter-writing ability of preschool children aged 3-5 years and the relationship between early literacy skills (i.e., alphabet knowledge, phonological awareness, and name writing) and letter-writing ability. Thirty-six children were individually assessed on letter writing and early literacy skills thought to be important for letter writing success: letter-name knowledge, letter-sound knowledge, beginning sound awareness, and name writing (i.e., writing names using letters or letter-like forms). Results showed that preschool children demonstrated substantial abilities to write upper-case and lower-case letters and children\u27s age was significantly associated with letter-writing ability. Children\u27s lower-case letter-name knowledge, letter-sound knowledge, and name writing were significantly related to letter writing comprised of upper-case and lower-case letter writing. Letter-sound knowledge and name writing significantly predicted upper-case letter writing and only letter-sound knowledge significantly predicted lower-case letter writing