Debra Costley

Employment activities and experiences of adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger’s Disorder.

There is limited large-scale empirical research into the working lives of adults who have an autism spectrum disorder with no co-occurring intellectual disability. Drawing on data from a national survey, this report describes the employment activities and experiences of 130 adults with Asperger’s Disorder (AD) and high functioning autism (HFA) in Australia. Outcome measures include current occupation; occupational skill level and alignment with educational attainment; type of job contract; hours of work; support received to find work; support received in the workplace; and positive and negative experiences of employment. The findings confirm and expand upon existing evidence that adults with AD and HFA, despite their capacity and willingness to work, face significant disadvantages in the labour market and a lack of understanding and support in employment settings.

The experiences and needs of female adults with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder

There is limited large-scale research into the lived experiences of female adults who have an autism spectrum disorder with no co-occurring intellectual disability. Drawing on the findings of an Australia-wide survey, this report presents self-report data from n = 82 women with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder in the areas of health, education, employment, social and community activities. Where relevant, comparisons are provided with the male subset of the same study population; however, in the majority of analyses, no discernible gender differences emerged. The findings highlight the diverse and complex challenges faced by women with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder, including high levels of mental health disorder, unmet support needs in education settings and the workplace, and social exclusion and isolation.

Students with autism in regular classes: a long-term follow-up study of a satellite class transition model

Students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are increasingly being educated within mainstream schools. While there is often an assumption that students with ASD who are academically capable will succeed in an inclusive educational placement, previous research has indicated that this is not always the case. Indeed, it seems that students with ASDs are often not equipped to cope with the social and communication demands of a mainstream classroom. Autism Spectrum Australias (Aspect) satellite class programme aims to address this gap by blending specialised intervention with strategies to prepare students and receiving schools for transition to more inclusive educational placements. A long-term follow-up study comprising a parent survey of satellite class graduates and four detailed case studies was undertaken to determine whether these classes led to successful placement of students with ASD in more inclusive educational settings. Results indicated that a majority of graduates remained placed in more inclusive educational settings. Overall, parents were satisfied with the programme. Attendance at a satellite class was just one of a number of factors associated with positive outcomes in late adolescence. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for teachers and school staff planning for and supporting students with ASDs in their transition to inclusive educational settings.

Parent-reported differences between school-aged girls and boys on the autism spectrum:

More boys than girls are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder; however, there are conflicting findings about whether they differ in their presentation. This study involved a survey of parents of school-aged children on the autism spectrum (171 parents of girls and 163 parents of boys) that was distributed via social media. The surveys provided insights regarding the characteristics of boys and girls (as perceived by parents) as well as some demographic information. There were very few differences reported regarding communication and social strengths and difficulties of boys and girls with autism. No differences were reported in the number of boys and girls on the autism spectrum with special interests or repetitive behaviours; however, significant differences were found in the types of special interests with boys and girls showing generally interests along traditional gender lines. Qualitative analysis of open comments indicated that some parents of girls on the autism spectrum described their daughter as trying to hide or mask her difficulties more but no parents of boys on the spectrum described this phenomenon.

Factors Influencing the Research Participation of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Recruiting adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into research poses particular difficulties; longitudinal studies face additional challenges. This paper reports on a mixed methods study to identify factors influencing the participation in longitudinal autism research of adults with ASD, including those with an intellectual disability, and their carers. Common and differentiating factors influencing the research participation of participants are identified and discussed. Factors influencing participation were found to differ both between and within participant categories. We propose a dichotomy whereby factors influencing research participation can be classified as those arising from a participant’s values, which act as either a motivator or a deterrent; and those based on convenience, which act as either an enabler or inhibitor. These findings are applicable to research studies that seek to recruit adults with ASD as participants.

Research on adults with autism spectrum disorder: Roundtable report

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in adults is estimated to be at least 1% (Brugha et al., 2011), yet almost all ASD research focuses on children. Adult intervention studies, in part...

The Use of iPADs in the Home Setting for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Families and educators have turned to digital tablets to support the unique needs of students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), due to their ease of use, social acceptance, low cost, and portability. While school-based trial programs are emerging, there is very little research examining collaborative partnerships between families and educators relating to digital tablets. This study employed a qualitative methodology to investigate the use of digital tablets in the home setting to support students with ASD. Underpinned by Moll and Greenberg’s funds of knowledge theoretical framework, the study posited that the use of digital tablets for students with ASD can be enhanced if experiences from the home setting are validated by educators. It used semistructured interviews and anecdotal evidence with four families to explore the various ways digital tablets are used. Data from interviews with four teacher participants in a school-based trial were used to examine the collaboration between homes and schools regarding digital tablet use. The results showed that digital tablets were used daily in their homes. Frequent recreational and educational uses were reported as well as uses that supported behavior and communication. Finally, there were some suggestions in relation to the collaboration between home and school.

School-based social skills training for young people with autism spectrum disorders

ABSTRACT Background: The Secret Agent Society (SAS) Program, an intervention to enhance social–emotional skills, was provided by schools for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The program was assessed to determine if it improved social skills at school and home, and whether improvements were maintained. Methods: Eighty-four students participated. Key outcomes were parent and teacher ratings of emotion regulation, social skills, and direct child social problem-solving measures. The standard school curriculum served as the control condition. Phase 1 was a two-group waitlist-control comparison of SAS versus the standard curriculum. Phase 2 was a follow up of all participants before and after the intervention and at 12-months post-intervention. Results: Parent and child measures improved after the intervention but not in the waitlist condition. Improvements in parent, child, and teacher measures were apparent at 12 months. Conclusions: The SAS Program warrants further research as a potential program for schools that serve children with ASD.

Perspectives on Regular and Support Class Placement and Factors that Contribute to Success of Inclusion for Children with ASD

For young children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in regular schools, ASD specific service delivery options include regular class placement with itinerant consultative support and support class placement. This study provided an examination of levels of parent, teacher and principal satisfaction with both regular class placement (n = 39) and a satellite support class option (n=35), which provides a more gradual transition into regular class. Given that regular class placement was the ultimate goal for children enrolled in the study, factors that either facilitated or acted as barriers to successful inclusion were examined for those children currently in regular classes. There were relatively high levels of parent, teacher and principal satisfaction with both satellite support class and regular class placement for children with ASD, with higher levels of parental satisfaction with satellite support placement. Across all respondents, the most frequently identified facilitating factors were related to teaching practices and skills. In contrast, barriers identified were generally related to child characteristics. A number of suggestions for future research are offered.

The Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluative Education Model: A School-Based Method of Assessing and Selecting Interventions for Classroom Use

Evaluating educational programs and interventions is generally considered a normal part of curriculum development and improvement, and published findings are readily accessible through peer-reviewed journals. Recently, however, researchers and practicing educators have identified a lack of evaluative research regarding Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) educational practices in the peer-reviewed literature. Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) has an established evidence-informed ASD curriculum that is constantly reviewed and updated to meet the needs of the students in Aspect schools and classes. Through a methodical evaluative process, all educational interventions and support processes and devices undergo a series of Evidence-Based Research Trials and evaluations before they are implemented in classes. This article demonstrates how a workflow model can deliver a systematic method for identifying, evaluating, implementing, and disseminating the research findings of a program or support intervention. The Autism Spectrum Disorder Evaluative Education (ASDEE) model is discussed.