We used Framework Analysis to investigate the female autism phenotype and its impact upon the under-recognition of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) in girls and women. Fourteen women with ASC (aged ...22–30 years) diagnosed in late adolescence or adulthood gave in-depth accounts of: ‘pretending to be normal’; of how their gender led various professionals to miss their ASC; and of conflicts between ASC and a traditional feminine identity. Experiences of sexual abuse were widespread in this sample, partially reflecting specific vulnerabilities from being a female with undiagnosed ASC. Training would improve teachers’ and clinicians’ recognition of ASC in females, so that timely identification can mitigate risks and promote wellbeing of girls and women on the autism spectrum.
IntroductionEngaging in physical activity and recreation are important aspects of health for children living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). However, children with ASD experience higher levels ...of inactivity and obesity along with increased injury rates. Since parent support is key to children’s activity participation, their safety related perceptions are important to understand and address. This scoping review aimed to examine literature on parent-focussed interventions, supports and barriers for safe physical activity for children with ASD.MethodsThe methodology was guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework for scoping reviews. Search procedures were developed collaboratively with a university librarian and included searches of five electronic databases, as well as grey literature and hand searching. Included abstracts were those reporting parent level measures related to physical or recreational activity for children 0–19 years living with ASD. Abstracts and articles were further examined for inclusion of concepts related to safety or injury prevention. Two reviewers examined each abstract and full text article and a third reviewer resolved any disagreements.ResultsLibrary electronic database searches yielded 603 abstracts and grey literature and hand searching yielded 2049 titles. In total, 44 full text articles were reviewed, 21 met the inclusion criteria and eight addressed parental perspectives on safety for children with ASD. Study methods included quantitative (4), qualitative (2) and mixed methods (2). No intervention studies were found while descriptive studies reported parental safety concerns including: program staff ability to ensure safety; safety of outdoor environments, and children’s lack of safety awareness and skills.ConclusionsResearch on parent views and experiences regarding safety-related factors influencing activity participation for children with ASD is currently limited. Additional research on this topic is needed to inform program and policy development and promote opportunities for children with ASD to engage safely in physical activity while also addressing parental perspectives.
As the population of children who are diagnosed as being on autism spectrum grows in number, so does the interest of scientists in this subject. Specialists in various fields increasingly not only ...focus on the children themselves but also examine their families’ situation and functioning. By doing so, they aim to understand the family as a system. Numerous empirical studies have demonstrated that when a baby with a disability is born or when it develops in an abnormal way, this becomes a source of suffering, anxiety, grief, or hostility towards the outside world. Such a situation is viewed as a crisis, a loss, and a process of mourning; working through these experiences is difficult, requires tremendous work, and requires external support in many cases. For these reasons, this paper provides a brief overview of parents’ experiences in the process of diagnosing a child; it cites the literature on the topic and shows the different paths of these experiences.
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