Suchergebnisse

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to families and society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is, therefore, not surprising that there is much heated debate and most governments have developed public policies to address the management of autism. This paper describes how well-known 'propaganda' techniques, that have become prevalent in the helping professions have been used to influence autism policies by spreading 'fake news' about the scientific discipline of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Over the past 40–50 years, meaningful evidence has accrued showing that interventions based on ABA can help people with autism reach their potential. In view of this, nearly all of North America has laws to mandate that ABA-based interventions are available through their health care systems. In contrast, across Europe there are no such laws. In fact, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body guiding health and social policy in the UK, concluded that it could not find any evidence to support ABA, and therefore could not recommend it. This paper addresses the reasons for these diametrically opposed perspectives.

Behavior analysts have an important role to play in the management of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). While empirical support for interventions that are based on behavior analysis is extensive, this is not the case for many other kinds of interventions. This has resulted in significant differences in public policy and recommendations in different parts of the world, most notably between Europe and North America. In this paper, we outline some of the reasons for this disparity. ; Elgesio analizė yra svarbi, kalbant apie autizmo spektro sutrikimo intervencijas. Elgesio analize pagrįstos intervencijos turi didelį empirinį pagrindimą, tačiau apie daugelį kitų intervencijų rūšių to pasakyti negalima. Tai lėmė didelius politinių sprendimų ir rekomendacijų skirtumus skirtingose pasaulio dalyse, ypač tarp Europos ir Šiaurės Amerikos. Straipsnyje analizuojamos kai kurios šių skirtumų priežastys.

Since autism was first recognised, prevalence has increased rapidly. The growing economic as well as social cost to families and society can only be mitigated by effective interventions and supports. It is, therefore, not surprising that there is much heated debate and most governments have developed public policies to address the management of autism. This paper describes how well-known 'propaganda' techniques, that have become prevalent in the helping professions have been used to influence autism policies by spreading 'fake news' about the scientific discipline of Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA). Over the past 40–50 years, meaningful evidence has accrued showing that interventions based on ABA can help people with autism reach their potential. In view of this, nearly all of North America has laws to mandate that ABA-based interventions are available through their health care systems. In contrast, across Europe there are no such laws. In fact, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the body guiding health and social policy in the UK, concluded that it could not find any evidence to support ABA, and therefore could not recommend it. This paper addresses the reasons for these diametrically opposed perspectives.

Objective Child sex abuse has become an increasingly well-researched phenomenon. Issues addressed include preconditions of abuse, short-term and long-term effects on the child, therapeutic interventions to help overcome the effects of abuse, and treatment of perpetrators. However, lack of reliable and nonintrusive detection and disclosure techniques remains a main obstacle for obtaining exact data regarding prevalence of child sex abuse, initiating effective treatment of the child, and ensuring adequate sentencing of the perpetrator. Method This article outlines the potential for a reliable and nonintrusive screening procedure based on the stimulus equivalence paradigm. Results The main issue addressed in three experiments was how current stimulus equivalence procedures may be refined to identify specific social experiences.

Having well-trained staff is key to ensuring good quality autism services, especially since people affected with autism generally tend to have higher support needs than other populations in terms of daily living, as well as their mental and physical health. Poorly-trained staff can have detrimental effects on service provision and staff morale and can lead to staff burn-out, as well as increased service user anxiety and stress. This paper reports on a survey with health, social care, and education staff who work within the statutory autism services sector in the UK that explored their knowledge and training with regards to autism. Interview data obtained from staff and service users offer qualitative illustrations of survey findings. Overall, the findings expose an acute lack of autism-specific training that has detrimental impacts. At best, this training was based on brief and very basic awareness raising rather than on in-depth understanding of issues related to autism or skills for evidence-based practice. Service users were concerned with the effects that the lack of staff training had on the services they received. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy routes to achieving quality staff training based on international best practice. The focus is on improving the quality of life and mental health for services users and staff, as well as making potentially significant cost-savings for governments.

Having well-trained staff is key to ensuring good quality autism services, especially since people affected with autism generally tend to have higher support needs than other populations in terms of daily living as well as their mental and physical health. Poorly-trained staff can have detrimental effects on service provision and staff morale and can lead to staff burn-out as well as increased service user anxiety and stress. This paper reports on a survey with health, social care, and education staff who work within the statutory autism services sector in the UK that explored their knowledge and training with regards to autism. Interview data obtained from staff and service users offer qualitative illustrations of survey findings. Overall, the findings expose an acute lack of autism specific training that has detrimental impacts. At best this training was based on brief and very basic awareness raising rather than on in-depth understanding of issues related to autism or skills for evidence-based practice. Service users were concerned with the effects that lack of staff training had on the services they received. The paper concludes with a discussion of policy routes to achieving quality staff training based on international best practice. The focus is on improving the quality of life and mental health for services users and staff as well as making potentially significant cost-savings for governments.

Background  For families of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) getting a diagnosis is a traumatic experience on which future care and education plans for the child depend. In this paper parental experiences of diagnosis and forward planning for children with ASD are reported.Method  This paper is part of a large cross‐sectional study conducted in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland that assessed the needs and experiences of parents of children diagnosed with ASD. Questionnaires were designed and completed by 95 parents, reporting on 100 children, as well as 67 multi‐disciplinary professionals.Results  Findings confirm that diagnostic and planning processes are extremely stressful for parents, that statutory diagnosis takes a long time, that care and education plans do not include full parental participation, and that reviews of plans do not consistently include intervention data.Conclusion  Policy and practice implications of these findings are important for future revisions of diagnostic tools and manuals.

BackgroundChildren with autism spectrum disorder are increasingly educated in mainstream classrooms in the United Kingdom (Wilkinson & Twist, Autism and Educational Assessment: UK Policy and Practice. NFER, Slough, 2010), and some employers are now specifically seeking out staff on the autism spectrum. Does that mean that we are living in an 'inclusive society' [United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), Creating an Inclusive Society: Practical Strategies to Promote Social Integration 2008], in the sense that inequalities are reduced and full economic, social and cultural participation is advanced for individuals with autism?MethodsA general population survey was conducted to assess how close we, as a society, are to an inclusive society for individuals with autism in Northern Ireland. Public attitudes were examined to (i) visibility and social interaction, (ii) aetiology, needs and interventions, and (iii) rights and resources.ResultsA stratified, representative sample of 1204 adults took part in the survey; of these, 989 were aware of autism and their attitudes and behavioural projections reflected a mix of acceptance and denunciation. The level of confusion with regard to interventions reflected the general uncertainty within UK policy regarding meeting the needs of individuals on the autism spectrum (International Journal of Disability, Development and Education 61, 134, 2014a).ConclusionTherefore, it seems that inclusion is working to an extent, but more clarity is needed with regard to adequate education, intervention and support for individuals with autism.