Research by Topic: Young Adult

Caregiver Burden as People with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder Transition into Adolescence and Adulthood in the United Kingdom

Published September 8, 2015 in J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry

This study conducted an observational study of 192 families caring for a young person (aged 14 to 24 years) with a childhood diagnosis of ASD or ADHD (n = 101 and n = 91, respectively) in the United Kingdom. A modified stress-appraisal model was used to investigate the correlates of caregiver burden as a function of family background (parental education), primary stressors (symptoms), primary appraisal (need), and resources (use of services).

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/

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Parents Create Custom Jobs for Adult Kids with Autism

Published September 28, 2013 in USA Today

Parents of adult children with autism are creating job opportunities for their kids that cater to their strengths. It can be very difficult for someone with autism to find employment that is matched to his or her unique needs, but some organizations, such as Extraordinary Ventures in Chapel Hill, NC are doing just that.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/09/28/autism-jobs-parents/2839027/

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Young Adults with Autism Found to Have Difficulty Transitioning Into Employment

Published September 5, 2013 in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry notes that young adults with autism spectrum disorders are experiencing particular difficulty in successfully transitioning into employment. Approximately one half of young adults with an ASD have worked for pay outside the home in the first eight years following high school. The study concludes that further research is needed to determine strategies for improving outcomes as these young adults transition into adulthood.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23972695

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Dr. Peter Gerhardt Talks About Employment, Safety and Sex Education in Young Adults with Autism

Published July 25, 2013

Dr. Peter Gerhardt of the McCarton School joined us for a live chat. He answered several questions about employment, safety and sexual education in relation to teenagers and adults with autism.

http://www.coveritlive.com/index.php?option=com_altcaster&task=siteviewaltcast&altcast_code=84ecddeb6a&height=550&width=470

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Autism Matters Podcast Series

Published May 13, 2013 in Autism

The Autism Matters podcast series aims to showcase the latest research published in the journal Autism in a way that is accessible, easy to understand and has real world relevance. The podcasts are aimed at a broad audience, including academics, researchers, students, clinicians, journalists, policy makers, individuals with autism and their families, and anyone interested in autism spectrum disorders.

http://aut.sagepub.com/site/podcast/podcast_dir.xhtml

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Cognitive Enhancement Therapy for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Results of an 18-month Feasibility Study

Published April 26, 2013 in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

New findings from a small pilot study suggest cognitive enhancement therapy is a feasible and effective intervention for cognitive impairments in verbal adults with ASD. Adult participants were highly satisfied with the therapy and treatment attendance was high, indicating their willingness to participate in and commit to an intervention that they considered useful.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23619953

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Social Participation Among Young Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published April 25, 2013 in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

In an attempt to raise awareness of the unique obstacles faced by young adults with ASD, researchers compared their social experiences with the experiences of young adults who received special education services for intellectual disability, emotional disturbance, or learning disability and found young adults with ASD experienced significantly more social isolation.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23615687

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Young Adults With Autism Can Thrive In High-Tech Jobs

Published April 22, 2013 in NPR

http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/22/177452578/young-adults-with-autism-can-thrive-in-high-tech-jobs

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Cognition and Behavior: ‘Mind blindness’ Has Brain Signature

Published April 13, 2013 in SFARI

Two recent studies have linked mind-blindness to atypical patterns of brain activity in people with ASD.

http://sfari.org/news-and-opinion/in-brief/2013/cognition-and-behavior-mind-blindness-has-brain-signature

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Bridges and Barriers to Successful Transitioning as Perceived by Adolescents and Young Adults With Asperger Syndrome

Published March 28, 2013 in Journal of Pediatric Nursing

This thematic content analysis examined the expectations, and perceived facilitators of and barriers to transition to community as reported by adolescents and young adults with Asperger syndrome.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0882596313000997

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Comparison of ICD-10R, DSM-IV-TR and DSM-5 in an Adult Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnostic Clinic

Published March 16, 2013 in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

With the number of people seeking ASD evaluations in adulthood on the rise, researchers sought to investigate how DSM-5 criteria would fare in a diagnostic clinic for adults with minimal intellectual disability. Compared to ICD-10R and DSM-IV-TR, DSM-5 specificity was good but sensitivity was poor: 44% of adults who met ICD-10R ASD criteria and 22% who met DSM-IV-TR criteria for Asperger syndrome or autistic disorder would not qualify for a DSM-5 ASD diagnosis.

http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10803-013-1799-6

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Oxytocin and Vasopressin in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Sex Differences and Associations With Symptoms

Published February 14, 2013 in Autism Research and Treatment

Following positive results of treatment studies using oxytocin (OT) and evidence of genetic variations in the OT-arginine vasopressin (AVP) pathway in individuals with ASD, a new study from UC Berkeley further examines the involvement of OT and AVP in ASD. Results suggest levels of OT in individuals with ASD may not be as low as previously believed. Moreover, the researchers found significant gender differences, including higher levels of OT in girls and higher levels of AVP in boys.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23413037

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Disparities in Transition Planning for Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published February 11, 2013 in Pediatrics

“Little is known about accessibility to health care transition (HCT) services for youth with autism spectrum disorder. This study expands our understanding by examining the receipt of HCT services in youth with ASD compared with youth with other special health care needs.”

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2013/02/05/peds.2012-1572

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Brief Report: Is Cognitive Rehabilitation Needed in Verbal Adults with Autism? Insights from Initial Enrollment in a Trial of Cognitive Enhancement Therapy

Published February 5, 2013 in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Early results from this pilot trial of cognitive enhancement therapy (CET) indicate that despite above-average intelligence, verbal adults with ASD can have significantly impaired neurocognition and social cognition. The authors suggest CET, which is designed to remediate both social and non-social deficits through computer-based neurocognitive training, could be useful for cognitive rehabilitation in this population.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23381484

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Familiarity Breeds Support: Speech-language Pathologists Perceptions of Bullying of Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Published January 31, 2013 in Journal of Communication Disorders

According to this study, school-based speech language pathologists may be an untapped resource in the fight against bullying of children with ASD.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0021992413000038

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Improving Socialization for High School Students with ASD by Using Their Preferred Interests

Published January 30, 2013 in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Not surprisingly, research shows that when the interests of adolescents with ASDs are incorporated into school activities, these students display higher levels of engagement and are more likely to initiate interactions with their typical peers.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23361918

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Study Documents that Some Children Lose Autism Diagnosis

Published January 15, 2013 in NIMH

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/science-news/2013/study-documents-that-some-children-lose-autism-diagnosis.shtml

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Design of a Virtual Reality Based Adaptive Response Technology for Children with Autism

Published January 4, 2013 in IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering

Results from this preliminary study suggest that an interactive virtual reality game can improve social communication skills in teens with ASD.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23033333

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Mindfulness-based Therapy in Adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Randomized Controlled Trial

Published January 1, 2013 in Research in Developmental Disabilities

This is the first randomized controlled trial demonstrating the efficacy of mindfulness-based therapy for adults with ASD. Participants who received MBT benefited from the therapy, showing less depression, anxiety and rumination, and more positive affect.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22964266

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Developmental Meta-Analysis of the Functional Neural Correlates of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Published December 26, 2012 in Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

According to this recent meta-analysis of fMRI studies, autism-related changes in brain activity may continue to develop with age.

http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567(12)00998-7/abstract

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Jason Ross Discusses Services Needs in the Adult Autistic Community on the ASF Blog

Published December 12, 2012 in ASF Blog

http://autismsciencefoundation.wordpress.com/

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Into the Unknown: Aging with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Published November 26, 2012 in American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

This article reviews the current literature regarding a range of quality of life outcomes of aging adults with ASD. Studies that have addressed life expectancy, comorbid physical and mental health issues, ASD symptomatology, and social, residential, and vocational outcomes are reviewed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/23167487/

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Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Participation Among College Students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

Published November 1, 2012 in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders

Findings suggest that students with an ASD had the highest STEM participation rates although their college enrollment rate was the third lowest among 11 disability categories and students in the general population. Educational policy implications are discussed.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23114569

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Evaluation of an Activities of Daily Living Scale for Adolescents and Adults with Developmental Disabilities

Published October 17, 2012 in Disability and Health Journal

ASF Grantee Matthew Maenner and colleagues developed the Waisman Activities of Daily Living (W-ADL) Scale to measure daily living skills of adolescents and adults with developmental disabilities. The scale is a free and efficient tool for surveys and epidemiological research.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23260606

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Cognition in Males and Females with Autism: Similarities and Differences

Published October 17, 2012 in PLOS One

Researchers find that women and men with autism have comparable impairments in social cognitive functioning, but performance on non-social cognitive tasks depends on gender.

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0047198

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Interventions Addressing Social Impairment in Autism

Published October 4, 2012 in Current Psychiatry Reports

In this new review of intervention studies targeting social impairment in autism, authors encourage researchers to design new studies that: evaluate ingredients of effective interventions (e.g., required dose for therapeutic effect); include better outcome measures that can show that meaningful improvements have happened (e.g., spontaneous social initiations; sustained interactions); and include underserved and underrepresented participant groups, such as children with comorbidities, non-English speaking children, and minimally verbal children.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23055002

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Children With An Autism Spectrum Disorder Often Victims Of Bullying

Published September 3, 2012 in Newsday.com

Nearly half of U.S. children with an autism spectrum disorder are victims of bullying, a new study from University of California at Berkeley finds.

http://newyork.newsday.com/news/health/almost-half-of-u-s-kids-with-autism-bullied-1.3948720

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Evidence weak that vocational programs help autistic young adults

Published August 27, 2012 in Pediatrics

A new study from Vanderbilt and published in Pediatrics finds there’s little science to backup the efficacy of current methods used to help young adults with these neurodevelopmental disorders segue into the workforce.

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/08/22/peds.2012-0682.abstract?sid=e2f2437c-a283-4c1c-a4e0-0c1cca001c1d

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Aging in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Mini-Review

Published August 24, 2011 in Gerontology

This article addresses an important and barely researched topic: what happens to children with autism spectrum disorders when they grow old.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21865667

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