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Thirteen autistic teens, who were predominantly Latinx, completed the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS), a 16‐week social skills intervention. Time‐frequency decomposition was calculated using advanced electroencephalographic techniques to measure oscillatory brain activity during reward anticipation and processing before and after PEERS. Fourteen neurotypical teens participated but did not receive intervention. The perception of educational performance was also measured. The perception of educational performance did not differ between groups and did not change after participation in PEERS. Approach motivation increased after intervention in the autistic group. This suggests an enhancement of social motivation after learning social skills in a group composed of a majority of Latinx autistic teens. We investigated the change in perceived educational performance and brain activity of autistic teens, a majority of whom were Latinx, before and after a social skills intervention. Findings demonstrate that perceptions of educational performance remained unchanged after intervention. However, results provide brain‐based evidence of increased social motivation after learning social skills. Findings have implications for advanced techniques to measure changes in reward‐related brain activity before and after intervention with diverse samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autistic students often experience peer relationship difficulties. As peer acceptance and rejection may be malleable over time, we examined predictors of change in peer acceptance and peer rejection among early elementary‐age autistic students. We followed 166 autistic children (mean age: 6.1 years [range: 4–8], 82.5% boys, grades preK‐2nd) longitudinally across 2 school years. Social skills, internalizing problems, and externalizing behaviors were considered as predictors of change in teacher‐rated peer acceptance and rejection, covarying IQ and autism characteristics. Autistic children experienced high rejection and low acceptance; 51.9% of children were rejected by peers in one or both school years. Results revealed distinct predictors for peer acceptance versus rejection: social skills predicted change in peer acceptance across school years, whereas externalizing problems predicted change in peer rejection. Internalizing problems did not predict change in either construct. Findings can assist school professionals in supporting social acceptance and acceptance for young autistic students. Practitioner points: The quality of autistic student's relationships with their peers fluctuates across time. With an understanding of the factors that uniquely influence peer acceptance and peer rejection, practitioners can identify targets for intervention to support autistic students development of positive peer relationships.An autistic student's externalizing problems play an important role in the rejection they experience from peers over time, such that autistic students with increasing externalizing behaviors are more likely to experience teasing and difficulty getting along with their peers.On the other hand, autistic students' social skills were the primary factor related to peer acceptance, suggesting that autistic students with improved social skills are better positioned to engage as an integrated, included member of the peer group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic, the importance of telehealth has rapidly increased, in particular as many in‐person clinics have closed. Early intervention is crucial for improving outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). As such, the need for timely assessments and diagnoses remains despite COVID‐19‐related closures. This study offers preliminary data collected from 23 children assessed through a no‐cost autism clinic in Southern California using a novel telehealth model. This includes an overview of an adapted, telehealth version of in‐person observational assessment techniques for diagnosing autism. In addition, preliminary data on social validity assessed at two points are presented. Findings suggest that caregivers found the telehealth assessment procedures acceptable and convenient, and overall were satisfied with both the assessment and the written report/verbal feedback. Implications for future uses of telehealth are discussed, including how telehealth can assist with decision‐making around school‐based services and/or placement. KEY POINTS: Validation of telehealth assessments for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is important to increase accessibility and timely diagnosis for families.Preliminary data on social validity suggests that caregivers found telehealth procedures to be helpful, convenient, and useful.A majority of caregivers planned to share the clinical report with their teacher or school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emerging research suggests that caregiving environments and genetic variants independently contribute to social functioning in children with typical development or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, biologically plausible interactive models and complimentary assessment of mechanisms are needed to: (a) explain considerable social heterogeneity, (b) resolve inconsistencies in the literature, and (c) develop and select optimal treatments based on individual differences. This study examined the role of child genotypes and responsive parenting in the social development of 104 children with ASD (ages 4–7 years). We utilized a longitudinal, multi‐informant design and structural equation models to evaluate: (a) the additive and interactive effects of biologically plausible candidate genes (5‐HTTLPR, OXTR, DRD4) and responsive parenting in predicting prospective social development in ASD across three time points spanning 1.5 years, and (b) whether child emotion regulation mediated observed gene x environment interactions (GxEs). Responsive parenting positively predicted prospective change in child social skills; these associations were moderated by 5‐HTTLPR and DRD4 in teacher‐report models, and DRD4 in parent‐report models. No GxE effects were found for OXTR. Emotion regulation did not significantly mediate the GxEs involving 5‐HTTLPR and DRD4. Acknowledging the complexities of GxE research, implications for future research, and targeted intervention efforts are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Initial intervention processes for children with intellectual disabilities (IDs) largely focused on direct efforts to impact core cognitive and academic deficits associated with the diagnosis. Recent research on risk processes in families of children with ID, however, has influenced new developmental system approaches to early intervention. Recent risk and resilience processes are reviewed that connect stress, family process, and the high rates of behavioral problems in children with ID that have substantial influence on child and family outcomes. These models are linked to emerging evidence-based intervention processes that focus on strategic parent skill training and mindfulness interventions that reduce parental stress and create indirect benefits for children's behavioral competencies. A family-focused developmental systems approach (M. J. Guralnick, 2011) is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background High friendship quality is often defined by high levels of intimacy, companionship, closeness and low levels of conflict. Quality friendships develop over time and may be influenced by both behaviour problems and social skills. Materials and methods Participants were 103, 13-year-old adolescents with or without intellectual disabilities in the United States. Adolescents and their mothers participated in an open-ended interview of friendship quality and completed measures of social skills and behaviour problems. This study addressed differences in friendship quality between children with and without intellectual disabilities and explored early indicators of friendship development. Results Adolescents with intellectual disabilities ( ID) had friendships characterized by significantly lower levels of warmth/closeness and positive reciprocity than their typically developing peers. Likewise, adolescents with ID spent less time with friends outside of school and were less likely to have a cohesive group of friends. Social skills and behaviour problems at age 9 predicted friendship quality at age 13 above and beyond disability status, with higher levels of social skills and lower levels of behaviour problems related to higher ratings on measures of friendship quality. Conclusions It appears that adolescents with intellectual disabilities have friendships that are characterized by less warmth/closeness and less positive reciprocity than the friendships of their typically developing peers. This discrepancy appears to be impacted by early social skills and behaviour problems in addition to the presence of the intellectual disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Few studies have investigated parental separation, partnering and re-partnering among population-based cohorts of children at risk of intellectual or developmental disabilities. Methods Secondary analysis of data extracted from Waves 1–3 of the UK’s Millennium Cohort Study. Information on the residence status of parents at Waves 1, 2 and 3 was available for 10 848 families. Results Children with early cognitive delay (ECD) were significantly less likely than other children to be living in households with both biological parents or in households where the mother was married at all time points, including at the time of the child’s birth and when children were aged 9 months, 3 years and 5 years. Although families with a child with ECD were more likely than families with a typically developing child to experience changes in both family composition and marital status over the first 5 years of the child’s life, the net effect of these changes in family composition and marital status from the time of the child’s birth to the time the child was 5 years old was similar for both groups of families. The increased levels of family change amongst families with a child with ECD were wholly accounted for by differences in family socio-economic circumstances. Conclusions More attention needs to be paid to describing and explaining the dynamics of family composition in the early years of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. ‘Stress reaction’ models attempting to account for rates of parental separation need to incorporate socio-economic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors offer updates on the editorial team of the "Journal of Intellectual Disability Research" as of May 2020, including revisions in the Submission guidance for authors available on the journal's website, appointment of Tilburg University Professor Petri Embregts as editor, and a plan to publish a special issue on fathers of individuals with intellectual disability.

We examined the applicability of attribution theory to mothers' perceptions and reactions to their child's problem behavior. Participants were 149 Latina mothers of children with developmental disabilities who were interviewed regarding specific incidents in which their child exhibited a behavior problem. The findings indicate that most mothers viewed their child as not being responsible for the behavior problem. Furthermore, as predicted by attribution theory, mothers who ascribed relatively high responsibility to the child were significantly more likely to report negative emotions (anger and frustration) and aggressive/harsh behavioral reactions than mothers who ascribed low responsibility. Also, mothers were more likely to ascribe high responsibility to the child when the problem was characterized as a behavioral excess than as a behavioral deficit. The results provide support for the applicability of an attributional framework and may have important implications for helping parents in addressing the problem behaviors of their children with developmental disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family involvement could be critical for successful residential treatment. Historically, however, out of home placement for children wish mental retardation meant a severing of meaningful ties with their families. Today, families have greater involvement with pre-placement services and might be more involved in residential treatment as well. Families ( N= 55) were interviewed twice, approximately one and two years after placement, to assess their involvement with the child and their reactions to placement. Contrary to previous findings, family involvement was high and stable; there was no evidence of behavioral detachment. Moreover, respondents primarily reported post -placement benefits to the family. Family emotional reactions were considered within a framework of 'psychological tasks of placement'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe retardation in a child surely has an effect on all family members. Studies of nondisabled siblings in these families have indicated both emotional risks and perceived benefits. Little is known about how out-of-home placement of the child with retardation affects the siblings. Adolescent siblings of children with retardation living at home (N=25) or in residential placement (N=20) were contrasted with siblings of children without retardation (N=28), on measures obtained from their mothers and themselves. Despite their different situations, these siblings were highly similar on measures of psychological adjustment, self-esteem, and family environment. Sibling relationships, however, were less intense, with less warmth but also lower conflict, in families where the child lived out of the home. Most siblings of children with retardation reported positive personal growth experiences while also expressing realistic concerns about the future. Siblings of children with retardation had beliefs and attitudes about placement that were highly consistent with the child's current living situation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents a study which investigates the contributions to depression in Latino mothers with and without retarded children. It focuses on Latino mothers' well-being, and how this is affected by having a child with mental retardation. The variable of interest is depression, as depression in adults is one of the nation's major health problems, with significant consequences for children. Also, variables of interest were grouped into five conceptual domains: Demographics, acculturation, health, personal and coping resources, and family climate. Demographic indicators include mothers' age, education, employment status, and family income. Depression was elevated in both Latino samples relative to a normative group. Furthermore, Latino mothers who had children with mental retardation showed significantly higher levels of depressive symptomatology relative to controls. Depression was predicted by low family cohesion, poor health of the mother, absence of spouse or partner, less use of passive appraisal as a coping strategy, and presence of a child with mental retardation.

The article presents interviews with 62 families who have institutionalized their mentally retarded children. It describes aspects of the decision making process, including post-placement adjustment and satisfaction to these families and relates children's age and the size of the placement setting to families' placement experiences. Parents were invited to participate in an interview study, without compensation, to share their experiences with placement. They signed informed consent forms detailing their rights, including confidentiality and freedom to decline answering any questions. Respondents' recollections about the initiation of the placement process were vivid and emotional. The pressures to place a child often had built up over an extended period of time. Over half of the parents interviewed reported no specific precipitating event, noting that placement followed a gradual accumulation of child-related stressors. Twenty-three percent of respondents noted a parent-related event, typically related to one or more life changes-death of a spouse, deteriorating health, or changes in job, finances, marital status, or marital adjustment.

An introduction is presented on reports in the issue on topics including the assessment of cognition and language in early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), screening for ASD in adults with intellectual disability, and early intervention effects on spoken-language for children with ASD.

The article reflects on the policy of study of families supporting intellectual disability. It is stated that policies around disability should support the family as well as the individual with intellectual disability. It is also said that policies should be proactive, supporting families before a crisis occurs.

The article introduces a series of reports on resilience in parents of children or adults with intellectual disabilities published within the issue.

Emotion Regulation is a key factor in the psychological well‐being of children on the autism spectrum. Therapeutic co‐regulation is posited here as fundamental to addressing Emotion Regulation needs. A therapeutic combination of Child‐Centred Play Therapy and Rhythmic Relating is assessed in its potential to improve Emotion Regulation outcomes (over 10 months; 25 weekly sessions), via co‐regulatory experience, in a case study of a 5‐year‐old autistic boy. The parent‐rated Emotion Regulation Checklist (Shields & Cicchetti, Developmental Psychology, 33, 1997, 906) was completed every week. Mean Start and Finish scores were taken for checklist total and all subscales. Emotion Regulation percentage‐change‐over‐time values are calculated for the participant and, using percentiles, are compared and statistically ranked in relation to our comparison group: Autistic boys without concurrent cognitive impairment, not receiving psychological or behavioural therapies (over 10 months; N = 66). A graphical representation of Emotion Regulation demonstrates weekly change. As compared to our comparison group, our participant's overall Emotion Regulation improvements (over 10 months) are statistically likely to be due to his participation in therapy (p < 0.04). Graphical representation of Emotion Regulation over time demonstrates a compelling blind correlation between the period of significant positive change in our participant's Emotion Regulation and the therapist's clinical notes on positive change observed in the clinic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]