A structured search and identification of themes within the literature regarding the use of Social Stories to decrease disruptive behaviour in children with autistic spectrum disorders is presented. The examination of seven studies showed that the Social Story intervention was successful for the majority of the participants, although the level of success was variable. Overall, Social Stories appear to be an acceptable intervention for use in the classroom, however unplanned verbal prompting by teachers, in some studies, reduced confidence in the effectiveness of Social Stories when used in isolation. An increasing body of literature has indicated that Social Stories are an effective intervention for children diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders, however very few studies have addressed the efficacy of Social Stories when used with children with other disabilities.

PurposeAcromegaly is a chronic condition resulting from a growth hormone-secreting pituitary tumor that can substantially impact patients’ physical and emotional well-being. We sought to understand the impact of acromegaly on disease-related concerns and treatment choices from the patient perspective. The path to diagnosis, current disease management, interactions with the treating health care providers (HCPs), and support networks were also assessed.MethodsAcromegaly patients were recruited primarily from a patient support group (Acromegaly Community). In Phase I, ten patients participated over the course of 5 days in a moderated online discussion board and they answered questions about their disease. In Phase II, a separate nine-patient cohort participated in face-to-face interviews conducted during an acromegaly patient conference. Data were summarized qualitatively by grouping similar answers and quotations.ResultsNineteen acromegaly patients were recruited across the two cohorts, and both groups shared similar concerns. They demonstrated a notable interest in understanding their disease and its treatment. Patients were focused on the impact of the disease on their life, and they expressed a desire to get beyond reminders of their disease. The patients described long journeys to a correct diagnosis and relief at having a name for their condition. Many shared a sense of shock at needing pituitary surgery and felt unsatisfied by the treatment decision process, motivating them to discuss it with other patients. Patients not connected to a patient support group reported feeling helpless and lonely. Most patients shared a desire to improve their general knowledge about acromegaly to spare others their protracted diagnostic period. Patients also reported hesitancy in asking questions or sharing details about the disease’s impact on their lives with their HCPs.ConclusionAcromegaly can be a life-changing diagnosis with profound, ongoing effects on patients’ lives. Patients struggle with many issues they fail to openly share with their HCPs, but may discuss these issues more easily with other acromegaly patients. Better collaboration between patients and care providers could lead to increased patient satisfaction.

Isolation can affect our well-being negatively. To prevent the spread of the infection COVID-19, many workers, including university lecturers, are required to work from home. In order to maintain high levels of well-being and team cohesion, academics at the University of Derby Online Learning initiated a virtual huddle to briefly socialise and check on their colleagues’ well-being every morning. This piece of field notes reports the context (COVID-19 in the United Kingdom), the details of this morning socialization, the first-hand experience of attending this huddle, and possible applications. Perceived positive impacts of our huddles include better well-being, cultivating compassion in team culture, and enhanced team cohesion. These advantages can be also useful in student supervision, wider socialization with colleagues to counter the silo mentality, and other occupational sectors. Our field notes will be helpful for lecturers and other types of employees who work collaboratively yet in isolation during this uncertain and challenging time of crisis.

Research about sex addiction and its relationships with other constructs remains unexplored.We recruited a gender-balanced sample (53 men, 51 women) who responded to measures of sex addiction, adverse childhood experience, adult attachment, narcissism, self-compassion and motivation. Sex addiction was found to be statistically significantly associated with these constructs. Anxious attachment statistically significantly mediated the relationship between adverse childhood experience and sex addiction and the relationship between narcissism and sex addiction. Self-compassion did not statistically significantly moderate the relationship between anxious attachment and sex addiction. Therapeutic approaches targeting attachment and narcissism such as relation-based or mindfulness-based interventions are recommended.

Online learning has given access to education for diverse populations including students with disabilities. In our university, the ratio of students with disabilities is substantially higher in the online programmes than face-to-face. Online learning provides high accessibility though it can result in a lonely experience. Accordingly, this study aimed to appraise the first-hand experience and understanding of loneliness in online students with disabilities (OSWD), and to discuss possible solutions. Thematic analysis on semi-structured interviews attended by nine OSWD identified: ‘Self-paced study can reduce stigma but cause loneliness (Theme 1)’, ‘Loneliness and social difficulties relate to misunderstanding of disability (Theme 2)’, and ‘Activities, events and staff for informal socialisation are needed (Theme 3)’. As the demand for online learning is further expanded due to the current global pandemic, our findings will be helpful for online learning institutions worldwide to establish effective strategies to reduce loneliness in OSWD.