An Expert Discussion on Strengths-Based Approaches in Autism

Urbanowicz, Anna; Nicolaidis, Christina; Houting, Jacquiline den; Shore, Stephen; Gaudion, Katie; Girdler, Sonya; Savarese, Ralph James

doi:10.1089/aut.2019.29002.aju

Cited by 66 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 8 publications

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“…33 Strengths-based approaches focus on what people can do, rather than what they cannot do. 34 We recognized and respected the challenges and difficulties of working in a group. Nevertheless, it is also important to focus on strengths and interests.…”

Section: Reflection Five: Authenticitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Coproduction with Autistic Adults: Reflections from the Authentistic Research Collective

Stark

Ali

Ayre

et al. 2021

Autism in Adulthood

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This article explores coproduction in relation to autistic people. We reflect on the coproduction process with autistic adults from the Authentistic Research Collective at University College London. We aimed to support the autistic population's mental health needs by coproducing a document on adapting psychological therapy, and by developing a set of reflective guidelines to guide and encourage future coproduction initiatives between autistic and nonautistic team members. We reflect upon six elements that are of potential importance for future coproduction projects with autistic adults: (1) the meaning of coproduction; (2) ground rules and a traffic light system; (3) environmental adaptations; (4) digital communication tools; (5) encouraging authenticity; and (6) supporting autistic strengths. We conclude by discussing future research avenues into optimizing coproduction with autistic people, and how such research may influence both practice and policy.

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Section: Reflection Five: Authenticitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Coproduction with Autistic Adults: Reflections from the Authentistic Research Collective

Stark

Ali

Ayre

et al. 2021

Autism in Adulthood

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“…An autistic adult who is knowledgeable about their own strengths and is experienced in applying them in practical settings may also reasonably be more successful in finding viable work within a chosen career in the first place. Despite such potential benefits, few research studies identify strengths in autistic individuals, including parent-identified strengths (Riosa et al, 2017; Urbanowicz & Nicolaidis, 2019).…”

Section: Introduction and Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parent-identified strengths of autistic youth

Warren

Eatchel

Kirby

et al. 2020

Autism

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There is a need for strengths-based intervention approaches for autistic youth during the transition to adulthood. In the current study, we explored parent perspectives about youth strengths during adolescence. We combined data from three studies which included semi-structured interviews about parents’ perspectives on preparing for adulthood with autistic youth. Total participants included 39 parents of 41 autistic youth (ages 12–19 years, 88% male). Parents of autistic youth described many strengths of their children in the context of conversations about the transition to adulthood. Thematic analysis revealed three subthemes under the broad theme of parental perceptions of strengths: diverse strengths and skills, strengths counterbalanced by challenges, and strengths with supports. Diverse strengths and skills were further categorized using content analysis and included intelligence, creativity, physical abilities, and self-care skills, which notably include some areas often perceived as weaknesses for autistic people. The findings demonstrate that parents are an important source of information about youth strengths during transition planning processes. Understanding the types of strengths that parents observe in their autistic sons and daughters can help inform the development of strengths-based interventions capable of supporting the transition to adulthood. Lay abstract Autism is a condition frequently characterized by social and communication challenges. Because most research focuses on understanding and reducing challenges, less is known about the strengths of autistic individuals. This is especially true of those who are transitioning into adulthood. We designed this research study to provide information about how parents perceive the strengths of their autistic adolescent children prior to the transition. We reviewed 39 parent interviews from previous research about how they prepare their autistic sons and daughters for adulthood. Without prompting, parents identified many strengths of their autistic children. Diverse strengths and skills they identified included intelligence, creativity, physical abilities, and self-care skills. These strengths are interesting, as they cover traits that are often thought of as areas of difficulty for autistic youth. However, parents also talked about strengths alongside challenges, and how specific supports would be needed to help their sons and daughters fully realize their strengths. These findings are important, as they help us know more about the strengths of autistic youth and how strengths can be supported when preparing for adulthood. Our findings also help reveal strengths that are particularly apparent during the transition to adulthood.

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“…This is consistent with the challenges autistic individuals face when seeking employment. 5,7,26,27 Second, in the present study and based on our predictions of the hypothesized relationships between vocational independence, autistic traits and daily living skills, the M-VIAA demonstrated mixed construct validity. As predicted, M-VIAA scores showed good discriminant validity through a significant but small association with autistic traits, but our hypothesis of a significant relationship with daily living skills, which would have supported convergent validity, was not supported.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 46%

Psychometric Evaluation of an Australian Version of the Vocational Index for Adults with Autism

Sahin

Bury

Flower

et al. 2020

Autism in Adulthood

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Background: Autistic individuals are underrepresented in employment and postsecondary education. Research is hampered by a lack of psychometrically valid instruments that can be used to assess the vocational activities of autistic people. This study examined the psychometric properties of an Australian modified version of the Vocational Index for Adults with Autism (M-VIAA), an assessment of vocational independence. Methods: Participants were 105 autistic and 106 nonautistic young adults aged 17-26 years recruited from the longitudinal Study of Australian School Leavers with Autism. We examined psychometric properties of the M-VIAA by (1) comparing scores between autistic and nonautistic participants, (2) examining convergent validity with daily living skills, and (3) divergent validity with autistic traits. We explored change over time by comparing baseline and 24-month follow-up scores in autistic participants. Results: We found vocational independence to be significantly higher in nonautistic participants compared with autistic participants. We did not find a significant relationship between daily living skills and the M-VIAA. There was a small but significant relationship between the M-VIAA and autistic traits. Scores on the M-VIAA remained stable over time for a subsample of autistic participants. Conclusions: The present study provides preliminary support for the M-VIAA with some limitations. Support for construct validity was mixed with support for concurrent and discriminant, but not convergent validity. We suggest that the M-VIAA may not capture the full complexity of vocational challenges faced by autistic people. Future research should build on the structure of the VIAA while ensuring applicability across cultures and contexts, as well as ensuring the richness of vocational activities of autistic people is captured.

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An Expert Discussion on Strengths-Based Approaches in Autism

Cited by 66 publications

References 8 publications

Coproduction with Autistic Adults: Reflections from the Authentistic Research Collective

Coproduction with Autistic Adults: Reflections from the Authentistic Research Collective

Parent-identified strengths of autistic youth

Psychometric Evaluation of an Australian Version of the Vocational Index for Adults with Autism

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