The presence of a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the family can have a negative impact on parental Quality of Life (QoL), but evidence on how treatments for children with ASD can affect parental QoL is currently limited. In this qualitative study, we develop a semi-structured interview in order to investigate the impact of ASD on the…

Purpose: Modifying gut bacteria in children with autism may influence behaviour, with potential to improve family functioning. We conducted a randomised controlled trial to assess the effect of prebiotics on behaviour, gastrointestinal symptoms and downstream effects on parental quality of life. Method: Children with autism (4-10yrs) were…

This systematic review investigated the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. PsychInfo, CINAHL, PubMed, Science Direct, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection were searched using the terms "acceptance and commitment", "autism" and…

Living in poverty worsens every type of life outcome for children, from physical and mental health to earnings, educational attainment, child welfare involvement, and risky behavior--and the longer children live in poverty, the worse their outcomes are as adults. Guaranteed Income (GI) is a policy that seeks to redress such inequities by providing…

Peer volunteers have been found to be effective in delivering psychosocial interventions when they come from the same culture and share similar experiences as participants. We examined the clinical utility (feasibility and preliminary effectiveness) of a community-based, manualized, peer-delivered group counselling program to address the need for…

Tackling mental health difficulties in adolescents on the autism spectrum requires a comprehensive prevention approach. A 3-year multisite proof-of-concept longitudinal study implemented an evidence-based multilevel resilience intervention in schools to promote protective factors at the adolescent, parent, and school level. The intervention,…

The objective was to evaluate the impact of a psychoeducational program on the stress and quality of life of parents with a child with autism. In total, 20 parents attended a shortened version (SV group) of the program and 15 others a complete version (CV group). An assessment of perceived stress, parenting stress, and quality of life was…

This article reports on a 4-year follow-up study from the Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Their Parents (LEAP) randomized trial of early intervention for young children with autism. Overall, participants from LEAP classes were marginally superior to comparison class children on elementary school outcomes specific…

This article reports on a 4-year follow-up study from the Learning Experiences and Alternative Program for Preschoolers and Their Parents (LEAP) randomized trial of early intervention for young children with autism. Overall, participants from LEAP classes were marginally superior to comparison class children on elementary school outcomes specific…

Purpose: Ear infections are prevalent in kindergarten through 3rd-grade (K-3rd) children and can affect their performance at school. Chewing gum, when administered by parents and teachers, can help prevent ear infections in children. This pilot study surveyed K-3rd-grade teachers in the Santa Barbara School Districts to assess their knowledge…

This study compares outcomes of early intervention programs for young children with autism; an individualised home-based program (HB), a small group centre-based program for children combined with a parent training and support group (CB) and a non-treatment comparison group (WL). Outcome measures of interest include social and communication skill…

The birth of a child with a disability entails the revision of roles and a consideration of the partners' tasks and activities, the reallocation of financial resources, and a whole range of new behaviors to cope with the needs of the newcomer. It is important to analyze the quality of life experienced by parents and families of children with…