School professionals who work with students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) play a significant role in the academic experiences of these students, but some evidence suggests that teachers of students with ASD experience a high risk of burnout. Research has begun to examine factors that ameliorate or prevent teacher burnout, including teacher…

Higher-functioning, school-age children with autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience writing difficulties. Prior research has not often investigated writing self-concept, self-efficacy, and text-type familiarity with these children, especially children with HFASD. This study looked at…

Sleep problems are more prevalent and severe among children with intellectual disabilities and autism compared to typically developing children. Training parents in behavioural approaches to manage sleep problems is advocated. However, delivering such interventions via groups is novel. This article reports the findings from a preliminary…

Couples affect each other cognitively, emotionally and behaviorally. The goal of this study is to test the benefits and potential use of the actor-partner interdependence model in examining how parental self-efficacy and positive contributions of fathers and mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Condition influence each other's psychological…

Supporting pupils with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainstream schools is a challenging task. This article proposes a professional development framework for educational psychologists (EPs) to consider when supporting the development of specialist ASD staff. The framework focuses on training content, educator characteristics and organisational…

This study evaluated a parent-delivered social and emotional skills intervention--the Secret Agent Society (SAS) for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (HF-ASD). The study was a pre-post follow-up design with an 8-week baseline period and 6-week follow-up period. Participants were 38 parents and 41 children recruited from…

Autism is being diagnosed at an unprecedented rate, with an influx of children with autism being educated in the general education classroom. A positive self-efficacy amongst teachers is imperative as education moves toward the inclusive education model. Bandura theorized a bidirectional approach in the improvement of self-efficacy. The purpose of…

This study explored the attitudes of parents and professionals who work with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) toward the utilization of iPads and use of iPad applications by children with ASD. A survey of parents (n = 90) and professionals (n = 31) assessed information and communication technology (ICT) anxiety and self-efficacy,…

This study compared the effectiveness of two curricular models of professional development to increase teacher repertoires for instructing students with autism. Specific focus was on the use of a Blended Model of professional development in comparison to a Behavioral Model of professional development in regard to increasing teacher knowledge,…

Background: Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) therapists typically work one-to-one with children with autism for extended periods of time, which often leads to high levels of job-related stress, lower levels of job satisfaction, increased frequency of occupational "burnout" and higher than average job turnover (Journal of Autism…

The current study aimed to review and evaluate a three-session psychoeducational and psychotherapeutic group programme for parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The group programme was facilitated through an ASD diagnostic and intervention service within a Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trust over a 12-month period,…

Children with autism often place increased demands on their families due to the nature of their disorders. Research has repeatedly shown that parents of children with autism experience higher levels of stress and lower levels of overall well-being than parents of children with other disabilities, or parents of typical children. Compared to…

Teacher self-efficacy refers to the beliefs teachers hold regarding their capability to bring about desired instructional outcomes and may be helpful for understanding and addressing critical issues such as teacher attrition and teacher use of research-supported practices. Educating students with autism likely presents teachers with some of the…

This study examines the efficacy of a manualized parent-assisted social skills intervention in comparison with a matched Delayed Treatment Control group to improve friendship quality and social skills among teens 13-17 years of age with autism spectrum disorders. Targeted skills included conversational skills, peer entry and exiting skills,…

Very little is known about factors potentially affecting the performance of therapists delivering applied behavior analysis (ABA) interventions for young children with autism. Eighty-one therapists working in ABA schools participated in a questionnaire study focused on their reports of burnout and perceived therapeutic self-efficacy in their work…