Scottish Autism Service Network

This study investigated sleep of children with autism and developmental regression and the possible relationship with epilepsy and epileptiform abnormalities. Participants were 104 children with autism (70 non-regressed, 34 regressed) and 162 typically developing children (TD). Results suggested that the regressed group had higher incidence of circadian rhythm disorders than non-regressed children. The regressed group showed higher Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire Bedtime Resistance, Sleep Onset Delay, Sleep Duration and Night-Wakings scores. Epilepsy and frequent epileptiform EEG abnormalities were more frequent in regressed children. Past sleep disorders and a history of developmental regression were significantly associated with sleep disorders. This study is an initial step in better understanding sleep problems in regressed children with autism, further studies are necessary to better investigate these aspects.

• Health

I would like to recruit children with Asperger Syndrome aged 8-12 years to take part in my PhD study. You and your child will be invited to take part in different activities and fill in some questionnaires. Results will be made available to you when my PhD is completed.

• Health

Children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) are unable to take others’ perspectives, exhibit repetitive behaviour patterns and experience high levels of anxiety. According to recent theories of social-communication, they have theory-of-mind deficits that cause impairments in social interaction abilities (Baron-Cohen, Tager, Flusberg & Cohen, 1993, 200). Cloninger and Akiskal model of personality says that the emotions of fear and anger if not regulated properly can cause adjustment problems and mood disorders (Lara, Pinto, Akiskal, Akiskal, 2006).

Thus it becomes crucial to understand the nature and dynamics of emotional experiences of fear and anger in autistic children as they are already known to have socio-emotional difficulties. Fear and anger are known to be most common reactions to the frustrating situations according to Berkowitz frustration hypothesis (Krahe, 2001) depending on the sense of control an individual has on the situation. As mentioned above, children with autism have theory-of-mind deficits that implies an inability to comprehend the environment, and thus might also have a low sense of control and experience higher levels of anxiety as compared to typically developing children. Further, they are known to use obsessive, compulsive patterns of behaviour to manage high anxiety.Thus, based on these arguments the research will address the role of two crucial processes in frustrating situations, emotional appraisal and regulation and will investigate the relationship between theory-of-mind deficits, appraisal processes (how they perceive and evaluate the situation), emotions of fear and anger experienced, coping strategies employed and mood experienced by autistic children.

Call for Participants 

Insights about these processes will help parents and educators to understand autistic children’s emotional needs especially related to fear and anger in a better way and help them cope with and adjust to daily life social challenges, in particular frustrating situations.

60 high functioning children with autism (average IQ) are required to particiapte, aged 14-16 years of age and will also include parents of these children.

The study involves activities and use of questionnaires with children and will conduct the whole study in two sessions of one hour each. Parents will also be requsted to to fill in two questionnaires and that should not take more than 30 minutes of their time. The responses will be audio and video recorded. Data will be collected from June’07 to June’08.

• Please note that the participation will be entirely voluntary
• You will be allowed to withdraw at any time of the study
• Data collected will be treated with strictest confidence and shall be destroyed after the study.
• You will also be given a handout on “Fear in children with autism” from researcher’s masters dissertation which has already been published.

• Behaviour
• Social and Communication Factors

For her final PhD year, Shilpi Gupta is investigating how children with high-functioning autism cope with emotions and needs to recruit a group of children with high- functioning autism aged 8-12 years for this research. The results are intended to help parents, caregivers and other professionals help children with high-functioning autism to cope better with daily life, social challenges and provide greater insights about the dynamics of emotional experiences of fear and anger.

• Autism Spectrum Conditions

• Behaviour
• Family Supports and Information
• Health