Autism in the Second Half of the Lifespan

Almost nothing is known about the effects of middle and late-life aging in autism spectrum disorder. An understanding of cognitive and functional aging in adults with autism is vital in order to predict the long-term impact on individuals, their families, and on our health support systems.  The particular support needs of these individuals need to be characterized in order to supply families and service providers with the information they need in order to prepare for the future.
The primary aims of our project are to:

• Determine the effect of age on cognitive and motor abilities in adults with ASD in comparison to normal control adults.
• Characterize current living situations, support needs, and available support systems for adults with ASD and the influence of demographic factors on these variables.
• Identify possible protective factors or activities (e.g. jobs, organized social activities, exercise) that may promote successful aging in ASD.

We are looking for adults with established or suspected diagnoses of Autistic disorder or Asperger’s disorder, including both high and low functioning individuals, and both males and females.  We will include people up to 70 years of age as part of this aging study.  Minimum age will be 30 yrs.

All potential ASD subjects will be given the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, administered by Dr. Alan Lincoln or another trained psychologist experienced with this population, to determine their current diagnosis. Additional information will be collected through direct testing of the subject and on secondary evaluations by a family member, caregiver, close friend, or other close contact familiar with the subject’s abilities. Information collected will include:  Characterization of subject demographics, type of living situation, service usage, regular organized activities (day programs, jobs), level of functional independence/daily living skills, social skills, cognitive and motor skills.  Participants will be paid up to $80.  Please contact Chris Osborn at asdadult@ucsd.edu or (858) 623-2789 if you or someone you know would like to participate.  This project has been approved by the Human Research Protections Program of the University of California, San Diego (IRB Project #091304) and the California State Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects (Project #10-04-02).

The Effect of an Integrative Parent Education Program on Quality of Life For Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Caroline White, M.A., a Behavior Supervisor with the Center for Autism Evaluation, Research and Service (CARES) and Doctoral candidate at the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP), is currently looking for families of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to participate in a research study on the effect of an Integrative Parent Education Program**.

The various 2-3 hour parent education workshops will take place at the CARES office in Scripps Ranch, and are offered numerous times throughout the month at rotating morning, afternoon, and evening timeslots. Families participating in the study will be asked to complete a total of 4 workshops, and to allow time to complete paper- and pencil-based questionnaires at both the beginning and end of the study. Workshops will be offered at no cost to families who are eligible for research participation. Each participant will be awarded one movie theater ticket.
 
Caroline is also still in need of information from families who have NOT participated in the program. Individuals interested in filling out a packet of questionnaires (which will take anywhere between 1-2 hours to complete) as control subjects are also urged to contact Caroline.

** This research project is sponsored by The National Foundation for Autism Research (NFAR), the San Diego Autism Society of America (SDASA), and the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University (CSPP-AIU).

Available Parent Education Workshops:

1. An Introduction to CARES Services and Parent/Child Rights, and an overview of Typical Child Development and Pervasive Developmental Disorders
2. An Overview of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), Discrete Trial, and Behavior Management Strategies
3. Autism and Family Stress
4. Pivotal Response Training
5. Alternative Communication and Verbal Behavior
6. Self-Help Skills and Autism: Toilet Training and Food Aversion
7. Social Stories and Social Skills Training for Children with Autism
8. Inclusive Education for Children with Autism
9. Biomedical and Pharmacological Interventions in Autism