Factors of relationship satisfaction for autistic and non-autistic partners in long-term relationships.

LAY ABSTRACT: Previous research has found that autistic people report lower satisfaction in their romantic relationships compared to non-autistic people. However, the majority of this research has focused on autistic traits as barriers to relationship satisfaction, while overlooking the role of their partners in these relationships. Our study explored a range of factors in both autistic people and non-autistic partners of autistic people and how they may be linked to long-term relationship satisfaction. These factors included social and communication skills, personality traits, social loneliness, partner responsiveness, and sexual satisfaction. We found that partner responsiveness was a strong predictor of relationship satisfaction for both autistic and non-autistic partners, suggesting that rather than focusing intervention solely on the autistic person, the role of their partner should also be considered. Service providers who work with couples involving an autistic person to enhance their relationship satisfaction could focus on assisting their clients to identify each other's needs and how best to meet them.

Sensory challenges experienced by autistic women during pregnancy and childbirth: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: The aim of this systematic review was to identify challenges faced by autistic women during pregnancy and birth due to sensory issues or other features of Autism Spectrum Disorder. METHODS: A systematic search of literature was conducted using Medline, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, MIDIRS, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and Open Access Theses and Dissertations. Eligible studies addressed autistic women's pregnancy or birth experiences, and were assessed for methodological quality. RESULTS: The search generated 2656 results, with six meeting inclusion criteria. Data from 427 autistic participants were extracted from four qualitative and two quantitative studies for synthesis. CONCLUSION: We found that the literature was exploratory and lacked focussed research questions addressing sensory issues in pregnancy. Sensory challenges were, however, identified as a key finding in all qualitative studies. Other challenges faced by autistic women during pregnancy and birth included communication issues in healthcare settings and lack of appropriate information and supports for pregnancy and birth. Implications for health professionals and challenges associated with research in this area are discussed.

Investigating the mediating role of self-construal on the relationship between cultural group (Malay and Australian) and the characteristics and functional use of autobiographical memory.

Cultural differences in autobiographical memory characteristics and function have often been presumed to be associated with different cultural beliefs related to the self. The current research aimed to investigate whether self-construal mediated the relationship between cultural group and the characteristics and functional use of autobiographical memory. Caucasian Australians (n = 71) and Malay Malaysians (n = 50) completed an online questionnaire that included the Self-Defining Memory task, the Thinking About Life Experiences Revised Questionnaire and the Self Construal Scale. As expected, the Australian group provided longer, more autonomously oriented, specific memories than the Malay group. However, contrary to our predictions, self-construal did not mediate the relationships between cultural group and memory characteristics. The Malay group reported more frequently using autobiographical memories for self-continuity than the Australian group. Finally, there was support for an indirect pathway between cultural group and use of autobiographical memories for self-continuity and social-bonding through self-construal (i.e. independent self relative to interdependent self). The findings highlight the importance of explicitly examining values assumed to be associated with autobiographical remembering, and relating these values to memory characteristics and function.