Cybervictimization of Young People With an Intellectual or Developmental Disability: Risks Specific to Sexual Solicitation.

BACKGROUND: Studies demonstrate that youth are vulnerable to online sexual solicitation. However, no study has estimated this risk for youth diagnosed with an intellectual or developmental disability (IDD). METHODS: A literature review of the risk factors associated with online sexual solicitation in youths was done using electronic databases, such as PsychInFO, ERIC, MEDLINE and Scopus. RESULTS: Fifty-seven published papers were found relevant. However, only two pertained to the population with IDD. Sexual and physical abuse, social isolation, loneliness, depression, and chatting were found to increase the risk of being prey to sexual solicitation on the Internet. Many of these risk factors are even more prevalent in youth with IDD than in the general population. CONCLUSION: Recommendations are made for future research to help understand and prevent sexual cybersolicitation.

DEVELOPMENT OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS IN YOUNG CHILDREN: A PROSPECTIVE POPULATION-BASED COHORT STUDY.

We know relatively little about the development of disruptive behaviors (DBs), and gender differences therein. The objective of this study was to describe the continuity and discontinuity in the degree to which young children in the general population are reported to exhibit specific DBs over time. Data came from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. First, the results show that relatively few children exhibit DBs on a frequent basis at 41 months of age. Second, the results show that a majority of children who exhibit a particular DB on a frequent basis at 41 months of age did not do so 1 year earlier. In addition, a majority of children who exhibited a particular DB on a frequent basis at 29 months of age no longer do so 1 year later. Third, gender differences in DBs (boys > girls) are either emerging or at least increasing in magnitude between 29 and 41 months of age. Consistent with the canalization of the behavioral development principle, children who exhibited DBs on a frequent basis at 29 months of age are less likely to stop doing so in the following year if they had exhibited the same behaviors at 17 months of age.

The challenges faced by caregivers of children with impairments of psychological functions: a population-based cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the challenges faced by caregivers of children with impairments of psychological functions (IPFs). METHOD: Data came from the 2001 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey, a post-census national survey of people with disabilities residing in the 10 Canadian provinces. Interviews of caregivers of children aged 5 to 14 years with a disability (n = 3908) were conducted between September 2001 and January 2002. RESULTS: Caregivers of children with IPFs who are severely limited in their everyday activities were more likely to: need respite care; be refused a child care program or service; not receive health services for their children when needed; and not take a job, quit work, and work fewer hours to care for their children. CONCLUSIONS: This highlights the importance of both removing barriers and obstacles to the full participation of children with IPFs in everyday activities and improving their caregivers' access to health and child care services. It also argues in favour of family-centred care that explicitly considers caregivers' concerns, identifies their needs and problems, and supports families in their caregiving roles.

The development of prosocial behaviors in young children: a prospective population-based cohort study.

Researchers know relatively little about the normative development of children's behaviors aimed at alleviating distress or discomfort in others. In this article, the authors aim to describe the continuity and discontinuity in the degree to which young children in the general population are reported to exhibit specific prosocial behaviors. Data came from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Consistent with Hay's model of prosocial development, the results show that there were about as many children who stopped exhibiting prosocial behaviors between 29 and 41 months of age as there were children who started doing so during this period. Further, gender differences (girls > boys) in prosocial behaviors are either emerging or at least increasing in magnitude, with girls being more likely to start and boys being more likely to stop exhibiting these behaviors between 29 and 41 months of age. Consistent with the early-onset hypothesis, children who exhibit prosocial behaviors at 17 months of age are less likely to stop exhibiting the same behaviors between 29 and 41 months of age. Otherwise, if they did not exhibit prosocial behaviors at 29 months of age, they are also more likely to start doing so in the following year.

Sexual Knowledge, Desires, and Experience of Adolescents and Young Adults With an Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Exploratory Study.

Although most persons with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) wish to have romantic and/or sexual relationships, little is known about self-report sexuality of adolescents/young adults with ASD. In this exploratory study, 172 male and female adolescents/young adults (68 with ASD and 104 without ASD) completed an online version of the Sexual Behavior Scale-Third edition. Although many more similarities than differences were observed between the groups for views and desires about romantic relationships (e.g., wishing to have a girlfriend/boyfriend), fewer participants with ASD (mostly boys) had experience with a variety of sexual/dyadic behaviors, and approximately half of girls with ASD reported negative sexual experiences. Significantly higher rates of participants with ASD felt their knowledge about sexuality was limited and found it difficult to understand sexual education compared with typically developing (TD) participants. Significantly lower rates of participants with ASD reported that they identify to their assigned gender compared with TD participants. Multiple regressions revealed that being older at first diagnosis and possessing better knowledge about sexuality were significant predictors of both positive and negative sexual experience. This study explores strengths and challenges related with the sexual health of adolescents/young adults with ASD and implications for clinical and educational practice are discussed.

Systematic review of risk and protective factors associated with substance use and abuse in individuals with autism spectrum disorders.

LAY ABSTRACT: Symptoms characteristic of autism spectrum disorder were initially believed to protect individuals with autism spectrum disorder from developing substance abuse. However, recent studies suggest that up to 36% of individuals with autism spectrum disorder may have a co-occurring issue with substance abuse. In addition, substance abuse may worsen the difficulties with daily functioning some individuals with autism spectrum disorder experience. It is important to understand occurrence rates, and risk, protective and positive treatment factors of co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and substance abuse in order to promote the best possible support for this special population. This review aimed to find and synthesize evidence regarding risk, protective and treatment factors, and determine a general prevalence rate of co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and substance abuse from all studies on substance use and abuse in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The review also aimed to assess study quality and identify a diagnostic measure for substance abuse in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Twenty-six studies on substance use and abuse in autism spectrum disorder were included in the review. The rates of substance abuse among those with autism spectrum disorder identified by included studies ranged from 1.3% to 36%, but due to large differences in study methods, a general prevalence rate could not be determined. Risk and protective factors, recognized in the general population, such as familial substance abuse and co-occurring mental health issues, and factors which may be more likely to occur in individuals with autism spectrum disorder, such as limited social resources and low sensation-seeking, were identified. No diagnostic measures specific to individuals with autism spectrum disorder and substance abuse were identified. This review identified only one exploratory study on an adapted intervention for co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and substance abuse. However, there were many methodological challenges in this study that limit the conclusions that can be drawn from the data. More research, using consistent methods, is needed to understand risk and protective factors and to determine the prevalence of substance abuse among individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The potential for co-occurring autism spectrum disorder and substance abuse should be considered by professional working in both autism spectrum disorder and substance abuse services, as finding suggests substance abuse is possible among individuals with autism spectrum disorder and may occur more frequently than previously believed. In addition, autism spectrum disorder and substance abuse service providers should be sensitive to specific risk and protective factors identified by the review that may impact substance abuse course and outcomes.

The evolution of problem and social competence behaviors during toddlerhood: A prospective population-based cohort survey.

Research in developmental psychopathology has long been preoccupied with rather broad categories of behavior, but we know little about the specific behaviors that comprise these categories. The objective of this study was to: (a) estimate the prevalence of problem and social competence behaviors in the general population of children at 17 months of age, and (b) describe the continuity and discontinuity in the degree to which children exhibit these behaviors between 17 and 29 months of age. The results show that frequent problem behaviors are not typical of children under two years of age. Further, the results suggest that it is possible to distinguish between different types of problem behaviors before two years of age. In addition, the results show that gender differences in some problem behaviors are already present before two years of age, and increase in magnitude during toddlerhood. Finally, the results show that interindividual differences in problem behaviors observed before two years of age are stable. The predictive accuracy of frequent problem behaviors in children at 17 months of age was limited, however, with often a majority of toddlers not behaving this way a year later. Overall, our results suggest that toddlerhood represents a critical period when behavioral and emotional problems of potentially clinical significance emerge. Pediatricians should routinely ask parents to report the frequency of their young children's problem behaviors during child health supervision visits so that children whose frequent problem behaviors persist over time can be identified and possibly referred for treatment.

Prevalence of School Bullying Among Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The true extent of school bullying among youth with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) remains an underexplored area. The purpose of this meta-analysis is to: (a) assess the proportion of school-aged youth with ASD involved in school bullying as perpetrators, victims or both; (b) examine whether the observed prevalence estimates vary when different sources of heterogeneity related to the participants' characteristics and to the assessment methods are considered; and (c) compare the risk of school bullying between youth with ASD and their typically developing (TD) peers. A systematic literature search was performed and 17 studies met the inclusion criteria. The resulting pooled prevalence estimate for general school bullying perpetration, victimization and both was 10%, 44%, and 16%, respectively. Pooled prevalence was also estimated for physical, verbal, and relational school victimization and was 33%, 50%, and 31%, respectively. Moreover, subgroup analyses showed significant variations in the pooled prevalence by geographic location, school setting, information source, type of measures, assessment time frame, and bullying frequency criterion. Finally, school-aged youth with ASD were found to be at greater risk of school victimization in general, as well as verbal bullying, than their TD peers. Autism Res 2016, 9: 601-615. © 2015 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prevalence and correlates of bullying perpetration and victimization among school-aged youth with intellectual disabilities: A systematic review.

Recent literature reviews show that bullying perpetration and victimization are major public health concerns for typically developing (TD) youth. Nevertheless, the magnitude of this phenomenon among youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) remains unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to provide a synthesis of the empirical studies examining the prevalence and correlates of bullying perpetration and victimization among youth with ID. A systematic literature search was performed and 11 studies met the inclusion criteria. The findings from these studies showed weighted mean prevalence rates of general bullying perpetration, bullying victimization and both of 15.1%, 36.3%, and 25.2%, respectively. Weighted mean prevalence rates of bullying perpetration and victimization differed according to the characteristics of the studies (e.g., assessment context, school setting, information source, type of measures, time frame). Additionally, high weighted mean prevalence rates of physical (33.3%), verbal (50.2%), relational (37.4%), and cyber (38.3%) victimization were found among youth with ID. When youth with ID were compared to youth with other disabilities or TD peers, no clear differences were found. Finally, the present review shows that correlates of bullying perpetration and victimization in this population remain understudied.

Lifestyle interventions targeting changes in body weight and composition among youth with an intellectual disability: A systematic review.

Over the past three decades, the potential effects of lifestyle interventions targeting changes in body weight and composition (weight, body mass index, fat mass, waist circumference) among adults with an intellectual disability (ID) have been examined in various systematic reviews. Nevertheless, since the middle of the 1980s, the potential effects of these interventions for youth with an ID remain an open question. The purpose of this article is to review the effects of lifestyle interventions targeting changes in body weight and composition among youth with an ID. This review will focus on changes in body weight and composition, healthy lifestyle, and secondary health conditions. A systematic review of English- and French-language studies, published between 1981 and 2013, was performed on Academic Search Complete, PsycARTICLES, Medline and Scopus. The nine studies included in this review focused mainly on: a sample with a wide age range (e.g., 7-22 years); males; overweight-obese youth having a mild-to-moderate ID with Down or Prader-Willi syndrome; physical activity interventions; cohort pre- and post-test designs with/without a control group; and changes in body weight and composition. Taken together, results from these studies suggest successful changes in weight, body mass index and fat mass. However, intervention effects on healthy lifestyle and secondary health conditions are scarce and inconclusive. Given the weaknesses of the reviewed studies, the present findings should be considered preliminary and indicative of the need for future research.