Perception of the Portrayal of Autism in Netflix's Atypical Within the Autism Community.

Background: Fictional portrayals of autism play a role in raising awareness, shaping knowledge, and influencing attitudes toward autism. However, the accuracy of these portrayals is a topic of debate. Limited research has been conducted with the autism community regarding their perceptions of fictional portrayals of autism. This study aimed to explore autistic people's perceptions of the accuracy, educational benefits, and impact of Atypical, a Netflix comedy drama series focused on the experiences of an autistic protagonist. Methods: Participants were 77 members of the autism community (autistic N = 65, parent/partner N = 12), recruited via social media. Participants completed a cross-sectional predominantly qualitative survey. We undertook descriptive statistical analyses on the quantitative data and used a reflexive thematic analysis approach to analyze the qualitative data. Results: The majority of participants described Sam's portrayal as accurate, emphasizing that it was accurate as one example of autism. Family members appeared more likely to perceive Atypical as having informative benefit and being likely to improve attitudes toward autism than were autistic people. The primary concerns identified were the stereotypical representation of a popular media image of autism, the lack of diversity, and the depiction of autism as a burden or challenge for the protagonist and his family. Conclusions: This study builds on previous research on the portrayal of autism in entertainment media by investigating the perception of the autism community regarding one such fictional portrayal. It identifies that for entertainment media to better represent the lived experience of autistic people and improve community understanding of autism, there is a need for increased diversity of portrayals and for the involvement of autistic people in the development and production process.

Why was this study done?: Portrayals of autism on television and in movies may increase autism awareness and knowledge and improve attitudes toward autistic people. However, they may also reinforce autism stereotypes and negative attitudes. Research shows that there are an increasing number of autistic characters in movies and television stories. Some studies find that these portrayals are largely accurate, others that they are misleading, and some that they are mixed. What has not been studied is what members of the autism community think about the accuracy, value, and likely impacts of these fictional portrayals. What was the purpose of this study?: The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of members of the autism community­autistic people and their families­about the Netflix television series Atypical and its autistic main character Sam Gardner. What did the researchers do?: The researchers recruited 77 people who had watched Atypical: 65 autistic people, 10 parents of autistic children, and 2 partners of autistic adults. Participants were recruited through social media and completed an anonymous online survey. Questions addressed their perceptions of the accuracy of the portrayal of Sam as an autistic person, and whether they thought the show would improve autism knowledge and attitudes. What were the results of the study?: The majority of participants thought that Sam's portrayal of autism within Atypical was accurate and that it would have some degree of educational benefit for non-autistic people. Family members appeared more likely than autistic people to think that Sam's portrayal was accurate, to believe that the show had educational benefit, and to agree that the show was likely to lead to more positive attitudes about autism. Participants expressed concern that Sam's portrayal was a stereotypical male representation of autism that was not representative of the broader autistic community and that the show presented a deficit-focused view of autism. What do these findings add to what was already known?: This study provides valuable information regarding the autism community's perceptions of the accuracy of the portrayals of autism, the potential educational benefit, and the likely influence on attitudes. It identifies that for entertainment media to better represent the lived experience of autistic people and improve community understanding of autism, there is a need for increased diversity of portrayals. What are potential weaknesses in the study?: The main weaknesses of the study are the overrepresentation of females (64%), the focus on a single television series with a male protagonist, and the limited detail on the participants' life experiences due to the anonymous nature of the study. How will these findings help autistic adults now or in the future?: This study should assist in advocacy with the producers of entertainment media, enabling them to hear the voices of the autism community and take on board their suggestions for more inclusive and representative portrayals of autism. Doing so has the potential to raise awareness, acceptance, and appreciation of autistic people in the broader community.

A thematic analysis of influences on parents' autism intervention decisions.

BACKGROUND: Factors impacting parents' selection of interventions for their child on the autism spectrum need to be understood in order to better support decision-making. The aim of the current study was to explore parent-reported influences on decisions. METHOD: A sample of 14 Australian parents (13 mothers; 1 father) of a child (4-11 years) diagnosed on the autism spectrum were interviewed about their decisions regarding the use of interventions. A thematic analysis was used to identify prominent themes. FINDINGS: A total of three themes, comprising 11 subthemes were identified. The primary themes were: finding interventions; meeting child and family needs; and acceptability and access. CONCLUSION: Parents' responses highlighted influences on decisions to use evidence-based practices (e.g., behavioural therapies and social skills programs), as well as those with limited empirical support (e.g., animal-assisted therapy and dietary intervention). Influences frequently reported in extant research were reported by parents in this study (e.g., recommendations, logistics of access, and children's individual needs) as well as issues that warrant further investigation (e.g., coping with challenges and stress, importance of intervention intensity, and consideration of the whole family).

Enhancing reciprocal partner support to prevent perinatal depression and anxiety: a Delphi consensus study.

BACKGROUND: Systematic reviews have established that partner support protects against perinatal mood problems. It is therefore a key target for interventions designed to prevent maternal and paternal depression and anxiety. Nonetheless, the extant literature is yet to be translated into specific actions that parents can implement. Prevention efforts aiming to facilitate reciprocal partner support within the couple dyad need to provide specific guidance on how partners can support one another to reduce their vulnerability to perinatal depression and anxiety. METHOD: Two panels of experts in perinatal mental health (21 consumer advocates and 39 professionals) participated in a Delphi consensus study to establish how partners can support one another to reduce their risk of developing depression and anxiety during pregnancy and the postpartum period. RESULTS: A total of 214 recommendations on how partners can support each other were endorsed by at least 80 % of both panels as important or essential in reducing the risk of perinatal depression and anxiety. The recommendations were grouped under the following categories: becoming a parent, supporting each other through pregnancy and childbirth, communication, conflict, division of labor, practical support, emotional support, emotional closeness, sexual satisfaction, using alcohol and drugs, encouraging self-care, developing acceptance, and help-seeking. CONCLUSION: This study established consensus between consumers and professionals in order to produce a set of guidelines on how partners can support each other to prevent depression and anxiety during pregnancy and following childbirth. It is hoped that these guidelines will inform the development of perinatal depression and anxiety prevention efforts.

Effects of infant and maternal sensory processing on infant fussing, crying, and sleep.

This study investigated the effects of infant and maternal sensory processing on sleep, fussing, and crying in a sample of 55 firstborn, 4- to 7-month-old infants and their mothers. Mothers completed self-report questionnaires to assess maternal and infant sensory processing styles and a 4-day diary of infant behavior, including sleep, fussing, and crying. Higher levels of infant Sensation Avoiding were associated with less sleep, more fussing, and more crying whereas higher levels of Sensory Sensitivity were associated with less sleep and more fussing. The positive association between infant Sensation Avoiding and crying was strengthened by lower levels of Low Registration in mothers. The effect of infant Sensory Sensitivity on reducing total sleep also was strengthened by lower levels of maternal Low Registration. Assessment of infant sensory processing as well as the moderating effect of maternal sensory processing on the relationship between infant sensory processing and infant regulatory capacities need to be considered when assessing and designing interventions for families in which infant regulation is problematic.

Modifiable partner factors associated with perinatal depression and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Perinatal distress is a significant public health problem that adversely impacts the individual and their family. The primary objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to identify factors that partners can modify to protect each other from developing perinatal depression and anxiety. METHOD: In accordance with the PRISMA statement, we reviewed the risk and protective factors associated with perinatal depression and anxiety symptoms that partners can potentially modify without professional assistance (PROSPERO reference CRD42014007524). Participants were new or expectant parents aged 16 years or older. The partner factors were sub-grouped into themes (e.g., instrumental support) based on a content analysis of the scale items and measure descriptions. A series of meta-analyses were conducted to estimate the pooled effect sizes of associations. RESULTS: We included 120 publications, reporting 245 associations with depression and 44 with anxiety. Partner factors with sound evidence that they protect against both perinatal depression and anxiety are: emotional closeness and global support. Partner factors with a sound evidence base for depression only are communication, conflict, emotional and instrumental support, and relationship satisfaction. LIMITATIONS: This review is limited by the lack of generalizability to single parents and the inability to systematically review moderators and mediators, or control for baseline symptoms. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that future prevention programs targeting perinatal depression and anxiety should aim to enhance relationship satisfaction, communication, and emotional closeness, facilitate instrumental and emotional support, and minimize conflict between partners.

Long term developmental impact of social withdrawal in infants.

The aim of this study was to follow-up infants who were assessed in early infancy, at approximately 6 months of age, to determine the developmental impact of social withdrawal at approximately 30 months of age. Infants were administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-Third Edition, and the mothers complete the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC), Second Edition-Parent Rating Scale-Preschool form. Significant negative correlations were found between infant social withdrawal and Cognitive and Language scales of the Bayley Scales, and the Social and Communication scales of the BASC. Significant positive correlations were found between the infant social withdrawal and later higher scores on Atypicality and Attention scales. These results provide support for the use of the Alarm Distress Baby Scale as a measure of infant social withdrawal, and its association with later development and behavior.

Rorschach Comprehensive System data for a sample of 128 adult nonpatients from Australia.

This article examines data collected for the study by Greenway and Milne (2001), which investigated the association between the Capacity for Control and Stress Tolerance cluster of the Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS; Exner, 1995) and the ability of individuals to take control of their internal states -- emotional, cognitive and those related to their actions and reactions. The data consisted of the Rorschach protocols of 128 participants in an urban, community sample, collected by graduate students in the second year of a master's degree in counseling psychology. All of these students had been trained thoroughly in administering the Rorschach and had experience in practicing psychological assessment and counseling for between 8 and 11 months in professional settings. The exclusion criteria are described and the interrater reliability statistics for several CS variables as well as descriptive statistics are presented.

Acetylation of the yeast histone H4 N terminus regulates its binding to heterochromatin protein SIR3.

Heterochromatin at yeast telomeres and silent mating (HM) loci represses adjacent genes and is formed by the binding and spreading of silencing information regulators (SIR proteins) along histones. This involves the interaction between the C terminus of SIR3 and the N terminus of histone H4. Since H4 is hypoacetylated in heterochromatin we wished to determine whether acetylation is involved in regulating the contacts between SIR3 and H4. Binding of H4 peptide (residues 1-34) acetylated at lysines Lys-5, Lys-8, Lys-12, and Lys-16 to an immobilized SIR3 protein fragment (residues 510-970) was investigated using surface plasmon resonance. We find that acetylation of H4 lysines reduces binding (K(a)) of H4 to SIR3 in a cumulative manner so that the fully acetylated peptide binding is decreased approximately 50-fold relative to unacetylated peptide. Thus, by affecting SIR3-H4 binding, acetylation may regulate the formation of heterochromatin. These data help explain the hypoacetylated state of histone H4 in heterochromatin of eukaryotes.