Mediating self‐hood: exploring the construction and maintenance of identity by mothers of children labeled with autism spectrum disorder

Based on the findings of a qualitative study, this article describes how mothers of children labeled with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) mediate for their children in interactions with those who are unfamiliar with ASD. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews and participant observations. Findings indicate that mothers mediate for their children because they perceive hostility and lack of accommodation for their children on the part of unfamiliars. As they mediate, mothers attempt to construct and maintain positive identities for their children by explaining and reframing their children’s behaviors to influence the interpretations and responses of unfamiliars. I argue that in these interactions mothers function as proxy selves for their children because they are attempting to influence the perceptions others develop of their children, thus shaping their children’s social identity in the process. The findings of this study demonstrate the active, interpretive role that many mothers of children with autism play as they continually sort and assess information in order to determine what is in the best interests of their children. Further, the findings presented here demonstrate the social nature of self‐hood and identity, that all people involve others in the performance of their self‐hood. In this way and others, people labeled with ASD have much in common with those considered normal.     

Knowledge and opinions of families regarding games—Toy selection for 6 to 12 year old children (the case of Northern Cyprus)

Games and toys are irreplaceable basic needs of children of almost every age. They are also some of the most significant traces of culture. Some of our games and toys lost their original functions, and it is not remembered why they were functionally significant in Turkish Cypriot culture. Families and cultural identity also play a major role regarding different factors leading to changes in toy selection. The purpose of this study is to explore the knowledge and opinions of families regarding games and, in particular, toy selection for 6–12 year old children of Turkish Cypriot families. A survey was administered to 100 households in North Cyprus, and was used as a data collection tool. It was found that the most important factors in the selection of children’s games and toys were (1) the economic opportunities, and (2) children’s desires for toys after seeing them with their friends. A considerable number of families in Northern Cyprus see game-toy selection as important in a child’s social, psychomotor, mental, and cultural construction. Families, especially those living with difficulties, indicated that they cannot afford enough time to encourage playing traditional games. Although new versions of traditional games and toys are being developed and used, it is seen that educated and high-income families are more conscious about the importance of having information about them than others.     

Quirky kids: fathers’ stories of embracing diversity and dismantling expectations for normative play with their children with autism spectrum disorder

Abstract

Anchored in critical disability studies, we used a narrative methodology to study fathers’ stories of play interactions with their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Three narratives convey how father–child interactions unfold and how patterns of interaction respond to, redefine and resist societal norms. Narratives of action demonstrate fathers’ responses to societal norms, while narratives of adjustment depict how fathers have redefined expectations of their children in the context of play. Narratives of acceptance demonstrate fathers’ attunement to, and acceptance of, their children’s preferred play interests and a resistance to play norms. We argue that fathers’ stories represent a step towards emancipating play for children with ASD in that fathers’ appreciation of their children’s quirky play accentuates the relational and social capabilities of children, thus countering deficit interpretations of the abilities of children with autism more broadly.     

Spirituality in Latino families of children with autism spectrum disorder

Research on Latino parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) suggests that these parents often use spirituality to conceptualize and to cope with their child’s diagnosis. However, there are no studies that examine religion among Latino parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The current study explores how Latino parents of children with ASD incorporate spirituality into their conceptualizations of their child’s disability. In the current study, 34 Latina mothers of children with ASD were interviewed about autism-related services, family characteristics, and cultural beliefs including spiritual beliefs. Thematic analysis of the transcribed interview data relating to spiritual beliefs was conducted for the present study. Most mothers endorsed beliefs that their child with a disability was a message from God. Within this theme, mothers reported beliefs that their child was a blessing from God, a test from God, a sign from God or that the parent was special. Other parents believed that having a child with a disability was not an act of God, but related to biomedical factors, and another group of parents was unsure about the spiritual meaning of their child with a disability. Lastly, some mothers reported that their larger cultural group believed that having a child with a disability was a punishment or a negative sign from God but they markedly rejected that conception. These findings suggest that providers working with Latino families of children with ASD should acknowledge the importance of spirituality for these families.     

When trustors compete for the favour of a trustee – A laboratory experiment

We experimentally compare standard two-player trust games to three-player trust games, where two trustors compete for one trustee. We argue that a competitive environment could affect how the trustors’ behaviour is perceived by the trustee. If two trustors compete for the favour of a trustee, the trustee might find it difficult to interpret the trustors’ investments as kind since they could as well be the outcome of a competitive race; this could negatively affect the trustee’s returned amount. We allow for heterogeneous effects of competition for strangers and artificially induced partners. The results of our one-shot trust games show that introducing competition among trustors reduces return ratios of the trustee. We do not find any evidence for statistically different effects of competition for partners and strangers.     

北京市融合教育资源可获得情况的调查研究——孤独症儿童家长视角

应用“问卷星”收集北京市九个城区的273份孤独症儿童家长问卷,分析孤独症儿童获得融合教育资源的情况,为相关政策制定和执行提供依据。结果显示:学前教育阶段69.7%的孤独症儿童在民办教育机构接受融合教育,义务教育阶段95.4%的孤独症儿童在公办教育机构接受融合教育。总体上看,融合教育资源可获得水平较低,有融合教育资源的教育机构对孤独症儿童接纳程度更高,其中资源教师的主效应显著。北京市孤独症儿童可获得的融合教育资源不足,资源与需求的对接机制亟待进一步完善。     

Deconstructing language practices: discursive constructions of children in Individual Education Plan resource documents

Although Individual Education Plan (IEP) resource documents in Ontario, Canada aim to assist children in achieving their special educational goals, a point of disjuncture exists between the documents’ intentions and children’s actual experiences. Addressing this issue is crucial in preventing inequity and fostering educational development and social well-being for children. We employ critical discourse analysis informed by disability theory to deconstruct the language practices used to conceptualize children in IEP resource documents. Our purpose is to question the underlying assumptions regarding representations of children and illuminate the potentially harmful consequences of such conceptions. We expose the presence of both neutral and harmful language practices and consider how such language may shape the way the documents translate from policy to practice. This study offers a model through which the language of other special education documents can be critically evaluated and proposes potential avenues for creating documents that avoid disabling children further.     

Desires matter! Desired attitudes predict behavioural intentions in people who think abstractly: the case of eating products without added salt / ¡Los deseos importan! Las actitudes deseadas predicen las intenciones de comportamiento en las personas que piensan de modo abstracto: El caso del consumo de alimentos sin sal añadida

Introduction. Previous research supports that congruence in the construal level between a person’s mindset and predictors enhanced the strength of predictions. Because desired attitudes are more abstract than actual attitudes, we expected that desired attitudes would better predict behavioural intentions in people who present an abstract style of thinking. Objective. We tested this matching effect between desired attitudes and abstractness by measuring the construal level as a person’s base-rate tendency. Method. Participants (N = 105) reported their past experience and actual and desired attitudes towards eating products without added salt and their behavioural intentions. To classify participants according to an abstract or a concrete way of thinking, their first thought was coded using the linguistic category model (LCM). Results. The simple slopes analysis showed that desired attitudes significantly influenced behavioural intentions for participants with an abstract way of thinking. Conclusion. Our results support the relevance of desired attitudes in terms of behavioural predictions and extend the role of the construal level in the prediction and promotion of desirable but demanding behaviour in the framework of individual differences.     

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy for Parents Raising a Child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study

Many couples raising children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are often resilient in confronting unique parental demands, while others experience greater risk for relational distress. Research has shown that Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) is efficacious with couples raising chronically ill children and relevant to the relational demands of parents of children diagnosed with an ASD. This pilot study tested the effectiveness of EFT with seven couples presenting with moderate to severe distress, who were also parents of a child diagnosed with an ASD. Results demonstrated significant decreases in marital distress at posttreatment and 6‐month follow‐up. The study also identified several unique themes associated with couple distress and the parenting experiences of this population.     

Children with profound and multiple learning difficulties: laughter,capability and relating to others

There are numerous ways in which human beings respond to humour: they smile, grin, laugh, giggle or guffaw, and their behaviour might include anything from a glint in the eye to an uncontrollable heaving of the whole body. We consider how laughter is displayed in the lives of four children with profound and multiple learning difficulties and disabilities (PMLD), and reflect on what this reveals about their capabilities and relationships. We look at examples of absurdity and incongruity as elements of humour, and we explore how these create a space for ‘relational commonality’ between people whose differences are many and profound. We suggest that laughter, and involvement in humorous interaction, enables children with PMLD to express themselves, to develop relations with others and to be seen as fully our fellow human beings.     

Wounding Healers. Killing with kindness on the road to hell

A primary intention of those working in the caring professions is to make things better, rather than worse, for the people they encounter. Most are motivated by good intentions to help others. This article considers the shadow side of this ‘altruism’ and the unintended consequences that can sometimes result from the best of intentions. Drawing on works of Literature and Social Work Theory the desire to help, along with the exercise of power, is shown to be a ‘dangerous delight’ and to have the capacity to ‘bring about great ruin’. The concept of the wounded healer has been considered previously. Here, the possibility of would-be healers being wounding is examined. Those who set out to ‘help’ others are urged to carefully reflect on their motivation so as to increase the likelihood that they will follow an essential first principle of the therapeutic encounter and do no harm.     

Membership Benefits Matter

Professional associations have provided various benefits to their members to bolster member retention and recruitment. This study explored factors that could influence members’ behavioral intentions in professional membership associations by surveying 13,229 members from eighteen associations. More specifically, this analysis focused on the effects of members’ perceptions of the personal and professional benefits offered by associations with which they are affiliated and their satisfaction with those benefits. Our results suggested that members’ perceptions of personal and professional benefits positively correlated with their intentions to renew and recommend membership. If a member perceived a higher level of benefits, he or she would demonstrate a greater likelihood of satisfaction with the benefits and therefore be more likely to renew membership or recommend it to others. This study could advance understanding of the factors that influence members’ behavioral intentions while also providing professional associations with strategies for retaining existing members.     

Gambling Prevention Program Among Children

Gambling becomes a more frequent activity among children as they have an easy access to the world of the games. In the same time children are at a higher risk for developing problem and/or pathological gambling having erroneous information about how games of chance and games of skill work. The purpose of the study was to compare the influence of specific primary prevention with rational emotive education (REE) on the subjects’ knowledge about games. The experimental design randomly assigned children (N = 81, age 12–13, 37 male and 44 female) into three groups: 1. control, 2. specific information about games using the interactive software “Amazing Chateau”, and 3. REE. All children completed a questionnaire with 38 items at the beginning of the study and after 10 weekly interventional meetings. Each item had three answering options, children choosing only one correct answer. Findings indicated that the use of the software significantly improved subjects’ knowledge about gambling and corrected their information about how games work. The results of the study confirmed that using specific primary prevention tools for changing erroneous conceptions about games is more efficient than using only REE. The implications of these results for the prevention of gambling problems especially in schools are discussed.     

FamilyLive: Parental Skill Building for Caregivers with Interpersonal Trauma Exposures

Mental health treatments for emotionally traumatized children incorporate family and caregiver-child therapy sessions to promote child recovery and minimize developmental disruption. Such sessions require that caregivers regulate their emotions to remain productively engaged in the therapeutic process. However, caregivers with histories of unresolved interpersonal trauma have difficulty with emotional regulation. Interpersonal trauma also negatively affects the ability to reflect on one’s own and others’ feelings and intentions. This limitation interferes with caregiver engagement in psychotherapy relationships aimed at supporting child trauma work. FamilyLive is an innovative caregiver-focused family therapy model that uses a one-way mirror, a specially trained reflecting team, structured routines and individualized verbalizations to address this complex clinical phenomenon. Guided by the literature on attachment and trauma, FamilyLive has yielded anecdotal successes and positive pilot results. FamilyLive is a viable approach to engaging caregivers with histories of interpersonal trauma in trauma-focused child and family therapy relationships.     

Italian Adult Gambling Behavior: At Risk and Problem Gambler Profiles

The present study examined adult gambling behaviours from a local perspective in order to assess the adult at risk and problem gambler’s profile stratified by genre and by different forms of game. 4773 Italian adults from 18 to 94 years old were administered a survey to assess socio-cultural information related to gambling behaviour and the SOGS to evaluate gambling behaviour severity. Logistic regression evidenced that both at risk and problem gamblers are associated with male gender, players that use to play to more than one game, gambling with strategy-based games. People with a gambler father or both parents who used to gamble were significantly more associated with problem gambling behaviour than participants with non-gambler parents. These results present adult profiles of at risk and problem providing a more clear understanding about the relationships between gambling behavior severity and type of gambling.     

Is a good example the best sermon? Children’s imitation of parental reading

We use the last two waves of the Italian Time Use Survey to analyse whether children imitate the reading habits of their parents. As reading is crucial for continuous investment in human capital throughout a person’s life, it is important that children acquire the habit of reading. This habit may be developed through both cultural and educational transfers from parents to children, and through imitative behaviours. Imitation is of particular interest, as it suggests that parents can have a direct influence on the formation of their children’s preferences and habits, and that active policies promoting good parenting behaviours might therefore be desirable. We investigate the short-run imitative behaviour of children using a household fixed-effects model in which we identify the impact of the parents’ role model by exploiting the differences in the exposure of siblings to their parents’ example within the same household. We find robust evidence of the existence of an imitation effect: on the day of the survey, children were more likely to had read after seeing either their mother or their father reading.     

Children’s Media Culture in a Digital Age

Digital mediation is central to how children and youth grow up in the global North and in much of the global South today. In taking account of this situation, of late researchers have tended to draw on a sociology of the child in conjunction with an examination of how digitization is changing the experience of childhood itself. This article also begins by tracking key social, economic and cultural changes in young people’s lives. We then link these changes to the immersive media life many children around the world are living today, and note the worries this raises among parents, educators and others. To conclude, we identify the paradox of participation that is shaping children’s digital culture and forcing researchers and others to reconsider the relationships between consumerism and civic life.     

Factitious Illness by Proxy: Understanding Underlying Psychological Processes and Motivations

Children are put at risk of emotional and physical harm when parents seek unnecessary medical care. Understanding why parents seek medical interventions that create risk for their children requires us to consider how past experiences, and the mental representations of these experiences influence current behaviour. Past experiences of danger affect how parents interpret ‘dangerous’ situations in the present and how they organise protection of their child. This article demonstrates how the notion of mental representations (that dispose parents to act in particular ways) can assist in engaging, assessing and treating parents who display factitious illness by proxy behaviour. When classified using the Dynamic‐Maturational Method, the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) allows both assessment of implicit and explicit representations and also understanding of the developmental process through which parents have learnt to attribute meaning to information and to organise their behaviour. In this case study, psychosocial assessment of the family included an AAI with each parent. The use of this assessment tool both aided the therapy team in the process of case formulation and intervention planning, and had therapeutic value in and of itself. We argue that treatment is more likely to be effective if the parents and professionals have a shared understanding of the parents' intentions and the developmental process that led to unsafe behaviour, which requires change.     

Who gets to look nice and who gets to play? Effects of child gender on household expenditures

We examine the relationship between a child’s gender and family expenditure using data from the Polish Household Budget Survey. Having a first-born daughter as compared with a first-born son increases the level of household expenditures on child and adult female clothing, and it reduces spending on games, toys and hobbies. This could be a reflection of a pure gender bias on behalf of the parents or a reflection of gender complementarities between parents’ and children’s expenditures. We find no robust evidence on gender differences in educational investment, measured by kindergarten expenditure. The analysed expenditure patterns suggest a so-far unexamined role of gender in child development. Parents in Poland seem to pay more attention to how girls look and favour boys with respect to activities and play, which could have consequences in adult life and contribute to sustaining gender inequalities and stereotypes.