Imagine you are driving to a meeting. It’s a long drive and you don’t want to miss your exit off the freeway. But while you are driving, your mind begins to wander off to other things, like the argument you had with your spouse yesterday, or the Hawaiian vacation you are planning for next winter. And then after a while you notice that you past your exit over a ten minutes ago! Does this mean there is something wrong with you? Are you starting to lose your mind? The answer is no. As Zanesco and colleagues confirmed in a meta-analysis of 68 studies of mind wandering during task performance, it just means you are like everyone else!
Continue reading “Does Your Mind Wander When You Should Be Paying Attention? Join the Club!”Category: First Posting
This article has been accepted for publication in the current year but is currently available online only.
One Session Treatments for Phobias in Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Children and young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) commonly experience various fears and phobias. Davis & Brennan reviewed evidence for the effectiveness of treatments of these anxiety disorders, including the adaptation of One Session Treatments for ASD youth.
Continue reading “One Session Treatments for Phobias in Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)”Aggressive Behavior by Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Is Influenced by the Environment
To what extent is the aggressive behavior of youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) moderated (or aggravated) by attributes of their environment? Brown and colleagues tried to answer this question based on caregiver reports for 511 ASD youth. Overall, their data indicated that demographic and environmental factors accounted for up to 40% of the variance in children’s aggressive behavior. The main factors influencing reported aggressive behavior were:
- Family income
- The child’s age and social communication skills
- Parental distress arising from having to deal with a difficult child
Besides these factors, the researchers also found a slight effect of family warmth as measured by the Family Environment Scale and Caregiver-Child Dyad Satisfaction, but this factor barely accounted for an additional one percent of the observed total variance.
Continue reading “Aggressive Behavior by Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Is Influenced by the Environment”Why Do People with Autism Spectrum Disorder Enjoy Social Interaction Less Than Others?
Why do people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) tend to avoid social interaction? A relevant study to help answer this question was undertaken by Gerber and associates. They compared 155 autistic youth to 145 neurotypical youth in terms of how much they enjoyed interacting with others. These researchers found that autistic youth enjoyed social interaction less than others, and that this lack of enjoyment was associated with social anxiety.
Continue reading “Why Do People with Autism Spectrum Disorder Enjoy Social Interaction Less Than Others?”
Dr Martin Fracker 