Further intervention programs, as guided by this study, are intended to aid autistic individuals in achieving their social relationship goals and promoting greater societal integration. The use of person-first versus identity-first language is recognized as a point of contention, a fact we acknowledge. For two key reasons, we've opted for identity-first language. Autistic people express a pronounced preference for the term 'autistic person', instead of 'person with autism', as per Botha et al. (2021). Secondly, the term “autistic” was predominantly employed by our interviewees.

Childhood growth and development are facilitated in key ways by playgrounds. Biogenic VOCs While accessibility regulations are in place, children with disabilities are often prevented from participating in these experiences due to environmental and societal limitations.
To synthesize and identify existing research on the correlation between key developmental areas and child-friendly play environments for children with disabilities, with the goal of developing evidence-based interventions and advocacy strategies.
The following databases were reviewed on January 30, 2021: Academic Search Complete/EBSCO, CINAHL/EBSCO, Education Research Complete/EBSCO, ERIC, OTseeker, and PubMed.
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standards served as the guide for this systematic review. Peer-reviewed studies on children with disabilities (ages 3 to 12) employed accessible play settings to assess developmental outcomes across various domains of childhood growth. Using validated instruments, the risk of bias and the quality of evidence were evaluated.
Nine articles, fulfilling inclusion criteria, comprised: one Level 3b matched case-control study; four Level 4 cross-sectional studies; three Level 5 qualitative studies; and a single mixed-methods study, incorporating Levels 4 and 5 evidence. Eight of nine studies showed that playgrounds, despite their accessibility labels, negatively affected social participation, play engagement, and motor skill improvement.
There is a lower rate of engagement among children with disabilities in activities that encompass play, social participation, and motor skill development. Practitioners have a responsibility to tackle occupational injustices in the playground by engaging in meticulous program development, strategic policy implementations, and the development of supportive playground designs to decrease stigmatization and enhance accessibility. By focusing on play accessibility, occupational therapists can effectively diminish instances of unequal play opportunities. Establishing interdisciplinary teams for accessible playground design locally would empower occupational therapists to leave a positive and lasting impact on the children in their community.
Children with disabilities experience a lower participation rate in activities providing opportunities for play, social interaction, and motor skill improvement. In order to mitigate occupational injustice on playgrounds, practitioners must meticulously craft programs, policies, and playground designs that effectively reduce stigma and increase accessibility for all. By enhancing play accessibility, occupational therapy professionals can noticeably lessen the occurrence of play inequity. Opportunities for occupational therapy practitioners to make a meaningful and long-lasting difference in the lives of local children arise from the creation of interdisciplinary teams dedicated to designing accessible playgrounds.

The neurodevelopmental disorder autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is recognized by its hallmark features: deficient social interactions, reduced verbal communication, stereotypical repetitive behaviors, narrow interests, and sensory processing variations. Pain-related sensory deviations are not represented in the current knowledge base. Analyzing the pain perceptions of autistic people can offer occupational therapists a starting point for identifying areas needing intervention and effective treatments.
A review of case-control studies will be undertaken to provide a summary of current evidence on sensory abnormalities in relation to pain experiences in individuals diagnosed and not diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
A systematic search of the CINAHL, Cochrane, MEDLINE (PubMed), OTseeker, and Web of Science databases was performed, utilizing both MeSH terms and broad keywords.
In accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, a search was undertaken. To determine the risk of bias in the studies comprising the analysis, the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was employed.
Twenty-seven case-control investigations, encompassing 865 individuals with ASD and a comparable group of 864 controls, formed the basis of this study. Different methods were employed in order to understand the perception of pain, including the precise quantification of pain threshold levels and pinpointing the point at which pain becomes noticeable.
Sensory perceptions concerning pain might be unusual in people with autism spectrum disorder, as the results demonstrate. Pain management interventions should be developed by occupational therapy practitioners. This research contributes to existing scholarship by demonstrating that individuals with ASD experience sensory anomalies concerning pain perception. membrane photobioreactor The results underscore the requirement for occupational therapy interventions to specifically target pain experiences.
Pain sensitivity may be unevenly experienced, according to the results, among people with ASD. Interventions for pain management should be developed and implemented by occupational therapy practitioners. This study's contribution to the field lies in demonstrating the sensory abnormalities concerning pain that are often observed in people with ASD. Occupational therapy interventions need to address the pain experiences shown in the results.

In certain cases, autistic adults find that their social connections are linked to depression and anxiety. For autistic adults, the need exists for occupational therapy interventions backed by evidence to reduce depression and anxiety, and enhance social relations.
Evaluating the practicality and early effectiveness of the HEARTS intervention, a six-session, group-based psychoeducation program focused on improving relationship health.
After the baseline, a one-group pretest-posttest design was used, followed by a three-month follow-up period.
Community organizations in the United States are utilizing online interventions.
For independent participation in an online group-based learning environment, fifty-five adults, between 20 and 43 years of age, holding a professional or self-diagnosed autism diagnosis, are available.
To promote healthy relationship skills, participants engaged in six weekly 90-minute sessions. These sessions included the critical topics of identifying abusive behaviors, meeting people effectively, maintaining relationships, setting interpersonal boundaries, understanding the neurobiological basis of relationships, and concluding relationships constructively. selleckchem Education, guided discovery, and strategic acquisition were components of a psychoeducational approach implemented.
Participants' self-reported data was gathered through online surveys for all measures. By utilizing instruments from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, depression and anxiety were assessed.
The intervention was successfully completed by fifty-five participants. Depression and anxiety levels showed statistically significant improvements following the implemented intervention, according to post-intervention evaluations.
A deeper examination of the HEARTS intervention is recommended for its potential impact on depression and anxiety levels in autistic adults. A group-based, psychoeducational intervention, HEARTS, potentially offers a non-pharmaceutical, effective way for autistic adults to improve their relationships. The identity-first language (autistic person) is used in this article, consistent with the expressed preferences of autistic self-advocates (Autistic Self Advocacy Network, 2020; Kenny et al., 2016; Lord et al., 2022).
An examination of the HEARTS intervention's impact on depression and anxiety in autistic adults should be a priority and further explored. Autistic adults can discover a potentially effective, non-pharmacological, psychoeducational group-based intervention in HEARTS for the purpose of healthy relationship building. Recognizing the preferences of autistic self-advocates (Autistic Self Advocacy Network, 2020; Kenny et al., 2016; Lord et al., 2022), this article uses the identity-first language “autistic person”.

Factors that anticipate the requirements for occupational therapy services within children with autism have not been extensively investigated through research. The basis for receiving services demands this kind of research to be conducted.
A study to investigate the elements connected to the use of occupational therapy services by autistic children. Elevated sensory hyperresponsiveness, a greater engagement in sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking, and decreased adaptive functioning were predicted to be associated with higher service utilization.
A prospective, longitudinal survey of autism symptom severity, adaptive behavior, sensory features, demographic and service utilization patterns in children with autism, aged 3-13, was analyzed using extant data.
An online survey focusing on children's behaviors during daily routines and contexts, for parents.
Involving 892 parents of autistic children, the study encompassed 50 states across the U.S.
We gathered data from the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale-Second Edition, the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire Version 30, supplementing this with responses from a demographic questionnaire. Data collection having been completed, but prior to any analysis, we formulated our hypotheses.
Individuals exhibiting lower enhanced perception, reduced adaptive behavior, heightened sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking behaviors, younger age, and higher household income were more likely to require increased occupational therapy services.