Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of brief acceptance and commitment training (ACT) on overt values-based behaviors, psychological flexibility, psychological well-being, and parental adherence of four Japanese mothers of children with autism. A non-concurrent multiple baseline design across participants with pre- and post-measures was used in this study. All four participants received five 45–60 min of online ACT sessions. The level of psychological flexibility and psychological well-being were assessed using a 6-PAQ and PWBS-42, respectively. In addition, a social validity questionnaire assessed the feasibility and acceptability of the ACT.

Autistic adults, adults who have an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis, are more likely than their non-autistic peers to experience mental health concerns. A growing body of literature supports interventions that target psychological flexibility as a useful approach for reducing mental health concerns in autistic adults. Despite this, psychometric evidence on measuring psychological flexibility within this population is scant. Accordingly, we determined the validity and reliability of the Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (AAQ-II), Brief Experiential Avoidance Questionnaire (BEAQ), and Valuing Questionnaire (VQ) in measuring psychological flexibility in a sample of 461 autistic adults.

Background
Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has shown to be an effective intervention in promoting psychological health. This systematic review aimed to establish the effectiveness of ACT for adults with autism and/or intellectual disabilities.

Method
Three databases were systematically reviewed (PsycInfo, PubMed, and MEDLINE) using PRISMA guidelines.

Results
After initial screening and removal of duplicates, 216 potential papers were identified of which eight papers were identified and included in the systematic review.

A concurrent randomized multiple baseline across three mother-child dyads single-case design was employed to evaluate the effects of a brief mindfulness-infused behavioral parent training program. The program included strategies embedded within the context of natural family routines. Three mothers and their children with autism spectrum disorder participated. At the individual tier level, visual analysis revealed moderately positive results for two mother-child dyads and contraindicated results for maternal self-reported stress in one dyad.

Acceptance and Commitment Training has been employed to increase behavioral flexibility in only a handful of studies with children with autism. In the current study, we conducted a direct contingency functional analysis of the inflexible behavior of three children with autism and developed a function-based treatment. Upon finding that this intervention was either inefficient or ineffective, we conducted a secondary functional assessment of indirect (verbal) contingencies and employed a 4-h Acceptance and Commitment Training to decrease inflexible behaviors and increase manding for rule changes. All three children responded to the treatment, results maintained at follow up, and showed generality in the presence of siblings.

Some individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) engage in verbal and physical aggression that is inimical to their educational and social development. Given that no specific treatment is applicable to all individuals with ASD, there is a need to develop and assess interventions that enable self-management of these behaviors. In a multiple-baseline design across participants, three adolescents with ASD were taught Surfing the Urge, an informal mindfulness practice, to self-manage their verbal and physical aggression. They were taught to use their breath as a surfboard to ride out the waves of aggression without engaging with or giving in to the urges to be verbally and/or physically aggressive.

We examined the effect of a brief Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) based intervention for eighteen parents of children with autism compared to a matched randomized control group.