Background: Autism is a complex disorder with a variety of symptoms and differences in their severity. Previous research indicates that within the core symptoms of autism there are differences in...Show moreBackground: Autism is a complex disorder with a variety of symptoms and differences in their severity. Previous research indicates that within the core symptoms of autism there are differences in the behavioral expressions in boys and girls with autism characteristics. Yet not enough is known about the sex differences within autism and the associated behavioral expressions that influence quality of life (QoL). Using this research, it is investigated to what extent the degree of autism characteristics is related to social cognition and QoL in boys and girls. Method: The study has a cross-sectional research design. The research group consist 22 boys and 20 girls in primary and secondary school age. The SRS was used to measure the degree of autism characteristics. QoL was questioned with the Cantril-ladder self-assessment questionnaire and social cognition was measured with the VR perspective taking test. Results: The results confirm that neither social cognition nor degree of autism characteristics are predictors of QoL. In addition, gender does not influence the relationship between social cognition and the degree of autism characteristics. This is also the case with the relationship between the QoL and the degree of autism characteristics. Conclusion: The data suggest some interesting findings about the sex differences in boys and girls with autism and the view of QoL in this group children. Both boys and girls experience limitations within social cognition. The way in which these restrictions are deal with differs. To meet the expectations of others, people with autism use different techniques to hide their autism. This may have a negative impact on QoL. In future research it is necessary to have more knowledge about the sex differences in people with autism characteristics.Show less
Social well-being is low among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This low social well-being may be related to specific traits or behaviors associated with autism, such as limited...Show moreSocial well-being is low among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This low social well-being may be related to specific traits or behaviors associated with autism, such as limited cognitive flexibility. The present study investigated the relationship between cognitive flexibility and social well-being for children with ASD and whether age and gender play a role in the relationship between cognitive flexibility and social-wellbeing. A total of 167 children (93 boys and 74 girls) participated in the current study. Of the participants 58 children had ASD and 109 participants were typically developing children. To measure cognitive flexibility participants completed the Shifting Set Visual (SSV), a subtest of the ANT. Social well-being was measured using the Social Inadequacy subscale of the NPV-J-2. Based on the results, it can be concluded that younger children achieved a significant lower score on cognitive flexibility than older children. No significant difference was found between autistic children and typically developing children in the scores on cognitive flexibility. Furthermore, a relationship was found between age and social well-being, with older children having lower social well-being compared to younger children. A relationship was also found between cognitive flexibility and social well-being, with lower cognitive flexibility associated with lower social well-being. No moderating role was found for gender in the relationship between cognitive flexibility and social well-being of children with ASD. This study showed promising results on the relationship between cognitive flexibility and social well-being for children with ASD. Further research can examine whether improving cognitive flexibility leads to an improved social well-being for children with ASD. This could potentially lead to starting points for treating low social well-being in children with autism.Show less
The Preventive Intervention Team Amsterdam has researched that due to the underdevelopment of social cognitive skills, children may develop more externalizing behaviour problems then peers. Current...Show moreThe Preventive Intervention Team Amsterdam has researched that due to the underdevelopment of social cognitive skills, children may develop more externalizing behaviour problems then peers. Current research investigates the relationship of age, sex and competence on externalizing behaviour to see whether these factors have led to behavioural change. The dataset of the Preventive Intervention Team Amsterdam was used and the sample consists 211 participants (171 boys and 40 girls) between the ages of six and twelve years old, living in Amsterdam. To measure the degree of externalizing problem behaviour, the Teachers Report Form was used, whereby children were eligible to participate in the interventions if their score was found to be (sub)clinical. In this study, no effect was found in the average externalizing behaviour between children with a low and high competence perception and between children ages six to nine and nine to twelve years old. In addition, it was found that age does not moderate the effect of competence perception on externalizing behaviour. In conclusion, age, sex and competency perception explain only a small part of the variance in externalizing behaviour. The results of this study show that there is no moderation effect of age on the association of competence perception and externalizing behavior. The findings suggest that further research into other factors that predict behaviour change is important to make the interventions of the Preventive Intervention Team even more effective. Keywords: sex, age, competence, externalizing problem behaviourShow less
It is important to identify externalizing problem behavior in time to ensure that the consequences can be minimized. Therefore, it is necessary to learn as much as possible about externalizing...Show moreIt is important to identify externalizing problem behavior in time to ensure that the consequences can be minimized. Therefore, it is necessary to learn as much as possible about externalizing problem behavior. This study looks at to what extent parents and teachers report different externalizing problem behavior and whether gender and age of the child can predict this difference. Teachers are expected to report more externalizing problem behavior compared to parents. In addition, it is expected that more externalizing problem behavior will be reported in boys than in girls and that the externalizing behavior decreases as the children get older. 178 participants with an average age of 11 years took part in this study, consisting of 138 boys and 40 girls. Externalizing problem behavior reported by the parents was measured with the Child Behavior Checklist / 6-18 (CBCL) and externalizing problem behavior reported by the teachers was measured with the Teacher's Report Form / 6-18 (TRF). A significant difference was found in reporting externalizing problem behavior between parents and teachers; t (177) = 19.48, p ≤ .001, where teachers reported more externalizing problem behavior. In addition, significantly more externalizing problem behavior was reported in boys than girls (F (1,174) = 6,444, p = 0.012) and no significant difference was found for age (F (1,174) =. 002, p = .966). On average, teachers report more externalizing problem behavior than parents. In addition, it has been found that on average more externalizing problem behavior is reported among boys than among girls and this difference is greater among parents than among teachers. For further research, it is recommended to look at the reason why there is a difference in reports of externalizing problem behavior between parents and teachers.Show less
