Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder involving abnormal communication, repetitive and restrictive interests, and impaired social functioning. ASD can have a profound impact on family life, including the roles and responsibilities that parents assume. In this metasynthesis, we explore the experiences of parents who care for a child with ASD. We undertook a thematic synthesis to integrate qualitative evidence, searching 10 electronic databases and reviewing 4,148 abstracts. We selected 31 articles for inclusion (involving 160 fathers and 425 mothers) and examined the articles using a constant comparative approach. We identified six themes: prediagnosis, diagnosis, family life adjustment, navigating the system, parental empowerment, and moving forward. Our findings can inform the development of programs and services for families, provide insight for health care workers who advocate on behalf of parents, and provide valuable information to parents, particularly those of children newly diagnosed with ASD.

Although children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are increasingly being placed within mainstream classes, little is known about the challenges that teachers encounter with including them as full participants in the class. This qualitative study draws on a purposive sample of 13 educators who have experience teaching children with ASD within two cities in Ontario, Canada. Through in-depth interviews we asked about teachers’ challenges regarding creating an inclusive environment within their classroom. Teachers reported several challenges, including: understanding and managing behaviour; socio-structural barriers (i.e., school policy, lack of training and resources); and creating an inclusive environment (i.e., lack of understanding from other teachers, students and parents). Teachers recommend that more resources, training and support are needed to enhance the education and inclusion of children with ASD.

Purpose: Children’s lack of knowledge about disability can adversely impact their attitudes toward people with disabilities. The purpose of this study is to review the common elements of effective disability awareness interventions. Methods: A systematic review of disability awareness interventions for children and youth was conducted to assess the effective components of these interventions. Electronic searches were conducted using OVID, CENTRAL, PsychInfo, ERIC, Social Science Citation Index, GreyNET Scopus and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria included (i) an intervention raising awareness about disability, (ii) school-age children with the average age between 5–19 years old, (iii) at least one measurable outcome focusing on knowledge about disability or attitudes towards and/or acceptance of people with a disability and (iv) published article or grey literature. Results: Of the 1031 articles that were identified in the search, 42 met the criteria to be included in the review. We classified the disability awareness interventions into 5 broad types including (i) social contact, (ii) simulation, (iii) curriculum, (iv) multi-media curriculum and (v) multiple components. Thirty-four studies showed an improvement in attitudes towards and/or acceptance of peers with disabilities. Eight of these studies also demonstrated an improvement in knowledge of people with disabilities. Five of the interventions found no support for improving knowledge about, or acceptance of people with disabilities. Conclusion: Disability awareness interventions can successfully improve children’s knowledge about and attitudes towards peers with a disability; they should include several different components over multiple sessions. Relevance: These findings are being used to further develop disability awareness interventions to help improve the social inclusion and participation of children with disabilities within mainstream classrooms.

Purpose: The objective of this systematic review was to describe the prevalence and processes of disability disclosure for persons with autism spectrum disorder. Methods: Systematic searches of seven international databases revealed 26 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. We analyzed these studies with respect to participant demographics, methodology, results and quality of the evidence. Results: Among the 26 studies, 7006 participants (aged 13–75, mean 28.1 years) were represented across seven countries. Our findings showed that rates of disclosure and receiving workplace accommodations varied considerably. Benefits of disclosing in the workplace included greater acceptance and inclusion, receiving accommodations, and increasing awareness about autism. Limitations of disclosing to employers involved experiencing stigma and discrimination. Factors affecting decisions to disclose included age at diagnosis, social demands of the job, and workplace policies. Types of accommodations that were received or desired included adjustments to the job interview process, schedules (i.e., flexibility, working from home), job content or working conditions, environment (i.e., lighting, quiet space); support with communication and social skills; and disability awareness training for their workplace colleagues. Conclusions: Our findings highlight that disclosing a condition of autism in the workplace and requesting accommodations is complex. More research is needed to explore processes of disclosing and accommodation and how these processes vary by autism sub-type, gender, and industry type.

Purpose. Having a disability is a barrier to securing and maintaining employment. Most research has focussed on employment barriers among adults, while very little is known about young people's experience finding paid work. Method. Young people aged 15–24 were selected from the 2006 Participation and Activity Limitation Survey to explore the barriers and discrimination they experienced in seeking employment ((n == 1898)). Results. Our findings show that teens and young adults with disabilities encountered several barriers and discrimination in seeking paid employment. The types of barriers that these young people encountered varied by age and type of disability. There were fewer yet different types of barriers to working that were encountered between the two age groups ((teens and young adults)). Several socio-demographic factors also influenced barriers to working. Severity of disability, type and duration of disability, level of education, gender, low income, geographic location and the number of people living in the household all influenced the kind of barriers and work discrimination for these young people. Conclusions. Rehabilitation and life skills counsellors need to pay particular attention to age, type of disability and socio-demographic factors of teens and young adults who may need extra help in gaining employment.