An autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis in childhood comes with inherent vulnerability to adverse experiences. For some, the developmental process of adolescence overwhelms their altered neural system, exacerbating this vulnerability. Adolescence presents an opportunity to mitigate the negative effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the developing brain. However, little is known about children who have both ASD and a history of ACEs.
This study, first sought to understand the prevalence of ACEs among adolescents with ASD and whether those who have experienced ACEs are placed at further risk for other social and emotional challenges, impacting their transition into adulthood. With adolescents being highly sensitized to their environment, opportunities for intervention in their environments may mitigate the long-term consequences of ACEs. Due to adolescents spending a great deal of their time in school, developing interventions to support those with ASD that can be implemented within the school would be beneficial. Thus, the second aim of this study was to understand how schools can serve as a place for trauma-informed intervention.
The Whole School, Whole Community, Whole Child (WSCC) model served as the conceptual framework for this mixed-methods study. Data from the 2020 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) were examined to determine the prevalence of ACEs and further risk for social-emotional issues in adolescents with ASD. Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with school personnel in public schools to understand how they respond to typically developing and ASD students who have experienced ACEs.
The findings showed that 60% of adolescents with ASD had experienced ACEs. Additionally, significant associations were found between the experience of ACEs and a diagnosis of anxiety, depression and ADHD. Furthermore, the experience of ACEs was associated with being bullied, however, no significant association was found with their ability to make friends. Great variability exists in the way schools respond to ACEs, if at all, and lack consistency and clarity in their SEL practices. Therefore, there is a need to identify the school climate components that are needed to provide trauma-informed interventions and determine how to scale these interventions. Further, with the heterogeneity of the ASD profile, identifying which factors are associated with this risk will be helpful in providing tailored interventions, specifically in the school environment.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:columbia.edu/oai:academiccommons.columbia.edu:10.7916/mddr-tn59 |
| Date | January 2023 |
| Creators | Ladhani, Zahra |
| Source Sets | Columbia University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Theses |
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