New screening system to provide insight into struggling adults with autism

In a series of short films, the actors describe “real world” situations to highlight subtle social interactions.

Adults with autism may have different behaviors or perspectives in the workplace or in social situations that can lead them to compromised situations. Some might be excluded from social and professional opportunities, exploited financially or by criminals.

With this in mind, Flinders University and other experts have developed a new screening system to give autism researchers and clinicians working with adults with autism new information about “shooting” difficulties.

A tool for giving an initial theory of mind assessment in adults with autism (A-ToM-Q) has been evaluated by experts in the field from Australia and the UK.

In a series of short films, the actors describe “real world” situations to highlight subtle social interactions.

They used a simple questionnaire and a series of short clips to test the reactions and responses of approximately 100 autistic people (diagnosed with autism, ASD, Asperger’s syndrome, etc. in South Australia and England) and a sample of ‘non-autistic adults matched for their verbal abilities.

Research has shown that the limits to drawing appropriate inferences from these stimuli are predictive of individuals’ difficulties in social-behavioral and interpersonal interaction, as well as the ability to extricate themselves from misplaced suspicions of involvement in criminal activity.

While the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in children and youth is widespread, the diagnosis of adults living with autism has not been widely adopted.

Professor Robyn Young in one of the short informative video clips.

Flinders University researchers in the field, led by Professor of Psychology Robyn Young and Professor Emeritus Neil Brewer, have prepared a special series of ‘real-world’ videos to expand on assessment methods previously used at the using answers written in pen and paper.

“The film thumbnails, scripted and filmed at Flinders, build on the previous elements of the Theory of Mind (ToM) Strange Stories test, which provide a way to test the responses of better performing children and adults,” says Professor Young. , who previously worked on a screening tool for autistic disorder suitable for use in children as young as 12 months.

“Performed in real time, this series gives participants the opportunity to respond to subtle social inferences as certain events and interactions unfold.

“As an online delivery, our data has shown this to be a more efficient and accurate way to get rapid responses from attendees, especially when individually guided by an administrator with experience in the process. domain, ”says Professor Young.

Flinders University Professor Emeritus Neil Brewer with some previous publications.

Distinguished Brewer Professor Matthew Flinders says the new approach could be quickly used and noted, providing an opportunity to highlight the difficulties individuals have with perspective-taking that can affect their social interactions.

The researchers have shown that the limits to drawing the appropriate inferences from these stimuli are predictive of the difficulties of social-behavioral and interpersonal interaction of individuals, as well as the ability to evade inappropriate suspicions of involvement in an activity. criminal.

“The value of this tool is that it provides a brief, reliable and valid tool for detecting perspective-taking deficits in adults,” explains Professor Brewer.

“Although ToM deficit was not universal in people with autism, we may be able to measure ToM better to help identify this deficit, and for whom it is a problem and therefore target the intervention in a way. more appropriate.