saedeh khojasteh; farangis demehri; alireza afshani
Abstract
AbstractThe present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire in families with autistic children in Yazd province. The study used a descriptive, correlational-normative method. The statistical population consisted of all families with autistic ...
Read More
AbstractThe present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire in families with autistic children in Yazd province. The study used a descriptive, correlational-normative method. The statistical population consisted of all families with autistic children in 1403, from which a sample of 385 individuals was selected by convenience sampling. The measures used in this study were the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire, an Autism Symptom Severity scale, and a Social Support scale. The validity of the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire was confirmed through content validity (using CVI and CVR) and confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS software. An analysis of internal consistency revealed a positive and significant relationship between scores on the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire, Autism Symptom Severity, and Social Support. To examine the internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha was calculated. The findings showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.929 for the autism parent experience subscale, 0.916 for the family life subscale, 0.94 for the child development, understanding, and social relations subscale, 0.897 for the child symptoms, feelings, and behavior subscale, and 0.952 for the total autism family experience scale. The results indicate that the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire has appropriate reliability and validity. Therefore, this scale can be used to assess the family experience of autism.Keywords: Psychometric Properties, Autism Family Experience Questionnaire, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Family Extended AbstractIntroductionFrom a systemic perspective, the functioning of each family member affects the overall system, and the challenges faced by one member can disrupt the functioning of others. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most prevalent neurodevelopmental disorders, characterized by impairments in social interaction, communication difficulties, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior (American Psychiatric Association, 2024). These challenges not only affect the lives of individuals with ASD but also impose significant psychological, social, and economic burdens on their families (Hodges et al., 2020). Prior research has consistently documented high levels of stress among families of children with ASD, which arises from factors such as stigma, intensive caregiving demands, social isolation, financial strain, and long-term concerns about the child’s future (Hoogsteen & Woodgate, 2013; Lutz et al., 2012; Gomes et al., 2015). Parents often report feelings of shame when unable to manage their child’s behaviors in public (Pisula-Barancko et al., 2021), while frequent "meltdown" episodes demand constant attention and reduce opportunities for rest (Ten Hoopen et al., 2010). Moreover, many families experience isolation from relatives and friends who fail to understand or accept their child’s condition, which further intensifies their stress (Pinto et al., 2016).Research also highlights differences in the lived experiences of mothers and fathers. Fathers often struggle with accepting developmental changes, employing effective coping strategies, navigating shifting paternal roles, and managing recurring feelings of shame and guilt following the diagnosis (Brown et al., 2021). Mothers frequently report experiencing ambivalent emotions, low psychological capital, and limited social networks (Ramezanloo et al., 2020). These findings underscore the importance of considering the entire family unit in intervention planning, as parental involvement is a key factor in improving treatment outcomes (Miner et al., 2023).Existing instruments measuring autism-related outcomes primarily focus on parental stress or general quality of life, paying limited attention to family-specific lived experiences (Leadbitter et al., 2018). Common tools—such as the Social Responsiveness Scale, Autism Spectrum Rating Scales, Aberrant Behavior Checklist, and child anxiety questionnaires—largely assess individual child symptoms (Ghadiri et al., 2022). This gap underscores the need for a comprehensive tool that evaluates both family experiences and child-related behaviors.The Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ), developed by Leadbitter et al. (2018), was designed to capture the personal and family experiences of parents, as well as the developmental, behavioral, and emotional features of their children with ASD. The AFEQ assesses four domains: parenting experience, family life, child development, and social understanding/relationships, in addition to child symptomatology. It has demonstrated good internal consistency and convergent validity in studies conducted in the UK and Turkey (Leadbitter et al., 2018; Ebugla, 2024). Given the rising prevalence of ASD in Iran and the current lack of integrated tools assessing both family experiences and child symptoms, this study aims to examine the psychometric properties of the AFEQ within the Iranian context. Validating this instrument could provide researchers and clinicians with a comprehensive, reliable measure to assess the lived experiences of families raising children with ASD.Research QuestionDoes the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ) demonstrate valid and reliable psychometric properties for assessing the lived experiences of Iranian families of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)? MethodologyThis study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ) within an Iranian context. The research was applied in its purpose, quantitative in design, and descriptive-correlational in method, utilizing a survey approach. The statistical population consisted of all parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Yazd Province, Iran, in 2024 (approximately 730 individuals, according to the Welfare Organization). A total of 391 parents were initially recruited via convenience sampling. After the removal of incomplete questionnaires, data from 385 participants were included in the final analysis.The inclusion criteria consisted of having at least one child with ASD and without comorbid ADHD, based on parent reports. The exclusion criterion was incomplete submission of the questionnaire. The study employed three instruments: (1) the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ; Leadbitter et al., 2018), a 48-item tool comprising four subscales that assess parenting experience, family life, child development and social relationships, and child symptoms; (2) the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS; Gilliam, 2014), a 56-item scale measuring restricted/repetitive behaviors, communication, social interaction, and emotional responses; and (3) the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS; Zimet et al., 1986), a 23-item measure assessing support from family, friends, and significant others. ResultsA total of 385 parents participated in the study, comprising 90 males (mean age = 43) and 295 females (mean age = 37). Among the participants, 202 had a high school diploma or lower, and 183 held a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The psychometric evaluation of the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ) included assessments of content validity, construct validity, and internal consistency reliability. Content validity, assessed by 10 experts using CVR and CVI indices, was satisfactory, with all items exceeding the recommended thresholds (CVR > 0.62, CVI > 0.79). Construct validity was examined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in AMOS. The results showed that all factor loadings were above 0.4 and statistically significant (p <.001), and model fit indices confirmed the adequacy of the factor structure.Internal consistency analysis revealed a positive and significant correlation between autism symptom severity and family experience (p <.001), and a negative correlation between social support and family experience (p <.001). Reliability, assessed using Cronbach’s alpha, indicated high internal consistency for all subscales: Parenting Experience (α = 0.929), Family Life (α = 0.916), Child Development and Social Relationships (α = 0.940), Child Symptoms (α = 0.897), and the overall scale (α = 0.952). These results collectively demonstrate that the AFEQ is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the experiences of Iranian families with children on the autism spectrum. Discussion and ConclusionThis study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Persian version of the Autism Family Experience Questionnaire (AFEQ), an instrument designed to assess parents' personal and family experiences alongside the developmental, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of their children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The results demonstrated strong content validity, with all items meeting satisfactory indices. Reliability analysis revealed high internal consistency for all subscales, with Cronbach’s alpha coefficients ranging from 0.897 (Child Symptoms) to 0.940 (Child Development and Social Relationships), and 0.952 for the overall scale, a finding consistent with previous studies (Ibogla et al., 2024). Furthermore, confirmatory factor analysis supported the questionnaire's construct validity, demonstrating a good model fit (CMIN/df = 2.81, RMSEA = 0.06, PNFI = 0.606) and confirming that the four subscales—Parenting Experience, Family Life, Child Development, and Child Symptoms—measure distinct underlying dimensions.Correlation analyses revealed a significant positive relationship between autism symptom severity and family experience, indicating that families of children with more severe symptoms reported greater challenges. Conversely, a significant negative correlation was found between social support and family experience, suggesting that higher levels of perceived challenges were associated with lower levels of social support. This finding is consistent with Leadbitter et al. (2018).In summary, the findings indicate that the Persian version of the AFEQ is a valid, reliable, and practical instrument for assessing the experiences of families with children on the autism spectrum. Study limitations include the inability to control for cultural and socioeconomic variables, as well as differences in the treatment levels received by the children, which may affect the generalizability of the results. Future studies are recommended to include an assessment of test-retest reliability to further validate the instrument's consistency over time.
Elahe Farahani; Mohsen Saeidmanesh; Farangis Demehri
Abstract
The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of teaching two methods of image exchange communication system and matrix teaching on language skills and social skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. The method of this research was a semi-experimental method with a pre-test-post-test ...
Read More
The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of teaching two methods of image exchange communication system and matrix teaching on language skills and social skills of children with autism spectrum disorder. The method of this research was a semi-experimental method with a pre-test-post-test design along with a control group. The statistical population includes all children referred to autism centers in Qom city in 2021 who had symptoms of the disorder according to DSM criteria and were diagnosed with autism disorder according to the centers and experts. 45 people (9 girls and 36 boys) were randomly selected from autism centers in Qom province and randomly divided into two experimental groups and one control group. The experimental groups were subjected the 6-step treatment of the picture exchange communication system and matrix training individually for 3 months and 4 sessions of 15 to 20 minutes each week, and the control group did not receive any intervention. In this research, expressive and receptive and speaking language tests of Nyusha Development and Autism Social Skills Profile were used to collect data. SPSS 26 software was used for data analysis and the statistical method of multivariate covariance analysis was used. The final results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups of matrix training and PEX treatment (p<0.05). Based on the results, both interventions were effective, but it can be said that the communication system of image exchange is more effective in the language skills and social skills of children with autism spectrum disorder.