Anna Gagat-Matuła

This article is a report from research that aimed to explore the experiences of love and closeness in the relationships of people on the autism spectrum. The method used was Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, or IPA. The data was obtained using a non-standardized, semi-structured interview. The analysis of the interviews shows three main themes: knowing who I am is the key to relationships; the spectrum of love; together it is easier. These topics took the form of quotes extracted from a couple’s narrative. This research material showed the experiences of closeness and love between a couple on the spectrum.

Behavior problems in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represent a significant challenge requiring supportive interventions. The fact that there are no standardized research tools in Poland makes it impossible to assess this phenomenon in Poland, as well as to plan effective interventions. The study aimed to develop and adapt the Polish version of The Behavior Problems Inventory-Short Form (BPI-S). To determine the psychometric properties of the tool, reliability and validity analyses were carried out with confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Cronbach’s α, and for 70 participants, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Factor analysis confirmed the three-factor structure of the Polish version of the BPI-S. The internal consistency was acceptable. For frequency, the result was from questionable (SIB subscale) to good (Aggressive/Disruptive Behavior and Stereotyped Behavior subscale), while for severity it was good. The test–retest reliability of the BPI-S was very high (ICC = 0.93). We found the BPI-S to be applicable in assessing challenging behaviors in this sample of Polish people with ASD. The Polish language version of the Behavior Problems Inventory-Short Form is a reliable tool for assessing problem behaviors in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Zadowolenie rodziców dzieci z zaburzeniami ze spektrum autyzmu ze specjalistycznego wsparcia dziecka i rodziny

Introduction and aim. Computer techniques are increasingly used in speech therapy. The aim of the work is to present the results of the preliminary evaluation of the new “Talk To Me” application and its functionality in the treatment of speech development delays. Material and methods. The study was conducted in 3 groups of children: the study group with the use of the “Talk To Me” application, the conventional therapy group and the control group - in the case of both groups with the intervention, additional reinforcements were used. All children included in the project showed delays in speech development. The recorded age of children in all analyzed groups ranged from 2 to 6 years. In order to verify language progress, the Scale of Language Skills Acquisition in the Field of Communication Competence was used. Results. Acquisition of language skills varies depending on the group affiliation. The analysis of simple main effects for the time of measurement showed that in each group the differences between successive measurements turned out to be significant. In the study group, the increase in language skills differs from the other two groups (p<0.001). However, there is no difference between the groups with conventional and control therapy (p=1.00). Conclusion. Analysis of the research results allows us to conclude that the “Talk To Me” application is a tool that significantly affects the speed of therapy progress in the case of speech development delays concerning communicative competence.

The aim of the article is an attempt to learn about the subjective experiences of mothers related to the impact of the pandemic on the essence of raising a child with communication disorders, in this case a deaf child and a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Addressing this issue is important from the scientific point of view due to the important role of the process of bringing up a child and its perception by mothers of children with communication disorders. The article examines the role of the family, and addresses the deficit of empirical research and scientific studies on upbringing and parenting issues affecting mothers of children with communication disorders. The work uses the method of individual case study, as well as the technique of narrative interview and in-depth individual interview. Ten mothers participated in the study: five mothers of deaf children and five mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The analysis revealed three significant areas indicated by mothers related to upbringing issues . The first area concerned upbringing as a process of supporting the development of their children, the second - the process of shaping desired social attitudes, and the third - dealing with threats caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Raising and caring for a child with ASD is a challenge for the parents’ marriage relationship. Caring for a disabled child changes the functioning of the family and requires greater involvement in care and specialist therapy. The respondents’ answers show that such parents experience higher levels of stress related to the upbringing and future of the child. However, parenting challenges need not be a negative experience if the parents support each other. The process of bringing up children in the family are related, inter alia, to the quality of their parents ‘marriage, which is influenced by the partners’ personal resources. The resilience of the partners and coping with this situation contribute to marital satisfaction. The aim of the study is to find out about the relationship between spouses’ resilience and coping styles and their assessment of marriage satisfaction. In total, 50 married couples participated in the study—50 mothers of children with ASD and 50 fathers, the partners of these mothers (N = 100). The following tools were used: the Resilience Scale (SPP-25), the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and the Well-Matched Marriage Questionnaire (KDM-2), as well as a survey questionnaire (data on respondents). The results show that the gender of the parent of a child with ASD does not differentiate the overall assessment of the quality of marriage (the overall score on the scale indicates a low level of satisfaction with the relationship). When analyzing in detail the dimensions of individual scales of satisfaction with the relationship, one statistically significant difference was noted for the sex of the respondents in the disappointment dimension, showing that the level of disappointment in the quality of the relationship is higher in wives than in husbands. In the other dimensions of satisfaction with marriage: intimacy, personal fulfillment, similarity, there were no statistically significant differences in terms of gender of the respondents. The resilience of the spouses positively correlates with their assessment of marriage satisfaction, and in particular, openness, perseverance and determination to act increase the level of Task-oriented coping (SSZ) with difficult situations. All resilience factors negatively correlate with the emotional coping style (SSE). In both the studied groups, openness is a significant predictor of intimacy, and persistence is a predictor of self-fulfilment in a relationship. A predictor of disappointment in women is managing using substitute activities (ACZ), while in men it is the Emotion-oriented coping (SSE) style. The results indicate the need to support married couples raising a child with ASD during the pandemic.

Energy efficiency through energy saving is a key trend in the modern world. Analyses have been conducted by scientists in different fields on various target groups that influence sustainable energy consumption. The aim of the research presented in this article is to determine the association between parental attitudes and awareness of sustainable energy consumption in the perception of young people with ASD (13–17 years old). This was a pilot study. The diagnostic-survey method was used, along with The Scale of Parental Attitudes by M. Plopa and an authored survey questionnaire. Deliberate random sampling was applied. A statistical analysis showed a relationship between the acceptance attitude of both parents and the autonomy attitude of one parent—the father—and awareness of sustainable energy consumption among young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). In addition, a critical literature review confirmed the necessity of combining energy awareness and financial awareness, as each aspect, in terms of energy savings, reflects the financial situation of the household and influences the household budget. This is extremely important in the case of vulnerable groups such as households with a person with a disability (e.g., children with ASD). This research is interdisciplinary and covers important scientific fields such as pedagogy, psychology, and economics.

The article presents the correlation between marital communication and the coping styles of parents of a child with ASD during the SARS CoV-2 pandemic. The study involved 46 married mothers and 34 married fathers raising children with autism spectrum disorders. The following tools were used: The Marital Communication Questionnaire (KKM) by M. Plopa and M. Kazmierczak and the Polish version of the CISS Coping Questionnaire by Endler and Park. The results of the research showed that respondents more often prefer constructive coping with stress using the task focused style (SSZ) if a spouse assesses both themselves and their spouse as more supportive and engaged in communication and less depreciation. The respondents more often prefer non-constructive coping with stress using and the emotion-focused style (SSE) or the avoidance-focused style (SSU), if the spouse assesses both themselves and their spouse as depressed. The greater the difference between their own assessment and the assessment of their spouse in supportive communication, the more often the respondents prefer the style focused on emotions (SSE) and the style focused on avoidance (SSU). Moreover, the greater the difference between self-assessment and that of the spouse in depreciation communication, the less often the task-focused style (SSZ) was preferred. The results are statistically significant. Przedmiotem badań prezentowanych w artykule będą związki między komunikacją małżeńską a stylami radzenia sobie ze stresem rodziców dziecka z ASD w okresie pandemii SARS CoV-2. W badaniu wzięło udział 46 matek i 34 ojców wychowujących dziecko z zaburzeniami spektrum autyzmu, pozostających w związkach małżeńskich. W badaniach wykorzystano następujące narzędzia: Kwestionariusz Komunikacji Małżeńskiej (KKM) autorstwa M. Plopy i M. Kaźmierczaka i polską wersję Kwestionariusza Radzenia Sobie w Sytuacjach Stresowych CISS autorstwa Endlera i Parkera. Wyniki badań wskazują, że badani częściej preferują konstruktywne radzenie sobie ze stresem: styl skoncentrowanym na zadaniu (SSZ), jeśli małżonek ocenia zarówno siebie jak i swojego współmałżonka jako bardziej wspierającego i zaangażowanego w komunikację a mniej deprecjonującego. Badani częściej preferują niekonstruktywne radzenie sobie ze stresem: styl skoncentrowany na emocjach (SSE) i styl skoncentrowany na unikaniu (SSU), jeśli małżonek ocenia zarówno siebie jak i współmałżonka jako deprecjonującego. Im większa jest różnica pomiędzy własną oceną i oceną współmałżonka w komunikacji wspierającej tym częściej badani preferują styl skoncentrowany na emocjach (SSE) i styl skoncentrowany na unikaniu (SSU) . Ponadto im większa jest różnica pomiędzy oceną własną i oceną współmałżonka w komunikacji deprecjonującej tym rzadziej preferowany był styl skoncentrowanym na zadaniu (SSZ). Wyniki są istotne statystycznie.

The aim of the study was to determine the association between parental attitudes and saving energy in the perception of young people with autism spectrum (13–17 years old). The character of studies was pilot. The diagnostic survey method was used, along with The Scale of Parental Attitudes by M. Plopa and an authored survey questionnaire. Deliberate random sampling was applied. Statistical analysis showed that an attitude towards autonomy manifested by mothers, as well as an attitude of acceptance in mothers and fathers, turned out to be significant in adolescents with ASD showing a positive attitude towards energy saving, and these correlations were positive, strong and statistically significant. An overly protective attitude of mothers turned out to be significant in shaping a negative attitude towards energy saving among adolescents with ASD with a significant, positive moderate correlation. Regression analysis showed that the perception of the father’s parental attitude as accepting was a statistically significant predictor of a positive attitude towards energy saving, and that the perception of the mother’s parental attitude as demanding and overly protective was a statistically significant predictor of a negative attitude to energy saving. The achieved results acquire an additional aspect, i.e., a financial dimension in the household budget.