Mindfulness in Mind-Blindness: What Are the Effects of Mindfulness Training in Teenagers with ASD?

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD’s) are characterized by disturbances in social contact, communication, and stereotyped interests. Further, ASD is associated with deficits in theory-of-mind, such as empathy. People with ASD are sometimes considered to be mind-blind and mindfulness might not develop naturally. Further, ASD is also characterized by deficits in executive functioning such as attention, and a weak central coherence which in turn may lead to stress, anxiety and depression. Although impairments are chronic and societal costs of ASD are enormous, hardly any effective treatments for children are available, and even less so for adolescents with ASD. This project focuses on the potential benefits of a new, innovative form of treatment for these adolescents, mindfulness training, which is shown to have beneficial effects on empathy, attention, stress regulation, and depression in adults from a variety of clinical and non-clinical populations. Mindfulness can be defined as paying attention in a particular way: on purpose, in the present-moment and non-judgmentally. Mindfulness training can be considered an attention training that is originally based on Eastern (Buddhist) meditation practices. Virtually no studies are carried out with respect to mindfulness training in ASD. We are aware of only one preliminary study which has shown positive effects of mindfulness training in adults with ASD, but the effects for adolescents with ASD has never been examined.  

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the immediate and follow-up effects of mindfulness training in teenagers with ASD.

Methods: Adolescents (n = 12) and their parents participate in parallel eight-week standardized mindfulness training and Mindful Parenting training respectively. A DSM-IV classification of ASD is confirmed by ADOS-G assessment. Pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up intervention (after two months) measurements are made. Assessment of internalizing (CBCL and TOF), externalizing (CBCL and TOF) and ASD related symptoms of difficulties in social interaction or communication (AQ and SRS) is carried out with the adolescent, the mother, the father and the objective research assistant as informants. Further, objective neuropsychological assessment of face and emotion recognition (ANT2.1), as well as attention (ANT) is carried out at the three measurement occasions. The adolescent’s level of mindfulness is measured (CAMM and MAAS-A). Last, parent’s reports of own symptoms (ASR and AQ), parenting stress (PSI and PS), general mindfulness (FFMQ) and mindfulness related to their parenting (IM-P) is assessed also at all three time points.    

Results: This study is currently being carried out. Results will be available from January 2012. Therefore application for poster presentation is made (not oral). 

Conclusions: Conclusions will be available from March 2012. Therefore application for poster presentation is made (not oral).