The goal of real-time feedback on physiological changes, stress monitoring and even emotion detection is becoming a technological reality. People in their daily life experience varying emotional states, some of which are negative and which can lead to decreased attention, decreased productivity and ultimately, reduced quality of life. Therefore, having a solution that continuously monitors the physiological signals of the person and assesses his or her emotional well-being could be a very valuable tool. This paper aims to review existing physiological and motional monitoring devices, highlight their features and compare their sensing capabilities. Such technology would be particularly useful for certain populations who experience rapidly changing emotional states such as people with autism spectrum disorder and people with intellectual disabilities. Wearable sensing devices present a potential solution that can support and complement existing behavioral interventions. This paper presents a review of existing and emerging products in the market. It reviews the literature on state-of-the-art prototypes and analyzes their usefulness, clinical validity, and discusses clinical perspectives. A small number of products offer reliable physiological internal state monitoring and may be suitable for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). It is likely that more promising solutions will be available in the near future. Therefore, caregivers should be careful in their selection of devices that meet the care-receiver’s personal needs and have strong research support for reliability and validity.

Parents want greater collaboration between parents and professionals. They identified a keyworker as a potential solution to the current system that is not child-centred. This would also lessen the burden associated with high levels of advocacy.

Background Autism is associated with difficulty interacting with others and an impaired ability to recognize facial expressions of emotion. Previous teaching programmes have not addressed weak central coherence. MethodEmotion recognition training focused on components of facial expressions. The training was administered in small groups ranging from 4 to 7 children. ResultsImprovements were significantly better for the training group (n= 20, mean age 9 years, 3 months) than a waiting list control group (n=10, mean age 10 years, 7 months). Pre and post measures revealed an effect size of the training of Cohen's d = 1.42. ConclusionThe impact of the training was highly significant. There was evidence of some generalisation of the emotion recognition and improvements at follow-up.

Outpatient normative data for British participants are presented. The study examines the impact of occupational status, age and gender differences on the level of reported distress.

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Br J Learn Disabil. 2018;46:155-162. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/bld | 155

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Introduction: Patient groups who pose behavioral challenges during dental attendance may be offered more restricted dental treatment options. Unsuccessful participation with dental visit tasks and demands has been commonly reported for autistic children. Objectives: This study aimed to examine parental perceptions of difficulties associated with dental attendance and oral care for autistic children and young adults, to highlight reported challenges and potential adaptations, and to identify interventions that will encourage positive experiences of dental attendance. Methods: Qualitative data were gathered through 2 focus groups with parents of primary school and secondary school pupils with autism, interviewed in separate groups. Questions about parents’ perceptions of dental attendance and oral care were asked. The groups were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The transcripts were analyzed and initial codes generated. Development of subthemes and themes followed a process of thematic analysis. Results: Parental perceptions, which confirmed data from other studies, included the need for understanding and training, awareness of sensory issues, recognition of the individuality of autistic traits, time and clarity for communication, and factors affecting the confidence of parents to advocate in the clinical environment. Focus group participants identified the critical value of empathizing with an autistic perspective and highlighted the importance of positive oral health messages. They also noted the lack of understanding regarding the complexity of altering self-imposed, ritualistic dietary regimes and attempting to enact good dental preventive habits for their children. Conclusions: Analysis of data from parent focus groups provided a greater understanding of the needs and responsivity required for successful dental visits for autistic children and young adults. A range of potential interventions was identified and incorporated within a model of needs. Interventions based on Partnership Working, System Change, and Training of Dental Staff could be effective in reducing challenges posed by dental attendance for many children with autism. Knowledge Transfer Statement: Sensory sensitivities, communication difficulties, comorbid intellectual disability, and dental anxiety are barriers to successful participation during dental attendance for autistic children. This research proposes that interventions supporting Partnership Working, System Change, and Training of Dental Staff can reduce challenges posed by dental attendance. The model of interventions developed as part of this project can be used by oral care teams to help reduce barriers and improve the success of dental visits for autistic children.