Joanne Tarver

• BSc PhD
• Lecturer at Aston University

Background There is a critical need for the development of dependable and valid anxiety assessment tools suitable for people with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities, particularly those who speak few or no words. Distinguishing anxiety from distress caused by physical discomfort (pain) or characteristics associated with autism, prevalent i...

Behaviours that challenge (BtC) are common in people with intellectual disability (ID) and associated with negative long-term outcomes. Reliable characterisation of BtC and behavioural function is integral to person-centred interventions. This systematic review and meta-analytic study quantitatively synthesised the evidence-base for the internal co...

SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS) is a genetic syndrome characterised by intellectual disability, severe speech delay, and palatal and dental problems. Behaviours that challenge (BtC) are reported frequently; however, there is limited research on specific forms of BtC and the correlates of these behaviours. The current study explores correlates of we...

Background: Behaviours that challenge are reported frequently in SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS), a genetic syndrome characterised by intellectual disability, severe speech delay, and palatal and dental problems. Estimated prevalence rates of 77% and 42% are reported for behaviours directed towards others (e.g., hitting, hair pulling) and the envir...

Autistic individuals with intellectual disability are at greater risk of experiencing anxiety than their non-autistic peers without intellectual disability. Anxiety in this group may present as behaviour that challenges, often leading families to reach out to healthcare or support services. However, many families experience difficulties accessing s...

Background: SATB2-associated syndrome (SAS) is characterised by intellectual disability, severe speech delay, and palatal and dental problems. An estimated prevalence of 77% is reported for aggressive behaviour. However, no research has investigated the profile and functions for aggressive behaviour in SAS. Methods: Stage 1: Thirty-seven caregivers...

Previously, we have proposed that there are nine domains that warrant assessment when intervening to decrease challenging behavior and\or increase well-being in people with profound or severe intellectual disability and complex needs. These domains are: pain and discomfort, sensory sensitivity, anxiety and low mood, sleep, emotional dysregulation,...

Rubinstein–Taybi syndrome (RTS) is a rare genetic syndrome associated with growth delay, phenotypic facial characteristics, microcephaly, developmental delay, broad thumbs, and big toes. Most research on RTS has focused on the genotype and physical phenotype; however, several studies have described behavioral, cognitive, social, and emotional chara...

Individuals with syndromic intellectual disability are at increased risk of experiencing anxiety. Comparing prevalence estimates of anxiety will allow the identification of at-risk groups and inform causal pathways of anxiety. No known study has explored estimates of anxiety symptomatology and diagnosis, including specific anxiety profiles, across...

Autistic individuals with intellectual disability who speak few or no words are at high risk of anxiety but are underrepresented in research. This study aimed to describe the presentation of anxiety in this population and discuss implications for the development of assessments. Interviews were conducted with 21 parents/carers of autistic individual...

Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) frequently occur in young autistic children. Discrepancies between parents and other informants are common but can lead to uncertainty in formulation, diagnosis and care planning. This study aimed to explore child and informant characteristics are associated with reported child EBPs across settings. Particip...

Background There is a need for evidence-based approaches to reduce anxiety experienced by autistic children with severe to profound intellectual disability (ID). Avoidance of anxiety triggers, as a response to pronounced anxiety, occurs irrespective of age, background and neurodiversity. When avoidance is unhelpful, evidence-based anxiety reduction...

Background There is a need for evidence-based approaches to reduce anxiety experienced by autistic children with severe to profound intellectual disability (ID). Avoidance of anxiety triggers, as a response to pronounced anxiety, occurs irrespective of age, background and neurodiversity. When avoidance is unhelpful, evidence-based anxiety reduction...

Although 70% of autistic children and young people meet criteria for co-occurring psychiatric conditions, there are few screening measures specifically for autistic individuals. We describe the development and validation of the Assessment of Concerning Behavior (ACB), an instrument co-developed with the autistic community to assess mental health an...

Background Although parent interventions are recommended as a frontline treatment approach for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a number of practical and situational barriers can impact accessibility and availability. Self‐help parent interventions offer a potential alternative to therapist‐led interventions when barri...

Objective: To examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a group behavioral parenting intervention for emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) in young autistic children. Method: This was a feasibility pilot randomized controlled trial comparing a 12-week group behavioral parenting intervention (Predictive Parenting) to an attention co...

Abstract Background. The assessment of depression in people with severe to profound intellectual disability (severe-profound ID) is challenging, primarily due to inability to report internal states such as mood, feelings of worthlessness and suicidal ideation. This group also commonly presents with challenging behaviours (e.g. aggression, self-inju...

Co-occurring emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) frequently exist in young autistic children. There is evidence based on parental report that parenting interventions reduce child EBPs. More objective measures of child EBPs should supplement parent reported outcomes in trials. We describe the development of a new measure of child and parenting...

Autistic children experience higher levels of anxiety than their peers. Making appropriate diagnoses of anxiety disorders and providing effective treatment for these children is particularly difficult. Inconsistent evidence suggests that levels of anxiety in autistic children are related to intellectual functioning. We provide the first meta-analys...

Background Multimodal intervention incorporating psychosocial intervention and medication is recommended for school‐aged children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This randomized controlled trial (RCT) investigates the adjunctive benefit of the self‐help version of the New Forest Parenting Programme (NFPP‐SH) when offered in ad...

Background There have been several attempts to define core outcome domains for use in research focused on adult burns. Some have been based in expert opinion, whilst others have used primary qualitative research to understand patients’ perspectives on outcomes. To date there has not been a systematic review of qualitative research in burns to ident...

Anxiety is a common co-occurring condition in autism and impacts quality of life of autistic individuals and their families; autistic individuals who speak few or no words represent an under-researched group. This qualitative study aimed to understand more about parental recognition and management of anxiety in autistic individuals who speak few or...

Introduction: Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are at increased risk of anxiety (estimated prevalence of 40%). This study examined parent reported behavioural markers of anxiety in autistic individuals and individuals with genetic syndromes associated with ASD who speak few or no words. Methods: A semi‐structured interview was compl...

The EarlyBird programme is a group-based psychoeducation intervention for parents of young children with autism. Although it is widely used in the United Kingdom, the evidence base for the programme is very limited. Using a mixed method, non-randomised research design, we aimed to test (1) the acceptability of the research procedures (recruitment,...

Introduction The majority of young autistic children display impairing emotional and behavioural difficulties that contribute to family stress. There is some evidence that behavioural parenting interventions are effective for reducing behavioural difficulties in autistic children, with less evidence assessing change in emotional difficulties. Previ...

There is growing interest in the development of behavioral parent interventions targeting emotional and behavioral problems in children with autism spectrum disorders. Such interventions have potential to improve a number of child and parental well-being outcomes beyond disruptive child behavior. This systematic review and meta-analysis assesses ev...

Introduction Co-occurring psychiatric conditions and concerning behaviours are prevalent in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and are likely to be detrimental to functioning and long-term outcomes. The cognitive rigidity and deficits in emotional literacy and verbal behaviour that commonly occur in ASD can adversely affect clinician...

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and its associated behavioural manifestations develop and progress as the result of complex gene-environment interactions. Parents exert a substantial influence and play a major role in their child's social environment. Despite this, recent evidence has suggested that adapting the child's environment...

Externalising behaviour in childhood is a prevalent problem in the field of child and adolescent mental health. Parenting interventions are widely accepted as efficacious treatment options for reducing externalising behaviour, yet practical and psychological barriers limit their accessibility. This review aims to establish the evidence base of self...

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a complex disorder that can affect individuals across the lifespan. It is associated with substantial heterogeneity in terms of aetiology, clinical presentation and treatment outcome and is the subject of extensive research. Because of this, it can be difficult for clinicians to stay up to date wit...