Torbjorn Falkmer

• PhD
• Professor (Full) at Curtin University

Stroke can adversely affect the coordination and judgement of drivers due to executive dysfunction, which is relatively common in the post-stroke population but often undetected. Quantitatively examining vehicle control performance in post-stroke driving becomes essential to inspect whether and where post-stroke older drivers are risky. To date, it...

This study investigated kinematic and perceptual differences between the sexes in a heavy lifting and pulling task. A 20 kg box was lifted from floor to chest height, and a 70 kg mannequin pulled across 20m. The effect of height, mass and average grip strength on kinematics and perceived workload was examined in 42 (19 females, 23 males) healthy in...

Background Limited studies exist exploring employers’ capacity in hiring and supporting employees on the autism spectrum, and even fewer have considered interventions targeting employers’ skills and knowledge in enhancing employment opportunities. In response to this need, the Integrated Employment Success Tool (IESTTM) was developed and its effect...

Purpose: This study compared the in-the-moment experiences among mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) by their household status (i.e., single versus coupled) and region of residence (i.e., regional versus major city area). Methods: An experience sampling method was employed to collect data, and a total of 40 mothers used an iOS...

Sensory processing difficulties affect the development of sensorimotor skills in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the effect of sensory information on postural control is unclear in the ASD adult population. The present study examined the effect of visual information on postural control as well as the attentional demands as...

Background Atypical visual perception in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) may contribute to superiority in disembedding tasks. Gaze behavior has provided some insights in to mechanisms underlying this purported superiority in children, however evidence is limited and requires additional investigation. Method The performance and gaze...

Background Despite the challenges associated with raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), many couples maintain satisfying relationships. However, it is not clear which factors couples prioritise as most important to this positive adaptation. Methods This study used Q-methodology to explore the viewpoints on factors most important to...

Background Driving is a highly demanding task which presents itself with various unpredictable and potentially hazardous situations. The failure to visually scan the driving environment and strategically search for potential road hazards, can be considered as unsafe driving practices. Little is known about how licensed drivers with Autism Spectrum...

Visual information is crucial for postural control. Visual processing in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was hypothesized to be less efficient and thus they would display a less stable standing posture than typically developing children. The present study compared the static standing responses and attentional demands of 15 children wit...

Challenges in social communication and interaction are core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) for which social skills group training (SSGT) is a commonly used intervention. SSGT has shown modest and heterogeneous effects. One of the major genetic risk factors in ASD is rare copy number variation (CNV). However, limited information exists w...

Despite efforts to improve employment outcomes for autistic individuals, internationally their employment rates remain low. There is a need to better understand the factors influencing successful employment for autistic adults in the labor market from the perspectives of multiple key stakeholders. This study represents the second in a series of pap...

Background: Sensory reweighting is important for humans to flexibly up-weigh and down-weigh sensory information in dynamic environments. There is an element of time involved in the sensory reweighting process. A longer time spent on sensory reweighting may increase the destabilizing effect of postural control. Individuals with autism spectrum diso...

Background: A literature review in 2001 found that children with disabilities were frequently transported in unsafe conditions and further research was required to investigate the gap between regulations, standards and actual transportation practices. Objectives: To synthesize available evidence on the transportation of children with disabilities i...

The post-stroke population is expected to rise and the cohort of post-stroke individuals who wish to return to driving is likely to rapidly increase too. Stroke can adversely affect coordination and judgement of drivers due to the executive dysfunction, which is relatively common in the post-stroke population but often undetected. Quantitatively ex...

Background Couple relationships play an integral role in family adjustment when a child has autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet, it is unclear what factors contribute to the maintenance of relationship satisfaction in these couples. Method Using phenomenology, data from eleven couple interviews were analysed to gain an understanding of the lived e...

Education is effective in improving outcomes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). While peer mentoring has demonstrated preliminary promise in supporting university students with ASD, the effective mechanisms remain unclear. The aims of this study were to explore the required contexts, mechanisms and outcomes of peer mentoring for university students...

Background: Despite recognition of the challenges faced by students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) there is limited understanding of the barriers and facilitators to participation in major life areas, such as being a university student. Aim/Objective: This research aimed to examine viewpoints on what affects the success of Australian universi...

A randomised controlled trial evaluated the effectiveness of the Integrated Employment Success Tool (IEST™) in improving employers' self-efficacy in modifying the workplace for individuals on the autism spectrum. Employers (N = 84) were randomised to the IEST™ or support as usual groups. Measurements of self-efficacy, knowledge and attitudes toward...

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been associated with sensorimotor difficulties, commonly presented by poor postural control. Postural control is necessary for all motor behaviors. However, findings concerning the effect of visual motion on postural control and the age progression of postural control in individuals with ASD are...

While mobility and safety of older drivers are challenged by age-related cognitive changes, the increasingly complex road environment has placed a higher demand on their adaptability. Older drivers experience difficulties in regulating their operational level behaviors which rely on the second-to-second decision-making, e.g., using the visuospatial...

Background Negotiating intersections is one of the principal concerns for older drivers as it requires precision and efficiency in visual-motor coordination (VMC). The complex intersection manoeuvre places high demands on visual perception, attention, motor control and executive functioning. Understanding the relationship between VMC and cognitive...

Abstract Introduction Safe driving constantly challenges the driver’s ability to respond to the dynamic traffic scene under space and time constraints. It is of particular importance for older drivers to perform sufficient visual and motor actions with effective coordination due to the fact of age-related cognitive decline. However, few studies hav...

Introduction The purpose of this study was to explore the viewpoints of parents of young people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in relation to their child’s transition to adulthood. Methods Data were collected during four structured focus groups with 19 parents of young people with ASD with average to high intellectual capacities. Condensed me...

The distilled quotes, condensed meaning units, codes, sub-categories and categories within the theme of to be understood. (DOCX)

Focus group participant’s responses to the stimulus question “Thinking about your child with ASD what would help them move into adult life?”. (DOCX)

Clinical description using the SRS-2 and age of diagnosis of young adults discussed in the focus groups. (DOCX)

The distilled quotes, condensed meaning units, codes, sub-categories and categories within the theme of to understand the world. (DOCX)

The distilled quotes, condensed meaning units, codes, sub-categories and categories within the theme of to succeed. (DOCX)

Driving is a highly complex task requiring multiple cognitive processes that can be adversely affected post-stroke. It is unclear how much ability post-stroke adults have to self-evaluate their driving performance. Furthermore, the impact of cognitive decline on this evaluation has not been previously investigated. The aim of this study was to inve...

A process evaluation was conducted to determine the effectiveness, usability, and barriers and facilitators related to the Better OutcOmes & Successful Transitions for Autism (BOOST-A™), an online transition planning program. Adolescents on the autism spectrum (n = 33) and their parents (n = 39) provided feedback via an online questionnaire. Of the...

Visual information for a driver is predominant during driving. Linking drivers' visual search patterns with motor behaviour helps understand how drivers perceived spatial and hazardous information to regulate their physical movements. Visual-motor coordination performance can be a sensitive indicator for driver competency assessment. Due to age-rel...

Dyadic coping strategies may play a pivotal role in relationship satisfaction and explain why some couples adapt positively to the challenges associated with raising a child with ASD and others do not. Survey data from 127 caregivers of a child with ASD were used in generalized estimating equation analyses to investigate the factors associated with...

The symptomatology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can make driving risky, but little is known about the on-road driving behaviour of individuals with ASD. This study assessed and compared the on-road driving performance of drivers with and without ASD, and explored how the symptomatology of ASD hinders or facilitates on-road driving performance....

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the driving performance of drivers with autism spectrum disorders under complex driving conditions. Method: Seventeen drivers with autism spectrum disorders and 18 typically developed drivers participated in a driving simulator trial. Prior to the assessment, participants completed the Driving Be...

Background: Many adolescents with autism face difficulties with the transition from high school into post-school activities. The Better OutcOmes & Successful Transitions for Autism (BOOST-A™) is an online transition planning program which supports adolescents on the autism spectrum to prepare for leaving school. This study describes the developmen...

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify key factors associated with severe stress in families raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: Questionnaires were mailed to families with one or more children with a diagnosis of ASD. Data from 543 surveys were analyzed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression....

Research has examined the benefits and costs of employing adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the perspective of the employee, taxpayer and society, but few studies have considered the employer perspective. This study examines the benefits and costs of employing adults with ASD, from the perspective of employers. Fifty-nine employers em...

The benefits and costs to employers of employing an adult with High functioning autism survey. (DOCX)

Vehicle movement trajectory recorded by GPS maps the vehicle’s lane position in time sequence, therefore theoretically can be used to assess driving behaviour. However, the data quality level which can be achieved for vehicle movement tracking by different GPS receivers and positioning techniques hasn’t been fully explored and documented. This stud...

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease often associated with disability. Despite new treatments, pain and activity limitations are still present. Objectives: To describe how persons with RA experience and manage pain in their daily life. Methods: Seven semi-structured focus groups (FGs) were conducted and analyzed u...

Occupational therapists need to be cognizant of evidence-based role balance advice and strategies that women with multigenerational caring responsibilities can implement independently or with minimal assistance, as role balance may not be the primary goal during many encounters with this population. Hence, this study aimed to identify the viewpoint...

Shared zones have gained increasing popularity in urban land use and design as a means of incorporating the needs of multiple modes of transport, while at the same time promoting social interaction between users. Interactions within shared zones are based on a set of informal social protocols, communicated via eye contact and social cues. This proo...

Background Couples raising a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face challenges that may impact on their relationship. The purpose of this review was to compare relationship satisfaction in couples raising children with and without ASD and to identify factors associated with satisfaction in couples with a child with ASD. Methods Thirteen dat...

Objective. In recent years, ICA has been one of the more popular methods for extracting event-related potential (ERP) at the single-trial level. It is a blind source separation technique that allows the extraction of an ERP without making strong assumptions on the temporal and spatial characteristics of an ERP. However, the problem with traditional...

Purpose: To explore whether family routines, service usage, and stress levels in families of children with autism spectrum disorder differ as a function of regionality. Methods: Secondary analysis of data was undertaken from 535 surveys. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to investigate differences between families living in den...

Visual capacity generally declines as people age, yet its impact on visual search patterns along different road sections of actual driving still remains undocumented. In this on-road driving study, we simultaneously recorded 30 older drivers’ eye movement and precise vehicle movement trajectories. The vehicle positions were linked to every eye fixa...

Background: Somatosensory modalities, such as touch, proprioception and haptic ability, greatly influence the achievement of developmental milestones for children. Describing somatosensory impairment, natural variability and typical or expected developmental changes across age groups will help establish frameworks for intervention in clinical popu...

Background: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is a leading cause of permanent disability, currently affecting 20,000 Australian children. Community participation is essential for childhood development and enjoyment, yet children with ABI can often experience barriers to participation. The factors which act as barriers and facilitators to community parti...

Increasingly, women simultaneously balance the roles of mother, parental carer and worker. However, individual role balance strategies among these working ‘sandwich’ generation women have not been thoroughly explored. Eighteen women combining these three roles were interviewed about their individual role balance strategies. Findings were identified...

Interview Guide. (PDF)

Vehicle-driving in real traffic can be considered as a human-machine system involving not only the attribute of the vehicle movement but also the human visual perception, cognition and motion of the driver. The study of driving behaviours, therefore, would integrate information related to driver psychology, vehicle dynamics and road information in...

Objective To study whether personal factors (self-efficacy and pain acceptance) mediate the relationship between pain and performance of valued life activities in persons with rheumatoid arthritis. Methods Persons with rheumatoid arthritis for at least four years (n = 737; 73% women) answered a questionnaire measuring self-efficacy, pain acceptanc...

Recruiting adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) into research poses particular difficulties; longitudinal studies face additional challenges. This paper reports on a mixed methods study to identify factors influencing the participation in longitudinal autism research of adults with ASD, including those with an intellectual disability, and th...

Background/aim: Occupational therapists play a key role in addressing the social difficulties of children with ASD. However, interventions are often time intensive, without outcomes generalising beyond the clinic setting. To examine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an intervention to address the social play skills of children with...

Objective: This pilot study explored the nature and quality of social experiences of children with Asperger Syndrome/High Functioning Autism (AS/HFA) through experience sampling method (ESM) while participating in everyday activities. Methods: ESM was used to identify the contexts and content of daily life experiences. Six children with AS/HFA (...

In this paper, an approach to teaching occupational therapy students how to create orthoses, whilst at the same time developing higher-order critical thinking, reflective, and clinical reasoning skills is described. The scaffolded nature of the learning activities, incorporating Kolb's reflective learning cycle, was used to support students' capaci...

This systematic review aimed to identify tools published in peer reviewed journals that could be utilised in career planning for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to describe their clinical utility and psychometric properties. Due to limited results for ASD-specific tools, the search was broadened to career planning tools for ind...

Objective: To establish the impact of a gaze-based assistive technology (AT) intervention on activity repertoire, autonomous use, and goal attainment in children with severe physical impairments, and to examine parents' satisfaction with the gaze-based AT and with services related to the gaze-based AT intervention. Methods: Non-experimental mult...

Road safety strategies (generally called Strategic Highway Safety Plans in the USA) provide essential guidance for actions to improve road safety, but often lack a conceptual framework that is comprehensive, systems theory based, and underpinned by evidence from research and practice. This paper aims to incorporate all components, policy tools by w...

An important characteristic of a screening tool is its discriminant ability or the measure's accuracy to distinguish between those with and without mental health problems. The current study examined the inter-rater agreement and screening concordance of the parent and teacher versions of SDQ at scale, subscale and item-levels, with the view of iden...

Background: Driving is a complex activity requiring highly integrated cognitive and perceptual functions that can be negatively affected following a stroke. The decision to continue or cease with driving after a stroke may not be exclusively dependent on deficits in cognitive and motor abilities. Instead, it is possible that social supports, altern...

This article presents the findings from a qualitative research project exploring eight women?s experiences of living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Through semistructured interviews, the women provided insights into the physical, emotional, and social impacts of RA and the ?work? involved in negotiating its influence in the everyday life. In narra...

Maintaining the musculoskeletal health of children using mobile information and communication technologies (ICT) at home presents a challenge. The physical environment influences postures during ICT use and can contribute to musculoskeletal complaints. Few studies have assessed postures of children using ICT in home environments. The present study...

Gaze-based assistive technology (gaze-based AT) has the potential to provide children affected by severe physical impairments with opportunities for communication and activities. This study aimed to examine changes in eye gaze performance over time (time on task and accuracy) in children with severe physical impairments, without speaking ability, u...

This article explores the key factors for successful employment from the viewpoints of adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and employers. Two groups of individuals participated in this study, 40 adults with ASD and 35 employers. Q method was used to understand and contrast the viewpoints of the two groups. Data were analysed using by-person...

Background Despite an ambition from adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to be employed, there are limited opportunities for competitive employment for this group. Employment is not only an entitlement enjoyed by others in society, but employing adults with ASD also has economic benefits by decreasing lost productivity and resource costs for...

Public transport is low cost, allows for independence, and facilitates engagement and participation for non-drivers. However, the viewpoints of individuals with cognitive disabilities are rarely considered. In Australia, the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is approximately 1% and increasing. Many individuals with ASD do not possess a...

It is unknown if, and how, students redefine their sense of school belongingness after negotiating the transition to secondary school. The current study used longitudinal data from 266 students with, and without, disabilities who negotiated the transition from 52 primary schools to 152 secondary schools. The study presents the 13 most significant p...

Background: Post-school employment outcomes are poor among young adults with high functioning autism/Asperger’s Syndrome (HFA/AS). This is partly due to a lack of a comprehensive and targeted transition planning process for this group. There is currently very little known about the transition planning process for adolescents with HFA/AS. The aim of...

Teachers' attitudes toward inclusion are often based on the practical implementation of inclusive education rather than a specific ideology and understanding of inclusiveness. This study aimed to identify the factors associated with primary school teachers' attitudes towards inclusion of students with all disabilities in regular schools. Seventy fo...

The purpose of this study was to identify key factors associated with negative co-parenting experiences in parents raising a child with autism spectrum disorder. Questionnaires were sent to families with one or more children with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Parents of 142 children with autism spectrum disorder indicated that the diagno...

People with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) also have poorer fundamental motor skills. The development of postural control underlies both social and motor skills. All three elements are facilitated by the active use of visual information. This study compares how adults with ASD and typically developed adults (TDA) respond to a postural illusion ind...

Intergenerational mentoring enables a purposeful exchange of skills and knowledge to enhance individual and social outcomes for sub-groups at risk of health and social disparities. Male intergenerational mentoring may be an approach to help address these disparities in young men. Over 1000 Men's Sheds operate in Australia with 39% providing some fo...

The purpose of this review was to build upon a recent review by Weigelt et al. which examined visual search strategies and face identification between individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and typically developing peers. Seven databases, CINAHL Plus, EMBASE, ERIC, Medline, Proquest, PsychInfo and PubMed were used to locate published scie...

Little is known about whether individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) experience any specific facilitators or barriers to driving education. To explore the facilitators or barriers to driving education experienced by individuals with ASD or ADHD who obtained a learner's permit, from the persp...

To compare the number, frequency, enjoyment and performance in extracurricular activities of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to their typically developing (TD) peers, and to identify differences between actual and desired participation. A case-control study with 30 siblings of children with ASD and 30 siblings of TD childr...

The literature on whether students with disabilities have worse physical and mental health, social adjustment, and participation outcomes when compared to their peers without disabilities is largely inconclusive. While the majority of case control studies showed significantly worse outcomes for students with disabilities; the proportion of variance...

School belongingness has gained currency among educators and school health professionals as an important determinant of adolescent health. The current cross-sectional study presents the 15 most significant personal and contextual factors that collectively explain 66.4% (two-thirds) of the variability in 12-year old students' perceptions of belongin...

To study differences regarding pain and activity limitations during the 3 years following diagnosis in women and men with contemporary treated early RA compared with their counterparts who were diagnosed 10 years earlier. This study was based on patients recruited to the Early Intervention in RA (TIRA) project. In the first cohort (TIRA-1) 320 pati...

In recent years, many driving studies in the traffic safety literature have undertaken error assessments of driver behaviour. However, few studies have been able to analyse the detailed individual vision and motor behaviours of drivers, due to the lack of reliable data and available technologies. Therefore, little is currently known about drivers'...

This study aimed to examine the difficulties with performing valued life activities in relation to pain intensity in women and men with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In total, 737 persons with RA (73 % women) from three rheumatology units in Sweden responded to a questionnaire measuring performance of 33 valued life activities and self-rated pain. The...

Children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) increasingly participate in inclusive education. The present study reviewed studies of children with ASC for parents’ perceptions of aspects they believed contributed to inclusive mainstream school settings. Understanding the parental perspective on the facilitators for inclusion of their child with AS...

There are errors in the Funding section. The correct funding information is as follows: The authors acknowledge the financial support of the Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre and the Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism Spectrum Disorders (Autism CRC), established and supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research Cen...