Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Resilience in Autism and Intellectual Disability: a Systematic Review

  • Review Paper
  • Published:
Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Resilience remains under-researched in childhood disability. This review synthesized the available literature on resilience in children with autism and/or intellectual disability (ID), with a focus on the measurement of resilience across the eight studies that met inclusion criteria. Questionnaires were commonly used to assess resilience, with a lack of consistency in the measures used across studies. This review highlights the need for work to seek to understand how resilience presents in childhood disability, and how it can be reliably assessed in children with autism and/or ID. Reliable assessment of resilience is necessary to identify the internal and external factors that can protect children from adversities to improve learning and developmental outcomes.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvord, M. K., & Grados, J. J. (2005). Enhancing resilience in children: A proactive approach. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36(3), 238–245.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, D. K., Liang, J. W., & Lord, C. (2014). Predicting young adult outcome among more and less cognitively able individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 55(5), 485–494. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12178.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Austin, K. L., Hunter, M., Gallagher, E., & Campbell, L. E. (2018). Depression and anxiety symptoms during the transition to early adulthood for people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 62(5), 407–421. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12478.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ayres, M., Parr, J. R., Rodgers, J., Mason, D., Avery, L., & Flynn, D. (2018). A systematic review of quality of life of adults on the autism spectrum. Autism, 22(7), 774–783. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361317714988.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baio, J. (2018). Prevalence of autism spectrum disorder among children aged 8 years — Autism and developmental disabilities monitoring network, 11 sites, United States 2014. Surveillance Summaries, 67(6), 1–23.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bar-On, R. (1997). BarOn emotional quotient inventory - technical manual. Toronto: Multi-Health Systems inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Bayrakli, H., & Kaner, S. (2012). Investigating the factors affecting resiliency in mothers of children with and without intellectual disability. Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice, 12(2), 936–943.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben-Itzchak, E., & Zachor, D. A. (2007). The effects of intellectual functioning and autism severity on outcome of early behavioral intervention for children with autism. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 28(3), 287–303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2006.03.002.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Benzies, K., & Mychasiuk, R. (2009). Fostering family resiliency: A review of the key protective factors. Child & Family Social Work, 14(1), 103–114.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bitsika, V., & Sharpley, C. F. (2014). Which psychological resilience attributes are associated with lower aspects of anxiety in boys with an autism spectrum disorder? Implications for guidance and counselling interventions. British Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 42(5), 544–556. https://doi.org/10.1080/03069885.2014.931929.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brooks, R. (2005). The power of parenting. In R. Brooks & S. Goldstein (Eds.), Handbook of resilience in children (pp. 297–314). New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, I., & Schormans, A. (2003). Maltreatment and life stressors in single mothers who have children with developmental delay. Journal of Developmental Disabilities, 10(1), 61–66.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cath, D. C., Ran, N., Smit, J. H., van Balkom, A. J., & Comijs, H. C. (2008). Symptom overlap between autism spectrum disorder, generalized social anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder in adults: A preliminary case-controlled study. Psychopathology, 41(2), 101–110. https://doi.org/10.1159/000111555.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Charman, T., Taylor, E., Drew, A., Cockerill, H., Brown, J. A., & Baird, G. (2005). Outcome at 7 years of children diagnosed with autism at age 2: Predictive validity of assessments conducted at 2 and 3 years of age and pattern of symptom change over time. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46(5), 500–513. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2004.00377.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chesney, M. A., Neilands, T. B., Chambers, D. B., Taylor, J. M., & Folkman, S. (2006). A validity and reliability study of the coping self-efficacy scale. British Journal of Health Psychology, 11(Pt 3), 421–437. https://doi.org/10.1348/135910705X53155.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, M. L., Barbaro, J., & Dissanayake, C. (2017). Continuity and change in cognition and autism severity from toddlerhood to school age. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(2), 328–339. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2954-7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, M. L., Vinen, Z., Barbaro, J., & Dissanayake, C. (2018). School age outcomes of children diagnosed early and later with autism spectrum disorder. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(1), 92–102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3279-x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Condly, S. J. (2006). Resilience in children. Urban Education, 41(3), 211–236. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042085906287902.

  • Connor, K. M., & Davidson, J. R. (2003). Development of a new resilience scale: The Connor-Davidson resilience scale (CD-RISC). Depression and Anxiety, 18(2), 76–82. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.10113.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Constantine, N., Bernard, B., & Diaz, M. (1999). Measuring protective factors and resilience traits in youth: The healthy kids resilience assessment. Berkeley: Public Health Institute.

    Google Scholar 

  • Crnic, K. A., Neece, C. L., McIntyre, L. L., Blacher, J., & Baker, B. L. (2017). Intellectual disability and developmental risk: Promoting intervention to improve child and family well-being. Child Development, 88(2), 436–445. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdev.12740.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Davydov, D. M., Stewart, R., Ritchie, K., & Chaudieu, I. (2010). Resilience and mental health. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(5), 479–495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2010.03.003.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dykens, E. M., & Lense, M. (2011). Intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder: A cautionary note. In D. Amaral, G. Dawson, & D. Geschwind (Eds.), Autism spectrum disorders. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eaves, L. C., & Ho, H. H. (2004). The very early identification of autism: Outcome at age 4 1/2–5. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 34(4), 367–378.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Einfeld, S. L., Ellis, L. A., & Emerson, E. (2011). Comorbidity of intellectual disability and mental disorder in children and adolescents: A systematic review. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 36(2), 137–143. https://doi.org/10.1080/13668250.2011.572548.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Elsabbagh, M. (2020). Linking risk factors and outcomes in autism spectrum disorder: Is there evidence for resilience? The BMJ. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l6880.

  • Emerson, E. (2013). Commentary: Childhood exposure to environmental adversity and the well-being of people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 57(7), 589–600. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2012.01577.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ezell, J., Hogan, A., Fairchild, A., Hills, K., Klusek, J., Abbeduto, L., & Roberts, J. (2019, Mar). Prevalence and predictors of anxiety disorders in adolescent and adult males with autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(3), 1131–1141. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-018-3804-6.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Falkmer, T., Anderson, K., Falkmer, M., & Horlin, C. (2013). Diagnostic procedures in autism spectrum disorders: A systematic literature review. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 22(6), 329–340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-013-0375-0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Flynn, S., Vereenooghe, L., Hastings, R., Adams, D., Cooper, S. A., Gore, N., et al. (2017). Measurement tools for mental health problems and mental well-being in people with severe or profound intellectual disabilities: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 57, 32–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.08.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fortin, M., Stewart, M., Poitras, M. E., Almirall, J., & Maddocks, H. (2012). A systematic review of prevalence studies on multimorbidity: Toward a more uniform methodology. Annals of Family Medicine, 10, 142–151. https://doi.org/10.1370/afm.1337.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fountain, C., Winter, A. S., & Bearman, P. S. (2012). Six developmental trajectories characterize children with autism. Pediatrics, 129(5), e1112–e1120. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2011-1601.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L., Tugade, M. M., Waugh, C. E., & Larkin, G. R. (2003). What good are positive emotions in crises? A prospective study of resilience and emotions following the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(2), 365–376.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Freeman, B. J., Del'Homme, M., Guthrie, D., & Zhang, F. (1999). Vineland adaptive behavior scale scored as a function of age and initial IQ in 210 autistic children. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29(5), 379–384.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gardiner, E., Masse, L. C., & Iarocci, G. (2019). A psychometric study of the family resilience assessment scale among families of children with autism spectrum disorder. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 17(1), 45. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12955-019-1117-x.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Gilmore, L., Campbell, M., Shochet, I., & Roberts, C. (2013). Resiliency profiles of children with intellectual disability and their typically developing peers. Psychology in the Schools, 50(10), 1032–1043. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21728.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goodley, D. (2005). Empowerment, self-advocacy and resilience. Journal of Intellectual Disabilities, 9(4), 333–343. https://doi.org/10.1177/1744629505059267.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Goodman, R. (2001). Psychometric properties of the strengths and difficulties questionnaire. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 40, 1337–1345.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Habayeb, S., Rich, B., & Alvord, M. K. (2017). Targeting heterogeneity and comorbidity in children with autism spectrum disorder through the resilience builder group therapy program. Child & Youth Care Forum, 46(4), 539–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-017-9394-1.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, A., & Theron, L. (2016a). How school ecologies facilitate resilience among adolescents with intellectual disability: Guidelines for teachers. South African Journal of Education, 36(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.15700/saje.v36n2a1154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hall, A., & Theron, L. (2016b). Resilience processes supporting adolescents with intellectual disability: A multiple case study. Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 54(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-54.1.45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halstead, E., Ekas, N., Hastings, R. P., & Griffith, G. M. (2018). Associations between resilience and the well-being of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(4), 1108–1121. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3447-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hartley, S. L., & Sikora, D. M. (2009). Which DSM-IV-TR criteria best differentiate high-functioning autism spectrum disorder from ADHD and anxiety disorders in older children? Autism, 13(5), 485–509. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361309335717.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Herrenkohl, T. I., Sousa, C., Tajima, E. A., Herrenkohl, R. C., & Moylan, C. A. (2008). Intersection of child abuse and children’s exposure to domestic violence. Trauma Violence Abuse, 9(2), 84–99. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838008314797.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Herrman, H., Stewart, D. E., Diaz-Granados, N., Berger, E. L., Jackson, B., & Yuen, T. (2011). What is resilience? The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 56(5), 258–265.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Howlin, P., Goode, S., Hutton, J., & Rutter, M. (2004). Adult outcome for children with autism. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45(2), 212–229.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hu, T., Zhang, D., & Wang, J. (2015). A meta-analysis of the trait resilience and mental health. Personality and Individual Differences, 76, 18–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2014.11.039.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kalmakis, K. A., & Chandler, G. E. (2015). Health consequences of adverse childhood experiences: A systematic review. Journal of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, 27(8), 457–465. https://doi.org/10.1002/2327-6924.12215.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kerns, C. M., & Kendall, P. C. (2012). The presentation and classification of anxiety in ASD. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 19(4), 323–347.

    Google Scholar 

  • Krug, D. A., & Arick, J. R. (2003). Krug Asperger’s Disorder Index. Austin: Pro-Ed Inc..

    Google Scholar 

  • Lai, M. C., & Szatmari, P. (2019). Resilience in autism: Research and practice prospects. Autism, 23(3), 539–541. https://doi.org/10.1177/1362361319842964.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd, T. J., & Hastings, R. (2009). Hope as a psychological resilience factor in mothers and fathers of children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 53(12), 957–968. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2009.01206.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Loomes, R., Hull, L., & Mandy, W. P. L. (2017). What is the male-to-female ratio in autism spectrum disorder? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(6), 466–474. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2017.03.013.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lord, C., Rutter, M., DiLavore, P., Risi, S., Gotham, K., & Bishop, S. (2012). Autism diagnostic observation schedule, 2nd edition (ADOS-2). Torrence: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Luthar, S., & Cicchetti, D. (2000). The construct of resilience: Implications for interventions and social policies. Development and Psychopathology, 12, 857–885.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Luthar, S., Cicchetti, D., & Becker, B. (2000). The construct of resilience: A critical evaluation and guidelines for future work. Child Development, 71, 543–562.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Mackay, B. A., Shochet, I. M., & Orr, J. A. (2017). A pilot randomised controlled trial of a school-based resilience intervention to prevent depressive symptoms for young adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: A mixed methods analysis. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(11), 3458–3478. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3263-5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. (2001). Ordinary magic: Resilience processes in development. New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. (2002). Resilience comes of age. Longitudinal research in the social and behavioral sciences: An interdisciplinary series. In M. D. Glantz & J. L. Johnson (Eds.), Resilience and development. Boston: Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. (2006). Developmental psychopathology: Pathways to the future. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 30(1), 47–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. (2011). Resilience in children threatened by extreme adversity: Frameworks for research, practice, and translational synergy. Development and Psychopathology, 23(2), 493–506.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. (2014). Global perspectives on resilience in children and youth. Child Development, 85(1), 6–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A. (2015). Ordinary magic: Resilience in development. New York: Guilford Publications.

    Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A., & Coatsworth, J. D. (1998). The development of competence in favourable and unfavourable environments: Lessons from successful children. American Psychologist, 53, 205–220.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Masten, A., Best, K., & Garmezy, N. (1990). Resilience and development: Contributions from the study of children who overcome adversity. Development and Psychopathology, 2.

  • Masten, A. S., Hubbard, J. J., Gest, S. D., Tellegen, A., Garmezy, N., & Ramirez, M. (1999). Competence in the context of adversity: Pathways to resilience and maladaptation from childhood to late adolescence. Development and Psychopathology, 11(1), 143–169.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Maulik, P. K., Mascarenhas, M. N., Mathers, C. D., Dua, T., & Saxena, S. (2011). Prevalence of intellectual disability: A meta-analysis of population-based studies. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 32(2), 419–436. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2010.12.018.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mayes, S. D., Calhoun, S. L., Mayes, R. D., & Molitoris, S. (2012). Autism and ADHD: Overlapping and discriminating symptoms. Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 6(1), 277–285. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rasd.2011.05.009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McConachie, H., Mason, D., Parr, J. R., Garland, D., Wilson, C., & Rodgers, J. (2018). Enhancing the validity of a quality of life measure for autistic people. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 48(5), 1596–1611. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-017-3402-z.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCrimmon, A. W., Matchullis, R. L., & Altomare, A. A. (2016). Resilience and emotional intelligence in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Developmental Neurorehabilitation, 19(3), 154–161. https://doi.org/10.3109/17518423.2014.927017.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Merrell, K. (2011). SEARS: Social, emotional assets and resilience scales, professional manual (Vol. 40). FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.

    Google Scholar 

  • Modesto-Lowe, V., Yelunina, L., & Hanjan, K. (2011). Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A shift toward resilience? Clinical Pediatrics (Phila), 50(6), 518–524. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922810394836.

  • Montgomery, J., Schwean, V., Burt, J.-A., Dyke, D. I., Thorne, K. J., Hindes, Y. L., et al. (2008). Emotional intelligence and resiliency in young adults with Asperger’s disorder. Challenges and opportunities. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/0829573508316594.

  • Montgomery, J., McCrimmon, A. W., Schwean, V. L., & Saklofske, D. H. (2010). Emotional intelligence in Asperger syndrome: Implications of dissonance between intellect and affect. Education and Training in Autism and Developmental Disabilities, 45(4), 566–582.

    Google Scholar 

  • Naglieri, J. A., Goldstein, S., & LeBuffe, P. (2010). Resilience and impairment: An exploratory study of resilience factors and situational impairment. Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, 28(4), 349–356. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734282910366845.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patterson, J., & Blum, R. (1996). Risk and resilience among children and youth with disabilities. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 150.

  • Prince-Embury, S. (2007). Resiliency scales for children and adolescents: A profile of personal strengths. San Antonio: PsychCorp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prince-Embury, S., & Saklofske, D. (2013). Resilience in children, adolescents and adults: Translating research into practice. New York: Springer.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Reid, K. A., Smiley, E., & Cooper, S. A. (2011). Prevalence and associations of anxiety disorders in adults with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 55(2), 172–181. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2788.2010.01360.x.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rigles, B. (2017). The relationship between adverse childhood events, resiliency and health among children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 47(1), 187–202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2905-3.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rodgers, J., Wigham, S., McConachie, H., Freeston, M., Honey, E., & Parr, J. R. (2016). Development of the anxiety scale for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASC-ASD). Autism Research, 9(11), 1205–1215. https://doi.org/10.1002/aur.1603.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1985). Resilience in the face of adversity. Protective factors and resistance to psychiatric disorder. British Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 598–611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (1990). Psychosocial resiliency and protective mechanisms. In J. Rolf, D. Masten, K. Ciccheti, K. Neuchterlein & S. Weintraub (Eds.). New York: Cambridge University Press.

  • Rutter, M. (2006). Implications of resilience concepts for scientific understanding (pp. 1–12). New York: Acadamy of Science.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M. (2012). Resilience as a dynamic concept. Development and Psychopathology, 24(2), 335–344. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579412000028.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Bailey, A., & Lord, C. (2003a). Social communication questionnaire. Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rutter, M., Le Couteur, A., & Lord, C. (2003b). Autism diagnostic interview, revised (Vol. 24). Los Angeles: Western Psychological Services.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shochet, I. M., Saggers, B. R., Carrington, S. B., Orr, J. A., Wurfl, A. M., Duncan, B. M., & Smith, C. L. (2016). The Cooperative research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) conceptual model to promote mental health for adolescents with ASD. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 19(2), 94–116. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-016-0203-4.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Simonoff, E., Pickles, A., Charman, T., Chandler, S., Loucas, T., & Baird, G. (2008). Psychiatric disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence, comorbidity, and associated factors in a population-derived sample. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 47(8), 921–929. https://doi.org/10.1097/CHI.0b013e318179964f.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, P. M., & Knutson, J. F. (2000). Maltreatment and disabilities: A population-based epidemiological study. Child Abuse & Neglect, 24(10), 1257–1273. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0145-2134(00)00190-3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Suzuki, K., Hiratani, M., Mizukoshi, N., Hayashi, T., & Inagaki, M. (2018). Family resilience elements alleviate the relationship between maternal psychological distress and the severity of children’s developmental disorders. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 83, 91–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2018.08.006.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Szatmari, P. (2018). Risk and resilience in autism spectrum disorder: A missed translational opportunity? Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 60(3), 225–229. https://doi.org/10.1111/dmcn.13588.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Taurines, R., Schwenck, C., Westerwald, E., Sachse, M., Siniatchkin, M., & Freitag, C. (2012). ADHD and autism: Differential diagnosis or overlapping traits? A selective review. Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders, 4(3), 115–139. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12402-012-0086-2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tedeschi, R. G., & Kilmer, R. P. (2005). Assessing strengths, resilience, and growth to guide clinical interventions. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 36, 230–237.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thorén, H., & Persson, J. (2017). Resilience: Some philosophical remarks on ostensively and stipulatively defined concepts. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 11(1), 64–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2015.11908140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ungar, M. (2008). Resilience across cultures. British Journal of Social Work, 38(2), 218–235.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ungar, M. (2011). The social ecology of resilience: Addressing contextual and cultural ambiguity of a nascent construct. American Orthopsychiatric Association, 81(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-0025.2010.01067.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Steensel, F. J., Bogels, S. M., & Perrin, S. (2011). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents with autistic spectrum disorders: A meta-analysis. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 14(3), 302–317. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-011-0097-0.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • van Steensel, F. J. A., & Heeman, E. J. (2017). Anxiety levels in children with autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 26(7), 1753–1767. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0687-7.

  • Vivanti, G., Barbaro, J., Hudry, K., Dissanayake, C., & Prior, M. (2013). Intellectual development in autism spectrum disorders: New insights from longitudinal studies. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 354. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00354.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • von Elm, E., Altman, D., Egger, M., Pocock, S., GØtzsche, P., & Vandenbroucke, J. (2007). The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: Guidelines for reporting observational studies. Annals of Internal Medicine, 147, 573–577.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler, D. (2003). The Weschsler scale of intelligence for children (4th ed.). London: Pearson Assessment.

    Google Scholar 

  • White, S. W., Oswald, D., Ollendick, T., & Scahill, L. (2009). Anxiety in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(3), 216–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.01.003.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Whitney, D. G., Shapiro, D. N., Peterson, M. D., & Warschausky, S. A. (2019). Factors associated with depression and anxiety in children with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 63(5), 408–417. https://doi.org/10.1111/jir.12583.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Windle, G., Bennett, K. M., & Noyes, J. (2011). A methodological review of resilience measurement scales. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 9(8), 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-9-8.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Autism Centre of Excellence, School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Logan, Brisbane, QLD, 4122, Australia

    Megan Clark & Dawn Adams

  2. Griffith Institute for Educational Research, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia

    Megan Clark & Dawn Adams

Authors
  1. Megan Clark
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dawn Adams
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Megan Clark.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Clark, M., Adams, D. Resilience in Autism and Intellectual Disability: a Systematic Review. Rev J Autism Dev Disord 9, 39–53 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-021-00239-w

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40489-021-00239-w

Keywords

Search

Navigation