To learn more about SEED (Study to Explore Early Development) click here.
Self-compassion mitigates the cognitive, affective, and social impact of courtesy stigma on parents of autistic children, Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology 2022 December 25 – Due to the courtesy stigma of autism spectrum disorder, many parents of autistic children are devaluated and discriminated against by the public. Despite the high prevalence of this courtesy stigma, very few studies have examined its negative effects on parents of autistic children and explored the factors that may protect the parents from these negative effects. Our results demonstrate the prospective associations of courtesy stigma with adverse cognitive, affective, and social consequences for parents of autistic children, as well as the protective effects of self-compassion against such associations. These results highlight the importance of increasing parents’ self-compassion to help them cope with courtesy stigma and improve their psychological well-being.
Factors Impacting Parental Quality of Life in Preschool Children on the Autism Spectrum, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: December 20,2022 – This study examined connections between parental quality of life (QoL) and features of children (autism severity, cognitive ability, behavioral profile, and sociodemographic factors). Parents of 97 children attending an autism-specific preschool completed the Quality of Life in Autism, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales and Child Behavior Checklist. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and Mullen Scales of Early Learning were also administered. Reduced restrictive/repetitive behavior and higher socialization and play/leisure scores were associated with better parental QoL. Better behavioral regulation and attention also predicted better QoL, as did stronger communication and reduced internalising behaviours. Findings indicate that a child’s level of autism specific traits, adaptive functioning and behavioral profile has greater impact on parental QoL than cognitive level.
Echolalia in Autism: A Scoping Review, International Journal of Disability, Development and Education December 8, 2022 – Echolalia, a language phenomenon whereby individuals imitate the speech of others, is commonly used by children and adults with autism. Research into the underlying nature and meanings associated with this repetitive behaviour is characterised by a lack of conceptual definitions and conflicting opinions about the functions of echolalia. A scoping review was undertaken to summarise the range of perspectives on these topics and identify associated research gaps. Five databases were searched, and 28 studies met the eligibility criteria. Results showed clear groupings in the topics discussed, based around interactional intent, factors that affect the frequency and type of echolalia, language development, measurement, and functions of echolalia. The review revealed that echolalia has a number of functions for people with autism, however many interventions continue to focus on reduction or elimination of echolalia. Findings suggest that further research is required to examine possible functions of echolalia. Confirming the function of this behaviour for people with autism is likely to have direct consequences for the type of intervention deemed appropriate.
Teaching Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Answer Questions Using an iPad-Based Speech-Generating Device, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. December 9. 2022 – This study investigated whether a systematic instruction package was effective in child acquisition of question answering using an iPad-based speech generating device (SGD). The study was conducted with two children with autism using a multiple probe across behaviors design. Results demonstrated that the systematic instruction package consisting of graduated guidance, discrete trial teaching, time delay, and reinforcement resulted in acquisition of answering all questions. Follow-up data were collected one, three, and five weeks after instruction ended. For all participants, skills maintained during follow-up and generalized to novel settings and skills. Social validity data were also collected and indicated that teachers without experience using SGDs found them to be effective and feasible for teaching communication skills.
The Kind of Friend I Think I Am: Perceptions of Autistic and Non-autistic Young Adults, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders May 2022 – The aims of the current project were to determine how autistic people prefer to behave in their friendships and how this compares to the friendship practices reported by non-autistic participants. Results identified differences in the preferred friendship practices between the participant groups, which may further confirm the Double Empathy Theory and provide a context for understanding the friendship normative practices of autistic people.
Assistive Relief Tool for Early Childhood and Special Psychological Symptom Groups during the Pandemic: Clothing Design Based on the Virtual Contact Principle, Occupational Therapy International, May 2022 – This study is aimed at developing clothing with appropriate contact pressure based on the contact comfort principle of psychology and providing a type of pressure clothing that can relieve the wearer’s tension by simulating hugging, alleviating the lack of physical contact for early childhood education and special education groups during the pandemic. The research shows that clothing can simulate hugging and can ease the loneliness of the wearer. This study can be used as a good tool to assist during the pandemic for early childhood education and special psychological symptom groups, as well as a broader group of people living alone at home, to play an adjunctive treatment and loneliness relief functions.
ApEn: A Stress-Aware Pen for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Part of the Lecture Notes in Computer Science book series (LNCS,volume 13258), May 2022 – This paper presents a stress-aware pen (ApEn) that detects real-time stress-related behaviors and interacts with users with vibrotactile and light as a feedback indication of interpreted stress levels. ApEn is a context-aware tool for collecting behavioral data related to the expression of stress and can increase users’ stress awareness. A pilot test was conducted with typical developed children to investigate how to detect stress in their daily environment. The pilot test results indicate that ApEn is a promising tool for detecting stress-related behaviors and can attend the user about the detected stress through designed sensory feedback.
Effects of Physical Activity on Social, Behavioral, and Cognitive Skills in Children and Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review of the Literature, Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders: 2022 -This systematic review aims to describe six types of physical activity interventions utilized with children and young adults ages 5–22 as a treatment for ASD. These interventions include swimming, cycling, neuromuscular training, yoga, sports, and exergaming. This examines the knowledge gaps regarding the details of these interventions via time (sessions, per week, overall length), the severity of ASD in participants (using a 4-point scale), and the outcomes specific to ASD (cognition, social skills, physical fitness, and behavior). A systematic search of peer-reviewed research articles was conducted across five databases focusing on physical activity as an intervention for children and young adults with ASD. From an initial screening of 387 records, 29 of the studies were included in the review. The analysis includes types of intervention, dependent measures, research design, and intervention duration. Types of intervention most studied (swimming, cycling, neuromuscular training, yoga, sports, and exergaming) were further analyzed. All studies found that physical activity as an intervention, improved aspects of physical fitness (endurance, strength, balance), cognition, social skills (language, eye contact, engaging with others), and/or behavior.
ECHO Autism: Early Intervention Connecting Community Professionals to Increase Access to Best Practice Autism Intervention, April 26 2022. Clinical Pediatrics – ECHO Autism: Early Intervention clinic consists of biweekly sessions focused on early identification and management of evidence-based practices for young children with ASD. It is an adaptation of the ECHO Autism clinic that has been proven effective for primary care providers. The clinic provides a safe, virtual learning environment where diverse professionals who work with children at risk or diagnosed with ASD can collaborate and learn together. ECHO Autism: Early Intervention bridges the care gap between autism specialists, community intervention providers, and children with autism to increase capacity for autism intervention best practices in underserved communities. Through participation in this convenient, web-based small group, the providers get specific case guidance on children at risk or diagnosed with autism and share best practices for autism specific interventions. Finally, the clinic connects participants with community resources, and family/caregiver support. In our article, we address the current challenge of access to quality early intervention specific to ASD in rural and underserved communities and how this issue can be addressed through a virtual ECHO Autism clinic. The aim of this concept article is to describe the innovative ECHO Autism: Early Intervention clinic and discuss its benefits and impact in the field.
Best practice assessments for autism spectrum disorders in schools, Psychology of the Schools. March 5, 2022 – Schools are well-positioned to accurately categorize students with autism using assessments from multiple informants. Best practice assessments should include a detailed developmental history and direct observation from an evidence-based tool such as ADOS-2. These assessments open pathways to appropriate interventions and educational placements by identifying students’ strengths and challenges. Student outcomes can be optimized through building trusting family-professional partnerships.
Parent coaching intervention for children with suspected autism spectrum disorder: Cost analysis, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. May 2022 – Parent coaching interventions for young children suspected of having autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have shown promise. The objectives were to measure the costs of parent coaching and the pre-diagnosis utilization of services and treatments related to autism and to compare costs between families who received parent coaching (PC) and those who received enhanced community treatment (ECT).
Measuring Changes in Social Skills Throughout an Intervention Program for Children with ASD, Contributions from Polar Coordinate Analysis, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. March 12, 2022 – The demand of social skills interventions for people with ASD has grown in recent years. The main goal of this research was to study social skills: “responding to interaction” and “initiating interaction”, and to capture whether there were differences between an initial and a final session in a program for children with ASD. Additionally, we aimed to compare social skills patterns according to the VIQ level. The sample (N = 20) was divided into 2 subgroups depending on whether the VIQ was > 90 or < 90. We employed a mixed methods approach based on a systematic observation of social behaviors. The observational design was nomothetic, follow-up, and multidimensional. Once we confirmed inter-observer reliability for the ad hoc observational instrument we performed descriptive statistics and polar coordinate analysis using LINCE software. The results show high intragroup and intergroup variability. In general, participants with VIQ < 90 showed a better improvement in responding to interaction, whereas participants with VIQ > 90 showed more complex patterns to initiate interactions. The polar coordinate technique was useful for detecting significant relationships between autism’s social micro-behaviors. Results and information obtained through observational methodology could allow professionals to understand communication and interaction of participants.
La Trobe University researchers develop early autism screening tool, Medical Device Network News, March 2022, Researchers at La Trobe University in Australia have developed a tool for the early detection of autism. Findings from a five-year study, which was conducted on more than 13,500 children in Victoria, found the tool, named Social Attention and Communication Surveillance-Revise (SACS-R), to be an effective method for diagnosing autism in young children. The university researchers found that about 83% of infants and toddlers, aged between 12 and 24 months, who were diagnosed as ‘high likelihood’ for autism by the tool were later diagnosed with the disease.
Autism-friendly eyecare: Developing recommendations for service providers based on the experiences of autistic adults, The College of Optometrists, February 15, 2022 – People with autism face significant barriers when accessing healthcare services. Eye examinations present unique challenges. Accessibility of this healthcare sector for people with autism has not been investigated previously. The aim of this research was to investigate eye examination accessibility for autistic adults and produce recommendations for autism-friendly eyecare.
Face emotions: improving emotional skills in individuals with autism, Multimedia Tools and Applications, March 25, 2022 – Among the main characteristics of an individual with autism spectrum disorder are repetitive behavioral patterns, deficiencies in social interaction and both verbal and nonverbal communication present since childhood. The ability to recognize mental states from facial expressions plays a vital role in social interaction and interpersonal communication. In recent years, several studies have been carried out with the aim of motivating individuals to use computer technologies to learn emotions in order to improve social interactions. In this paper, a game that can support the development of emotional and social skills is presented for people with autism spectrum disorder. Our game allows people to develop the ability to recognize and express basic emotions: joy, sadness, anger, disgust, surprise and fear. Experiments were performed on a public domain image database and with a group of individuals from an educational institution, in order to evaluate the performance of the proposed tool. The results showed that the use of our approach improved these capabilities in individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
It took a pandemic: Perspectives on impact, stress, and telehealth from caregivers of people with autism, Research in Developmental Disabilities. Volume 113; June 2021 – Shelter in place mandates due to the COVID-19 pandemic left caregivers to determine how to best meet the therapeutic requirements of their children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Understanding the challenges faced by families, and their experiences using telehealth for the first time, may help make services sustainable in future public health emergencies. A sample of 70 caregivers of people with ASD from across the US completed an anonymous online survey. Results indicate that impaired emotion regulation was a primary contributor of parent-reported stress for persons with ASD during the pandemic, while loss of established structure and routine contributed to parental stress. Nearly half the sample reported using telehealth for the first time. Many caregivers were appreciative that telehealth permitted continuation of services, but expressed concerns about limited effectiveness due in part to their children’s social communication problems.
Sleep quantity and quality as predictors of behavior and mental health issues for children and adolescents with autism, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Vol 84. June, 2021 – The results of this study replicate and extend previous research on daytime behavior, mental health, and sleep quality and quantity relationships. Indications of sensitivity to the environment to these daytime issues indicates the need for subsequent research delineating the influence of variables within the biopsychosocial model (e.g., sensory hyperarousal) of the inter-relatedness of sleep, daytime behaviors, and mental health for individuals with autism across the lifespan.
Exercise is a Life-Changer for Those with Autism, ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal– May 2021 –
- Make a profound impact. Because of limited resources, most school systems are leaving those with autism wandering and wondering in physical education classes. This is a squandered opportunity because autism parents have rated exercise as the no. 1 treatment as it has been shown to extend beyond the health-related benefits. Those with autism need to be able to access fitness centers and trainers to benefit from exercise programming.
- Understanding autism and exercise. Teaching exercise to those with autism is 75% understanding autism and 25% understanding exercise. This community learns differently and to create successful exercise programs requires embedding evidence-based teaching practices, structured routines, and setting individualized goals. The goal may simply start with just being in the facility for 30 minutes.
The effects of teacher-delivered behavior skills training on paraeducators’ use of a communication intervention for a student with autism who uses AAC, Augmentative and Alternative Communication – April 2021 – Special education teachers are often responsible for training their staff how to support children with autism spectrum disorder in their classrooms. In addition to academic and behavioral interventions, paraeducators also need to be prepared to support students with complex communication needs. This study was designed to investigate the effects of a paraeducator-implemented communication intervention in a public school. A multiple probe design across participants was used to evaluate a communication intervention that included providing opportunities to initiate with least-to-most prompting for a 10-year-old student with autism who used an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Prior to the intervention, the student was rarely observed initiating interactions with her AAC device, and paraeducators were rarely observed offering opportunities to initiate or providing supports to help the student initiate. Following training, data from each paraeducator indicated an increased rate when providing the communication intervention and as a result, the student displayed an increase in the targeted intervention, initiation. Findings from the intervention highlight the need for explicit teaching when promoting initiation among students with autism who use AAC.
Classroom Teachers’ Implementation of the Social Stations Intervention to Improve the Verbal Initiations and Responses of Students with Autism, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, April 2021 – Students with autism often show challenges in social communication, particularly in initiating and responding behaviors. While the classroom offers a natural context for peer interactions, few interventions are designed specifically for classroom settings. This study investigated the effects of a classroom-teacher implemented social communication intervention, known as Social Stations, on the initiating and responding behaviors of students with autism. The study was set in an inclusive primary school, with the teacher embedding the intervention into the student’s daily literacy lessons. All students with autism showed significant improvements in the targeted behaviors, with improvements maintained over time. This study suggests that social communication interventions can be implemented by teachers as part of a daily classroom program.
Exploring the functions of music in the lives of young people on the autism spectrum, Psychology of Music, April 23, 2021 – Current research investigating the functions of music in everyday life has identified cognitive, emotional, and social functions of music. However, previous research focuses almost exclusively on neurotypical people and rarely considers the musical experiences of autistic people. In addition, there is limited research which focuses explicitly on the musical experiences of young people on the autism spectrum. Current research exploring the functions of music may therefore not accurately represent the experiences of the autistic community. This article aims to explore the function of music in the lives of young people on the autism spectrum through a series of interviews. Eleven young people on the autism spectrum age 12 to 25 (M=19.4) were interviewed about the function of music in their lives. An adaptive interview technique, utilizing multiple methods of communication, was employed to account for the participants’ broad communicative and personal needs. Interpretative phenomenological analysis revealed four key functions of music in the participants’ lives: Cognitive, Emotional, Social, and Identity. Collectively, these results provide a unique insight into the musical experiences of young people on the autism spectrum.
Autism: awareness, acceptance and the places in between, April 9, 2021, STAT Magazine, By Isabel Alexander – Now more than ever, autism awareness — and increasingly acceptance — should mirror the spectrum of the condition: a celebration of fortitude and uniqueness as well as a recognition of the pain that may lie below the surface.
Predictors of adaptive functioning in preschool aged children with autism spectrum disorder, March 22, 2021; Autism Research – People with autism often have difficulties with everyday communication, daily living, and social skills, which are also called adaptive functioning skills. This study investigated factors that might be related to these difficulties in preschoolers with autism. We found that better cognitive ability, but not autism symptoms, were associated with better adaptive functioning. This suggests that interventions for young children with autism should take into account cognitive ability to better understand which children are likely to have difficulties with adaptive functioning.
Early childhood educators’ knowledge and attitudes about developmental screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder, Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education- Feb 18, 2021 – The importance of early intervention for developmental disabilities, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, is increasingly recognized as critical to children’s later success, making it necessary to better understand how professionals who work regularly with young children view the use of developmental screening in their professional practice. This study examined knowledge and attitudes toward developmental screening practices among 130 early childcare and education providers. Survey methodology was used to collect and analyze information on providers’ perceptions of administering developmental screening, barriers to using screening in early childhood education settings, and differences in perceived barriers among providers with varying knowledge of autism spectrum disorder. Providers reported little knowledge of common screening tools but a willingness to use these tools if trained to do so. Ratings of perceived barriers to screening aligned with the behavior intentions and perceived behavioral control constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior, illustrating reasons why providers may or may not view screening as feasible in their respective settings. Knowledge of Autism Spectrum Disorder was not related to perceived barriers to screening, suggesting that other factors need to be considered when designing early childhood screening programs. These and other implications are discussed in relation to future research and practice.
Family Experience of Safe: A New Intervention for Families of Children with a Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, Contemporary Family Therapy. 2021 – Systemic Autism-related Family Enabling (SAFE) is a new intervention for families of children with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). SAFE responds to international and national recommendations for improved care and the reported needs of families. SAFE draws from Family Therapy techniques, Attachment Narrative Therapy and known preferences of individuals with autism. Twenty two families of a child with a diagnosis of ASD severity level 1 or 2 were recruited. The families attended five 3-hour sessions. Family members completed the Helpful Aspects of Therapy Questionnaire (HAT) after each session. Analysis of the HAT data revealed that adults and children experienced SAFE to be helpful which was elaborated in terms of the following themes: therapist as helping reflection, increased understanding, feeling closer, more confident to reflect and problem solve, improved communication and feeling less alone and isolated. The findings are discussed to consider how SAFE can be improved and implemented to offer support for families. SAFE is a good candidate to fill a gap in autism related care.
Community Led Co-Design of a Social Networking Platform with Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. February 2021 – Adolescents with ASD face challenges in forming positive friendships due to their ASD condition. This study developed a social networking platform based on the needs of a small group of ASD adolescents and their parents/carers and examined what potential benefits such a system could provide. We conducted seven co-design workshops with six adolescents with ASD over eight months. The team exchanged ideas and communicated through group discussions and drawings. The findings suggest that: (1) participants demonstrated self-advocacy skills through an iterative co-design process; (2) a safe and familiar environment encourages active participation from adolescents with ASD as co-designers; and (3) parents, community group and fellow participants play a pivotal role in engaging adolescents with ASD on a social-network.
Highlights
- First paper to examine sleep in 2- to 5-year old autistic children by categorising sleep into three groups based on sleep problem severity.
- Shows that in young autistic children severe sleep problems are associated with increased social withdrawal and overall behavioural problems.
- Shows that in 2- to 5-year old autistic children, sleep problems in general are associated with poor attention.
- Shows that in this age group, autism severity and cognition likely do not make a significant contribution to poor sleep.
- Has implications for identifying risk for poor sleep as well as developing interventions for children in this age group.
Autism spectrum disorder and air pollution: A systematic review and meta-analysis, Environmental Pollution. March 2021- Despite the widely-known effects of air pollution, pollutants exposure surrounding pregnancy and the risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in newborns remains controversial. The purpose of our study was to carry out a systematic review and meta-analyses of the risk of ASD in newborns following air pollution exposure during the perinatal period (preconception to second year of life). All models revealed that exposure to pollutants, notably PM2.5 during pregnancy, was associated with an increased risk of ASD in newborns. Pregnancy and postnatal periods seem to be the most at-risk periods.
Fathers Raising Children on the Autism Spectrum: Lower Stress and Higher Self-Efficacy Following SMS (Text2dads) Intervention, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders – 2021 – This study explored potential influence of a text-based program for fathers of children on the autism spectrum. Fathers (N = 184) were recruited through autism services across Australia. Participants received messages focusing on five domains: (a) relationships with parenting partner; (b) formal support; (c) father-child interaction; (d) understanding autism; and, (e) coping. Surveys explored parenting stress, co-parenting quality and autism-specific parenting self-efficacy. Eighty-eight percent completed the program, 43.6% completed pre and post surveys. There was significant reduction in parenting stress (p < .01) and increase in autism-specific parenting self-efficacy (p < .01). Effect sizes indicate these may be clinically meaningful. This highly scalable intervention has potential to influence factors that shape and sustain relationships fathers share with their children on the autism spectrum, families and services.
Updating Expectations About Unexpected Object Motion in Infants Later Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Journal of Autism Dev Disorders: January 30, 2021 – We investigated how infants who later received an ASD diagnosis and neurotypical infants react to temporarily occluded moving objects that violate initial expectations about object motion. Our results indicate that infants regardless of clinical outcome react similarly to unexpected object motion patterns, both in terms of gaze shift latencies and pupillary responses. These findings indicate that the ability to update representations about such regularities in light of new information may not differ between typically developing infants and those with later ASD
Early Motor Function of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review, Yi Huey Lim, Melissa Licari, Alicia J. Spittle, Rochelle E. Watkins, Jill G. Zwicker, Jenny Downs and Amy Finlay-Jones; Pediatrics, February 2021 – Early motor impairments are evident in children later diagnosed with ASD. More research is needed to ascertain the clinical utility of motor impairment detection as an early transdiagnostic marker of NDD risk.
Rutgers Study: One-Fourth of Children with Autism Are Undiagnosed A recent study has found that approximately one-fourth of children under the age of eight with autism go undiagnosed, according to an article on Tapinto. The study was published in the journal “Autism Research.” Study co-author Walter Zahorodny, associate professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and director of the New Jersey Autism Study, said that while autism awareness has increased, it is still under-diagnosed, according to the article. He said this is particularly true for Black and Hispanic children. During this study, the researchers looked at both the education and medical records of approximately 266,000 children who were eight years old in 2014, according to the article. These records were used to determine how many of these children showed symptoms of autism without being clinically diagnosed, according to the article. Approximately 4,500 of these children were identified to have shown symptoms. Click here for full article.
Could Autism Spectrum Disorders Be a Risk Factor for COVID-19?, Matheus Eugênio de Sousa Lima, Levi Coelho Maia Barros, Gislei Frota Aragão, Med Hypotheses. May 30, 2020 – The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 pandemia is infecting millions of people and some studies relate conditions that might increase the risk of developing a fatal course for the disease, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and obesity. In COVID-19 physiopathology, one of the main inflammation mechanisms is the “cytokine storm”, causing a pro-inflammatory state, related to cardiac and pulmonary damage. There is also a less effective role of lymphocyte B and T in the humoral immunity due to the reduction of their proliferative response. The physiopathology of ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) involves several modifications at the genetic and at the immune level, such as the increase of inflammatory cytokines and abnormal immune response in several levels. We hypothesize that ASD could be a risk-factor as the other conditions are. Click here for article.
Motor delay – An early and more common “red flag” in girls rather than boys with autism spectrum disorder, September 2020, Research in Developmental Disabilities – Global delay of early milestones occurred in half of children with ASD and in 60 % of girls with ASD. Delayed acquisition of independent walking is relatively more common in girls subsequently diagnosed with ASD.
Primary Care Autism Screening and Later Autism Diagnosis, August 2020, Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, by Paul S. Carbone, Kathleen Campbell, Jacob Wilkes, Gregory J. Stoddard, Kelly Huynh, Paul C. Young and Terisa P. Gabrielsen – A majority of children were screened for ASD, but disparities exist among those screened. Benefits for screen-positive children are improved detection and younger age of diagnosis. Performance of the M-CHAT can be improved in real-world health care settings by administering screens with fidelity and facilitating timely ASD evaluations for screen-positive children. Providers should continue to monitor for signs of ASD in screen-negative children.
Methylphenidate in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Long-Term Follow Up Naturalistic Study – August 7, 2020, Journal of Clinical Medicine, by Patrizia Ventura, Concetta de Giambattista, Laura Spagnoletta, Paolo Trerotoli, Maddalena Cavone, Alessandra Di Gioia, and Lucia Margari – Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often co-occurs with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although methylphenidate (MPH) efficacy and safety are well-demonstrated for ADHD, evidences are scant in the context of ASD. This naturalistic study aimed to analyze long-term MPH efficacy and safety in 40 ADHD children and adolescents with comorbid ASD, comparing them with 40 ones affected by ADHD without ASD. The findings showed that long-term MPH was effective and well-tolerated in ADHD children and adolescents with comorbid high functioning ASD.
The Impact of Weighted Blankets on the Sleep and Sensory Experiences of Autistic Adults, August 1, 2020, American Journal of Occupational Therapy, Librya Green; Erika Willis; Natalie Ziev; Debora Oliveira, PhD, OTR/L; Barbara Kornblau, JD, OTR/L, FAOTA; Scott Robertson, PhD – Through an online survey of open-ended questions, this qualitative study explored the impact of weighted blankets on sleep and autistic adults’ sensory experiences. Autistic adults were recruited from online support communities. Qualitative data was analyzed using grounded theory until saturation was reached. Multiple researchers and data sources ensure rigor and trustworthiness of data. Participants reported benefits in sleep, sensory issues, and stress reduction from weighted blanket use.
Sleeping without Prescription: Management of Sleep Disorders in Children with Autism with Non-Pharmacological Interventions and Over-the-Counter Treatments, July 11, 2020, Brain Science – by Dario Esposito, Arianna Belli, Raffaele Ferri, and Oliviero Bruni – Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are lifelong neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by abnormal social interaction, communication, and behavior. Sleep disturbances represent a common comorbidity in children and adolescents with ASD, with prevalence ranging from 50 to 80%. It has been proved that sleep disruption worsens the symptoms of autism and results in challenging behaviors. Improving sleep should therefore be a primary therapeutic goal. Treatment options range from lifestyle modifications to pharmacological therapy. Several reviews have been written on pharmacological treatments, but very few on the beneficial effects of non-pharmacological interventions, over-the-counter drugs, and nutritional supplements. This study consists of a narrative review of the literature, presenting the available evidence on the following treatments: sleep education, behavioral interventions, complementary and alternative medicine (special mattresses and blankets, massage, aromatherapy, yoga, physical activity), and commonly used over-the-counter medications and supplements (antihistamines, melatonin, tryptophan, carnosine, iron, vitamins, and herbal remedies). For some treatments—such as melatonin and behavioral interventions—effectiveness in ASD is well established in the literature, while other interventions appear of benefit in clinical practice, even if specific studies in children and adolescents with ASD are lacking. Conversely, other treatments only seem to show anecdotal evidence supporting their use.
Utilization of speech‐language, occupational, and physical therapy by diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, June 1, 2020, Marissa E. Yingling, Bethany A. Bell – Findings highlight the value in monitoring when children begin treatment. As governments in the U.S. and globally work to maximize children’s potential, additional research that can inform efforts to facilitate earlier utilization will be key to promoting optimal outcomes.
Understanding Mississippi’s Current Practices Concerning Autism Screening at 18 & 24 Months, Social Work in Public Health-June 1, 2020, Tiffany C. Jackman, Warren May and Elizabeth Crais – Although there was increasing implementation of ASD screening by health care providers, routine screening was not consistently conducted. The results suggest a need for a screening tool embedded in the electronic health record for easy access and monitoring. Findings replicated prior studies and endorsed the relevance of barriers that exist in screening Mississippi’s youngest population. Mississippi children are at risk of delayed ASD diagnosis if modifications cannot be made to support the clinical environment for pediatricians.
Uncles, Aunts May Increase Child’s Odds for Autism, WebMD-May 27, 2020, Denise Thompson – A child with an uncle or aunt with autism appears to have a more than doubled risk of being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder themselves, a new U.S. government-funded study reports. Roughly 3% to 5% of children with an aunt or uncle with autism can also be expected to have some form of autism, compared with just 1.5% of children overall, according to the study funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Impact of a digital Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised on likelihood and age of autism diagnosis and referral for developmental evaluation, May 27, 2020, Autism : the International Journal of Research and Practice, Samantha Major, Kathleen Campbell, Steven Espinosa and more – This was a project in primary care for young children (1-2 years old). We tested a parent questionnaire on a tablet. This tablet questionnaire asked questions to see whether the child may have autism. We compared the paper and pencil version of the questionnaire to the tablet questionnaire. We read the medical charts for the children until they were 4 years old to see whether they ended up having autism. We found that doctors were more likely to recommend an autism evaluation when a parent used the tablet questionnaire. We think that the tablet’s automatic scoring feature helped the doctors. We also think that the doctors benefited from the advice the tablet gave them.
Autism and Employment: Implications for Employers and Adults With ASD, May 15, 2020 – Journal of Autism and Development Disorder, Calvin Soloman – While ASD does present with a range of social communication and adaptive behavior deficits, adults on the spectrum may be extremely efficient, trustworthy, reliable, and cost-effective employees. Nevertheless, fewer than half of young adults with ASD maintain a job. Many businesses are unwilling to hire these capable candidates, concerned among other things about an increase in supervision costs and a decrease in productivity. This is a bias based on misperceptions; the financial and social benefits of hiring adults with ASD, for businesses and the individual, often outweigh the costs.
How COVID-19 Is Making Daily Life Challenging for Those with Autism – Healthline, April 22, 2020 – Stay-at-home orders can be particularly challenging for people living with autism. Right now, autistic individuals could be facing emotional distress at the changes brought forth by the COVID-19 outbreak.
Detecting High-functioning Autism in Adults Using Eye Tracking and Machine Learning, IEEE Transactions on Neural Systems and Rehabilitation Engineering, April 30, 2020 – The purpose of this study is to test whether visual processing differences between adults with and without high functioning autism captured through eye tracking can be used to detect autism. We record the eye movements of adult participants with and without autism while they look for information within web pages. We then use the recorded eye-tracking data to train machine learning classifiers to detect the condition. The data was collected as part of two separate studies involving a total of 71 unique participants (31 with autism and 40 control), which enabled the evaluation of the approach on two separate groups of participants, using different stimuli and tasks. We explore the effects of a number of gaze-based and other variables, showing that autism can be detected automatically with around 74% accuracy. These results confirm that eye-tracking data can be used for the automatic detection of high-functioning autism in adults and that visual processing differences between the two groups exist when processing web pages. Click here for article.
Integrating a new Online Screening Tool in Primary Care to lower the age of Referral – Clinical Pediatrics, Jan 20, 2020 – This study is a project aimed to decrease referral age by utilizing an online screening tool in a busy Primary Care office.
Large-Scale Use of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Low-Risk Toddlers – Pediatrics April 2013 – The purpose of the study was to examine use of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) as an autism-specific screening instrument in a large, geographically diverse pediatrics-based sample.
Effectiveness of Noise-Attenuating Headphones on Physiological Responses for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders – The current study employed the use of noise attenuating headphones within the natural environments of participants. On the basis of neural plasticity (Ayres, 1972) and experience-dependent plasticity (Alwis and Rajan, 2014), it is believed that active participation in enriched environments promotes neural change and cognitive behavioral improvements. Research has indicated that biochemical changes occur from engagement in meaningful trial and error learning during sensory and motor tasks (Miller et al., 2009). By decreasing anxiety and stress through the use of noise attenuating headphones, individuals can engage in this trial and error learning within their natural environment. It is further believed that repetition of normal responses to sensory stimuli creates new neural pathways thus providing the platform for successful participation in natural real-world environments (Miller et al., 2009). By providing a strategy that can be used on a day to day basis, individuals can develop the experiences and theoretically build the platform for successful participation. Though limited by small sample size and quasi-experimental design, past research implemented in natural environments identified positive behavioral and academic outcomes when using noise attenuating headphones in children with learning disabilities (Smith and Riccomini, 2013) and ASD (Rowe et al., 2011). Click here to read full article.
DNA testing for siblings of children with autism may predict diagnosis before symptoms appear – December 5. 2019. Folio – Ten-year study is first to measure predictive value of genetic alterations related to autism spectrum disorder. New research led by the Hospital for Sick Children and the University of Alberta shows that testing the DNA of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may predict a future diagnosis even if symptoms aren’t yet apparent. Click here to read full article.
Cost of a delayed Autism diagnosis – December 3, 2019. Spectrum Magazine – Personal article that discussed problems with delay in diagnosis. The article discusses why an earlier diagnosis is so important.
Purpose in adolescents diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, Journal of Adolescence June 2019 – The authors recommend practitioners consider the variety of supports they could provide to adolescents diagnosed with an ASD and consider encouraging these youth when their creative interests are sparked.
Evaluation of the Diagnostic Stability of the Early Autism Spectrum Disorder Phenotype in the General Population Starting at 12 Months (JAMA Pediatrics – April 29, 2019) – The findings suggest that an ASD diagnosis becomes stable starting at 14 months of age and overall is more stable than other diagnostic categories, including language or developmental delay. After a toddler is identified as having ASD, there may be a low chance that he or she will test within typical levels at 3 years of age. This finding opens the opportunity to test the impact of very early-age treatment of ASD.
How a child watches movies can help detect Autism, Israeli scientists Claim – Science and Health. October 30, 2019 – while it is early days, Dr. Ilan Dinstein believes the technique — which involves tracking the eye movements of children as they watch specific films — could be applicable from about 18 months of age, hopefully leading to earlier average diagnosis of the condition. Study by Autism Research
Ways to Protect a Child With Autism From Cyberbullies – Autism Parents Magazine – Things that parents can do to protect their children
A Virtual Reality System for Practicing Conversation Skills for Children with Autism – Multimodal Technologies Interact. 2019, 3(2), 28 – A case study is presented which suggests a specific virtual reality environment can provide the opportunity for users to build the skills necessary to carry out a conversation without the fear of negative social consequences present in the physical world. Through the repetition and analysis of these virtual interactions, users can improve social skills.
Preventing elopement in children with autism spectrum disorder –Autism Research 2019 – Elopement, defined as leaving an area without permission and placing oneself in a potentially dangerous situation, is a behavior exhibited by many children with autism. There is little information about the use of various modifications that target elopement in the pediatric population. This study identifies child/family characteristics that were related to elopement and the use of modifications, and stresses the importance of counseling families of children with autism about elopement.