Contingent imitation increases verbal interaction in children with autism spectrum disorders
This study examined whether children with autism were able to promote verbal interaction such as vocal imitation, vocalization, and vocal turn-taking via contingent imitation. We used an alternating treatment design composed of the conditions of contingent imitation and control for six children with autism (aged 33–63 months). For contingent imitation condition, adults imitated children’s vocalization immediately. For control condition, adults did not imitate but gave a vocal response immediately. Results showed that in contingent imitation condition, all children increased the number of vocal imitations and vo...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Ishizuka, Y., Yamamoto, J.-i. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Social skills group training in high-functioning autism: A qualitative responder study
Systematic reviews show some evidence for the efficacy of group-based social skills group training in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, but more rigorous research is needed to endorse generalizability. In addition, little is known about the perspectives of autistic individuals participating in social skills group training. Using a qualitative approach, the objective of this study was to examine experiences and opinions about social skills group training of children and adolescents with higher functioning autism spectrum disorder and their parents following participation in a manualized social skills g...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Choque Olsson, N., Rautio, D., Asztalos, J., Stoetzer, U., Bölte, S. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Parent and health care provider perspectives related to disclosure of autism spectrum disorder in pediatric emergency departments
Children and youth with autism spectrum disorder presenting in emergency departments face potential cognitive, sensory, and behavioral challenges, and it is crucial for providers to be aware of their unique needs. However, disclosure of a child’s autism spectrum disorder can be complex for parental caregivers and is not well understood. This qualitative study utilized a grounded theory approach and analyzed data from 28 parents and 16 health care providers related to autism spectrum disorder disclosure within two Canadian pediatric emergency departments. Study results indicated that participants identified benefits a...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Muskat, B., Greenblatt, A., Nicholas, D. B., Ratnapalan, S., Cohen-Silver, J., Newton, A. S., Craig, W. R., Kilmer, C., Zwaigenbaum, L. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
The impact of maternal, child, and family characteristics on the daily well-being and parenting experiences of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder
This study utilized a daily diaries method to explore the global factors that impact daily general affect and daily parenting interactions of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Eighty-three mothers of a child with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 3 and 13 years completed global assessments of maternal depressive symptoms, child autism spectrum disorder symptom severity, and family functioning. Mothers then reported on their daily negative and positive affect as well as their daily positive and frustrating parenting interactions for 14 consecutive days. The results indicated that higher levels of...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Pruitt, M. M., Willis, K., Timmons, L., Ekas, N. V. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Socioeconomic status and intelligence quotient as predictors of psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and in their siblings
This study compared the rates of psychiatric disorders in 50 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, 24 of their siblings, 32 controls from general population and 22 of their siblings. Children and adolescent with autism spectrum disorder and their siblings had higher rates of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder compared to controls. Lower socioeconomic status and intelligence quotient were the main risk factors. The contribution of socioeconomic status and intelligence quotient to increase the risk of developing comorbidity in autism spectrum disorder and psychopathology in their siblings deserves...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Rosa, M., Puig, O., Lazaro, L., Calvo, R. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Predicting social and communicative ability in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder: A pilot study of the Social Attribution Task, Multiple Choice
The Social Attribution Task, Multiple Choice is introduced as a measure of implicit social cognitive ability in children, addressing a key challenge in quantification of social cognitive function in autism spectrum disorder, whereby individuals can often be successful in explicit social scenarios, despite marked social adaptive deficits. The 19-question Social Attribution Task, Multiple Choice, which presents ambiguous stimuli meant to elicit social attribution, was administered to children with autism spectrum disorder (N = 23) and to age-matched and verbal IQ–matched typically developing children (N = 57). The Soci...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Burger-Caplan, R., Saulnier, C., Jones, W., Klin, A. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
School-based social skills training for preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder display impairments in social interactions and communication that appear at early ages and result in short- and long-term negative outcomes. As such, there is a need for effective social skills training programs for young children with autism spectrum disorder—particularly interventions capable of being delivered in educational settings. The study evaluated the effects of the Superheroes Social Skills program on accurate demonstration of social skills in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Two preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder participated in a we...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Radley, K. C., Hanglein, J., Arak, M. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
First evidence of the feasibility of gaze-contingent attention training for school children with autism
This study provided the first evidence of the feasibility of such training using a battery of tasks intended to target visual attentional control in children with autism spectrum disorder within school-based settings. Twenty-seven children were recruited and randomly assigned to either training or an active control group. Of these, 19 completed the initial assessment, and 17 (9 trained and 8 control) completed all subsequent training sessions. Training of 120 min was administered per participant, spread over six sessions (on average). Compliance with the training tasks was generally high, and evidence of within-task traini...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Powell, G., Wass, S. V., Erichsen, J. T., Leekam, S. R. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Obesity and associated factors in youth with an autism spectrum disorder
We examined the prevalence of overweight/obesity in children and youth with autism spectrum disorder, and associations between weight status and range of factors. Children and youth with autism spectrum disorder aged 2–16 years (n = 208) and their parents participated in this study. Body mass index was calculated using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention growth charts and the International Obesity Task Force body mass index cut-offs. The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule was administered. Parents completed questionnaires about socio-demographics, diagnosed comorbidities, sleep disturbances, social fun...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Granich, J., Lin, A., Hunt, A., Wray, J., Dass, A., Whitehouse, A. J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
A systematic review of the behavioural outcomes following exercise interventions for children and youth with autism spectrum disorder
The purpose of this review was to systematically search and critically analyse the literature pertaining to behavioural outcomes of exercise interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder aged <=16 years. This systematic review employed a comprehensive peer-reviewed search strategy, two-stage screening process and rigorous critical appraisal, which resulted in the inclusion of 13 studies. Results demonstrated that exercise interventions consisting individually of jogging, horseback riding, martial arts, swimming or yoga/dance can result in improvements to numerous behavioural outcomes including stereotypic ...
Source: Autism - October 11, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Bremer, E., Crozier, M., Lloyd, M. Tags: Review Source Type: research
Lay abstracts
(Source: Autism)
Source: Autism - September 6, 2016 Category: Neurology Tags: Lay abstracts Source Type: research
Stability and change in autism spectrum disorder diagnosis from age 3 to middle childhood in a high-risk sibling cohort
We examined stability and change in blinded, clinical best-estimate diagnosis from age 3 to middle childhood (mean age = 9.5 years) in 67 high-risk siblings enrolled in infancy. Good agreement emerged for clinical best-estimate diagnoses (89.6% overall; kappa = 0.76, p < 0.001, 95% confidence interval = 0.59–0.93). At age 3, 18 cases (26.9%) were classified with "autism spectrum disorder": 17 retained their autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (94.4%; 13 boys, 4 girls) and 1 no longer met autism spectrum disorder criteria at follow-up. Among "non–autism spectrum disorder" cases at age 3, 43/49 remained non&nda...
Source: Autism - September 6, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Brian, J., Bryson, S. E., Smith, I. M., Roberts, W., Roncadin, C., Szatmari, P., Zwaigenbaum, L. Tags: Short Report Source Type: research
Maternal experience of Lego Therapy in families with children with autism spectrum conditions: What is the impact on family relationships?
This study aimed to explore mothers’ experience of implementing Lego Therapy at home within the family. Following a Lego Therapy training session, mothers carried out hourly sessions with their child with an autism spectrum condition and the child’s sibling, once a week, for 6 weeks. Mothers were interviewed following the intervention, and the data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Themes emerged around improved family relationships, a positive impact on the child as an individual, and changed maternal, sibling and child perspectives. Challenging and facilitative aspects also emerged...
Source: Autism - September 6, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Peckett, H., MacCallum, F., Knibbs, J. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Self-regulated compliance in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder: The role of temperament and parental disciplinary style
This study focused on an important aspect of self-regulation—the ability to willingly comply with frustrating demands of socialization agents, termed "self-regulated compliance." We studied compliance to parental demands in 40 preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder and 40 matched typically developing preschoolers, during separate interactions with mother and father, while engaging in two paradigms: toy pick-up and delayed gratification, which tap the "do" and "don’t" aspects of self-regulated socialization at this age. Parents’ disciplinary style was micro-coded from the two paradigms and child temper...
Source: Autism - September 6, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Ostfeld-Etzion, S., Feldman, R., Hirschler-Guttenberg, Y., Laor, N., Golan, O. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Stability of early risk assessment for autism spectrum disorder in preterm infants
Stability and change in early autism spectrum disorder risk were examined in a cohort of 99 preterm infants (<=34 weeks of gestation) using the Autism Observation Scale for Infants at 8 and 12 months and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Toddler Module at 18 months. A total of 21 infants were identified at risk by the Autism Observation Scale for Infants at 8 months, and 9 were identified at risk at 12 months, including 4 children who were not previously identified. At 18 months, eight children were identified at risk for autism spectrum disorder using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule—Todd...
Source: Autism - September 6, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Yaari, M., Yitzhak, N., Harel, A., Friedlander, E., Bar-Oz, B., Eventov-Friedman, S., Mankuta, D., Gamliel, I., Yirmiya, N. Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
