Recurrence of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Full- and Half-Siblings and Trends Over Time

AbstractThis study examined how restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests (RRBs) developed over time in a sample of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). One hundred ninety-two children referred for a diagnosis of autism at age 2, and 22 children with nonspectrum development disorders were evaluated with a battery of cognitive and diagnostic measures at age 2 and subsequently at ages 3, 5, and 9. Factor analysis of the RRB items on the Autism Diagnostic Interview–Revised revealed two RRB factors at each wave of data collection, one comprising “repetitive sensorimotor” (RSM) behaviors and the other “insistence on sameness” (IS) behaviors. For children with ASD, RSM scores remained relatively high over time, indicating consistent severity, whereas IS scores started low and increased over time, indicating worsening. Having a higher nonverbal intelligence (NVIQ) at age 2 was associated with milder concurrent RSM behaviors and with improvement in these behaviors over time. There was no relationship between NVIQ at age 2 and IS behaviors. However, milder social/communicative impairment, at age 2 was associated with more severe concurrent IS behaviors. Trajectory analysis revealed considerable heterogeneity in patterns of change over time for both kinds of behaviors. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for our understanding of RRBs in ASD and other disorders, making prognoses about how RRBs will develop in children with ASD as they get older, and using RRBs to identify ASD phenotypes in genetic studies.

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Employment Outcomes of Transition-Aged Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders: A State of the States Report

American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ◽

10.1352/1944-7558-119.1.64 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 119 (1) ◽

pp. 64-83 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Sloane Burgess ◽

Robert E. Cimera

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Employment Outcomes ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Adults With Autism ◽

Vocational Rehabilitation Services ◽

Time Period ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

The Cost ◽

Adults With Asd ◽

Over Time

Abstract The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the employment outcomes of transition-aged adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) served by vocational rehabilitation services (VR) over the last 10 years by state. A secondary purpose was to compare employment outcomes of individuals with ASD to those of the overall transition-aged population served by VR for the same time period. Although there was variability both within and among states, the results of this study indicate that, over time, the number of young adults with ASD seeking VR services has increased; however, employment outcomes including the percent of adults with ASD achieving employment, the number of hours worked, and wages earned have not improved for this group. The cost to provide VR services to transition-aged adults with ASD was relatively stable over time. Transition-aged adults with ASD were more likely to become successfully employed as a result of receiving VR services than the overall population of transition-aged adults served by VR. However, the employed transition-aged adults consistently worked fewer hours and earned lower wages than those in the overall population. Factors that may influence variability within and among states, and between groups, and implications for research and practice are discussed.

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Incidence of autism spectrum disorders: Changes over time and their meaning*

Acta Paediatrica ◽

10.1080/08035250410023124 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 94 (1) ◽

pp. 2-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 239

Author(s):

M. Rutter

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Changes Over Time ◽

Over Time

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Prediction of Stress in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The Spanish Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1017/sjp.2014.6 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Pilar Pozo ◽

Encarnación Sarriá

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Behavior Problems ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Predictive Values ◽

Time Points ◽

Stress Levels ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Over Time

AbstractRaising a child with autism spectrum disorders presents families with exceptional caregiving challenges. Consequently, parents, particularly mothers, evidence unusually high stress levels. Previous research has identified relevant variables that help explain maternal stress: the child’s behavior problems, social support and the sense of coherence (SOC) as a perception of problem. However, there are few longitudinal studies demonstrating how these variables correlate over time. We present a longitudinal study of 21 Spanish mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) at two measurement time points over an interval of 4.5 years. Our aims are to examine the predictive relationships of these variables (behavior problems, social support and SOC) to stress and to analyse their changes over time. Data were collected through questionnaires. The results of the regression analysis (multiple adjusted R2= .45, ƒ2 = .82) highlight the predictive values of SOC (adjusted R2 = .31) and the initial stress levels (Δ adjusted R2 = .14) for stress levels 4.5-years later. Our study used t-tests to compare measurements at the two time points; results demonstrate the permanence of stress levels and behavior problems and the effects of reduced social support and increased SOC levels (t(20) = 2.48, p = .02, Cohen’s d = .63; t(20) = –4.22, p < .001, Cohen’ d = .58). Implications for interventions are discussed.

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Deficit in visual temporal integration in autism spectrum disorders

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2009.1713 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 277 (1684) ◽

pp. 1027-1030 ◽

Cited By ~ 29

Author(s):

Tamami Nakano ◽

Haruhisa Ota ◽

Nobumasa Kato ◽

Shigeru Kitazawa

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Visual Information ◽

Temporal Integration ◽

Local Features ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Weak Central Coherence ◽

Central Coherence ◽

Narrow Slit ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Over Time

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are superior in processing local features. Frith and Happe conceptualize this cognitive bias as ‘weak central coherence’, implying that a local enhancement derives from a weakness in integrating local elements into a coherent whole. The suggested deficit has been challenged, however, because individuals with ASD were not found to be inferior to normal controls in holistic perception. In these opposing studies, however, subjects were encouraged to ignore local features and attend to the whole. Therefore, no one has directly tested whether individuals with ASD are able to integrate local elements over time into a whole image. Here, we report a weakness of individuals with ASD in naming familiar objects moved behind a narrow slit, which was worsened by the absence of local salient features. The results indicate that individuals with ASD have a clear deficit in integrating local visual information over time into a global whole, providing direct evidence for the weak central coherence hypothesis.

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