Executive functioning skills in early childhood children with autism, intellectual disability, and co-occurring autism and intellectual disability

2022 ◽  
Vol 122 ◽  
pp. 104169
Author(s):  
Maryellen Brunson McClain ◽  
Megan E. Golson ◽  
Laura E. Murphy
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Executive Functioning Skills

‘Investigating longitudinal associations between parent reported sleep in early childhood and teacher reported executive functioning in school-aged children with autism’

SLEEP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rackeb Tesfaye ◽  
Nicola Wright ◽  
Anat Zaidman-Zait ◽  
Rachael Bedford ◽  
Lonnie Zwaigenbaum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Sleep Duration ◽  
Sleep Onset ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Poor Sleep ◽  
Behavioral Regulation ◽  
School Aged Children ◽  
Children With Asd

Abstract Up to 80% of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience sleep disturbance. Poor sleep impairs executive functioning (EF), a lifelong difficulty in ASD. Evidence suggests EF difficulties in ASD are exacerbated by poor sleep. We examine whether early childhood sleep disturbances are associated with worsening EF trajectories in school-aged children with ASD. A subsample (n=217) from the Pathways in ASD longitudinal study was analyzed. The Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire captured sleep duration, onset, and night awakenings before age 5 (Mean=3.5years). Metacognition (MI) and Behavioral Regulation (BRI) indices, on the Teacher Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning, were used to measure cognitive and affective components of EF respectively at four time-points (7.8-11.8years). We applied latent growth curve models to examine associations between sleep and EF, accounting for relevant covariates, including school-age sleep (Mean=6.7years). Sleep traits had different age-related impacts on behavioral regulation, but not metacognition. Longer sleep onset at 3.5 years was associated with a worsening BRI difficulties slope (b=2.07, p<0.04), but conversely associated with lower BRI difficulties at 7.7 years (b=-4.14, p=0.04). A longer sleep onset at 6.7 years was related to higher BRI difficulties at 7.7 years (b=7.78, p<0.01). Longer sleep duration at 6.7 years was associated with higher BRI difficulties at age 7.7 (b=3.15, p=0.01), but subscale analyses revealed shorter sleep duration at age 6.7 was linked to a worsening inhibition slope (b=-0.60, p=0.01). Sleep onset is a robust early correlate of behavior regulation in children with ASD, whereas sleep duration is a later childhood correlate.

scholarly journals Autism interest intensity in early childhood associates with executive functioning but not reward sensitivity or anxiety symptoms

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110643
Author(s):  
Kate J Godfrey ◽  
Svenja Espenhahn ◽  
Mehak Stokoe ◽  
Carly McMorris ◽  
Kara Murias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Reward Sensitivity ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Attention Shifting ◽  
The Many ◽  
Executive Functioning Skills ◽  
Personal Interests

Several theories have been proposed to explain the presentation of intense interests in autism, including theories based on altered executive functioning, imbalanced reward sensitivity, and mitigating anxiety. These theories have yet to be examined in early childhood, yet knowledge of how intense interests emerge could provide insight into how best to manage intensity and support the many benefits of personal interests. Parents of 33 autistic and 42 non-autistic comparison children aged 3–6 years completed questionnaires to assess attention shifting and inhibitory control, responsiveness to rewards, and anxiety symptoms. Each behavior domain was examined for associations with parent-reported interest intensity. In autistic and comparison children, attention shifting was associated with interest intensity, where children with more difficulties showed more intense interests. In autistic children only, inhibitory control of attention also associated with interest intensity, where children with greater difficulties showed more intense interests. Reward and anxiety symptoms did not associate with interest intensity in either group, or across the sample. These findings suggest that, in early childhood, the presentation of intense interests is related to executive functioning regardless of diagnostic group. Helping children develop executive functioning skills may therefore be useful to assist with managing interest intensity in early childhood. Lay abstract Personal interests in autism are a source of joy, pride, and assist with the formation of social relationships. However, highly intense engagement can also interfere with other activities including activities of daily living. Theories have suggested that intense interests relate to executive functioning, reward sensitivity, and anxiety symptoms; but none of these theories have been tested in early childhood. Understanding which behavioral traits relate to intense interests in early childhood could help understand how intense interests may emerge, while also providing clues for how to manage interest intensity and best promote the many benefits of personal interests. We recruited families with autistic and non-autistic children aged 3–6 years. Parents completed questionnaires to assess children’s interest diversity and intensity, executive functioning, reward sensitivity, and anxiety symptoms. We found that for autistic and non-autistic children, greater difficulty shifting attention between activities related to more intense interests. In autistic children only, difficulty with inhibitory control of attention also related to more intense interests. However, reward sensitivity and anxiety symptoms did not relate to interest intensity. Based on these observations, assisting young children with developing executive functioning skills could help with mediating the interference of interests in daily life to ultimately promote the many benefits of personal interests.

scholarly journals Tactile cortical responses and association with tactile reactivity in young children on the autism spectrum

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Svenja Espenhahn ◽  
Kate J. Godfrey ◽  
Sakshi Kaur ◽  
Maia Ross ◽  
Niloy Nath ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Evoked Potentials ◽  
Real World ◽  
Somatosensory Evoked Potentials ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Childhood Autism ◽  
Verbal Abilities ◽  
Early Childhood Autism

Abstract Background Unusual behavioral reactions to sensory stimuli are frequently reported in individuals on the autism spectrum (AS). Despite the early emergence of sensory features (< age 3) and their potential impact on development and quality of life, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying sensory reactivity in early childhood autism. Methods Here, we used electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate tactile cortical processing in young children aged 3–6 years with autism and in neurotypical (NT) children. Scalp EEG was recorded from 33 children with autism, including those with low cognitive and/or verbal abilities, and 45 age- and sex-matched NT children during passive tactile fingertip stimulation. We compared properties of early and later somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) and their adaptation with repetitive stimulation between autistic and NT children and assessed whether these neural measures are linked to “real-world” parent-reported tactile reactivity. Results As expected, we found elevated tactile reactivity in children on the autism spectrum. Our findings indicated no differences in amplitude or latency of early and mid-latency somatosensory-evoked potentials (P50, N80, P100), nor adaptation between autistic and NT children. However, latency of later processing of tactile information (N140) was shorter in young children with autism compared to NT children, suggesting faster processing speed in young autistic children. Further, correlational analyses and exploratory analyses using tactile reactivity as a grouping variable found that enhanced early neural responses were associated with greater tactile reactivity in autism. Limitations The relatively small sample size and the inclusion of a broad range of autistic children (e.g., with low cognitive and/or verbal abilities) may have limited our power to detect subtle group differences and associations. Hence, replications are needed to verify these results. Conclusions Our findings suggest that electrophysiological somatosensory cortex processing measures may be indices of “real-world” tactile reactivity in early childhood autism. Together, these findings advance our understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying tactile reactivity in early childhood autism and, in the clinical context, may have therapeutic implications.

scholarly journals Enhanced brain signal variability in children with autism spectrum disorder during early childhood

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 1038-1050 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tetsuya Takahashi ◽  
Yuko Yoshimura ◽  
Hirotoshi Hiraishi ◽  
Chiaki Hasegawa ◽  
Toshio Munesue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Early Childhood ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Signal Variability

Using the Teaching Interactions Procedure to Teach Social Skills to Children With Autism and Intellectual Disability

2016 ◽  
Vol 121 (6) ◽  
pp. 501-519 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aubrey Hui Shyuan Ng ◽  
Kim Schulze ◽  
Eric Rudrud ◽  
Justin B. Leaf
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Multiple Baseline ◽  
Baseline Design ◽  
Teaching Interaction ◽  
Teaching Interaction Procedure

Abstract This study implemented a modified teaching interaction procedure to teach social skills to 4 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder with an intellectual disability. A multiple baseline design across social skills and replicated across participants was utilized to evaluate the effects of the modified teaching interaction procedure. The results demonstrated that the teaching interaction procedure resulted in all participants acquiring targeted social skills, maintaining the targeted social skills, and generalizing the targeted social skills.

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