scholarly journals Reduced visual evoked potential amplitude in autism spectrum disorder, a variability effect?

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Klara Kovarski ◽  
Joëlle Malvy ◽  
Raoul K. Khanna ◽  
Sophie Arsène ◽  
Magali Batty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Visual Processing ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Pattern Reversal ◽  
Single Trial ◽  
Neural Noise ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Latency Range ◽  
Visual Evoked

AbstractAtypical sensory behaviours represent a core symptom of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Investigating early visual processing is crucial to deepen our understanding of higher-level processes. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) to pattern-reversal checkerboards were recorded in ASD children and age-matched controls. Peak analysis of the P100 component and two types of single-trial analyses were carried out. P100 amplitude was reduced in the ASD group, consistent with previous reports. The analysis of the proportion of trials with a positive activity in the latency range of the P100, measuring inter-trial (in)consistency, allowed identifying two subgroups of ASD participants: the first group, as control children, showed a high inter-trial consistency, whereas the other group showed an inter-trial inconsistency. Analysis of median absolute deviation of single-trial P100 (st-P100) latencies revealed an increased latency variability in the ASD group. Both single-trial analyses revealed increased variability in a subset of children with ASD. To control for this variability, VEPs were reconstructed by including only positive trials or trials with homogeneous st-P100 latencies. These control analyses abolished group differences, confirming that the reduced P100 amplitude results from increased inter-trial variability in ASD. This increased variability in ASD supports the neural noise theory. The existence of subgroups in ASD suggests that the neural response variability is not a genuine characteristic of the entire autistic spectrum, but rather characterized subgroups of children. Exploring the relationship between sensory responsiveness and inter-trial variability could provide more precise bioclinical profiles in children with ASD, and complete the functional diagnostic crucial for the development of individualized therapeutical projects.

scholarly journals A Study of the Correlation between VEP and Clinical Severity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Winai Sayorwan ◽  
Nutthida Phianchana ◽  
Kannika Permpoonputtana ◽  
Vorasith Siripornpanich
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Electrical Response ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Visual Pathway ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Clinical Severity ◽  
Pattern Reversal ◽  
Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales ◽  
Children With Asd

Visual evoked potential (VEP) is a technique used to assess the brain’s electrical response to visual stimuli. The aims of this study were to examine neural transmission within the visual pathway through VEP testing in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and compare it to age-matched controls, as well as search for a correlation between the VEP parameters and the symptoms of ASD. Participants were composed of ASD children (9 males) and typically developing children (8 males and 4 females), aged between 3 and 5 years. Checkerboards were chosen as the pattern-reversal VEP. The clinical severity of ASD was assessed using the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales 2nd edition (VABS-II). Our findings demonstrated that children with ASD had significantly longer N145 latency compared to the controls. A longer N145 latency correlated with a higher score of ATEC within the sensory/cognitive awareness subdomain. In addition, a slower N145 response was also associated with a lower VABS-II score within the socialization domain. The correlation between longer VEP latency and abnormal behaviors in children with ASD suggests a delayed neural communication within other neural circuits, apart from the visual pathway. These lines of evidence support the possibility of using VEP, along with clinical parameters, for the assessment of ASD severity.

The Influence of Language Context on Repetitive Speech Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Gladfelter ◽  
Cassidy VanZuiden
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Context

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.

scholarly journals Parents’ Perceptions of Early Interventions and Related Services for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Saudi Arabia

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Faihan Alotaibi ◽  
Nabil Almalki
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Early Intervention ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Early Interventions ◽  
Related Services ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Government

<p class="apa">The present study sought to examine parents’ perceptions of early interventions and related services for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Saudi Arabia. In this study a survey was distributed to a sample of 80 parents with children who have ASD. Parents also were asked open-ended questions to enable them to provide suggestions. The findings indicate that parents have varying perceptions of early interventions and related services. However, they seem to agree that these services are important in assisting their children. Accordingly, parents have suggested that the government needs to increase these services by providing more centers for children with ASD in Saudi Arabia, providing more specialists to deal with children with ASD, promoting inclusion in regular schools and providing more information on early intervention.</p>

scholarly journals Implication of the Sensory Environment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Perspectives from School

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (14) ◽  
pp. 7670
Author(s):  
Ana Gentil-Gutiérrez ◽  
José Luis Cuesta-Gómez ◽  
Paula Rodríguez-Fernández ◽  
Jerónimo Javier González-Bernal
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Sensory Profile ◽  
School Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Children With Asd

(1) Background: Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) frequently have difficulties in processing sensory information, which is a limitation when participating in different contexts, such as school. The objective of the present study was to compare the sensory processing characteristics of children with ASD in the natural context of school through the perception of professionals in the field of education, in comparison with neurodevelopmental children (2) Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study as conducted with study population consisting of children between three and ten years old, 36 of whom were diagnosed with ASD and attended the Autismo Burgos association; the remaining 24 had neurotypical development. The degree of response of the children to sensory stimuli at school was evaluated using the Sensory Profile-2 (SP-2) questionnaire in its school version, answered by the teachers. (3) Results: Statistically significant differences were found in sensory processing patterns (p = 0.001), in sensory systems (p = 0.001) and in school factors (p = 0.001). Children with ASD who obtained worse results. (4) Conclusions: Children with ASD are prone to present sensory alterations in different contexts, giving nonadapted behavioral and learning responses.

scholarly journals Review of Cognitive Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Performance on Six Subtests on Four Versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mizuho Takayanagi ◽  
Yoko Kawasaki ◽  
Mieko Shinomiya ◽  
Hoshino Hiroshi ◽  
Satoshi Okada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Cognitive Characteristics ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThis study was a systematic review of research using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to examine cognitive characteristics of children with ASD beyond the impact of revisions based on WISC and diagnostic criteria changes. The classic “islets of ability” was found in individuals with full-scale IQs < 100. The “right-descending profiles” were observed among high IQ score individuals. High levels on the Block Design and low Coding levels were consistently found regardless of the variation in intellectual functioning or diagnosis. This review identified patterns of cognitive characteristics in ASD individuals using empirical data that researchers may have previously been aware of, based on their experiences, owing to the increased prevalence of ASD.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Immunoglobulin G Abnormalities and the Therapeutic Use of Intravenous Immunoglobulins (IVIG) in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 488
Author(s):  
Daniel A Rossignol ◽  
Richard E Frye
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Immunoglobulin G ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Intravenous Immunoglobulins ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Effect Sizes ◽  
Aberrant Behavior ◽  
Children With Asd

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting approximately 2% of children in the United States. Growing evidence suggests that immune dysregulation is associated with ASD. One immunomodulatory treatment that has been studied in ASD is intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG). This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the studies which assessed immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations and the therapeutic use of IVIG for individuals with ASD. Twelve studies that examined IgG levels suggested abnormalities in total IgG and IgG 4 subclass concentrations, with concentrations in these IgGs related to aberrant behavior and social impairments, respectively. Meta-analysis supported possible subsets of children with ASD with low total IgG and elevated IgG 4 subclass but also found significant variability among studies. A total of 27 publications reported treating individuals with ASD using IVIG, including four prospective, controlled studies (one was a double-blind, placebo-controlled study); six prospective, uncontrolled studies; 2 retrospective, controlled studies; and 15 retrospective, uncontrolled studies. In some studies, clinical improvements were observed in communication, irritability, hyperactivity, cognition, attention, social interaction, eye contact, echolalia, speech, response to commands, drowsiness, decreased activity and in some cases, the complete resolution of ASD symptoms. Several studies reported some loss of these improvements when IVIG was stopped. Meta-analysis combining the aberrant behavior checklist outcome from two studies demonstrated that IVIG treatment was significantly associated with improvements in total aberrant behavior and irritability (with large effect sizes), and hyperactivity and social withdrawal (with medium effect sizes). Several studies reported improvements in pro-inflammatory cytokines (including TNF-alpha). Six studies reported improvements in seizures with IVIG (including patients with refractory seizures), with one study reporting a worsening of seizures when IVIG was stopped. Other studies demonstrated improvements in recurrent infections, appetite, weight gain, neuropathy, dysautonomia, and gastrointestinal symptoms. Adverse events were generally limited but included headaches, vomiting, worsening behaviors, anxiety, fever, nausea, fatigue, and rash. Many studies were limited by the lack of standardized objective outcome measures. IVIG is a promising and potentially effective treatment for symptoms in individuals with ASD; further research is needed to provide solid evidence of efficacy and determine the subset of children with ASD who may best respond to this treatment as well as to investigate biomarkers which might help identify responsive candidates.

Exploring Growth in Expressive Communication of Infants and Toddlers With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 105381512199557
Author(s):  
Jay Buzhardt ◽  
Anna Wallisch ◽  
Dwight Irvin ◽  
Brian Boyd ◽  
Brenda Salley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Progress Monitoring ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Infants And Toddlers ◽  
Early Communication ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Growth

One of the earliest indicators of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is delay in language and social communication. Despite consensus on the benefits of earlier diagnosis and intervention, our understanding of the language growth of children with ASD during the first years of life remains limited. Therefore, this study compared communication growth patterns of infants and toddlers with ASD to growth benchmarks of a standardized language assessment. We conducted a retrospective analysis of growth on the Early Communication Indicator (ECI) of 23 infants and toddlers who received an ASD diagnosis in the future. At 42 months of age, children with ASD had significantly lower rates of gestures, single words, and multiple words, but significantly higher rates of nonword vocalizations. Children with ASD had significantly slower growth of single and multiple words, but their rate of vocalization growth was significantly greater than benchmark. Although more research is needed with larger samples, because the ECI was designed for practitioners to monitor children’s response to intervention over time, these findings show promise for the ECI’s use as a progress monitoring measure for young children with ASD. Limitations and the need for future research are discussed.

Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition Profiles of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Classification and Regression Trees Analysis

2021 ◽  
pp. 073428292110259
Author(s):  
Brittany A. Dale ◽  
W. Holmes Finch ◽  
Kassie A. R. Shellabarger ◽  
Andrew Davis
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intelligence Scale ◽  
Cart Analysis ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Classification And Regression ◽  
Pattern Of Performance

The Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC) are the most widely used instrument in assessing cognitive ability, especially with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous literature on the WISC has demonstrated a divergent pattern of performance on the WISC for children ASD compared to their typically developing peers; however, there is a lack of research concerning the most recent iteration, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Due to the distinctive changes made to the WISC-V, we sought to identify the pattern of performance of children with ASD on the WISC-V using a classification and regression (CART) analysis. The current study used the standardization sample data of the WISC-V obtained from NCS Pearson, Inc. Sixty-two children diagnosed with ASD, along with their demographically matched controls, comprised the sample. Results revealed the Comprehension and Letter-Number Sequencing subtests were the most important factors in predicting group membership for children with ASD with an accompanying language impairment. Children with ASD without an accompanying language impairment, however, were difficult to distinguish from matched controls through the CART analysis. Results suggest school psychologists and other clinicians should administer all primary and supplemental subtests of the WISC-V as part of a comprehensive assessment of ASD.

scholarly journals Developing a Culturally Sensitive ICF-Based Tool to Describe Functioning of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: TEA-CIFunciona Version 1.0 Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3720
Author(s):  
Silvana B. Napoli ◽  
María Paula Vitale ◽  
Pablo J. Cafiero ◽  
María Belén Micheletti ◽  
Paula Pedernera Bradichansky ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
International Classification Of Functioning ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Practice Methods ◽  
Icf Core Sets ◽  
Family Centered

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) affects the daily functioning of children and their families; however, in Argentina, there are no standardized tools to guide the description, evaluation, and follow-up of functioning and disability of children with ASD. To fill this gap, the overarching purpose of this study was to create a novel tool guided by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) Core Sets for ASD for clinical practice. Methods: A multistep methodology was used to identify the most relevant ICF categories for an Argentinian clinical setting. The content of this ICF-based shortlist was piloted and revised according to the results. Subsequently, a toolbox of measures was proposed to operationalize each ICF category. Finally, profiles of the functioning of 100 children with ASD were created. Results: An ICF-based tool called TEA-CIFunciona was created, consisting of 32 ICF categories (10 body functions, 15 activities and participation, 7 environmental factors categories). The application of TEA-CIFunciona incorporated a family-centered approach in ASD evaluations and helped identify functional needs. Conclusions: TEA-CIFunciona is the first ICF-based instrument that guides the description of functioning of children with ASD in Argentina. TEA-CIFunciona standardizes collaborative assessments in pediatric ASD populations in Latin American contexts.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Etiology among Parents of Children with ASD

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6774
Author(s):  
Wei-Ju Chen ◽  
Zihan Zhang ◽  
Haocen Wang ◽  
Tung-Sung Tseng ◽  
Ping Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Parental Perceptions ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Religious Factors

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and restricted or repetitive behaviors. Parental perceptions of the etiology of their child’s ASD can affect provider–client relationships, bonding between parents and their children, and the prognosis, treatment, and management of children with ASD. Thus, this study sought to examine the perceptions of ASD etiology of parents of children with ASD. Methods: Forty-two parents of children diagnosed with ASD were recruited across Texas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually. All interviews were recorded and later transcribed verbatim for content analysis utilizing NVivo 12.0 (QSR International, Doncaster, Australia). Results: The content analysis identified the following themes regarding parental perceptions of ASD etiology: Genetic factors (40.5%), environmental factors (31.0%), problems that occurred during pregnancy or delivery (23.8%), vaccinations (16.7%), other health problems (7.1%), parental age at the time of pregnancy (4.8%), and spiritual or religious factors (2.4%). Conclusions: The parental perceptions of ASD etiology were diverse, but several views, such as vaccinations and spiritual or religious factors, were not based on scientific evidence. Health professionals and researchers can use these findings to develop and provide targeted education to parents who have children with ASD. Our findings also support policymakers in developing campaigns designed to increase parental ASD awareness and knowledge.

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