Categorical Perception of Pitch Contours and Voice Onset Time in Mandarin-Speaking Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Fei Chen ◽  
Gang Peng
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Categorical Perception ◽  
Voice Onset Time ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Onset Time ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Lexical Tones ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Adolescents With Asd

Purpose Previous studies have shown enhanced pitch and impaired time perception in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, it remains unclear whether such deviated patterns of auditory processing depending on acoustic dimensions would transfer to the higher level linguistic pitch and time processing. In this study, we compared the categorical perception (CP) of lexical tones and voice onset time (VOT) in Mandarin Chinese, which utilize pitch and time changes, respectively, to convey phonemic contrasts. Method The data were collected from 22 Mandarin-speaking adolescents with ASD and 20 age-matched neurotypical controls. In addition to the identification and discrimination tasks to test CP performance, all the participants were evaluated with their language ability and phonological working memory. Linear mixed-effects models were constructed to evaluate the identification and discrimination scores across different groups and conditions. Results The basic CP pattern of cross-boundary benefit when perceiving both native lexical tones and VOT was largely preserved in high-functioning adolescents with ASD. The degree of CP of lexical tones in ASD was similar to that in typical controls, whereas the degree of CP of VOT in ASD was greatly reduced. Furthermore, the degree of CP of lexical tones correlated with language ability and digit span in ASD participants. Conclusions These findings suggest that the unbalanced acoustic processing capacities for pitch and time can be generalized to the higher level linguistic processing in ASD. Furthermore, the higher degree of CP of lexical tones correlated with better language ability in Mandarin-speaking individuals with ASD.

scholarly journals Excess of non-verbal cases of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) presenting to orthodox clinical practice in Africa - a trend possibly resulting from late diagnosis and intervention

2011 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muideen O Bakare ◽  
Kerim M Munir
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Clinical Practice ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Expressive Language ◽  
Case Reports ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Language Ability ◽  
Common Denominator ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

<p><strong>Objectives.</strong> Characteristics of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) in Africa are not known because of unavailability of large-scale epidemiological studies in this region. This review explored the age at first presentation to orthodox clinical practice of African children with ASDs and their expressive language ability at presentation.</p><p><strong>Methods.</strong> A literature search of case series and case reports of ASDs from Africa was done through PubMed/MEDLINE, Google Scholar, African Journals Online (AJOL), and archives of the Nigerian Journal of Psychiatry. Six articles included content relating to age of the child at first presentation to orthodox clinical practice and symptoms at presentation related to expressive language ability and therefore fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Suggestions are made to explain the observations emanating from the review.<strong> </strong></p><p><strong>Results.</strong> An excess of non-verbal over verbal cases of ASDs have been presenting to orthodox clinical practice and there is a common denominator of late presentation/diagnosis and in turn late intervention, with most cases presenting for the first time well above 8 years of age. Attempts to explain these observations included low levels of knowledge and awareness about ASDs in Africa; problems with help-seeking behaviour; and lack of mental healthcare facilities and trained personnel.</p><p><strong>Conclusions.</strong> Enhancement of processes directed at ensuring early diagnosis and interventions, especially interventions aimed at improving speech and language development well and sufficiently early, may bring about a shift in the trend of excess non-verbal cases of ASDs over verbal cases presenting to orthodox clinical practice.</p>

scholarly journals An Investigation of Behavioural and Self-Reported Cognitive Empathy Deficits in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Adolescents With Behavioural Difficulties

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara P. Vilas ◽  
Renate L. E. P. Reniers ◽  
Amanda K. Ludlow
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Antisocial Behaviour ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Empathic Accuracy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Behavioural Difficulties ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Report Measure ◽  
Adolescents With Asd

Deficits in empathy have been considered hallmarks in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) but are also considered to underlie antisocial behaviour associated with individuals with callous unemotional traits (CU). Research has suggested that individuals with autism spectrum disorders show more difficulties with cognitive empathy, and that individuals diagnosed with behaviours difficulties, characterised by CU traits and antisocial behaviour, demonstrate low affective empathy. In the current manuscript we present findings of two studies. The first study describes the validation of a new stimulus set developed for the empathic accuracy task, focused on its cognitive component. The second study compares the performance of 27 adolescents with ASD, 27 age matched typically developing adolescents and 17 adolescents with behavioural difficulties on the empathic accuracy task and a self-report measure of empathy. While, no differences were observed between the three groups across the empathy accuracy task, the adolescents with ASD and CD showed deficits in their cognitive empathy across the self-report measure. Adolescents with ASD showed lower scores in particularly their perspective taking abilities, whereas the adolescences with behavioural difficulties showed more difficulties with their online simulation. No differences in self-reported affective empathy across the three groups were observed. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.

Impaired Response Inhibition in Autism Spectrum Disorders, a Marker of Vulnerability to Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders?

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 646-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Petra S. Barneveld ◽  
Leo de Sonneville ◽  
Sophie van Rijn ◽  
Herman van Engeland ◽  
Hanna Swaab
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Cognitive Control ◽  
Response Inhibition ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Interference Control ◽  
Schizophrenia Spectrum ◽  
Control Response ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Adolescents With Asd

AbstractIn this study, we addressed the relation between specific deficits in cognitive control and schizotypal symptomatology in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) diagnosed in childhood. We aimed to identify cognitive control deficits as markers of vulnerability to the development of schizophrenia spectrum pathology in ASD. Symptoms of autism and the risk for schizotypal symptomatology were assessed in 29 high-functioning adolescents with ASD, and compared with 40 typically developing adolescents. Cognitive control (response inhibition, mental flexibility, visuo-motor control, interference control, and perseveration) was evaluated for specific association with schizotypal symptomatology. Impaired response inhibition appeared to be strongly and specifically associated with schizotypal symptomatology in adolescents with ASD, especially those with positive and disorganized symptoms. Response inhibition problems could indicate vulnerability to the development of schizotypal symptomatology in ASD. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–10)

scholarly journals Deficits in executive functions among youths with autism spectrum disorders: an age-stratified analysis

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 1625-1638 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.-F. Chen ◽  
Y.-L. Chien ◽  
C.-T. Wu ◽  
C.-Y. Shang ◽  
Y.-Y. Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Task Demands ◽  
Set Shifting ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Stratified Analysis

BackgroundImpaired executive function (EF) is suggested to be one of the core features in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, little is known about whether the extent of worse EF in ASD than typically developing (TD) controls is age-dependent. We used age-stratified analysis to reveal this issue.MethodWe assessed 111 youths with ASD (aged 12.5 ± 2.8 years, male 94.6%) and 114 age-, and sex-matched TD controls with Digit Span and four EF tasks of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB): Spatial Span (SSP), Spatial Working Memory (SWM), Stockings of Cambridge (SOC), and Intradimensional/Extradimensional Shift Test (I/ED).ResultsCompared to TD controls, youths with ASD performed poorer on the Digit Span, SWM, SOC, and I/ED tasks. The performance of all the tasks improved with age for both groups. Age-stratified analyses were conducted due to significant age × group interactions in visuospatial planning (SOC) and set-shifting (I/ED) and showed that poorer performance on these two tasks in ASD than TD controls was found only in the child (aged 8–12 years) rather than the adolescent (aged 13–18 years) group. By contrast, youths with ASD had impaired working memory, regardless of age. The increased magnitude of group difference in visuospatial planning (SOC) with increased task demands differed between the two age groups but no age moderating effect on spatial working memory.ConclusionsOur findings support deficits in visuospatial working memory and planning in youths with ASD; however, worse performance in set-shifting may only be demonstrated in children with ASD.

scholarly journals Parental Quality of Life and Involvement in Intervention for Children or Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 894
Author(s):  
Alessandro Musetti ◽  
Tommaso Manari ◽  
Barbara Dioni ◽  
Cinzia Raffin ◽  
Giulia Bravo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Parental Involvement ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Eligibility Criteria ◽  
Parental Quality ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Adolescents With Asd

Previous research has examined several parental, child-related, and contextual factors associated with parental quality of life (QoL) among parents with a child or an adolescent with autism spectrum disorders (ASD); however, no systematic review has examined the relationship between parental QoL and parental involvement in intervention. To fill this gap, a systematic review was conducted using four electronic databases and checked reference lists of retrieved studies. Records were included in the systematic review if they presented original data, assessed parental QoL, and involvement in intervention for children or adolescents with ASD, were published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2020, and were written in English. Among the 96 screened full-texts, 17 articles met the eligibility criteria. The selected studies included over 2000 parents of children or adolescents with ASD. Three categories of parental involvement (i.e., none, indirect, direct) were identified, which varied across studies, although most had direct parental involvement. The results from this review show that increased parental involvement in the intervention for children or adolescents with ASD may be one way to promote their QoL. However, further research specifically focused on parental involvement during the intervention for children and adolescents with ASD is warranted.

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