Imagination

2013 ◽  
pp. 790-831 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjorie Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Real World ◽  
Pretend Play ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Time Travel ◽  
Mental Time Travel ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Social Understanding ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Social Imagination

Imagination refers to the capacity to mentally transcend time, place, and/or circumstance to think about what might have been, plan and anticipate the future, create fictional worlds, and consider remote and close alternatives to actual experiences. This multifaceted capacity emerges early in life and develops substantially during the preschool years. The first section of this chapter reviews the development of social imagination in pretend play, narrative, and mental time travel, suggesting that the simulation of imagined social scenarios involving self and/or others in all three domains contributes to the development of real-world social understanding. The final sections of the chapter discuss the relation between imagination and creativity, compare imagination in typically developing children and children on the autism spectrum, and suggest directions for future research.

Action coordination during a real-world task: Evidence from children with and without autism spectrum disorder

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Dominic A. Trevisan ◽  
James T. Enns ◽  
Elina Birmingham ◽  
Grace Iarocci
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Real World ◽  
Joint Action ◽  
Social Process ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Action Coordination

Abstract “Joint action”—the ability to coordinate actions with others—is critical for achieving individual and interpersonal goals and for our collective success as a species. Joint actions require accurate and rapid inferences about others’ goals, intentions, and focus of attention, skills that are thought to be impaired in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Research to date has not investigated joint action abilities in individuals with ASD during real-world social interactions. We conducted an experimental study that required children with ASD and typically developing children to move tables by themselves or collaboratively through a maze. This involved developing innovative methodologies for measuring action coordination—a critical component of the joint action process. We found that children with ASD are less likely to benefit from the collaboration of a peer than are typically developing children, and they are less likely to synchronize their steps when moving the table. However, these differences were masked when scaffolded by an adult. There was no evidence that ASD differences were due to gross motor delays in the participants with ASD. We argue that action coordination is a highly adaptive social process that is intrinsic to successful human functioning that manifests as atypical synchronization of mind and body in children with ASD.

The Influence of Background Auditory Noise on P50 and N100 Suppression Elicited by the Paired-Click Paradigm

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-178
Author(s):  
Samantha Major ◽  
Kimberly Carpenter ◽  
Logan Beyer ◽  
Hannah Kwak ◽  
Geraldine Dawson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Gating ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Inhibitory Response ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Optimal Outcomes ◽  
Hyperactivity Disorder ◽  
Auditory Sensory Gating ◽  
Auditory Noise ◽  
P50 Suppression

Abstract. Auditory sensory gating is commonly assessed using the Paired-Click Paradigm (PCP), an electroencephalography (EEG) task in which two identical sounds are presented sequentially and the brain’s inhibitory response to the second sound is measured. Many clinical populations demonstrate reduced P50 and/or N100 suppression. Testing sensory gating in children may help to identify individuals at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders earlier, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which could lead to more optimal outcomes. Minimal research has been done with children because of the difficulty of performing lengthy EEG experiments with young children, requiring them to sit still for long periods of time. We designed a modified, potentially child-friendly version of the PCP and evaluated it in typically developing adults. The PCP was administered twice, once in a traditional silent room (silent movie condition) and once with an audible movie playing (audible movie condition) to minimize boredom and enhance behavioral compliance. We tested whether P50 and N100 suppression were influenced by the presence of the auditory background noise from the movie. N100 suppression was observed in both hemispheres in the silent movie condition and in the left hemisphere only during the audible movie condition, though suppression was attenuated in the audible movie condition. P50 suppression was not observed in either condition. N100 sensory gating was successfully elicited with an audible movie playing during the PCP, supporting the use of the modified task for future research in both children and adults.

scholarly journals Developmental Language Disorder and Autism: Commonalities and Differences on Language

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 589
Author(s):  
Natasa Georgiou ◽  
George Spanoudis
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Language Impairment ◽  
Language Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Developmental Language Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Autism Group ◽  
Developmental Conditions

Language and communication deficits characterize both autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder, and the possibility of there being a common profile of these is a matter of tireless debate in the research community. This experimental study addresses the relation of these two developmental conditions in the critical topic of language. Α total of 103 children (79 males, 24 females) participated in the present study. Specifically, the study’s sample consisted of 40 children with autism, 28 children with developmental language disorder, and 35 typically developing children between 6 and 12 years old. All children completed language and cognitive measures. The results showed that there is a subgroup inside the autism group of children who demonstrate language difficulties similar to children with developmental language disorder. Specifically, two different subgroups were derived from the autism group; those with language impairment and those without. Both autism and language-impaired groups scored lower than typically developing children on all language measures indicating a common pathology in language ability. The results of this study shed light on the relation between the two disorders, supporting the assumption of a subgroup with language impairment inside the autism spectrum disorder population. The common picture presented by the two developmental conditions highlights the need for further research in the field.

scholarly journals Identifying the signature of prospective motor control in children with autism

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Cavallo ◽  
Luca Romeo ◽  
Caterina Ansuini ◽  
Francesca Battaglia ◽  
Lino Nobili ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Motor Control ◽  
Hand Movement ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Movement Kinematics ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Phenotypic Marker ◽  
Quantitative Evidence ◽  
Movement Data

AbstractFailure to develop prospective motor control has been proposed to be a core phenotypic marker of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, whether genuine differences in prospective motor control permit discriminating between ASD and non-ASD profiles over and above individual differences in motor output remains unclear. Here, we combined high precision measures of hand movement kinematics and rigorous machine learning analyses to determine the true power of prospective movement data to differentiate children with autism and typically developing children. Our results show that while movement is unique to each individual, variations in the kinematic patterning of sequential grasping movements genuinely differentiate children with autism from typically developing children. These findings provide quantitative evidence for a prospective motor control impairment in autism and indicate the potential to draw inferences about autism on the basis of movement kinematics.

Assessment and treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents with ASD: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Celal Perihan ◽  
Mack D. Burke ◽  
Lisa Bowman-Perrott ◽  
Joel Bocanegra
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Implementation Fidelity ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Children With Asd

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of current studies that assess and treat anxiety symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). More specifically the study aimed to answer the following questions: What are the qualities of the current studies using cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) to treat anxiety symptoms in children with ASD? Did studies make necessary modifications and adaptations to CBTs according to the evidence-based strategies and implement these versions of CBTs with precise fidelity? Were the selected measurements appropriate for assessing the anxiety symptoms in children with ASD? Design/methodology/approach A systematic review protocol was developed from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (Moher et al., 2009). A rubric was adapted based on the CEC (Council for Exceptional Children; Cook, 2014) group comparison studies standards and the Evaluative Method for Determining EBP in Autism (Reichow et al., 2007). The 3-point Likert Scale (Chard et al., 2009) was adapted to score each study based on the rubric. Findings CBT is a first-line treatment with significant mixed results. Current studies use adapted versions of existing CBTs for children with ASD without reporting empirical evidence to these adaptations and changes. Reporting of the implementation fidelity is still an issue in the treatment of anxiety. Anxiety measurements that were designed for typically developing children failure to detect unusual anxiety symptoms in children with ASD. Research limitations/implications The first limitation of this study was including a variety of studies across CBT programs and types of anxiety symptoms. Types of anxiety and CBT treatments may require separate analyses with specific indicators. Due to the limited studies, reviews could not be analyzed across types of CBT programs. The second limitation was the types of studies. Most of the studies were pilot studies. Pilot studies might use various instruments and CBTs components for making selections to produce the best effects and results. The final limitation was the lack of examination of the data analysis process. Originality/value These findings are important because due to the variety of changes or adaptation to CBTs, inappropriate implementations and failure to detect unusual anxiety symptoms of children with ASD may cause significant differences in treatment responses and outcomes. The study demonstrated that the majority of the studies used adapted versions of existing CBTs without reporting empirical evidence for these adaptations and changes. The findings have shown that reporting of the implementation fidelity is still an issue. Moreover, the majority of studies had used anxiety measurements that were designed for typically developing children, not for children with ASD.

scholarly journals Brief Report: Making Experience Personal: Internal States Language in the Memory Narratives of Children with and Without Asperger’s Disorder

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin T. Brown ◽  
Gwynn Morris ◽  
Robert E. Nida ◽  
Lynne Baker-Ward
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Asperger’S Disorder ◽  
Asperger's Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Multiple Components ◽  
Internal States ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

The development of the personal past is complex, requiring the operation of multiple components of cognitive and social functioning. Because many of these components are affected by autism spectrum disorders, it is likely that autobiographical memory in children with Asperger’s Disorder (AD) will be impaired. We predicted that the memory narratives of children with AD, in comparison to typically-developing peers, would reflect less personal interpretation as evidenced by internal states language. Thirty children with AD and 20 typically-developing children aged 6–14 reported their earliest memories and two emotional experiences (one positive and one negative). Consistent with our predictions, children with AD included fewer emotional, cognitive, and perceptual terms than the comparison sample.

scholarly journals Altered Metabolism of Mothers of Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case Control Study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn Hollowood-Jones ◽  
James B. Adams ◽  
Devon M. Coleman ◽  
Sivapriya Ramamoorthy ◽  
Stephan Melnyk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Children ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Conjugated Molecules ◽  
Metabolic Analysis ◽  
Transsulfuration Pathway ◽  
Young Children With Autism ◽  
One Carbon Metabolism

Abstract Background: Previous research studies have demonstrated abnormalities in the metabolism of mothers of young children with autism.Method: Metabolic analysis was performed on blood samples from 30 mothers of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD-M) and from 29 mothers of young typically-developing children (TD-M). Targeted metabolic analysis focusing on the folate one-carbon metabolism (FOCM) and the transsulfuration pathway (TS) as well as broad metabolic analysis were performed. Statistical analysis of the data involved both univariate and multivariate statistical methods.Results: Univariate analysis revealed significant differences in 5 metabolites from the folate one-carbon metabolism and the transsulfuration pathway and differences in an additional 48 metabolites identified by broad metabolic analysis, including lower levels of many carnitine-conjugated molecules. Multivariate analysis with leave-one-out cross-validation allowed classification of samples as belonging to one of the two groups of mothers with 93% sensitivity and 97% specificity with five metabolites. Furthermore, each of these five metabolites correlated with 8-15 other metabolites indicating that there are five clusters of correlated metabolites. In fact, all but 5 of the 50 metabolites with the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were associated with the five identified groups. Many of the abnormalities appear linked to low levels of folate, vitamin B12, and carnitine-conjugated molecules.Conclusions: Mothers of children with ASD have many significantly different metabolite levels compared to mothers of typically developing children at 2-5 years after birth.

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