Intellectual disability and cerebellar hypoplasia in autism reported by associative learning

ABSTRACTObjectiveTo determine how impairments in associative learning in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) relate to intellectual disability (ID) and early-childhood cerebellar hypoplasia.MethodsTrace and long-delay eye blink conditioning (EBC) were performed in 62 children age 11.2 years having: 1) ASD with ID (ASD+ID); 2) ASD without ID (ASD-noID); or 3) typical development (TD). The sub-second timing of conditioned eye-blink responses (CRs) acquired to a tone paired with a corneal air puff was related to brain structure at age 2 years and clinical measures across ages 2-12 years. Because CR timing is influenced strongly by cerebellar function, EBC was used to test hypotheses relating cerebellar hypoplasia to ASD.ResultsChildren with ASD+ID showed early-onset CRs during trace EBC that were related to early-childhood hypoplasia of the cerebellum but not of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, or amygdala. Children with ASD-noID showed early-onset CRs only during long-delay EBC without cerebellar hypoplasia. Using EBC measures, logistic regression detected ASD with 81% sensitivity and 79% specificity while linear discriminant analysis separated ASD subgroups based on ID but not ASD severity. MRI of additional 2-year-olds with ASD indicated that early-onset CRs during trace EBC revealed ASD+ID more readily than cerebellar hypoplasia, per se.ConclusionsEarly-childhood cerebellar hypoplasia occurs in children with ASD+ID that demonstrate early-onset CRs during trace EBC. Trace EBC reveals the relationship between cerebellar hypoplasia and ASD+ID likely by engaging cerebro-cerebellar circuits involved in intellect. We emphasize that the cerebellum optimizes sensory-motor processing at sub-second intervals, impairments of which may contribute to ID.

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Trends in Special Education Eligibility Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2002-2010

Public Health Reports ◽

10.1177/0033354917739582 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 133 (1) ◽

pp. 85-92 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Eric Rubenstein ◽

Julie Daniels ◽

Laura A. Schieve ◽

Deborah L. Christensen ◽

Kim Van Naarden Braun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Special Education ◽

Intellectual Disability ◽

Monitoring Network ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Special Education Eligibility ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Percentage Points ◽

Racial Ethnic

Objective: Although data on publicly available special education are informative and offer a glimpse of trends in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and use of educational services, using these data for population-based public health monitoring has drawbacks. Our objective was to evaluate trends in special education eligibility among 8-year-old children with ASD identified in the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network. Methods: We used data from 5 Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network sites (Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, and North Carolina) during 4 surveillance years (2002, 2006, 2008, and 2010) and compared trends in 12 categories of special education eligibility by sex and race/ethnicity. We used multivariable linear risk regressions to evaluate how the proportion of children with a given eligibility changed over time. Results: Of 6010 children with ASD, more than 36% did not receive an autism eligibility in special education in each surveillance year. From surveillance year 2002 to surveillance year 2010, autism eligibility increased by 3.6 percentage points ( P = .09), and intellectual disability eligibility decreased by 4.6 percentage points ( P < .001). A greater proportion of boys than girls had an autism eligibility in 2002 (56.3% vs 48.8%). Compared with other racial/ethnic groups, Hispanic children had the largest increase in proportion with autism eligibility from 2002 to 2010 (15.4%, P = .005) and the largest decrease in proportion with intellectual disability (–14.3%, P = .004). Conclusion: Although most children with ASD had autism eligibility, many received special education services under other categories, and racial/ethnic disparities persisted. To monitor trends in ASD prevalence, public health officials need access to comprehensive data collected systematically, not just special education eligibility.

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Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorders Among Children With Intellectual Disability

American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ◽

10.1352/1944-7558-121.6.487 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 121 (6) ◽

pp. 487-500 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

Bridgette L. Tonnsen ◽

Andrea D. Boan ◽

Catherine C. Bradley ◽

Jane Charles ◽

Amy Cohen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Carolina ◽

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Intellectual Disability ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Children And Families ◽

Treatment Practices ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Carolina Population ◽

Dsm Iv ◽

Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often co-occur with intellectual disability (ID) and are associated with poorer psychosocial and family-related outcomes than ID alone. The present study examined the prevalence, stability, and characteristics of ASD estimates in 2,208 children with ASD and ID identified through the South Carolina Autism and Developmental Disabilities Network. The prevalence of ASD in ID was 18.04%, relative to ASD rates of 0.60%–1.11% reported in the general South Carolina population. Compared to children with ASD alone, those with comorbid ID exhibited increased symptom severity and distinct DSM-IV-TR profiles. Further work is needed to determine whether current screening, diagnostic, and treatment practices adequately address the unique needs of children and families affected by comorbid ASD and ID diagnoses.

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Default Mode and Fronto-Parietal Network Associations with IQ Development Across Childhood in Autism

10.21203/rs.3.rs-1033421/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Joshua K Lee ◽

An Chuen Billy Cho ◽

Derek S Andrews ◽

Sally Ozonoff ◽

Sally J Rogers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Intellectual Disability ◽

Middle Childhood ◽

Large Scale ◽

Distance Matrix ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Compensatory Mechanisms ◽

Default Mode ◽

Low Iq

Abstract Background: Intellectual disability affects approximately one third of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (autism), yet a major unresolved question remains concerning the neurobiology that differentiates autistic individuals with and without intellectual disability. IQ is highly variable during childhood. We previously identified subgroups of autistic children with different trajectories of intellectual development from early childhood (2-3½ yeas) up to middle childhood (9-12 years): (a) Persistently-High: Individuals whose intelligence quotients (IQs) remained in the average or better range during this period, (b) Persistently-Low: Individuals whose IQs remained in the range of intellectual disability (IQ < 70) throughout development, and (c) Changers: Individuals whose IQs began in the range of intellectual disability but increased to the borderline or normal IQ range by middle childhood. In the present research, we sought to identify neurobiology that differentiates these trajectory-defined groups within our autism cohort in two brain networks with established links to intellectual functioning and its impairment in (1) the frontoparietal network (FPN), and (2) the default mode network (DMN). Methods: We conducted multivariate distance matrix regression (MDMR) and effect size analyses to examine the volumes of 22 brain regions (11 regions x 2 hemispheres) within the FPN and 24 (12 regions x 2 hemispheres) within the DMN in 48 Persistently-High (18 female), 108 Persistently-Low (32 female), and 109 Changers (39 female) using structural MRI that had been acquired at baseline, and IQ measurements from up to three time points spanning early to middle childhood (Mean Age Time 1: 3.2 years; Time 2: 5.4 years; Time 3: 11.3 years). FPN and DMN network regions of interest were defined on the basis of the large-scale networks defined in Smith et al., (2009).Results: Changers exhibited different DMN network structure from both Persistently-Low and Persistently-High trajectory groups at baseline, but the Persistently-High did not differ from the Persistently-Low group, suggesting that DMN structure may be an early predictor for change in IQ trajectory across childhood. In contrast, Persistently-High exhibited differences in the FPN from both Persistently-Low and Changers groups at baseline, suggesting a difference related more to concurrent IQ and the absence of intellectual disability. Conclusions: Within autism, DMN structure at baseline may differentiate individuals with persistently low IQ from those with more transitory low IQ that improves to the borderline range or better through early childhood, potentially indicating compensatory mechanisms which may be targeted by future interventions. The brain structure differences between these three IQ-based subgroups may be indicative of distinct neural underpinnings of autism phenotypic subtypes.

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Variability in correction and speech therapy work with the children of primary school age with ASD and intellectual disability

Autism and Developmental Disorders ◽

10.17759/autdd.2017150303 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 16-23 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

S.V. Andreeva

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽

Intellectual Disability ◽

Speech Therapy ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Speech Disorders ◽

School Age ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Spectrum Disorders ◽

Primary School Age

Speech disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders are variable and polymorphic, which creates the need for variability in correctional approaches in speech therapy. Present article shows the techniques which are used in practice of language correction therapy, especially in correction of speech underdevelopment at the stage of the formation of phrasal speech in children with ASD in conjecture with intellectual disability. The importance of social development of children, perceptivity in the formation of higher mental functions, in particular, speech and thinking, is stressed.

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A preliminary investigation assessing the basic digital capabilities of minimally verbal children on the autism spectrum with intellectual disability

Journal of Enabling Technologies ◽

10.1108/jet-06-2020-0025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 127-135

Author(s):

Petr Scholle ◽

Gerardo Herrera ◽

Javier Sevilla ◽

Mark Brosnan

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Disability ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Future Research ◽

Minimally Verbal ◽

Content Type ◽

Technological Support ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Tablet Device ◽

Digital Tablet ◽

Minimally Verbal Children

Purpose Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can demonstrate a preference for using digital technologies which can represent a relative strength within the autism community. Such a strength would have implications for digitally mediated interventions and support for autism. However, research to date has not developed a methodology for assessing the capabilities of minimally verbal children on the autism spectrum with intellectual disability (ID) to use digital technology. Design/methodology/approach Six minimally verbal children with ASD and ID undertook an accessible assessment that identified what capabilities for interacting with a digital tablet device they could and could not demonstrate. Twelve brief assessments were demonstrated, including turning on the device, adjusting the volume, operating the camera, touching, tilting and rotating the screen. Findings Participants could be assessed on their digital capabilities. In this study, participants could largely touch and swipe the screen effectively and leave the app, but could not tilt and rotate the screen nor turn on the digital tablet device. Research limitations/implications While the numbers were small, the findings indicate that the digital capabilities of this group can usefully be assessed. Future research can use such assessments to highlight how intervention effectiveness and support can be enhanced by matching the digital capacities of minimally verbal children with ASD and ID to technological support. This is a preliminary study and a greater understanding of children’s prior experiences with technology will better inform how and which digital capabilities develop. Originality/value This is the first study to assess a range of basic capabilities for using digital tablet devices in minimally verbal children with ASD and ID.

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

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab122 ◽

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.

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GAMBARAN KETERAMPILAN SOSIAL EMOSI ANAK AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER (ASD) DI SEKOLAH PAUD INKLUSI BUNDA GANESA

Edukid ◽

10.17509/edukid.v14i1.17088 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Aulia Rahmawati Dewi ◽

Juhanaini Juhanaini ◽

Aan Listiana

Keyword(s):

Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Social Skills ◽

Early Childhood Education ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Spectrum Disorder ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Education School

The Description of Social Emotional Skills Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Paud Inklusi Bunda Ganesha. Much research on emotional-social skills has been done; however, there is limited research on the emotional-social skills and stimulations for young children, especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Therefore, the writer attempts to conduct research on ASD children focusing on their emotional-social skills. The problem in this research is formulated this way: “How are the emotional-social skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Bunda Ganesa Early Childhood Education School described?” The research adopted a descriptive method with the qualitative approach. Qualitative research was selected because this research emphasizes investigative efforts to (naturally) study the on-going phenomena in the finding of the emotional-social skills of children with ASD at Bunda Ganesa Early Childhood Education School. The research involved a four-year-old boy diagnosed with ASD. The research was conducted from October 1 – November 7, 2014. The findings show that children with ASD experience some obstacles, which support the existing theories, where children with ASD have difficulties in communicating, tend to avoid eye contact (not focused), and have difficulties in using gestures to communicate. In addition, children with ASD are inclined to enjoy being alone and become disinterested in playing with their friends. In the field, it is not impossible that the writer finds obstacles and problems during the writing of this undergraduate thesis. Teachers and schools are recommended to pay more attention and help improve the development of children with ASD because children have much potential to develop. Gambaran Keterampilan Sosial Emosi Anak Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) di Sekolah PAUD Inklusi Bunda Ganesa. Berbagai Penelitian Keterampilan Sosial emosional telah banyak dilakukan, namun dalam penjelasan tentang keterampilan sosial emosional serta stimulasi bagi anak usia dini masih sangat terbatas terutama bagi anak ASD. Untuk itu penulis mencoba meneliti anak ASD mengenai keterampilan sosial emosinya. Rumusan masalah dalam penelitian ini adalah Bagaimana Gambaran Keterampilan Sosial Emosi Anak Autism Spectrum Disorder di Sekolah PAUD Inklusi Bunda Ganesa. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah metode deskriptif dengan pendekatan kualitatif. Penelitian kualitatif atau kajian kualitatif digunakan dalam penelitian ini karena penelitian ini menekankan pada upaya investigatif untuk mengkaji secara ( alamiah), fenomena yang tengah terjadi dalam mengetahui keterampilan sosial emosi anak Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) di sekolah PAUD Inklusi Bunda Ganesa. Subjek penelitian yang terlibat dalam penelitian ini adalah Anak laki-laki yang berusia 4 tahun yang di diagnosa mengalami Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Pelaksanaan dimulai dari tanggal 1 Oktober -7 November 2014. Hasil Penelitian yang ditemukan anak ASD ini mengalami beberapa hambatan yang sesuai dengan teori yang sudah ada, dimana anak yang mengalami ASD akan mengalami kesulitan berkomunikasi, ia akan menghindari kontak mata (tidak fokus), kesulitan dalam menggunakan sikap tubuh untuk berkomunikasi. Dan cenderung anak yang mengalami ASD ini lebih senang untuk menyendiri dan tidak tertarik untuk bermain bersama teman-temannya. Dalam pelaksanaan di lapangan penulis tidak menutup kemungkinan penulis menemui hambatan dan kendala-kendala yang muncul pada saat melakukan penulisan skripsi ini. Rekomendasi untuk Orangtua, Lembaga sekolah sebaiknya lebih memperhatikan dan membantu meningkatkan perkembangan anak ASD. Karna ada beberapa perkembangan anak yang dapat terus dimotivasi agar berkembang.

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Mothers of children with autism have different rates of cancer according to the presence of intellectual disability in their child

International Journal for Population Data Science ◽

10.23889/ijpds.v1i1.17 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 1 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jenny Fairthorne ◽

Helen Leonard ◽

Nick De Klerk ◽

Andrew Whitehouse

Keyword(s):

Intellectual Disability ◽

Genetic Basis ◽

Genetic Factors ◽

Hospital Admissions ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Research Attention ◽

Treatment Services ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Hazard Ratios

ABSTRACTBackground Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Disability (ID) are neurodevelopmental disorders with a strong genetic component. Increasing research attention has focused on whether the genetic factors that convey susceptibility for these conditions, also influence the risk for other health conditions, such as cancer. AimsWe compared hospital admissions and treatment/services for cancer in mothers of ASD probands to other mothers. MethodsUsing West Australian databases, we calculated the hazard ratios (HRs) of hospitalisations for cancer in case and comparator mothers.Results In the multivariate model and compared to mothers of children with no ASD or ID, mothers of children with ASD without ID were more likely to have had an admission associated with a cancer diagnosis [HR=1.33(95% CI: 1.1, 1.7)] or a treatment or service associated with cancer [HR=1.54(95% CI: 1.1, 2.2)]. Furthermore, these HRs were significantly greater (p-values < 0.00005) than the corresponding HRs for mothers of children with ASD with ID [HR=1.05(95% CI: 0.8, 1.3) and HR= 0.97(95% CI: 0.7, 1.4)]. Conclusions We suggest that genes increasing the risk of autism without ID and cancer have common pathways and that the genetic basis of ASD with ID differs from ASD without ID.

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Effects of Peer Support Interventions on the Communication of Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

Seminars in Speech and Language ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1670670 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (05) ◽

pp. 443-457 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Shelley Chapin ◽

Susannah Boyle ◽

Salena Babb ◽

David McNaughton

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Early Childhood ◽

Young Children ◽

Peer Support ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Children With Asd ◽

The Social ◽

Early Childhood Settings ◽

Support Model

AbstractMany young children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) experience difficulty in the development of communication skills. Teaching peers to make use of communication support behaviors has been investigated as a strategy to increase communication for young children with ASD in early childhood settings. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine (1) the overall effects of peer support interventions on the communication of young children with ASD and (2) any possible moderating variables related to participant and intervention characteristics. The social support model was used as a framework for the study of intervention components. Eighteen single-case experimental design studies (48 children with ASD) met the inclusion criteria and were advanced to the full coding and analysis phase of the investigation. Descriptive analyses and effect size estimations using the improvement rate difference (IRD) metric were conducted. Overall, peer support interventions were found to be effective across a range of young children with ASD and intervention approaches. Evidence was also identified for the use of the social support model as a framework to guide the development of peer interventions in early childhood settings. The use of friendship groups, the selection of play materials based on the interests of the child with ASD, and the provision of augmentative and alternative communication appeared to be associated with positive communication outcomes.

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Increasing Social Interactions of Preschool Children With Autism Through Cooperative Outdoor Play

The Journal of Special Education ◽

10.1177/00224669211032556 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 002246692110325

Author(s):

Sonja M. T. Ziegler ◽

Michael J. Morrier

Keyword(s):

Early Childhood ◽

Social Interactions ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Autism Spectrum ◽

Multiple Baseline ◽

Baseline Design ◽

Peer Modeling ◽

Childhood Education ◽

Children With Asd ◽

Classroom Effects

Unstructured activity periods are central components of early childhood education programs. Deficits in social communication and social interaction presented by children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) become apparent in these settings during unstructured activities, such as outdoor recess. Thirty-two preschool-aged children with and without ASD participated in the Buddy Game, a structured, cooperative play curriculum that focused on natural peer–peer modeling and imitation. The Buddy Game used familiar songs to promote peer proximity and discrete social bids between peers during outside time. A multiple baseline design across three classrooms was used to study curriculum effects on discrete social bids of children with ASD. Results demonstrated increased social bids from children with ASD to their peers with neurotypical development (NTD) across classrooms. In one classroom, effects maintained after intervention stopped and generalized to other times of the day. Implications for integrated educational settings and early childhood curricula are discussed.

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