scholarly journals Children with autism observe social interactions in an idiosyncratic manner

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Inbar Avni ◽  
Gal Meiri ◽  
Asif Bar-Sinai ◽  
Doron Reboh ◽  
Liora Manelis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Body Movements ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Clinical Sensitivity ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Gaze Patterns ◽  
The Mean

AbstractPrevious eye tracking studies have reported that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) fixate less on faces in comparison to controls. To properly understand social interactions, however, children must gaze not only at faces, but also at actions, gestures, body movements, contextual details, and objects, thereby creating specific gaze patterns when observing specific interactions. We presented three different movies of social interactions to 111 children (71 with ASD) who watched each of the movies twice. Typically developing children viewed the movies in a remarkably predictable and reproducible manner, exhibiting gaze patterns that were similar to the mean gaze pattern of other controls, with strong correlations across individuals (inter-subject correlations) and across movie presentations (intra-subject correlations). In contrast, children with ASD exhibited significantly more variable/idiosyncratic gaze patterns that differed from the mean gaze pattern of controls and were weakly correlated across individuals and presentations. Most importantly, quantification of gaze idiosyncrasy in individual children, enabled separation of ASD and control children with higher sensitivity and specificity than traditional measures such as time gazing at faces. Individual magnitudes of gaze idiosyncrasy were also significantly correlated with ASD severity and significantly correlated across movies and movie presentations, demonstrating their clinical sensitivity and reliability. These results suggest that gaze idiosyncrasy is a potent behavioral abnormality that characterizes many children with ASD and may contribute to their impaired social development. Quantification of gaze idiosyncrasy in individual children may aid in assessing their ASD severity over time and in response to treatments.Lay SummaryTypically developing children watch movies of social interactions in a reliable and predictable manner, attending faces, gestures, body movements, and objects that are relevant to the social interaction and its narrative. Here, we demonstrate that children with ASD watch such movies with significantly more variable/idiosyncratic gaze patterns that differ across individuals and across movie presentations. We demonstrate that quantifying this variability is a very potent way of identifying children with ASD and determining the severity of their social ASD symptoms.

The Use of Hand Gestures to Communicate About Nonpresent Objects in Mind Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2015 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 373-382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wing-Chee So ◽  
Ming Lui ◽  
Tze-Kiu Wong ◽  
Long-Tin Sit
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intervention Program ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Spatial Skills ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Children With Asd

Purpose The current study examined whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in comparison with typically developing children, perceive and produce gestures to identify nonpresent objects (i.e., referent-identifying gestures), which is crucial for communicating ideas in a discourse. Method An experimenter described the uses of daily-life objects to 6- to 12-year-old children both orally and with gestures. The children were then asked to describe how they performed daily activities using those objects. Results All children gestured. A gesture identified a nonpresent referent if it was produced in the same location that had previously been established by the experimenter. Children with ASD gestured at the specific locations less often than typically developing children. Verbal and spatial memory were positively correlated with the ability to produce referent-identifying gestures for all children. However, the positive correlation between Raven's Children Progressive Matrices score and the production of referent-identifying gestures was found only in children with ASD. Conclusions Children with ASD might be less able to perceive and produce referent-identifying gestures and may rely more heavily on visual–spatial skills in producing referent-identifying gestures. The results have clinical implications for designing an intervention program to enhance the ability of children with ASD to communicate about nonpresent objects with gestures.

Psychopharmacological treatment of ADHD symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin L. Handen ◽  
Johanna Taylor ◽  
Rameshwari Tumuluru
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Adhd Symptoms ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Psychopharmacological Treatment ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Appropriate Treatment

Abstract One of the most frequently reported behavioral concerns among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is high rates of activity and inattention, symptoms that are often associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Although there is a considerable body of research regarding the appropriate treatment of ADHD symptoms among typically developing children, the research among children with ASD is more limited. The evidence to date suggests that medication response rates among children with ASD are considerably lower than among typically developing children and that children with ASD tend to be at greater risk for experiencing side effects. The purpose of the present paper is to review the available research on the treatment of ADHD symptoms in children with ASD. This paper summarizes the data on a range of pharmacological options and provides specific recommendations for how best to clinically manage these symptoms.

scholarly journals Parent-reported feeding characteristics in children with ASD vs. children who are typically developing

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nesreen Fathi Mahmoud ◽  
Rehab Safwat Abdelhameed ◽  
Sherif A. Abdelmonam ◽  
Ahmed Ali Abdelmonem ◽  
Doaa Mahmoud Khalil ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Childhood Autism Rating Scale ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Feeding Behaviors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Background Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) often report that their children have multiple dietary behavior problems than parents of typically developing (TD) children do. This may affect proper nutrition and subsequently adequate growth and development in children with ASD. The current study aimed to assess the feeding behavior in recently diagnosed children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) ranged in age from 2 to 4 years and compare it with typically developing (TD) children and to explore the relationship between feeding behaviors and autism severity using the Montreal Children’s Hospital Feeding Scale (MCH) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), respectively. Parents of 35 preschool children (2–4 years) with ASD completed reports of physical measurements, feeding interview, Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and Montreal Children’s Hospital Feeding Scale (MCH Feeding-Scale). The collected data from parents of children with ASD were analyzed and compared with 70 typically developed children matched with age and sex. Results ASD children showed statistically significantly more problematic feeding behaviors in most of the assessed eating characters compared with TD children, e.g., food neophobia, eating non-food items instead of food, requiring assistance during eating, and feeding avoidance to particular textures and taste. The mean total score of the MCH feeding scale differed significantly between children with ASD and TD children. No correlation was found between the mean total score of the MCH feeding scale and CARS scores. Conclusion Our findings revealed a high rate of behavioral feeding problems in children with ASD. Future work will be needed to follow up the feeding behaviors and to develop practical feeding approaches for ASD children to maintain nutritional adequacy.

scholarly journals The Influence of Irrelevant Visual Distractors on Eye Movement Control in Chinese Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from the Remote Distractor Paradigm

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 500-512
Author(s):  
Li Zhang ◽  
Guoli Yan ◽  
Li Zhou ◽  
Zebo Lan ◽  
Valerie Benson
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Attentional Control ◽  
Movement Control ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Eye Movement Control ◽  
Children With Asd

Abstract The current study examined eye movement control in autistic (ASD) children. Simple targets were presented in isolation, or with central, parafoveal, or peripheral distractors synchronously. Sixteen children with ASD (47–81 months) and nineteen age and IQ matched typically developing children were instructed to look to the target as accurately and quickly as possible. Both groups showed high proportions (40%) of saccadic errors towards parafoveal and peripheral distractors. For correctly executed eye movements to the targets, centrally presented distractors produced the longest latencies (time taken to initiate eye movements), followed by parafoveal and peripheral distractor conditions. Central distractors had a greater effect in the ASD group, indicating evidence for potential atypical voluntary attentional control in ASD children.

scholarly journals Trajectories of imitation skills in preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Pittet ◽  
Nada Kojovic ◽  
Martina Franchini ◽  
Marie Schaer
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Impact

Imitation skills play a crucial role in social cognitive development from early childhood. Many studies have shown a deficit in imitation skills in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Little is known about the development of imitation behaviors in children with ASD. This study aims to measure the trajectories of early imitation skills in preschoolers with ASD and how these skills impact other areas of early development. For this purpose, we assessed imitation, language and cognition skills in 177 children with ASD and 43 typically developing children (TD) aged 2 to 5 years old, 126 of which were followed longitudinally, yielding a total of 396 time-points. Our results confirmed the presence of an early imitation deficit in toddlers with ASD compared to TD children. The study of the trajectories showed that these difficulties were marked at the age of two years, and gradually decreased until the age of 5 years old. Imitation skills were strongly linked with cognitive, language skills and level of symptoms in our ASD group at baseline. Moreover, the imitation skills at baseline were predictive of the language gains a year later in our ASD group. Using a data-driven clustering method, we delineated different developmental trajectories of imitation skills within the ASD group. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed, particularly the impact of an early imitation deficit on other areas of competence of the young child.

Participation of Children With ASD Using an Adapted Structured Preschool Participation Observation and Comparison With Typically Developing Children

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 7512500056p1-7512500056p1
Author(s):  
Anat Golos ◽  
Sophi Itkin ◽  
Hadas Ben-Zur
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Preschool Participation ◽  
Primary Author

Abstract Date Presented Accepted for AOTA INSPIRE 2021 but unable to be presented due to online event limitations. Participation of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is limited compared with their typically developing (TD) peers. This study examined the participation of children with ASD using an adapted observation in comparison with TD children. Content validity was evaluated by 21 experts, and 70 children were observed. Children with ASD scored significantly lower than TD children in most areas. More structured settings enabled higher participation scores. Further studies are needed. Primary Author and Speaker: Anat Golos Contributing Authors: Sophi Itkin, Hadas Ben-Zur

Imitation Recognition by Minimally Verbal Young Children: A Comparison Between Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 108835762110350
Author(s):  
Gökhan Töret
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Down Syndrome ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Minimally Verbal ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Minimally Verbal Children

Research has shown that children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display limited imitation recognition behaviors in comparison with typically developing children. However, the levels of imitation recognition of minimally verbal children with ASD relative to those with developmental disabilities are unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the imitation recognition behaviors of 20 minimally verbal children with ASD and 20 minimally verbal children with Down syndrome (DS) when imitated by an adult in a play context. Results showed that children with ASD display more limited imitation recognition than children with DS. These results indicate that children with ASD are weaker in displaying imitation recognition. On the contrary, both groups display an association between imitation recognition and a variety of play actions in both groups.

scholarly journals Trajectories of imitation skills in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irène Pittet ◽  
Nada Kojovic ◽  
Martina Franchini ◽  
Marie Schaer
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Developmental Trajectories ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Imitation skills play a crucial role in social cognitive development from early childhood. Many studies have shown a deficit in imitation skills in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Little is known about the development of imitation behaviors in children with ASD. This study aims to measure the trajectories of early imitation skills in preschoolers with ASD and how these skills impact other areas of early development. Methods For this purpose, we assessed imitation, language, and cognition skills in 177 children with ASD and 43 typically developing children (TD) aged 2 to 5 years old, 126 of which were followed longitudinally, yielding a total of 396 time points. Results Our results confirmed the presence of an early imitation deficit in toddlers with ASD compared to TD children. The study of the trajectories showed that these difficulties were marked at the age of 2 years and gradually decreased until the age of 5 years old. Imitation skills were strongly linked with cognitive and language skills and level of symptoms in our ASD group at baseline. Moreover, the imitation skills at baseline were predictive of the language gains a year later in our ASD group. Using a data-driven clustering method, we delineated different developmental trajectories of imitation skills within the ASD group. Conclusions The clinical implications of the findings are discussed, particularly the impact of an early imitation deficit on other areas of competence of the young child.

scholarly journals Postural control and emotion in children with autism spectrum disorders

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Gouleme ◽  
Isabelle Scheid ◽  
Hugo Peyre ◽  
Magali Seassau ◽  
Anna Maruani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Postural Control ◽  
Postural Sway ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Fixation Time ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

AbstractAutism Spectrum Disorders subjects (ASD) are well known to have deficits in social interaction. We recorded simultaneously eye movements and postural sway during exploration of emotional faces in children with ASD and typically developing children (TD). We analyzed several postural and ocular parameters. The results showed that all postural parameters were significantly greater in children with ASD; ASD made significantly fewer saccades and had shorter fixation time than TD, particularly in the eyes, and especially for unpleasant emotions. These results suggest that poor postural control of ASD and their impaired visual strategies could be due to a lack of interest in social cognition, causing a delay in the development of the cortical areas, and thus could have an effect on their postural control.

scholarly journals Parent-Child Reminiscing: Relationships between Parent Elaborations, Emotion Talk and Memory Contributions of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Wendy Faust
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Developmental Process ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Typically Developing Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Emotion Talk ◽  
Parent Child

<p>How parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) engage their children in reminiscing about the past was investigated in a sample of 12 children with ASD and 12 matched typically developing children. Analysis of parent elaboration styles and emotion talk during reminiscing revealed no significant differences between parents of children with ASD and parents of typically developing children. The elaboration style and emotion talk of parents of children with ASD was associated with their children's memory contributions and emotion talk during conversations. The discussion addresses why the social and language difficulties, characteristic of ASD, may not have impacted on parent-child reminiscing. It considers this specifically in relation to the role that parents of children with ASD play in 'scaffolding' their children through the critical developmental process of parent-child reminiscing.</p>

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