CheerBrush: A Novel Interactive Augmented Reality Coaching System for Toothbrushing Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Z. Kevin Zheng ◽  
Nandan Sarkar ◽  
Amy Swanson ◽  
Amy Weitlauf ◽  
Zachary Warren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
The United States ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Fine Motor Skill ◽  
Intelligent Support ◽  
Children With Asd

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that impacts one in every 54 children in the United States. Some children with ASD have learning and fine motor skill challenges that contribute to difficulties completing daily living tasks such as toothbrushing. Lack of toothbrushing skills may cause increased need for dental care and negative social feedback from peers. Technology based intelligent support systems offer the advantages of being accessible, engaging, and cost-effective. In this work, we present a novel interactive augmented reality coaching system, CheerBrush, to improve the toothbrushing skills of children with ASD. CheerBrush allows children to manipulate virtual objects like a toothbrush and toothpaste with their actual hand motions to practice the steps of toothbrushing. The virtual tasks of CheerBrush demonstrate these steps using audio and visual cues, while also showing the brushing process through a virtual avatar. CheerBrush also assesses toothbrushing skills with a custom designed mechatronic toothbrush to evaluate the system's coaching effectiveness. A feasibility study with 12 children (six children with ASD and six typically developing children) was conducted to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of CheerBrush. The data showed improvements in the toothbrushing motions and reduced stress for the children in the post-test. CheerBrush detects real-time movement of children and interacts with them by augmented reality, feedback and multimodal hints. We believe that CheerBrush has the potential to provide a low-cost, engaging and, beneficial intelligent support system to improve the toothbrushing skills of children with ASD.

scholarly journals Augmented reality emotion recognition for autism spectrum disorder children

F1000Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 1217
Author(s):  
Han Foon Neo ◽  
Chuan Chin Teo ◽  
Quan Fong Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Children With Asd

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder that affects brain development. The prevalence of ASD is one in 68 children. Low social motivation is the main cause in developing social communication skills deficiency. As a result, it is becoming difficult for them to express themselves, to be able to manage social interactions, and they lack the ability to comfort others and even share their own feelings. This study aimed to design a mobile application based on augmented reality (AR) focusing on social interactions and communication aspect for children with ASD. The scope is in emotion recognition, which makes use of emotional icons to help them improve their social skills, more specifically on helping them to recognize various emotions. The emotions are represented by emojis inspired by Dr. Paul Ekman who has created the basic six emotions, namely happiness, sadness, disgust, fear, surprise, and angry. Additional emotions such as confound face, winking with tongue, cold sweat, blowing kiss, flushed, sleepy, disappointed, and winking are included. AR is able to gage the children’s attention when they view the animated emojis. The application enables the children with ASD to be more willing in recognizing different emotional expressions and improve their social skills by expressing their own feelings. The scope of the study is limited to emotion recognition. It is developed based on literature reviews without guidance of any certified ASD specialist. AR is an interactive technology that places digital information in our physical world in real time, providing precise registration in all three dimensions. Existing literature proved that the traditional face-to-face teaching methods have failed to increase the interest and ability of ASD children because the teacher has full control in the classroom. This study adds value to the existing works to incorporate AR as additional intervention in treating ASD children.

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.

scholarly journals A Review of the Efficacy of the Dietary Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (F) ◽  
pp. 88-94
Author(s):  
Zainab Taha ◽  
Khalid A. Abdalhai
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Food Additives ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Children With Asd

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder with 1 in 68 children prevalence. The key symptoms of ASD include social deficits, verbal and non-verbal communication deficits, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. For unknown reasons, gastrointestinal symptoms are related to ASD. The aim of the current paper is to review the available literature on dietary interventions in children with ASD and provide up-to-date evidence. METHODS: Searches in online databases, using the search terms’ dietary intervention, “autism spectrum disorders,” and “autism” were conducted. The search targeted publications ranging from 2010 to 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies with different study designs which evaluated the effectiveness of specific dietary interventions in children with ASD were included in our review. Several dietary interventions were of popular practice in the management of children with ASD, including elimination (gluten-/casein-free diet and oligoantigenic diet), modification (modified ketogenic diet), supplementation (minerals, vitamins, omega 3, and omega 6), and exclusion (food additives). Studies showed different results with varying degrees of evidence. Overall, data were inadequate to make accurate conclusions. CONCLUSION: There is little evidence to support the use of dietary interventions for children with ASD. Additional high-quality studies and further research are, therefore, needed.

scholarly journals Creative Yoga Intervention Improves Motor and Imitation Skills of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 99 (11) ◽  
pp. 1520-1534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maninderjit Kaur ◽  
Anjana Bhat
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Motor Performance ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Yoga Group ◽  
Fine Motor Performance ◽  
Academic Group

Abstract Background There is growing evidence for motor impairments in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), including poor gross and fine motor performance, poor balance, and incoordination. However, there is limited evidence on the effects of motor interventions for this population. Objective In the present study, the effects of a physical therapy intervention using creative yoga on the motor and imitation skills of children with ASD were evaluated. Design This study had a pretest-posttest control group design. Methods Twenty-four children with ASD aged between 5 and 13 years received 8 weeks of a physical therapist-delivered yoga or academic intervention. Children were tested before and after the intervention using a standardized motor measure, the Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Performance–2nd Edition (BOT-2). The imitation skills of children using familiar training-specific actions (ie, poses for the yoga group and building actions for the academic group) were also assessed. Results After the intervention, children in the yoga group improved gross motor performance on the BOT-2 and displayed fewer imitation/praxis errors when copying training-specific yoga poses. In contrast, children in the academic group improved their fine motor performance on the BOT-2 and performed fewer imitation errors while completing the training-specific building actions. Limitations The study limitations include small sample size and lack of long-term follow-up. Conclusions Overall, creative interventions, such as yoga, are promising tools for enhancing the motor and imitation skills of children with ASD.

scholarly journals Technology-Assisted Intervention for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder using Augmented Reality

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 2156-2162
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
Behavior Skills ◽  
And Behavior

Technology-assisted intervention has potentials in improving the social, communication and behavior impairments in of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Augmented reality (AR) offers multitude of possibilities and opportunities for the intervention of children with ASD. Therefore, this study identifies 13 researches from 2012 to 2018 that documented the efficacy of augmented reality applications in supporting the intervention of children with ASD. This study reviews the applications of augmented reality that nhanced the intervention for children with autism in (i) social skills, (ii) communication skills, and (iii) behavior skills. The conclusion reports the significant roles of augmented reality as technology-assisted intervention for children with ASD.

scholarly journals Mitochondrial morphology is associated with respiratory chain uncoupling in autism spectrum disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard E. Frye ◽  
Loïc Lionnard ◽  
Indrapal Singh ◽  
Mohammad A. Karim ◽  
Hanane Chajra ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Complex I ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Mitochondrial Metabolism ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Mitochondrial Morphology ◽  
Complex Iv ◽  
Children With Asd

AbstractAutism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is associated with unique changes in mitochondrial metabolism, including elevated respiration rates and morphological alterations. We examined electron transport chain (ETC) complex activity in fibroblasts derived from 18 children with ASD as well as mitochondrial morphology measurements in fibroblasts derived from the ASD participants and four typically developing controls. In ASD participants, symptoms severity was measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale and Aberrant Behavior Checklist. Mixed-model regression demonstrated that alterations in mitochondrial morphology were associated with both ETC Complex I+III and IV activity as well as the difference between ETC Complex I+III and IV activity. The subgroup of ASD participants with relative elevation in Complex IV activity demonstrated more typical mitochondrial morphology and milder ASD related symptoms. This study is limited by sample size given the invasive nature of obtaining fibroblasts from children. Furthermore, since mitochondrial function is heterogenous across tissues, the result may be specific to fibroblast respiration. Previous studies have separately described elevated ETC Complex IV activity and changes in mitochondrial morphology in cells derived from children with ASD but this is the first study to link these two findings in mitochondrial metabolism. The association between a difference in ETC complex I+III and IV activity and normal morphology suggests that mitochondrial in individuals with ASD may require ETC uncoupling to function optimally. Further studies should assess the molecular mechanisms behind these unique metabolic changes.Trial registration: Protocols used in this study were registered in clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02000284 and NCT02003170.

Emotion Regulation in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2017 ◽  
pp. 235-258
Author(s):  
Jonathan A. Weiss ◽  
Priscilla Burnham Riosa ◽  
Carla A. Mazefsky ◽  
Renae Beaumont
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Emotion Dysregulation ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Expressive Suppression ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Regulatory Strategies ◽  
Patterns Of Behavior

Chapter 12 discusses childhood and adolescent autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social communication, and by restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. Emotion regulation difficulty, particularly understanding emotion, is common in ASD, as is the use of maladaptive regulatory strategies (i.e., avoidance, expressive suppression). In terms of treatment, robust empirical evidence supports using mindfulness and cognitive behavioral approaches in treating anxiety, a frequent outcome of emotion dysregulation in youth ASD. In addition, two psychopharmacologic medications, risperidone and ariprazole, have well-established evidence supporting their utility in this population. Understanding the underlying dynamics of emotion regulation through ASD from a developmental perspective, whilst considering the stressors unique to this population, is imperative in order to improve treatment outcomes and optimize individualized skill development. The chapter concludes with a description of a novel intervention designed to specifically address emotion regulation difficulties in children with ASD.

scholarly journals Perception of Special Teachers on the Evidence based Intervention Strategies for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3S2) ◽  
pp. 427-434
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Developmental Disorders ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Intervention Strategies ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Graduate Degree ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Children With Asd

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of five developmental disorders, it is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder affecting the ability of the person to socialize, communicate along with stereotype behaviours. ASD can affect any person irrespective of the gender, caste, creed or religion. Intervention means doing something, taking action or using a treatment to try to improve a particular condition or a problem. When it comes to ASD, there are many kinds of interventions offered. Depending on the type, they can involve the child, the parent or both. They might be one-off events or involve many sessions spread over years. Interventions are based on different theories about what causes ASD. The current study which is a part of the PhD tries to study the perception of special teachers on the current Intervention strategies for children with ASD. The study was conducted by circulating the questionnaire developed to the special teachers (n=40) working for ASD in the country. The participants consisted of special teachers having Diploma, Degree) and Post Graduate degree in the field of ASD (n=40). Descriptive statistics; frequency, percentages, and chi square tests were done using SPSS. The results indicated that teachers accepted the need for evidence based intervention strategies for training children with ASD.

scholarly journals Priming the Pathway: Combining Oxytocin and Behavioral Intervention to Improve Outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Kuhl Meltzoff Stavropoulos ◽  
Elizabeth Baker
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Restricted Interests ◽  
Children With Asd

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social-communication deficits and the presence of restricted interests and/or repetitive behaviors. There are currently no psychopharmacological agents approved to treat core symptoms of ASD. As such, behavioral interventions are the most effective method for improving symptoms. In the current chapter, we propose that administering the neuropeptide oxytocin in conjunction with evidence-based behavioral interventions may lead to improved outcomes in social-communication for children with ASD. From a mechanistic perspective, we hypothesize that oxytocin may “prime” social reward circuitry in the brain, thereby allowing behavioral interventions designed to increase social motivation/initiation to be more effective. Extant literature related to theories of ASD, oxytocin administration in children with ASD, and behavioral intervention outcomes are reviewed, and considerations for individual characteristics (e.g., genetics, oxytocin availability, age, behavioral profile, etc.) that may affect efficacy are discussed.

scholarly journals Homicide Incidents Involving Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder as Victims Reported in US News Media, 2000-2019

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Guan ◽  
Ashley Blanchard ◽  
Carolyn DiGuiseppi ◽  
Stanford Chihuri ◽  
Guohua Li
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
News Media ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Gunshot Wounds ◽  
The United States ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Media Reports

Abstract Background The reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased markedly in the past two decades and children with autism are at increased risk of unintentional injury and self-inflicted injury. The risk of assaultive injury in children with autism, however, has not been well described. Our objective was to examine the characteristics of homicide incidents involving children with ASD as victims reported in US news media. Methods The Lexis Uni® database was searched to identify news media reports on homicide incidents involving autistic victims under 21 years of age in the United States from January 2000 through December 2019. Information related to the victim, perpetrator, and means of homicide in each incident was ascertained from news media reports and analyzed using descriptive statistics. Findings: During the 20-year period, US news media reported on 52 incidents (47 males and 5 females) in which a child with ASD died from homicide. Age of victims at death ranged from 2 to 20 years (mean = 10.4 ± 5.3 years). Parents, other caregivers, and siblings accounted respectively for 63.5%, 13.5%, and 7.7% of the perpetrators. The most commonly cited contributing factor (47.1%) was overwhelming stress from caring for the autistic child. Almost a quarter (23.1%) of the victims died from gunshot wounds, followed by drowning (19.2%), and suffocation, strangulation, or asphyxiation (19.2%). Conclusions Of cases reported in news media, homicide victims in children with ASD are predominantly male. Nearly 85% of the perpetrators were family members or other caregivers. Intervention programs for children with ASD should include social and mental health support for parents and other caregivers to prevent burnouts.

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