scholarly journals Autism interest intensity in early childhood associates with executive functioning but not reward sensitivity or anxiety symptoms

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110643
Author(s):  
Kate J Godfrey ◽  
Svenja Espenhahn ◽  
Mehak Stokoe ◽  
Carly McMorris ◽  
Kara Murias ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Early Childhood ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Reward Sensitivity ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Attention Shifting ◽  
The Many ◽  
Executive Functioning Skills ◽  
Personal Interests

Several theories have been proposed to explain the presentation of intense interests in autism, including theories based on altered executive functioning, imbalanced reward sensitivity, and mitigating anxiety. These theories have yet to be examined in early childhood, yet knowledge of how intense interests emerge could provide insight into how best to manage intensity and support the many benefits of personal interests. Parents of 33 autistic and 42 non-autistic comparison children aged 3–6 years completed questionnaires to assess attention shifting and inhibitory control, responsiveness to rewards, and anxiety symptoms. Each behavior domain was examined for associations with parent-reported interest intensity. In autistic and comparison children, attention shifting was associated with interest intensity, where children with more difficulties showed more intense interests. In autistic children only, inhibitory control of attention also associated with interest intensity, where children with greater difficulties showed more intense interests. Reward and anxiety symptoms did not associate with interest intensity in either group, or across the sample. These findings suggest that, in early childhood, the presentation of intense interests is related to executive functioning regardless of diagnostic group. Helping children develop executive functioning skills may therefore be useful to assist with managing interest intensity in early childhood. Lay abstract Personal interests in autism are a source of joy, pride, and assist with the formation of social relationships. However, highly intense engagement can also interfere with other activities including activities of daily living. Theories have suggested that intense interests relate to executive functioning, reward sensitivity, and anxiety symptoms; but none of these theories have been tested in early childhood. Understanding which behavioral traits relate to intense interests in early childhood could help understand how intense interests may emerge, while also providing clues for how to manage interest intensity and best promote the many benefits of personal interests. We recruited families with autistic and non-autistic children aged 3–6 years. Parents completed questionnaires to assess children’s interest diversity and intensity, executive functioning, reward sensitivity, and anxiety symptoms. We found that for autistic and non-autistic children, greater difficulty shifting attention between activities related to more intense interests. In autistic children only, difficulty with inhibitory control of attention also related to more intense interests. However, reward sensitivity and anxiety symptoms did not relate to interest intensity. Based on these observations, assisting young children with developing executive functioning skills could help with mediating the interference of interests in daily life to ultimately promote the many benefits of personal interests.

scholarly journals Measuring the Impact of Bilingualism on Executive Functioning Via Inhibitory Control Abilities in Autistic Children

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lewis Montgomery ◽  
Vicky Chondrogianni ◽  
Sue Fletcher-Watson ◽  
Hugh Rabagliati ◽  
Antonella Sorace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Attention ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Executive Functions ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Behavioural Control ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Diagnostic Status ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Important Evidence

AbstractOne factor that may influence how executive functions develop is exposure to more than one language in childhood. This study explored the impact of bilingualism on inhibitory control in autistic (n = 38) and non-autistic children (n = 51). Bilingualism was measured on a continuum of exposure to investigate the effects of language environment on two facets of inhibitory control. Behavioural control of motor impulses was modulated positively through increased bilingual exposure, irrespective of diagnostic status, but bilingual exposure did not significantly affect inhibition involving visual attention. The results partially support the hypothesis that bilingual exposure differentially affects components of inhibitory control and provides important evidence for families that bilingualism is not detrimental to their development.

scholarly journals Measuring the Impact of Bilingualism on Executive Functioning Via Inhibitory Control Abilities in Autistic Children.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lewis Montgomery ◽  
Vasiliki Chondrogianni ◽  
Sue Fletcher-Watson ◽  
Hugh Rabagliati ◽  
Antonella Sorace ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Report Data ◽  
Parental Reports ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Language Environment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Important Evidence

A distinct feature of autism is difficulties in several aspects of executive functioning. One factor that may influence how executive functions develop is exposure to more than one language in childhood. This study explored the impact of bilingualism on inhibitory control in autistic (n = 38) and non-autistic children (n = 51). Bilingualism was measured on a continuum of exposure in order to investigate the effects of language environment on two facets of inhibitory control. Results did not show meaningful effects of bilingual exposure on inhibition involving visual attention, but behavioural control of motor impulses was modulated positively through increased bilingual exposure, irrespective of diagnostic status. However, bilingual exposure was not related to parental reports of everyday executive functioning, and there was no correlation between these parent-report data and performance on experimental tasks. The results partially support the hypothesis that bilingual exposure differentially affects components of inhibitory control and provides important evidence for families raising autistic children that bilingualism is not detrimental to their development.

Real-world executive functioning for autistic children in school and home settings

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110411
Author(s):  
Jessica E Tschida ◽  
Benjamin E Yerys
Keyword(s):  
Executive Function ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Behavior Rating ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Home Setting ◽  
Autism Group ◽  
Behavior Rating Inventory ◽  
Executive Functioning Skills

Executive function challenges are commonly reported in the home setting for children with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (hereafter, autism), but little is known about these challenges in the school setting. A total of 337 youth (autism, N = 241 and typically developing, N = 96) were assessed using Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function ratings from home and school settings. Within each setting, we examined differences in specific executive function skills between diagnostic groups. Then, we examined if the autism group showed similar peak executive function impairments, associations with age, and relationships with adaptive behavior across settings. Finally, we examined inter-rater reliability. Autism and typically developing groups differed on all Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function scales in both settings. The Shift scale was the peak impairment in the autism group in both settings. There was also an effect of age on executive function impairment in both settings, and executive function ratings in both settings significantly predicted individual adaptive behavior domains. Inter-rater correlations for autistic participants were similar to inter-rater reliability correlations from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function standardization sample. This study shows that autistic children experience similar but not identical real-world executive function challenges across school and home settings and that supports may vary by setting. Lay abstract Executive functioning skills are important for children to be able to control thoughts, emotions, and actions, and for their ability to adapt to different settings. Previous studies have found that autistic children have difficulty with executive functioning, but most of these studies took place in the home setting. Executive functioning skills in autistic children have not yet been fully examined in the school setting. This is a knowledge gap that needs to be addressed because the school setting is potentially one of the most demanding in terms of executive functioning and is a setting where executive function interventions are already being used for autistic children. In order to learn more about executive functioning for autistic children in the school setting, this study compared ratings of executive function from autistic children’s caregivers and school professionals. The study found that autistic children experience similar but not identical executive function challenges across school and home settings and that supports may differ in each setting. Having information about differences in executive functioning challenges and supports for autistic children across settings can help lead to development of supports that are tailored to each setting.

scholarly journals Heterogeneity in PFC-amygdala connectivity in middle childhood, and concurrent interrelations with inhibitory control and anxiety symptomology.

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelley Gunther ◽  
Daniel Petrie ◽  
Alaina Pearce ◽  
Bari Fuchs ◽  
Koraly Perez-Edgar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Inhibitory Control ◽  
Anxiety Symptoms ◽  
Stop Signal ◽  
Stop Signal Task ◽  
Multiple Model ◽  
Functional Connections ◽  
Stage Of Development

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a key brain area in considering adaptive regulatory behaviors. This includes regulatory projections to regions of the limbic system such as the amygdala, where the nature of functional connections may confer lower risk for anxiety disorders. The PFC is also associated with behaviors like executive functioning. Inhibitory control is a behavior encompassed by executive functioning, and is generally viewed favorably for adaptive socioemotional development. Yet, some research suggests that high levels of inhibitory control may actually be a risk factor for some maladaptive developmental outcomes, like anxiety disorders. In a sample of 51 children ranging from 7-9 years old, we examined resting state functional connectivity between regions of the PFC and the amygdala. We used Subgrouping Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation (S-GIMME) to identify and characterize data-driven subgroups of individuals with similar networks of connectivity between these brain regions. Generated subgroups were collapsed into children characterized by the presence or absence of recovered connections between the PFC and amygdala. We then tested whether inhibitory control, as measured by a stop signal task, moderated the relation between these subgroups and child-reported anxiety symptoms. We found an inverse relation between stop-signal reaction times and reported count of anxiety symptoms when controlling for connectivity group, suggesting that greater inhibitory control was actually related to greater anxiety symptoms, but only when accounting for patterns of PFC-amygdala connectivity. These data suggest that there is a great deal of heterogeneity in the nature of functional connections between the PFC and amygdala during this stage of development. The findings also provide support for the notion of high levels of inhibitory control as a risk factor for anxiety, but trait-level biopsychosocial factors may be important to consider in assessing the nature of risk.

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