scholarly journals Should Echolalia Be Considered a Phonic Stereotypy? A Narrative Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 862
Author(s):  
Jacopo Pruccoli ◽  
Chiara Spadoni ◽  
Alex Orsenigo ◽  
Antonia Parmeggiani

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) defines echolalia as a pathological, parrotlike, and apparently senseless repetition (echoing) of a word or phrase just uttered by another person and classifies this condition among the “restrictive and repetitive behaviours” of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The authors reviewed the existing literature on echolalia and its role in the development of children with ASD. Current conceptualizations include echolalia among repetitive behaviors and stereotypies and thus interpret this symptom as lacking any communicative significance, with negative effects on learning and sensory processing. Echoic behaviors, however, have been described in neurotypical infants and children as having a substantial effect on the consequent development of language and communication. Relevant research has documented a functional role of echolalia in ASD children as well since it facilitates the acquisition of verbal competencies and affords a higher degree of semantic generalization. This developmental function could be restricted to specific contexts. Considering echolalia as stereotypy and treating it as a disturbing symptom could impair the development of ASD-specific learning and communication processes. In light of this evidence, the authors propose a different conceptualization of echolalia and suggest that this symptom be considered among atypical communication patterns in children with ASD, with implications for treatment and prognosis.

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e564101120269
Author(s):  
Christine K. Syriopoulou-Delli ◽  
Maria Zygopoulou

Repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (RSBs) are core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and they affect the functionality of individuals with ASD. Robot assisted therapy can be beneficial for children with ASD in various ways, but relevant research focusing specifically on robot enhanced interventions (REIs) for RSBs in children with ASD has been limited. A scoping review was conducted to explore the role of REIs on RSBs of children with ASD and to investigate the components of REIs focusing on RSBs of younger and older children with ASD. A literature search was made in the databases of Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCO, MEDLINE, and Google Scholar, using keywords pertaining to robots, ASD, RSBs, and children. Of the 89 studies identified, 10 met the inclusion criteria. They involved 99 participants aged 3-14 years (mean 7.27 years) from six countries on three different continents. These studies varied with respect to sample size, the research design, the robot used, the length of intervention, the training and the type of measurement. Following the application of most REIs, the participants showed reduction in RSBs. Only one study reported that REI led to some increase in stereotyped behaviors in children with ASD and one detected no training-related changes in repetitive behaviors. The review findings indicate the potential of REIs for reducing RSBs in children with ASD, but the relevant studies were diverse, and controlled studies with larger samples of children and rigorous design are needed to clarify their impact.


2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 113
Author(s):  
Michele Frasier-Robinson

Since the early 1990s there has been a steady escalation in the numbers of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)—today it is considered the fastest growing developmental disability in the United States. In 2010, it was estimated that 1 in 68 children were affected by autism spectrum disorder. This is an increase of approximately 120 percent from the data collected ten years earlier. Identifying it as one of six neurodevelopmental disorders, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) describes autism spectrum disorder as “a series of developmental disabilities characterized by impaired social communication and interaction skills, accompanied by the existence of repetitive behaviors or activities, such as rocking movements, hand clapping or obsessively arranging personal belongings.”


2008 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Philofsky

AbstractRecent prevalence estimates for autism have been alarming as a function of the notable increase. Speech-language pathologists play a critical role in screening, assessment and intervention for children with autism. This article reviews signs that may be indicative of autism at different stages of language development, and discusses the importance of several psychometric properties—sensitivity and specificity—in utilizing screening measures for children with autism. Critical components of assessment for children with autism are reviewed. This article concludes with examples of intervention targets for children with ASD at various levels of language development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed E. Darwish ◽  
Heba W. El-Beshlawy ◽  
Ehab S. Ramadan ◽  
Shimaa M. Serag

Abstract Background Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are almost universally delayed in the acquisition of spoken language as primary means of communication so they tend to have restricted outcomes in terms of independence and integration. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a promising, emerging tool for the study (study and modulate excitability and plasticity, applied in single pulses to investigate corticospinal excitability, pairs of pulses to study intracortical inhibition and facilitation) and potential treatment of ASD. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the role of repetitive TMS in language progress in children with ASD. Results There was a statistically significant clinical improvement in patients receiving active TMS (group I) comparing baseline Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) assessment and after treatment (P ≤ 0.05). There was mild improvement with no significant difference between the patients receiving active TMS (group I) and those of sham TMS (group II), and both groups received language therapy as regard post-treatment CARS. There was significant difference in improvement between the two groups according to eye contact (P ≤ 0.05). There was significant improvement in response to examiner (P ≤ 0.05). There was mild improvement with no statistically significant difference in attention between the two groups. There was significant difference in improvement between the two groups according to active expressive language. There was no statistically significant difference in passive vocabulary between the two groups. Conclusion Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over left inferior frontal gyrus may be a safe and effective way of improving language of ASD. The joint application of rTMS and standard language therapy may lead to more rapid improvement in the language progress of children with ASD.


Author(s):  
Wei-Ju Chen ◽  
Zihan Zhang ◽  
Haocen Wang ◽  
Tung-Sung Tseng ◽  
Ping Ma ◽  
...  

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 09 (01) ◽  
pp. 132-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harshini Manohar ◽  
Madhavapuri Pravallika ◽  
Preeti Kandasamy ◽  
Venkatesh Chandrasekaran ◽  
Ravi Philip Rajkumar

ABSTRACTBackground: Gut microflora influences neural development through complex mechanisms. Feeding practices, especially breastfeeding influence gut microbiome and thereby play a pivotal role in immune and neural development. Current understandings of the role of healthy distal gut microflora in the development of immune and neural systems provide insights into immunological mechanisms as one of the possible etiologies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Studies have shown that optimal breastfeeding is associated with lower odds of being at-risk for ASD and children with ASD are suboptimally breastfed. Methods: The feeding practices of children with ASD (n = 30) was compared to their typically developing siblings as matched controls (n = 30). Information regarding feeding practices was collected from mothers through a semi-structured questionnaire. Results: About 43.3% of children with ASD received exclusive breastfeeding, whereas 76.7% of their typically developing siblings were exclusively breastfed. Exclusive breastfeeding was associated with lower odds for ASD (odds ratio [OR] = 0.166; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.025–0.65), while early introduction of top feeds was associated with higher odds (OR = 6; 95% CI = 1.33–55.19). Difficulties in breastfeeding were attributed to child-related factors in 13.2% of the children. Conclusion: Children with ASD are suboptimally breastfed compared to their typically developing siblings. Exclusive breastfeeding may confer protection in vulnerable children. Further studies on larger prospective sample are required to establish the association.


Author(s):  
Fatma Hanci ◽  
Sevim Türay ◽  
Yusuf Öztürk ◽  
Nimet Kabakus

AbstractIt has been known for several decades that epilepsy and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are related to each other. Epilepsy frequently accompanies ASD. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between clinical and electroencephalogram (EEG) findings in ASD patients and to identify EEG characteristics that may create a disposition to epilepsy in ASD by examining differences in clinical and EEG findings between patients diagnosed with ASD without epilepsy and ASD with epilepsy. A total of 102 patients aged 2 to 18 years and diagnosed with ASD based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) diagnostic criteria between January 2017 and June 2019 were included in the study. Patients were assigned into two groups: (1) ASD with epilepsy and (2) ASD without epilepsy. Clinical findings were retrieved from patients' files, and EEG findings from first EEG records in the EEG laboratory at the time of diagnosis. EEG findings were defined as central, parietal, frontal, temporal, or generalized, depending on the location of rhythmic discharges. The incidence of epilepsy in our ASD patients was 33.7% and that of febrile convulsion was 4%. Generalized motor seizures were the most common seizure type. Epileptic discharges most commonly derived from the central and frontal regions. These abnormalities, especially frontal and central rhythmic discharges, may represent a precursor for the development of epilepsy in ASD patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (12) ◽  
pp. 1173-1182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Parker ◽  
Gabriela Tavella ◽  
Glenda Macqueen ◽  
Michael Berk ◽  
Heinz Grunze ◽  
...  

Objective: To derive new criteria sets for defining manic and hypomanic episodes (and thus for defining the bipolar I and II disorders), an international Task Force was assembled and termed AREDOC reflecting its role of Assessment, Revision and Evaluation of DSM and other Operational Criteria. This paper reports on the first phase of its deliberations and interim criteria recommendations. Method: The first stage of the process consisted of reviewing Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, and recent International Classification of Diseases criteria, identifying their limitations and generating modified criteria sets for further in-depth consideration. Task Force members responded to recommendations for modifying criteria and from these the most problematic issues were identified. Results: Principal issues focussed on by Task Force members were how best to differentiate mania and hypomania, how to judge ‘impairment’ (both in and of itself and allowing that functioning may sometimes improve during hypomanic episodes) and concern that rejecting some criteria (e.g. an imposed duration period) might risk false-positive diagnoses of the bipolar disorders. Conclusion: This first-stage report summarises the clinical opinions of international experts in the diagnosis and management of the bipolar disorders, allowing readers to contemplate diagnostic parameters that may influence their clinical decisions. The findings meaningfully inform subsequent Task Force stages (involving a further commentary stage followed by an empirical study) that are expected to generate improved symptom criteria for diagnosing the bipolar I and II disorders with greater precision and to clarify whether they differ dimensionally or categorically.


2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Shota Mitsuhashi ◽  
Shogo Hirata ◽  
Hideyuki Okuzumi

This study was conducted to investigate the relation between the effect of articulatory suppression on the serial recall and severity of social impairments among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The Luria hand test (LHT) was administered to evaluate the capacity for serial recall in 13 children with ASD. The LHT was administered under three conditions: control, under articulatory suppression, and under spatial suppression. Performance on the LHT of children with ASD was significantly lower in terms of both articulatory suppression and the spatial suppression condition. Moreover, the severity of social impairment in children with ASD was related to individual differences of effects of articulatory suppression on the LHT, but not with effects of spatial suppression. These results support the notion that dialogic inner speech which mediates complex cognitive abilities has inherently social origins.


Author(s):  
Marva Angélica Mora Lumbreras ◽  
Méndez-Trejo María de Lourdes ◽  
Sanluis-Ramírez Ariel

A person with autism or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. Augmented reality (AR) combines reality with virtual aspects such as sound, video, graphics, or GPS data. Specifically, Aura is a mobile augmented reality application applied in the learning of children with ASD with the purpose of helping them in their relationships with the outside world and especially in their learning. Aura consists of five modules and 42 activities. The modules are Learn Basic Shapes, Repeat Basic Habits, Draw, Learn to Write, and Learn Values and Empathy. This project was tested by children of the Angelitos Mios Foundation, located in Apizaco Tlaxcala. The test showed favorable results. Tests were conducted with students in the age range of 4-8 years with ASD. The foundation is currently working on the acquisition of mobile devices for the implementation of Aura.


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