scholarly journals Symbolic Play among Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 801
Author(s):  
Francisco González-Sala ◽  
Irene Gómez-Marí ◽  
Raúl Tárraga-Mínguez ◽  
Alba Vicente-Carvajal ◽  
Gemma Pastor-Cerezuela
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Symbolic Play ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Early Indicator ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Scoping Reviews

Symbolic play is considered an early indicator in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and its assessment. The objective of this study was to analyze the difficulties in symbolic play experienced by children with ASD and to determine the existence of differences in symbolic play among children with ASD, children with other neurodevelopmental disorders and children with typical development. A scoping review was carried out in the Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, ERIC, and PsycInfo databases, following the extension for scoping reviews of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The number of papers included in the review was 22. The results confirm that children with ASD have greater difficulties with symbolic play than children with other neurodevelopmental disorders and children with typical development, even when controlling for their verbal age. Difficulties are greater in situations of free or spontaneous play. Results evidenced that the absence or deficiency in the symbolic play can serve as an early indicator of ASD between the first and second year of life, the developmental moment in which this type of play begins.

scholarly journals The Role of Occupational Therapy in Managing Food Selectivity of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Scoping Review

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 1024
Author(s):  
Laura Reche-Olmedo ◽  
Laura Torres-Collado ◽  
Laura María Compañ-Gabucio ◽  
Manuela Garcia-de-la-Hera
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Occupational Therapy ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Occupational Therapists ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Food Selectivity ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Journal Citation Reports ◽  
Children With Asd

Food selectivity is common in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It can be defined as the unwillingness to eat common or new foods, resulting in a lack of variety in the diet or limited food consumption for multiple reasons, such as inflexibility or sensory alterations. We conducted a peer scoping review to describe the interventions that are carried out from occupational therapy (OT) in children with ASD with food selectivity. Two authors independently searched the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EMBASE, as well as the OT journals indexed in Journal Citation Reports. Articles exploring OT interventions in children (≤12 years) with ASD and food selectivity, published in Spanish or English, with experimental design, and with full text available were included. Of the 1445 articles identified, 8 articles met the inclusion criteria. Three main intervention categories were identified: sensory–behavioral, family focused, and other interventions. Most of the interventions from OT were aimed at treating sensory–behavioral aspects. Only three articles described interventions led exclusively by occupational therapists, and the rest were led by a multidisciplinary team. Finally, although these interventions are not exclusive to OT, occupational therapists can participate together with other professionals as an essential component in the treatment of food selectivity in children with ASD.

How Are Stakeholders With Autism Spectrum Disorder Included in the Social Validation of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Research? A Scoping Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 817-832
Author(s):  
Kirsty Bastable ◽  
Sandra Klopper ◽  
Alecia Samuels ◽  
Shakila Dada
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Augmentative And Alternative Communication ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Validation ◽  
Alternative Communication ◽  
The Social ◽  
Scoping Reviews

Introduction Social validation or the inclusion of stakeholders in the research process is beneficial, as it may decrease bias, increases efficacy, and prevents harm. For direct stakeholders such as individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), social validation has mostly included participants who do not experience significant speech, language, and communication limitations while frequently omitting individuals with ASD who have complex communication needs (CCN). The presence of CCN indicates that augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) strategies are needed for individuals to express themselves. Social validation should not be limited to being participants in an intervention but should include involvement in the research process. This requires an understanding of the current trends, levels, and mechanisms of involvement in AAC research. Purpose This review aimed to identify and describe the inclusion of direct stakeholders with ASD in the social validation of AAC research. Method A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews) methodology to identify AAC research that included stakeholders with ASD (direct and indirect) for social validation and to evaluate their level of involvement using the Typology of Youth Participation and Empowerment pyramid framework. Results Twenty-four studies were identified. Studies primarily included indirect stakeholders (e.g., caregivers) giving in-depth perspectives, while direct stakeholders were limited to being intervention participants. Conclusions Voices of direct stakeholders with ASD and CCN remain limited or excluded in research. Reasons for the exclusion of individuals with ASD and CCN from research and strategies for future inclusion are raised and discussed.

scholarly journals Salivary Cytokine Profile as a Possible Predictor of Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 3101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Samborska-Mazur ◽  
Anna Kostiukow ◽  
Izabela Miechowicz ◽  
Dorota Sikorska ◽  
Rafał Rutkowski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typically Developing ◽  
Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Cytokine Levels ◽  
Factor Α ◽  
Gait Disturbances

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by neurodevelopmental disorders and alterations in immune function and cytokine levels. The aim of this study is to determine the salivary levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), Regulated on Activation, Normal T-cell Expressed and Secreted (RANTES), and Eotaxin in children with ASD and in healthy controlsto assess their predictive potential. We explored correlations between the cytokine levels and the neurodevelopmental disorders related to ASD. The study comprised 19 children with ASD and 19 typically developing (TD) ones. We analyzed salivary levels of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, TNFα, MCP-1, RANTES, and eotaxin on Luminex with custom-designed 7-plex kits. The level of RANTES in ASD children was significantly lower than those of TD. In TDs, the salivary levels of IL-1β, MCP-1, and TNFα correlated positively with age. In ASD, the cytokine levels did not correlate with age. There were statistically significant differences between the RANTES level and aggression and gait disturbances, between IL-8 level and fixations/stimulations, and between IL-1β level and no active speech. The levels of the cytokine detected can manifest both systemic and local changes related to ASD. The cytokine pattern cannot be used as a sole ASD predictor, but the salivary levels may be helpful in categorizing the ASD subtype.

Use of Robots With Play-Based Interventions in the Education of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
pp. 113-130
Author(s):  
Ayşe Tuna
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorders ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Socially Interactive Robots ◽  
Meaningful Interaction ◽  
And Training ◽  
Day By Day

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common developmental disorder involved in childhood neurodevelopmental disorders whose symptoms begin in early childhood. In recent years, interest in the use of technology in early diagnosis and training of ASD has been increasing day by day. For this purpose, socially interactive robots are used as tools to teach skills to children with ASD, play games with them, and reveal some desired behaviors. They also create interesting, engaging, and meaningful interaction situations that encourage children to interact with themselves. The aim of the child-robot interaction sessions is to enable children with ASD to overcome their shortcomings and understand the world better. In this context, robots can be considered as tools that will support the development of social skills of children with ASD and can be very useful for this purpose. To this end, this chapter includes studies on the use of play-based robot interventions in the education of children with ASD.

scholarly journals The Possibility of Intracranial Hypertension in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Computed Tomography

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 3551
Author(s):  
Shuichi Yamada ◽  
Ichiro Nakagawa ◽  
Fumihiko Nishimura ◽  
Yasushi Motoyama ◽  
Young-Soo Park ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Computed Tomography ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Intracranial Hypertension ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Increased Intracranial Pressure ◽  
Skull Shape ◽  
Children With Asd

Although intracranial pressure is considered to be normal in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we aimed to assess whether such children may have increased intracranial pressure using noninvasive computed tomography (CT). Head CT scans of children with ASD (109 cases, male 91 and female 18, average age 4.3 years) and of children with typical development (60 cases, male 35 and female 25, average age 4.5 years) were acquired. The images were processed to map the shape of the inner skull surface. We predicted that a complex skull shape, based on a marked digital impression, would be indicative of chronically increased intracranial pressure. The data of the scans were extracted and processed to automatically establish inner and outer cranial circumferences. The circularity (reflecting inner skull shape and area) and C-ratio (ratio of inner/outer circumference) were determined and statistically analyzed. The circularity and C-ratio were significantly lower in children with ASD than in children with typical development. A lower circularity was associated with a more complex shape of the inner skull surface, which indicated the presence of intracranial hypertension. Our study suggests that children with ASD may be at a risk for chronic intracranial hypertension. Our technique incorporating the circularity and C-ratio is a useful noninvasive method for screening such patients and could impact future investigations of ASD.

scholarly journals A scoping review of deictic gesture use in toddlers with or at-risk for autism spectrum disorder

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 239694151775189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacy S Manwaring ◽  
Ashley L Stevens ◽  
Alfred Mowdood ◽  
Mellanye Lackey
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
At Risk ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
High Risk Infant ◽  
Deictic Gesture

Background and aims Young children use deictic gestures, such as pointing, to indicate referents in their immediate environment. Early deictic gesture use is important in facilitating the development of language. In toddlers with or at-risk for autism spectrum disorder, the emergence and use of gestures may be delayed, and deficits in deictic gesture may inform clinical practice regarding early identification, differential diagnosis, and early intervention. The aim of this scoping review was to investigate the extent to which deictic gesture use has been examined in young children with or at-risk for autism spectrum disorder ≤ 36 months of age. Methods Four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ERIC) were comprehensively searched for relevant articles. Articles were reviewed in two phases: titles and abstracts followed by full text. Key variables related to participant/study characteristics and group differences on deictic gesture use were extracted. A narrative review was used to synthesize findings across studies. Main contribution Nineteen studies met inclusion criteria – 12 studies of toddlers with autism spectrum disorder and 7 studies of high-risk infant siblings of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. Overall, toddlers with autism spectrum disorder were found to demonstrate reduced gesture use across deictic gesture types and ages compared to those with typical development. Findings were more variable when comparing toddlers with autism spectrum disorder to those with other developmental delays and in high-risk infant sibling studies. Although only measured in a limited number of studies, results suggest differences in gesture use in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder based on communicative function. Conclusions This review provides insight into the gesture use of toddlers with or at-risk for autism spectrum disorder. Results indicate the particular types of deictic gestures that may be delayed and the age ranges we might expect to observe these deficits in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder compared to those with typical development and other developmental delay groups. Results also reveal variability across studies in the measurement of gestures, and highlight where gaps remain in understanding deictic gesture use in young children with autism spectrum disorder. Implications Findings have research and clinical implications related to profiling and targeting gesture use as part of the assessment and treatment process, including identifying patterns of strength and weakness in deictic gesture use of young children with or at-risk for autism spectrum disorder.

scholarly journals Robot enhanced interventions and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a scoping review

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e564101120269
Author(s):  
Christine K. Syriopoulou-Delli ◽  
Maria Zygopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Older Children ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Stereotyped Behaviors ◽  
Core Symptoms

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.

scholarly journals Eye Gaze Differences in School Scenes Between Preschool Children and Adolescents With High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder and Those With Typical Development

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuko Ishizaki ◽  
Takahiro Higuchi ◽  
Yoshitoki Yanagimoto ◽  
Hodaka Kobayashi ◽  
Atsushi Noritake ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Preschool Children ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Typical Development ◽  
Human Face ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
School Classroom

Abstract Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) sometimes find it difficult to adapt to the daily life in a nursery or at school. For a better understanding on the difficulties that preschool children and adolescents with ASD face in their daily lives, this study aimed to identify the differences in eye gaze behavior in the classroom environment between children with ASD and those with typical development (TD). A total of 30 children with ASD and 49 children with TD were included. We presented images of a human face and a classroom setting and used eye tracking with an iView X system in evaluating and comparing how long the two groups gazed at specific regions of the visual stimuli. Compared to children with TD, children with ASD spent less time gazing at the eyes of the human face and the object pointed by the teacher in the school classroom scene. Preschool children with no classroom experience and adolescents with TD spent the same amount of time looking at the eyes and the object pointed by the teacher in the school classroom scene. Children with ASD did not look at the eyes in the facial image or the object pointed at in the classroom image, which might indicate their inability to analyze situations, understand instruction in a classroom, or act appropriately in a group. An educational program that focuses on joint attention in a classroom is desirable for the improvement of school life for children with ASD.

The Influence of Language Context on Repetitive Speech Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Gladfelter ◽  
Cassidy VanZuiden
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Context

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.

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