Changing Lifestyle Improves Executive Functions and Associated Neurophysiological Activity in Children with Autism

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have serious difficulties to ignore visual and auditory distractors, or to inhibit ongoing activity on behalf of a new one, or to extract themselves from a routine. Such so-called executive functions enable us to control ourselves and to consider things from multiple points of view. They also involve paying attention, remembering what we need to remember to pursue our goals, thinking flexibly and not going on automatic, exercising inhibition. Then, the observed executive inefficiency of ASD could be one of the main cause of perseverating behaviors in daily life and school activities. If the question of the efficient evolution of these executive functions from childhood to neurotypical adulthood has been addressed in many cognitive development researches, very few studies have focused on the atypical development of ASD patients. Following Diamond et al. , it is important to note that beyond acquiring always more knowledge, it is crucial to be able to inhibit reactions that get in the way of learning something new. Using preliminary data, we will explain how LearnEnjoy apps could become an essential basis of an innovative experimental paradigm, aiming at a better understanding of the atypical executive development of school-age ASD children. Based on new executive digital apps such as Stroop or Flanker Tasks testing for executive inhibition, the main goal of this scientific project is to show evidence of the possibility of executive training in children with ASD. As executive function skills predict children's success in life and in school , such a new scientific study should allow us to envisage creating innovative remediation protocols for improving the deliberate, goal-directed control of behavior of ASD patients.

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Technologies in the education of children and teenagers with autism: evaluation and classification of apps by work areas

Education and Information Technologies ◽

10.1007/s10639-021-10773-z ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Carmen del Pilar Gallardo-Montes ◽

María Jesús Caurcel Cara ◽

Antonio Rodríguez Fuentes

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Time Management ◽

Mobile Apps ◽

Children With Autism ◽

Work Area ◽

Recorded Data ◽

Correlation Statistics ◽

Content Design ◽

Google Play

AbstractMobile apps represent a resource with great potential for encouraging the development of many skills, given the high number of apps available and the quick access to them. Many professionals and families include these resources in the education and therapy of children with autism. For a group with such particular needs, a review of the apps is great importance, since, due to their characteristics, the apps must provide content, design and pedagogical aspects that fit those needs. Through a previously validated system of indicators, 155 free apps on Google Play were evaluated, using “autism” in English and in Spanish. We determined which work area each app developed, as well as which were the most multifaceted. Having evaluated the recorded data, we calculated frequencies, percentages and reliability, as well as parametric contrast and correlation statistics. We found that the focus of most apps was on executive functions, language and entertainment, with a minority devoted to the emotional sphere or time management. However, 98.06% of the apps worked on several areas, which makes them more functional but with the downside of not being specialized. Most apps were placed in the “recommendable” level but with margin for improvement in increasing their functionality.

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