The sociodemographic and clinical profile of children with an autism spectrum disorder in the oriental region of Morocco

Background The objective of our study is to assess the clinical profile of autistic children in Morocco and the cultural perception of their parents. We collect data with a standard questionnaire on 130 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). They were recruited from child psychiatry consultation in the hospital for mental health from 2017 to 2019. This questionnaire assesses the socio-demographic characteristics of children and parents, personal and family medical history, the progress of pregnancy and childbirth. For each child, we determined the developmental age, signs of autism, the comorbidities, the nature of the treatment, the evolution. We complete the examination with parents' perception and attitude towards autism. Results The age of diagnosis was 3.4 years. The sex ratio in our study was 4.6. A low rate of children screened by general practitioners (4.6%). Language impairment was the main reason for the consultation, followed by social withdrawal and stereotypies. 75% of the children benefited from multidisciplinary care. The autism age of screening was significantly lower among families belonging to medium and high socioeconomic status (F = 11.233; p = 0.001). Acceptance of diagnosis was present in 83% of cases, while 73.6% were involved in the care. Only 24% of parents thought that autism etiology is genetic, 75.4% notice improvement with age, and 80.2% consider it a source of family suffering. Conclusions These findings underscore the sociodemographic and clinical profile of children with ASD in the oriental region in Morocco. It could be relevant for early screening, intervention, and guidance for families with children having these conditions.

The Preassessment Process for English Learners With Potential Language Impairment

This chapter presents the case of Tanveer, a first-grade boy from an Urdu-speaking immigrant family from Pakistan. He is in the public schools and has been struggling academically since kindergarten. This chapter discusses the preassessment process and interventions that took place before Tanveer underwent a full special education evaluation, including testing by a speech-language pathologist for the possible presence of an underlying language impairment. (Note: this author personally worked with this child, and this is a true story with some details changed for confidentiality.) This chapter shows how even before formal special education testing commenced, conducting an extensive preassessment process helped to greatly increase the accuracy of the formal evaluation, eventual diagnosis, and intervention provided for Tanveer.

Update about “minimally verbal” children with autism spectrum disorder

ABSTRACT Objective: To review clinical and neurobiological features of minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder. Data source: We carried out a narrative review using the PubMed database. We considered the following search terms combined through the Boolean operator “AND”: “autism spectrum disorder”; “minimally verbal.” Data synthesis: To date, there is no shared definition of minimally verbal children with autism spectrum disorder. The heterogeneity in intellectual functioning and in linguistic abilities among these individuals suggests there is no single mechanism underlying their difficulties in learning to speak. However, the reasons why these children do not speak and the biological markers that can identify them are still unknown. Language impairment in these children can lead to several unfavorable consequences, including behavior problems (such as self-aggression, hetero-aggression, and property destruction), poorer daily living and social skills. Psychiatric comorbidities (including attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, specific phobias, and compulsions) consist in a serious problem related to the lack of verbal language in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Although in the literature there are very few evidence-based results, several findings suggest that an alternative and augmentative communication intervention, creating an extra-verbal communication channel, may be effective in these individuals. Conclusions: The exact definition, clinical characteristics, associated disorders, etiology, and treatment of minimally verbal subjects with autism spectrum disorder must still be further studied and understood.

Reading Comprehension Monitoring of Expository Discourses in Third to Fifth Grade ADHD Children with/without Vocabulary Delay

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate reading comprehension monitoring including three types of error detection (lexical inconsistency, internal inconsistency, external inconsistency) and correction with expository discourse in school-aged children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods: Nineteen ADHD children with vocabulary delay, 17 ADHD children without vocabulary delay, and 20 typically developing children students from third, fourth, and fifth grades participated in the study. In order to assess comprehension monitoring; expository discourses contained three different types of errors. Comprehension monitoring tasks were presented in the following order: First, children were asked to find out errors in two expository texts of comparison and causation. After finding out errors, children were asked to change the appropriate words verbally.Results: ADHD children with vocabulary delay did show difficultly in reading comprehension monitoring tasks when compared to age-matched typically developing children and ADHD children without language impairment. Internal inconsistency was the most difficult error to identify and correct, and lexical inconsistency was the easiest error for all three groups.Conclusion: The result proposed that even children with ADHD who have no difficulty in basic language and reading skills were likely to have difficulty properly using reading comprehension monitoring, which is closely related to working memory and executive functions. The poor comprehension monitoring skills would negatively influence effective reading comprehension.

Family-Based Whole-Exome Analysis of Specific Language Impairment (SLI) Identifies Rare Variants in BUD13, a Component of the Retention and Splicing (RES) Complex

Specific language impairment (SLI) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) that displays high heritability estimates. Genetic studies have identified several loci, but the molecular basis of SLI remains unclear. With the aim to better understand the genetic architecture of SLI, we performed whole-exome sequencing (WES) in a single family (ID: 489; n = 11). We identified co-segregating rare variants in three new genes: BUD13, APLP2, and NDRG2. To determine the significance of these genes in SLI, we Sanger sequenced all coding regions of each gene in unrelated individuals with SLI (n = 175). We observed 13 additional rare variants in 18 unrelated individuals. Variants in BUD13 reached genome-wide significance (p-value < 0.01) upon comparison with similar variants in the 1000 Genomes Project, providing gene level evidence that BUD13 is involved in SLI. Additionally, five BUD13 variants showed cohesive variant level evidence of likely pathogenicity. Bud13 is a component of the retention and splicing (RES) complex. Additional supportive evidence from studies of an animal model (loss-of-function mutations in BUD13 caused a profound neural phenotype) and individuals with an NDD phenotype (carrying a CNV spanning BUD13), indicates BUD13 could be a target for investigation of the neural basis of language.

Developmental Language Disorder and the Assessment of Spoken Language

Developmental language disorder (DLD), previously known as specific language impairment (SLI), is a long-term developmental disorder affecting approximately 7.5% of children. Language abilities in children with DLD are variable and can be challenging to ascertain with confidence. This chapter aims to discuss some of the challenges associated with assessing the language skills of children with DLD through an overview of different forms of language assessment including standardized language testing, language sample analysis, and observations. Uses and limitations of the different forms of assessment are considered, bearing in mind the different functions of assessment and the need to gain a full understanding of children’s profiles of strength and weakness and communicative functioning in context. The authors conclude with requirements for best practice in assessment and promising avenues of development in this area.

Assessing Spoken Language Development in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

In this chapter, the author discusses assessment of language development in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). According to evidence-based practice, it is vital to evaluate all aspects of communication in order to determine a specific diagnosis or to direct intervention. While this is true for any child suspected of having a language impairment, it is especially true for children also diagnosed with ASD. Although there are a number of accepted standardized measures to evaluate receptive and expressive language and speech articulation, evaluation of pragmatic abilities is often more complicated. With the incidence of children and young adults with ASD, and social (pragmatic) communication disorders, on the rise in all settings, it is vital to thoughtfully consider best practice related to the thorough assessment of communication abilities for those with ASD, from our youngest learners to adolescents.