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Lassen J, Oranje B, Vestergaard M, Foldager M, Kjær TW, Aggernæs B, Arnfred S. Reduced P300 amplitude in children and adolescents with autism is associated with slowed processing speed, executive difficulties, and social-communication problems. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241271950. [PMID: 39143667 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241271950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Selective attention to auditory input is reflected in the brain by an electric amplitude called the P3b amplitude, which is measured using electroencephalography. Previous research has shown that children and adolescents with autism have an attenuated P3b amplitude when they have to attend specific sounds while ignoring other sounds. However, it is unknown whether a reduced P3b amplitude in autistic children and adolescents is associated with their autism features, daily functioning and/or cognitive functions. This study aimed to examine these questions. Therefore, we assessed selective attention to auditory input in 57 children with autism aged 7-14 years and 57 neurotypically developing controls while measuring their brain activity with electroencephalography. Participants further underwent cognitive assessment, and parents reported on autistic traits and daily functioning. As expected, children with autism had lower P3b amplitude compared to their neurotypical peers. Importantly, an attenuated P3b amplitude was associated with more parent-reported social-communication problems and difficulties with daily functioning. Children with autism further had reduced processing speed of visual input, which also was coupled to a lower P3b amplitude. In conclusion, we found attenuated P3b amplitude in children with autism performing an auditory selective attention task, which was related to difficulties with processing visual input and allocating attentional resources critical for social and daily functioning. The results suggest that autistic children are more vulnerable to being disturbed when the environment is filled with conflicting sensory input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Lassen
- Research Unit, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Martin Vestergaard
- Research Unit, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
- Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
| | - Malene Foldager
- Research Unit, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | | | - Bodil Aggernæs
- Research Unit, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Copenhagen University Hospital - Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
- PPclinic, Denmark
| | - Sidse Arnfred
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- Psychiatry Region Zealand, Denmark
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Marinopoulou M, Åsberg Johnels J, Bornehag CG, Unenge Hallerbäck M, Billstedt E. Do Wechsler intelligence scales predict academic achievement in children with ADHD or autism? A systematic review and meta-analysis. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2024:1-15. [PMID: 38850546 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2024.2361022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Intelligence tests predict academic achievement in typically developed children, however if this is the case also in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not clear. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined if Wechsler intelligence scales predict academic achievement and/or grades in children, ages 6-16 years, with ADHD and/or ASD. We searched the databases PubMed, PsycINFO and Education Research Complete for studies published between 2000 and 2023. We used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess risk of bias. Narrative synthesis and meta-analysis were performed. Twelve studies (ADHD n = 1,834, ASD n = 176) were included in the review, and six samples (ADHD n = 1,112) of those were included in the meta-analyses. The results of the meta-analyses showed moderate overall weighted correlations between IQ and word reading, written language, and mathematics respectively. Similarly, the overall weighted correlations between processing speed and the aforementioned domains of academic achievement were moderate. Meta-analysis with additional Wechsler scales composite scores could not be conducted. In the narrative synthesis, Full Scale IQ was associated with academic achievement in both ADHD and ASD, and grades in ADHD. The limited number of ASD participants and the heterogeneity of the samples need to be considered when interpreting results. Generally, the results indicate that Wechsler scales are valuable in predicting academic achievement in children with ADHD or ASD. Motivation and other factors related with academic achievement need to be further explored in these groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Marinopoulou
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Child and Adolescent Habilitation, Region Värmland, Karlstad, Sweden
| | - Jakob Åsberg Johnels
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Child Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Queen Silvia's Childrens Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Speech and language pathology unit, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Unenge Hallerbäck
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
| | - Eva Billstedt
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Child Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Queen Silvia's Childrens Hospital, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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3
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Levine MA, Chen H, Wodka EL, Caffo BS, Ewen JB. Autism Symptom Presentation and Hierarchical Models of Intelligence. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06411-5. [PMID: 38833030 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06411-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is a substantial history studying the relationship between general intelligence and the core symptoms of autism. However, a gap in knowledge is how dimensional autism symptomatology associates with different components of clinically-relevant hierarchical models of intelligence. METHOD We examined correlations between autism diagnostic symptom magnitude (Autism Diagnostic Observational Schedule; ADOS) and a hierarchical statistical model of intelligence. One autistic cohort was tested on the fourth edition of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV; N = 131), and another on the fifth edition (WISC-V; N = 83). We anticipated a convergent pattern of results between cohorts. RESULTS On WISC-IV, ADOS scores were correlated significantly with g and three out of four intermediate factor scores, which was a broader pattern of correlations than anticipated from the literature. In the WISC-V cohort, only one intermediate factor correlated significantly with the ADOS; correlations with g and the other intermediate factors were less statistically certain. ADOS-factor correlations were larger in the WISC-IV than WISC-V cohort; this difference was significant at the 90% level. CONCLUSIONS WISC-IV shows dimensional relationships with ADOS at multiple points in the hierarchical model of intelligence. Moreover, the current results provide evidence that relationship between core autism symptomatology and the construct of general intelligence may depend on how intelligence is measured. Known cohort effects in the relationship between categorical autism diagnosis and general intelligence have previously been attributed to changes in autism diagnostic practices. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence that differing versions of IQ tests may be implicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Levine
- Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Huan Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ericka L Wodka
- Center for Autism Service, Science and Innovation, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brian S Caffo
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua B Ewen
- Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Division of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, 225 E. Chicago Ave., Box 119, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
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Desvaux T, Danna J, Velay JL, Frey A. From gifted to high potential and twice exceptional: A state-of-the-art meta-review. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2024; 13:165-179. [PMID: 37665678 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2023.2252950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite the abundant literature on intelligence and high potential individuals, there is still a lack of international consensus on the terminology and clinical characteristics associated to this population. It has been argued that unstandardized use of diagnosis tools and research methods make comparisons and interpretations of scientific and epidemiological evidence difficult in this field. If multiple cognitive and psychological models have attempted to explain the mechanisms underlying high potentiality, there is a need to confront new scientific evidence with the old, to uproot a global understanding of what constitutes the neurocognitive profile of high-potential in gifted individuals. Another particularly relevant aspect of applied research on high potentiality concerns the challenges faced by individuals referred to as "twice exceptional" in the field of education and in their socio-affective life. Some individuals have demonstrated high forms of intelligence together with learning, affective or neurodevelopmental disorders posing the question as to whether compensating or exacerbating psycho-cognitive mechanisms might underlie their observed behavior. Elucidating same will prove relevant to questions concerning the possible need for differential diagnosis tools, specialized educational and clinical support. A meta-review of the latest findings from neuroscience to developmental psychology, might help in the conception and reviewing of intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Desvaux
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Aix-Marseille University, UMR 7291, Marseille, France
| | - J Danna
- CLLE, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, Toulouse, France
| | - J-L Velay
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Aix-Marseille University, UMR 7291, Marseille, France
| | - A Frey
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives, Aix-Marseille University, UMR 7291, Marseille, France
- INSPE of Aix-Marseille University, Marseille, France
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Peristeri E, Andreou M. Intellectual development in young children with autism spectrum disorders: A longitudinal study. Autism Res 2024; 17:543-554. [PMID: 38183366 DOI: 10.1002/aur.3089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
Intelligence profiles in autism have been characterized by great variability. The questions of how autistic children's intelligence changes over time, and what factors influence these changes deserve study as part of efforts to document child autism profiles, but also because the relationship between intellectual functioning and children's background characteristics is poorly understood, particularly in a longitudinal context. A total of 39 autistic children and 39 age-matched neurotypical children (5-9 years old) completed two IQ assessments at preschool age and up to 4 years later. Repeated-measures analyses assessed longitudinal changes in the children's verbal (VIQ), performance (PIQ), and full-scale IQ (FSIQ) at group level. We further sought to identify clusters with distinct profiles in each group by adopting an unsupervised K-means clustering approach, and detect possible between-subgroup differences in terms of children's socioeconomic status and autism severity. The largest cluster in the autistic group was composed of children whose PIQ significantly dropped at follow-up, while the second largest cluster improved in all quotients; the smallest cluster, wherein children had more highly educated mothers than the rest of the clusters, was characterized by large improvement in VIQ. For the neurotypical children, there was a two-cluster division; the majority of them improved in the three quotients, while very few dropped in PIQ at follow-up. The relation between socioeconomic status and IQ changes was significant for both groups. The findings demonstrate both the complexity of intelligence changes in autism and the need to view this complexity through the lens of the children's socioeconomic diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Peristeri
- Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, School of English, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Maria Andreou
- Department of Speech and Language Therapy, University of Peloponnese, Kalamata, Greece
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Polo-Blanco I, Suárez-Pinilla P, Goñi-Cervera J, Suárez-Pinilla M, Payá B. Comparison of Mathematics Problem-Solving Abilities in Autistic and Non-autistic Children: the Influence of Cognitive Profile. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:353-365. [PMID: 36319804 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05802-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This study examines relationships between mathematical problem-solving performance (in terms of strategies used and accuracy) and the main cognitive domains associated with mathematical learning (i.e. executive functions, verbal comprehension and social perception) of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD and non-ASD resp.). The study involved 26 ASD and 26 non-ASD children without intellectual disabilities, between 6 and 12 years old, matched by sex, age and school (grade and classroom). The results show a higher percentage of ASD children with problem solving difficulties than non-ASD (57% vs. 23% resp.). Poor performing ASD children showed comparatively lower scores in inhibition, theory of mind and verbal comprehension. Implications for the design of mathematical interventions for ASD students are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Polo-Blanco
- Departamento de Matemáticas Estadística y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
| | - Paula Suárez-Pinilla
- Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- CIBERSAM. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, Madrid, Spain
- Grupo de Psiquiatría. IDIVAL: Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina y Psiquiatría, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Juncal Goñi-Cervera
- Departamento de Matemáticas Estadística y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Marta Suárez-Pinilla
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Beatriz Payá
- Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- Grupo de Psiquiatría. IDIVAL: Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
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Cook NE, Iverson IA, Maxwell B, Zafonte R, Berkner PD, Iverson GL. Neurocognitive Test Performance and Concussion-Like Symptom Reporting Among Adolescent Athletes With Self-Reported Autism on Preseason Assessments. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2023; 38:1586-1596. [PMID: 37290752 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acad034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine baseline neurocognitive functioning and symptom reporting among adolescents with self-reported autism. METHOD Participants in this cross-sectional, observational study were 60,751 adolescents who completed preseason testing. There were 425 students (0.7%) who self-reported an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis. Cognitive functioning was measured by Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing and symptom ratings were obtained from the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale. RESULTS Groups differed significantly across all neurocognitive composites (p values <.002); effect size magnitudes for most differences were small, though among boys a noteworthy difference on visual memory and among girls differences on verbal memory and visual motor speed composites were noted. Among boys, the ASD group endorsed 21 of the 22 symptoms at a greater rate. Among girls, the ASD group endorsed 11 of the 22 symptoms at a greater rate. Some examples of symptoms that were endorsed at a higher rate among adolescents with self-reported autism were sensitivity to noise (girls: odds ratio, OR = 4.38; boys: OR = 4.99), numbness or tingling (girls: OR = 3.67; boys: OR = 3.25), difficulty remembering (girls: OR = 2.01; boys: OR = 2.49), difficulty concentrating (girls: OR = 1.82; boys: OR = 2.40), sensitivity to light (girls: OR = 1.82; boys: OR = 1.76), sadness (girls: OR = 1.72; boys: OR = 2.56), nervousness (girls: OR = 1.80; boys: OR = 2.27), and feeling more emotional (girls: OR = 1.79; boys: OR = 2.84). CONCLUSION Students with self-reported autism participating in organized sports likely experience a low degree of functional impairment, on average. If they sustain a concussion, their clinical management should be more intensive to maximize the likelihood of swift and favorable recovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan E Cook
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Mass General for Children Sports Concussion Program, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital; Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
| | - Ila A Iverson
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Bruce Maxwell
- Department of Computer Science, Colby College, Waterville, Maine 04901, USA
| | - Ross Zafonte
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital; Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
| | - Paul D Berkner
- College of Osteopathic Medicine, University of New England, Biddeford, Maine 04005, USA
| | - Grant L Iverson
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA
- Mass General for Children Sports Concussion Program, Waltham, Massachusetts 02451, USA
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital; Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
- Schoen Adams Research Institute at Spaulding Rehabilitation, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA
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Thérien VD, Degré-Pelletier J, Barbeau EB, Samson F, Soulières I. Different levels of visuospatial abilities linked to differential brain correlates underlying visual mental segmentation processes in autism. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:9186-9211. [PMID: 37317036 PMCID: PMC10350832 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural underpinnings of enhanced locally oriented visual processing that are specific to autistics with a Wechsler's Block Design (BD) peak are largely unknown. Here, we investigated the brain correlates underlying visual segmentation associated with the well-established autistic superior visuospatial abilities in distinct subgroups using functional magnetic resonance imaging. This study included 31 male autistic adults (15 with (AUTp) and 16 without (AUTnp) a BD peak) and 28 male adults with typical development (TYP). Participants completed a computerized adapted BD task with models having low and high perceptual cohesiveness (PC). Despite similar behavioral performances, AUTp and AUTnp showed generally higher occipital activation compared with TYP participants. Compared with both AUTnp and TYP participants, the AUTp group showed enhanced task-related functional connectivity within posterior visuoperceptual regions and decreased functional connectivity between frontal and occipital-temporal regions. A diminished modulation in frontal and parietal regions in response to increased PC was also found in AUTp participants, suggesting heavier reliance on low-level processing of global figures. This study demonstrates that enhanced visual functioning is specific to a cognitive phenotypic subgroup of autistics with superior visuospatial abilities and reinforces the need to address autistic heterogeneity by good cognitive characterization of samples in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Véronique D Thérien
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Janie Degré-Pelletier
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
| | - Elise B Barbeau
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Fabienne Samson
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Laboratory on Intelligence and Development in Autism, Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
- Montreal Cognitive Neuroscience Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l’île-de-Montreal, 7070, Boulevard Perras, Montréal (Québec) H1E 1A4, Canada
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Marinopoulou M, Billstedt E, Wessman C, Bornehag CG, Hallerbäck MU. Association Between Intellectual Functioning and Autistic Traits in the General Population of Children. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2023:10.1007/s10578-023-01562-5. [PMID: 37351708 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-023-01562-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Autistic traits are continuously distributed in the general population. The associations between autistic traits and intellectual functioning and/or behavioural difficulties, and the impact of intellectual functioning on behavioural difficulties are unclear. The study aims to describe the distribution of autistic traits in a population-based cross-sectional sample of children. Further aims are to examine the association between intellectual functioning and autistic traits, and between autistic traits and behavioural difficulties. Wechsler scales and ratings of autistic traits and behavioural problems in 874 children aged 7-9 years in the Swedish Environmental Longitudinal Mother and Child, Asthma and Allergy (SELMA) study were assessed. We found a continuous distribution of autistic traits. Intellectual functioning was negatively associated with autistic traits but not with behavioural difficulties. Behavioural difficulties were associated with autistic traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Marinopoulou
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
- Child and Adolescent Habilitation, Region Värmland, Karlstad, Sweden.
| | - Eva Billstedt
- Gillberg Neuropsychiatry Centre, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Child Neuropsychiatric Clinic, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Catrin Wessman
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Carl-Gustaf Bornehag
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Maria Unenge Hallerbäck
- Department of Health Sciences, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden
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Tonizzi I, Usai MC. Math abilities in autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analysis. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 139:104559. [PMID: 37329855 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies focusing on math abilities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are limited and often provide inconsistent results. AIM This meta-analysis was conducted to investigate math abilities in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to typically developing (TD) participants. METHODS AND PROCEDURES According with PRISMA guidelines, a systematic search strategy was adopted. First, 4405 records were identified through database searching; then, the title-abstract screening led to the identification of 58 potentially relevant studies and, finally, after the full-text screening, 13 studies were included. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Results shows that the group with ASD (n = 533) performed lower than the TD group (n = 525) with a small-to-medium effect (g=0.49). The effect size was not moderated by task-related characteristics. Instead, sample-related characteristics, specifically age, verbal intellectual functioning, and working memory, were significant moderators. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This meta-analysis shows that people with ASD have poorer math skills than their TD peers, suggesting the importance of investigating math abilities in autism, taking into account the role of moderating variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Tonizzi
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Podestà 2, 16128 Genoa, Italy
| | - Maria Carmen Usai
- Department of Educational Sciences, University of Genoa, Corso Podestà 2, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
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11
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Levine MA, Chen H, Wodka EL, Caffo BS, Ewen JB. Autism and Hierarchical Models of Intelligence. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-05984-x. [PMID: 37118644 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05984-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) employs a hierarchical model of general intelligence in which index scores separate out different clinically-relevant aspects of intelligence; the test is designed such that index scores are statistically independent from one another within the normative sample. Whether or not the existing index scores meet the desired psychometric property of being statistically independent within autistic samples is unknown. METHOD We conducted a factor analysis on WISC fifth edition (WISC-V) (N = 83) and WISC fourth edition (WISC-IV) (N = 131) subtest data in children with autism. We compared the data-driven exploratory factor analysis with the manual-derived index scores, including in a typically developing (TD) WISC-IV cohort (N = 209). RESULTS The WISC-IV TD cohort showed the expected 1:1 relationship between empirically derived factors and manual-derived index scores. We observed less unique correlations between our data-driven factors and manualized IQ index scores in both ASD samples (WISC-IV and WISC-V). In particular, in both WISC-IV and -V, working memory (WM) influenced index scores in autistic individuals that do not load on WM in the normative sample. CONCLUSIONS WISC index scores do not show the desired statistical independence within autistic samples, as judged against an empirically-derived exploratory factor analysis. In particular, within the currently used WISC-V version, WM influences multiple index scores.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Levine
- Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Huan Chen
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ericka L Wodka
- Center for Autism and Related Disorders, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Brian S Caffo
- Department of Biostatistics, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua B Ewen
- Neurology and Developmental Medicine, Kennedy Krieger Institute, 707 North Broadway, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
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12
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Davidson MM, Fleming KK. Story Comprehension Monitoring Across Visual, Listening, and Written Modalities in Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:1-24. [PMID: 34994926 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05418-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Visual, as compared to verbal, tasks are often assumed to be easier for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but is this true for story comprehension? This study evaluated story comprehension monitoring across visual, listening, and written modalities and assessed predictors in two closely matched groups (age, socioeconomic status, language, nonverbal cognition, and word reading) of children and adolescents (8-14 years) with ASD (n = 20) and typical development (typically developing [TD]; n = 20). The results of mixed-effects models indicated that story comprehension monitoring was low overall, and performance was comparable across visual, listening, and written modalities for participants with ASD. Age, vocabulary, nonverbal working memory, response and distractor inhibition, and social communication significantly predicted comprehension monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meghan M Davidson
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, University of Kansas, KS, Lawrence, USA.
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences and Disorders, University of Kansas, 1000 Sunnyside Ave., Rm 3001, Lawrence, KS, 66045, USA.
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13
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Nebel MB, Lidstone DE, Wang L, Benkeser D, Mostofsky SH, Risk BB. Accounting for motion in resting-state fMRI: What part of the spectrum are we characterizing in autism spectrum disorder? Neuroimage 2022; 257:119296. [PMID: 35561944 PMCID: PMC9233079 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The exclusion of high-motion participants can reduce the impact of motion in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data. However, the exclusion of high-motion participants may change the distribution of clinically relevant variables in the study sample, and the resulting sample may not be representative of the population. Our goals are two-fold: 1) to document the biases introduced by common motion exclusion practices in functional connectivity research and 2) to introduce a framework to address these biases by treating excluded scans as a missing data problem. We use a study of autism spectrum disorder in children without an intellectual disability to illustrate the problem and the potential solution. We aggregated data from 545 children (8-13 years old) who participated in resting-state fMRI studies at Kennedy Krieger Institute (173 autistic and 372 typically developing) between 2007 and 2020. We found that autistic children were more likely to be excluded than typically developing children, with 28.5% and 16.1% of autistic and typically developing children excluded, respectively, using a lenient criterion and 81.0% and 60.1% with a stricter criterion. The resulting sample of autistic children with usable data tended to be older, have milder social deficits, better motor control, and higher intellectual ability than the original sample. These measures were also related to functional connectivity strength among children with usable data. This suggests that the generalizability of previous studies reporting naïve analyses (i.e., based only on participants with usable data) may be limited by the selection of older children with less severe clinical profiles because these children are better able to remain still during an rs-fMRI scan. We adapt doubly robust targeted minimum loss based estimation with an ensemble of machine learning algorithms to address these data losses and the resulting biases. The proposed approach selects more edges that differ in functional connectivity between autistic and typically developing children than the naïve approach, supporting this as a promising solution to improve the study of heterogeneous populations in which motion is common.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Beth Nebel
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
| | - Daniel E Lidstone
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Liwei Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - David Benkeser
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Stewart H Mostofsky
- Center for Neurodevelopmental and Imaging Research, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Benjamin B Risk
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA, United States
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14
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Zhang Q, Li Q, Yang T, Chen L, Dai Y, Wei H, Wang K, Jia F, Wu L, Hao Y, Li L, Zhang J, Ke X, Yi M, Hong Q, Chen J, Fang S, Wang Y, Wang Q, Jin C, Chen J, Li T. Neurodevelopmental domain characteristics and their association with core symptoms in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder in China: a nationwide multicenter study. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:393. [PMID: 35698058 PMCID: PMC9195470 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04028-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a group of clinically heterogenic neurodevelopmental disorders, with intellectual disability being one of its common comorbidities. No large-sample, multicenter study has focused on the neurodevelopmental aspect of preschoolers with ASD. This study investigated the neurodevelopmental characteristics of preschoolers with ASD in China and explored the association between them and the core symptoms. METHODS We enrolled 1019 ASD preschoolers aged 2-7 years old from 13 cities around China between May 2018 and December 2019, and used the revised Children Neuropsychological and Behavior Scale (CNBS-R2016) to assess their neurodevelopment. Their autistic core behaviors were evaluated based on their Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS), Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Child Autism Rating Scale (CARS), and communication warning behavior (CWB) scores in the CNBS-R2016. RESULTS Based on general developmental quotient (GQ) < 70, 68.4% of the preschoolers with ASD had a developmental delay (DD), rated mild in 32.7% of them. The highest DD rate (> 70%) was found in language and personal-social skills, followed by fine motor skills (68.9%). Gross motor skills had the lowest DD rate (34.0%). We found that fine motor, language, and personal-social developmental quotients (DQs) were significantly lower than gross motor skills in no DD (GQ > 70), mild DD (GQ 55-69), and moderate and below DD groups (GQ ≤ 54). Furthermore, the DQs for language and personal-social skills were significantly lower than for gross and fine motor skills in both DD groups. The ABC, SRS, CARS, and CWB scores in the no DD group were the lowest, moderate in the mild DD group, and highest in the moderate and below DD group. Besides, negative correlations were found between the DQs of the four domains and the ABC, SRS, CARS, and CWB scores, of which the language and personal-social skills DQs had the strongest correlations. CONCLUSIONS Preschoolers with ASD had unbalanced neurodevelopment domain patterns and their neurodevelopmental levels were negatively correlated with the autism core symptoms. Hence, pediatricians should actively evaluate the neurodevelopment of children with ASD and conduct long-term follow-up during their early childhood to promote early diagnosis and develop personalized intervention plans. TRIAL REGISTRATION ChiCTR2000031194 , registered on 03/23/2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Zhang
- grid.488412.3Department of Child Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, 400014 China
| | - Qiu Li
- grid.488412.3Department of Child Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, 400014 China
| | - Ting Yang
- grid.488412.3Department of Child Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, 400014 China
| | - Li Chen
- grid.488412.3Department of Child Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, 400014 China
| | - Ying Dai
- grid.488412.3Department of Child Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, 400014 China
| | - Hua Wei
- grid.488412.3Department of Child Health Care, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, 400014 China
| | - Ke Wang
- grid.488412.3Children’s Medical Big Data Intelligent Application Chongqing University Engineering Research Center, Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, 400014 China
| | - Feiyong Jia
- grid.430605.40000 0004 1758 4110Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatric, The First Hospital of Jilin University, Changchun, 130021 China
| | - Lijie Wu
- grid.410736.70000 0001 2204 9268Department of Children’s and Adolescent Health, Public Health College of Harbin Medical University, Harbin, 150081 China
| | - Yan Hao
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Ling Li
- grid.502812.cDepartment of Children Rehabilitation, Hainan Women and Children’s Medical Center, Haikou, 570100 China
| | - Jie Zhang
- grid.452902.8Xi’an Children’s Hospital, Xi’an, 710003 China
| | - Xiaoyan Ke
- grid.452645.40000 0004 1798 8369Child Mental Health Research Center of Nanjing Brain Hospital, Nanjing, 210013 China
| | - Mingji Yi
- grid.412521.10000 0004 1769 1119Department of Child Health Care, The Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University, Qingdao, 266003 China
| | - Qi Hong
- Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Baoan, Shenzhen, 518133 China
| | - Jinjin Chen
- grid.16821.3c0000 0004 0368 8293Department of Child Healthcare, Shanghai Children’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200040 China
| | - Shuanfeng Fang
- grid.207374.50000 0001 2189 3846Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, 450053 China
| | - Yichao Wang
- NHC Key Laboratory of Birth Defect for Research and Prevention, Hunan Provincial Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Changsha, 410008 China
| | - Qi Wang
- Deyang Maternity & Child Healthcare Hospital, Deyang, 618000 Sichuan China
| | - Chunhua Jin
- grid.418633.b0000 0004 1771 7032Department of Children Health Care, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing, 100020 China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, 400014, China.
| | - Tingyu Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health and Disorders, Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Child Development and Disorders, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Child Health and Nutrition, Chongqing, 400014, China.
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15
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Dale BA, Finch WH, Shellabarger KAR, Davis A. Comparison of Verbal Performance of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder on the WISC-V. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/07342829221106592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display variable verbal cognitive profiles despite a historical requirement for a language delay in autistic disorder. This study compared the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) to the newly created ancillary index score, the Verbal Expanded Crystallized Index (VECI) of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V) in a group of children with ASD. Using the ASD sample from the standardization data of the WISC-V, results indicated the VCI and VECI were significantly different for the ASD group but not for the matched controls. Follow up analysis of the ASD group revealed the VCI and VECI were significantly different for those with language impairment but not for those without language impairment. Psychologists should consider administering all verbal subtests of the WISC-V to children with ASD given the VECI may better capture the language impairment seen in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A. Dale
- Department of Special Education, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - W. Holmes Finch
- Department of Educational Psychology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | | | - Andrew Davis
- Department of Educational Psychology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
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16
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Dale BA, Finch WH, Shellabarger KAR. Performance of children with ASD on the WISC‐V ancillary index scales. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.22688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A. Dale
- Department of Special Education Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
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17
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Harry SW, Bates‐Brantley KE, Whitefield BL, Dale BA. Supporting practitioners in school‐based evaluations of autism spectrum disorders. PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/pits.22684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah W. Harry
- Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
| | - Kayla E. Bates‐Brantley
- Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology Mississippi State University Mississippi State Mississippi USA
| | - Breya L. Whitefield
- Department of Educational Psychology Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
| | - Brittany A. Dale
- Department of Special Education Ball State University Muncie Indiana USA
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18
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Zajic MC, Brown HM. Measuring Autistic Writing Skills: Combining Perspectives from Neurodiversity Advocates, Autism Researchers, and Writing Theories. Hum Dev 2022. [DOI: 10.1159/000524015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism and writing are commonly discussed independently as complex, multifaceted entities. However, studies examining their intersections are limited and often oversimplify the nuances innate to both topics. This paper focuses on the complexities involved in studying autistic individuals’ foundational writing skills (i.e., transcription and text generation skills) by drawing on theories of writing and autism grounded in perspectives from the neurodiversity movement. We frame our discussion around the complex sociocultural and cognitive factors important to writing by drawing on the Writer(s)-within-Community model. Our discussion highlights findings and trends among observational and intervention research studies as well as offers suggestions for future research guided by the ongoing reconceptualization and understanding of autistic development. In doing so, we argue that future research must look beyond written products as the only measure of writing development and beyond a diagnosis of autism as the indicator of atypical written language development.
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What Ability Can Predict Mathematics Performance in Typically Developing Preschoolers and Those with Autism Spectrum Disorder? J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:2062-2077. [PMID: 35113327 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05454-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Research evaluating predictors of mathematics ability in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is scarce and inconclusive. The present study first compared the mathematics ability and cognitive abilities of preschoolers with ASD and age-matched typically developing (TD) peers. Then, we examined the relative contributions of cognitive abilities to the mathematics ability of preschoolers with ASD and TD. The results show that compared to those of their age-matched TD peers, the mathematics and cognitive abilities of preschoolers with ASD were impaired. The predictors of mathematics ability were found to differ among preschoolers with ASD and their age-matched TD peers. For TD preschoolers, the domain-specific approximate number system (ANS) was the key predictor of mathematics ability. For preschoolers with ASD, domain-general working memory (WM) was most important.
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20
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Peristeri E, Silleresi S, Tsimpli IM. Bilingualism effects on cognition in autistic children are not all-or-nothing: The role of socioeconomic status in intellectual skills in bilingual autistic children. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 26:2084-2097. [PMID: 35102760 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221075097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Previous research has suggested that bilingualism may improve cognition in children with autism, and that this boost may stem from improvement in executive functions. The Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children are considered to be reliable and valid measures of intelligence when administered to autistic children. These measures have so far revealed unusual psychometric properties in monolingual autistic children, notably distinctive patterns of strengths and weaknesses and low inter-correlation among verbal and nonverbal IQ subtests. The way bilingualism affects the intellectual functioning of autistic children has not been explored yet. Nor has there been a satisfactory factor structure that explains monolingual and bilingual autistic children's IQ performance in terms of individual factors, such as age and socioeconomic status. The current study examined the intelligence profiles of 316 bilingual and age- and gender-matched monolingual children with autism using the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-Third Edition. The study applied clustering models to extract intelligence subtypes of autism, and mediation analyses to examine potential mediation effects of age and socioeconomic status on the children's verbal and nonverbal IQ performance. The results support the mediational role of the children's socioeconomic status in the association between bilingualism and intelligence. Low-socioeconomic status bilingual autistic children outperformed their monolingual peers on both verbal and nonverbal subtests, while the differences faded in medium-socioeconomic status and high-socioeconomic status children. The findings emphasize the positive effects of bilingualism on low-socioeconomic status autistic children's intelligence and also highlight high-socioeconomic status as a factor that may mitigate discrepant patterns of strengths and weaknesses in monolingual children's IQ performance.
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21
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Billeiter KB, Froiland JM. Diversity of Intelligence is the Norm Within the Autism Spectrum: Full Scale Intelligence Scores Among Children with ASD. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2022:10.1007/s10578-021-01300-9. [PMID: 35083590 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01300-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Although previous research helped to define differences in intelligence between neurotypicals and those with ASD, results were limited by small sample sizes or restricted subtests. Using data from the NIMH Data Archive, this study examined the intelligence of children with ASD (N = 671). Results demonstrate an average standard deviation of 25.75, which is 1.72 times greater than that of the normative sample for the WISC-III. Moreover, students with ASD are 12 times more likely than the general population of students to score within the intellectual disability range, but are also 1.5 times more likely to score in the superior range, suggesting that more students with ASD should be considered for giftedness. Determining the diversity of intelligence among those with ASD has implications for research, clinical practice, and neurological understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenzie B Billeiter
- Department of School Psychology, Baylor University, Waco, TX, 76706, USA.
| | - John Mark Froiland
- Department of Educational Studies, Purdue University, West Lafayette, USA
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22
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Takayanagi M, Kawasaki Y, Shinomiya M, Hiroshi H, Okada S, Ino T, Sakai K, Murakami K, Ishida R, Mizuno K, Niwa SI. Review of Cognitive Characteristics of Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Performance on Six Subtests on Four Versions of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:240-253. [PMID: 33677730 PMCID: PMC8732936 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04932-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study was a systematic review of research using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC) with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) to examine cognitive characteristics of children with ASD beyond the impact of revisions based on WISC and diagnostic criteria changes. The classic "islets of ability" was found in individuals with full-scale IQs < 100. The "right-descending profiles" were observed among high IQ score individuals. High levels on the Block Design and low Coding levels were consistently found regardless of the variation in intellectual functioning or diagnosis. This review identified patterns of cognitive characteristics in ASD individuals using empirical data that researchers may have previously been aware of, based on their experiences, owing to the increased prevalence of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizuho Takayanagi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Arisawabashi Hospital, 5 Fuchu-machi Haneshin, Toyama, Toyama, 9392704, Japan.
| | | | | | | | | | - Tamiko Ino
- Musashino Child Development Clinic, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuko Sakai
- Musashino Child Development Clinic, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Rie Ishida
- Musashino Child Development Clinic, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kaoru Mizuno
- Musashino Child Development Clinic, Tokyo, Japan
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23
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Jin WY, Wu LL, Hu LF, Li WH, Song C, Wang YY, Liu XL, Zhu ZW. Intelligence profiles and adaptive behaviors of high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and developmental speech and language disorders. Front Pediatr 2022; 10:972643. [PMID: 36699306 PMCID: PMC9869386 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2022.972643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study was aimed at investigating the intelligence profiles and adaptive behaviors of children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD) and developmental speech and language disorders (DSLDs). We compared the similarities and differences of cognitive capabilities and adaptive functions and explored their correlations in the HFASD and DSLDs groups. METHODS 128 patients with HFASD, 111 patients with DSLDs and 114 typically developing (TD) children were enrolled into our study. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV) and Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-II (ABAS-II) were respectively applied to evaluate intelligence profiles and adaptive behaviors. Intelligence quotient (IQ) scores and adaptive functioning scores among the HFASD, DSLDs and TD groups were compared through one-way ANOVA. Pearson correlation coefficient was applied to examine the relationships between WISC indices and ABAS domains. RESULTS Outcomes showed significantly poorer intelligence profiles and adaptive behaviors in HFASD and DSLDs groups. Both children with HFASD and DSLDs demonstrated impairments in verbal comprehension and executive functions. Processing speed and working memory were the predominant defects of children with HFASD and DSLDs in the field of executive functions, respectively. Whereas perceptual reasoning was a relative strength for them. Children with DSLDs had balanced scores of all the domains in ABAS-II; nevertheless, HFASD individuals demonstrated striking impairments in Social domain. Correlation analysis showed IQs of children with HFASD were positively correlated with all the domains and General Adaptive Composite (GAC) of ABAS-II. Additionally, IQs were positively correlated with Conceptual domain and GAC for children with DSLDs. Compared with DSLDs group, intelligence displayed stronger correlations with adaptive behaviors in HFASD group. CONCLUSION Our study expanded insights regarding intelligence profiles and adaptive behaviors of children with HFASD and DSLDs. Moreover, this study made breakthroughs in discovering positive correlations between IQs and adaptive functions in the two neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Yuan Jin
- Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ling-Ling Wu
- Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Li-Fei Hu
- Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wen-Hao Li
- Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chao Song
- Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yan-Yan Wang
- Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiao-Lin Liu
- Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhi-Wei Zhu
- Department of Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics, Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Child Health, Hangzhou, China
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24
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Kozunova G, Novikov A, Stroganova T, Chernyshev B. Intolerance of Uncertainty and Challenges in Decision-making in Adults with High-Functioning Autism. КЛИНИЧЕСКАЯ И СПЕЦИАЛЬНАЯ ПСИХОЛОГИЯ 2022. [DOI: 10.17759/cpse.2022110402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
<p style="text-align: justify;">Individuals with high-functioning autism have difficulties in decision-making in face of incomplete or ambiguous information, particularly in the context of social interaction. Tasks demanding an immediate response or deviation from the usual behavior make them feel excessive anxiety which restricts their social and professional activity. Attempts to camouflage their conservatism to others are one of the risk factors for comorbid depression. Therefore, they avoid new and non-routine situations, thus restricting their own social activity and professional development. On the other hand, insisting on sameness and clarity may give individuals with autism an advantage in long-lasting monotonous tasks. The aim of this review is to consider these symptoms from the perspective of predictive coding. A range of experimental studies has shown that most of the subjects with autism have difficulty in predicting the outcomes based on the cumulative history of interacting with the environment, as well as updating expectations as new evidence becomes available. These peculiarities of the analysis and pragmatic weighting of information may cause the trait intolerance of uncertainty and novelty avoidance of most people with autism.</p>
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25
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Green HL, Dipiero M, Koppers S, Berman JI, Bloy L, Liu S, McBride E, Ku M, Blaskey L, Kuschner E, Airey M, Kim M, Konka K, Roberts TP, Edgar JC. Peak Alpha Frequency and Thalamic Structure in Children with Typical Development and Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 52:103-112. [PMID: 33629214 PMCID: PMC8384980 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-04926-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Associations between age, resting-state (RS) peak-alpha-frequency (PAF = frequency showing largest amplitude alpha activity), and thalamic volume (thalamus thought to modulate alpha activity) were examined to understand differences in RS alpha activity between children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically-developing children (TDC) noted in prior studies. RS MEG and structural-MRI data were obtained from 51 ASD and 70 TDC 6- to 18-year-old males. PAF and thalamic volume maturation were observed in TDC but not ASD. Although PAF was associated with right thalamic volume in TDC (R2 = 0.12, p = 0.01) but not ASD (R2 = 0.01, p = 0.35), this group difference was not large enough to reach significance. Findings thus showed unusual maturation of brain function and structure in ASD as well as an across-group thalamic contribution to alpha rhythms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L. Green
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Corresponding Author: Heather Green, PhD, Department of Radiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, Tel: 267-425-2464, Fax: 215-590-1345,
| | - Marissa Dipiero
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Simon Koppers
- Institute of Imaging and Computer Vision, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jeffrey I. Berman
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Luke Bloy
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Song Liu
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emma McBride
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Matthew Ku
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Lisa Blaskey
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.,Center for Autism Research, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Emily Kuschner
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Center for Autism Research, Department of Pediatrics, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Megan Airey
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mina Kim
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Kimberly Konka
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Timothy P.L. Roberts
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
| | - J. Christopher Edgar
- Lurie Family Foundations MEG Imaging Center, Department of Radiology, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA,Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
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Lee J, Lee TS, Lee S, Jang J, Yoo S, Choi Y, Park YR. Development and Application of Metaverse-based Social Skills Training Program for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Improve Social Interaction: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint). JMIR Res Protoc 2021; 11:e35960. [PMID: 35675112 PMCID: PMC9218883 DOI: 10.2196/35960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by abnormalities in social communication and limited and repetitive behavioral patterns. Children with ASD who lack social communication skills will eventually not interact with others and will lack peer relationships when compared to ordinary people. Thus, it is necessary to develop a program to improve social communication abilities using digital technology in people with ASD. Objective We intend to develop and apply a metaverse-based child social skills training program aimed at improving the social interaction abilities of children with ASD aged 7-12 years. We plan to compare and analyze the biometric information collected through wearable devices when applying the metaverse-based social skills training program to evaluate emotional changes in children with ASD in stressful situations. Methods This parallel randomized controlled study will be conducted on children aged 7-12 years diagnosed with ASD. A metaverse-based social skills training program using digital technology will be administered to children who voluntarily wish to participate in the research with consent from their legal guardians. The treatment group will participate in the metaverse-based social skills training program developed by this research team once a week for 60 minutes per session for 4 weeks. The control group will not intervene during the experiment. The treatment group will use wearable devices during the experiment to collect real-time biometric information. Results The study is expected to recruit and enroll participants in March 2022. After registering the participants, the study will be conducted from March 2022 to May 2022. This research will be jointly conducted by Yonsei University and Dobrain Co Ltd. Children participating in the program will use the internet-based platform. Conclusions The metaverse-based Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) will be effective in improving the social skills of children with ASD, similar to the offline PEERS program. The metaverse-based PEERS program offers excellent accessibility and is inexpensive because it can be administered at home; thus, it is expected to be effective in many children with ASD. If a method can be applied to detect children's emotional changes early using biometric information collected through wearable devices, then emotional changes such as anxiety and anger can be alleviated in advance, thus reducing issues in children with ASD. Trial Registration Clinical Research Information Service KCT0006859; https://tinyurl.com/4r3k7cmj International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/35960
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Affiliation(s)
- JooHyun Lee
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Tae Seon Lee
- Department of Neurosurgery, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - SeungWoo Lee
- Graduate School of Information and Communication Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - JiHye Jang
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | | | - YeJin Choi
- DoBrain Co, Ltd, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yu Rang Park
- Department of Biomedical Systems Informatics, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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27
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Whitman MC, Barry BJ, Robson CD, Facio FM, Van Ryzin C, Chan WM, Lehky TJ, Thurm A, Zalewski C, King KA, Brewer C, Almpani K, Lee JS, Delaney A, FitzGibbon EJ, Lee PR, Toro C, Paul SM, Abdul-Rahman OA, Webb BD, Jabs EW, Moller HU, Larsen DA, Antony JH, Troedson C, Ma A, Ragnhild G, Wirgenes KV, Tham E, Kvarnung M, Maarup TJ, MacKinnon S, Hunter DG, Collins FS, Manoli I, Engle EC. TUBB3 Arg262His causes a recognizable syndrome including CFEOM3, facial palsy, joint contractures, and early-onset peripheral neuropathy. Hum Genet 2021; 140:1709-1731. [PMID: 34652576 PMCID: PMC8656246 DOI: 10.1007/s00439-021-02379-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Microtubules are formed from heterodimers of alpha- and beta-tubulin, each of which has multiple isoforms encoded by separate genes. Pathogenic missense variants in multiple different tubulin isoforms cause brain malformations. Missense mutations in TUBB3, which encodes the neuron-specific beta-tubulin isotype, can cause congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles type 3 (CFEOM3) and/or malformations of cortical development, with distinct genotype-phenotype correlations. Here, we report fourteen individuals from thirteen unrelated families, each of whom harbors the identical NM_006086.4 (TUBB3):c.785G>A (p.Arg262His) variant resulting in a phenotype we refer to as the TUBB3 R262H syndrome. The affected individuals present at birth with ptosis, ophthalmoplegia, exotropia, facial weakness, facial dysmorphisms, and, in most cases, distal congenital joint contractures, and subsequently develop intellectual disabilities, gait disorders with proximal joint contractures, Kallmann syndrome (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and anosmia), and a progressive peripheral neuropathy during the first decade of life. Subsets may also have vocal cord paralysis, auditory dysfunction, cyclic vomiting, and/or tachycardia at rest. All fourteen subjects share a recognizable set of brain malformations, including hypoplasia of the corpus callosum and anterior commissure, basal ganglia malformations, absent olfactory bulbs and sulci, and subtle cerebellar malformations. While similar, individuals with the TUBB3 R262H syndrome can be distinguished from individuals with the TUBB3 E410K syndrome by the presence of congenital and acquired joint contractures, an earlier onset peripheral neuropathy, impaired gait, and basal ganglia malformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary C Whitman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Brenda J Barry
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Caroline D Robson
- Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Radiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Flavia M Facio
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Carol Van Ryzin
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Wai-Man Chan
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA
| | - Tanya J Lehky
- EMG Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892-1404, USA
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Christopher Zalewski
- Audiology Unit, Otolaryngology Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kelly A King
- Audiology Unit, Otolaryngology Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Carmen Brewer
- Audiology Unit, Otolaryngology Branch, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Konstantinia Almpani
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Janice S Lee
- National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Angela Delaney
- Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA
| | - Edmond J FitzGibbon
- Laboratory of Sensorimotor Research, National Eye Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Paul R Lee
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Undiagnosed Diseases Program, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Camilo Toro
- Undiagnosed Diseases Program, National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Scott M Paul
- Rehabilitation Medicine Department, NIH Clinical Center, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, JHU School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Omar A Abdul-Rahman
- Division of Medical Genetics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, 39216, USA
- Munroe-Meyer Institute, Omaha, NE, 68106, USA
- Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, 68198-5450, USA
| | - Bryn D Webb
- Division of Genetics and Metabolism, Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | - Ethylin Wang Jabs
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Cell, Developmental, and Regenerative Biology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, 10029, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Alan Ma
- Children's Hospital Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia
- Specialty of Genomic Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Glad Ragnhild
- Department of Medical Genetics, University Hospital North Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Katrine V Wirgenes
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Emma Tham
- Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Malin Kvarnung
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Sarah MacKinnon
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - David G Hunter
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Francis S Collins
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Office of the Director, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Irini Manoli
- Center for Precision Health Research, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Elizabeth C Engle
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Chevy Chase, MD, USA.
- Kirby Center, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
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28
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Morsanyi K, Hamilton J, Stamenković D, Holyoak KJ. Linking metaphor comprehension with analogical reasoning: Evidence from typical development and autism spectrum disorder. Br J Psychol 2021; 113:479-495. [PMID: 34854075 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We examined the relationship between metaphor comprehension and verbal analogical reasoning in young adults who were either typically developing (TD) or diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The ASD sample was highly educated and high in verbal ability, and closely matched to a subset of TD participants on age, gender, educational background, and verbal ability. Additional TD participants with a broader range of abilities were also tested. Each participant solved sets of verbal analogies and metaphors in verification formats, allowing measurement of both accuracy and reaction times. Measures of individual differences in vocabulary, verbal working memory, and autistic traits were also obtained. Accuracy for both the verbal analogy and the metaphor task was very similar across the ASD and matched TD groups. However, reaction times on both tasks were longer for the ASD group. Additionally, stronger correlations between verbal analogical reasoning and working memory capacity in the ASD group indicated that processing verbal analogies was more effortful for them. In the case of both groups, accuracy on the metaphor and analogy tasks was correlated. A mediation analysis revealed that after controlling for working memory capacity, the inter-task correlation could be accounted for by the mediating variable of vocabulary knowledge, suggesting that the primary common mechanisms linking the two tasks involve language skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Morsanyi
- University of Loughborough, Loughborough, UK.,Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | | | | | - Keith J Holyoak
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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29
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Assari S, Boyce S. Family's Subjective Economic Status and Children's Matrix Reasoning: Blacks' Diminished Returns. RESEARCH IN HEALTH SCIENCE 2021; 6:1-23. [PMID: 33299959 DOI: 10.22158/rhs.v6n1p1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Due to a pattern known as Marginalization-related Diminished Returns (MDRs), historically oppressed non-Hispanic Black Americans show weaker effects of economic status on health and development, when compared to socially privileged non-Hispanic White Americans. Such MDRs are also documented for the effects of economic status on the school performance of non-Hispanic Black children. However, the existing knowledge is minimal on similar diminished returns on children's intelligence. AIM To compare racial and ethnic groups for the effect of subjective economic status on children's cognitive performance, we compared non-Hispanic White and non-Hispanic Black children for the effects of subjective economic status on children's matrix reasoning. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 7898 children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. The predictor variable was subjective economic status, which was treated as a continuous measure. The primary outcome was children's matrix reasoning, a domain of cognitive performance, measured by the Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children-IV (WISC-V) matrix reasoning total score. RESULTS Overall, high subjective economic status was associated with higher matrix reasoning score. Race showed a statistically significant interaction with subjective economic status on children's matrix reasoning score. This interaction suggested that high subjective economic status has a smaller boosting effect on increasing matrix reasoning score for non-Hispanic Black children relative to non-Hispanic White children. CONCLUSION The degree by which subjective economic status correlates with matrix reasoning score, an important domain of cognitive performance, depends on race and racialization. Non-Hispanic Black children may show weaker gains in matrix reasoning from their subjective economic status than their non-Hispanic White counterparts. To minimize the racial gap in cognitive performance, we need to address diminished returns that occur as a result of the racialization of racial and ethnic minority children. Not only should we equalize economic status, but also increase the marginal returns of economic status for racial minorities, particularly non-Hispanic Black families. Such efforts require public policies that go beyond access and also consider how we can empower non-Hispanic Black communities and families so they can more effectively leverage and utilize their economic resources to secure measurable and tangible outcomes. Structural and societal barriers such as residential and school segregation may hinder non-Hispanic Black children from receiving the full effects of their family-level economic status on a variety of outcomes, including their cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shervin Assari
- Department of Urban Public Health, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shanika Boyce
- Department of Pediatrics, Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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30
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Girard D, Courchesne V, Degré-Pelletier J, Letendre C, Soulières I. Assessing global developmental delay across instruments in minimally verbal preschool autistic children: The importance of a multi-method and multi-informant approach. Autism Res 2021; 15:103-116. [PMID: 34704349 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Intellectual assessment in preschool autistic children bears many challenges, particularly for those who have lower language and/or cognitive abilities. These challenges often result in underestimation of their potential or exclusion from research studies. Understanding how different instruments and definitions used to identify autistic preschool children with global developmental delay (GDD) affect sample composition is critical to advance research on this understudied clinical population. This study set out to examine the extent to which using different instruments to define GDD affects sample composition and whether different definitions affect resultant cognitive and adaptive profiles. Data from the Mullen Scales of Early Learning and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Second Edition, a parent-report tool, were analyzed in a sample of 64 autistic and 73 neurotypical children (28-69 months). Our results highlight that cognitive assessment alone should not be used in clinical or research practices to infer a comorbid diagnosis of GDD, as it might lead to underestimating autistic children's potential. Instead, using both adaptive and cognitive levels as a stratification method to create subgroups of children with and without GDD might be a promising approach to adequately differentiate them, with less risk of underestimating them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Girard
- Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'ïle-de-Montréal, Hôpital en santé mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Valérie Courchesne
- Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'ïle-de-Montréal, Hôpital en santé mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Canada.,Center for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Janie Degré-Pelletier
- Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'ïle-de-Montréal, Hôpital en santé mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Camille Letendre
- Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'ïle-de-Montréal, Hôpital en santé mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Isabelle Soulières
- Autism Research Group, CIUSSS du Nord-de-l'ïle-de-Montréal, Hôpital en santé mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Quebec in Montreal, Montreal, Canada
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31
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Al-Mamari W, Idris AB, Gabr A, Jalees S, Al-Jabri M, Abdulrahim R, Al-Mujaini A, Islam MM, Al-Alawi M, Al-Adawi S. Intellectual Profile of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Identification of verbal and nonverbal subscales predicting intelligence quotient. Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J 2021; 21:386-393. [PMID: 34522403 PMCID: PMC8407906 DOI: 10.18295/squmj.4.2021.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2020] [Revised: 07/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives This study aimed to explore the intelligence quotient (IQ) profile among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and identify the most important subscales that predict the IQ. The analysis of an intellectual profile with age and gender differentials and the identification of a battery of subscales of intelligence are important for clinical management of ASD among children and for facilitating placement for remedial and educational services. Methods Data were collected through an exploratory study of 100 children aged between three and 13 years, who were referred to the department of child health and development in Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, a tertiary hospital, in Oman between June 2016 and June 2019. Results Among the 100 participants of this study, 79% were male, resulting in a male–female ratio of 4:1. The mean of full-scale IQ was found to be 68.6 ± 18.1. Furthermore, the mean of nonverbal IQ (73.5 ± 17.5) was significantly higher than that of verbal IQ (65.5 ± 17.6). Finally, more than half (61%) of the children were observed to have had mild to moderate impairment in their IQ levels. Conclusions Age and gender showed no significant association with IQ level. The regression analysis identified nonverbal fluid reasoning, nonverbal visual-spatial processing, nonverbal working memory and verbal knowledge as the significant predictors of total IQ. The crucial dimensions of verbal and nonverbal IQ identified in this study can be used to evaluate complicated cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Watfa Al-Mamari
- Department of Child Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Ahmed B Idris
- Department of Child Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Ahlam Gabr
- Department of Child Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Saquib Jalees
- Department of Child Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Muna Al-Jabri
- Department of Nursing, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Reem Abdulrahim
- Department of Clinical & Biochemical Genetics, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - Abeer Al-Mujaini
- Department of Child Health, Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Muscat, Oman
| | - M Mazharul Islam
- Department of Statistics, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Mohamed Al-Alawi
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
| | - Samir Al-Adawi
- Department of Behavioural Medicine, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman
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32
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Mayes SD, Kallus R, Bangert LR, Fosco W, Calhoun SL, Waschbusch DA. Relationship between sluggish cognitive tempo, IQ and academic achievement test scores, and academic impairment in autism, ADHD, and elementary school samples. Child Neuropsychol 2021; 28:244-265. [PMID: 34486938 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1970735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is of renewed interest. The relationship between SCT, IQ and achievement scores, and academic impairment ratings was investigated in 218 students with autism and 676 with ADHD (6-16 years) and 549 elementary school students (IQ ≥ 80). Mothers rated their children on the Pediatric Behavior Scale. Children in the autism/ADHD sample were also rated by teachers. Correlations between SCT and IQ and achievement scores (Verbal Comprehension, Perceptual Reasoning, Working Memory, Processing Speed, reading, math, and written expression) were all negative and were nonsignificant in the total autism/ADHD and elementary school samples, except for small correlations with Processing Speed and a timed math test. In contrast, mother and teacher SCT ratings were significantly related to mother and teacher academic and cognitive impairment ratings. SCT was not a significant predictor of achievement scores or academic impairment ratings in regression analysis. The strongest predictor of achievement test scores was IQ, and the strongest predictors of academic impairment were mother and teacher cognitive impairment ratings. Teacher inattention ratings predicted teacher academic impairment ratings in autism/ADHD and mother inattention ratings predicted mother academic impairment ratings in elementary school children. Therefore, inattention was more predictive of academic functioning than was SCT. Research shows a weak link between SCT and processing speed (contrary to what is implied by the term sluggish cognitive tempo), and other neuropsychological test scores are not consistently associated with SCT. It remains to be determined if neuropsychological tests can be developed to measure and further our understanding of SCT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan D Mayes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Rachel Kallus
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Lauren R Bangert
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Whitney Fosco
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Susan L Calhoun
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
| | - Daniel A Waschbusch
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA
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33
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Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder of All Ages, Levels of Symptom Severity and General Cognitive Ability Display Low Processing Speed Index Scores Warranting Special Educational Assistance. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 52:3668-3675. [PMID: 34453226 PMCID: PMC9296421 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-021-05249-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The processing speed index (PSI) of the Wechsler intelligence scale for children (WISC-IV) has been found to predict a child's level of academic functioning. The consistently reported PSI weakness in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) therefore warrants special assistance and attempts at compensation for the disadvantages associated with these children's low PSI. We investigated the association of PSI scores with age, general cognitive ability [as measured by full-scale IQ (FSIQ)], symptom severity and discrepancy between the WISC-IV indices verbal comprehension (VCI) and perceptual reasoning (PRI) in 101 school children with ASD. The PSI weakness in children with ASD was not related to age, FSIQ, VCI-PRI discrepancy or any of the symptom measures. These findings suggest that school children with ASD independent of their age, level of cognitive ability, VCI-PRI profile and most notably independent of their symptom severity should be entitled to special assistance and compensation in educational settings.
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Brief Report: Predictors of Teacher-Rated Academic Competence in a Clinic Sample of Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2021; 51:2132-2138. [PMID: 32886257 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04680-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) necessitates a greater understanding of the academic experience of diagnosed children. The present study investigates several predictors of teacher-reported academic competence among a sample of elementary school children. All children in the sample were referred for an ASD evaluation and approximately half received a diagnosis. Children with and without ASD did not differ on overall academic competence, social skills, or problem behaviors. Regression analyses indicated that cognitive ability, social skills, and problem behaviors accounted for significant variance in academic competence. Moderation analyses indicated that the relations between the predictors and academic competence were comparable for children with and without ASD. Implications and future directions are discussed.
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Dale BA, Finch WH, Shellabarger KAR, Davis A. Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition Profiles of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Using a Classification and Regression Trees Analysis. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOEDUCATIONAL ASSESSMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/07342829211025924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children (WISC) are the most widely used instrument in assessing cognitive ability, especially with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous literature on the WISC has demonstrated a divergent pattern of performance on the WISC for children ASD compared to their typically developing peers; however, there is a lack of research concerning the most recent iteration, the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Fifth Edition (WISC-V). Due to the distinctive changes made to the WISC-V, we sought to identify the pattern of performance of children with ASD on the WISC-V using a classification and regression (CART) analysis. The current study used the standardization sample data of the WISC-V obtained from NCS Pearson, Inc. Sixty-two children diagnosed with ASD, along with their demographically matched controls, comprised the sample. Results revealed the Comprehension and Letter-Number Sequencing subtests were the most important factors in predicting group membership for children with ASD with an accompanying language impairment. Children with ASD without an accompanying language impairment, however, were difficult to distinguish from matched controls through the CART analysis. Results suggest school psychologists and other clinicians should administer all primary and supplemental subtests of the WISC-V as part of a comprehensive assessment of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany A. Dale
- Department of Special Education, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | - W. Holmes Finch
- Department of Educational Psychology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
| | | | - Andrew Davis
- Department of Educational Psychology, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, USA
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Neuropsychological Profile, Emotional/Behavioral Problems, and Parental Stress in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11050584. [PMID: 33946388 PMCID: PMC8146823 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11050584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The aim of our study was to trace a specific neuropsychological profile, to investigate emotional-behavioral problems and parental stress in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 1/High functioning (ASD-HF), Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) disorders and to highlight similarities and differences among the three groups. Methods: We retrospectively collected the data from a total of 62 subjects with ASD-HF (n = 19) ADHD (n = 21), SLD (n = 22) and 20 typical development. All the participants underwent neuropsychological standardized test for the evaluation of cognitive profile (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children Fourth Edition—WISC-IV), behavioral and emotional problems (Child Behavior CheckList CBCL), and parental stress (Parental Stress Index Short Form—PSI-SF). The scores of the ASD-HF, ADHD, and SLD groups were compared using non-parametric statistic methods (Kruskall–Wallis H test and U Mann–Whitney for post-hoc analysis). Results: The ASD-HF group were significantly higher in all areas of the WISC-IV than the other two clinical groups. The SLD group performed significantly lower than ASD-HF in Working Memory Index. The SLD group showed lower scores on the somatic problems subscale than the other two groups. In the Difficult Child subscale of the PSI-SF, parents of ADHD children scored lower than the mothers of SLD subjects and higher than the fathers of SLD subjects. In all three groups there are specific deficiencies compared to the control group in the cognitive profile, behavioral and emotional problems, and parental stress. Conclusions: Our comparative analysis highlighted similarities and differences in three groups of children with different neurodevelopmental disorders, helping to better define cognitive, behavioral, and emotional characteristics of these children and parental stress of their parents.
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37
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Lebreton K, Malvy J, Bon L, Hamel-Desbruères A, Marcaggi G, Clochon P, Guénolé F, Moussaoui E, Bowler DM, Bonnet-Brilhault F, Eustache F, Baleyte JM, Guillery-Girard B. Local Processing Bias Impacts Implicit and Explicit Memory in Autism. Front Psychol 2021; 12:622462. [PMID: 33967890 PMCID: PMC8104079 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.622462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by atypical perception, including processing that is biased toward local details rather than global configurations. This bias may impact on memory. The present study examined the effect of this perception on both implicit (Experiment 1) and explicit (Experiment 2) memory in conditions that promote either local or global processing. The first experiment consisted of an object identification priming task using two distinct encoding conditions: one favoring local processing (Local condition) and the other favoring global processing (Global condition) of drawings. The second experiment focused on episodic (explicit) memory with two different cartoon recognition tasks that favored either local (i.e., processing specific details) or a global processing (i.e., processing each cartoon as a whole). In addition, all the participants underwent a general clinical cognitive assessment aimed at documenting their cognitive profile and enabling correlational analyses with experimental memory tasks. Seventeen participants with ASD and 17 typically developing (TD) controls aged from 10 to 16 years participated to the first experiment and 13 ASD matched with 13 TD participants were included for the second experiment. Experiment 1 confirmed the preservation of priming effects in ASD but, unlike the Comparison group, the ASD group did not increase his performance as controls after a globally oriented processing. Experiment 2 revealed that local processing led to difficulties in discriminating lures from targets in a recognition task when both lures and targets shared common details. The correlation analysis revealed that these difficulties were associated with processing speed and inhibition. These preliminary results suggest that natural perceptual processes oriented toward local information in ASD may impact upon their implicit memory by preventing globally oriented processing in time-limited conditions and induce confusion between explicit memories that share common details.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karine Lebreton
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Joëlle Malvy
- UMR 1253, iBrain, INSERM, Université de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Laetitia Bon
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France.,Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, CHU de Caen, Caen, France
| | - Alice Hamel-Desbruères
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France.,Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, CHU de Caen, Caen, France
| | - Geoffrey Marcaggi
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France.,Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, CHU de Caen, Caen, France
| | - Patrice Clochon
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Fabian Guénolé
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France.,Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, CHU de Caen, Caen, France
| | - Edgar Moussaoui
- Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, CHU de Caen, Caen, France
| | - Dermot M Bowler
- Autism Research Group, City, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Francis Eustache
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Jean-Marc Baleyte
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France.,Service de Psychiatrie de l'Enfant et de l'Adolescent, Hôpital Intercommunal de Créteil, Créteil, France
| | - Bérengère Guillery-Girard
- Normandie Univ, UNICAEN, PSL Université Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, GIP Cyceron, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
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Sorenson Duncan T, Karkada M, Deacon SH, Smith IM. Building Meaning: Meta-analysis of Component Skills Supporting Reading Comprehension in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2021; 14:840-858. [PMID: 33580639 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
The ability to understand what one reads, or reading comprehension, is central to academic success. For many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), reading comprehension is a noted area of challenge. For children with typical development, it is well established that successful reading comprehension requires two broad skills: word reading and oral language. For children with ASD, word reading is often believed to be relatively intact, even in the face of poor reading comprehension, suggesting that deficits in oral language, more than in word reading, underlie reading comprehension deficits. Yet, extant research has suggested the importance of both skills. To clarify the role of these skills in the reading comprehension of children with ASD, we conducted a meta-analysis. ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Proquest Dissertation & Theses were searched for studies of reading comprehension in children with ASD, published up to May 2019. We identified 26 relevant studies about children with ASD (aged 6-18 years) that included both a measure of word reading and reading comprehension. Hunt-Schmidt Random Effects Models showed similar mean correlations between reading comprehension and the component skills of word reading (M r = 0.65 [0.27-1.03]) and oral language (M r = 0.61 [0.33-0.88]). These findings demonstrate that these skills are essential for reading comprehension in children with ASD, making contributions of similar size. This study advances our understanding of the mechanisms by which children with ASD understand what they read, providing a foundation on which to build programmatic research into each of these mechanisms. LAY SUMMARY: Academic progress is closely tied to children's ability to understand what they read. Yet reading comprehension is difficult for many children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We used a statistical method to summarize existing research on the skills that children with ASD use to understand what they read. We found that the reading comprehension of children with ASD was related to a similar extent to both their ability to read individual words and their oral language skills. These findings suggest that both areas should be assessed in order to determine appropriate interventions to support reading comprehension for children with ASD. Autism Res 2021, 14: 840-858. © 2021 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Sorenson Duncan
- School of Linguistics and Language Studies, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University & IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Manasi Karkada
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - S Hélène Deacon
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Isabel M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University & IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Peñuelas-Calvo I, Sareen A, Porras-Segovia A, Cegla-Schvatzman FB, Fernandez-Berrocal P. The Association Between Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Performance and Intelligence Quotient in Children and Adolescents With Asperger Syndrome. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:642799. [PMID: 33854452 PMCID: PMC8039142 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.642799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: There has been an extensive debate about a potential association between intelligence and social cognition. In this study, we aimed to assess the association between social cognition as measured with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes test (RMET) and intelligence as measured with the fourth edition of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) in children and adolescents diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 84 children diagnosed with AS aged 6-16 years (mean = 11.64; standard deviation = 2.75; 92.9% males). We analyzed the association between RMET performance and WISC-IV total score as well as the association between RMET performance and each of the four WISC-IV indexes (processing speed index, PSI; working memory index, WMI; perceptual reasoning index, PRI, and verbal comprehension index, VCI). Results: We found a positive correlation between RMET performance and full-scale intelligence quotient (r = 0.340; p < 0.01), VCI (r = 0.310; p < 0.01), PRI (r = 0.401; p < 0.01), and WMI (r = 0.292; p < 0.01). In the linear regression model, age was a significant predictor of RMET score (β = 0.409; p < 0.001) as was PRI (β = 0.309; p = 0.019). Conclusion: Our results suggest that intelligence quotient positively influences RMET performance, indicating that intelligence increases social cognition in individuals diagnosed with AS. However, weak-to-moderate size effects were found. This study contributes to understanding the mechanisms underlying the disturbance of social cognition in children and adolescents diagnosed with AS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inmaculada Peñuelas-Calvo
- Departamento de Psiquiatría Infantojuvenil, Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain.,Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.,Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Fundación Jiménez Díaz, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aditya Sareen
- Bronxcare Health System, New York, NY, United States
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Audras-Torrent L, Miniarikova E, Couty F, Dellapiazza F, Berard M, Michelon C, Picot MC, Baghdadli A. WISC-V Profiles and Their Correlates in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Intellectual Developmental Disorder: Report from the ELENA Cohort. Autism Res 2020; 14:997-1006. [PMID: 33247546 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The intellectual functioning of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual developmental disorder (IDD) has not been widely studied. However, marked heterogeneity in assessment measures, samples, and results has been an obstacle for the generalization of findings. We aimed to (a) describe WISC-V intellectual functioning in a sample of children with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual developmental disorder, (b) identify WISC-V profiles, and (c) explore whether WISC-V intellectual functioning is related to ASD symptom severity and adaptive skills. Our sample consisted of 121 children from 6 to 16 years of age with ascertained ASD without an intellectual developmental disorder (IDD). The intellectual functioning of the participants was within the average range. Intra-individual analysis showed that children with ASD performed better on visual than auditory working-memory tasks. Moreover, the intellectual functioning of the participants correlated negatively with ASD symptom severity but positively with adaptive communication skills. Overall, we identified six intellectual profiles according to verbal and reasoning skills. These findings highlight the relevance of WISC-V assessment for children with ASD without an IDD to individualize intervention, especially remediation. LAY SUMMARY: This study examined WISC-V intellectual functioning in 121 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without an intellectual developmental disorder (IDD). We found their intellectual functioning to be within the average, as was that of their peers with typical development (TD), and their verbal and reasoning skills were the most discriminant. In addition, the better their intellectual functioning was, the better their adaptive communication skills and the less severe their ASD symptoms. These findings highlight the relevance of WISC-V assessment in ASD to individualize early psychological remediation. Autism Res 2021, 14: 997-1006. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, LLC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lee Audras-Torrent
- Centre de Ressource Autisme Languedoc-Roussillon, Centre d'Excellence sur l'Autisme et les Troubles Neurodéveloppementaux (CeAND), Montpellier, France
| | - Ela Miniarikova
- Centre de Ressource Autisme Languedoc-Roussillon, Centre d'Excellence sur l'Autisme et les Troubles Neurodéveloppementaux (CeAND), Montpellier, France
| | - Flore Couty
- Centre de Ressource Autisme Languedoc-Roussillon, Centre d'Excellence sur l'Autisme et les Troubles Neurodéveloppementaux (CeAND), Montpellier, France
| | - Florine Dellapiazza
- Centre de Ressource Autisme Languedoc-Roussillon, Centre d'Excellence sur l'Autisme et les Troubles Neurodéveloppementaux (CeAND), Montpellier, France
| | - Mathilde Berard
- Centre de Ressource Autisme Languedoc-Roussillon, Centre d'Excellence sur l'Autisme et les Troubles Neurodéveloppementaux (CeAND), Montpellier, France
| | - Cécile Michelon
- Centre de Ressource Autisme Languedoc-Roussillon, Centre d'Excellence sur l'Autisme et les Troubles Neurodéveloppementaux (CeAND), Montpellier, France
| | - Marie-Christine Picot
- Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, CESP, Team DevPsy, Villejuif, France.,Department of Medical Information, University Hospital, Montpellier, France
| | - Amaria Baghdadli
- Centre de Ressource Autisme Languedoc-Roussillon, Centre d'Excellence sur l'Autisme et les Troubles Neurodéveloppementaux (CeAND), Montpellier, France.,Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Inserm, CESP, Team DevPsy, Villejuif, France.,Faculté de Médecine, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
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Sparapani N, Solari E, Towers L, McIntyre N, Henry A, Zajic M. Secondary Analysis of Reading-Based Activities Utilizing a Scripted Language Approach: Evaluating Interactions Between Students With Autism and Their Interventionists. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2020; 63:3130-3154. [PMID: 32857639 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-19-00146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often exhibit challenges with reading development. Evidence-based interventions and specialized approaches to reading instruction are currently being implemented across educational contexts for learners with ASD (Machalicek et al., 2008), yet there is limited understanding of how core ASD features may impact effective delivery of instruction and student participation. We begin to address this need by evaluating the reciprocity between instructional talk and student participation within a reading intervention utilizing a scripted language approach that was being piloted on students with ASD. Method This study used archival video-recorded observations from the beginning of a reading intervention to examine the interactions between 20 students (18 boys, two girls) with ASD (7-11 years old, M = 9.10, SD = 1.74) and their interventionists (n = 7). Lag sequential analysis was used to examine the frequency of student initiations and responses following the interventionists' use of responsive, open-ended, closed-ended, and directive language. Results Findings describe the types of and illustrate the variability in interactions between students and their interventionists, as well as highlight language categories that are linked to student participation. Conclusions These data provide a snapshot of the nature and quality of interactions between students with ASD and their interventionists. Findings suggest that delivery of instruction, including the language that interventionists use, may be an important area of focus when evaluating the effectiveness of reading-based practices across educational settings for learners with ASD, even within the confines of highly structured interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Sparapani
- University of California, Davis, School of Education
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute
| | - Emily Solari
- Curry School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
| | - Laurel Towers
- University of California, Davis, School of Education
- University of California, Davis, MIND Institute
| | - Nancy McIntyre
- Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
| | - Alyssa Henry
- Curry School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
| | - Matthew Zajic
- Curry School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville
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Zajic MC, Solari EJ, McIntyre NS, Lerro L, Mundy PC. Observing Visual Attention and Writing Behaviors During a Writing Assessment: Comparing Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder to Peers with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Typically Developing Peers. Autism Res 2020; 14:356-368. [PMID: 32918530 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate heterogeneous writing skills that are generally lower than their typically developing (TD) peers and similar to peers with attention difficulties like attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Recent evidence suggests children with ASD spend less time engaging in writing tasks compared to their peers, but previous studies have not examined engagement specifically within the writing task environment. This study used video observation data collected from 121 school-age children (60 children with ASD, 32 children with ADHD, and 29 TD children) to compare differences in visual attention and writing task behaviors and relationships between task behaviors and age, cognitive skills, and ASD and ADHD symptom severity. Findings indicated that groups mostly spent time looking at and writing on the draft, though this was lowest in the ASD group. No differences were found between the ASD and ADHD groups after accounting for task behavior durations as percentages of total used task time. Groups spent little time looking at their outlines and looking away from the task, with all groups spending relatively more time looking at the task picture. Time spent engaged with the draft showed a positive relationship with writing performance across groups, but a negative relationship between time spent looking at the task picture and writing performance only appeared for the ADHD group. The ASD and ADHD groups showed negative associations between draft engagement and ASD symptom severity but not ADHD symptom severity. Implications are discussed for understanding writing task engagement in research and instructional contexts. LAY SUMMARY: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate variable writing skills. Here, we examine how children with ASD engage during a writing task by using video observation data to compare their engagement to peers with and without attention difficulties. Findings indicate (a) lower draft engagement and similar task disengagement in children with ASD compared to their peers and (b) moderate-to-strong relationships between writing scores and ASD symptom severity with within-task engagement in children with ASD and their peers with attention difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Carl Zajic
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Department of Health & Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Emily Jane Solari
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Curry School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA.,MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Nancy Susan McIntyre
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.,School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA
| | - Lindsay Lerro
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.,Swain Center for Listening, Communication and Learning, Santa Rosa, California, USA
| | - Peter Clive Mundy
- School of Education, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA.,MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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Abstract
Many students with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) attending higher education drop out prematurely. The predictive value of self-reported daily executive functioning (EF) and (cognitive) performance-based EF (mental flexibility and working memory) for academic progress was evaluated in 54 young adults with ASD (Mage = 22.5, SD = 2.4, 72% male). Regression analyses showed that autism symptom severity explained 12% of variance in academic progress, which was raised to 36% by adding self-reported daily EF, and to 25% by adding performance-based EF. It is suggested that EF is a candidate marker for academic progress in higher education students with ASD and a candidate target for early intervention.
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Clements CC, Sparding T, Schultz RT, Yerys BE, Watkins MW. DAS-II Cognitive Profiles Are Not Diagnostically Meaningful For Autism: A ROC Analysis. Autism Res 2020; 13:2143-2154. [PMID: 32696622 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2019] [Revised: 04/08/2020] [Accepted: 05/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Intelligence assessment is an integral part of a comprehensive autism evaluation. Many past studies have described a cognitive profile of autistic individuals characterized by higher nonverbal than verbal IQ scores. The diagnostic utility of this profile, however, remains unknown. We leveraged receiver operating characteristic methods to determine the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) of three different IQ profiles in a large sample of children who have an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis (N = 1,228, Simons Simplex Collection) who completed the Differential Ability Scales-Second Edition (DAS-II), School Age compared to the normative sample provided by the DAS-II publisher (N = 2,200). The frequently discussed nonverbal > verbal IQ profile performed near chance at distinguishing ASD from normative individuals (AUC: 0.54, 95% CI [0.52-0.56]), and performed significantly worse for females than males (AUC: females: 0.46 [0.41-0.52]; males: 0.55 [0.53-0.58]). All cognitive profiles showed AUC < 0.56. We conclude that while significant differences between verbal and nonverbal IQ scores exist at the group level, these differences are small in an absolute sense and not meaningful at an individual level. We do not recommend using cognitive profiles to aid in autism diagnostic decision-making. LAY SUMMARY: Some researchers and clinicians have reported an "autistic cognitive profile" of higher nonverbal intelligence than verbal intelligence. In an analysis of over 1,000 autistic children, we found that the group's average nonverbal intelligence is usually higher than their verbal intelligence. However, this pattern should not be used by clinicians to make an individual diagnosis of autism because our results show it is not helpful nor accurate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin C Clements
- Center for Autism Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Psychology Department, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Timea Sparding
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, The Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Benjamin E Yerys
- Center for Autism Research, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Marley W Watkins
- Department of Educational Psychology, Baylor University, Waco, Texas, USA
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Gillespie-Lynch K, Hotez E, Zajic M, Riccio A, DeNigris D, Kofner B, Bublitz D, Gaggi N, Luca K. Comparing the writing skills of autistic and nonautistic university students: A collaboration with autistic university students. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2020; 24:1898-1912. [PMID: 32640841 DOI: 10.1177/1362361320929453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT We do not know very much about the writing skills of autistic university students. Studies with autistic children and teenagers show that some autistic young people have difficulties writing. Other autistic people are talented writers. In fact, some autistic people would rather write than speak. Good writers often imagine other people's points of view when writing. Autistic people sometimes have difficulties understanding others' points of view. Yet, autistic people often work much harder to understand others' points of view than not-autistic people do. We collaborated with autistic university student researchers to see if autistic university students are better or worse at writing than nonautistic students. Autistic university students in our study were better writers than nonautistic students. Autistic students in our study had higher nonverbal intelligence than nonautistic students. Autistic students also put themselves under more pressure to write perfectly than nonautistic students did. Autistic students did not show any difficulties understanding other minds. This study shows that some autistic university students have stronger writing skills and higher intelligence than nonautistic university students. Yet, autistic students may be too hard on themselves about their writing. Fun activities that help students explore their ideas without pressure (like theater games) may help autistic students be less hard on their writing. Teachers can help autistic students express themselves through writing by encouraging them to write about their interests, by giving them enough time to write, and by letting them write using computers if they want to. This study shows that collaborations with autistic people can help us understand strengths that can help autistic people succeed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Matthew Zajic
- University of California, Davis, USA.,University of Virginia, USA
| | | | - Danielle DeNigris
- The City University of New York, USA.,Fairleigh Dickinson University, USA
| | | | | | | | - Kavi Luca
- The City University of New York, USA
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Kramer E, Koo B, Restrepo A, Koyama M, Neuhaus R, Pugh K, Andreotti C, Milham M. Diagnostic Associations of Processing Speed in a Transdiagnostic, Pediatric Sample. Sci Rep 2020; 10:10114. [PMID: 32572148 PMCID: PMC7308370 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-66892-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The present study examines the relationships between processing speed (PS), mental health disorders, and learning disorders. Prior work has tended to explore relationships between PS deficits and specific diagnoses in isolation of one another. Here, we simultaneously investigated PS associations with five diagnoses (i.e., anxiety, autism, ADHD, depressive, specific learning) in a large-scale, transdiagnostic, community self-referred sample. METHOD 843 children, ages 8-16 were included from the Healthy Brain Network (HBN) Biobank. Principal component analysis (PCA) was employed to create a composite measure of four PS tasks, referred to as PC1. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between the four PS measures, as well as PC1, were calculated to assess reliability. RESULTS ICCs were moderate between WISC-V tasks (0.663), and relatively modest between NIH Toolbox Pattern Comparison and other PS scales (0.14-0.27). Regression analyses revealed specific significant relationships between PS and reading and math disabilities, ADHD-inattentive presentation (ADHD-I), and ADHD-combined presentation (ADHD-C). After accounting for inattention, the present study did not find a significant relationship with Autism Spectrum Disorder. DISCUSSION Our examination of PS in a large, transdiagnostic sample suggested more specific associations with ADHD and learning disorders than the literature currently suggests. Implications for understanding how PS interacts with a highly heterogeneous childhood sample are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Kramer
- Healthy Brain Network, Child Mind Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Bonhwang Koo
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anita Restrepo
- Healthy Brain Network, Child Mind Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Rebecca Neuhaus
- Healthy Brain Network, Child Mind Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Michael Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, New York, USA.
- Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York, USA.
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A Developmental Study of Mathematics in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Symptoms of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or Typical Development. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:4463-4476. [PMID: 32306219 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04500-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
This study examined mathematics achievement in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or typical development (TD) over a 30-month period and the associations between cognitive and reading abilities with mathematics achievement in children with ASD. Seventy-seven children with ASD without intellectual disability (ASD-WoID), 39 children with ADHD, and 43 children with TD participated in this study. The results revealed that the ASD-WoID and ADHD samples displayed significant and comparable delays in problem solving and calculation abilities. Lower VIQ was related to lower math achievement across all subgroups. The ASD-WoID sample differed from comparison samples in terms of their pattern of mathematical achievement and the role of cognitive abilities in the development of mathematics competence.
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Iuculano T, Padmanabhan A, Chen L, Nicholas J, Mitsven S, de Los Angeles C, Menon V. Neural correlates of cognitive variability in childhood autism and relation to heterogeneity in decision-making dynamics. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 42:100754. [PMID: 32452464 PMCID: PMC7160429 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2019] [Revised: 12/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity in cognitive and academic abilities is a prominent feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet little is known about its underlying causes. Here we combine functional brain imaging during numerical problem-solving with hierarchical drift-diffusion models of behavior and standardized measures of numerical abilities to investigate neural mechanisms underlying cognitive variability in children with ASD, and their IQ-matched Typically Developing (TD) peers. Although the two groups showed similar levels of brain activation, the relation to individual abilities differed markedly in ventral temporal-occipital, parietal and prefrontal regions important for numerical cognition: children with ASD showed a positive correlation between functional brain activation and numerical abilities, whereas TD children showed the opposite pattern. Despite similar accuracy and response times, decision thresholds were significantly higher in the ASD group, suggesting greater evidence required for problem-solving. Critically, the relationship between individual abilities and engagement of prefrontal control systems anchored in the anterior insula was differentially moderated by decision threshold in subgroups of children with ASD. Our findings uncover novel cognitive and neural sources of variability in academically-relevant cognitive skills in ASD and suggest that multilevel measures and latent decision-making dynamics can aid in characterization of cognitive variability and heterogeneity in neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Iuculano
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique & Université de Paris, La Sorbonne - UMR CNRS 8240, 75005, Paris, France.
| | - A Padmanabhan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
| | - L Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
| | - J Nicholas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
| | - S Mitsven
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
| | - C de Los Angeles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States
| | - V Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States; Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305, United States.
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Targeting Oral Language and Listening Comprehension Development for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A School-Based Pilot Study. J Autism Dev Disord 2020; 50:3763-3776. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04434-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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50
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Kim H, Song DH. Comparison of the K-WISC-IV profiles of boys with autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2020; 97:103539. [PMID: 31805468 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2019] [Revised: 09/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
AIMS This study aimed to compare the intelligence profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using the Korean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (K-WISC-IV) scores to differentiate between their cognitive characteristics. METHODS Subjects were boys with ASD (n = 49) and ADHD (n = 44). The index and subtest scores of the ASD and ADHD groups were compared using MANOVA. Repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to investigate the cognitive strengths and weaknesses within the ASD and ADHD groups. RESULTS Verbal comprehension was significantly lower in the ASD group compared to the ADHD group. The ASD group also scored lower than the ADHD group on Vocabulary, Comprehension, Picture Concepts, Picture Completion, and Symbol Search. The ADHD group scored lower than the ASD group on Digit Span. The ASD group displayed slower processing speed and social judgment, while the ADHD group exhibited poor working memory and graphomotor processing. CONCLUSION The WISC-IV profiles might help distinguishing between the cognitive characteristics of ASD and ADHD boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyunmi Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Dong-Ho Song
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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