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Little LM, Avery A, Tomchek S, Baker A, Wallisch A, Dean E. Race and Ethnicity Reporting in Occupational Therapy Research Among Autistic Youth. OTJR-OCCUPATION PARTICIPATION AND HEALTH 2024; 44:385-395. [PMID: 38281154 DOI: 10.1177/15394492231225199] [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] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Historically marginalized racial and ethnic groups are underrepresented in autism research broadly; however, patterns of inclusion in occupational therapy research are unknown.In this secondary data analysis, we examined race and ethnicity reporting across articles included in a systematic review of evidence related to occupational therapy practice with autistic individuals <18 years (2013-2021).Two team members reached >90% interrater coding agreement in race and ethnicity reporting across articles in ADLs/IADLs, education/work, play, sleep, and social participation in clinics, homes/communities, and schools.Intervention outcomes of ADL/IADLs (66.7%) and play (66.7%) had low rates of reporting, while social participation in schools (100%) and education/work (100%) had higher rates of reporting. Sample diversity was greatest among research in schools and most limited in clinic-based settings.Systemic racism that limits individuals' participation in occupational therapy research perpetuates racial and ethnic health inequities among autistic children and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Scott Tomchek
- University of Louisville School of Medicine, KY, USA
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2
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Enríquez JG, Soria Morillo LM, García-García JA, Álvarez-García JA. Two decades of assistive technologies to empower people with disability: a systematic mapping study. Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol 2024; 19:2095-2112. [PMID: 37795612 DOI: 10.1080/17483107.2023.2263504] [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: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Information and Communication Technologies have transformed our lives in different social areas, facilitating interpersonal relationships thanks to technological tools. In the specific case of people with disabilities, Assistive Technologies (ATs) break down barriers and increase opportunities to become active members of society with equal opportunities. MATERIALS AND METHODS This paper presents a systematic mapping study that analyzes the current state-of-the-art of ATs proposed in the literature to support the empowering of people with disability. Specifically, this paper focuses on (1) describing a global vision of the scientific literature published in the last 20 years about ATs in the computer science field and (2) identifying research needs, gaps, and trends. RESULTS For this purpose, an in-depth analysis of 389 primary studies is presented. The information obtained from the mapping process is also constrained. Concretely, 35 ATs versus 22 disabilities are compared, obtaining striking peaks for some disabilities described in the discussion. CONCLUSIONS Finally, the findings show that several areas have been covered only lightly, revealing interesting future directions and challenges for junior researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
- J G Enríquez
- Computer Languages and Systems Department, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - Luis M Soria Morillo
- Computer Languages and Systems Department, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
| | - J A García-García
- Computer Languages and Systems Department, University of Seville, Seville, Spain
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Grosman HE, Aragon-Guevara D, McQuaid GA, Wallace GL, Lee NR. Academic learning challenges and links to vocational outcomes in young autistic adults. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241255774. [PMID: 38864310 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241255774] [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: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Finding a job can be hard for autistic adults. No studies have been completed that look into whether having difficulties learning and troubles finding a job are related in this population. The current study did so by evaluating the Learning Needs Screening Tool, a measure of learning challenges used in vocational rehabilitation settings, or places meant to help people find work. A total of 401 autistic adults completed this study online. Specifically, the study evaluated (a) the characteristics of the Learning Needs Screening Tool, including the relationships between questions that ask about similar learning challenges, and (b) the ability of the measure to relate to real-world outcomes that are associated with learning difficulties, namely prior special education receipt and difficulties finding a job. Evaluation of the questions asked on the Learning Needs Screening Tool revealed that they were highly related and that learning difficulties fell into different categories. Fifty-six percent of the people in the study showed learning challenges on the measure. People who were identified as having learning difficulties on the Learning Needs Screening Tool had higher rates of receiving special education services in the past and lower rates of current employment. These results suggest that the Learning Needs Screening Tool may help to identify autistic job seekers who have learning difficulties and may have more challenges finding a job.
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Bosman R, Thijs J. Language Preferences in the Dutch Autism Community: A Social Psychological Approach. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1727-1739. [PMID: 36757544 PMCID: PMC11136701 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-05903-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
This research examined the preference for identity-first language (IFL) versus person-first language (PFL) among 215 respondents (Mage = 30.24 years, SD = 9.92) from the Dutch autism community. We found that a stronger identification with the autism community and a later age of diagnosis predicted a stronger IFL preference and a weaker PFL preference. Both effects were mediated by the perceived consequences (justice to identity, prejudice reduction) of PFL. Participants' own explanations were in line with these statistical analyses but also provided nuance to the IFL-PFL debate. Our results are consistent with the Social Identity Approach (Reicher et al., 2010) and Identity Uncertainty Theory (Hogg, 2007) and demonstrate the value of a social psychological approach to study disability language preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renate Bosman
- Utrecht University, Padualaan 14 2, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Jochem Thijs
- Utrecht University, Padualaan 14 2, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Zajic MC, Gudknecht J. Person- and identity-first language in autism research: A systematic analysis of abstracts from 11 autism journals. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241241202. [PMID: 38570904 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241241202] [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: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT There are many ways to refer to an individual who is on the autism spectrum. A recommended approach has been to use person-first language (PFL), such as "person with autism." A different approach is to use identity-first language (IFL), such as "autistic person." Recent studies focused on different groups of people (e.g. autistic self-advocates, parents, and practitioners) show that some groups prefer PFL (practitioners) while others prefer IFL (autistic self-advocates). However, less is known about how researchers use PFL and IFL in academic writing (e.g. studies published in scientific journals) involving autistic research participants. Our study examined 12,962 journal abstracts (short summaries of scientific articles) from 11 academic journals that publish autism research findings. We wanted to know (a) about the use of PFL and IFL across abstracts, and (b) how PFL and IFL use has changed annually over time. We examined data for all journals individually and grouped together. Our findings showed that journal abstracts generally use PFL (65%) with some using either IFL (16%) or both PFL and IFL (20%). However, journals varied, with some showing a clear majority for PFL and a couple for IFL. Examining trends over time across journals showed that while PFL appeared to be the majority for most journals, IFL has steadily increased in the recent few years. Our study helps us understand how autism researchers write about autistic individuals and offers implications for helping researchers intentionally make choices about the language used in their autism research studies.
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Mayer Y, Cohen-Eilig M, Chan J, Kuzyk N, Glodjo A, Jarus T. Digital citizenship of children and youth with autism: Developing guidelines and strategies for caregivers and clinicians to support healthy use of screens. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:1010-1028. [PMID: 37615409 PMCID: PMC10981179 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231192870] [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] [Indexed: 08/25/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Children and youth with autism use screens in their daily lives and in their rehabilitation programs. Although parents and clinicians experience specific challenges when supporting positive screen time use of children and youth with autism, no detailed information for this group exists. Therefore, this study aimed to develop clear guidelines that are agreed by expert clinicians and parents of children and youth with autism. Using a method called Delphi, 30 experts-20 clinicians and 10 caregivers, who have experience working with or caring for children and youth with autism were invited to complete a series of three surveys. In each round, the experts had to rate their agreement with statements regarding screen time management. The agreement level was set to 75%. The final themes to be included in the guidelines were accepted by more than 75% of the panel. The final guidelines included six main sections: (1) general principles, (2) considerations for timing and content of leisure screen time use, (3) strategies for caregivers and clinicians to monitor and regulate screen time use, (4) behaviors to monitor for screen time overuse, (5) additional guidelines for clinicians, and (6) resources. The new guidelines developed in this study can provide potential guidance on how to further the development of digital citizenship for children and youth with autism and provide strategies to families to help manage screen time use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yael Mayer
- University of Haifa, Israel
- The University of British Columbia, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Tal Jarus
- The University of British Columbia, Canada
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Keates N, Martin F, Waldock KE. Autistic People's Perspectives on Functioning Labels and Associated Reasons, and Community Connectedness. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06316-3. [PMID: 38507152 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06316-3] [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: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Functioning labels have been used in relation to autistic people and differentiating between support needs. The main purpose of our study was to identify perspectives regarding language about being autistic. In regard to themselves and functioning. Furthermore, we investigated the influential factor of community connectedness on use of language acceptability and functioning labels. METHODS 516 autistic respondents completed our survey. We asked about demographic characteristics, how respondents would like autistic people to be termed in the survey, and their acceptability (person with autism, Aspergers, disorder, conditions, living with autism, autistic). We also asked about respondents? Autistic Community Connectedness, acknowledging the implicit nature of language and identity (Stets & Serpe in New directions in identity theory and research, Oxford University Press, 2016). The main focus of our survey was whether or not to use functioning labels, and the supporting rationale. RESULTS 97% of respondents stated that they find the term 'autistic' acceptable. Respondents who did see merit in using functioning labels to describe autistic people also reported not necessarily using them about themselves. Community membership was found to impact the participants' language preferences to describe the support needs of autistic people, including the use of functioning labels. CONCLUSION The proposed best option for language preferences is not to find consensus but instead, opt for the optimal choice that people find the least offensive or disagreeable. This means using identity-first language and not using functioning labels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Keates
- University of Sunderland in London, 197 Marsh Wall, Docklands, London, E14 9SG, UK.
| | - Farradeh Martin
- School of History, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NZ, UK
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Terol AK, Xia Y, Jara RLR, Meadan H. Demographic and autism characteristics as predictors of age of autism diagnosis of individuals with autism in Paraguay. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024:13623613241236527. [PMID: 38469700 DOI: 10.1177/13623613241236527] [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: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Autism is a lifelong condition characterized by repetitive behaviors and social communication differences. The reported cases of autism increased globally in the past years. Detecting autism early and providing appropriate supports promptly are crucial for better outcomes. Yet, little research focuses on what factors interplay in the diagnostic process of autistic children in Paraguay. We gathered data from 176 caregivers of autistic children under 18 years in Paraguay. Through a detailed analysis, we found that child's age, child's age at the caregiver's first concerns about their development, and the child's verbal skills are key in predicting the age of autism diagnosis in Paraguay. Educating caregivers and professionals about autism and social communication development can help identify autism early and provide timely support.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yan Xia
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, USA
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Pitt AR, Osabuohien LW, Brady NC. Phonemic Feature Scoring as a Tool for Progress Monitoring During Language Interventions for Children With Autism and Minimal Verbal Skills. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2024; 33:676-692. [PMID: 38118455 PMCID: PMC11001186 DOI: 10.1044/2023_ajslp-23-00201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE An increasing number of studies focus on verbal treatments for children with autism and minimal verbal skills. However, clinical tools for progress monitoring during interventions are lacking. The aim of this clinical focus article is to provide illustrations on the utility of a phonemic feature scoring system as a progress-monitoring tool, focusing on benefits and limitations as well as indications for use. METHOD Current practices for progress monitoring during language interventions with children with autism and minimal verbal skills are reviewed. A phonemic feature scoring tool is provided to aid clinicians in assessing the accuracy and consistency of expressive word productions. The authors illustrate the use of phonemic feature scoring as a progress-monitoring tool for two children with autism and minimal verbal skills, contrasting the phonemic feature scoring system to correct/incorrect, phoneme-level, and whole-word scoring. RESULTS Case 1 demonstrates a scenario where the child's speech intelligibility is low and clinical use of the phonemic feature scoring system captures discrete changes in speech production progress not represented by correct/incorrect, phoneme-level, and whole-word scoring. However, Case 2 represents a situation where once a child's speech intelligibility improves, the phonemic feature scoring system is no longer needed, and correct/incorrect scoring may be sufficient. CONCLUSION The phonemic feature scoring system allows clinicians to track phonemic feature changes in word productions and provides detailed progress monitoring information, leading to adaptations of the intervention for each individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne R. Pitt
- Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
| | | | - Nancy C. Brady
- Department of Speech-Language-Hearing: Sciences & Disorders, The University of Kansas, Lawrence
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Perkovich E, Laakman A, Mire S, Yoshida H. Conducting head-mounted eye-tracking research with young children with autism and children with increased likelihood of later autism diagnosis. J Neurodev Disord 2024; 16:7. [PMID: 38438975 PMCID: PMC10910727 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-024-09524-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Over the past years, researchers have been using head-mounted eye-tracking systems to study young children's gaze behaviors in everyday activities through which children learn about the world. This method has great potential to further our understanding of how millisecond-level gaze behaviors create multisensory experiences and fluctuate around social environments. While this line of work can yield insight into early perceptual experiences and potential learning mechanisms, the majority of the work is exclusively conducted with typically-developing children. Sensory sensitivities, social-communication difficulties, and challenging behaviors (e.g., disruption, elopement) are common among children with developmental disorders, and they may represent potential methodological challenges for collecting high-quality data. RESULTS In this paper, we describe our research practices of using head-mounted eye trackers with 41 autistic children and 17 children with increased likelihood of later autism diagnosis without auditory or visual impairments, including those who are minimally or nonspeaking and/or have intellectual disabilities. The success rate in gathering data among children with autism was 92.68%. 3 of 41 children failed to complete the play-session, resulting in an 86.36% success rate among 1-4-year-olds and a 100.00% success rate among 5-8-year-olds. 1 of 17 children with increased likelihood of later autism diagnosis failed to complete the play-session, resulting in a success rate of 94.11%. There were numerous "challenging" behaviors relevant to the method. The most common challenging behaviors included taking the eye-tracking device off, elopement, and becoming distressed. Overall, among children with autism, 88.8% of 1-4-year-olds and 29.4% of 5-8-year-olds exhibited at least one challenging behavior. CONCLUSIONS Research capitalizing on this methodology has the potential to reveal early, socially-mediated gaze behaviors that are relevant for autism screening, diagnosis, and intervention purposes. We hope that our efforts in documenting our study methodology will help researchers and clinicians effectively study early naturally-occuring gaze behaviors of children during non-experimental contexts across the spectrum and other developmental disabilities using head-mounted eye-tracking. Ultimately, such applications may increase the generalizability of results, better reflect the diversity of individual characteristics, and offer new ways in which this method can contribute to the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - A Laakman
- University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - S Mire
- Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
| | - H Yoshida
- University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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Siller M, Morgan L, Fuhrmeister S, Wedderburn Q, Schirmer B, Chatson E, Gillespie S. Feasibility and acceptability of a low-resource-intensive, transdiagnostic intervention for children with social-communication challenges in early childhood education settings. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:587-599. [PMID: 37291971 PMCID: PMC10703997 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231179289] [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] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Preschool classrooms provide a unique context for supporting the development of children with social-communication challenges. This study is an uncontrolled clinical trial of an adapted professional development intervention for preschool teachers (Social Emotional Engagement-Knowledge & Skills-Early Childhood). Social Emotional Engagement-Knowledge & Skills-Early Childhood is a low-resource-intensive, transdiagnostic intervention to address the learning needs of children with social-communication challenges and consists of four asynchronous online modules and three synchronous coaching sessions. The current research evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of intervention and research procedures, implemented in authentic early childhood education settings. Participants included one teacher and one target child with social-communication challenges from 25 preschool classrooms, sampled to maximize variability. Overall, the current research revealed high levels of feasibility, with 9 out of 10 benchmarks met: (a) procedures for participant recruitment reliably identified a neurodiverse sample of children with teacher-reported social-communication challenges; (b) teachers showed high levels of program engagement and Social Emotional Engagement-Knowledge & Skills-Early Childhood completion (76%); and (c) results revealed a robust pattern of gains in Social Emotional Engagement-Knowledge & Skills-Early Childhood classrooms and associations among key outcome measures (including active engagement, student teacher relationship, social-communication competencies). Implications for the design of a subsequent, larger effectiveness-implementation hybrid trial (Type 1) are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Siller
- Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA
| | - Lindee Morgan
- Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA
| | | | - Quentin Wedderburn
- Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA
- University of South Carolina, USA
| | - Brooke Schirmer
- Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA
| | - Emma Chatson
- Emory University School of Medicine, USA
- Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, USA
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Underhill JC, Clark J, Hansen RS, Adams H. Exploring Autistic College Students' Perceptions and Management of Peer Stigma: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:1130-1142. [PMID: 36547792 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05867-7] [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] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Autistic college students are often forced to navigate stigma on campus, but little is known about how autistic college students manage communicated stigma. Semi-structured interviews with ten autistic college students were conducted to explore how they manage peer stigma. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to identify three themes from the data: First, participants seek to avoid peer stigma by concealing attributes associated with autism. Next, participants buffer against peer stigma by engaging in favorable social comparison. Finally, participants perceive the autism label as highly stigmatizing, necessitating limited disclosure on campus. These results can help researchers and practitioners focus efforts to promote neurodiversity to both autistic students and their peers on campus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jill C Underhill
- Communication Studies Department, Marshall University, Smith Hall 257, 1 John Marshall Drive, Huntington, WV, 25755, USA.
| | - Jaclyn Clark
- College Program for Students with ASD, West Virginia Autism Training Center, Huntington, USA
| | - Rebecca S Hansen
- College Program for Students with ASD, West Virginia Autism Training Center, Huntington, USA
| | - Hillary Adams
- College Program for Students with ASD, West Virginia Autism Training Center, Huntington, USA
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Lee JD, Terol AK, Yoon CD, Meadan H. Parent-to-parent support among parents of children with autism: A review of the literature. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2024; 28:263-275. [PMID: 36588317 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221146444] [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] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Parents of autistic children have long reported feelings of isolation and increased stress during and after receiving their child's diagnosis. Increasing global prevalence of autism also calls for increased services and supports to meet the needs of these families, but most parents who live in low-resource settings still report exacerbated barriers. This may indicate the need for diversifying intervention delivery models to increase contextual fit and enhance implementation effects for different populations. For example, many parents have reported parent-to-parent (P2P) model to be a source of emotional support, advocacy, and knowledge related to their child's diagnosis, and practical advice. However, little is known about this topic due to the lack of synthesis of relevant autism literature. To address this gap, we conducted a literature review to gain a deeper understanding of how P2P support is used. We identified 25 studies based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria, which we coded to extract variables such as demographic information of participants, types of P2P, dosage, target outcomes, and social validity. About half of studies focused on providing support groups for parents, and the other half focused on individual matching and mentoring for skill acquisition of parents. Across the included 25 studies, a total of 141 parents participated as parent mentors and 747 parents as parent mentees. We also present implications for future research.
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Aplin T, Russi M, Bryant E, Frost D, Sam MA, Lund C, Ong E, Listopad L, Liddle J. A commitment to partnering with people with lived experience: Beginning conversations by exploring preferred language. Aust Occup Ther J 2024; 71:1-3. [PMID: 38321699 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Tammy Aplin
- The Hopkins Centre, Griffith University, Nathan, Australia
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal Board, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Mark Russi
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Emma Bryant
- InsideOut Institute for Eating Disorders, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Dennis Frost
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal partnering research project, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Maureen Ah Sam
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal partnering research project, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Charles Lund
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal partnering research project, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Emily Ong
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal partnering research project, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Laura Listopad
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal partnering research project, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Jacki Liddle
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
- Princess Alexandra Hospital, Woolloongabba, Australia
- Australian Occupational Therapy Journal Board, Melbourne, Australia
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Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by challenges in social interaction and communication and the presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. The importance of early detection of ASD and subsequent early intervention is well documented. Efforts have been made over the years to clarify ASD diagnostic criteria and develop predictive, accurate screening tools and evidence-based, standardized diagnostic instruments to aid in the identification of ASD. In this article, we review the most recent changes in ASD diagnostic criteria in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision, summarize evidence-based instruments for ASD screening and diagnostic evaluations as well as the assessment of co-occurring conditions in ASD, the impact of COVID-19 on ASD assessment, and directions for future research in the field of ASD assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Yu
- University of California, Davis, Sacramento, USA
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Kępińska AP, Johnson JS, Huckins LM. Open Science Practices in Psychiatric Genetics: A Primer. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:110-119. [PMID: 38298792 PMCID: PMC10829621 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Open science ensures that research is transparently reported and freely accessible for all to assess and collaboratively build on. Psychiatric genetics has led among the health sciences in implementing some open science practices in common study designs, such as replication as part of genome-wide association studies. However, thorough open science implementation guidelines are limited and largely not specific to data, privacy, and research conduct challenges in psychiatric genetics. Here, we present a primer of open science practices, including selection of a research topic with patients/nonacademic collaborators, equitable authorship and citation practices, design of replicable, reproducible studies, preregistrations, open data, and privacy issues. We provide tips for informative figures and inclusive, precise reporting. We discuss considerations in working with nonacademic collaborators and distributing research through preprints, blogs, social media, and accessible lecture materials. Finally, we provide extra resources to support every step of the research process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna P. Kępińska
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica S. Johnson
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Psychiatry Department, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Laura M. Huckins
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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De Laet H, Nijhof AD, Wiersema JR. Adults with Autism Prefer Person-First Language in Dutch: A Cross-Country Study. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06192-3. [PMID: 38142248 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06192-3] [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: 11/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
The correct language to refer to someone with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder has received a lot of attention in recent years. Studies in English-speaking countries found a main identity-first language (IFL) preference (e.g. autistic person) opposed to a person-first language preference (PFL) (e.g. person with autism) among adults with autism. However, a recent study conducted in a Dutch-speaking country (the Netherlands) reported a PFL preference (Buijsman et al., 2023). The goal of the current study was to gain insights into language preferences in two Dutch-speaking countries and, in contrast to previous studies, give participants the option to indicate not having a specific language preference. In the current study, we asked 414 Dutch-speaking adults with autism, living either in Belgium or the Netherlands, to fill in an online questionnaire about their language preference. We found that over half of the participants had a PFL preference (54%), followed by having no preference (27%). Only 14% of them had an IFL preference, and 5% proposed another term. Having more years of education was identified as a predictor for having an IFL preference when compared to a PFL preference, while being older predicted having no preference compared to a PFL preference. The majority of Dutch-speaking adults with autism showed a PFL preference, which is in contrast to findings from English-speaking countries, but in accord with a recent study conducted in the Netherlands (Buijsman et al., 2023). Implications of this finding for language use are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah De Laet
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
- EXPLORA, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Annabel D Nijhof
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- EXPLORA, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan R Wiersema
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- EXPLORA, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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18
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Romero C, Kupis L, Goodman ZT, Dirks B, Baez A, Beaumont AL, Cardona SM, Parlade MV, Alessandri M, Nomi JS, Perry LK, Uddin LQ. Pre-pandemic Executive Function Protects Against Pandemic Anxiety in Children with and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06175-4. [PMID: 38038873 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06175-4] [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: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic may have exacerbated depression, anxiety, and executive function (EF) difficulties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). EF skills have been positively associated with mental health outcomes. Here, we probed the psychosocial impacts of pandemic responses in children with and without ASD by relating pre-pandemic EF assessments with anxiety and depression symptoms several months into the pandemic. We found that pre-pandemic inhibition and shifting difficulties, measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, predicted higher risk of anxiety symptoms. These findings are critical for promoting community recovery and maximizing clinical preparedness to support children at increased risk for adverse psychosocial outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celia Romero
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA.
| | - Lauren Kupis
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Zachary T Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Bryce Dirks
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Adriana Baez
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Amy L Beaumont
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Sandra M Cardona
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Meaghan V Parlade
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Michael Alessandri
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Jason S Nomi
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Lynn K Perry
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, 5665 Ponce de Leon Blvd., Coral Gables, FL, 33146, USA
| | - Lucina Q Uddin
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Rothman EF, Heller S, Graham Holmes L. Sexual, physical, and emotional aggression, experienced by autistic vs. non-autistic U.S. college students. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2023; 71:2786-2794. [PMID: 34813724 PMCID: PMC9124722 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1996373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
ObjectiveTo compare rates of aggression victimization for autistic vs. non-autistic U.S. college students. Participants: n = 1,411 autistic and n = 218,430 non-autistic students from 78 colleges. Methods: We used a three-way interaction term to examine moderation of the relationship between autism and sexual, physical and emotional aggression victimization by depression and sense of belonging. Results: Autistic students were nearly twice as likely as non-autistic students to report past-year emotional victimization (44% vs. 26%, p < 0.001), and more likely to report physical victimization (8.4% vs. 5.7%, p < 0.001). Autistic students who experienced sexual assault were 2.23 times more likely than non-autistic students to report it affected academic performance (80.4% vs. 36.0%, p < 0.001). At both low and high levels of depression, sense of belonging was protective against physical and sexual victimization for autistic students more than for non-autistic students. Conclusions: Institutions of higher education should prioritize preventing and responding to interpersonal aggression against autistic students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily F Rothman
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sam Heller
- School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
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20
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Hassett-Walker C. Recovering Individuals' Feelings About Addict and Alcoholic as Stigmatized Terms: Implications for Treatment. Subst Abuse 2023; 17:11782218231213769. [PMID: 38033430 PMCID: PMC10687927 DOI: 10.1177/11782218231213769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Background The current emphasis among addiction treatment providers is to use person-first language, such as "a person with a substance use disorder," as a way to reduce stigma around addiction and resulting barriers to treatment. This study considers how individuals recovering from substance use feel about the terms "alcoholic" and "addict," particularly how they self-identify and whether they believe the terms carry stigma. Method Thirty-five individuals were interviewed, recruited primarily, but not exclusively, from 12-step meetings (Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous), from 3 locations throughout a rural New England state. Interviews were transcribed and coded in Atlas Ti qualitative analysis software, and a content analysis of text coded with "stigma" was conducted. Results Some comments reflected a belief that the terms "addict" and "alcoholic" carry a stigma. However, more comments rejected the notion of these being stigmatized terms; or acknowledged the stigma but reflected the subject's lack of internalizing of any stigma. Comments reflected other themes including a sense of pride, identity and ownership when self-identifying as an addict or alcoholic. Several comments suggested that person-first language is part of a larger movement to "soften everything," without changing the underlying condition (addiction). The findings may reflect the fact that subjects were recruited from 12-step programs, where the convention is to self-identity using the terms "alcoholic" and/or "addict." Conclusions Some individuals seeking treatment for addiction may prefer self-identifying using old-school terminology (addict, alcoholic) rather than person-first language, for a variety of reasons (eg, they do not internalize the stigma of such terms).
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Cairney BE, West SH, Haebig E, Cox CR, Lucas HD. Interpretations of meaningful and ambiguous hand gestures in autistic and non-autistic adults: A norming study. Behav Res Methods 2023:10.3758/s13428-023-02268-1. [PMID: 38012511 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02268-1] [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: 10/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Gestures are ubiquitous in human communication, and a growing but inconsistent body of research suggests that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may process co-speech gestures differently from neurotypical individuals. To facilitate research on this topic, we created a database of 162 gesture videos that have been normed for comprehensibility by both autistic and non-autistic raters. These videos portray an actor performing silent gestures that range from highly meaningful (e.g., iconic gestures) to ambiguous or meaningless. Each video was rated for meaningfulness and given a one-word descriptor by 40 autistic and 40 non-autistic adults, and analyses were conducted to assess the level of within- and across-group agreement. Across gestures, the meaningfulness ratings provided by raters with and without ASD correlated at r > 0.90, indicating a very high level of agreement. Overall, autistic raters produced a more diverse set of verbal labels for each gesture than did non-autistic raters. However, measures of within-gesture semantic similarity among the responses provided by each group did not differ, suggesting that increased variability within the ASD group may have occurred at the lexical rather than semantic level. This study is the first to compare gesture naming between autistic and non-autistic individuals, and the resulting dataset is the first gesture stimulus set for which both groups were equally represented in the norming process. This database also has broad applicability to other areas of research related to gesture processing and comprehension. The video database and accompanying norming data are available on the Open Science Framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brianna E Cairney
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA.
| | - Stanley H West
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Eileen Haebig
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Christopher R Cox
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
| | - Heather D Lucas
- Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA
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22
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Ogletree BT. Continua of Support: A New Direction in the Identity-First/People-First Language Debate. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2023; 32:3077-3079. [PMID: 37699168 DOI: 10.1044/2023_ajslp-23-00147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This letter expresses the opinion that identity-first language and perspectives in care are essential. It argues that all individuals' support needs should be conceptualized along continua. One such continua is support for communication. It suggests that decisions to receive supports should be left to the individual and, when necessary, invested others who can share potential benefits and costs of support/no-support decisions. Dialogue on this important issue is recommended.
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23
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Fusaroli R, Weed E, Rocca R, Fein D, Naigles L. Repeat After Me? Both Children With and Without Autism Commonly Align Their Language With That of Their Caregivers. Cogn Sci 2023; 47:e13369. [PMID: 37905374 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13369] [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: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 10/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Linguistic repetitions in children are conceptualized as negative in children with autism - echolalia, without communicative purpose - and positive in typically developing (TD) children - linguistic alignment involved in shared engagement, common ground and language acquisition. To investigate this apparent contradiction we analyzed spontaneous speech in 67 parent-child dyads from a longitudinal corpus (30 minutes of play activities at 6 visits over 2 years). We included 32 children with autism and 35 linguistically matched TD children (mean age at recruitment 32.76 and 20.27 months). We found a small number of exact repetitions in both groups (roughly 1% of utterances across visits), which increased over time in children with autism and decreased in the TD group. Partial repetitions were much more frequent: children reused caregivers' words at high rates regardless of diagnostic group (24% of utterances at first visit), and this increased in frequency (but not level) over time, faster for TD children (at final visit: 33% for autism, 40% for TD). The same happened for partial repetition of syntax and semantic alignment. However, chance alignment (as measured by surrogate pairs) also increased and findings for developmental changes were reliable only for syntactic and semantic alignment. Children with richer linguistic abilities also displayed a higher tendency to partially re-use their caregivers' language (alignment rates and semantic alignment). This highlights that all children commonly re-used the words, syntax, and topics of their caregivers, albeit with some quantitative differences, and that most repetition was at least potentially productive, with repeated language being re-contextualized and integrated with non-repeated language. The salience of echolalia in ASD might be partially explained by slight differences in frequency, amplified by lower semantic alignment, persistence over time, and expectations of echolalia. More in-depth qualitative and quantitative analyses of how repetitions are used and received in context are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Fusaroli
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University
- Interacting Minds Center, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University
- Linguistic Data Consortium, University of Pennsylvania
| | - Ethan Weed
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University
- Interacting Minds Center, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University
| | - Roberta Rocca
- Department of Linguistics, Cognitive Science and Semiotics, School of Communication and Culture, Aarhus University
- Interacting Minds Center, School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University
| | - Deborah Fein
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut
| | - Letitia Naigles
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut
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Darazsdi Z, Bialka CS. "Oh, you couldn't be autistic": Examining anti-autistic bias and self-esteem in the therapeutic alliance. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:2124-2134. [PMID: 36803046 DOI: 10.1177/13623613231154622] [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] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Many mental health practitioners in the United States are trained to cure or change autistic people. Some of these mental health practitioners may show anti-autistic bias when working with autistic clients. Anti-autistic bias is any kind of bias that degrades, devalues, or others autistic people or autistic traits. Anti-autistic bias is especially problematic when mental health practitioners and clients are engaged in the therapeutic alliance, which is the collaborative relationship between a therapist and client. The therapeutic alliance is one of most important parts of an effective therapeutic relationship. Our interview-based study examined 14 autistic adults' experiences with anti-autistic bias in the therapeutic alliance and the relationship they felt it has on their self-esteem. Results from this research showed that some mental health practitioners expressed hidden and unrealized bias when working with autistic clients, such as making assumptions about what it means to be autistic. Results also showed that some mental health practitioners were intentionally biased and openly harmful to their autistic clients. Both forms of bias negatively affected participant self-esteem. Based on the findings of this study, we offer recommendations to help mental health practitioners and mental health practitioner training programs better serve autistic clients. This study addresses a significant gap in current research on anti-autistic bias in the mental health field and the overall well-being of autistic individuals.
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25
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Lavi R, Stokes MA. Reliability and validity of the Autism Screen for Kids and Youth. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:1968-1982. [PMID: 36688323 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221149542] [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] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT It is important that autistic children be diagnosed as early as possible so their needs can be met and their families can gain important insights into their behavior and interact with them appropriately. However, very few autism screening instruments are appropriate for children who have outgrown early childhood. The Autism Screen for Kids and Youth (ASKY) presents parents of children aged 4-18 years with 30 items that relate to autistic behaviors as defined by the current clinical diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder (DSM-5 ASD). We evaluated the Hebrew instrument's performance on 167 autistic and non-autistic children and adolescents. We found that the ASKY algorithm correctly identified 92% of the autistic individuals as "probable ASD" and correctly identified 72% of the non-autistic individuals as "probable non-ASD," with these classifications showing excellent stability over time. Using total questionnaire score instead of the algorithm improved the ASKY's ability to correctly identify autistic individuals as "probable ASD" and non-autistic individuals as "probable non-ASD" to 93% and 78%, respectively. Overall, the ASKY is a promising instrument for ASD screening of older children.
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Geelhand P, Papastamou F, Belenger M, Clin E, Hickman L, Keating CT, Sowden S. Autism-Related Language Preferences of French-Speaking Autistic Adults: An Online Survey. AUTISM IN ADULTHOOD 2023; 5:275-288. [PMID: 37711584 PMCID: PMC10499185 DOI: 10.1089/aut.2022.0056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Background In recent years, there have been increasing discussions surrounding the appropriate terminology to talk about autism. Initially, this debate revolved around the use of person-first language (e.g., person with autism) versus identity-first language (IFL; e.g., autistic person) but has recently expanded to other autism-related terms (e.g., deficits). However, to date, studies investigating autism-related language preferences have been limited to English-speaking countries, and little is known about preferences in other languages. This study addresses this gap by investigating the language preferences of French-speaking autistic adults. Methods Five hundred and forty-one French-speaking autistic adults (formal diagnosis and self-identified) completed an online survey where they selected terms they preferred to use to talk about: (1) the nomenclature of autism; (2) an autistic person; (3) someone's autistic identity; (4) autism more broadly; (5) the abilities of autistic people; and (6) people without a diagnosis of autism. Participants also revealed more about their language preferences via an open-text response. Results The most preferred terms were "Autisme," "Personne autiste," "Autiste," "Est Autiste," "Différence neurologique/cérébrale," "Différences," "Difficultés," "Personne neurotypique," "Neurotypique," and "Personne non-autiste." To better understand these preferences, participants' open comments were analyzed, revealing further support for IFL and the social model of disability, and a preference for simple, precise, and validated terms. Conclusions These results are consistent with autism terminology preferences in English-speaking countries and provide additional insight into the reasons underlying these preferences. Such work has implications for informing the language of researchers, clinicians, and other professionals in the field, as well as the general public.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippine Geelhand
- ACTE at LaDisco and ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fanny Papastamou
- ACTE at LaDisco and ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Center for Research in Cognition & Neurosciences (CRCN), Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Marie Belenger
- ACTE at LaDisco and ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Elise Clin
- ACTE at LaDisco and ULB Neuroscience Institute, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lydia Hickman
- Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Connor T. Keating
- Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Sophie Sowden
- Centre for Developmental Science, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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27
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Blaine RE, Blaine KP, Cheng K, Banuelos C, Leal A. Priorities, barriers, and facilitators for nutrition-related care for autistic children: a qualitative study comparing interdisciplinary health professional and parent perspectives. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1198177. [PMID: 37650046 PMCID: PMC10465129 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1198177] [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: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Children with autism spectrum disorder often face nutrition-related challenges, such as food selectivity, gastrointestinal issues, overweight and obesity, and inadequate nutrient intake. However, the role of routine nutrition-related screening or care by interdisciplinary health professionals is not well understood. This study aimed to compare the beliefs of health professionals with those of parents of autistic children regarding high-priority nutrition-related challenges, barriers and facilitators to care, and desired education and resources related to nutrition for autistic children. Participants Interdisciplinary health professionals (n = 25) (i.e., pediatricians, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, board certified behavior analysts, registered dietitians) and parents of autistic children (n = 22). Methods The study used semi-structured phone interviews, which were recorded, transcribed, verified, and double-coded using the Framework Method. Results Thematic analysis of transcripts revealed that while health professionals and parents of autistic children shared some perspectives on nutrition-related challenges and care, they also had distinct viewpoints. Parents emphasized the importance of addressing food selectivity, behavioral eating challenges, sensory issues, and sleep disturbances affecting appetite. Both groups acknowledged the need for tailored support, access to an interdisciplinary care team, and reasonable expectations. Some health professionals perceived parents as lacking motivation or the ability to make changes. In contrast, many parents felt that health professionals lacked the knowledge and motivation to take nutrition or growth concerns seriously. Health professionals acknowledged that their lack of knowledge or capacity to provide nutrition education or referrals was a common barrier to care, particularly given limited community resources. Discussion Health professionals who serve autistic children are motivated to address nutrition-related challenges but lack resources related to nutrition. To promote better health outcomes for autistic children, professionals should identify and support parent motivations around nutrition-related care. Both groups expressed interest in accessing autism-specific resources for education, referral, and screening guidance. Future research could explore the development of healthcare training models that improve the competency of health professionals in providing nutrition care and referral for autistic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel E. Blaine
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA, United States
| | - Kevin P. Blaine
- Research Institute, Children’s Hospital of Orange County, Orange, CA, United States
| | - Katie Cheng
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA, United States
| | - Cynthia Banuelos
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA, United States
| | - Aaron Leal
- Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, CA, United States
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Hoare E, Reyes J, Olive L, Willmott C, Steer E, Berk M, Hall K. Neurodiversity in elite sport: a systematic scoping review. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2023; 9:e001575. [PMID: 37342788 PMCID: PMC10277550 DOI: 10.1136/bmjsem-2023-001575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this systematic scoping review is to understand the extent and scope of evidence regarding neurodiversity in elite sport. This systematic scoping review considered epidemiological studies, com mentary and viewpoints papers, systematic review and meta-analyses, and any intervention or clinical treatment, management and practice studies in relation to neurodiversity in elite sport. Case studies and grey literature were ineligible for review. Neurodivergence included neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and specific learning disorders. Elite sport was defined as Olympic, Paralympic, national, international, professional and semiprofessional sport. The final 23 studies included in this review comprised 10 observational studies, 4 systematic/narrative reviews, 6 commentary/position statements and 3 qualitative studies. The literature reflected a major focus on ADHD as a risk factor for concussion and prognosis for postconcussion recovery. Further, there was a focus on the medical management of ADHD, regarding adherence to sporting antidoping regulations. One study focused on the experience of autism in athletes in elite sport settings through qualitative interviews. One study focused on anxiety disorders in elite athletes, with ADHD emerging as a major risk factor. There is a strong rationale for future research to build on the evidence for neurodiversity in elite sport to foster supportive and inclusive elite sporting environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Hoare
- IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Australian Football League, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jonathan Reyes
- Australian Football League, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Turner Institute for Brain & Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Lisa Olive
- IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
- Orygen, National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre of Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Catherine Willmott
- Australian Football League, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Turner Institute for Brain & Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth Hospital, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Emma Steer
- Clinical and Educational and Developmental Psychologist, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michael Berk
- IMPACT, The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Orygen, National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Centre of Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kate Hall
- Australian Football League, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
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29
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Stott J, Wright T, Holmes J, Wilson J, Griffiths-Jones S, Foster D, Wright B. A systematic review of non-coding RNA genes with differential expression profiles associated with autism spectrum disorders. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287131. [PMID: 37319303 PMCID: PMC10270643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS To identify differential expression of shorter non-coding RNA (ncRNA) genes associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). BACKGROUND ncRNA are functional molecules that derive from non-translated DNA sequence. The HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC) have approved ncRNA gene classes with alignment to the reference human genome. One subset is microRNA (miRNA), which are highly conserved, short RNA molecules that regulate gene expression by direct post-transcriptional repression of messenger RNA. Several miRNA genes are implicated in the development and regulation of the nervous system. Expression of miRNA genes in ASD cohorts have been examined by multiple research groups. Other shorter classes of ncRNA have been examined less. A comprehensive systematic review examining expression of shorter ncRNA gene classes in ASD is timely to inform the direction of research. METHODS We extracted data from studies examining ncRNA gene expression in ASD compared with non-ASD controls. We included studies on miRNA, piwi-interacting RNA (piRNA), small NF90 (ILF3) associated RNA (snaR), small nuclear RNA (snRNA), small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), vault RNA (vtRNA) and Y RNA. The following electronic databases were searched: Cochrane Library, EMBASE, PubMed, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ERIC, AMED and CINAHL for papers published from January 2000 to May 2022. Studies were screened by two independent investigators with a third resolving discrepancies. Data was extracted from eligible papers. RESULTS Forty-eight eligible studies were included in our systematic review with the majority examining miRNA gene expression alone. Sixty-four miRNA genes had differential expression in ASD compared to controls as reported in two or more studies, but often in opposing directions. Four miRNA genes had differential expression in the same direction in the same tissue type in at least 3 separate studies. Increased expression was reported in miR-106b-5p, miR-155-5p and miR-146a-5p in blood, post-mortem brain, and across several tissue types, respectively. Decreased expression was reported in miR-328-3p in bloods samples. Seven studies examined differential expression from other classes of ncRNA, including piRNA, snRNA, snoRNA and Y RNA. No individual ncRNA genes were reported in more than one study. Six studies reported differentially expressed snoRNA genes in ASD. A meta-analysis was not possible because of inconsistent methodologies, disparate tissue types examined, and varying forms of data presented. CONCLUSION There is limited but promising evidence associating the expression of certain miRNA genes and ASD, although the studies are of variable methodological quality and the results are largely inconsistent. There is emerging evidence associating differential expression of snoRNA genes in ASD. It is not currently possible to say whether the reports of differential expression in ncRNA may relate to ASD aetiology, a response to shared environmental factors linked to ASD such as sleep and nutrition, other molecular functions, human diversity, or chance findings. To improve our understanding of any potential association, we recommend improved and standardised methodologies and reporting of raw data. Further high-quality research is required to shine a light on possible associations, which may yet yield important information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon Stott
- Child Oriented Mental Health Intervention Collaborative (COMIC), University of York in Collaboration with Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, York, United Kingdom
- Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Foss Park Hospital, York, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Wright
- Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Clinical Genetics Service, Saint Mary’s Hospital, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, United Kingdom
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Jannah Holmes
- Child Oriented Mental Health Intervention Collaborative (COMIC), University of York in Collaboration with Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, York, United Kingdom
- Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Julie Wilson
- Department of Mathematics, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
| | - Sam Griffiths-Jones
- Division of Evolution, Infection and Genomics, School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Deborah Foster
- Tees, Esk & Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust, Foss Park Hospital, York, United Kingdom
| | - Barry Wright
- Child Oriented Mental Health Intervention Collaborative (COMIC), University of York in Collaboration with Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, York, United Kingdom
- Hull York Medical School, University of York, Heslington, York, United Kingdom
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Moore L, Larkin F, Foley S. Mental Health Professionals' Experiences of Adapting Mental Health Interventions for Autistic Adults: A Systematic Review and Thematic Synthesis. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06006-6. [PMID: 37179522 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06006-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/23/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Autistic adults experience high rates of metal health difficulties and face significant barriers to accessing appropriate mental health care. Empirical research and recent professional guidelines emphasise the importance of modifying standard mental health interventions to best meet the needs of autistic adults. This systematic review explored mental health professionals' experiences of adapting mental health interventions for autistic adults. A systematic search was conducted on CINAHL, PsychINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science in July 2022. The findings from 13 identified studies were synthesised using thematic synthesis. Three major analytical themes were generated, the unique experience of adapting interventions for autistic clients, factors which facilitate successful adaptations, and challenges to adapting interventions. Each theme contained a number of subsequent sub-themes. Professionals view the process of adapting interventions to be a highly individualised process. A range of personal traits, professional experiences, and systemic, service-based issues were identified in facilitating or challenging this individualised process. Further research regarding adaptations with different intervention models and increased supportive resources are required to enable professionals to successfully adapt interventions for autistic adult clients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Moore
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| | - Fionnuala Larkin
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sarah Foley
- School of Applied Psychology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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31
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Kiep M, Spek A, Ceulemans E, Noens I. Sensory Processing and Executive Functioning in Autistic Adults. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06008-4. [PMID: 37171766 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06008-4] [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: 05/01/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE One of the core features that can be experienced by adults on the autism spectrum is hyper- and hyporeactivity to sensory stimuli. Research suggests that executive functioning (EF) impairments are related to sensory issues. In this study the relationship between sensory processing issues and EF was investigated. We expected sensory processing issues to predict EF impairments. METHODS Thirty men and 30 women on the autism spectrum, 20 men and 24 women without autism were included and matched on intelligence and age. Group comparisons were conducted to determine if groups differed regarding self-reported sensory processing issues (GSQ-NL) and self-reports on EF (BRIEF-A). Correlational and regression analyses were carried out to investigate the relationship between self-reports on GSQ-NL and BRIEF-A. RESULTS We found significant differences between men and women on the spectrum with regard to sensory processing issues and EF. Hyporeactivity to sensory information explained most of the EF problems. CONCLUSION Clinicians should be aware of differences in sensory experiences between adults on the spectrum and non-autistic adults and differences between men and women during assessment and subsequent counselling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Kiep
- Autisme Expertise Centrum, Eemnes, Netherlands.
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
- Leuven Autism Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
| | | | - Eva Ceulemans
- Quantative Psychology and Inaffiliationidual Differences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Ilse Noens
- Parenting and Special Education Research Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
- Leuven Autism Research, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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32
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Langer A, Marshall PJ, Levy-Tzedek S. Ethical Considerations in Child-Robot Interactions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 151:105230. [PMID: 37169271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105230] [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: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 04/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Social robots hold promise in augmenting education, rehabilitative care, and leisure activities for children. Despite findings suggesting various benefits of social robot use in schools, clinics, and homes, stakeholders have voiced concerns about the potential social and emotional effects of children engaging in long-term interactions with robots. Given the challenges of conducting large long-term studies of child-robot interaction (CRI), little is known about the impact of CRI on children's socio-emotional development. Here we summarize the literature on predictions and expectations of teachers, parents, therapists, and children regarding the effects of CRI on children's socio-emotional functioning and skill building. We then highlight the limited body of empirical research examining how CRI affects children's social behavior and emotional expression, and we provide a summary of available questionnaires for measuring socio-emotional constructs relevant to CRI. We conclude with design recommendations for research studies aimed at better understanding the effects of CRI, before social robots become more ubiquitous. This review is relevant to researchers, educators, roboticists, and clinicians interested in designing and using social robots with developmental populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Langer
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Peter J Marshall
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Shelly Levy-Tzedek
- Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Zelman Center for Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies (FRIAS), University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
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33
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Zhang J, Guo X, Zhang W, Liu D, Chen P, Zhang Y, Ru X. Maternal Variability of Amplitudes of Frequency Fluctuations Is Related to the Progressive Self-Other Transposition Group Intervention in Autistic Children. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13050774. [PMID: 37239246 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13050774] [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] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The self-to-other model of empathy (SOME) states that a key reason for the empathic deficiency in autistic individuals is the imbalance of the self-other switch. The existing interventions of theory of mind contain training of self-other transposition ability but combined with other cognitive trainings. The self-other distinction brain areas of autistic individuals have been revealed, but the brain areas of the self-other transposition ability and its intervention have not been investigated. There are normalized amplitudes of low-frequency fluctuations (mALFFs) within 0.01-0.1 Hz and many normalized amplitudes of frequency fluctuations (mAFFs) within 0-0.01, 0.01-0.05, 0.05-0.1, 0.1-0.15, 0.15-0.2, and 0.2-0.25 Hz. Therefore, the current study established a progressive self-other transposition group intervention to specifically and systematically improve autistic children's self-other transposition abilities. The transposition test with a three mountains test, an unexpected location test, and a deception test was used to directly measure autistic children's transposition abilities. The Interpersonal Responsiveness Index Empathy Questionnaire with perspective-taking and fantasy subscales (IRI-T) was used to indirectly measure autistic children's transposition abilities. The Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) was used to measure autistic children's autism symptoms. The experiment was designed with two (intervention: experimental group vs. control group) independent variables and two (test time: pretest vs. posttest or tracking test) × three (test: transposition test vs. IRI-T test vs. ATEC test) dependent variables. Furthermore, it used eyes-closed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate and compare the relevant maternal mALFFs and average energy rank and energy rank variability of mAFFs of autistic children's transposition abilities, autism symptoms, and intervention effects. The results showed the following: (1) There were many improvements (pretest vs. posttest or tracking test) greater than chance 0 in the experimental group, such as the three mountains, lie, transposition, PT, IRI-T, PT tracking, cognition, behavior, ATEC, language tracking, cognition tracking, behavior tracking, and ATEC tracking improvements. However, there was no improvement greater than chance 0 in the control group. (2) The maternal mALFFs and maternal average energy rank and energy rank variability of mAFFs could predict the autistic children's transposition abilities, autism symptoms, and intervention effects with some overlap and some difference in maternal self-other distinction, sensorimotor, visual, facial expression recognition, language, memory and emotion, and self-consciousness networks. These results indicated that the progressive self-other transposition group intervention successfully improved autistic children's transposition abilities and reduced their autism symptoms; the intervention effects could be applied to daily life and last up to a month. The maternal mALFFs, average energy rank, and energy rank variability of mAFFs were three effective neural indictors of autistic children's transposition abilities, autism symptoms, and intervention effects, and the average energy rank and energy rank variability of mAFFs were two new neural indictors established in the current study. The maternal neural markers of the progressive self-other transposition group intervention effects for autistic children were found in part.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianxin Zhang
- The Autism Research Center, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- School of Education, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214122, China
| | - Xiaorong Guo
- Department of Radiology, Dushu Lake Public Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Weiguo Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Dushu Lake Public Hospital Affiliated to Soochow University, Medical Center of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Dianzhi Liu
- The Autism Research Center, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Peiqi Chen
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yuqing Zhang
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Ru
- School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
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Crawshaw D. Should We Continue to Tell Autistic People that Their Brains are Different? Psychol Rep 2023:332941231174391. [PMID: 37147123 DOI: 10.1177/00332941231174391] [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: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Autism is often considered to reflect categorically 'different brains'. Neuropsychological research on autism spectrum disorder (ASD) however, has struggled to define this difference, or derive clear-cut boundaries between autism and non-autism. Consequently, restructuring or disbanding the ASD diagnosis is becoming increasingly advocated within research. Nonetheless, autism now exists as a salient social construction, of which 'difference' is a key facet. Clinical and educational professionals must influence this cautiously, as changes to autism's social construction may counterproductively affect the quality of life of autistic people. This paper therefore reviews ASD's value as both neuropsychological and social constructs. Although lacking neuropsychological validity, the autism label may be beneficial for autistic self-identity, reduction of stigma, and administering support. Whilst a shift away from case-control ASD research is warranted, lay notions of 'different brains' may be preserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Crawshaw
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
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35
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D'Mello AM, Frosch IR, Meisler SL, Grotzinger H, Perrachione TK, Gabrieli JDE. Diminished Repetition Suppression Reveals Selective and Systems-Level Face Processing Differences in ASD. J Neurosci 2023; 43:1952-1962. [PMID: 36759192 PMCID: PMC10027049 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0608-22.2023] [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: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Repeated exposure to a stimulus results in reduced neural response, or repetition suppression, in brain regions responsible for processing that stimulus. This rapid accommodation to repetition is thought to underlie learning, stimulus selectivity, and strengthening of perceptual expectations. Importantly, reduced sensitivity to repetition has been identified in several neurodevelopmental, learning, and psychiatric disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by challenges in social communication and repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Reduced ability to exploit or learn from repetition in ASD is hypothesized to contribute to sensory hypersensitivities, and parallels several theoretical frameworks claiming that ASD individuals show difficulty using regularities in the environment to facilitate behavior. Using fMRI in autistic and neurotypical human adults (females and males), we assessed the status of repetition suppression across two modalities (vision, audition) and with four stimulus categories (faces, objects, printed words, and spoken words). ASD individuals showed domain-specific reductions in repetition suppression for face stimuli only, but not for objects, printed words, or spoken words. Reduced repetition suppression for faces was associated with greater challenges in social communication in ASD. We also found altered functional connectivity between atypically adapting cortical regions and higher-order face recognition regions, and microstructural differences in related white matter tracts in ASD. These results suggest that fundamental neural mechanisms and system-wide circuits are selectively altered for face processing in ASD and enhance our understanding of how disruptions in the formation of stable face representations may relate to higher-order social communication processes.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A common finding in neuroscience is that repetition results in plasticity in stimulus-specific processing regions, reflecting selectivity and adaptation (repetition suppression [RS]). RS is reduced in several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Theoretical frameworks of ASD posit that reduced adaptation may contribute to associated challenges in social communication and sensory processing. However, the scope of RS differences in ASD is unknown. We examined RS for multiple categories across visual and auditory domains (faces, objects, printed words, spoken words) in autistic and neurotypical individuals. We found reduced RS in ASD for face stimuli only and altered functional connectivity and white matter microstructure between cortical face-recognition areas. RS magnitude correlated with social communication challenges among autistic individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anila M D'Mello
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - Isabelle R Frosch
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - Steven L Meisler
- Program in Speech and Hearing Bioscience and Technology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02115
| | - Hannah Grotzinger
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
| | - Tyler K Perrachione
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215
| | - John D E Gabrieli
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research and Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 02139
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Muir R, Coe M. ‘Out of Sight, But Not Out of Mind’: A Collaborative Reflective Case Study on Including Participants with Invisible Disabilities in LIS Research. JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN LIBRARY AND INFORMATION ASSOCIATION 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/24750158.2023.2168115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Muir
- School of Information and Communication Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia
| | - Mary Coe
- School of Information and Communication Studies, Charles Sturt University, Wagga Wagga, Australia
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37
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Taboas A, Doepke K, Zimmerman C. Preferences for identity-first versus person-first language in a US sample of autism stakeholders. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2023; 27:565-570. [PMID: 36237135 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221130845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 34.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT There is currently disagreement among professionals (such as teachers, therapists, researchers, and clinicians) about the most appropriate and respectful way to refer to individuals with disabilities in general, and those with autism, in particular. Supporters of person-first language feel that it is important to emphasize the person rather than the disorder or disability, and promote the use of terms such as, "person with autism" or "a person with ASD." The goal is to reduce stereotypes and discrimination and emphasize the person's individuality rather than their disability. However, some people within the autism community have questioned the use of person-first terms because they are awkward and use an unconventional style of language that draws attention to the disability. Moreover, autistic individuals and their families are beginning to support the use of identity-first language that embraces all aspects of one's identity. Surveys in the United Kingdom and Australia support the idea that both types of language are preferred by different groups of autism stakeholder groups. In our study, we surveyed autism stakeholders in the United States. Overwhelmingly, autistic adults (n = 299) preferred identity-first language terms to refer to themselves or others with autism. Professionals who work in the autism community (n = 207) were more likely to support and use person-first language. Language is dynamic and our findings support the need for open communication among autism professionals about how we communicate with and about autistic individuals and their families.
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"It Defines Who I Am" or "It's Something I Have": What Language Do [Autistic] Australian Adults [on the Autism Spectrum] Prefer? J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:677-687. [PMID: 32112234 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04425-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 141] [Impact Index Per Article: 141.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
There has been a recent shift from person-first to identity-first language to describe autism. In this study, Australian adults who reported having a diagnosis of autism (N = 198) rated and ranked autism-terms for preference and offensiveness, and explained their choice in free-text. 'Autistic', 'Person on the Autism Spectrum', and 'Autistic Person' were rated most preferred and least offensive overall. Ranked-means showed 'person on the autism spectrum' was the most preferred term overall. Six qualitative themes reflected (1) autism as core to, or (2) part of one's identity, (3) 'spectrum' reflecting diversity, (4) the rejection of stigmatising and (5) medicalised language, and (6) pragmatics. These findings highlight the importance of inclusive dialogue regarding individual language preference.
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Maltman N, Hilvert E, Friedman L, Sterling A. Comparison of Linguistic Error Production in Conversational Language Among Boys With Fragile X Syndrome + Autism Spectrum Disorder and Autistic Boys. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2023; 66:296-313. [PMID: 36599155 PMCID: PMC10023176 DOI: 10.1044/2022_jslhr-22-00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Expressive language impairments are common among school-age boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autistic boys. Given the high co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among individuals with FXS, cross-condition comparisons can elucidate the specificity of such impairments as they relate to ASD. Language samples can provide fruitful information regarding individuals' grammatical skills in less structured formats relative to standardized measures. This study examined grammatical errors produced during a conversational language sample among 20 boys with FXS and co-occurring ASD (FXS + ASD) and 19 autistic boys matched on ASD severity. METHOD Language samples were coded for omissions and errors at the word and utterance levels. Participants' grammatical errors were also compared to separate mental age-matched and mean length of utterance-matched boys from a reference database. RESULTS Boys with FXS + ASD and autistic boys produced similar rates of errors across all categories. Relative to their matched comparison groups, boys with FXS + ASD and autistic boys produced significantly more omissions during conversation. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that omissions may be a unique grammatical marker associated with the ASD phenotype. Further examination of omissions across diagnostic groups would aid in clarifying the specificity of omissions in the language phenotype of ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Laura Friedman
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | - Audra Sterling
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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40
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Wang M, Jeon M. Assistive technology for adults on the autism spectrum: A systematic survey. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION 2023; 40:2433-2452. [PMID: 38784821 PMCID: PMC11114460 DOI: 10.1080/10447318.2022.2163568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
While the needs and care for children on the autism spectrum have been widely investigated, the intervention and services available to autistic adults have been overlooked for a long time. This survey paper reviewed 32 articles that described and evaluated assistive technologies that have been developed and evaluated through a complete circle of interactive product design from ideation, prototype, and user evaluation. These assistive technologies aim to improve independence and living quality in autistic adults. We extracted information from the perspective of requirement gathering, technology designing, and effectiveness of evaluation in the design cycle. We found a general lack of requirements-driven design, and the evaluation process was not standardized either. The lack of requirement gathering results in designs purely based on existing literature without targeting actual user needs. Our synthesis of included paper contributes to developing iterative design considerations in assistive technologies for autistic adults. We also suggest that assistive technologies for autistic adults shift some attention from assisting only autistic adults who require at least substantial support to embracing also those who have been living independently but rather have difficulties in social interaction. Assistive technologies for them have the potentials to help them consolidate and enhance their experiences in independent living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manhua Wang
- Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States
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41
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Botha M, Hanlon J, Williams GL. Does Language Matter? Identity-First Versus Person-First Language Use in Autism Research: A Response to Vivanti. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:870-878. [PMID: 33474662 PMCID: PMC7817071 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-020-04858-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 102.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In response to Vivanti's 'Ask The Editor…' paper [Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 50(2), 691-693], we argue that the use of language in autism research has material consequences for autistic people including stigmatisation, dehumanisation, and violence. Further, that the debate in the use of person-first language versus identity-first language should centre first and foremost on the needs, autonomy, and rights of autistic people, so in to preserve their rights to self-determination. Lastly, we provide directions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Botha
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Stag Hill Campus, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 7XH, UK. .,Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | - Jacqueline Hanlon
- LLM Gender, Conflict & Human Rights, Transitional Justice Institute, Ulster University, Jordanstown, UK
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Truong DM, Mire SS, Day SX, Ni L, Keller-Margulis M. A cross-cultural comparison of a measure of parent perceptions among families of children with autism in Vietnam. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 27:997-1010. [PMID: 36510836 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221141262] [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: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT Raising an autistic child can affect many aspects of families' lives. Parents are responsible for many decisions, from initiating evaluation to selecting and implementing treatments. How parents conceptualize the course and nature of their child's diagnosis influences these processes and parents' own well-being. Parents' perceptions about their children's autism are also affected by cultural contexts and understanding of autism. The Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) is widely used to study cognitions in chronic health research and has been adapted and validated to measure parents' perceptions and beliefs about their children's ASD (IPQ-R-ASD). However, such studies are mostly conducted in high-income countries (HICs) with western, individualistic cultural values (e.g. United States, Canada). Therefore, it is unclear whether the IPQ-R-ASD is a useful instrument in understanding parents' perceptions of autism in Vietnam, a lower- and middle-income country (LMIC) with collectivistic Asian cultural values. These differences suggest that parents in Vietnam may have cognitive representations of their children's autism that differ from those of parents living in HIC, western countries. The purpose of this study was to examine the usability of the translated Vietnamese IPQ-R-ASD that may, ultimately, help explore Vietnamese parents' autism perceptions. While the study's result indicated the usability of the translated measure in Vietnam, when interpreted with Vietnamese norms, results also highlighted notable differences between Vietnamese and North American parents' perceptions of autism that warrant further research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Lan Ni
- University of Houston, USA
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Bury SM, Jellett R, Haschek A, Wenzel M, Hedley D, Spoor JR. Understanding language preference: Autism knowledge, experience of stigma and autism identity. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022:13623613221142383. [PMID: 36510834 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221142383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
LAY ABSTRACT There is ongoing discussion around what language is acceptable when talking about someone with an autism diagnosis, especially regarding person-first (e.g. person with autism) or identity-first (e.g. autistic person) language. We asked 198 Australian adults with an autism diagnosis what terminology they prefer and what they find offensive. We also asked questions to understand their experience of stigma, their autism knowledge and how much they endorse an autism identity, to investigate if these factors were associated with their language preferences. Overall, there was no significant association between these three factors and person-first terminology. For identity-first terms, those who endorse a stronger autism identity tended to find identity-first terms more preferable and less offensive, whereas those who reported greater experiences and internalisation of stigma tended to find identity-first terms less preferable and more offensive. Previous research has tended to ask what language participants prefer. The findings of this work help provide some context as to why people prefer or find offensive specific terms, at least for identity-first language.
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Lei J, Charman T, Leigh E, Russell A, Mohamed Z, Hollocks MJ. Examining the relationship between cognitive inflexibility and internalizing and externalizing symptoms in autistic children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Autism Res 2022; 15:2265-2295. [PMID: 36196666 PMCID: PMC10092776 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2826] [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: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Compared to neurotypical peers, autistic adolescents show greater cognitive inflexibility (CI) which manifests at the behavioral and cognitive level and potentially increases vulnerability for the development of internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) symptoms. This systematic review and meta-analysis explored the association between CI and INT/EXT in autistic adolescents. PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science databases were searched to identify relevant studies until April 2022 (PROSPERO protocol: CRD42021277294). Systematic review included 21 studies (n = 1608) of CI and INT, and 15 studies (n = 1115) of CI and EXT. A pooled effect size using Pearson's correlation between CI and INT/EXT was calculated and the moderating effects of age, sex, IQ and study quality were investigated using meta-regressions. Sensitivity analyses were completed to investigate the impact of measure variance for CI and co-occurring ADHD on the overall effects. Greater CI is associated with increased INT (nine studies; n = 833; r = 0.39 (moderate effect), 95% confidence interval [0.32, 0.46]) and EXT (six studies; n = 295; r = 0.48 (large effect), 95% confidence interval [0.38, 0.58]). Results withheld when only using parental reports of CI and excluding autistic adolescents with co-occurring ADHD. Increased CI may be a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor that can increase autistic adolescents' rigid or perseverative patterns of unhelpful cognition and behaviors and reduce their ability to access psychological interventions. Addressing CI may improve autistic children and adolescents' engagement with psychological therapy for co-occurring mental health difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiedi Lei
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Eleanor Leigh
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ailsa Russell
- Centre for Applied Autism Research, Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Zameer Mohamed
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Matthew J Hollocks
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.,South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
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Botha M, Cage E. "Autism research is in crisis": A mixed method study of researcher's constructions of autistic people and autism research. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1050897. [PMID: 36506950 PMCID: PMC9730396 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1050897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction While not all autism research is ableism, autism researchers can be ableist, including by talking about autistic people in sub-human terms (dehumanization), treating autistic people like objects (objectification), and making othering statements which set autistic people apart from non-autistic people, and below in status (stigmatization). Method This mixed-method study aimed to investigate how autism researchers construct autistic people and autism research, and to investigate whether including autistic people more in research relates to lower ableism in narratives about autistic people. We used a survey with autism researchers (N = 195) asking five open-ended questions about autism and autism research, as well as demographics, career length, contact with autistic people (familial and non-familial) and degree to which researchers involve autistic people in their research. We used content analysis to categorize narratives used by autism researchers and cues for ableism (dehumanization, objectification, and stigmatization). We then used binary-logistic regression to identify whether narrative or higher inclusion of autistic people predicted fewer ableist cues, controlling for career length and connections to autistic people. Results and discussion Using medicalized narratives of autism predicted higher odds of ableist cues compared to employing social model or neutral embodiment narratives. Greater inclusion of autistic people in research predicted significantly lower odds of ableist cues, while controlling for other contact with autistic people and career length. Next, we used reflexive thematic analysis to analyze researcher's perceptions of autistic people and autism research. Narratives reflected core ideological disagreements of the field, such as whether researchers consider autism to be an intrinsic barrier to a good life, and whether researchers prioritize research which tackles "autism" versus barriers to societal inclusion for autistic people. Instrumentality (a form of objectification) was key to whether researchers considered a person to have social value with emphasis revolving around intellectual ability and independence. Lastly, language seemed to act as a tool of normalization of violence. Researchers relied on an amorphous idea of "autism" when talking about prevention or eradication, potentially because it sounds more palatable than talking about preventing "autistic people," despite autism only existing within the context of autistic people.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monique Botha
- Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
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An Intersectional Examination of Disability and Race Models in Behavior-Analytic Practice. BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ISSUES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42822-022-00116-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Trost B, Thiruvahindrapuram B, Chan AJS, Engchuan W, Higginbotham EJ, Howe JL, Loureiro LO, Reuter MS, Roshandel D, Whitney J, Zarrei M, Bookman M, Somerville C, Shaath R, Abdi M, Aliyev E, Patel RV, Nalpathamkalam T, Pellecchia G, Hamdan O, Kaur G, Wang Z, MacDonald JR, Wei J, Sung WWL, Lamoureux S, Hoang N, Selvanayagam T, Deflaux N, Geng M, Ghaffari S, Bates J, Young EJ, Ding Q, Shum C, D'Abate L, Bradley CA, Rutherford A, Aguda V, Apresto B, Chen N, Desai S, Du X, Fong MLY, Pullenayegum S, Samler K, Wang T, Ho K, Paton T, Pereira SL, Herbrick JA, Wintle RF, Fuerth J, Noppornpitak J, Ward H, Magee P, Al Baz A, Kajendirarajah U, Kapadia S, Vlasblom J, Valluri M, Green J, Seifer V, Quirbach M, Rennie O, Kelley E, Masjedi N, Lord C, Szego MJ, Zawati MH, Lang M, Strug LJ, Marshall CR, Costain G, Calli K, Iaboni A, Yusuf A, Ambrozewicz P, Gallagher L, Amaral DG, Brian J, Elsabbagh M, Georgiades S, Messinger DS, Ozonoff S, Sebat J, Sjaarda C, Smith IM, Szatmari P, Zwaigenbaum L, Kushki A, Frazier TW, Vorstman JAS, Fakhro KA, Fernandez BA, Lewis MES, Weksberg R, Fiume M, Yuen RKC, Anagnostou E, Sondheimer N, Glazer D, Hartley DM, Scherer SW. Genomic architecture of autism from comprehensive whole-genome sequence annotation. Cell 2022; 185:4409-4427.e18. [PMID: 36368308 PMCID: PMC10726699 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Fully understanding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) genetics requires whole-genome sequencing (WGS). We present the latest release of the Autism Speaks MSSNG resource, which includes WGS data from 5,100 individuals with ASD and 6,212 non-ASD parents and siblings (total n = 11,312). Examining a wide variety of genetic variants in MSSNG and the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC; n = 9,205), we identified ASD-associated rare variants in 718/5,100 individuals with ASD from MSSNG (14.1%) and 350/2,419 from SSC (14.5%). Considering genomic architecture, 52% were nuclear sequence-level variants, 46% were nuclear structural variants (including copy-number variants, inversions, large insertions, uniparental isodisomies, and tandem repeat expansions), and 2% were mitochondrial variants. Our study provides a guidebook for exploring genotype-phenotype correlations in families who carry ASD-associated rare variants and serves as an entry point to the expanded studies required to dissect the etiology in the ∼85% of the ASD population that remain idiopathic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brett Trost
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | | | - Ada J S Chan
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Worrawat Engchuan
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Edward J Higginbotham
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Jennifer L Howe
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Livia O Loureiro
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Miriam S Reuter
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; CGEn, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Delnaz Roshandel
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Joe Whitney
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Mehdi Zarrei
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | | | - Cherith Somerville
- Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Rulan Shaath
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Mona Abdi
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar; College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Elbay Aliyev
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar
| | - Rohan V Patel
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Thomas Nalpathamkalam
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Giovanna Pellecchia
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Omar Hamdan
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Gaganjot Kaur
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Zhuozhi Wang
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Jeffrey R MacDonald
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - John Wei
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Wilson W L Sung
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Sylvia Lamoureux
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Ny Hoang
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Genetic Counselling, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Thanuja Selvanayagam
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Genetic Counselling, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Nicole Deflaux
- Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Melissa Geng
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Siavash Ghaffari
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - John Bates
- Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | - Edwin J Young
- Genome Diagnostics, Department of Paediatric Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Qiliang Ding
- Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Carole Shum
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Lia D'Abate
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Clarrisa A Bradley
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Neurosciences and Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Annabel Rutherford
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Vernie Aguda
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Beverly Apresto
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Nan Chen
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Sachin Desai
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Xiaoyan Du
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Matthew L Y Fong
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Sanjeev Pullenayegum
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Kozue Samler
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Ting Wang
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Karen Ho
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Tara Paton
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Sergio L Pereira
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Jo-Anne Herbrick
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Richard F Wintle
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Olivia Rennie
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Kelley
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 7X3, Canada
| | - Nina Masjedi
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Catherine Lord
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Michael J Szego
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1V7, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Ma'n H Zawati
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Michael Lang
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0C7, Canada
| | - Lisa J Strug
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G3, Canada
| | - Christian R Marshall
- Genome Diagnostics, Department of Paediatric Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Gregory Costain
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Kristina Calli
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Alana Iaboni
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada
| | - Afiqah Yusuf
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Patricia Ambrozewicz
- Autism Research Unit, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Psychology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - Louise Gallagher
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland; Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Child, Youth and Family Services, The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - David G Amaral
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Jessica Brian
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Stelios Georgiades
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N 3K7, Canada
| | | | - Sally Ozonoff
- MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Jonathan Sebat
- Department of Psychiatry and Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Calvin Sjaarda
- Department of Psychiatry, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7L 7X3, Canada; Queen's Genomics Lab at Ongwanada, Queen's University, Kingston, ON K7M 8A6, Canada
| | - Isabel M Smith
- Department of Pediatrics, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; IWK Health Centre, Halifax, NS B3K 6R8, Canada
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Department of Psychiatry, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON M6J 1H4, Canada
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 1C9, Canada
| | - Azadeh Kushki
- Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3G9, Canada
| | - Thomas W Frazier
- Autism Speaks, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA; Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, Cleveland, OH 44118, USA
| | - Jacob A S Vorstman
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 1R8, Canada
| | - Khalid A Fakhro
- Department of Human Genetics, Sidra Medicine, Doha, Qatar; College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar; Department of Genetic Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, Doha, Qatar
| | - Bridget A Fernandez
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90027, USA; Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - M E Suzanne Lewis
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4, Canada
| | - Rosanna Weksberg
- Division of Clinical and Metabolic Genetics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | | | - Ryan K C Yuen
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Evdokia Anagnostou
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada; Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON M4G 1R8, Canada
| | - Neal Sondheimer
- Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1X8, Canada
| | - David Glazer
- Verily Life Sciences, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Stephen W Scherer
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Genetics and Genome Biology Program, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; McLaughlin Centre, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada.
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Autism Spectrum Disorders Across the Life Course and Occupational Therapy Services. Am J Occup Ther 2022; 76:24007. [PMID: 36735992 DOI: 10.5014/ajot.2022.76s3002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary purpose of this position statement is to define the role of occupational therapy and the scope of occupational therapy services available for persons on the autism spectrum to audiences external to the occupational therapy profession. In addition, this document is intended to articulate for occupational therapy practitioners the role and support of the practice of occupational therapy for this population.1.
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Karaminis T, Gabrielatos C, Maden-Weinberger U, Beattie G. Portrayals of autism in the British press: A corpus-based study. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2022; 27:1092-1114. [PMID: 36317371 PMCID: PMC10108331 DOI: 10.1177/13623613221131752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Press representations of autism and autistic people both reflect and help shape public attitudes towards autism and neurodiversity and may establish critical barriers to social integration for autistic individuals. This study examined such representations in UK newspapers in the period 2011–2020 using a corpus-based approach. It also considered how press representations changed over time and differed with regard to reporting style (tabloids vs broadsheets) and political orientation (left- vs right-leaning). We created the Autism UK Press Corpus, which included all documents (~24K) referring to autism in 10 national newspapers. We used document counts (normalised by newspaper size) to assess the ‘newsworthiness’ of autism. We also employed a synergy of corpus-based and critical-discourse-analysis methodologies to study lexicogrammatical patterns and uncover explicit and implicit attitudes towards autism. Our results showed that the coverage of autism increased slightly over time, especially in broadsheets and left-leaning newspapers. Newspapers emphasised adversities associated with autism, often used negative language, and tended to focus on boys. These representations shifted gradually towards more difference-based descriptions and included more diverse age/gender groups, especially in broadsheets and left-leaning newspapers. We discuss the broad implications of these findings for the autism community and those interested in a more inclusive society. Lay abstract Any thriving society must recognise, accept and celebrate all of its diverse talent. But how accepting is British society towards autism and autistic people? This research addressed this question through the lens of the press since the press both reflects and helps shape public attitudes towards various social categories. We used specialised ‘corpus-based’ methods to carry out a large-scale study, which examined all articles referring to autism or autistic people in 10 national British newspapers in the period 2011–2020. We first investigated how often newspapers referred to autism. We found that the coverage of autism increased slightly over the years, suggesting that autism was becoming an increasingly newsworthy topic. Furthermore, the rise in autism coverage differed considerably between individual newspapers: it was more pronounced in the broadsheets than tabloids, and in left-leaning than right-leaning newspapers. But what was the focus of these articles? We found that newspapers emphasised the adversities associated with autism and portrayed autism with a lot of negative language. Newspapers also tended to focus on autistic children, and particularly on boys. There were some signs of change in more recent years, with some newspapers now representing autism as a difference and, in addition, referring to more diverse groups of autistic people. However, these changes tended to be confined to broadsheets and left-leaning newspapers. Our findings suggest that representations of autism in the contemporary British press are skewed towards stereotypically negative views, which may well hinder the acceptance of autism and the fostering of a more inclusive society.
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Mankovich A, Blume J, Wittke K, Mastergeorge AM, Paxton A, Naigles LR. Say that again: Quantifying patterns of production for children with autism using recurrence analysis. Front Psychol 2022; 13:999396. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.999396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The current research study characterized syntactic productivity across a range of 5-year-old children with autism and explored the degree to which this productivity was associated with standardized measures of language and autism symptomatology. Natural language samples were transcribed from play-based interactions between a clinician and participants with an autism diagnosis. Speech samples were parsed for grammatical morphemes and were used to generate measures of MLU and total number of utterances. We applied categorical recurrence quantification analysis, a technique used to quantify patterns of repetition in behaviors, to the children’s noun-related and verb-related speech. Recurrence metrics captured the degree to which children repeated specific lexical/grammatical units (i.e., recurrence rate) and the degree to which children repeated combinations of lexical/grammatical units (i.e., percent determinism). Findings indicated that beyond capturing patterns shown in traditional linguistic analysis, recurrence can reveal differences in the speech productions of children with autism spectrum disorder at the lexical and grammatical levels. We also found that the degree of repeating noun-related units and grammatical units was related to MLU and ADOS Severity Score, while the degree of repeating unit combinations (e.g., saying “the big fluffy dog” or the determiner-adjective-adjective-noun construction multiple times), in general, was only related to MLU.
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