Effects of Combining Medication and Pivotal Response Treatment on Aberrant Behavior in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) parent group training for young children with autism spectrum disorder: a pilot study

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is a promising intervention addressing core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with parent involvement as key component. Parent group-delivered PRT may be an effective treatment model, but currently the evidence is limited. Also, little attention has been paid to therapeutic involvement of multiple important contexts (e.g. home, school, community) of the young child. The current study explores a 14-week protocol of PRT parent group training (PRT-PG), complemented with individual parent–child sessions and involvement of teachers and other childcare providers. Children aged 2–6 years old with ASD and their parents (n = 20) were included. Preliminary results showed a significant increase in spontaneous initiations during a semi-structured therapist-child interaction together with widespread gains in clinical global functioning. No significant improvement on parent-rated general social-communication skills was observed. These findings justify further research on parent group delivered PRT models.

Play-based interventions for mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis focused on children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Play-based interventions are used ubiquitously with children with social, communication, and language needs but the impact of these interventions on the mental health of this group of children is unknown. Despite their pre-existing challenges, the mental health of children with developmental language disorder (DLD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) should be given equal consideration to the other more salient features of their condition. To this aim, a systematic literature review with meta-analysis was undertaken to assess the impact of play-based interventions on mental health outcomes from studies of children with DLD and ASD, as well as to identify the characteristics of research in this field.

METHODS

The study used full systematic review design reported to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (PRISMA prisma-statement.org) with pre-specified inclusion criteria and explicit, transparent and replicable methods at each stage of the review. The study selection process involved a rigorous systematic search of seven academic databases, double screening of abstracts, and full-text screening to identify studies using randomised controlled trial (RCT) and quasi-experimental (QE) designs to assess mental health outcomes from interventions supporting children with DLD and ASD. For reliability, data extraction of included studies, as well as risk of bias assessments were conducted by two study authors. Qualitative data were synthesised narratively and quantified data were used in the metaanalytic calculation.

MAIN CONTRIBUTION

A total of 2,882 papers were identified from the literature search which were double screened at the abstract (n  =  1,785) and full-text (n  =  366) levels resulting in 10 papers meeting the criteria for inclusion in the review. There were 8 RCTs and 2 QEs using 7 named play-based interventions with ASD participants only. Meta-analysis of 5 studies addressing positive mental health outcomes (e.g. positive affect and emotional functioning) found a significant overall intervention effect (Cohen's d = 1.60 (95% CI [0.37, 2.82], p = 0.01); meta-analysis of 6 studies addressing negative mental health outcomes (e.g., negative affect, internalising and externalising problems) found a non-significant overall intervention effect (Cohen's d = 0.04 -0.17 (95% CI [-0.04, 0.51], p = 0.88).

CONCLUSIONS

A key observation is the diversity of study characteristics relating to study sample size, duration of interventions, study settings, background of interventionists, and variability of specific mental health outcomes. Play-based interventions appear to have a beneficial effect on positive, but not negative, mental health in children with ASD. There are no high quality studies investigating the efficacy of such interventions in children with DLD.

IMPLICATIONS

This review provides good evidence of the need for further research into how commonly used play-based interventions designed to support the social, communication, and language needs of young people may impact the mental health of children with ASD or DLD.

From Research to Practice: Toward the Examination of Combined Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorders

The use of biological (i.e., medications) in conjunction with applied behavior analysis is relatively common among people with ASD, yet research examining its benefit is scarce. This paper provides a brief overview of the existing literature on the combined interventions, including promising developments, and examines the existing barriers that hinder research in this area, including the heavy reliance on RCTs. Recommendations for possible solutions, including the creation of health homes, are provided in order to move toward a more integrated approach.

Effects of Risperidone in Autistic Children and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

There are several studies investigating the effects of risperidone on autism, but many of these studies are contradictory or inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of risperidone on five domains of the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist (ABC) scale on Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), as well as weight gain and waist circumference. The protocol for the present systematic review and meta-analysis was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO). For this study, we analysed articles (2,459), selecting them according to the PICOS strategy (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome, Study design). Although risperidone is effective for the treatment of lethargy and inadequate speech, concerns about the association between weight gain, waist circumference and risperidone require a need for evaluation of the risk-benefit ratio in its use. There was a significant association between weight gain, waist circumference and risperidone. In conclusion, it was possible to suggest the efficacy of risperidone for the treatment of lethargy and inadequate speech. Finally, we emphasize that the risk-benefit in its use should be evaluated (Protocol number CRD42019122316).

Pivotal Response Treatment for School-Aged Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is promising for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but more methodologically robust designed studies are needed. In this randomized controlled trial, forty-four children with ASD, aged 9-15 years, were randomly allocated to PRT (n = 22) or treatment-as-usual (TAU; n = 22). Measurements were obtained after 12- and 20-weeks treatment, and 2-month follow-up. PRT resulted in significant greater improvements on parent-rated social-communicative skills after 12 weeks treatment (p = .004, partial η² = 0.22), compared to TAU. Furthermore, larger gains in PRT compared to TAU were observed on blindly rated global functioning, and parent-rated adaptive socialization skills and attention problems. Implications for clinical practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Impact of antipsychotics in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

The net health benefit of using antipsychotics in children and adolescents with ASD is unclear. This review was performed to provide the evidence necessary to inform the Italian national guidelines for the management of ASD.

Methods

We performed a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing antipsychotics versus placebo for the treatment of ASD in children and adolescents. For efficacy, acceptability and safety we considered outcomes evaluated by the guideline panel critical and important for decision-making. Continuous outcomes were analyzed by using standardized mean difference (SMD), and dichotomous outcomes by calculating the risk ratio (RR), with their 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Data were analyzed using a random effects model. We used the Cochrane tool to assess risk of bias of included studies. Certainty in the evidence of effects was assessed according to the GRADE approach.

Results

We included 21 RCTs with 1,309 participants, comparing antipsychotics to placebo. Antipsychotics were found effective on “restricted and repetitive interests and behaviors” (SMD − 0.21, 95% CI − 0.35 to − 0.07, moderate certainty), “hyperactivity, inattention, oppositional, disruptive behavior” (SMD − 0.67, 95% CI − 0.92 to − 0.42, moderate certainty), “social communication, social interaction” (SMD − 0.38, 95% CI − 0.59 to − 0.16, moderate certainty), “emotional dysregulation/irritability” (SMD − 0.71, 95% CI − 0.98 to − 0.43, low certainty), “global functioning, global improvement” (SMD − 0.64, 95% CI − 0.96 to − 0.33, low certainty), “obsessions, compulsions” (SMD − 0.30, 95% CI − 0.55 to − 0.06, moderate certainty). Antipsychotics were not effective on “self-harm” (SMD − 0.14, 95% CI − 0.58 to 0.30, very low certainty), “anxiety” (SMD − 0.38, 95% CI − 0.82 to 0.07, very low certainty). Antipsychotics were more acceptable in terms of dropout due to any cause (RR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48 to 0.78, moderate certainty), but were less safe in terms of patients experiencing adverse events (RR 1.19, 95% CI 1.07 to 1.32, moderate certainty), and serious adverse events (RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.48 to 2.43, low certainty).

Conclusions

Our systematic review and meta-analysis found antipsychotics for children and adolescents with ASD more efficacious than placebo in reducing stereotypies, hyperactivity, irritability and obsessions, compulsions, and in increasing social communication and global functioning. Antipsychotics were also found to be more acceptable, but less safe than placebo.