Friend matters: sex differences in social language during autism diagnostic interviews / M. COLA in Molecular Autism, 13 (2022)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 13 (2022) . - 5p. Titre : Friend matters: sex differences in social language during autism diagnostic interviews Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : M. COLA, Auteur ; L. D. YANKOWITZ, Auteur ; K. TENA, Auteur ; A. RUSSELL, Auteur ; Leila BATEMAN, Auteur ; A. KNOX, Auteur ; S. PLATE, Auteur ; L. S. CUBIT, Auteur ; C. J. ZAMPELLA, Auteur ; J. PANDEY, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur Article en page(s) : 5p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism spectrum condition  Autism spectrum disorder  Language  Sex differences  Social phenotype Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Autistic individuals frequently experience social communication challenges. Girls are diagnosed with autism less often than boys even when their symptoms are equally severe, which may be due to insufficient understanding of the way autism manifests in girls. Differences in the behavioral presentation of autism, including how people talk about social topics, could contribute to these persistent problems with identification. Despite a growing body of research suggesting that autistic girls and boys present distinct symptom profiles in a variety of domains, including social attention, friendships, social motivation, and language, differences in the way that autistic boys and girls communicate verbally are not yet well understood. Closely analyzing boys' and girls' socially-focused language during semi-structured clinical assessments could shed light on potential sex differences in the behavioral presentation of autistic individuals that may prove useful for identifying and effectively supporting autistic girls. Here, we compare social word use in verbally fluent autistic girls and boys during the interview sections of the ADOS-2 Module 3 and measure associations with clinical phenotype. METHODS: School-aged girls and boys with autism (N?=?101, 25 females; aged 6-15) were matched on age, IQ, and parent/clinician ratings of autism symptom severity. Our primary analysis compared the number of social words produced by autistic boys and girls (normalized to account for differences in total word production). Social words are words that make reference to other people, including friends and family. RESULTS: There was a significant main effect of sex on social word production, such that autistic girls used more social words than autistic boys. To identify the specific types of words driving this effect, additional subcategories of friend and family words were analyzed. There was a significant effect of sex on friend words, with girls using significantly more friend words than boys. However, there was no significant main effect of sex on family words, suggesting that sex differences in social word production may be driven by girls talking more about friends compared to boys, not family. To assess relationships between word use and clinical phenotype, we modeled ADOS-2 Social Affect (SA) scores as a function of social word production. In the overall sample, social word use correlated significantly with ADOS-2 SA scores, indicating that participants who used more social words were rated as less socially impaired by clinicians. However, when examined in each sex separately, this result only held for boys. LIMITATIONS: This study cannot speak to the ways in which social word use may differ for younger children, adults, or individuals who are not verbally fluent; in addition, there were more autistic boys than girls in our sample, making it difficult to detect small effects. CONCLUSIONS: Autistic girls used significantly more social words than boys during a diagnostic assessment-despite being matched on age, IQ, and both parent- and clinician-rated autism symptom severity. Sex differences in linguistic markers of social phenotype in autism are especially important in light of the late or missed diagnoses that disproportionately affect autistic girls. Specifically, heightened talk about social topics could complicate autism referral and diagnosis when non-clinician observers expect a male-typical pattern of reduced social focus, which autistic girls may not always exhibit. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-021-00483-1 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=459 [article] Friend matters: sex differences in social language during autism diagnostic interviews [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / M. COLA, Auteur ; L. D. YANKOWITZ, Auteur ; K. TENA, Auteur ; A. RUSSELL, Auteur ; Leila BATEMAN, Auteur ; A. KNOX, Auteur ; S. PLATE, Auteur ; L. S. CUBIT, Auteur ; C. J. ZAMPELLA, Auteur ; J. PANDEY, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur . - 5p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 13 (2022) . - 5p. Mots-clés : Autism spectrum condition  Autism spectrum disorder  Language  Sex differences  Social phenotype Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Autistic individuals frequently experience social communication challenges. Girls are diagnosed with autism less often than boys even when their symptoms are equally severe, which may be due to insufficient understanding of the way autism manifests in girls. Differences in the behavioral presentation of autism, including how people talk about social topics, could contribute to these persistent problems with identification. Despite a growing body of research suggesting that autistic girls and boys present distinct symptom profiles in a variety of domains, including social attention, friendships, social motivation, and language, differences in the way that autistic boys and girls communicate verbally are not yet well understood. Closely analyzing boys' and girls' socially-focused language during semi-structured clinical assessments could shed light on potential sex differences in the behavioral presentation of autistic individuals that may prove useful for identifying and effectively supporting autistic girls. Here, we compare social word use in verbally fluent autistic girls and boys during the interview sections of the ADOS-2 Module 3 and measure associations with clinical phenotype. METHODS: School-aged girls and boys with autism (N?=?101, 25 females; aged 6-15) were matched on age, IQ, and parent/clinician ratings of autism symptom severity. Our primary analysis compared the number of social words produced by autistic boys and girls (normalized to account for differences in total word production). Social words are words that make reference to other people, including friends and family. RESULTS: There was a significant main effect of sex on social word production, such that autistic girls used more social words than autistic boys. To identify the specific types of words driving this effect, additional subcategories of friend and family words were analyzed. There was a significant effect of sex on friend words, with girls using significantly more friend words than boys. However, there was no significant main effect of sex on family words, suggesting that sex differences in social word production may be driven by girls talking more about friends compared to boys, not family. To assess relationships between word use and clinical phenotype, we modeled ADOS-2 Social Affect (SA) scores as a function of social word production. In the overall sample, social word use correlated significantly with ADOS-2 SA scores, indicating that participants who used more social words were rated as less socially impaired by clinicians. However, when examined in each sex separately, this result only held for boys. LIMITATIONS: This study cannot speak to the ways in which social word use may differ for younger children, adults, or individuals who are not verbally fluent; in addition, there were more autistic boys than girls in our sample, making it difficult to detect small effects. CONCLUSIONS: Autistic girls used significantly more social words than boys during a diagnostic assessment-despite being matched on age, IQ, and both parent- and clinician-rated autism symptom severity. Sex differences in linguistic markers of social phenotype in autism are especially important in light of the late or missed diagnoses that disproportionately affect autistic girls. Specifically, heightened talk about social topics could complicate autism referral and diagnosis when non-clinician observers expect a male-typical pattern of reduced social focus, which autistic girls may not always exhibit. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-021-00483-1 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=459

Infants later diagnosed with autism have lower canonical babbling ratios in the first year of life / L. D. YANKOWITZ in Molecular Autism, 13 (2022)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 13 (2022) . - 28 p. Titre : Infants later diagnosed with autism have lower canonical babbling ratios in the first year of life Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : L. D. YANKOWITZ, Auteur ; V. PETRULLA, Auteur ; S. PLATE, Auteur ; B. TUNC, Auteur ; W. GUTHRIE, Auteur ; S. S. MEERA, Auteur ; K. TENA, Auteur ; J. PANDEY, Auteur ; M. R. SWANSON, Auteur ; J. R. Jr PRUETT, Auteur ; M. COLA, Auteur ; A. RUSSELL, Auteur ; N. MARRUS, Auteur ; Heather C. HAZLETT, Auteur ; K. BOTTERON, Auteur ; J. N. CONSTANTINO, Auteur ; Stephen R. DAGER, Auteur ; A. ESTES, Auteur ; Lonnie ZWAIGENBAUM, Auteur ; J. PIVEN, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur Article en page(s) : 28 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorder/diagnosis  Autistic Disorder  Humans  Infant  Language Development Disorders/diagnosis  Longitudinal Studies  Reproducibility of Results Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Canonical babbling-producing syllables with a mature consonant, full vowel, and smooth transition-is an important developmental milestone that typically occurs in the first year of life. Some studies indicate delayed or reduced canonical babbling in infants at high familial likelihood for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or who later receive an ASD diagnosis, but evidence is mixed. More refined characterization of babbling in the first year of life in infants with high likelihood for ASD is needed. METHODS: Vocalizations produced at 6 and 12 months by infants (n=267) taking part in a longitudinal study were coded for canonical and non-canonical syllables. Infants were categorized as low familial likelihood (LL), high familial likelihood diagnosed with ASD at 24 months (HL-ASD) or not diagnosed (HL-Neg). Language delay was assessed based on 24-month expressive and receptive language scores. Canonical babble ratio (CBR) was calculated by dividing the number of canonical syllables by the number of total syllables. Generalized linear (mixed) models were used to assess the relationship between group membership and CBR, controlling for site, sex, and maternal education. Logistic regression was used to assess whether canonical babbling ratios at 6 and 12 months predict 24-month diagnostic outcome. RESULTS: No diagnostic group differences in CBR were detected at 6 months, but HL-ASD infants produced significantly lower CBR than both the HL-Neg and LL groups at 12 months. HL-Neg infants with language delay also showed reduced CBR at 12 months. Neither 6- nor 12-month CBR was significant predictors of 24-month diagnostic outcome (ASD versus no ASD) in logistic regression. LIMITATIONS: Small numbers of vocalizations produced by infants at 6 months may limit the reliability of CBR estimates. It is not known if results generalize to infants who are not at high familial likelihood, or infants from more diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS: Lower canonical babbling ratios are apparent by the end of the first year of life in ASD regardless of later language delay, but are also observed for infants with later language delay without ASD. Canonical babbling may lack specificity as an early marker when used on its own. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-022-00503-8 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=491 [article] Infants later diagnosed with autism have lower canonical babbling ratios in the first year of life [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / L. D. YANKOWITZ, Auteur ; V. PETRULLA, Auteur ; S. PLATE, Auteur ; B. TUNC, Auteur ; W. GUTHRIE, Auteur ; S. S. MEERA, Auteur ; K. TENA, Auteur ; J. PANDEY, Auteur ; M. R. SWANSON, Auteur ; J. R. Jr PRUETT, Auteur ; M. COLA, Auteur ; A. RUSSELL, Auteur ; N. MARRUS, Auteur ; Heather C. HAZLETT, Auteur ; K. BOTTERON, Auteur ; J. N. CONSTANTINO, Auteur ; Stephen R. DAGER, Auteur ; A. ESTES, Auteur ; Lonnie ZWAIGENBAUM, Auteur ; J. PIVEN, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur . - 28 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 13 (2022) . - 28 p. Mots-clés : Autism Spectrum Disorder/diagnosis  Autistic Disorder  Humans  Infant  Language Development Disorders/diagnosis  Longitudinal Studies  Reproducibility of Results Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Canonical babbling-producing syllables with a mature consonant, full vowel, and smooth transition-is an important developmental milestone that typically occurs in the first year of life. Some studies indicate delayed or reduced canonical babbling in infants at high familial likelihood for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or who later receive an ASD diagnosis, but evidence is mixed. More refined characterization of babbling in the first year of life in infants with high likelihood for ASD is needed. METHODS: Vocalizations produced at 6 and 12 months by infants (n=267) taking part in a longitudinal study were coded for canonical and non-canonical syllables. Infants were categorized as low familial likelihood (LL), high familial likelihood diagnosed with ASD at 24 months (HL-ASD) or not diagnosed (HL-Neg). Language delay was assessed based on 24-month expressive and receptive language scores. Canonical babble ratio (CBR) was calculated by dividing the number of canonical syllables by the number of total syllables. Generalized linear (mixed) models were used to assess the relationship between group membership and CBR, controlling for site, sex, and maternal education. Logistic regression was used to assess whether canonical babbling ratios at 6 and 12 months predict 24-month diagnostic outcome. RESULTS: No diagnostic group differences in CBR were detected at 6 months, but HL-ASD infants produced significantly lower CBR than both the HL-Neg and LL groups at 12 months. HL-Neg infants with language delay also showed reduced CBR at 12 months. Neither 6- nor 12-month CBR was significant predictors of 24-month diagnostic outcome (ASD versus no ASD) in logistic regression. LIMITATIONS: Small numbers of vocalizations produced by infants at 6 months may limit the reliability of CBR estimates. It is not known if results generalize to infants who are not at high familial likelihood, or infants from more diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS: Lower canonical babbling ratios are apparent by the end of the first year of life in ASD regardless of later language delay, but are also observed for infants with later language delay without ASD. Canonical babbling may lack specificity as an early marker when used on its own. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-022-00503-8 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=491

Linguistic markers of autism in girls: evidence of a "blended phenotype" during storytelling / J. BOORSE in Molecular Autism, 10 (2019)  

Public ISBD [article]  inMolecular Autism > 10 (2019) . - 14 p. Titre : Linguistic markers of autism in girls: evidence of a "blended phenotype" during storytelling Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : J. BOORSE, Auteur ; M. COLA, Auteur ; S. PLATE, Auteur ; L. YANKOWITZ, Auteur ; J. PANDEY, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur Article en page(s) : 14 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Autism spectrum disorder  Mentalizing  Narratives  Natural language processing  Sex differences  Social cognition  Storytelling  Word choice Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background: Narrative abilities are linked to social impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such that reductions in words about cognitive processes (e.g., think, know) are thought to reflect underlying deficits in social cognition, including Theory of Mind. However, research suggests that typically developing (TD) boys and girls tell narratives in sex-specific ways, including differential reliance on cognitive process words. Given that most studies of narration in ASD have been conducted in predominantly male samples, it is possible that prior results showing reduced cognitive processing language in ASD may not generalize to autistic girls. To answer this question, we measured the relative frequency of two kinds of words in stories told by autistic girls and boys: nouns (words that indicate object-oriented storytelling) and cognitive process words (words like think and know that indicate mentalizing or attention to other peoples' internal states). Methods: One hundred two verbally fluent school-aged children [girls with ASD (N = 21) and TD (N = 19), and boys with ASD (N = 41) and TD (N = 21)] were matched on age, IQ, and maternal education. Children told a story from a sequence of pictures, and word frequencies (nouns, cognitive process words) were compared. Results: Autistic children of both sexes consistently produced a greater number of nouns than TD controls, indicating object-focused storytelling. There were no sex differences in cognitive process word use in the TD group, but autistic girls produced significantly more cognitive process words than autistic boys, despite comparable autism symptom severity. Thus, autistic girls showed a unique narrative profile that overlapped with autistic boys and typical girls/boys. Noun use correlated significantly with parent reports of social symptom severity in all groups, but cognitive process word use correlated with social ability in boys only. Conclusion: This study extends prior research on autistic children's storytelling by measuring sex differences in the narratives of a relatively large, well-matched sample of children with and without ASD. Importantly, prior research showing that autistic children use fewer cognitive process words is true for boys only, while object-focused language is a sex-neutral linguistic marker of ASD. These findings suggest that sex-sensitive screening and diagnostic methods-preferably using objective metrics like natural language processing-may be helpful for identifying autistic girls, and could guide the development of future personalized treatment strategies. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0268-2 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=398 [article] Linguistic markers of autism in girls: evidence of a "blended phenotype" during storytelling [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / J. BOORSE, Auteur ; M. COLA, Auteur ; S. PLATE, Auteur ; L. YANKOWITZ, Auteur ; J. PANDEY, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur . - 14 p. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Molecular Autism > 10 (2019) . - 14 p. Mots-clés : Autism spectrum disorder  Mentalizing  Narratives  Natural language processing  Sex differences  Social cognition  Storytelling  Word choice Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Background: Narrative abilities are linked to social impairment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), such that reductions in words about cognitive processes (e.g., think, know) are thought to reflect underlying deficits in social cognition, including Theory of Mind. However, research suggests that typically developing (TD) boys and girls tell narratives in sex-specific ways, including differential reliance on cognitive process words. Given that most studies of narration in ASD have been conducted in predominantly male samples, it is possible that prior results showing reduced cognitive processing language in ASD may not generalize to autistic girls. To answer this question, we measured the relative frequency of two kinds of words in stories told by autistic girls and boys: nouns (words that indicate object-oriented storytelling) and cognitive process words (words like think and know that indicate mentalizing or attention to other peoples' internal states). Methods: One hundred two verbally fluent school-aged children [girls with ASD (N = 21) and TD (N = 19), and boys with ASD (N = 41) and TD (N = 21)] were matched on age, IQ, and maternal education. Children told a story from a sequence of pictures, and word frequencies (nouns, cognitive process words) were compared. Results: Autistic children of both sexes consistently produced a greater number of nouns than TD controls, indicating object-focused storytelling. There were no sex differences in cognitive process word use in the TD group, but autistic girls produced significantly more cognitive process words than autistic boys, despite comparable autism symptom severity. Thus, autistic girls showed a unique narrative profile that overlapped with autistic boys and typical girls/boys. Noun use correlated significantly with parent reports of social symptom severity in all groups, but cognitive process word use correlated with social ability in boys only. Conclusion: This study extends prior research on autistic children's storytelling by measuring sex differences in the narratives of a relatively large, well-matched sample of children with and without ASD. Importantly, prior research showing that autistic children use fewer cognitive process words is true for boys only, while object-focused language is a sex-neutral linguistic marker of ASD. These findings suggest that sex-sensitive screening and diagnostic methods-preferably using objective metrics like natural language processing-may be helpful for identifying autistic girls, and could guide the development of future personalized treatment strategies. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13229-019-0268-2 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=398

Natural language markers of social phenotype in girls with autism / A. SONG in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 62-8 (August 2021)  

Public ISBD [article]  inJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry > 62-8 (August 2021) . - p.949-960 Titre : Natural language markers of social phenotype in girls with autism Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : A. SONG, Auteur ; M. COLA, Auteur ; S. PLATE, Auteur ; V. PETRULLA, Auteur ; L. YANKOWITZ, Auteur ; J. PANDEY, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.949-960 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : Adolescent  Autism Spectrum Disorder  Autistic Disorder  Child  Female  Humans  Language  Male  Motivation  Phenotype  Autism spectrum condition  language  pronouns  sex differences  social phenotype Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Girls with autism spectrum condition (ASC) are chronically underdiagnosed compared to boys, which may be due to poorly understood sex differences in a variety of domains, including social interest and motivation. In this study, we use natural language processing to identify objective markers of social phenotype that are easily obtained from a brief conversation with a nonexpert. METHODS: 87 school-aged children and adolescents with ASC (17 girls, 33 boys) or typical development (TD; 15 girls, 22 boys) were matched on age (mean = 11.35 years), IQ estimates (mean = 107), and - for ASC participants - level of social impairment. Participants engaged in an informal 5-min 'get to know you' conversation with a nonexpert conversation partner. To measure attention to social groups, we analyzed first-person plural pronoun variants (e.g., 'we' and 'us') and third-person plural pronoun variants (e.g., 'they' and 'them'). RESULTS: Consistent with prior research suggesting greater social motivation in autistic girls, autistic girls talked more about social groups than did ASC boys. Compared to TD girls, autistic girls demonstrated atypically heightened discussion of groups they were not a part of ('they', 'them'), indicating potential awareness of social exclusion. Pronoun use predicted individual differences in the social phenotypes of autistic girls. CONCLUSIONS: Relatively heightened but atypical social group focus is evident in autistic girls during spontaneous conversation, which contrasts with patterns observed in autistic boys and TD girls. Quantifying subtle linguistic differences in verbally fluent autistic girls is an important step toward improved identification and support for this understudied sector of the autism spectrum. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13348 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=456 [article] Natural language markers of social phenotype in girls with autism [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / A. SONG, Auteur ; M. COLA, Auteur ; S. PLATE, Auteur ; V. PETRULLA, Auteur ; L. YANKOWITZ, Auteur ; J. PANDEY, Auteur ; Robert T. SCHULTZ, Auteur ; Julia PARISH-MORRIS, Auteur . - p.949-960. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry > 62-8 (August 2021) . - p.949-960 Mots-clés : Adolescent  Autism Spectrum Disorder  Autistic Disorder  Child  Female  Humans  Language  Male  Motivation  Phenotype  Autism spectrum condition  language  pronouns  sex differences  social phenotype Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : BACKGROUND: Girls with autism spectrum condition (ASC) are chronically underdiagnosed compared to boys, which may be due to poorly understood sex differences in a variety of domains, including social interest and motivation. In this study, we use natural language processing to identify objective markers of social phenotype that are easily obtained from a brief conversation with a nonexpert. METHODS: 87 school-aged children and adolescents with ASC (17 girls, 33 boys) or typical development (TD; 15 girls, 22 boys) were matched on age (mean = 11.35 years), IQ estimates (mean = 107), and - for ASC participants - level of social impairment. Participants engaged in an informal 5-min 'get to know you' conversation with a nonexpert conversation partner. To measure attention to social groups, we analyzed first-person plural pronoun variants (e.g., 'we' and 'us') and third-person plural pronoun variants (e.g., 'they' and 'them'). RESULTS: Consistent with prior research suggesting greater social motivation in autistic girls, autistic girls talked more about social groups than did ASC boys. Compared to TD girls, autistic girls demonstrated atypically heightened discussion of groups they were not a part of ('they', 'them'), indicating potential awareness of social exclusion. Pronoun use predicted individual differences in the social phenotypes of autistic girls. CONCLUSIONS: Relatively heightened but atypical social group focus is evident in autistic girls during spontaneous conversation, which contrasts with patterns observed in autistic boys and TD girls. Quantifying subtle linguistic differences in verbally fluent autistic girls is an important step toward improved identification and support for this understudied sector of the autism spectrum. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13348 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=456

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