Associations between executive function and attention abilities and language and social communication skills in young autistic children / Jill HOWARD in Autism, 27-7 (October 2023)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 27-7 (October 2023) . - p.2135-2144 Titre : Associations between executive function and attention abilities and language and social communication skills in young autistic children Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Jill HOWARD, Auteur ; Brianna HEROLD, Auteur ; Samantha MAJOR, Auteur ; Caroline LEAHY, Auteur ; Kevin RAMSEUR, Auteur ; Lauren FRANZ, Auteur ; Megan DEAVER, Auteur ; Saritha VERMEER, Auteur ; Kimberly LH CARPENTER, Auteur ; Michael MURIAS, Auteur ; Wei Angel HUANG, Auteur ; Geraldine DAWSON, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2135-2144 Langues : Anglais (eng) Mots-clés : attention  autism spectrum disorder  executive function  eye-tracking  social communication Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Although it has been found that autistic children exhibit delays in executive function abilities and atypical patterns of attention, less is known about the relationship between executive function and attention abilities and social and language skills in early childhood. In this study, 180 autistic children, age 2-8?years, participated in a study examining the relationship between executive function abilities, measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and assessments of sustained attention measured via eye-tracking and several language and social communication measures. Results revealed that children with higher caregiver-reported executive function skills, specifically, working memory and planning/organization abilities, demonstrated higher levels of caregiver-reported receptive-expressive social communication abilities measured via the Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory. Higher executive function abilities across all domains were associated with lower levels of social pragmatic problems. Children who were able to sustain their attention for a longer duration demonstrated higher expressive language abilities. These results suggest that executive function and attention skills may play an important role in multiple domains of functioning in autistic children. It will be useful to determine whether therapies that seek to improve executive function skills in autistic individuals also positively influence their social/communication and language abilities.Lay AbstractExecutive functioning describes a set of cognitive processes that affect thinking and behavior. Past research has shown that autistic individuals often have delays in the acquisition of executive function abilities. Our study explored how differences in executive function and attention abilities relate to social abilities and communication/language in 180 young autistic children. Data were gathered via caregiver report (questionnaires/interviews) and an assessment of vocabulary skills. The ability to sustain attention to a dynamic video was measured via eye tracking. We found that children with higher levels of executive function skills demonstrated lower levels of social pragmatic problems, a measure of having difficulties in social contexts. Furthermore, children who were able to sustain their attention longer to the video displayed higher levels of expressive language. Our results emphasize the importance of executive function and attention skills across multiple areas of functioning in autistic children, in particular those that involve language and social communication. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231154310 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=510 [article] Associations between executive function and attention abilities and language and social communication skills in young autistic children [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Jill HOWARD, Auteur ; Brianna HEROLD, Auteur ; Samantha MAJOR, Auteur ; Caroline LEAHY, Auteur ; Kevin RAMSEUR, Auteur ; Lauren FRANZ, Auteur ; Megan DEAVER, Auteur ; Saritha VERMEER, Auteur ; Kimberly LH CARPENTER, Auteur ; Michael MURIAS, Auteur ; Wei Angel HUANG, Auteur ; Geraldine DAWSON, Auteur . - p.2135-2144. Langues : Anglais (eng) in Autism > 27-7 (October 2023) . - p.2135-2144 Mots-clés : attention  autism spectrum disorder  executive function  eye-tracking  social communication Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Although it has been found that autistic children exhibit delays in executive function abilities and atypical patterns of attention, less is known about the relationship between executive function and attention abilities and social and language skills in early childhood. In this study, 180 autistic children, age 2-8?years, participated in a study examining the relationship between executive function abilities, measured by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function, and assessments of sustained attention measured via eye-tracking and several language and social communication measures. Results revealed that children with higher caregiver-reported executive function skills, specifically, working memory and planning/organization abilities, demonstrated higher levels of caregiver-reported receptive-expressive social communication abilities measured via the Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory. Higher executive function abilities across all domains were associated with lower levels of social pragmatic problems. Children who were able to sustain their attention for a longer duration demonstrated higher expressive language abilities. These results suggest that executive function and attention skills may play an important role in multiple domains of functioning in autistic children. It will be useful to determine whether therapies that seek to improve executive function skills in autistic individuals also positively influence their social/communication and language abilities.Lay AbstractExecutive functioning describes a set of cognitive processes that affect thinking and behavior. Past research has shown that autistic individuals often have delays in the acquisition of executive function abilities. Our study explored how differences in executive function and attention abilities relate to social abilities and communication/language in 180 young autistic children. Data were gathered via caregiver report (questionnaires/interviews) and an assessment of vocabulary skills. The ability to sustain attention to a dynamic video was measured via eye tracking. We found that children with higher levels of executive function skills demonstrated lower levels of social pragmatic problems, a measure of having difficulties in social contexts. Furthermore, children who were able to sustain their attention longer to the video displayed higher levels of expressive language. Our results emphasize the importance of executive function and attention skills across multiple areas of functioning in autistic children, in particular those that involve language and social communication. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231154310 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=510

Automated movement tracking of young autistic children during free play is correlated with clinical features associated with autism / Andrew YUAN in Autism, 27-8 (November 2023)  

Public ISBD [article]  inAutism > 27-8 (November 2023) . - p.2530-2541 Titre : Automated movement tracking of young autistic children during free play is correlated with clinical features associated with autism Type de document : Texte imprimé et/ou numérique Auteurs : Andrew YUAN, Auteur ; Maura SABATOS-DEVITO, Auteur ; Alexandra L BEY, Auteur ; Samantha MAJOR, Auteur ; Kimberly LH CARPENTER, Auteur ; Lauren FRANZ, Auteur ; Jill HOWARD, Auteur ; Saritha VERMEER, Auteur ; Ryan SIMMONS, Auteur ; Jesse TROY, Auteur ; Geraldine DAWSON, Auteur Article en page(s) : p.2530-2541 Mots-clés : autism  caregiver-child  free play  movement  video tracking Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic children?s play provides insights into social, communication, and other skills; however, methods for measuring these observations can be labor-intensive and rely on subjective judgment. This study explored whether children?s movement and location during play measured via automated video tracking correlates with clinical features. Movement tracking metrics of 164 autistic children (27-96?months old) during free play were analyzed in relation to standard assessments of cognitive, language, social-communication, and adaptive skills. Children with higher cognitive and language abilities were more likely to spend time in the center toy region and more slowly or never approached the region without toys. Children with higher autism-related features spent less time in the center. Children with lower daily living skills spent more time near the caregiver and those with lower overall adaptive and language skills approached the caregiver more quickly. Over 90% of autistic children representing a range of ages and skills provided analyzable movement data during play and those with higher cognitive, language, and adaptive skills displayed movement tracking patterns that reflect more sustained focus on toy play and independence from the caregiver. Results suggest that automated movement tracking is a promising complementary, objective method for assessing clinical variation during autistic children?s play.Lay AbstractPlay-based observations allow researchers to observe autistic children across a wide range of ages and skills. We recorded autistic children playing with toys in the center of a room and at a corner table while a caregiver remained seated off to the side and used video tracking technology to track children?s movement and location. We examined how time children spent in room regions and whether or not they approached each region during play related to their cognitive, social, communication, and adaptive skills to determine if tracking child movement and location can meaningfully demonstrate clinical variation among autistic children representing a range of ages and skills. One significant finding was that autistic children who spent more time in the toy-containing center of the room had higher cognitive and language abilities, whereas those who spent less time in the center had higher levels of autism-related behaviors. In contrast, children who spent more time in the caregiver region had lower daily living skills and those who were quicker to approach the caregiver had lower adaptive behavior and language skills. These findings support the use of movement tracking as a complementary method of measuring clinical differences among autistic children. Furthermore, over 90% of autistic children representing a range of ages and skills in this study provided analyzable play observation data, demonstrating that this method allows autistic children of all levels of support needs to participate in research and demonstrate their social, communication, and attention skills without wearing any devices. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231169546 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=514 [article] Automated movement tracking of young autistic children during free play is correlated with clinical features associated with autism [Texte imprimé et/ou numérique] / Andrew YUAN, Auteur ; Maura SABATOS-DEVITO, Auteur ; Alexandra L BEY, Auteur ; Samantha MAJOR, Auteur ; Kimberly LH CARPENTER, Auteur ; Lauren FRANZ, Auteur ; Jill HOWARD, Auteur ; Saritha VERMEER, Auteur ; Ryan SIMMONS, Auteur ; Jesse TROY, Auteur ; Geraldine DAWSON, Auteur . - p.2530-2541. in Autism > 27-8 (November 2023) . - p.2530-2541 Mots-clés : autism  caregiver-child  free play  movement  video tracking Index. décimale : PER Périodiques Résumé : Autistic children?s play provides insights into social, communication, and other skills; however, methods for measuring these observations can be labor-intensive and rely on subjective judgment. This study explored whether children?s movement and location during play measured via automated video tracking correlates with clinical features. Movement tracking metrics of 164 autistic children (27-96?months old) during free play were analyzed in relation to standard assessments of cognitive, language, social-communication, and adaptive skills. Children with higher cognitive and language abilities were more likely to spend time in the center toy region and more slowly or never approached the region without toys. Children with higher autism-related features spent less time in the center. Children with lower daily living skills spent more time near the caregiver and those with lower overall adaptive and language skills approached the caregiver more quickly. Over 90% of autistic children representing a range of ages and skills provided analyzable movement data during play and those with higher cognitive, language, and adaptive skills displayed movement tracking patterns that reflect more sustained focus on toy play and independence from the caregiver. Results suggest that automated movement tracking is a promising complementary, objective method for assessing clinical variation during autistic children?s play.Lay AbstractPlay-based observations allow researchers to observe autistic children across a wide range of ages and skills. We recorded autistic children playing with toys in the center of a room and at a corner table while a caregiver remained seated off to the side and used video tracking technology to track children?s movement and location. We examined how time children spent in room regions and whether or not they approached each region during play related to their cognitive, social, communication, and adaptive skills to determine if tracking child movement and location can meaningfully demonstrate clinical variation among autistic children representing a range of ages and skills. One significant finding was that autistic children who spent more time in the toy-containing center of the room had higher cognitive and language abilities, whereas those who spent less time in the center had higher levels of autism-related behaviors. In contrast, children who spent more time in the caregiver region had lower daily living skills and those who were quicker to approach the caregiver had lower adaptive behavior and language skills. These findings support the use of movement tracking as a complementary method of measuring clinical differences among autistic children. Furthermore, over 90% of autistic children representing a range of ages and skills in this study provided analyzable play observation data, demonstrating that this method allows autistic children of all levels of support needs to participate in research and demonstrate their social, communication, and attention skills without wearing any devices. En ligne : http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/13623613231169546 Permalink : https://www.cra-rhone-alpes.org/cid/opac_css/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=514

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