1. Al-Farsi YM, Al-Sharbati MM, Al-Farsi OA, Al-Shafaee MS, Brooks DR, Waly MI. {{Brief Report: Prevalence of Autistic Spectrum Disorders in the Sultanate of Oman}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 31)
Prevalence of autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) in Oman is unknown. We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of ASD among 0-14 year old children. Diagnoses were made as per DSM-IV-TR criteria and supplemented with information collected with the standard Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) questionnaire. A total 113 cases of ASD were enumerated nationwide, indicating an overall prevalence of 1.4 (95% CI 1.2, 1.7) cases per 10,000 children aged 0-14 years. More prevalent cases were among boys (75%) and among low-income families. Ritualistic interests were more common among girls as an onset-symptom compared to boys (p = 0.03). The reported low prevalence of ASD in Oman is likely due to under-diagnosis and under-reporting.
2. Groskreutz NC, Karsina A, Miguel CF, Groskreutz MP. {{Using complex auditory-visual samples to produce emergent relations in children with autism}}. {J Appl Behav Anal} (Mar);43(1):131-136.
Six participants with autism learned conditional relations between complex auditory-visual sample stimuli (dictated words and pictures) and simple visual comparisons (printed words) using matching-to-sample training procedures. Pre- and posttests examined potential stimulus control by each element of the complex sample when presented individually and emergence of additional conditional relations and oral labeling. Tests revealed class-consistent performance for all participants following training.
3. Gunby KV, Carr JE, Leblanc LA. {{Teaching abduction-prevention skills to children with autism}}. {J Appl Behav Anal} (Mar);43(1):107-112.
Three children with autism were taught abduction-prevention skills using behavioral skills training with in situ feedback. All children acquired the skills, which were maintained at a 1-month follow-up assessment. In addition, 1 of the children demonstrated the skills during a stimulus generalization probe in a community setting.
4. Harms MB, Martin A, Wallace GL. {{Facial Emotion Recognition in Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Review of Behavioral and Neuroimaging Studies}}. {Neuropsychol Rev} (Sep 1)
Behavioral studies of facial emotion recognition (FER) in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have yielded mixed results. Here we address demographic and experiment-related factors that may account for these inconsistent findings. We also discuss the possibility that compensatory mechanisms might enable some individuals with ASD to perform well on certain types of FER tasks in spite of atypical processing of the stimuli, and difficulties with real-life emotion recognition. Evidence for such mechanisms comes in part from eye-tracking, electrophysiological, and brain imaging studies, which often show abnormal eye gaze patterns, delayed event-related-potential components in response to face stimuli, and anomalous activity in emotion-processing circuitry in ASD, in spite of intact behavioral performance during FER tasks. We suggest that future studies of FER in ASD: 1) incorporate longitudinal (or cross-sectional) designs to examine the developmental trajectory of (or age-related changes in) FER in ASD and 2) employ behavioral and brain imaging paradigms that can identify and characterize compensatory mechanisms or atypical processing styles in these individuals.
5. Ingvarsson ET, Hollobaugh T. {{Acquisition of intraverbal behavior: teaching children with autism to mand for answers to questions}}. {J Appl Behav Anal} (Mar);43(1):1-17.
Four boys with autism were taught via echoic prompting and constant prompt delay to mand for answers to questions by saying « I don’t know please tell me » (IDKPTM). This intervention resulted in acquisition of the IDKPTM response for all 4 participants and in acquisition of correct answers to most of the previously unknown questions for 2 participants. For 1 participant, tangible reinforcement resulted in increased frequency of correct answers, and direct prompting of correct answers was eventually conducted for the final participant. The IDKPTM response generalized to untargeted unknown questions with 3 participants. Results of person and setting generalization probes varied, but some generalization eventually occurred for all participants following additional training or interspersal of probe trials with training trials.
6. Padgett FE, Miltsiou E, Tiffin PA. {{The co-occurrence of nonaffective psychosis and the pervasive developmental disorders: A systematic review}}. {J Intellect Dev Disabil} (Sep);35(3):187-198.
Abstract Background Pervasive developmental disorders (PDDs) were originally conceptualised as a form of (« infantile ») psychosis. Recently, the disorders have been viewed as separate constructs. However, there is evidence of overlapping psychopathology, pathophysiology, and occurrence of the two syndromes. Methods A historical overview is provided. A systematic search strategy was then used to identify literature relating to the co-occurrence of PDD and nonaffective psychosis. Results The methodology and estimated rates of psychosis occurring in PDD varied dramatically, and few conclusions could be drawn due to the level of heterogeneity and selection bias in the populations studied. However, there were indications from the literature that rates of comorbid PDD were elevated in adolescents affected by juvenile-onset psychosis but the methodology was insufficiently robust to estimate a pooled prevalence. Conclusions There is some evidence for elevated rates of comorbid PDD in individuals with childhood-onset psychosis. Further work is needed in order to understand the potential mechanisms underlying such co-occurrence and how such affected individuals can be best supported.
7. Pruett JR, Jr., Lamacchia A, Hoertel S, Squire E, McVey K, Todd RD, Constantino JN, Petersen SE. {{Social and Non-Social Cueing of Visuospatial Attention in Autism and Typical Development}}. {J Autism Dev Disord} (Aug 31)
Three experiments explored attention to eye gaze, which is incompletely understood in typical development and is hypothesized to be disrupted in autism. Experiment 1 (n = 26 typical adults) involved covert orienting to box, arrow, and gaze cues at two probabilities and cue-target times to test whether reorienting for gaze is endogenous, exogenous, or unique; experiment 2 (total n = 80: male and female children and adults) studied age and sex effects on gaze cueing. Gaze cueing appears endogenous and may strengthen in typical development. Experiment 3 tested exogenous, endogenous, and gaze-based orienting in 25 typical and 27 Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children. ASD children made more saccades, slowing their reaction times; however, exogenous and endogenous orienting, including gaze cueing, appear intact in ASD.
8. Rosenfeld JA, Ballif BC, Torchia BS, Sahoo T, Ravnan JB, Schultz R, Lamb A, Bejjani BA, Shaffer LG. {{Copy number variations associated with autism spectrum disorders contribute to a spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders}}. {Genet Med} (Aug 30)
PURPOSE:: Autism spectrum disorders represent a range of neurodevelopmental disorders that have been shown to have a strong genetic etiological component. Microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization and other molecular cytogenetic techniques are discovering an increasing number of copy number variations in individuals with autism spectrum disorder. METHODS:: We examined the yield of abnormal microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization findings in our laboratory for individuals referred for testing for autism spectrum disorder. We also examined the presence of autistic features among 151 additional individuals who were referred for microarray-based comparative genomic hybridization testing for indications other than autism spectrum disorder but had genomic alterations overlapping those found in cases referred for autism spectrum disorder. RESULTS:: We identified 1461 individuals referred for testing for autism spectrum disorder, with likely significant abnormalities reported in approximately 11.6% of individuals analyzed with whole-genome arrays. These abnormalities include alterations that encompass novel candidate genes such as SNTG2, SOX5, HFE, and TRIP38. A minority of individuals with overlapping abnormalities (19%) had autistic features, and many of the copy number variations identified in our study are inherited (69% among those found in individuals with autism spectrum disorder). CONCLUSIONS:: Our results suggest these copy number variations are one of multiple factors contributing to the development of an autism spectrum disorder phenotype. Additionally, the broad phenotypic spectrum of the patients with these copy number variations suggests that these copy number variations are not autism spectrum disorder-specific but likely more generally impair neurodevelopment.
9. Valenti M, Cerbo R, Masedu F, De Caris M, Sorge G. {{Intensive intervention for children and adolescents with autism in a community setting in Italy: a single-group longitudinal study}}. {Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health} (Sep 1);4(1):23.
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown favourable results with intensive behavioural treatment for children with autism: evidence has emerged that treatment can be successfully implemented in a community setting and in adolescent participants. The aim of this study was to describe the 2-year adaptive functioning outcome of children and adolescents with autism treated intensively within the context of special autism centres, as well as to evaluate family satisfaction with the activity of the centres. METHODS: Sixty participants with autism (20 females and 40 males, aged between 4 and 18 years) attending the semi-residential rehabilitation centres for autism located in the Abruzzo region (Central Italy) were followed up and their adaptive functioning was evaluated both at baseline and after one and two years using the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS). Parents’ satisfaction with the service was evaluated using the Orbetello Satisfaction Scale for Children and Adolescent Mental Health. RESULTS: The increase in VABS scores was significant on several domains in the different gender and age categories. It is worth noting that male children had improved a great deal (roughly, an effect size >0.20) in the domains of communication, daily living and motor skills (effect sizes 0.34, 0.45 and 0.27 respectively) whereas in male adolescents, a notable increase in VABS scores was recorded in the domain of socialization only (effect size 0.23). On the other hand, adaptive behaviour in female children increased in the domains of socialization and motor skills (effect sizes 0.27 and 0.42 respectively) whereas in female adolescents, good results were achieved in the domains of daily living, socialization and motor skills (effect sizes 0.22, 0.26 and 0.20 respectively). The level of satisfaction of users of the service over time was found to be substantial, even when they had recently started the program. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the implementation of special autism treatment community centres, based on a parent co-directed rehabilitative, intensive and early intervention. Further experimental research designed to document the effectiveness of services provided to children and adolescents with autism in the community is recommended.
10. Volkert VM, Vaz PC. {{Recent studies on feeding problems in children with autism}}. {J Appl Behav Anal} (Mar);43(1):155-159.
This paper reviews recent studies on behavioral interventions for children with autism and feeding problems. The applicability of interventions that have been tested with other populations of children with feeding problems is discussed, as well as directions for future research.
11. Wong VC, Chen WX. {{Randomized controlled trial of electro-acupuncture for autism spectrum disorder}}. {Altern Med Rev} (Jul);15(2):136-146.
OBJECTIVE: To study the efficacy, safety, and compliance of short-term electro-acupuncture for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled, clinical trial. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Children with ASD were randomly assigned to an electro-acupuncture (EA) group (n=30) or a sham electro-acupuncture (SEA) group (n=25) matched by age and severity of autism. The EA group received electro-acupuncture for selected acupoints while the SEA group received sham electro-acupuncture to sham acupoints. A total of 12 EA and SEA sessions over four weeks were given. Primary outcome measures included Functional Independence Measure for Children (WeeFIM), Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), Leiter International Performance Scale-Revised (Leiter-R), and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) scale. Secondary outcome measures consisted of Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC), Ritvo-Freeman Real Life Scale (RFRLS), Reynell Developmental Language Scale (RDLS), and a standardized parental report. Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in the language comprehension domain of WeeFIM (p=0.02), self-care caregiver assistant domain of PEDI (p=0.028), and CGI-I (p=0.003) in the EA group compared to the SEA group. As for the parental report, the EA group also showed significantly better social initiation (p=0.01), receptive language (p=0.006), motor skills (p=0.034), coordination (p=0.07), and attention span (p=0.003). More than 70 percent of children with ASD adapted to acupuncture easily, while eight percent had poor acupuncture compliance. Mild side effects of minor superficial bleeding or irritability during acupuncture were observed. CONCLUSION: A short, four-week (12 sessions) course of electro-acupuncture is useful to improve specific functions in children with ASD, especially for language comprehension and self-care ability.
12. Yu AC. {{Perceptual compensation is correlated with individuals’ « autistic » traits: implications for models of sound change}}. {PLoS One};5(8)
Variation is a ubiquitous feature of speech. Listeners must take into account context-induced variation to recover the interlocutor’s intended message. When listeners fail to normalize for context-induced variation properly, deviant percepts become seeds for new perceptual and production norms. In question is how deviant percepts accumulate in a systematic fashion to give rise to sound change (i.e., new pronunciation norms) within a given speech community. The present study investigated subjects’ classification of /s/ and // before /a/ or /u/ spoken by a male or a female voice. Building on modern cognitive theories of autism-spectrum condition, which see variation in autism-spectrum condition in terms of individual differences in cognitive processing style, we established a significant correlation between individuals’ normalization for phonetic context (i.e., whether the following vowel is /a/ or /u/) and talker voice variation (i.e., whether the talker is male or female) in speech and their « autistic » traits, as measured by the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). In particular, our mixed-effect logistic regression models show that women with low AQ (i.e., the least « autistic ») do not normalize for phonetic coarticulation as much as men and high AQ women. This study provides first direct evidence that variability in human’s ability to compensate for context-induced variations in speech perceptually is governed by the individual’s sex and cognitive processing style. These findings lend support to the hypothesis that the systematic infusion of new linguistic variants (i.e., the deviant percepts) originate from a sub-segment of the speech community that consistently under-compensates for contextual variation in speech.
