1. Agrawal S, Rao SC, Bulsara MK, Patole SK. {{Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Preterm Infants: A Meta-analysis}}. {Pediatrics}. 2018.
CONTEXT: Evidence is emerging that preterm infants are at risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). OBJECTIVES: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of ASD in preterm infants. DATA SOURCES: Medline (via PubMed and Ovid), Embase, PsycINFO, and relevant conference proceedings were searched in May 2017. STUDY SELECTION: Original studies in which researchers report on the prevalence of ASD using diagnostic tests in children born preterm were included. Studies in which researchers used only ASD screening tools were excluded. DATA EXTRACTION: Relevant data were extracted independently by 3 authors. RESULTS: Researchers in a total of 18 studies (3366 preterm infants) used ASD diagnostic tools. The median gestation, birth weight, and age at assessment were 28.0 weeks (range: 25.1-31.3 weeks), 1055 g (range: 719-1565 g), and 5.7 years (range: 1.5-21 years), respectively. Meta-analysis revealed that the overall prevalence rate for ASD was 7% (95% confidence interval: 4% to 9%). The funnel plot and Egger’s test revealed that there was probably no evidence of publication bias. LIMITATIONS: The limitations were significant heterogeneity and a lack of studies from middle- and low-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ASD is significantly high in the preterm population. Adequate resources are needed to improve the outcomes of these children.
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2. Barnhill K, Devlin M, Moreno HT, Potts A, Richardson W, Schutte C, Hewitson L. {{Brief Report: Implementation of a Specific Carbohydrate Diet for a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Fragile X Syndrome}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
This brief report examines the implementation of dietary intervention utilizing the specific carbohydrate diet (SCD) for the management of gastrointestinal issues in a 4 year old boy diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Fragile X Syndrome (FXS). Data relating to anthropometrics, dietary intake, blood markers, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, sleep issues, and behavioral concerns were gathered at baseline and after 4 months of dietary intervention. The dietary intervention was well tolerated. Improvements in nutrient status, GI symptoms, and behavioral domains were reported. The use of the SCD protocol in children with ASD/FXS and GI symptoms warrants further investigation.
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3. Heymann P, Northrup JB, West KL, Parlade MV, Leezenbaum NB, Iverson JM. {{Coordination is key: Joint attention and vocalisation in infant siblings of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Int J Lang Commun Disord}. 2018.
BACKGROUND: Research indicates that social communicative behaviours develop atypically during the second year in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This study evaluated whether these behaviours also differed in the extent to which they were coordinated across modalities. AIMS: To measure joint attention behaviours (e.g., gaze shifts, gestures), vocalisations and their coordination among a cohort of infants with an older sibling with ASD (heightened risk-HR). METHODS & PROCEDURES: This prospective longitudinal study examined 50 HR infants at 14, 18 and 24 months. The Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS)-a structured toy-play task that assesses infant joint attention behaviour-was administered to infants at each age point in the home. Infants’ joint attention behaviours, vocalisations and instances where they overlapped were coded from videos. At 36 months, nine infants received an ASD diagnosis (HR-ASD), 15 had a significant language delay (HR-LD) and 26 were classified no diagnosis (HR-ND). OUTCOMES & RESULTS: Findings revealed that HR-ASD infants produced fewer advanced joint attention behaviours, and their vocalisations were less frequent and less advanced than HR-LD and HR-ND infants. Notably, HR-ASD infants also coordinated these behaviours together less frequently than their HR peers. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS: Differences in the coordination of early communicative behaviours may have negative cascading effects on social and language development for infants who develop ASD. Current intervention practices may be complemented by efforts to increase the coordinated quality of communicative behaviours.
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4. Scott JA, Hansen SG. {{Working with Dual Diagnoses: A Survey of Teachers Serving Deaf or Hard of Hearing Children Who Have Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2018.
Although a sizable minority of students who are deaf or hard of hearing (DHH) are also diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there is little research examining teachers’ feelings of aptitude for working with these students, nor the instructional strategies used with this population. This study reports results from a researcher-designed survey of teachers working with children who are both DHH and have ASD. Our results suggest that teachers working with this population felt under-resourced, under-prepared, and under-supported in their work with dually diagnosed students. Perhaps as a result, participants tended to use instructional strategies common to their certification area. We identify a need for cross-training teachers across disability areas. In addition, we call for research that tests the applicability of practices in either Deaf Education or ASD Education for dually diagnosed children who may have needs that are unique from children either group.
