1. Anderson C, Law JK, Daniels A, Rice C, Mandell DS, Hagopian L, Law PA. {{Occurrence and Family Impact of Elopement in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {Pediatrics};2012 (Oct 8)
OBJECTIVES:Anecdotal reports suggest that elopement behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) increases risk of injury or death and places a major burden on families. This study assessed parent-reported elopement occurrence and associated factors among children with ASDs.METHODS:Information on elopement frequency, associated characteristics, and consequences was collected via an online questionnaire. The study sample included 1218 children with ASD and 1076 of their siblings without ASD. The association among family sociodemographic and child clinical characteristics and time to first elopement was estimated by using a Cox proportional hazards model.RESULTS:Forty-nine percent (n = 598) of survey respondents reported their child with an ASD had attempted to elope at least once after age 4 years; 26% (n = 316) were missing long enough to cause concern. Of those who went missing, 24% were in danger of drowning and 65% were in danger of traffic injury. Elopement risk was associated with autism severity, increasing, on average, 9% for every 10-point increase in Social Responsiveness Scale T score (relative risk 1.09, 95% confidence interval: 1.02, 1.16). Unaffected siblings had significantly lower rates of elopement across all ages compared with children with ASD.CONCLUSIONS:Nearly half of children with ASD were reported to engage in elopement behavior, with a substantial number at risk for bodily harm. These results highlight the urgent need to develop interventions to reduce the risk of elopement, to support families coping with this issue, and to train child care professionals, educators, and first responders who are often involved when elopements occur.
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2. Byers ES, Nichols S, Voyer SD, Reilly G. {{Sexual well-being of a community sample of high-functioning adults on the autism spectrum who have been in a romantic relationship}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
This study explored factors (gender, age, relationship status, symptomatology) associated with the sexual well-being of 141 (56 men and 85 women) adults with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome (HFA/AS) living in the community. Participants completed an online survey consisting of a measure of autistic symptoms as well as measures of dyadic and solitary sexual well-being. Canonical correlation analyses showed that participants who were currently in a romantic relationship reported more frequent dyadic affectionate and genital activity and greater sexual assertiveness and sexual satisfaction, pointing to the importance of context in an active sex life. After controlling for the first variate, men and individuals with less autism symptomatology, particularly in the social and communication domains, generally reported significantly greater dyadic sexual well-being, including greater sexual satisfaction, assertiveness, arousability, and desire and lower sexual anxiety and fewer sexual problems. Men also reported better solitary sexual well-being, including more sexual thoughts, more sexual desire, and more frequent solitary sexual activity; however, they had lower sexual knowledge. These results highlight the importance for research and sexuality education with individuals with HFA/AS to conceptualize sexual well-being as a multidimensional construct consisting of both dyadic and solitary aspects.
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3. Eussen ML, Van Gool AR, Verheij F, De Nijs PF, Verhulst FC, Greaves-Lord K. {{The association of quality of social relations, symptom severity and intelligence with anxiety in children with autism spectrum disorders}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
Limited quality of social relations, milder symptom severity and higher intelligence were shown to account for higher anxiety levels in autism spectrum disorders. The current study replicated and extended earlier findings by combining these three determinants of anxiety in autism spectrum disorders in one study. The sample consisted of 134 school-aged children with autism spectrum disorders, of whom 58 (43%) had a co-morbid anxiety disorder according to the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children-Parent version. In this sample, we tested associations between these determinants and anxiety univariately and multivariately to clarify the unique contribution of all determinants. Since we hypothesized that the association between limited quality of social relations and anxiety would be amplified by low symptom severity and/or high intelligence, we additionally tested for moderating effects. We found that higher anxiety levels were associated with a lower quality of social relations and lower symptom severity. In this mainly high-functioning sample, intelligence was not related to anxiety levels. No moderation effects were found. Since lower quality of social relations and lower symptom severity are associated with higher anxiety levels in children with autism spectrum disorders, therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing anxiety in autism spectrum disorders should pay attention to improving social relations, and presumably children with a lower symptom severity could benefit most from such interventions.
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4. Falter CM. {{Impaired and superior mirror symmetry perception in autism}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
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5. Kuwaik GA, Roberts W, Zwaigenbaum L, Bryson S, Smith IM, Szatmari P, Mackinnon BM, Tanel N, Brian J. {{Immunization uptake in younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
Background: Parental concerns persist that immunization increases the risk of autism spectrum disorder, resulting in the potential for reduced uptake by parents of younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder (« younger sibs »).Objective: To compare immunization uptake by parents for their younger child relative to their older child with autism spectrum disorder (« proband ») and controls.Design: Immunization status was obtained for 98 « younger sibs, » 98 « probands, » and 65 controls.Results: A significant group difference emerged for overall immunization status (Fisher’s exact test = 62.70, p < .001). One or more immunizations in 59/98 younger sibs were delayed (47/98; 48%) or declined (12/98; 12.2%); immunizations were delayed in 16/98 probands (16.3%) and declined in only one. All controls were fully immunized, with only 6 (9.2%) delayed. Within the « younger sibs » group, 25/98 received an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis; 7 of whom (28%) were fully immunized. The rates of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis did not differ between immunized and nonimmunized younger sib groups, although small sample size limits interpretability of this result.Conclusion: Parents who already have one child with autism spectrum disorder may delay or decline immunization for their younger children, potentially placing them at increased risk of preventable infectious diseases.
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6. Memari AH, Ghaheri B, Ziaee V, Kordi R, Hafizi S, Moshayedi P. {{Physical activity in children and adolescents with autism assessed by triaxial accelerometry}}. {Pediatr Obes};2012 (Oct 8)
What is already known about this subject Individuals with disabilities are more likely to be sedentary compared to the general population. Individuals with ASD show several impairments in motor and physical functioning. Lack of opportunity is the primary factor that brings minimal physical activity to children with ASD. What this study adds There was a substantial reduction in level of PA across the adolescent years in ASD. A decline in PA level and opportunities at school can contribute to a reduction in individual’s total PA in ASD. Household structure, sedentary activities, comorbidities and obesity are associated with PA level in children and adolescents with ASD. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine physical activity (PA) patterns in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as to address PA determinant factors by employing triaxial accelerometry. METHODS: In a school-based cross-sectional study of 80 children and adolescents with ASD (mean = 9.6, standard deviation = 1.8), we investigated demographics, children’s behavioural and clinical profile, and their PA data as objectively measured using an Actigraph GT3X on the right hip for seven consecutive days. All activity measures were expressed as counts per minute (c.p.m.). RESULTS: There was a substantial reduction in activity across the adolescent years in ASD. Girls were significantly less active than boys with ASD. Participants were remarkably less active in school compared to after-school, and there was a PA decline during weekdays compared to weekends, which was not significant. Household structure, sedentary pursuits, comorbidities and obesity were identified as other determinants of PA in children with ASD. CONCLUSIONS: Given the limited objective assessment of PA in children with ASD, our findings stressed the need for improving PA programmes, particularly for girls and older children with ASD. This study also provided important information for counselling clinicians, families and school policy-makers about health issues in ASD.
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7. Randolph-Gips MM, Srinivasan P. {{Modeling autism: a systems biology approach}}. {J Clin Bioinforma};2012 (Oct 8);2(1):17.
ABSTRACT: Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder in the world today. The prevalence of autism in the US has risen from 1 in 2500 in 1970 to 1 in 88 children today. People with autism present with repetitive movements and with social and communication impairments. These impairments can range from mild to profound. The estimated total lifetime societal cost of caring for one individual with autism is $3.2 million US dollars. With the rapid growth in this disorder and the great expense of caring for those with autism, it is imperative for both individuals and society that techniques be developed to model and understand autism. There is increasing evidence that those individuals diagnosed with autism present with highly diverse set of abnormalities affecting multiple systems of the body. To this date, little to no work has been done using a whole body systems biology approach to model the characteristics of this disorder. Identification and modelling of these systems might lead to new and improved treatment protocols, better diagnosis and treatment of the affected systems, which might lead to improved quality of life by themselves, and, in addition, might also help the core symptoms of autism due to the potential interconnections between the brain and nervous system with all these other systems being modeled. This paper first reviews research which shows that autism impacts many systems in the body, including the metabolic, mitochondrial, immunological, gastrointestinal and the neurological. These systems interact in complex and highly interdependent ways. Many of these disturbances have effects in most of the systems of the body. In particular, clinical evidence exists for increased oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune and mitochondrial dysfunction which can affect almost every cell in the body. Three promising research areas are discussed, hierarchical, subgroup analysis and modeling over time. This paper reviews some of the systems disturbed in autism and suggests several systems biology research areas. Autism poses a rich test bed for systems biology modeling techniques.
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8. Rattaz C, Ledesert B, Masson O, Ouss L, Ropers G, Baghdadli A. {{Special education and care services for children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorders in France: Families’ opinion and satisfaction}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
This study focused on parents’ satisfaction with the special education and care services proposed to their child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Data were collected in three regions of France, using a questionnaire designed for the purpose of this study. Among the 530 families contacted, 212 filled in the questionnaire (response rate = 40.8%). Results showed that parents were globally satisfied with providers’ involvement and motivation, but they felt they were not involved enough in their childfelt they were nots individualized program, that communication with providers was insufficient and that the services lacked ASD’s specific tools and interventions. Among all families interviewed, parents of adolescents were the most unsatisfied and we hypothesized that this could be due to the specific issues regarding developmental changes and concern about the future at this period of life. Congruently with the literature, variables related to parental overall satisfaction were a regular communication with professionals, a specific, regularly updated individual program in which parents are associated, and specialized tools and interventions. The implications of these findings are discussed as well as future directions for clinicians to improve service delivery and allow the persons with ASD and their families to be more involved in the services.
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9. Stewart M, McAdam C, Ota M, Peppe S, Cleland J. {{Emotional recognition in autism spectrum conditions from voices and faces}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
The present study reports on a new vocal emotion recognition task and assesses whether people with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) perform differently from typically developed individuals on tests of emotional identification from both the face and the voice. The new test of vocal emotion contained trials in which the vocal emotion of the sentence were congruent, incongruent, or neutral with respect to the semantic content. We also included a condition in which there was no semantic content (an ‘mmm’ was uttered using an emotional tone). Performance was compared between 11 adults with ASC and 14 typically developed adults. Identification of emotion from sentences in which the vocal emotion and the meaning of sentence were congruent was similar in people with ASC and a typically developed comparison group. However, the comparison group was more accurate at identifying the emotion in the voice from incongruent and neutral trials, and also from trials with no semantic content. The results of the vocal emotion task were correlated with performance on a face emotion recognition task. In decoding emotion from spoken utterances, individuals with ASC relied more on verbal semantics than did typically developed individuals, presumably as a strategy to compensate for their difficulties in using prosodic cues to recognize emotions.
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10. Tomeny TS, Barry TD, Bader SH. {{Birth order rank as a moderator of the relation between behavior problems among children with an autism spectrum disorder and their siblings}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
Variability within the literature investigating typically-developing siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder suggests that the quality of sibling outcomes may depend on specific factors. For this study, 42 parents of a child with an autism spectrum disorder and a typically- developing sibling provided data via online questionnaires. Birth order rank of the child with an autism spectrum disorder significantly moderated the relation between externalizing behaviors in children with an autism spectrum disorder and externalizing behaviors in their typically-developing siblings. Children with an autism spectrum disorder and higher levels of behavior problems had typically-developing siblings with higher levels of behavior problems only when the child with an autism spectrum disorder was older. These results provide a hint of clarification about the complex nature of sibling relations, but a great deal more research is needed to further examine outcomes of typically-developing siblings of children with an autism spectrum disorder.
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11. van Steensel FJ, Deutschman AA, Bogels SM. {{Examining the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorder-71 as an assessment tool for anxiety in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
The psychometric properties of a questionnaire developed to assess symptoms of anxiety disorders (SCARED-71) were compared between two groups of children: children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder and comorbid anxiety disorders (ASD-group; n = 115), and children with anxiety disorders (AD-group; n = 122). Anxiety disorders were established with a semi-structured interview (ADIS-C/P), using child- as well as parent-report. Internal consistency, construct validity, sensitivity, specificity, and discriminant validity of the SCARED-71 was investigated. Results revealed that the psychometric properties of the SCARED-71 for the ASD-group were quite comparable to the AD-group, however, the discriminant validity of the SCARED-71 child-report was less in the ASD-group. Raising the parental cutoffs of the SCARED-71 resulted in higher specificity rates, which suggests that research should focus more on establishing alternative cutoffs for the ASD-population.
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12. Warren Z, Vehorn A, Dohrmann E, Newsom C, Taylor JL. {{Brief report: Service implementation and maternal distress surrounding evaluation recommendations for young children diagnosed with autism}}. {Autism};2012 (Oct 8)
There is limited evidence surrounding the ability of families of children with autism spectrum disorders to access and implement recommended interventions following diagnosis. The distress a family may encounter with regard to inability to access recommended services is also poorly understood. In this study, we present preliminary data regarding implementation of clinical recommendations following autism spectrum disorder diagnosis as well as associations of implementation with maternal functioning. In total, 75 mothers of young children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder through a university-based preschool autism clinic returned surveys regarding access to recommended services as well as maternal mental health and distress. Results indicate that while families were able to implement numerous recommendations, specific categories of intervention were less likely to be received. Challenges implementing recommended services were not related to increased maternal distress. These results suggest that despite potential barriers toward accessing some specific recommended services following diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, many families may be quite successful in implementing many other core recommended services and that failure to access such services may not necessarily negatively impact maternal mental health and distress.
