1. Gilmore S, Frederick LK, Santillan L, Locke J. {{The games they play: Observations of children with autism spectrum disorder on the school playground}}. {Autism : the international journal of research and practice}. 2018: 1362361318811987.
The playground may be an important context to examine the social functioning of children with autism spectrum disorder. Previous literature on playground peer engagement has used quantitative methods, but there is limited research using qualitative observations to understand the nuances of playground behavior. Using a mixed-methods approach, 55 elementary school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder who are primarily included in general education settings were observed on the school playground using the Playground Observation of Peer Engagement. Quantitative and qualitative data were examined using a mixed-methods approach. The results showed that children with autism spectrum disorder: engage in solitary and peripheral activities; demonstrate appropriate initiations and responses to peers; display self-stimulatory, motoric behaviors most frequently during solitary activities; and often have neutral affect on the playground. These findings suggest that intervention and supports for children with autism spectrum disorder may be important to deliver at recess to address peer engagement.
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2. Gotts SJ, Ramot M, Jasmin K, Martin A. {{Altered resting-state dynamics in autism spectrum disorder: Causal to the social impairment?}}. {Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry}. 2018.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by profound impairments in social abilities and by restricted interests and repetitive behaviors. Much work in the past decade has been dedicated to understanding the brain-bases of ASD, and in the context of resting-state functional connectivity fMRI in high-functioning adolescents and adults, the field has established a set of reliable findings: decreased cortico-cortical interactions among brain regions thought to be engaged in social processing, along with a simultaneous increase in thalamo-cortical and striato-cortical interactions. However, few studies have attempted to manipulate these altered patterns, leading to the question of whether such patterns are actually causally involved in producing the corresponding behavioral impairments. We discuss a few such recent attempts in the domains of fMRI neurofeedback and overt social interaction during scanning, and we conclude that the evidence of causal involvement is somewhat mixed. We highlight the potential role of the thalamus and striatum in ASD and emphasize the need for studies that directly compare scanning during multiple cognitive states in addition to the resting-state.
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3. Ramirez-Cheyne JA, Duque GA, Ayala-Zapata S, Saldarriaga-Gil W, Hagerman P, Hagerman R, Payan-Gomez C. {{FRAGILE X SYNDROME AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE CONNECTIVE TISSUE DEFICITS IN FRAGILE X SYNDROME}}. {Clinical genetics}. 2018.
Fragile X Syndrome is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorders and it is an X-linked disorder in which there is a deficiency of the Fragile X Mental Retardation 1 protein. This protein is crucial in regulating translation of mRNAs related to dendritic maturation and cognitive development. The phenotype of FXS is characterized by neurobehavioral alterations, social deficits, communication difficulties, and findings which suggest an alteration of connective tissue, especially in the ligaments and muscles, cardiovascular system and genitourinary system. Connective tissue connects and supports all other tissues of the body, and is composed of cells and extracellular matrix. Severalproteins have been involved in the connective tissue abnormalities associated with the FXS, such as matrix metalloproteinase 9, which plays an important role in the homeostasis of the extracellular matrix, being a potential therapeutic target for certain tetracycline antibiotics that have shown beneficial effects in FXS.Here we review connective tissue problems described in Fragile X Syndrome. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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4. Sankey C, Derguy C, Clement C, Ilg J, Cappe E. {{Supporting Parents of a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The French Awakening}}. {Journal of autism and developmental disorders}. 2018.
After being wrongfully blamed for their child’s disturbances, French parents of a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are now perceived as essential partners of care professionals. This shift in perspective has encouraged the development of parent training programs in the field of autism. In this paper, we present three programs currently implemented in France for parents of a child with ASD. We investigated their social validity, from the parents’ perspective. All three programs showed good social validity: attendance rate was good and parents were satisfied. In France, like elsewhere, more parents should be given the opportunity to participate in such programs to help them deal with the specific challenges of raising a child with ASD.
