1. Clifford T, Minnes P. {{Logging On: Evaluating an Online Support Group for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2012 Nov 10.
Twenty mothers participated in an online support group for parents of children with autism spectrum disorders. Twenty-five unrelated parents participated in a no-treatment control group. The participants completed online questionnaires prior to and following the 4-month support group, to evaluate changes in mood, anxiety, parenting stress, and positive perceptions. No significant differences between the groups or across time were found. However, parents who participated in the group reported being satisfied with the support they received and finding the group helpful. Issues related to participant recruitment and retention are discussed. Further research is required to investigate the efficacy of online support groups for parents of children with ASD.
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2. Hall HR, Graff JC. {{Maladaptive behaviors of children with autism: parent support, stress, and coping}}. {Issues in comprehensive pediatric nursing}. 2012;35(3-4):194-214.
Background: The estimated prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one in 88. Autism Spectrum Disorders are nearly five times more common among boys than girls. Children with autism may develop a variety of socially unacceptable maladaptive behaviors beyond the defining symptoms of the spectrum disorder. Aims: It is necessary to conduct research to examine maladaptive behaviors of children with autism, family supports, parental stress, and parental coping. Methods: Data used were collected during an earlier descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study. Using the Double ABCX Model of family behavior as the framework, this study evaluated parents’ views of the adaptive behaviors of their children diagnosed with autism using the networks of support for their family, parental stress, and parental coping patterns. Results: Results indicate an association between increased Internalizing maladaptive behaviors and increased parental stress (r = .547, p = .000). Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that parents of children with autism report that their children have clinically significant maladaptive behaviors. Healthcare providers could use results from this study to provide appropriate intervention for maladaptive behaviors to support children with autism and their families.
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3. Hoddenbach E, Koot HM, Clifford P, Gevers C, Clauser C, Boer F, Begeer S. {{Individual differences in the efficacy of a short theory of mind intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder: a randomized controlled trial}}. {Trials}. 2012 Nov 9;13(1):206.
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Having a ‘theory of mind’, or having the ability to attribute mental states to oneself or others, is considered one of the most central domains of impairment among children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Many interventions focus on improving theory of mind skills in children with ASD. Nonetheless, the empirical evidence for the effect of these interventions is limited. The main goal of this study is to examine the effectiveness of a short theory of mind intervention for children with ASD. A second objective is to determine which subgroups within the autism spectrum profit most from the intervention. METHODS: This study is a randomized controlled trial. One hundred children with ASD, aged 7 to 12 years will be randomly assigned to an intervention or a waiting list control group. Outcome measures include the completion of theory of mind and emotion understanding tasks, and parent and teacher questionnaires on children’s social skills. Follow-up data for the intervention group will be collected 6 months after the interventions. DISCUSSION: This study evaluates the efficacy of a theory of mind intervention for children with ASD. Hypotheses, strengths, and limitations of the study are discussed.Trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register NTR2327.
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4. Kato K, Mikami K, Akama F, Yamada K, Maehara M, Kimoto K, Kimoto K, Sato R, Takahashi Y, Fukushima R, Ichimura A, Matsumoto H. {{Clinical features of suicide attempts in adults with autism spectrum disorders}}. {General hospital psychiatry}. 2012 Nov 6.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency and clinical features of suicide attempts in adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). METHODS: We enrolled 587 consecutive patients aged 18 or over who attempted suicide and were hospitalized for inpatient treatment. Psychiatric diagnoses, suicide attempt frequency and clinical features were compared between ASD and non-ASD patients. RESULTS: Forty-three (7.3%) of the 587 subjects who attempted suicide had ASDs. The incidence of patients with mood disorders was significantly lower (Fisher’s Exact Test, P=.043) and that of those with an adjustment disorder was significantly higher (Fisher’s Exact Test, P<.001) in the ASD group than in the non-ASD group. The average length of stay at both the hospital and intensive care unit in the ASD group was longer than that in the non-ASD group (z=-2.031, P=.042; z=-2.322, P=.020, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: ASDs should always be a consideration when dealing with suicide attempts in adults at the emergency room. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
5. Kite DM, Gullifer J, Tyson GA. {{Views on the Diagnostic Labels of Autism and Asperger’s Disorder and the Proposed Changes in the DSM}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2012 Nov 11.
With the approaching release of the DSM V in 2013, there has been much debate about the proposal to remove the diagnostic label of Asperger’s disorder from the new DSM. This study explored how health and education professionals perceive the conditions of autism and Asperger’s disorder and their views on the proposed diagnostic changes. Analysis of the 547 participant responses confirmed an increase stigma is associated with the label of autism, with autism considered to be a more severe than the condition of Asperger’s disorder. Approximately half of the participants reported being opposed to proposed diagnostic changes and of the remaining participants, 22 % supported the proposed changes and 28 % expressed uncertainty.
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6. Mathersul D, McDonald S, Rushby JA. {{Automatic facial responses to affective stimuli in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Physiology & behavior}. 2012 Nov 7.
Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) demonstrate atypical behavioural responses to affective stimuli, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Investigating automatic responses to these stimuli may help elucidate these mechanisms. 18 high-functioning adults with ASDs and 18 typically developing controls viewed 54extreme pleasant (erotica), extreme unpleasant (mutilations), and non-social neutral images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Two-thirds of images received an acoustic startle probe 3s post-picture onset. Facial electromyography (EMG) activity (orbicularis, zygomaticus, corrugator), skin conductance (SCR) and cardiac responses were recorded. The adults with ASDs demonstrated typical affective startle modulation and automatic facial EMG responses but atypical autonomic (SCRs and cardiac) responses, suggesting a failure to orient to, or a deliberate effort to disconnect from, socially relevant stimuli (erotica, mutilations). These results have implications for neural systems known to underlie affective processes, including the orbitofrontal cortex and amygdala.
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7. McCabe H. {{Bamboo shoots after the rain: Development and challenges of autism intervention in China}}. {Autism}. 2012 Nov 9.
The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of autism intervention in China, including history, progress, and current challenges. This qualitative research study included interviews with experienced professionals and observation at autism intervention organizations. Analysis of this empirical data led to three themes regarding this field. First, the development of the field can be described using the Chinese expression, mozhe shitou guohe (feeling stones to cross the river). Owing to limited exposure to outside information, methods are often created independent of research-based best practices. Second, autism intervention in China has had a strong, and until recently, almost exclusive, focus on young children. Finally, there are continued challenges to providing effective services that relate to the desires of parents and professionals to provide ‘more’; a focus on quantity may be preventing a focus on quality. The article concludes with an analysis of the findings and practical implications that may be used by practitioners or scholars planning to do work in China.
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8. Murray MJ. {{Children of migrant parents may be at greater risk of low-functioning autism spectrum disorder, but lower risk of high-functioning autism spectrum disorder}}. {Evidence-based mental health}. 2012 Nov 9.
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9. Olexova L, Talarovicova A, Lewis-Evans B, Borbelyova V, Krskova L. {{Animal models of autism with a particular focus on the neural basis of changes in social behaviour: An update article}}. {Neuroscience research}. 2012 Nov 6.
Research on autism has been gaining more and more attention. However, its aetiology is not entirely known and several factors are thought to contribute to the development of this neurodevelopmental disorder. These potential contributing factors range from genetic heritability to environmental effects. A significant number of reviews have already been published on different aspects of autism research as well as focusing on using animal models to help expand current knowledge around its aetiology. However, the diverse range of symptoms and possible causes of autism have resulted in as equally wide variety of animal models of autism. In this update article we focus only on the animal models with neurobehavioural characteristics of social deficit related to autism and present an overview of the animal models with alterations in brain regions, neurotransmitters, or hormones that are involved in a decrease in sociability.
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10. Pajareya K, Nopmaneejumruslers K. {{A one-year prospective follow-up study of a DIR/Floortime parent training intervention for pre-school children with autistic spectrum disorders}}. {Journal of the Medical Association of Thailand = Chotmaihet thangphaet}. 2012 Sep;95(9):1184-93.
OBJECTIVE: Determine the results of 1-year Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based (DIR)/Floortime parent training in developmental stimulation of children with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Thirty-four, two to six years old children with ASD participated. Parents were encouraged to deliver 1:1 interaction according to their child’s developmental level, as they were modeled and coached. Pre-post videotapes were rated by blinded assessors. RESULTS: Thirty-one families completed the present study. The data showed that adding home-base DIR/Floortime intervention at the average 14.2 hours/week for one year could help 47% of the children to make good improvement (1.5 Functional Development Level, FDLs or more), with 23% making fair progression (1 FDL), and the last 29% making poor progression (0.5 FDL or less). There were significant increases in children’s total Functional Emotional Assessment Scale (FEAS), and Functional Emotional Developmental Questionnaire (FEDQ) scores and there was significant decrease in the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) scores (p < or = 0.001). It showed that fidelity of the parents, severity of the children, and baseline developmental status might affect the outcome. CONCLUSION: Adding home-base DIR/Floortime intervention at the average 14 hours/week for one year helped 47% of children with autism to make good improvement in their development, and decreased autism's severity significantly. Lien vers Pubmed
11. Pellicano E, Burr D. {{Response to Brock: noise and autism}}. {Trends in cognitive sciences}. 2012 Nov 6.
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12. Roberts JE, Long AC, McCary LM, Quady AN, Rose BS, Widrick D, Baranek G. {{Cardiovascular and Behavioral Response to Auditory Stimuli in Boys With Fragile X Syndrome}}. {Journal of pediatric psychology}. 2012 Nov 11.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether young boys with fragile X syndrome (FXS) exhibit abnormal physiological or behavioral responses to a moderately intense auditory stimulus, as heightened sensory reactivity is believed to contribute to problem behaviors in this population. METHODS: We examined the physiological basis, via heart activity, of auditory startle in young boys with FXS (n = 22) compared with typically developing controls (n = 27). Associations with mental age, behavioral reactivity, and chronological age were examined. RESULTS: Results suggest that older boys with FXS display increased cardiac reactivity to auditory input than younger boys with FXS that distinguishes them from typically developing controls. Higher mental age was associated with decreased latency to react. CONCLUSIONS: Results contribute to increased understanding of the pathology in sensory processing in boys with FXS, which can inform refinement of the phenotype in young children with FXS and aid in the development of efficacious psychopharmacological and/or behavioral interventions.
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13. Roxburgh CA, Carbone VJ. {{The Effect of Varying Teacher Presentation Rates on Responding During Discrete Trial Training for Two Children With Autism}}. {Behavior modification}. 2012 Nov 8.
Recent research has emphasized the importance of manipulating antecedent variables to reduce interfering behaviors when teaching persons with autism. Few studies have focused on the effects of the rate of teacher-presented instructional demands as an independent variable. In this study, an alternating treatment design was used to evaluate the effects of varied rates of teacher-presented demands (1 s, 5 s, 10 s) on the occurrence of problem behavior, opportunities to respond, responses emitted, accuracy of responding, and magnitude and rate of reinforcement for two children with autism. Results indicated that fast presentation rate (1 s) resulted in lower rates of problem behavior, higher frequencies of instructional demands, higher frequencies of participant responding, and greater magnitudes and rates of reinforcement. Differential effects on accuracy of responding across conditions were not observed. Implications for manipulating the rate of teacher-presented instructional demands as an antecedent variable to reduce problem behavior are discussed.
