1. Lawton K, Kasari C. {{Teacher-Implemented Joint Attention Intervention: Pilot Randomized Controlled Study for Preschoolers With Autism}}. {J Consult Clin Psychol};2012 (May 14)
Objective: The vast majority of children with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attend public preschools at some point in their childhood. Community preschool practices often are not evidence based, and almost none target the prelinguistic core deficits of ASD. This study investigated the effectiveness of public preschool teachers implementing a validated intervention (the Joint Attention and Symbolic Play/Engagement and Regulation intervention; JASP/ER) on a core deficit of autism, initiating joint attention. Method: Sixteen dyads (preschoolers with ASD and the public school teachers who worked in the child’s classroom) were randomly assigned to the 6-week JASP/ER intervention or a control group. Results: At the end of the intervention, JASP/ER teachers used more JASP/ER strategies than the control teachers, and JASP/ER preschoolers used more joint attention in their classroom than control children. Additionally, JASP/ER children spent more time in supported engagement and less time in object engagement than control preschoolers on a taped play interaction. Conclusions: Findings suggest that teachers were able to improve a core deficit of children with ASD in a public preschool context. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).
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2. Shattuck PT, Narendorf SC, Cooper B, Sterzing PR, Wagner M, Taylor JL. {{Postsecondary Education and Employment Among Youth With an Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Pediatrics};2012 (May 14)
OBJECTIVES:We examined the prevalence and correlates of postsecondary education and employment among youth with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).METHODS:Data were from a nationally representative survey of parents, guardians, and young adults with an ASD. Participation in postsecondary employment, college, or vocational education and lack of participation in any of these activities were examined. Rates were compared with those of youth in 3 other eligibility categories: speech/language impairment, learning disability, and mental retardation. Logistic regression was used to examine correlates of each outcome.RESULTS:For youth with an ASD, 34.7% had attended college and 55.1% had held paid employment during the first 6 years after high school. More than 50% of youth who had left high school in the past 2 years had no participation in employment or education. Youth with an ASD had the lowest rates of participation in employment and the highest rates of no participation compared with youth in other disability categories. Higher income and higher functional ability were associated with higher adjusted odds of participation in postsecondary employment and education.CONCLUSIONS:Youth with an ASD have poor postsecondary employment and education outcomes, especially in the first 2 years after high school. Those from lower-income families and those with greater functional impairments are at heightened risk for poor outcomes. Further research is needed to understand how transition planning before high school exit can facilitate a better connection to productive postsecondary activities.
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3. Yu Z, Fan D, Gui B, Shi L, Xuan C, Shan L, Wang Q, Shang Y, Wang Y. {{Neurodegeneration-associated TDP-43 Interacts with Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP)/Staufen (STAU1) and Regulates SIRT1 Expression in Neuronal Cells}}. {J Biol Chem};2012 (May 14)
Despite the identification of the 43kDa transactive response DNA-binding protein (TDP-43) as a major pathological signatory protein in a wide range of neurodegenerative diseases, the mechanistic role of TDP-43 in neurodegenerative disorders is still poorly understood. Here, we report that TDP-43 is physically associated with fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) and Staufen (STAU1) to form a functional complex. Differential microarray analysis revealed that the expression of a collection of functionally important genes including Sirtuin (SIRT1) is regulated by this complex. RNA-immunoprecipitation (RIP) assays demonstrated that TDP-43/FMRP/STAU1 could specifically bind to the 3’UTR of SIRT1 mRNA, and that knockdown the expression of any one of these three proteins resulted in the reduction of SIRT1 mRNA and protein. SIRT1 is implicated in double-stranded DNA break repair and is required for cell survival. Indeed, depletion of TDP-43/FMRP/STAU1 sensitizes cells to apoptosis and DNA damages. Collectively, our results revealed a molecular mechanism for the cellular function of TDP-43 and might shed new light on the understanding of the mechanistic role of TDP-43 in neurodegenerative diseases.
