1. Broome K, McCabe P, Docking K, Doble M, Carrigg B. Speech Development Across Subgroups of Autistic Children: A Longitudinal Study. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. 2022.

Subgroups of children with different speech profiles have been described however, little is known about the trajectories of speech development or stability of subgroups over time. This longitudinal study described both speech trajectories and subgroup stability of 22 autistic children, aged 2;0-6;11 years, over 12 months. Independent and relational speech analyses, vocabulary size and nonverbal communication were used in clustering. Results suggest varied speech trajectories, particularly for children with ‘low language and low speech’ at Time 1. Receptive vocabulary and consonant inventory at Time 1 may predict speech outcomes after 12 months. A small subgroup of children (n = 3) present with low expressive vocabulary and speech but higher receptive vocabulary and use of gestures. This unique profile remained stable.

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2. Ghosh S. Parents planning for the long-term future of adults with ASD in India: « But that’s a maybe. It’s still a maybe ». Journal of autism and developmental disorders. 2022.

Research on long-term planning for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in India is non-existent. The mixed-methods study examined caregiver’s expectations around the future planning of an adult with ASD and the barriers and facilitators to the future planning. The purposive sample included 139 caregivers to adults and adolescents with ASD who were part of the survey and 25 caregivers who participated in in-depth interviews. 40% of caregivers hadn’t started planning for the future.The family was considered the ideal place to age, but perceived and objective barriers impacted caregivers’ ability to plan for the future. The most common barrier that impacted all domains of long-term care was the fear of the unknown or the fear that none of the plans would fall in place. The study also identified resources and strategies used by parents to plan. Findings from the study can potentially impact policy, advocacy, and practice.

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3. Glover M, Liddle M, Fassler C, Duncan A. Microanalysis of Daily Living Skills in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder without an intellectual disability. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. 2022.

Adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without an intellectual disability (ID) have daily living skills (DLS) that fall below their chronological age and affect their ability to achieve successful adult outcomes, but little is known about their specific DLS challenges. Utilizing the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 3rd Edition (VABS-3) in a sample of 151 adolescents with ASD without an ID, we explored the VABS-3 DLS domain, subdomains, interview topics, and individual items. Results indicated that Community DLS was a relative strength, followed by Domestic DLS, and then Personal DLS. Adolescents with ASD demonstrated significant challenges in many age appropriate DLS subdomain interview topics and individual items, indicating a need for interventions to increase acquisition of DLS to improve adult outcomes.

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4. Horner-Johnson W, Garg B, Darney BG, Biel FM, Caughey AB. Severe maternal morbidity and other perinatal complications among women with physical, sensory, or intellectual and developmental disabilities. Paediatric and perinatal epidemiology. 2022.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about severe maternal morbidity (SMM) among women with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: We assessed differences in SMM and other perinatal complications by presence and type of disability. We hypothesised that SMM and other complications would be more common in births to women with disabilities than to women without disabilities. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of California births from 2000 to 2012, using birth and death certificate data linked with hospital discharge data. We included singleton deliveries with gestational age of 23-42 weeks. We classified women as having any disability or not and identified disability type (physical, hearing, vision, intellectual/developmental disabilities [IDD]). Our primary outcome was a composite indicator of SMM. Secondary outcomes included additional perinatal complications: gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, venous thromboembolism, chorioamnionitis, puerperal endometritis and mental health disorders complicating pregnancy, childbirth or the puerperium. We used modified Poisson regression to obtain covariate-adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the association of disability status and type with SMM and secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Of 5,787,090 deliveries, 33,044 (0.6%) were to women with disabilities. Of these, 311 per 10,000 were complicated by SMM, compared with 84 per 10,000 deliveries to women without disabilities. In multivariable analyses, risk of SMM for births to women with disabilities was nearly three times that for women without disabilities (RR 2.84, 95% CI 2.67, 3.02). Proportion and risk of SMM were greatest for vision disability (793 per 10,000; RR 4.04, 95% CI 3.41, 4.78). Secondary outcomes were also more common among women with disabilities. In particular, more than a third of births to women with IDD (37.4%) were complicated by mental health disorders (versus 2.2% for women without disabilities). CONCLUSION: As hypothesised, SMM and other perinatal complications were more common among women with disabilities than among women without disabilities.

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5. Khera R, Mehan S, Kumar S, Sethi P, Bhalla S, Prajapati A. Role of JAK-STAT and PPAR-Gamma Signalling Modulators in the Prevention of Autism and Neurological Dysfunctions. Molecular neurobiology. 2022.

The Janus-kinase (JAK) and signal transducer activator of transcription (STAT) signalling pathways regulate gene expression and control various factors involved in normal physiological functions such as cell proliferation, neuronal development, and cell survival. JAK activation phosphorylates STAT3 in astrocytes and microglia, and this phosphorylation has been linked to mitochondrial damage, apoptosis, neuroinflammation, reactive astrogliosis, and genetic mutations. As a regulator, peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-gamma), in relation to JAK-STAT signalling, prevents this phosphorylation and aids in the treatment of the above-mentioned neurocomplications. Changes in cellular signalling may also contribute to the onset and progression of autism. Thus, PPAR-gamma agonist upregulation may be associated with JAK-STAT signal transduction downregulation. It may also be responsible for attenuating neuropathological changes by stimulating SOCS3 or involving RXR or SMRT, thereby reducing transcription of the various cytokine proteins and genes involved in neuronal damage. Along with JAK-STAT inhibitors, PPAR-gamma agonists could be used as target therapeutic interventions for autism. This research-based review explores the potential involvement and mutual regulation of JAK-STAT and PPAR-gamma signalling in controlling multiple pathological factors associated with autism.

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6. Lee B, Beuhler L, Lee HY. The Primary Ciliary Deficits in Cerebellar Bergmann Glia of the Mouse Model of Fragile X Syndrome. Cerebellum (London, England). 2022.

Primary cilia are non-motile cilia that function as antennae for cells to sense signals. Deficits of primary cilia cause ciliopathies, leading to the pathogenesis of various developmental disorders; however, the contribution of primary cilia to neurodevelopmental disorders is largely unknown. Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetically inherited disorder and is the most common known cause of autism spectrum disorders. FXS is caused by the silencing of the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene, which encodes for the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). Here, we discovered a reduction in the number of primary cilia and the Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling in cerebellar Bergmann glia of Fmr1 KO mice. We further found reduced granule neuron precursor (GNP) proliferation and thickness of the external germinal layer (EGL) in Fmr1 KO mice, implicating that primary ciliary deficits in Bergmann glia may contribute to cerebellar developmental phenotypes in FXS, as Shh signaling through primary cilia in Bergmann glia is known to mediate proper GNP proliferation in the EGL. Taken together, our study demonstrates that FMRP loss leads to primary ciliary deficits in cerebellar Bergmann glia which may contribute to cerebellar deficits in FXS.

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7. McIntyre CL, Boucher TQ, Scheerer NE, Gurm M, Iarocci G. Brief Report: Alexithymia Trait Severity, Not Autistic Trait Severity, Relates to Caregiver Reactions to Autistic Children’s Negative Emotions. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. 2022.

Alexithymia impacts an individual’s ability to recognize and understand emotions and frequently co-occurs with autism. This study investigated the relationship between children’s alexithymia, autistic traits, and caregiver reactions to their child’s negative emotions. Caregivers of 54 autistic and 51 non-autistic children between the ages of 7 and 12 years rated their child’s alexithymia and autistic trait severity and their reactions to their child’s negative emotions. Caregivers of autistic children reported greater supportive reactions and fewer restrictive/controlling reactions to their child’s negative emotions when their child had more alexithymia traits. This study extends previous research by demonstrating that caregivers of autistic children with co-occurring alexithymia traits represent a specific subgroup of caregivers that respond more positively to their child’s negative emotions.

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8. Ntalindwa T, Nduwingoma M, Uworwabayeho A, Nyirahabimana P, Karangwa E, Rashid Soron T, Westin T, Karunaratne T, Hansson H. Adapting the Use of Digital Content to Improve the Learning of Numeracy Among Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Rwanda: Thematic Content Analysis Study. JMIR serious games. 2022; 10(2): e28276.

BACKGROUND: Many teachers consider it challenging to teach children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in an inclusive classroom due to their unique needs and challenges. The integration of information communication technology (ICT) in the education system allows children with ASD to improve their learning. However, these ICT tools should meet their needs to lead a productive life. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to examine the possibilities of re-creating and adapting digital content to improve the learning of numeracy among children with ASD in inclusive school settings. METHODS: We conducted 7 focus group discussions (FGDs) with 56 teachers from 7 schools and 14 parents from April to November 2019. Each of the FGDs took around 1 hour. Two clustered sets of questions were used: (1) general knowledge about teaching children with ASD and (2) analysis of selected online educational video content of early math (specifically, counting numbers). The researchers used video to understand current methodologies used in teaching children with ASD, possibilities of adaptation of the content in the current teaching environment, future challenges when the content is adapted, and possible solutions to overcome those challenges. All data, including audio recordings, field notes, and participants’ comments, were transcribed, recorded, and analyzed following the steps recommended in qualitative data analysis. RESULTS: The researchers identified ten themes from the analysis of the data: (1) awareness of the existence of ASD among children in schools and the community, (2) acceptance of children with ASD in an inclusive classroom and the community, (3) methods and models used when teaching children with ASD, (4)realia used to improve the learning of children with ASD, (5) the design of educational digital content, (6) the accessibility of online educational content, (7) quality of the content of the educational multimedia, (8) the opportunity of using the translated and re-created content inside and outside the classroom, (9) the relevance of the digital content in the Rwandan educational system, and (10) enhancement of the accessibility and quality of the digital content. We found that participants assumed that the content translation, gamification, and re-creation would help teach children with ASD. Moreover, they recommended contextualizing the content, increasing access to digital devices, and further research in the education of different subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Although many studies have identified the possibilities of using ICT to support children with ASD, few studies have documented the possibilities of integrating the existing technologies tested in the international community. This study is charting new territory to investigate online content to suit the context of schools. This study recommends further exploration of possible methodologies, such as applied behavior analysis or verbal behavior therapy, and the development of contextualized technologies that respond to the educational needs of children with ASD.

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9. Panganiban J, Kasari C. Super responders: Predicting language gains from JASPER among limited language children with autism spectrum disorder. Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research. 2022.

Early intervention can provide a great benefit for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, no single intervention is effective for all children. Even when an intervention is effective overall, individual child response varies. Some children make incredible progress, and others make slow or no progress. Therefore, it is important that the field move towards developing methods to personalize intervention. Operationalizing meaningful change and predicting intervention response are critical steps in designing systematic and personalized early intervention. The present research used improvement in expressive language to group children that received a targeted social communication early intervention, Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation (JASPER), into super responders and slow responders. Using baseline data from traditional standardized assessments of cognition and behavioral data from validated experimental measures of play and social communication, we used conditional inference tree models to predict responder status. From a sample of 99 preschool age, limited language children with ASD, play diversity was the most significant predictor of responder status. Children that played functionally with a wider variety of toys had increased odds of being a super responder to JASPER. A combination of lower play diversity and impairments in fine motor abilities increased the odds of children being slow responders to JASPER. Results from the present study can inform future efforts to individualize intervention and systematic approaches to augmenting treatment in real time. LAY SUMMARY: To help us answer the question of for whom an intervention works best, we examined 99 children, age three to five, who qualified as being limited spoken language communicators, and received a targeted intervention for social communication and language. We used child characteristics before intervention to predict which children would improve their language the most and found that the ability to play appropriately with a wider variety of toys predicted the best improvements in expressive language. These findings will help better inform future work to individualize intervention based on the unique needs of each child.

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10. Song W, Zhang M, Teng L, Wang Y, Zhu L. Prebiotics and probiotics for autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled clinical trials. Journal of medical microbiology. 2022; 71(4).

Introduction. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder. The discovery of the influence of gut microbiota on mental illness opens up new research avenues for the role of gut microbiota modifiers, such as probiotics or prebiotics, as a potential course of treatment. Potential treatments have received considerable attention in recent years.Aim. The meta-analysis only included clinical controlled trials to explore whether probiotics and prebiotics can improve the overall severity of ASD symptoms in children, the severity of gastrointestinal (GI) problems and the comorbid psychopathlology in ASD.Gap statement. Although systematic reviews have been conducted in this area in the past, most of them are mixed experimental designs, and the reliability of the conclusions remains to be determined. To the best of our knowledge, no systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) has been conducted.Methodology. A meta analysis used a combination of subject terms and free words, or used keywords, titles, and abstracts to conduct in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Cochrane Library to identify studies relevant to the current review.Result. The results of the meta-analysis showed that probiotics and prebiotics did not significantly improve the severity of ASD patients, GI problems and comorbid psychopathlology in ASD, and the result is contradictory to the previous literatures.Conclusion. Since there are relatively few clinical controlled trials that can be included, the results of this study still need to be further verified in the clinic. In the future, more randomized controlled studies, more research populations, and the use of more professional clinicians may provide more robust research results.

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11. Wang Z, Xuan B, Li S. Motion or sociality? The cueing effect and temporal course of autistic traits on gaze-triggered attention. Attention, perception & psychophysics. 2022; 84(4): 1167-77.

Gaze-triggered attention changes have been found in individuals with high autistic traits in the nonclinical population. However, gaze cues used in previous studies imply not only sociality of gaze but also the motion of gaze. To exclude the influence of motion, we manipulated the cue sociality by setting dot cues with similar motion characteristics as gaze cues to explore the underlying reasons of gaze-triggered attention changes in individuals with high autistic traits. We used a cueing paradigm within a visual matching task and recorded individuals’ eye movements. Both the RT and eye movement of probe interface showed the benefit from gaze of the low autistic trait group was larger than that from dot and was larger than that of the high autistic trait group. While the high autistic trait group show similar benefit between gaze and dot. Eye movement results showed the dynamic changes of validity effect in two groups. The interaction between autistic traits and cue sociality was not significant within the 500 ms of cue presentation, marginally significant within 500-1,000 ms after cue presentation, but significant after 1,000 ms of cue presentation. The results demonstrated that the changes of gaze-triggered attention in individuals with high autistic traits was mainly caused by the sociality of gaze in the relative late stage.

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12. White R, Livingston LA, Taylor EC, Close SAD, Shah P, Callan MJ. Understanding the Contributions of Trait Autism and Anxiety to Extreme Demand Avoidance in the Adult General Population. Journal of autism and developmental disorders. 2022: 1-9.

Autism and anxiety are thought to be related to extreme demand avoidance (EDA), which is characterised by intense avoidance of everyday demands. However, the relative importance of autism and anxiety to EDA has yet to be investigated, and little is known about EDA in adulthood. We conducted two online survey studies (Ns = 267 and 549) with adults in the general population to establish the relative importance of autistic traits and anxiety as predictors of demand avoidance, using dominance analysis. Both autistic traits and anxiety were unique and equally important predictors of demand avoidance. These findings suggest EDA is linked to autism and are consistent with the theory that demand avoidance behaviours are potentially anxiety-driven in adults.

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