1. Akmanoglu N, Tekin-Iftar E. {{Teaching children with autism how to respond to the lures of strangers}}. {Autism};2011 (Feb 21)
A multiple probe design was used to assess the combined effects of videomodeling, graduated guidance and community-based instruction for teaching children with autism how to protect themselves from the lures of strangers. Parental opinions were also assessed in the study. Three children with autism (aged 6 to 11 years) participated in the study. Data indicated that videomodeling with graduated guidance and community-based instruction was effective for teaching children with autism how to protect themselves from the lures of strangers. Also it can be seen that participants maintained the acquired skill over time and applied it to novel settings. Furthermore, generalization was maintained over time. The parents of the participants reported positive opinions regarding the aims, procedures, and results of the study. Based on an evaluation of the findings, implications and future research needs are discussed.
2. Damodaran LP, Arumugam G. {{A biochemical study on the level of proteins and their percentage of nitration in the hair and nail of autistic children}}. {Clin Chim Acta};2011 (Feb 18)
BACKGROUND: Autism is a complex disorder which is heterogeneous in nature with varying degrees of severity for which no specific biological marker has been identified. Several studies are focused on the hair and nail protein pattern as a mean to identify specific markers for the diagnosis of many childhood disorders like mental retardation, dyslexia, trichorrhexis nodosa, trichothiodystrophy, etc,. The present study is one such approach in investigating the electrophoretic pattern of proteins in hard keratins and their percentage of nitration since nitric oxide production and nitration of tyrosine residues in proteins of autistic children is the emerging topic of research. METHODS: We extracted and quantified the proteins from hair and nail samples of autistic children with different grades of severity, [low functioning autism (LFA), medium functioning autism (MFA), and high functioning autism (HFA)] and also from age- and sex- matched normal children. Protein pattern was evaluated by one – dimensional SDS- PAGE and the separated proteins were made to cross react with anti- nitro tyrosine antibody by Western blot analysis. Blood levels of TBARS, NO, GSH, Vitamin A & C, SOD and GPx were also determined. RESULTS: In the autistic groups, decreased concentration of protein in both hair and nail samples were observed. The SDS- PAGE analysis revealed that there was a significant decrease in both high and low sulfur proteins in the hair and nail extracts of autistic children and the western blot analysis showed increased % of nitration of low sulfur proteins in autistic children when compared with normal children. Decreased levels of enzymatic and non- enzymatic antioxidants and increased concentration of TBARS and NO were also observed in the blood of autistic children. The LFA group showed more significant alteration (p<0.001) in the concentration of proteins (in hair and nail) and % of nitration when compared with HFA and controls. CONCLUSION: ower protein content and higher % of nitration in hair and nail of autistic children correlated with their degrees of severity.
3. Erdmann J. {{Broad collaborations bring new energy to autism therapeutics}}. {Chem Biol};2011 (Feb 25);18(2):142-143.
4. Ghanizadeh A. {{May GABA transaminase inhibitors improve stereotyped behaviors in Rett syndrome?}}. {Amino Acids};2011 (Feb 23)
5. Molloy CA, Murray DS, Akers R, Mitchell T, Manning-Courtney P. {{Use of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) in a clinical setting}}. {Autism};2011 (Feb 21)
The aim of this study was to examine the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) as it is commonly used in clinical practice. ADOS classifications were compared to final diagnoses given by a multidisciplinary team to 584 children referred for evaluation for possible autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. A total of 177 children were evaluated with a Module 1 (87 No Words), 198 with a Module 2 (90 < 5 years) and 209 with a Module 3. Of these, 142 (26%) were diagnosed with autism, 185 (32%) with non-autism ASD, and 257 (44%) with non-spectrum disorders. Sensitivities were moderate to high on both original and revised algorithms, while specificities were substantially lower than those previously reported. This difference is likely attributable to the composition of the sample that included many children with a broad array of developmental and behavioral disorders. The clinical impression of the team member who administered the ADOS was critical to the accuracy of the overall diagnosis. Using numeric scores alone resulted in misclassification from false positive results. The study highlights the importance of the qualitative interactions of the ADOS activities as well as the score in diagnostic decision making.
