1. Altgassen M, Sheppard DP, Hendriks MPH. {{Do importance instructions improve time-based prospective remembering in autism spectrum conditions?}}. {Res Dev Disabil}. 2019; 90: 1-13.
This study explored the impact of motivation on the memory for delayed intentions (so-called, prospective memory, PM) in autistic individuals. Specifically, we were interested in the effects of personal (i.e., receiving a reward) as compared to social motivation (i.e., performing a favour for someone). Given the well-established theory of mind deficits in autism, we expected autistic individuals to benefit more strongly from personal than social importance manipulations, whereas the opposite pattern was predicted for controls. Sixty-one adolescents with autism and 61 typically developing adolescents participated, with each group distributed equally to one of the three motivation conditions of standard, social and personal reward. Participants worked on a 2-back picture-based ongoing task in which a time-based PM task was embedded. A mixed 2 (Group) x 3 (Motivation condition) analysis of covariance with age, verbal and non-verbal abilities as covariates and correct PM responses as dependent variable indicated solely a main effect of group, with controls outperforming the autism group. In contrast to our expectations, there was no main effect of condition, no significant interaction, and none of the covariates had any significant impact. However, further planned analyses revealed that controls only outperformed autistic individuals in the personal reward condition. Controls performed significantly best when a personal reward was promised, whereas there were no significant differences between the motivation conditions for autistic individuals. Findings are discussed in terms of underlying processes.
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2. Bertoncelli CM, Altamura P, Vieira ER, Bertoncelli D, Solla F. {{Using Artificial Intelligence to Identify Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adolescents with Cerebral Palsy}}. {Neuropediatrics}. 2019.
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is common in adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) and there is a lack of studies applying artificial intelligence to investigate this field and this population in particular. The aim of this study is to develop and test a predictive learning model to identify factors associated with ASD in adolescents with CP. This was a multicenter controlled cohort study of 102 adolescents with CP (61 males, 41 females; mean age +/- SD [standard deviation] = 16.6 +/- 1.2 years; range: 12-18 years). Data on etiology, diagnosis, spasticity, epilepsy, clinical history, communication abilities, behaviors, intellectual disability, motor skills, and eating and drinking abilities were collected between 2005 and 2015. Statistical analysis included Fisher’s exact test and multiple logistic regressions to identify factors associated with ASD. A predictive learning model was implemented to identify factors associated with ASD. The guidelines of the « transparent reporting of a multivariable prediction model for individual prognosis or diagnosis » (TRIPOD) statement were followed. Type of spasticity (hemiplegia > diplegia > tri/quadriplegia; OR [odds ratio] = 1.76, SE [standard error] = 0.2785, p = 0.04), communication disorders (OR = 7.442, SE = 0.59, p < 0.001), intellectual disability (OR = 2.27, SE = 0.43, p = 0.05), feeding abilities (OR = 0.35, SE = 0.35, p = 0.002), and motor function (OR = 0.59, SE = 0.22, p = 0.01) were significantly associated with ASD. The best average prediction model score for accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity was 75%. Motor skills, feeding abilities, type of spasticity, intellectual disability, and communication disorders were associated with ASD. The prediction model was able to adequately identify adolescents at risk of ASD. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
3. Canfield MA, Langlois PH, Rutenberg GW, Mandell DJ, Hua F, Reilly B, Ruktanonchai DJ, Jackson JF, Hunt P, Freedenberg D, Lee R, Villanacci JF. {{The association between newborn screening analytes and childhood autism in a Texas Medicaid population, 2010-2012}}. {Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet}. 2019.
Autism (or autism spectrum disorder [ASD]) is an often disabling childhood neurologic condition of mostly unknown cause. It is commonly diagnosed at 3 or 4 years of age. We explored whether there was an association of any analytes measured by newborn screening tests with a later diagnosis of ASD. A database was compiled of 3-5 year-old patients with any ASD diagnosis in the Texas Medicaid system in 2010-2012. Two controls (without any ASD diagnosis) were matched to each case by infant sex and birth year/month. All study subjects were linked to their 2007-2009 birth and newborn screening laboratory records, including values for 36 analytes or analyte ratios. We examined the association of analytes/ratios with a later diagnosis of ASD. Among 3,258 cases and 6,838 controls, seven analytes (e.g., 17-hydroxyprogesterone, acylcarnitines) were associated with a later ASD diagnosis. In this exploratory study, an ASD diagnosis was associated with 7 of 36 newborn screening analytes/ratios. These findings should be replicated in other population-based datasets.
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4. Danker J, Strnadova I, Cumming TM. {{« They don’t have a good life if we keep thinking that they’re doing it on purpose! »: Teachers’ Perspectives on the Well-Being of Students with Autism}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2019.
In recent years, student well-being is increasingly on the research agenda. Yet, little is known about the well-being of students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study used semi-structured interviews and sought the views of 20 high school teachers of students with ASD to investigate the concept of well-being for this group of students. Grounded theory approaches were used to analyse the data. Teachers conceptualised well-being as consisting of three domains (i.e., peer relationships, sense of safety, engagement), identified three categories of barriers (i.e., teacher’s ability to effectively teach students with ASD, impact of ASD, environment), and several external and internal assets of well-being. Discussion on recommended practices for schools to enhance the well-being of students with ASD are provided.
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5. Feng JY, Li HH, Shan L, Wang B, Jia FY, Du L. {{[Clinical effect of vitamin D3 combined with the Early Start Denver Model in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder in toddlers]}}. {Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics}. 2019; 21(4): 337-41.
OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical effect of vitamin D3 (VitD3) combined with the Early Start Denver Model (ESDM) in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in toddlers. METHODS: A total of 102 toddlers with ASD, aged 1 to 3 years, were enrolled. According to the wishes of their parents, they were divided into conventional rehabilitation, ESDM and ESDM+VitD3 groups. Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) were used evaluate behavior problems before treatment and after 3 months of treatment. RESULTS: The conventional rehabilitation group had significant reductions in the total score and the scores on somatic movement and self-care subscales of the ABC scale after 3 months of treatment (P<0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the ESDM group had significant reductions in the total score and the scores on somatic movement, self-care, social interaction and language subscales of the ABC scale (P<0.05), as well as a significant reduction in the total score of the CARS (P<0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the ESDM+VitD3 group had a significant increase in the level of 25(OH)D and significant reductions in the total score and the scores on self-care, sensation, social interaction and language subscales of the ABC scale (P<0.05), as well as a significant reduction in the total score of the CARS (P<0.05). The ESDM group had a significantly greater reduction in the score on social interaction subscale than the conventional rehabilitation group (P<0.05). The ESDM+VitD3 group had a significantly greater reduction in the score on social interaction subscale than the other two groups (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ESDM can effectively improve the clinical symptoms of toddlers with ASD, with a significantly better clinical effect in improving social interaction and somatic movement than conventional rehabilitation. ESDM combined with VitD3 has a significantly better clinical effect in improving social communication skills and may be one of the best strategies for improving the clinical symptoms of toddlers with ASD. Lien vers Pubmed
6. Hollins S, Lodge KM, Lomax P. {{The case for removing intellectual disability and autism from the Mental Health Act}}. {The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science}. 2019: 1-3.
SummaryIntellectual disability (also known as learning disability in UK health services) and autism are distinct from the serious mental illnesses for which the Mental Health Act is designed to be used. Their inclusion in the definition of mental disorder is discriminatory, resulting in unjust deprivations of liberty. Intellectual disability and autism should be excluded from the Mental Health Act.Declaration of interestNone.
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7. Hsiung EY, Chien SH, Chu YH, Ho MW. {{Adults with autism are less proficient in identifying biological motion actions portrayed with point-light displays}}. {J Intellect Disabil Res}. 2019.
BACKGROUND: Whether individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have impairments with biological motion perception has been debated. The present study examined the ability to identify point-light-displayed (PLD) human actions in neurotypical (NT) adults and adults with ASD. METHOD: Twenty-seven adults with ASD (mean age = 28.36) and 30 NT adults (mean age = 22.45) were tested. Both groups viewed 10 different biological motion actions contacting an object/tool and 10 without making contact. Each action was presented twice, and participant’s naming responses and reaction times were recorded. RESULTS: The ASD group had a significantly lower total number of correct items (M = 29.30 +/- 5.08 out of 40) and longer response time (M = 4550 +/- 1442 ms) than NT group (M = 32.77 +/- 2.78; M = 3556 +/- 1148 ms). Both groups were better at naming the actions without objects (ASD group: 17.33 +/- 2.30, NT group: 18.67 +/- 1.30) than those with objects (ASD group: 11.96 +/- 3.57, NT group: 14.10 +/- 1.97). Correlation analyses showed that individuals with higher Autism-spectrum Quotient scale scores tended to make more errors and responded more slowly. CONCLUSION: Adults with ASD were able to identify human point-light display biological motion actions much better than chance; however, they were less proficient compared with NT adults in terms of accuracy and speed, regardless of action type.
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8. Huang XQ, Zhang H, Chen S. {{Neuropsychiatric Symptoms, Parenting Stress and Social Support in Chinese Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {Current medical science}. 2019; 39(2): 291-7.
Although little is known about the current situation regarding autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in mainland China, psychiatric disorders are common among Chinese mothers of preschool children with ASD. Previous studies showed ASD child’s behavioral symptoms, maternal anxiety, and maternal depressive symptoms were associated with overall parenting stress in northern China. In the present study, we retrospectively analyzed medical records at the hospital related to neuropsychiatric symptoms, parenting stress and social support in mothers of children with ASD from southern China. A total of 80 mothers of children with ASD were screened. Among them, 34 mothers were in low-functioning ASD group (L-ASD group) and 46 mothers were in high-functioning ASD group (H-ASD group). Identification of the ASD cases was confirmed with a Revised Autism Diagnostic Inventory. Neuropsychiatric symptoms, parenting stress and social support were measured by neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI), parenting stress index short form (PSI-SF), and multi-dimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS). Total mean score of the NPI in the L-ASD group was significantly higher than that in the H-ASD group (P<0.01). The subscale scores of NPI, including depression, anxiety, apathy, irritability, agitation, night time behavior disturbances and change in appetite were significantly higher in the L-ASD group than those in the H-ASD group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Meanwhile, the total PSI-SF scores and the scores of parental distress (PD), parental-child dysfunctional interaction (PCDI) and difficult child (DC) in the L-ASD group were significantly higher than those in the H-ASD group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). The total score of MSPSS was also higher in the L-ASD group than in the H-ASD group (P<0.01). This study goes further to show the neuropsychiatric symptoms and parenting stress are significantly higher in mothers of children with ASD, and more social supports are needed for mothers of children with ASD from southern China, especially for mothers of children with low-functioning ASD. Lien vers le texte intégral (Open Access ou abonnement)
9. Kadlaskar G, Seidl A, Tager-Flusberg H, Nelson CA, Keehn B. {{Atypical Response to Caregiver Touch in Infants at High Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2019.
Atypical response to tactile input is associated with greater socio-communicative impairments in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study examined overt orienting to caregiver-initiated touch in 12-month-olds at high risk for ASD (HRA) with (HRA+) and without (HRA-) a later diagnosis of ASD compared to low-risk comparison infants. Findings indicate that infants that go on to receive a diagnosis of ASD may more frequently fail to shift their attention in response to caregiver touch and when they do, they may be more likely to orient away from touch. Additionally, failure to respond to touch predicts ADOS severity scores at outcome suggesting that atypical response to touch may be an early indicator of autism severity.
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10. Liu J, Wan GB, Huang MS, Agyapong G, Zou TL, Zhang XY, Liu YW, Song YQ, Tsai YC, Kong XJ. {{Probiotic Therapy for Treating Behavioral and Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials}}. {Current medical science}. 2019; 39(2): 173-84.
The therapeutic potentials of probiotics in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remains controversial, with the only existing systematic review on this topic published in 2015. Results from new trials have become available in recent years. We therefore conducted an updated systematic review, to assess the efficacy of probiotics in relieving behavioral symptoms of ASD and gastrointestinal comorbidities. Our review includes two randomized controlled trials, which showed improvement of ASD behaviors, and three open trials, all which exhibited a trend of improvement. Four of these trials concluded from subjective measures that gastrointestinal function indices showed a trend of improvement with probiotic therapy. Additional rigorous trials are needed to evaluate the effects of probiotic supplements in ASD.
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11. Liu XY, Wang BL, Yi MJ, Zhang FH. {{[Association of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during pregnancy with autism spectrum disorder-related behaviors in toddlers: a birth cohort study]}}. {Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics}. 2019; 21(4): 332-6.
OBJECTIVE: To study the association of exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-related behaviors in toddlers. METHODS: A total of 348 toddlers who had accepted the measurement of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood and evaluation of behavior problems at the age of 36 months were enrolled in this birth cohort study. Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) were used to evaluate behavior problems at the age of 36 months. The correlation of the concentration of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood with CBCL and ABC scores at the age of 36 months were analyzed. RESULTS: The detection rate of PAH-DNA adduct in umbilical cord blood was 52.3%, and the median concentration was 0.68 ng/mL. The median total scores of CBCL and ABC scales were 23 and 8 respectively. In children aged 36 months, the concentration of PAH-DNA adduct was positively correlated with the score of social withdrawal in the CBCL scale (rs=0.205, P<0.05), the total score of the ABC scale (rs=0.412, P<0.05), and the self-care score of the ABC scale (rs=0.355, P<0.05). The concentration of PAH-DNA adduct was closely associated with the total score of the ABC scale in children aged 36 months (beta=0.122, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: PAH exposure during pregnancy may be a risk factor for ASD-related behaviors in toddlers. Effective reduction of PAH exposure during pregnancy and detection of PAH-DNA adduct in neonatal umbilical cord blood are of vital importance for early prevention, screening and intervention of ASD. Lien vers Pubmed
12. McClain MB, Harris B, Schwartz SE, Benallie KJ, Golson ME, Benney CM. {{Brief Report: Development and Validation of the Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale General Population Version: Preliminary Analyses}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2019.
Despite the dramatic rise in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) prevalence, limited information is known about ASD knowledge of the general population. The Autism Spectrum Knowledge Scale, General Population version (ASKSG) was collaboratively constructed to create a measure of ASD knowledge specifically for the general population. The ASKSG is a 31-item measure that assesses one’s knowledge and understanding of ASD. Adults in the general population participated in the current study (N = 318). Findings indicate that the ASKSG is a valid and reliable measure and can adequately measure ASD knowledge in this population. A greater understanding of general population knowledge pertaining to ASD can be used to better inform identification, intervention, and advocacy, thus improving the outcomes for individuals with ASD.
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13. McKernan EP, Wu Y, Russo N. {{Sensory Overresponsivity as a Predictor of Amplitude Discrimination Performance in Youth with ASD}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2019.
Previous studies have suggested that sensory overresponsivity in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be due to a failure to habituate to stimuli. We examined the relationship between performance on three tactile psychophysical tasks and the construct of sensory overresponsivity in children with and without ASD. Sensory overresponsivity predicted amplitude discrimination with an adapting stimulus, as well as the effect of adaptation, for ASD youth. Results replicate previous research that children with ASD are less affected by the presence of an adapting stimulus as compared to typically developing children, and further suggest that sensory overresponsivity may be the mechanism underlying the observed lack of an adaptation effect in children with ASD.
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14. Mehra C, Absoud M. {{Commentary on… the overlapping and distinct resting functional connectivity between autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder}}. {The British journal of psychiatry : the journal of mental science}. 2019: 1-2.
SummaryAltered neural connectivity in neurodevelopmental disorders is likely subtle, meaning that neuroimaging literature studying development has produced heterogeneous findings. A recent study, published in this issue, illustrates the translational potential of functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging findings as a biomarker for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder. Importantly, it highlights the overlap between disorders, emphasising the need for transdiagnostic and dimensional approaches in neurodevelopment.Declaration of interestNone.
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15. Roncati AL, Souza AC, Paradigma N, Miguel CF. {{Exposure to a specific prompt topography predicts its relative efficiency when teaching intraverbal behavior to children with autism spectrum disorder}}. {Journal of applied behavior analysis}. 2019.
Comparisons of the relative efficiency of different prompt topographies (visual or auditory), when teaching intraverbal behavior to children with disabilities, have yielded idiosyncratic results. Recent research has shown that previous exposure to a specific prompt type may affect its efficiency when teaching intraverbal behavior to preschool children. The current study was an attempt to replicate these results with 3 children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. For all participants, increased exposure to one prompt topography was sufficient to make it relatively more efficient as measured by number of trials to criterion. These results suggest that previous history with a prompt type may predict its efficiency.
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16. Tariq Q, Fleming SL, Schwartz JN, Dunlap K, Corbin C, Washington P, Kalantarian H, Khan NZ, Darmstadt GL, Wall DP. {{Detecting Developmental Delay and Autism Through Machine Learning Models Using Home Videos of Bangladeshi Children: Development and Validation Study}}. {Journal of medical Internet research}. 2019; 21(4): e13822.
BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently diagnosed using qualitative methods that measure between 20-100 behaviors, can span multiple appointments with trained clinicians, and take several hours to complete. In our previous work, we demonstrated the efficacy of machine learning classifiers to accelerate the process by collecting home videos of US-based children, identifying a reduced subset of behavioral features that are scored by untrained raters using a machine learning classifier to determine children’s « risk scores » for autism. We achieved an accuracy of 92% (95% CI 88%-97%) on US videos using a classifier built on five features. OBJECTIVE: Using videos of Bangladeshi children collected from Dhaka Shishu Children’s Hospital, we aim to scale our pipeline to another culture and other developmental delays, including speech and language conditions. METHODS: Although our previously published and validated pipeline and set of classifiers perform reasonably well on Bangladeshi videos (75% accuracy, 95% CI 71%-78%), this work improves on that accuracy through the development and application of a powerful new technique for adaptive aggregation of crowdsourced labels. We enhance both the utility and performance of our model by building two classification layers: The first layer distinguishes between typical and atypical behavior, and the second layer distinguishes between ASD and non-ASD. In each of the layers, we use a unique rater weighting scheme to aggregate classification scores from different raters based on their expertise. We also determine Shapley values for the most important features in the classifier to understand how the classifiers’ process aligns with clinical intuition. RESULTS: Using these techniques, we achieved an accuracy (area under the curve [AUC]) of 76% (SD 3%) and sensitivity of 76% (SD 4%) for identifying atypical children from among developmentally delayed children, and an accuracy (AUC) of 85% (SD 5%) and sensitivity of 76% (SD 6%) for identifying children with ASD from those predicted to have other developmental delays. CONCLUSIONS: These results show promise for using a mobile video-based and machine learning-directed approach for early and remote detection of autism in Bangladeshi children. This strategy could provide important resources for developmental health in developing countries with few clinical resources for diagnosis, helping children get access to care at an early age. Future research aimed at extending the application of this approach to identify a range of other conditions and determine the population-level burden of developmental disabilities and impairments will be of high value.
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17. Wang YX, Lu GB, Ge P, Ou P, Liu GH, Qian QF, Li GK, Huang Y, Xie YQ, Wang ZQ, Yu QJ. {{[Clinical efficacy of interactive group sandplay versus individual sandplay in the treatment of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder]}}. {Zhongguo dang dai er ke za zhi = Chinese journal of contemporary pediatrics}. 2019; 21(4): 342-7.
OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical efficacy of interactive group sandplay versus individual sandplay in the treatment of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: A total of 80 ASD children, aged 4-6 years, were enrolled and randomly divided into experimental and control groups, with 40 children in each group. The children in the experimental group joined group sandplay with normal children at a ratio of 1: 3, and those in the control group were treated with individual sandplay. The Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC) were used to evaluate the treatment outcome after three months of intervention. RESULTS: There were 33 children in the experimental group and 28 in the control group. After three months of intervention, the experimental group had significant reductions in the scores of irritability, social withdrawal, and stereotypic behavior and the total score of the ABC scale (P<0.05), and the control group had significant reductions in the scores of behavior and inappropriate speech and the total score of the ABC scale (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly greater improvements in the score of social withdrawal and the total score of the ABC scale after three months of intervention (P<0.05). After three months of intervention, the experimental group had significant reductions in the scores of sociability, sensory and cognitive awareness, and physical/health behavior and the total score of the ATEC scale (P<0.05), and the control group had significant reductions in the scores of speech, sociability, and physical/health behavior and the total score of the ATEC scale (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group had significantly greater improvements in the scores of speech, sociability, and sensory and cognitive awareness and the total score of the ATEC scale after intervention (P<0.01). Compared with the control group, the experimental group also had significantly greater improvements in eye contact and sand stereotyped arrangement (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both interactive group sandplay and individual sandplay are effective in the treatment of ASD in preschool children. Interactive group sandplay is better than individual sandplay in the treatment of ASD, with significant improvements in sociability, emotion and stereotypic behavior. Lien vers Pubmed
18. Ward R, Reynolds JE, Pieterse B, Elliott C, Boyd R, Miller L. {{Utilisation of coaching practices in early interventions in children at risk of developmental disability/delay: a systematic review}}. {Disabil Rehabil}. 2019: 1-22.
BACKGROUND: To conduct a systematic review of early intervention programs (0-5 years) utilising coaching practice characteristics, to identify (i) implementation fidelity; (ii) parent training processes, and (iii) outcome measures of capacity building in parents. The coaching practice characteristics of (1) joint planning, (2) observation, (3) action/practice, (4) reflection and (5) feedback identified by Rush and Shelden were utilised. METHOD: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement was followed. A comprehensive search of 6 electronic databases was undertaken in March 2016 and updated in February 2018. RESULTS: Of 2397 articles, 18 papers met full inclusion criteria. Of these, 5 were randomised controlled trials. Only one specifically evaluated the impact of parent coaching versus therapist only delivered interventions. Risk of bias and study quality using Downs and Black checklist for clinical trial quality yielded the following descriptive ratings: Seven studies: « Poor » (scores 1-13); Six studies: « Fair » (scores 15-17); and five « Good » (scores 20-24). CONCLUSION: Coaching in early intervention is well accepted. Nevertheless, this review identified a continued lack of operationalised definitions; inconsistency in the reporting of therapist training and adherence to active ingredients/coaching principles; and an absence of outcome measures focused on parent capacity. Implications for Rehabilitation Contemporary early intervention services recognise the importance of engaging parents as active participators in their child’s development. This is evident by the increase in interventions that utilise parent coaching practices. The findings of this systematic review indicate the need for professionals to: *Describe and document fidelity of coaching practices in the delivery of intervention. *Objectively measure changes in parent capacity and self-efficacy as a result of the coaching based intervention. The reporting of parent capacity measures will allow us to truly examine the effectiveness of coaching practices in empowering families to support their child to realise their full potential.
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19. Yingling ME, Bell BA. {{Underutilization of Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention Among 3-Year-Old Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder}}. {J Autism Dev Disord}. 2019.
Funding for early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for children with autism spectrum disorder is rapidly expanding. Yet we know little about children’s utilization, and research on inequities in utilization is lacking. We examined the relationship between utilization during the first year of EIBI and (a) child race-ethnicity and (b) neighborhood characteristics. Using a sample of children eligible for a Medicaid waiver through a novel policy of presumptive eligibility (N = 108), we estimated a series of two-level growth curve models. Children’s average utilization ranged between 24 and 48% of weekly hours, and utilization did not differ by race-ethnicity or neighborhood during the first year. Findings underscore the need to monitor utilization of EIBI and warrant research on the feasibility of EIBI provision in the general population.
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20. Zeidan J, Shikako-Thomas K, Ehsan A, Maioni A, Elsabbagh M. {{Progress and gaps in Quebec’s autism policy: a comprehensive review and thematic analysis}}. {Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique}. 2019.
OBJECTIVE: Consistent with a national and global trend, prevalence estimates of autism have risen steadily in Quebec, causing concerns regarding quality and availability of diagnostic and intervention services as well as policies guiding service delivery and their efficacy. We conducted an analysis of Quebec’s autism policies to determine recent advances, challenges and gaps in the planning and delivery of provincial autism services. METHODS: We identify autism policy priorities in Quebec through a comprehensive review and a thematic analysis of past and present policies, consider their compliance with national and international human rights and health frameworks and identify policy gaps. RESULTS: Autism policies articulated at a provincial level in Quebec are comprehensive, well grounded in international and national frameworks and considerate of existing barriers in the systems. Quebec policies reflect long-standing recognition of many barriers affecting service utilization and quality. Root cause of challenges currently confronting the policy environment in Quebec includes limitations in: specific measures to enhance a person-centred approach across the lifespan, evaluation of economic costs associated with autism, utilization of research evidence, and enactment of policies. CONCLUSION: Early intervention services, building capacity in existing resources through training programs, and integrating research through research translation initiatives can help the Quebec government improve the quality and efficacy of services while reducing long-term costs to the systems and promoting quality of life for individuals with autism and their families.
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21. Zhao J, Ding M, Tong Z, Han J, Li X, Kang J. {{[Feature exaction and classification of autism spectrum disorder children related electroencephalographic signals based on entropy]}}. {Sheng wu yi xue gong cheng xue za zhi = Journal of biomedical engineering = Shengwu yixue gongchengxue zazhi}. 2019; 36(2): 183-8.
The early diagnosis of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is essential. Electroencephalography (EEG) is one of most commonly used neuroimaging techniques as the most accessible and informative method. In this study, approximate entropy (ApEn), sample entropy (SaEn), permutation entropy (PeEn) and wavelet entropy (WaEn) were extracted from EEGs of ASD child and a control group, and Student’s t-test was used to analyze between-group differences. Support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was utilized to build classification models for each entropy measure derived from different regions. Permutation test was applied in search for optimize subset of features, with which the SVM model achieved best performance. The results showed that the complexity of EEGs in children with autism was lower than that of the normal control group. Among all four entropies, WaEn got a better classification performance than others. Classification results vary in different regions, and the frontal lobe showed the best performance. After feature selection, six features were filtered out and the accuracy rate was increased to 84.55%, which can be convincing for assisting early diagnosis of autism.
