Features Of Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Articles

Knowledge of Childhood Autism among Health Workers of Peshawar: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Early detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms is crucial for timely intervention services and a better prognosis. Healthcare professionals play a pivotal role in recognizing ASD features, diagnosis, and providing support. This study aimed to assess the knowledge of healthcare workers in Peshawar regarding childhood autism. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the level of knowledge among healthcare professionals in Peshawar, Pakistan, regarding the early symptoms, diagnosis, and intervention strategies for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in order to identify knowledge gaps and inform the development of targeted educational and training programs. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2021 to February 2022 in public and private hospitals in Peshawar, Pakistan. Data were collected using the convenience sampling method. A total of 270 healthcare professionals (Doctors, Dentists, Psychologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Speech & Language Pathologists) participated. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 22. Descriptive analysis calculated the mean of each domain and the total score, and frequencies for gender, age, and occupation. Results: The total mean score of the study population was 10.40. The mean score in Domain 1 (Social Interaction) was 4.73 (SD ±1.53), in Domain 2 (Language) was 0.60 (SD ±0.499), in Domain 3 (Behaviors) was 2.38 (SD ±1.102), and in Domain 4 (Etiology) it was 2.74 (SD ±1.214). Conclusion: Healthcare professionals in Peshawar, Pakistan, demonstrated limited knowledge about the early symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder. These findings have significant implications for policy and practice, health profession program directors, and future research.

Inborn errors of immunity present with neuropsychiatric symptoms overlapping with autistic behavioral symptoms

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a behaviorally defined syndrome affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors. A wide variety of risk factors for ASD have been identified and many of these affect immune functions. This may not be surprising, since the immune system and the nervous system share common signaling mechanisms and affect each other as a part of the neuroimmune network. The ever-expanding scope of inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) has revealed multiple pathogenic gene variants that manifest overlapping clinical features of common neuropsychiatric diseases, including ASD. These IEIs often cause dysregulated immune activation and resultant chronic inflammation affecting multiple organs. Some IEIs also cause changes in morphogenesis and plasticity of the central nervous system. Such patients often present with a puzzling array of clinical features and some of them may be diagnosed with ASD or other neuropsychiatric conditions. The progress of our understanding of disease mechanisms for IEIs at the molecular levels has led to gene-specific treatment measures in some diseases. In addition, some ASD patients are found to have laboratory findings of neuroinflammation that resemble those seen in IEI patients. This may pave the way for applying specific treatment measures used for IEI patients in such ASD patients. This review focuses on describing IEIs that have overlapping features of ASD. Emphasis is also on IEIs that can be treated by targeting identified disease mechanisms. Such information may be helpful for clinicians who are considering genetic/metabolic workup in ASD patients.

Risk factors and clinical correlates of sensory dysfunction in preschool children with and without autism spectrum disorder.

Sensory dysfunction is a common feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The objectives of this analysis were to examine risk factors and clinical correlates of sensory dysfunction in preschool children with and without ASD. Children aged 2-5 years were enrolled in a multi-site case-control study. Data were collected in eight areas across the United States in three phases. Caregivers completed an interview with questions on assisted delivery, maternal alcohol use, maternal anxiety during pregnancy, pregnancy weight gain, neonatal jaundice, preterm birth, and child sensory diagnosis given by a healthcare provider. Caregivers also completed an interview and questionnaires on sensory symptoms and clinical correlates of sensory dysfunction in their child. There were 2059 children classified as ASD, 3139 as other developmental delay or disability (DD), and 3249 as population comparison (POP). Caregivers reported significantly more sensory diagnoses and sensory symptoms in children classified as ASD than DD or POP (23.7%, 8.6%, and 0.8%, respectively, for a sensory diagnosis and up to 78.7% [ASD] vs. 49.6% [DD] for sensory symptoms). Maternal anxiety during pregnancy and neonatal jaundice were significantly associated with a sensory diagnosis and certain sensory symptoms in children with ASD and DD. Children's anxiety, attention deficits/hyperactivity, and sleep problems were significantly albeit subtly correlated with both a sensory diagnosis and sensory symptoms in children with ASD and DD. These findings support sensory dysfunction as a distinguishing symptom of ASD in preschool children and identify risk factors and clinical correlates to inform screening and treatment efforts in those with atypical development.

From Data to Insights: Machine Learning Empowers Prognostic Biomarker Prediction in Autism.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) poses significant challenges to society and science due to its impact on communication, social interaction, and repetitive behavior patterns in affected children. The Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network continuously monitors ASD prevalence and characteristics. In 2020, ASD prevalence was estimated at 1 in 36 children, with higher rates than previous estimates. This study focuses on ongoing ASD research conducted by Erciyes University. Serum samples from 45 ASD patients and 21 unrelated control participants were analyzed to assess the expression of 372 microRNAs (miRNAs). Six miRNAs (miR-19a-3p, miR-361-5p, miR-3613-3p, miR-150-5p, miR-126-3p, and miR-499a-5p) exhibited significant downregulation in all ASD patients compared to healthy controls. The current study endeavors to identify dependable diagnostic biomarkers for ASD, addressing the pressing need for non-invasive, accurate, and cost-effective diagnostic tools, as current methods are subjective and time-intensive. A pivotal discovery in this study is the potential diagnostic value of miR-126-3p, offering the promise of earlier and more accurate ASD diagnoses, potentially leading to improved intervention outcomes. Leveraging machine learning, such as the K-nearest neighbors (KNN) model, presents a promising avenue for precise ASD diagnosis using miRNA biomarkers.

A Sense of Belonging and Help Seeking: Examining Factors Related to the Mental Health of High School Students with High Autistic Traits without Diagnosis.

Certain individuals are clinically undiagnosed for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but exhibit strong ASD characteristics. This study examined the differences between a control group and a "high autistic traits" group involving individuals who scored 9 or higher on the Autism-Spectrum Quotient-16 Japanese Version, based on their sense of belonging, help-seeking style, and relationship with mental health. The participants were 608 Japanese public high school students. Of them, 129 (21.2%) and 479 (78.8%) were in the high autistic traits and control groups, respectively. A multiple regression analysis was performed using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) as the dependent variable for the groups. The analysis revealed no differences between the two groups regarding grade, gender, physical illness, insomnia, or mental health status; however, they differed regarding avoidant help-seeking style and teacher acceptance. Moreover, avoidant help-seeking scores in the high autistic traits group and teacher acceptance showed a significantly positive and significantly negative association with GHQ, respectively. The results indicated that children with autistic traits internally suppress them, experiencing distress. Teachers are aware that these students seek support from them, but the students seem reluctant to ask them for help. This can negatively impact the mental health of children with high autistic traits.

Figurative language processing in autism spectrum disorders: A review.

Impairments in the broader domain of pragmatics are considered to be a defining feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). A challenging aspect of pragmatic competence is the ability to process nonliteral language. Interestingly, previous studies in figurative language comprehension in ASD have demonstrated conflicting results regarding participants' performance. The main scientific debate focuses on the underlying skills which facilitate processing of nonliteral speech in ASD. Namely, Theory of Mind (ToM), language abilities and Executive functions (EFs) are regarded as factors affecting autistic individuals' performance. This review addresses figurative language comprehension in ASD in light of the above three interpretive accounts. We reviewed data from recent studies in this field concluding that autistic children indeed encounter systematic difficulties in the processing of non-literal language. Moreover, only ToM and verbal skills were found to correlate the most with figurative language comprehension in ASD. Notably, we found that differences related to research methodology and tasks' properties may have led to discrepancies between studies' results. Finally, we argue that future studies should encompass in their experimental design figurative comprehension tasks with minimal linguistic demands and also measures of ToM, verbal ability and EFs in order to shed more light in the independent contribution of those skills to the processing of nonliteral language in ASD.

Changes in neuroinflammatory markers and microglial density in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of the C58/J mouse model of autism.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a diverse group of neurodevelopmental conditions with complex origins. Individuals with ASD present various neurobiological abnormalities, including an altered immune response in the central nervous system and other tissues. Animal models like the C58/J inbred mouse strain are used to study biological characteristics of ASD. This strain is considered an idiopathic autism model because of its demonstrated reduced social preference and repetitive behaviours. Notably, C58/J mice exhibit alterations in dendritic arbour complexity, density and dendritic spines maturation in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), but inflammatory-related changes have not been explored in these mice. In this study, we investigated proinflammatory markers in the hippocampus and PFC of adult male C58/J mice. We discovered elevated levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) in the hippocampus, suggesting increased inflammation, alongside a reduction in the anti-inflammatory enzyme arginase 1 (ARG1). Conversely, the PFC displayed reduced levels of TNF-α and MCP-1. Microglial analysis revealed higher levels of transmembrane protein 119 (TMEM119) and increased microglial density in a region-specific manner of the autistic-like mice, particularly in the PFC and hippocampus. Additionally, an augmented expression of the fractalkine receptor CX3CR1 was observed in the hippocampus and PFC of C58/J mice. Microglial morphological analysis shows no evident changes in the hippocampus of mice with autistic-like behaviours versus wild-type strain. These region-specific changes can contribute to modulate processes like inflammation or synaptic pruning in the C58/J mouse model of idiopathic autism.

Comorbidity of cerebral palsy and epilepsy with autism in children

Background. Cerebral palsy is often combined with epilepsy (up to about 50 % of children). The treatment of epilepsy limits the rehabilitation of cerebral palsy, and the rehabilitation of cerebral palsy often provokes epileptic seizures. Epilepsy in children with cerebral palsy is often manifested in a form of developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with spike-and-wave activation in sleep, which is characterized by epileptiform activity according to the type of benign epileptiform patterns of childhood with a high index on the electroencephalogram (up to 100 %), severe epileptic seizures of a status course, and mental disorders by type autism-like behavior (the so-called atypical autism) and disorders of speech communication. The problem of comorbidity of cerebral palsy, epilepsy and autism remains relevant and needs further study.Aim. To study the features of autism spectrum disorder in a group of children with a combination of cerebral palsy and epilepsy.Materials and methods. We examined 100 patients aged 3–10 years with various forms of cerebral palsy, combined with epilepsy, to identify the clinical features of autism spectrum disorder. Criteria for inclusion in the study: age 3–10 years; verified diagnosis of epilepsy in combination with cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder; informed consent of the patient’s parents to participate in the study. Criteria for exclusion from the study: severe somatic diseases and disorders of the sense organs (in particular, kyphoscoliosis, gastrostomy and others, as well as deafness, blindness); age less than 3 or more than 10 years.Results. The average age of visiting a psychiatrist was 5.4 ± 0.5 years. The reasons for visit were: violation of the communication (76 %), decreased eye contact (75 %), lack of compassion for surrounding or adjacent animals (100 %), dysphoric disorders (77.1 %), aggression (55 %), autoaggression (40 %), phobias (90 %), impaired speech development (18 %). Perinatal brain damage was diagnosed in 100 % of cases. Epilepsy was manifested by focal motor seizures. Patients with complex treatment (drugs and pedagogical correction) have more pronounced positive dynamics compared with patients who received only drug therapy or only rehabilitation (p <0.05).Conclusion. In children with a combination of cerebral palsy and epilepsy, the cause of autism is perinatal lesions of the central nervous system, as well as the severity of motor pathology and the presence of continued epileptiform activity on the electroencephalogram. Autism in this group of children requires timely recognition and medical and pedagogical correction.

Assessing Language Ability of Adolescent Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The main characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) lay on the ability to communicate and interact with others. Meanwhile, communication and interaction are highly related to the ability to understand language and ability to convey information. This qualitative study was conducted to identify the language ability of adolescent students with ASD receptively and expressively. Data were collected at seven junior and senior special high schools through assessments using the instruments of Deteksi Dini Gangguan Kemampuan Berbahasa (DDGKB) and Pemahaman Bahasa Secara Auditori (PBSA). 45 students consisting of 37 boys and 8 girls with their age ranging from 11 to 19 years old were assessed using the instruments. The collected data were then analysed by comparing the data to the language development milestones and indicators of receptive and expressive ability from the Education Ministry. Results show the number of male autistic students is greater than the number of female students. Around 13% or 6 out of 45 teenage autistic students already have receptive and expressive language skills over the mental age of 5 years. Meanwhile, 5. 87% or 39 students still have receptive and expressive abilities under the mental age of 5 years.

Identifying interindividual variability of social perception and associated brain anatomical correlations in children with autism spectrum disorder using eye-tracking and diffusion tensor imaging MRI (DTI-MRI).

Even though deficits in social cognition constitute a core characteristic of autism spectrum disorders, a large heterogeneity exists regarding individual social performances and its neural basis remains poorly investigated. Here, we used eye-tracking to objectively measure interindividual variability in social perception and its correlation with white matter microstructure, measured with diffusion tensor imaging MRI, in 25 children with autism spectrum disorder (8.5 ± 3.8years). Beyond confirming deficits in social perception in participants with autism spectrum disorder compared 24 typically developing controls (10.5 ± 2.9years), results revealed a large interindividual variability of such behavior among individuals with autism spectrum disorder. Whole-brain analysis showed in both autism spectrum disorder and typically developing groups a positive correlation between number of fixations to the eyes and fractional anisotropy values mainly in right and left superior longitudinal tracts. In children with autism spectrum disorder a correlation was also observed in right and left inferior longitudinal tracts. Importantly, a significant interaction between group and number of fixations to the eyes was observed within the anterior portion of the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus, mainly in the right anterior temporal region. This additional correlation in a supplementary region suggests the existence of a compensatory brain mechanism, which may support enhanced performance in social perception among children with autism spectrum disorder.

Development and validation of an Arabic language eye-tracking paradigm for the early screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in Qatar.

Abnormal eye gaze is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary aim of the present research was to develop an Arabic version of an objective measure of ASD, the "autism index" (AI), based on eye gaze tracking to social and nonsocial stimuli validated initially in the United States. The initial phase of this study included the translation of English language eye-tracking stimuli into stimuli appropriate for an Arabic-speaking culture. During the second phase, we tested it on a total of 144 children with ASD, and 96 controls. The AI had excellent internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Moreover, the AI showed good differentiation of ASD from control cases (AUC = 0.730, SE = 0.035). The AI was significantly positively correlated with SCQ total raw scores (r = 0.46, p < 0.001). ADOS-2 scores were only available in the ASD group and did not show a significant relationship with AI scores (r = 0.10, p = 0.348), likely due to the restricted range. The AI, when implemented using Arabic-translated stimuli in a Qatari sample, showed good diagnostic differentiation and a strong correlation with parent-reported ASD symptoms. Thus, the AI appears to have cross-cultural validity and may be useful as a diagnostic aide to inform clinical judgment and track ASD symptom levels as part of the evaluation process.

Cholesterol deficiency as a mechanism for autism: A valproic acid model.

Dysregulated cholesterol metabolism represents an increasingly recognized feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with fetal valproate syndrome caused by prenatal exposure to valproic acid (VPA), an anti-epileptic and mood-stabilizing drug, have a higher incidence of developing ASD. However, the role of VPA in cholesterol homeostasis in neurons and microglial cells remains unclear. Therefore, we examined the effect of VPA exposure on regulation of cholesterol homeostasis in the human microglial clone 3 (HMC3) cell line and the human neuroblastoma cell line SH-SY5Y. HMC3 and SH-SY5Y cells were each incubated in increasing concentrations of VPA, followed by quantification of mRNA and protein expression of cholesterol transporters and cholesterol metabolizing enzymes. Cholesterol efflux was evaluated using colorimetric assays. We found that VPA treatment in HMC3 cells significantly reduced ABCA1 mRNA, but increased ABCG1 and CD36 mRNA levels in a dose-dependent manner. However, ABCA1 and ABCG1 protein levels were reduced by VPA in HMC3. Furthermore, similar experiments in SH-SY5Y cells showed increased mRNA levels for ABCA1, ABCG1, CD36, and 27-hydroxylase with VPA treatment. VPA exposure significantly reduced protein levels of ABCA1 in a dose-dependent manner, but increased the ABCG1 protein level at the highest dose in SH-SY5Y cells. In addition, VPA treatment significantly increased cholesterol efflux in SH-SY5Y, but had no impact on efflux in HMC3. VPA differentially controls the expression of ABCA1 and ABCG1, but regulation at the transcriptional and translational levels are not consistent and changes in the expression of these genes do not correlate with cholesterol efflux in vitro.

Restricted and repetitive behaviors and association with cognition and adaptive functioning in children with autism spectrum disorder in Singapore.

One of the core features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests and activities (RRBs). RRBs are known to adversely affect cognition and adaptive functioning. We explored the relationship of RRBs with cognition and adaptive functioning in children with ASD in an Asian setting. This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary developmental pediatrics center in Singapore from September 2019 to October 2021. Parent-child dyads (parents and their children ≤7 years old diagnosed with ASD) were recruited. Parents completed the Repetitive Behavior Questionnaire-2 (RBQ-2), which reports total score and two subscales - Motor/Sensory Behaviors (RBQ-2 MS) and Rigidity/Routines/Preoccupation with Restricted Interests (RBQ-2 RRPRI). Standardized assessments included Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS-II). Data analysis utilized descriptive statistics and Pearson's correlation. Parents of 113 children [75.2% male, mean (SD) age 5.0 (1.2) years] participated. Median (IQR) RBQ-2 score was 29.0 (11.0). Significant negative correlations (adjusted for age, gender and family history of ASD) were observed for total RBQ-2 scores with MSEL ELC scores (r = -0.248, n = 101, p = 0.014) and VABS-II ABC scores (r = -0.281, n = 88, p = 0.009). Specifically, these correlations of fair strength were seen only with the RBQ-2 MS subscale for both ELC (r = -0.321, n = 101, p = 0.001) and ABC (r = -0.3478, n = 88, p = 0.001). In children with ASD, severity of RRBs correlated with adverse cognition and adaptive functioning measures in our study, consistent with Western literature. While our study does not show causality, it adds to literature serving as a foundation for further research for both clinicians and researchers to target RRBs in improving outcomes with children in ASD.

Multimodal pathways to joint attention in infants with a familial history of autism

Joint attention (JA) is an early-developing behavior that allows caregivers and infants to share focus on an object. Deficits in JA, as measured through face-following pathways, are a defining feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are observable as early as 12 months of age in infants later diagnosed with ASD. However, recent evidence suggests that JA may be achieved through hand-following pathways by children with and without ASD. Development of JA through multimodal pathways has yet to be studied in infants with an increased likelihood of developing ASD. The current study investigated how 6-, 9- and 12-month-old infants with (FH+) and without (FH-) a family history of ASD engaged in JA. Parent-infant dyads played at home while we recorded the interaction over Zoom and later offline coded for hand movements and gaze. FH+ and FH- infants spent similar amounts of time in JA with their parents, but the cues available before JA were different. Parents of FH+ infants did more work to establish JA and used more face-following than hand-following pathways compared to parents of FH- infants, likely reflecting differences in infant motor or social behavior. These results suggest that early motor differences between FH+ and FH- infants may cascade into differences in social coordination.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the ocular characteristics in children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders

To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between children and adolescents with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ocular characteristics. Systematic review with meta-analysis. Six databases (PubMed, Scopus, APA PsycInfo, Embase, EBSCOhost, and Cochrane library) were selected for a systematic literature search from database inception to July 2022. The observational studies assessing and reporting at least one outcome regarding ocular characteristics in children and adolescents with ADHD or ASD aged 6–17 were included. Studies in languages other than English, studies of adult or elderly human populations, and animal studies were excluded. The results were analyzed following the PRISMA guideline 2020. The findings of 15 studies, including 433 participants with ADHD, 253 participants with ASD, and 514 participants with typical development (TD), revealed that there were no significant differences in retinal nerve fiber layer, ganglion cell complex, and macular thickness between the ADHD group and the TD group. In subgroup analysis, significant differences in inferior ganglion cell (MD = − 3.19; 95% CI = [− 6.06, − 0.31], p = 0.03) and nasal macular thickness (MD = 5.88; 95% CI = [− 0.01, 11.76], p = 0.05) were detected between the ADHD group and the TD group. A significant difference in pupillary light reflex (PLR) was also observed between the ASD group and the TD group (MD = 29.7; 95% CI = [18.79, 40.63], p < 0.001). Existing evidence suggests a possible association between children and adolescents with ADHD or ASD and ocular characteristics. Given the limited number of studies, further research on a larger cohort is necessary to claim a possible diagnosis of ADHD or ASD through ocular characteristics.

The Association of Autistic Traits on Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in a Non-clinical Sample.

Individuals with high autistic traits have difficulty in regulating their negative emotions. However, few studies clarify the relationship between autistic traits and cognitive emotion regulation strategies. This study examined the association between adaptive and maladaptive strategies in cognitive emotion regulation and autistic traits using a non-clinical sample. Two hundred and thirty-four participants completed the Japanese version of the Social Responsiveness Scale-2 (Adult Self-Report version) and the Japanese version of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire. The results showed that autistic traits were negatively associated with the use of adaptive subordinate strategies for cognitive emotion regulation. By contrast, autistic traits were positively associated with the use of maladaptive subordinate strategies of cognitive emotion regulation. The cognitive and emotional characteristics of autism spectrum disorder, such as perspective taking and executive function, contextualize these results. These findings can help guide not only our understanding of the relationship between autistic traits and cognitive emotion regulation but also develop interventions aimed at facilitating the use of adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and preventing the use of maladapted strategies in individuals with high autistic traits.

Identification of Early Clinical Features of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Bangladeshi Children- A Cross Sectional Study

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopment disorders with a heterogeneous spectrum of clinical symptomatology related to social interaction and communication. Autism usually appears in children within first three years of life during maximum neuronal development of brain. Several studies showed that children diagnosed before age three had the least stable diagnoses and the most positive outcomes. They explain that early diagnosis of ASD in children and early intervention (i.e., before age three years) appear to have the greatest benefit regarding the disappearance of core symptoms. Therefore, it could be possible to minimize the severity of ASD which lead to our interest to identify the early clinical features of autism spectrum disorder in Bangladeshi children.

Eating and Sensory Features of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Typically Developing Peers.

Impaired sensory processing is associated with eating problems. There seem to be no previous studies that compare those who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) with eating problems (ASD-W) and those with ASD without eating problems (ASD-WO) with typically developing (TD) groups. Comparisons are expected to provide further knowledge to guide the intervention programs. To investigate differences among ASD-W, ASD-WO, and TD groups in eating and sensory features; to detect associations between sensory and eating behaviors and any most involved sensory dimensions; and to search for age-related differences in sensory and eating features in ASD. Nonrandomized comparison study. Questionnaires administered as parent interviews. A total of 165 children were recruited: 117 with ASD and 48 TD children. Standardized questionnaires: the Brief Autism Mealtime Behaviors Inventory for eating problems; the Short Sensory Profile and the Sensory Experience Questionnaire for sensory problems. The ASD-W group showed generalized, impaired eating behaviors and turned out to be the most impaired with regard to sensory responsiveness. No differences in feeding behaviors were found between the ASD-WO and TD groups. All children with ASD showed sensory hyper- or hyporesponsiveness. Four main sensory dimensions were found to be associated with eating behaviors in ASD. No age differences were found in the eating and sensory behaviors of children with ASD. Differing eating and sensory profiles were found between the ASD and TD groups, especially in children with ASD-W. Early eating interventions using sensory stimulations are strongly recommended. What This Article Adds: This study reports novel information derived from the comparisons of children with ASD with eating problems and those with ASD without eating problems with typically developing groups of children.

71 Profiles of Parent Ratings on the Behavior Assessment System for Children-Third Edition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing

Objective:Standardized assessment measures can provide data to inform a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Most measures assessing ASD characteristics rely on some degree of behavioral response to sound (e.g., responding to name, demonstrating listening response), and are often not appropriate for use with children who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH), especially with individuals who use signed languages. Few studies have reported on the Behavioral Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3) for DHH children, and we aim to describe BASC-3 profiles in children with ASD who are DHH.Participants and Methods:Participants include eight DHH patients diagnosed with ASD through interdisciplinary team evaluations by developmental-behavioral pediatricians, speech-language pathologists, and neuropsychologists with expertise in DHH child development. Demographics include a mean age of 6.17 years, and 62.5% were Male. Self-reported racial distribution was 75% White, 12.5% Black and 12.5% declined to answer. Average Area Deprivation Index (marker of socioeconomic status) was 32.13%tile. As a part of the evaluation, parents rated their children using the BASC-3. Languages include spoken English (75%) and American Sign Language (25%). Relevant co-occurringneurodevelopmental/psychological diagnoses include Global Developmental Delay (n=1), Moderate Intellectual Disability (n=1), and Depression (n=1). Types of hearing loss include sensorineural (75%), conductive (12.5%), and mixed (12.5%). Three participants had different degrees of bilateral hearing loss in each ear: mild sloping-severe, moderate rising-mild (n=1), profound, moderate rising-normal level (n=1), and profound, moderate (n=1). Four participants had the same level of hearing loss in both ears: moderate-moderately severe (n=1), moderately severe-severe (n=1), severe-profound (n=1), and profound (n=1). One child had a unilateral moderate hearing loss. Technology utilized: unilateral hearing aid (n=2), bilateral hearing aids (n=2), unilateral cochlear implant (n=1), bilateral cochlear implants (n=2), and bimodal technology (n=1). BASC-3 scales of interest in this study were the developmental social disorders scale (DSD), Autism probability index (AUI), clinical scales, and adaptive scales. BASC-3 scores were standardized using General Combined norms and means were plotted.Results:BASC-3 mean scores on clinical scales were elevated (T&gt;60) on Atypicality (M=71), Hyperactivity (M=63), Withdrawal (M=63), and Attention Problems (M=65) in children with ASD who are DHH in this sample. BASC-3 mean scores on adaptive scales were below threshold (T&lt;40) on Social Skills (M=37), Functional Communication (M=39), and overall Adaptive Skills (M=39). DSD scores were in the at-risk (T&gt;60&lt;70) range for 2 out of 8 cases and clinically significant (T&gt;70) for 5 out of 8 cases.The AUI was clinically significant for 2 out of the 3 cases within the age range for reporting AUI data.Conclusions:In this preliminary sample of DHH children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD by comprehensive specialized interdisciplinary clinical evaluations, parent ratings on the BASC-3 were consistent with what is known about BASC-3 profiles in hearing children diagnosed with ASD. Our findings suggest it may be helpful to review the DSD, AUI, clinical scales, and adaptive skills scales profiles when assessing DHH children at risk for ASD. Further research, including a larger sample size and assessment of language differences among participants, is necessary.

Тенденции включения детей с РАС в систему общего образования: результаты Всероссийского мониторинга

&lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Objectives. &lt;/strong&gt;To ensure the accessibility of education, taking into account the specific features of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), a systematic approach to the creation of special conditions based on the analysis of objective indicators of the inclusion of children with ASD in the general education environment is necessary. The trends of inclusion of children with ASD in the general education system have been identified on the basis of the results of the All-Russia monitoring in 2022.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;Monitoring included statistical data collection, processing and analysis. A structured statistical form with a list of the main criteria and conditions necessary for the organisation of education for children with ASD was developed for data collection. The data were provided by the executive authorities of 85 constituent entities of the Russian Federation that carry out state management in the sphere of education.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;The total number of students with ASD in 2022, as compared to 2021, increased by 17 per cent and totalled 45888 people. The share of children receiving education at different levels in the total number of children with ASD included in the education system is as follows: at the level of early help &amp;mdash; 2.1 per cent; preschool education &amp;mdash; 28 per cent; primary, basic and secondary general education &amp;mdash; 68.5 per cent; secondary and higher vocational education &amp;mdash; 1.5 per cent. In 56 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, 64 regional resource centres have been established to provide support for families raising children with ASD and to train specialists working with children and families.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p style="text-align: justify;"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/strong&gt;The annual intensive growth of the number of children with ASD in the Russian education system testifies to the accessibility of education and causes high requirements to the system of education of students in educational organisations in accordance with the current legislation. The increase in the share of pupils with ASD receiving inclusive education and the decrease in the share of children studying individually at home indicates the expansion of opportunities for their inclusion in the general education system. In order to improve the quality of education for children with ASD, it is necessary to introduce into the work of educational organisations the Federal Adapted Educational Programmes for students with disabilities at all levels of education, as well as to train qualified personnel.&lt;/p&gt;