Journal Of Autism Research Articles

Treatments for Autism: Parental Choices and Perceptions of Change

Empirically conducted studies of the efficacy of various treatments for autism are limited, which leaves parents with little evidence on which to base their treatment decisions (Kasari, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 32: 447-461, 2002). The purpose of this study was to examine the types of treatments in current use by families of children with ASD. In addition, parents' perceptions of improvement in their child's functioning were explored. Through an online survey, a sample of 970 parents of ASD children reported on the treatments currently in use, those discontinued, and reasons for discontinuation. Results indicate that most families adopt multiple treatment approaches. Parents were most likely to discontinue non-evidence based treatments when they did not see improvement in their child's functioning.

The Autism 1–2–3 Project, a short-duration and low-intensity intervention that targets basic social and communication skills and parent involvement, shows promise and is worthy of future research

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Wong, V. C. N., & Kwan, Q. K. (2010). Randomized controlled trial for early intervention for autism: A pilot study of the Autism 1–2–3 Project. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 677–688. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and the original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.

Instruction using the Picture Exchange Communication System appears to enhance generalization of communication skills among children with autism in comparison to Responsive Education and Prelinguistic Milieu Teaching

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Yoder, P. J., & Lieberman, R. G. (2010). Brief report: Randomized test of the efficacy of Picture Exchange Communication System on highly generalized picture exchange in children with ASD. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 629–632. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: This study was funded by the National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders grant R01CD03581 and the core grant support to the Vanderbilt University Kennedy Center NICHD grant HD15052. The second author was supported by grant #T32HD07226 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development to Vanderbilt University. No interests disclosed. The original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.

Teaching and Learning Guide for: Pragmatics: From Theory to Experiment and Back Again

Teaching and Learning Guide for: Pragmatics: From Theory to Experiment and Back Again

Tolerance for delay intervention procedures may reduce escape-motivated challenging behavior and increase task engagement of children with autism

ed from: Reichle, J., Johnson, L., Monn, E., & Harris, M. (2010). Task engagement and escape maintained challenging behavior: Differential effects of general and explicit cues when implementing a signaled delay in the delivery of reinforcement. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 709–720. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and the original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest and alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

Children with autism can be taught to ask and answer where questions

ed from: Koegel, L. K., Koegel, R. L., Green-Hopkins, I., & Carter Barnes, C. (2010). Question-asking and collateral language acquisition in children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 509–515. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: This research was supported by NIMH grant #MH28210, NIH grant 010924 from NIDCD, the Eli and Edythe L. Broad Foundation, and the Kelly Family Foundation. The authors do not comment on whether there were any conflicts of interest.

Research Domain Criteria (RDoC): Toward a New Classification Framework for Research on Mental Disorders

Research Domain Criteria (RDoC): Toward a New Classification Framework for Research on Mental Disorders

Evidence appears limited for group-based social skills training for school-age children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, but this review may not tell the whole story

ed from: White, S. W., Keonig, K., & Scahill, L. (2007). Social skills development in children with autism spectrum disorders: A review of the intervention research. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 37, 1858–1868. Source of funding: National Institutes of Mental Health Childhood Neuropsychiatric Disorders Training Grant; Organization for Autism Research.

The Role of Fingerspelled Self-Cues during Spelling with a Speech Generating Device by a Child with Autism: A Brief Report

This brief report represents a post-hoc analysis on the use of fingerspelling as a self-cue by a child with autism who was previously taught to spell with a speech generating device under three feedback conditions: auditory (speech output), visual (Liquid Crystal Display), and auditory-visual (Schlosser et al., Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 28:309–319, 1998). During instruction for this study, the child was provided with fingerspelled input across conditions. In coding the videotaped sessions for correct spelling performance, it was noted that this child seemed to use fingerspelling as self-cues as he was entering a letter into the keyboard. The purpose of this post-hoc analysis was to determine whether he used these fingerspelled self-cues more in certain feedback conditions than others. Results revealed that although the child produced fingerspelled self-cues across conditions, he used them most frequently in the auditory condition and least often in the visual condition. It is hypothesized that this child may have self-generated a visual mnemonic as needed (as a function of the condition) in order to facilitate memory retrieval of letters during spelling.

Scalar Inferences in Autism Spectrum Disorders

On being told "John or Mary will come", one might infer that not both of them will come. Yet the semantics of "or" is compatible with a situation where both John and Mary come. Inferences of this type, which enrich the semantics of "or" from an 'inclusive' to an 'exclusive' interpretation, have been extensively studied in linguistic pragmatics. However, the phenomenon has not been much explored in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), where pragmatic deficits are commonly reported. Here, we present an experiment investigating these inferences. We predicted that, as a result of the reported pragmatic deficits, participants with ASD would produce fewer inferential enrichments of "or" than matched controls. However, contrary to expectations, but in line with recent findings by Pijnacker et al. (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39, 607-618, 2009), performances did not differ across groups. This unexpected finding is discussed in light of the literature on pragmatic abilities in autism.

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Three Case Studies

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Three Case Studies

Social Skills Interventions for Individuals with Autism: Evaluation for Evidence-Based Practices within a Best Evidence Synthesis Framework

This paper presents a best evidence synthesis of interventions to increase social behavior for individuals with autism. Sixty-six studies published in peer-reviewed journals between 2001 and July 2008 with 513 participants were included. The results are presented by the age of the individual receiving intervention and by delivery agent of intervention. The findings suggest there is much empirical evidence supporting many different treatments for the social deficits of individuals with autism. Using the criteria of evidence-based practice proposed by Reichow et al. (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 38:1311-1318, 2008), social skills groups and video modeling have accumulated the evidence necessary for the classifications of established EBP and promising EBP, respectively. Recommendations for practice and areas of future research are provided.

Making sense of autism. T. Thompson. Brookes, Baltimore, London, 2007. pp. 280. Price: US$26.99; £21.95. ISBN 9781557669155.

Infant and Child DevelopmentVolume 18, Issue 4 p. 372-374 Book ReviewFree Access Making sense of autism. T. Thompson. Brookes, Baltimore, London, 2007. pp. 280. Price: US$26.99; £21.95. ISBN 9781557669155. Elizabeth Pellicano, Elizabeth Pellicano Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, UKSearch for more papers by this author Elizabeth Pellicano, Elizabeth Pellicano Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 22 July 2009 https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.606AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. References Charman, T., Taylor, E., Drew, A., Cockerill, H., Brown, J. A., & Baird, G. (2005). Outcome at 7 years of children diagnosed with autism at age 2: Predictive validity of assessments conducted at 2 and 3 years of age and pattern of symptom change over time. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 46, 500– 513. Dawson, G., Webb, S. J., & McPartland, J. (2005). Understanding the nature of the face processing impairment in autism: Insights from behavioral and electrophysiological studies. Developmental Neuropsychology, 27, 403– 424. Frith, U. (1989). Autism: Explaining the enigma. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishers. Kanner, L. (1943). Autistic disturbances of affective contact. Nervous Child, 2, 217– 250. Lord, C., Risi, S., DiLavore, P., Shulman, C., Thurm, A., & Pickles, A. (2006). Autism from two to nine. Archives of General Psychiatry, 63, 694– 701. Mottron, L., Dawson, M., Soulières, I., Hubert, B., & Burack, J. (2006). Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: An update, and eight principles of autistic perception. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36, 27– 43. Pellicano, E., Maybery, M., Durkin, K., & Maley, A. (2006). Multiple cognitive capabilities/deficits in children with an autism spectrum disorder: ‘Weak’ central coherence and its relationship to theory of mind and executive control. Development and Psychopathology, 18, 77– 98. Tager-Flusberg, H. (2007). Evaluating the theory of mind hypothesis. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 16, 311– 315. Volume18, Issue4July/August 2009Pages 372-374 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Telemedicine and Autism: Researchers and Clinicians Are Just Starting to Consider Telemedicine Applications for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism

Telemedicine and e-HealthVol. 15, No. 5 MEDICAL CONNECTIVITYTelemedicine and Autism: Researchers and Clinicians Are Just Starting to Consider Telemedicine Applications for the Diagnosis and Treatment of AutismMark TerryMark TerrySearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:23 Jun 2009https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2009.9965AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited ByIncorporation of Telepsychiatry for Patients with Developmental Disorders into Routine Clinical Practice—A Survey of Specialty Clinics Adapting to Telepsychiatry During the COVID-19 Pandemic16 May 2022 | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Vol. 11Augmentation Through Interconnection: Brain-Nets and Telemedicine26 August 2021Telehealth and autism: A systematic search and review of the literature30 April 2018 | International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, Vol. 20, No. 3Phone-Based Interventions in Adolescent Psychiatry: A Perspective and Proof of Concept Pilot Study With a Focus on Depression and Autism16 June 2017 | JMIR Research Protocols, Vol. 6, No. 6Parent-Mediated Intervention Training Delivered Remotely for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Living Outside of Urban Areas: Systematic Review14 August 2017 | Journal of Medical Internet Research, Vol. 19, No. 8The Promise of Telepractice to Address Functional and Behavioral Needs of Persons With Autism Spectrum DisorderBehavioral Telehealth Consultation with Families of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder26 April 2016 | Behavioral Interventions, Vol. 31, No. 3Remote versus face-to-face delivery of early intervention programs for children with autism spectrum disorders: Perceptions of rural families and service providersResearch in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Vol. 23A Novel System for Supporting Autism Diagnosis Using Home Videos: Iterative Development and Evaluation of System Design17 June 2015 | JMIR mHealth and uHealth, Vol. 3, No. 2The Evaluation of Children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder: Adaptations to Accommodate a Telepractice Model of Clinical CarePerspectives on Telepractice, Vol. 4, No. 2Economic Evaluations for Service Delivery in Autism Spectrum DisordersTelehealth-Based Systems for Diagnosis, Management, and Treatment of Autism Spectrum DisordersA Web-Based Tutorial for Parents of Young Children with Autism: Results from a Pilot Study29 November 2011 | Telemedicine and e-Health, Vol. 17, No. 10Current and Future Trends in Internet-Supported Mental Health InterventionsJournal of Technology in Human Services, Vol. 29, No. 3Telepractice in the assessment and treatment of individuals with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review1 October 2010 | Developmental Neurorehabilitation, Vol. 13, No. 6 Volume 15Issue 5Jun 2009 InformationCopyright 2009, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Mark Terry.Telemedicine and Autism: Researchers and Clinicians Are Just Starting to Consider Telemedicine Applications for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Autism.Telemedicine and e-Health.Jun 2009.416-419.http://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2009.9965Published in Volume: 15 Issue 5: June 23, 2009PDF download

Stimulus-reward association and reversal learning in individuals with Asperger Syndrome

In the present study, performance of a group of adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) on two series of object reversal and extinction was compared with that of a group of adults with typical development. Participants were requested to learn a stimulus-reward association rule and monitor changes in reward value of stimuli in order to gain as many points as possible. In order to assess whether difficulties with stimulus-reward association learning and with reversal and/or extinction might be related to social and behavioural impairments, we performed correlation analyses between test measures and scores measuring the severity of clinical symptoms in the areas of repetitive behaviours and social interaction as assessed by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) [Lord, C., Rutter, M., & Le Couteur, A. (1994). Autism diagnostic interview-revised: A recise version of a diagnostic interview for caregivers of individuals with possible pervasive developmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 24, 659–685]. Individuals with AS showed difficulties in establishing rapid stimulus-reward associations, whereas no severe impairment was observed in reversal and extinction learning. In addition, the present findings show that these difficulties correlate with scores in social reciprocal interaction, suggesting that the diminished ability in the assignment of reinforcement value to incoming stimuli might be related to disturbances in social behaviour often reported in autism spectrum disorders.

Neurobiology of Pediatric Mood Disorders: Part II

Journal of Child and Adolescent PsychopharmacologyVol. 19, No. 1 Special Issue on Neurobiology of Pediatric Mood Disorders: Part II Guest Editors: Jean A. Frazier, M.D. and Jair C. Soares, M.D.Neurobiology of Pediatric Mood Disorders: Part IIJean A. Frazier and Jair C. SoaresJean A. FrazierSearch for more papers by this author and Jair C. SoaresSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:22 Feb 2009https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2009.1911AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail "Neurobiology of Pediatric Mood Disorders: Part II." , 19(1), pp. 1–2FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited ByDepression Symptoms in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Comparison Samples30 September 2011 | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Vol. 42, No. 7Anxiety Symptoms in Boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or Chronic Multiple Tic Disorder and Community Controls9 February 2010 | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Vol. 40, No. 8 Volume 19Issue 1Feb 2009 InformationCopyright 2009, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Jean A. Frazier and Jair C. Soares.Neurobiology of Pediatric Mood Disorders: Part II.Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.Feb 2009.1-2.http://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2009.1911Published in Volume: 19 Issue 1: February 22, 2009PDF download

Famílias com crianças autistas na literatura internacional

Esse artigo revisou os 39 artigos publicados nos últimos cinco anos em três periódicos (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disorders e Autism) a respeito de famílias com crianças autistas. Ele aponta para cinco grandes temas abordados: estresse e dificuldades emocionais, grupos de suporte e qualidade de vida, características das famílias, perspectivas das famílias a respeito da criança autista, e resultados de intervenção.

Social Communication: A Framework for Assessment and Intervention

Social Communication: A Framework for Assessment and Intervention

Faux Pas Detection and Intentional Action in Asperger Syndrome. A Replication on a French Sample

In the present study, we investigated mind reading abilities in a group of adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) by using the faux pas task, an advanced test of theory of mind (Baron-Cohen et al. (1999). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 29, 407-418). The faux pas is a particular case of a non-intentional action reflecting an involuntary socially inappropriate behavior. Here, individuals with AS over-detected faux pas stories, failed to provide correct justifications of the speaker's behavior and were unaware of the mistaken belief and of the resulting emotional impact, whereas they appeared to be responsive to social rule violations. We hypothesized that because of an impaired theory-of-mind, individuals with AS may develop compensatory cognitive strategies based on overlearned abstract knowledge about normative rules.

Impaired recognition of facial emotions from low-spatial frequencies in Asperger syndrome

The theory of ‘weak central coherence’ [Happe, F., & Frith, U. (2006). The weak coherence account: Detail-focused cognitive style in autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 36(1), 5–25] implies that persons with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have a perceptual bias for local but not for global stimulus features. The recognition of emotional facial expressions representing various different levels of detail has not been studied previously in ASDs. We analyzed the recognition of four basic emotional facial expressions (anger, disgust, fear and happiness) from low-spatial frequencies (overall global shapes without local features) in adults with an ASD. A group of 20 participants with Asperger syndrome (AS) was compared to a group of non-autistic age- and sex-matched controls. Emotion recognition was tested from static and dynamic facial expressions whose spatial frequency contents had been manipulated by low-pass filtering at two levels. The two groups recognized emotions similarly from non-filtered faces and from dynamic vs. static facial expressions. In contrast, the participants with AS were less accurate than controls in recognizing facial emotions from very low-spatial frequencies. The results suggest intact recognition of basic facial emotions and dynamic facial information, but impaired visual processing of global features in ASDs.