Journal Of Autism Research Articles

Trends in Autism Research: A Systematic Journal Analysis

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disability for which prevalence rates continue to increase. Persons with ASD vary widely in both severity of disability and services required. Therefore it is important to identify trends in research and evaluate progress in the field. The current study uses a journal analysis to evaluate research over a 12 year period in three prominent autism focused research journals: Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, Autism: The International Journal of Research and Practice, and Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Findings include identification of trends in research designs, sample characteristics, and interventions.

Social skill group interventions may assist adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, but significant questions remain

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Miller, A., Vernon, T., Wu, V., & Russo, K. (2014). Social skill group interventions for adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: A systematic review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 1, 254–265.Source of funding and declaration of interests: No source of funding reported and no declared conflicts of interest.

The global dissemination of psychological treatments: a road map for research and practice.

The global dissemination of psychological treatments: a road map for research and practice.

Comment on: ‘An Intervention for Sensory Difficulties in Children with Autism: A Randomized Trial’ by Schaaf et al. (2013)

The purpose of this letter to the editor is to comment on a recently published paper in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 'An Intervention for Sensory Difficulties in Children with Autism: A Randomized Trial' by Schaaf et al. (2013). The authors are commended for undertaking a randomised clinical trial (RCT) examining the efficacy of occupational therapy using sensory integration (OT/SI). The study complies with many of the recommended standards of RCT's including: (a) detailed eligibility criteria, (b) well-matched experimental and control groups, (c) use of gold-standard instruments to measure the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, (d) the use of functionally relevant outcome measures, (e) fidelity checking, and (f) manualization of the intervention. Additional aspects of rigour that could be considered in subsequent research include: (a) independent blinded measure of observational outcomes, (b) treatment and control interventions of equivalent dose, (c) public access to the manualized treatment guidelines, and (d) the use of a comparison occupational therapy intervention to address the same goals as the OT/SI intervention.

Ethnicity Reporting Practices for Empirical Research in Three Autism-Related Journals

This review examines ethnicity reporting in three autism-related journals (Autism, Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities, and Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders) over a 6-year period. A comprehensive multistep search of articles is used to identify ethnicity as a demographic variable in these three journals. Articles that identified research participants' ethnicity were further analyzed to determine the impact of ethnicity as a demographic variable on findings of each study. The results indicate that ethnicity has not been adequately reported in these three autism related journals even though previous recommendations have been made to improve inadequacies of descriptive information of research participants in autism research (Kistner and Robbins in J Autism Dev Disord 16:77-82, 1986). Implications for the field of autism spectrum disorders are discussed in addition to further recommendations for future research.

The gender of participants in published research involving people with autism spectrum disorders

Research articles involving participants with an autism spectrum disorder and published from 2010 through 2012 in Autism, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Journal of Child Psychology and Child Psychiatry, and Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders were examined to determine the reported gender of participants. The overall male:female ratio was 4.62, which is similar to that reported in epidemiological studies, but the ratio was 6.07 in intervention studies. These findings suggesting that males were in a statistical sense over-represented in intervention studies, but not in other kinds of research. Most (82.21%) of these studies included both male and female participants, but direct comparisons of males and females with an autism spectrum disorder are scarce. Few of the articles we examined, 0.49% of the total, involved only female participants. Roughly half of the articles included comparison groups without an autism spectrum disorder. The percentage of male participants in these comparison groups was substantially and significantly lower than the percentage of males in groups with an autism spectrum disorder, which may in some cases constitute a methodological confound. We encourage researchers to carefully consider the gender of participants as both an extraneous variable and as an independent variable in future investigations.

Resilience across the Continuum of Care

Resilience across the Continuum of Care

Empathy and ability modulate neural activation during facial imitation

We would like to thank Rebecca Dyas, the radiographers and our other colleagues. Thanks also go to the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces Lab for allowing us to use their stimuli for manipulation, and of course to the participants. Project is part of a PhD funded by SINAPSE and Northwood Trust. Baron-Cohen, S. & Wheelwright, S. (2004). The empathy quotient: An investigation of adults with Asperger syndrome or high functioning autism, and normal sex differences. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 34(2):163-175. Decety, J. (2011). Dissecting the neural mechanisms mediating empathy. Emotion Review 3(1):92-108. Williams, J.H.G., Nicolson, A.T.A., Clephan, K.J., de Grauw, H. & Perrett, D.I. (2013). A novel method testing the ability to imitate composite emotional expressions reveals an association with empathy. PLoS ONE 8(4): e61941, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0061941  Social communication depends upon learning culturally appropriate facial expressions of emotion.  This requires imitation and high levels of control as subtle differences may be meaningful.  The ability to imitate accurately correlated with a self-reported empathy measure (Williams et al., 2013), suggesting that both require a simulation theory of mind (Decety, 2011). Our aim was to identify the neural substrates mediating the relationship between Imitation Accuracy and Empathy.

Uncinate Fasciculus integrity correlates with long-term cognitive and behavioral therapies combined with augmentative communication for individuals with autism

Pardini, M., Elia, M., Garaci, F. G., Guida, S., Coniglione, F., Krueger, F., Benassi, F., & Emberti Gialloreti, L. (2012). Long-term cognitive and behavioral therapies, combined with augmentative communication, are related to uncinate fasciculus integrity in autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 585–592. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and no conflicts of interest reported by the original authors of this research report.

A Trend Analysis of Participant and Setting Characteristics in Autism Intervention Research

The current trend analysis was conducted to empirically document the characteristics of individuals with autism who participated in intervention research published between 1995 and 2009 in three journals ( Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, and Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities). Information was collected on age of participants, cognitive and communicative functioning, setting, and ecological variables. Overall, the data are interpreted to document few changes over time; however, increasing trends were noted in the proportion of studies that included children below the age of 6 years and in the proportion of studies that included higher functioning participants. The data are discussed in relation to the status of intervention research and demographic changes pertaining to autism.

Selection of communication interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders: Initial evidence is helpful, but limited

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Paul, R., Campbell, D., Gilbert, K., & Tsiouri, I. (2013). Comparing spoken language treatments for minimally verbal preschoolers with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 418–431. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: This study was supported by a grant from Autism Speaks Foundation, The Autism Science Foundation, and National Institute of Deafness and Communication Disorders. The original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.

Inconclusive evidence for the effectiveness of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) for the infant siblings of children with ASD

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Mossman Steiner, A., Gengoux, G. W., Klim, A., & Chawarska, K. (2013). Pivotal response treatment for infants at-risk for autism spectrum disorders: A pilot study. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 43, 91–102. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: This study was funded by National Institute of Mental Health and National Institute of Child Health and Development; the original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.

Standardizing ADOS domain scores: separating severity of social affect and restricted and repetitive behaviors.

Standardized Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) scores provide a measure of autism severity that is less influenced by child characteristics than raw totals (Gotham et al. in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(5), 693-705 2009). However, these scores combine symptoms from the Social Affect (SA) and Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors (RRB) domains. Separate calibrations of each domain would provide a clearer picture of ASD dimensions. The current study separately calibrated raw totals from the ADOS SA and RRB domains. Standardized domain scores were less influenced by child characteristics than raw domain totals, thereby increasing their utility as indicators of Social-Communication and Repetitive Behavior severity. Calibrated domain scores should facilitate efforts to examine trajectories of ASD symptoms and links between neurobiological and behavioral dimensions.

Effectiveness of Naltrexone for Treating Pathologic Skin Picking Behavior in an Adolescent with Prader–Willi Syndrome

Journal of Child and Adolescent PsychopharmacologyVol. 22, No. 5 Letters to the EditorEffectiveness of Naltrexone for Treating Pathologic Skin Picking Behavior in an Adolescent with Prader–Willi SyndromeAlok Banga and Daniel F. ConnorAlok BangaSearch for more papers by this author and Daniel F. ConnorSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:19 Oct 2012https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2012.0028AboutSectionsView articleView Full TextPDF/EPUB Permissions & CitationsPermissionsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsAdd to favorites Back To Publication ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail View articleFiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited byDevelopmental Considerations for the Use of Naltrexone in Children and Adolescents24 September 2021 | The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Vol. 26, No. 7Dermatillomania: Strategies for Developing Protective Biomaterials/Cloth5 March 2021 | Pharmaceutics, Vol. 13, No. 3Skin Picking in People with Prader–Willi Syndrome: Phenomenology and Management3 June 2020 | Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Vol. 51, No. 1Developing an understanding of skin picking in people with Prader-Willi syndrome: A structured literature review and re-analysis of existing dataNeuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Vol. 112Guanfacine Extended Release for the Reduction of Aggression, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptoms, and Self-Injurious Behavior in Prader-Willi Syndrome—A Retrospective Cohort Study Deepan Singh, Yuji Wakimoto, Carole Filangieri, Aaron Pinkhasov, and Moris Angulo7 May 2019 | Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, Vol. 29, No. 4Skin-Picking Disorder: A Guide to Diagnosis and Management15 March 2019 | CNS Drugs, Vol. 33, No. 4Assessment and treatment of trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) and excoriation (skin picking) disorderClinics in Dermatology, Vol. 36, No. 6Prader–Willi Syndrome, Management of Impulsivity, and Hyperphagia in an Adolescent M. Rehan Puri, Robert Sahl, Shawwna Ogden, and Salma Malik17 May 2016 | Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology, Vol. 26, No. 4Opioid antagonists in broadly defined behavioral addictions: a narrative review27 February 2016 | Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy, Vol. 17, No. 6Psychotropic treatments in Prader-Willi syndrome: a critical review of published literature19 November 2015 | European Journal of Pediatrics, Vol. 175, No. 1Obsessive-Compulsive Related DisordersAn open-label pilot study of N -acetylcysteine for skin-picking in Prader-Willi syndrome5 December 2013 | American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A, Vol. 164, No. 2An analysis of the topography, severity, potential sources of reinforcement, and treatments utilized for skin picking in Prader–Willi syndromeResearch in Developmental Disabilities, Vol. 34, No. 9 Volume 22Issue 5Oct 2012 InformationCopyright 2012, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.To cite this article:Alok Banga and Daniel F. Connor.Effectiveness of Naltrexone for Treating Pathologic Skin Picking Behavior in an Adolescent with Prader–Willi Syndrome.Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology.Oct 2012.396-398.http://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2012.0028Published in Volume: 22 Issue 5: October 19, 2012PDF download

Modest size RCT indicates that short-term joint attention and symbolic play intervention improves shared positive affect in social interactions for preschool children with autism

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Lawton, K., & Kasari, C. (2012). Brief report: Longitudinal improvements in the quality of joint attention in preschool children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 42, 307–312. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: This study was supported by NIH grant HD035470, the CPEA network, the Autism Intervention Research-Network funded by U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services HRSA, Maternal and Child Health Branch, Grant # UA3MC11055, as well as a center grant (1-P50-HD-055784) from NIH/NICHD. The original authors of this research report no conflicts of interest.

Review supports use of aided augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems for improving communication skills for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: The role of moderators is not yet clearly established

This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Ganz, J. B., Earles-Vollrath, T. L., Heath, A. K., Parker, R. I., Rispoli, M. J., & Duran, J. B. (2011). A meta-analysis of single case research studies on aided augmentative and alternative communication systems with individuals with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1007/s10803–011–1212–2. Source of funding and disclosure of interest: No source of funding reported, and no conflicts of interest reported by the original authors of this research report.

Psychotropic Medications in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Review and Synthesis for Evidence-Based Practice

This paper presents a systematic review, rating and synthesis of the empirical evidence for the use of psychotropic medications in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Thirty-three randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in peer-reviewed journals qualified for inclusion and were coded and analyzed using a systematic evaluative method specific to autism research (Reichow et al. in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 38:1311-1319, 2008). Results are presented by agent and primary target symptom(s). The findings suggest established evidence for relatively few agents, with preliminary and promising evidence for a larger group. Challenges and opportunities in the developing field of ASD psychopharmacology are identified, and recommendations for further research are provided.

The Integrated Motivational-Volitional Model of Suicidal Behavior

Suicide is a major public health concern accounting for 800 000 deaths globally each year. Although there have been many advances in understanding suicide risk in recent decades, our ability to predict suicide is no better now than it was 50 years ago. There are many potential explanations for this lack of progress, but the absence, until recently, of comprehensive theoretical models that predict the emergence of suicidal ideation distinct from the transition between suicidal ideation and suicide attempts/suicide is key to this lack of progress. The current article presents the integrated motivational–volitional (IMV) model of suicidal behaviour, one such theoretical model. We propose that defeat and entrapment drive the emergence of suicidal ideation and that a group of factors, entitled volitional moderators (VMs), govern the transition from suicidal ideation to suicidal behaviour. According to the IMV model, VMs include access to the means of suicide, exposure to suicidal behaviour, capability for suicide (fearlessness about death and increased physical pain tolerance), planning, impulsivity, mental imagery and past suicidal behaviour. In this article, we describe the theoretical origins of the IMV model, the key premises underpinning the model, empirical tests of the model and future research directions.

Datapoints: Medicaid's Increasing Role in Treating Youths With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Datapoints: Medicaid's Increasing Role in Treating Youths With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Assessing Diverse Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders

Assessing Diverse Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders