Social Communication Difficulties Research Articles

Specific interests as a social boundary and bridge: A qualitative interview study with autistic individuals.

Growing evidence shows that specific interests can help autistic individuals cope with difficulties in social communication and interaction. However, it is unclear which specific characteristics of these interests make them suitable for this coping role. Therefore, this study explored how specific interests can help autistic individuals navigate social communication and interaction. We conducted semi-structured interviews with nine autistic individuals to inquire about their perspectives on the meanings and functions of their specific interest in their (social) life. We found that specific interests served two important social functions. First, the interests provided a way to disconnect from the challenging outside world, through a shift in the attentional focus of participants. Second, the interests served as a "social compass," providing structure and meaning to social situations and helping the participants feel more connected to others. Based on these findings, we propose a conceptual model suggesting that specific interests create the experience of a "protective boundary" between oneself and others, which helps autistic individuals feel safe during social interactions. Namely, engaging in specific interests not only creates a space where autistic individuals can retreat when they feel overwhelmed, but also provides a framework with delineations in time and space, as well as explicit rules for social interactions, which make them more predictable and regulated. The study suggests that incorporating specific interests into therapy can help improve social communication and interaction for autistic individuals while still prioritizing their personal well-being.

Abnormalities In Autistic Brains and Behavioral Consequences

Autism is a neurological disorder known to manifest in certain classical behaviors. These behaviors include difficulty with social interaction, repetitive behaviors, communication difficulties, sensory issues and obsessive interests. Human behaviors are not only determined by the interactions within certain sections of the brain; rather, they are a result of complex interactions of neurons and chemical changes throughout the brain. This combinatory quality of the brain makes it difficult to pinpoint the exact areas that cause autistic behaviors. This paper reviews recently published studies on genetics, neuropsychology, brain imaging, and pathology of the autistic brain, in order to summarize the state of the literature on the specific differences in autistic brains. There is scientific consensus that the amygdala, frontal and temporal lobes, cerebellum, prefrontal cortex, synaptic plasticity and cortical organization have significant abnormalities in the autistic brain. These differences contribute to the manifestation of the classical symptoms of autism. Further research should focus on treatment and provision of new therapies for autistic individuals.
 Keywords: autism, neuroscience, cognition, cortical organization

Exploring the association between social skills struggles and social communication difficulties and depression in youth with autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by social communication difficulties and social skills abilities that are significantly differ from neurotypical populations as well as restricted and repetitive behaviors and interests. Furthermore, many autistic youth experience co-occurring conditions, with one of the most common being depression. This depression is suggested to be, in part, the result of the relative social isolation experienced by autistic youth. Therefore, it is important to examine social functioning differences in autistic youth and their association with depression. There has been limited research investigating the association between social communication difficulties and depression, or the association between social skills struggles and depression, and no research investigating both of these in the same population. We found that social communicative symptoms of autism (as measured by the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) were not associated with depression scores (as measured by the Revised Checklist for Anxiety and Depression) after controlling for age, sex, and IQ. In contrast, we did find a significant association between social skills struggles (as measured by the Adaptive Behavior Assessment System-2) and depression in the same sample. Higher social skills struggles were associated with higher depression scores after controlling for age, sex, and IQ. Reasons for the potential discrepancy between these findings are discussed, and clinical implications of these findings are explored.

Mistreatments Of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The Editor, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an umbrella, constructed to describe difficulties in social communication, with a very confined range of interests and fixed patterns along with atypical sensory-motor behaviors beginning in early childhood. It is estimated that over 350,000 children are on the spectrum in Pakistan, and the prevalence continues to rise(1). Research and studies have shown that early intervention has a positive effect on the later development of children on the spectrum (2). In a child’s life, a sensitive stage of development called the critical period is the time when new connections (synapses) are made that are influenced by environmental stimuli and personal experiences of the child (3). Established diagnosis and intervention in this period influences the brain’s neural plasticity. Hence filling the gap between the child’s growth margin and typically developing peers and supporting their way into adulthood with the competencies necessary to live an independent and carefree life. In underdeveloped nations like Pakistan, there is inadequate knowledge and awareness of ASD. Children are misdiagnosed and caregivers are deluded into the thought of a cure of autism due to the existence of various superstitions and necromantic beliefs(4). Different oil mixtures, herbal medicines, and several other home remedies are practiced: some to elude over-sensitivity or under-sensitivity, some to magically make the child speak etc. However, these practices have no effect, other than losing precious years of the child’s life (5). Parents and caregivers of autistic children should be counseled that ASD is not a disease to cure but a way to adapt. They should be convinced that being autistic is not because some pathogen invaded the brain; rather it is because the brain is wired differently and functions at its own pace. Seminars and webinars should be held for caregivers to help them deal with the psychosocial issues and the social stigma surrounding ASD. There is also a need to create awareness at the government level to better equip people, professionals, and healthcare systems to better cater for the needs of children with ASD. Moreover, efforts should be made to make ASD screening a part of universal pediatric screening so that intervention is provided as early as possible. There is a growing need to understand that ASD is not a curse manifested but an individuality to celebrate.

Positive communication workshops: are they useful for treatment programmes for anorexia nervosa?

Social isolation, loneliness and difficulties in relationships are often described as a core feature of eating disorders. Based on the experimental research, we have designed one-off workshops for patients in inpatients and day care services and evaluated its acceptability and effectiveness using feedback questionnaires. This naturalistic project is an evaluation of multiple positive communication workshops. Forty-one participants completed workshop questionnaires, which were provided immediately at the beginning and end of the workshop, including feedback on these one-off groups. The workshops consisted of educational and experiential components. The questionnaire outcomes were evaluated by independent researchers. All participants were female adults with a mean age of 33 (12.2) and a diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa (AN; either restrictive or binge-purge subtype). Post-workshop questionnaires showed large effect sizes in the improvement of understanding the importance and confidence in using positive communication strategies. Addressing social communication difficulties in eating disorder treatment programmes adds valuable dimensions to these symptom-based treatments in both inpatient settings and day services, and may provide broader benefits in overall social functioning in patients with AN. Brief one-off workshops targeting social functioning for patients with eating disorders might be useful complementary input for treatment programmes.

The mediators for the link between autism and real-world executive functions in adolescence and young adulthood.

Childhood factors that predict real-world executive function in autism spectrum disorder during the transition into adulthood are largely unknown. This study aimed to identify the predictors for the behavioral and cognitive aspects of real-world executive function in late adolescent and young adult autistic populations. We followed up 289 autistic youth (mean age 11.6 years) and 203 non-autistic controls (10.7 years) to their ages of 16.9 and 15.8, respectively. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function scale was used to measure the real-world executive function at late adolescence and young adulthood at follow-up. Potential predictors such as autistic symptoms, inattention or hyperactivity symptoms, peer relationship, emotional symptoms, and parenting styles were assessed in childhood at first enrollment. The results showed that childhood inattention, withdrawn behaviors, social communication difficulties, and child-reported emotion and inattention/hyperactivity may predict real-world lower executive function in late adolescence and young adults with autism. When separating executive function into behavioral and cognitive aspects, we found that oppositional behaviors and peer problems were specific predictors for behavioral regulation and cognitive function, respectively. Our findings suggested that treating common predictors in childhood, such as inattention, may potentially improve real-world executive function in autism during the transition into adulthood.

Use of social network sites among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: a qualitative study.

Social network sites (SNS) have become an integral part of the daily lives of billions of users, including adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). There is a seeming contrast between ASD, characterized by social communication difficulties, and SNS use, requiring social skills. However, few studies examine these adolescents' personal and subjective experiences on and their self-reports regarding the benefits and difficulties of using them. This study examines the communication strategies of adolescents with ASD in using SNS, through semi-structured in-depth interviews with 10 adolescents diagnosed with ASD. Findings are on three main aspects: reasons for using SNS, actual SNS use, and social characteristics of ASD as expressed through SNS engagement. The main finding is that SNS use among adolescents with ASD exposes their deficiencies in communication despite providing emotional support. This study highlights the importance of guiding SNS use by adolescents with ASD.

Back to Actual Behavior - A Modest Proposal on the Example of Exploratory Behavior in Children on the Autism Spectrum.

Autism spectrum is characterized by difficulties in social communication and interactions and limited, restricted patterns of behavior, interests, and activity. It is diagnosed and described on the basis of behavioral characteristics. Therefore, behavior research plays a critical role in better understanding the functioning of this group of children. Studies on their interests and curiosity take mainly the form of experiments on visual and object exploration. We argue that important aspects of behavior might be neglected within these studies and propose to refine the approach by incorporating the achievements of classic ethology, contemporary measurement and analytical tools, and the theory of integrative levels. We conclude with an outline of the proposed approach in a short list of major methodological postulates.

Artificial intelligence and bioinformatics analyze markers of children's transcriptional genome to predict autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication as well as restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, is extremely challenging to diagnose in toddlers. Early diagnosis and intervention are crucial however. In this study, we developed a machine learning classification model based on mRNA expression data from the peripheral blood of 128 toddlers with ASD and 126 controls. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between ASD and controls were identified. We identified genes such as UBE4B, SPATA2 and RBM3 as DEGs, mainly involved in immune-related pathways. 21 genes were screened as key biomarkers using LASSO regression, yielding an accuracy of 86%. A neural network model based on these 21 genes achieved an AUC of 0.88. Our findings suggest that the identified neurotransmitters and 21 immune-related biomarkers may facilitate the early diagnosis of ASD. The mRNA expression profile sheds light on the biological underpinnings of ASD in toddlers and potential biomarkers for early identification. Nevertheless, larger samples are needed to validate these biomarkers.

Autistic Symptoms, Irritability, and Executive Dysfunctions: Symptom Dynamics from Multi-Network Models.

Socio-cognitive difficulties in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are heterogenuous and often co-occur with irritability symptoms, such as angry/grouchy mood and temper outbursts. However, the specific relations between individual symptoms are not well-represented in conventional methods analyzing aggregated autistic symptoms and ASD diagnosis. Moreover, the cognitive-behavioral mechanisms linking ASD to irritability are largely unknown. This study investigated the dynamics between autistic (Social Responsiveness Scale) and irritability (Affective Reactivity Index) symptoms and executive functions (Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery) in a sample of children and adolescents with ASD, their unaffected siblings, and neurotypical peers (N = 345, aged 6-18years, 78.6% male). Three complementary networks across the entire sample were computed: (1) Gaussian graphical network estimating the conditional correlations between symptom nodes; (2) Relative importance network computing relative influence between symptoms; (3) Bayesian directed acyclic graph estimating predictive directionality between symptoms. Networks revealed numerous partial correlations within autistic (rs = .07-.56) and irritability (rs = .01-.45) symptoms and executive functions (rs = -.83 to .67) but weak connections between clusters. This segregated pattern converged in all directed and supplementary networks. Plausible predictive paths were found between social communication difficulties to autism mannerisms and between "angry frequently" to "lose temper easily." Autistic and irritability symptoms are two relatively independent families of symptoms. It is unlikely that executive dysfunctions explain elevated irritability in ASD. Findings underscore the need for researching other mood and cognitive-behavioral bridge symptoms, which may inform individualized treatments for co-occurring irritability in ASD.

Covid-19's impact on the mental and psychological health of people with autisms: a narrative review

The restrictions on the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have had a significant emotional impact on the general population and could lead to high levels of psychological distress. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be more vulnerable in this widespread because of persistent difficulties in social interaction and communication as well as constrained and repetitive patterns of behavior. The goal of this study is to review studies that assess how COVID-19 affects autistic people's psychological and mental health. This study is a narrative review. The subjects included in these studies consisted of individuals with autism, their parents, families and caregivers. The findings revealed that responses to the pandemic varied, with some autistic persons displaying improvements and others demonstrating deterioration in mental health. Variables like biological vulnerability, isolation, and loss of social support, adjustments to household roles and dynamics, and family conflicts all related to reductions in mental health.

Can repeated intranasal oxytocin administration affect reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces in autism? A randomized controlled trial.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by difficulties in social communication and interaction. Crucial for efficient social interaction is the ability to quickly and accurately extract information from a person's face. Frequency-tagging electroencephalography (EEG) is a novel tool to quantify face-processing sensitivity in a robust and implicit manner. In terms of intervention approaches, intranasal administration of oxytocin (OT) is increasingly considered as a potential pharmacological approach for improving socio-communicative difficulties in ASD, through enhancing social salience and/or reducing (social) stress and anxiety. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, mechanistic pharmaco-neuroimaging clinical trial, we implemented frequency-tagging EEG to conduct an exploratory investigation into the impact of repeated OT administration (4 weeks, 12 IU, twice daily) on neural sensitivity towards happy and fearful facial expressions in children with ASD (8-12 years old; OT: n = 29; placebo: n = 32). Neural effects were assessed at baseline, post-nasal spray (24 hr after the last nasal spray) and at a follow-up session, 4 weeks after the OT administration period. At baseline, neural assessments of children with ASD were compared with those of an age- and gender-matched cohort of neurotypical (NT) children (n = 39). Children with ASD demonstrated reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces, as compared to NT children. Upon nasal spray administration, children with ASD displayed a significant increase in neural sensitivity at the post- and follow-up sessions, but only in the placebo group, likely reflecting an implicit learning effect. Strikingly, in the OT group, neural sensitivity remained unaffected from the baseline to the post-session, likely reflecting a dampening of an otherwise typically occurring implicit learning effect. First, we validated the robustness of the frequency-tagging EEG approach to assess reduced neural sensitivity towards expressive faces in children with ASD. Furthermore, in contrast to social salience effects observed after single-dose administrations, repeated OT administration dampened typically occurring learning effects in neural sensitivity. In line with OT's social anxiolytic account, these observations possibly reflect a predominant (social) stress regulatory effect towards emotionally evocative faces after repeated OT administration.

Metaphorical and multimodal representation of autism in Chinese video public service announcements: Lonely twinkling

Metaphors are prevalent in the discourse of autism. Inappropriate use of metaphors might lead to stigmatization of the autistic group. Nevertheless, the multimodal representation of autism in metaphorical video PSAs remains underexplored, leaving the metaphorical portrayals of autistic community in the PSA discourse unclear. This study addresses the aforementioned issues by investigating the representation of autism in 39 Chinese metaphorical video PSAs. Findings showed that 1) the incidence and clinical characteristics were two clinical aspects of autism multimodally represented in PSAs; 2) symptoms of Difficulties in Social Communication were more frequently presented; 3) metaphorical representations of autism concerned several topics, including the autistic group, the lives of autistic children, treatment of autism, clinical characteristics, autism, and parents of autistic children; 4) the most frequent metaphor children with autism are stars/children of stars labelled the autistic children as stars, potentially contributing to stigmatization. Practical implications for designing metaphorical video PSAs about autism were provided.

Correlation of mutated gene and signalling pathways in ASD.

Autism is a complicated spectrum of neurodevelopmental illnesses characterized by repetitive and constrained behaviors and interests, as well as social interaction and communication difficulties that are first shown in infancy. More than 18 million Indians, according to the National Health Portal of India, and 1 in 160 children worldwide, according to the WHO, are diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders. This review aims to discuss the complex genetic architecture that underlies autism and summarizes the role of proteins likely to play in the development of autism. We also consider how genetic mutations can affect convergent signaling pathways and hinder the development of brain circuitry and the role of cognition development and theory of mind with Cognition-behavior therapy benefits in autism.

Current concepts of autism spectrum disorder: A literature review

Autism spectrum disorder is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication with a restricted range of repetitive activities and behaviors. It is comprised of Autism, PDD-NOS, Asperger's disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder and Rett syndrome. Lifestyle of ASD children is commonly associated with poor oral hygiene, pica, self-injurious habits and oral diseases. Various modalities of dental therapy such as tell-show-do technique, visual pedagogy and sensory adaptation have been advocated to enable better examination of ASD children. Keywords- Autism spectrum disorder, disability, communication, oral health status, visual pedagogy

Predicting Autism from Head Movement Patterns during Naturalistic Social Interactions.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized in part by difficulties in verbal and nonverbal social communication. Evidence indicates that autistic people, compared to neurotypical peers, exhibit differences in head movements, a key form of nonverbal communication. Despite the crucial role of head movements in social communication, research on this nonverbal cue is relatively scarce compared to other forms of nonverbal communication, such as facial expressions and gestures. There is a need for scalable, reliable, and accurate instruments for measuring head movements directly within the context of social interactions. In this study, we used computer vision and machine learning to examine the head movement patterns of neurotypical and autistic individuals during naturalistic, face-to-face conversations, at both the individual (monadic) and interpersonal (dyadic) levels. Our model predicts diagnostic status using dyadic head movement data with an accuracy of 80%, highlighting the value of head movement as a marker of social communication. The monadic data pipeline had lower accuracy (69.2%) compared to the dyadic approach, emphasizing the importance of studying back-and-forth social communication cues within a true social context. The proposed classifier is not intended for diagnostic purposes, and future research should replicate our findings in larger, more representative samples.

The Unknown Mindscapes: Gender Dysphoria and Romantic/ Sexuality Relationships in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Introduction: Higher percentages of gender dysphoria among autistic people has been recently observed. Previous studies showed that patients with autism spectrum disorders have difficulties in social communication and romantic relationships.
 Aim: In light of this, this manuscript aimed to study the quality of romantic relationship in autistic people and the possible role played by gender dysphoria.
 Methods: The search of the literature was conducted in this database: PubMed; we used these search terms: "autism spectrum disorder", "gender dysphoria", and "romantic relationship". We found a total of 74 citations. After excluding duplicates, 74 records were screened. 58 studies were excluded according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 16 studies has been finally assessed.
 Results: The findings of this work showed that autistic people have a difficulties in social and romantic relationships. A variety of difficulties in interpersonal and romantic relationships were detected, but to date, it is not clear how gender dysphoria could influence the possibility to initiating and maintaining romantic relationships as well as having a satisfying sexual life. Furthermore, different diagnostic instruments resulted in having been employed, and a general heterogeneity in the population under scrutiny was observed.
 Conclusions: Impaired social communication and interaction (SCI) and restricted, repetitive behavior (RRB) represent the two core symptom domains of ASD within the DSM-5. It is important to pay attention to these conditions, to manage the coming out about gender dysphoria in autistic people, and to develop strategies to help future social and romantic relationships. Furthermore, as different assessment tools resulted in having been used, in future research, greater attention should be paid to standardizing assessment tools and criteria for the autism spectrum, paying attention to the subjects presenting subthreshold traits as well. In general, future research should better investigate specific existential dimensions and/or difficulties met by people presenting both ASD and Gender Dysphoria.

Selectief mutisme en autisme: een verkenning en aanbevelingen voor de praktijk

In recent years, the clinical view on selective mutism has shifted from willful silence in specific situations and with specific persons, to being anxious to communicate in social situations. These social communication difficulties make it challenging for clinicians to distinguish selective mutism from autism. Historically, selective mutism and autism could not be formally classifi ed side by side. Currently, however, there is a debate about whether these classifications can co-occur. This raises questions for clinical practice, such as what this means for the diagnostic and treatment process. In this review we will discuss these issues based on recent literature, and we will provide clinicians with recommendations for clinical practice.

Brief Reports: Influence of Friendship on Loneliness Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Japan.

Previous studies have reported that people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have higher levels of loneliness than neurotypical (NTP) people, most likely because of their difficulties in social communication with their predominantly NTP peers. However, direct investigations on the causal influence of friendship on their feelings of loneliness is scarce. In the current study, using the causal mediation analysis, we investigated whether friendship among ASD individuals influences their feelings of loneliness, especially during adolescence when the importance of friendship is typically most elevated. Furthermore, we examined whether individual differences in autistic behavioral features or age affect feelings of loneliness or the qualities of friendship with linear regression analyses. The results demonstrated that the higher levels of loneliness in adolescents with ASD were mediated by one aspect of friendship, companionship. We also found that positive aspects of friendship, but not negative aspects, influence the feelings of loneliness in both ASD and NTP populations. One subcategory of the measured autistic trait, difficulty in imagination, which is associated the ability to consider another's perspective, had a negative relationship with the positive aspects of friendship in the ASD group, but not in the NTP group. These findings indicate that the quality of the positive aspects of friendship is similarly important for both adolescents with ASD and NTP adolescents, but the autistic behavioral features could interfere with the experience of such positive friendships.

The association of cariogenic foods consumption frequency on the occurrence of dental caries in children with autism spectrum disorders

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Dental caries is a multifactorial disease that invades the hard tissues of the teeth. Dental caries is among the most common oral manifestations in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interactions, communication difficulties, and restricted repetitive behavior. ASD children have a higher risk of dental caries due to their difficulty maintaining good oral hygiene and poor diet, such as having a high preference for cariogenic foods. This study aims to analyze the association between cariogenic foods consumption frequency and the occurrence of dental caries in ASD children. Methods: Quantitative study was performed with a cross-sectional design and total sampling techniques on 15 ASD children. Data analysis using Spearman Rank test. Results: This study found (66,7%) of ASD children had low levels of cariogenic foods consumption. Respectively, the ASD children’s deft and DMFT indices were (3.3) and (4.4). A significant value between the frequency of consumption of cariogenic foods and DMFT/deft was (0.297). The level of relationship between the frequency of consumption of cariogenic foods with DMFT/deft is (0.289), indicating a low association. Conclusions: There is no association between cariogenic foods consumption frequency and the occurrence of dental caries in children with ASD. The average indices of DMFT and deft of ASD children are at moderate levels. ASD children have low levels of cariogenic food consumption frequency.Keywords: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Cariogenic Foods, Dental Caries.