Social Communication Research Articles

Arkady V. Sokolov – a scholar, senior colleague, friend and unique personality

The article is a tribute to Arkady Vasilyevich Sokolov, Russian scientist, professor, Doctor of Science in pedagogy, researcher in the field of librarianship, informatics and social communications theory. Beside the professional relations, there was friendship of many years between Sokolov and the author. The author follows the main stages of Sokolov’s biography and his academic career, discusses his professional interests, namely informatics, bibliography, library science, metatheory of social communications, theory of sociocultural activities, teaching of bibliosphere and bibliologos, and library intelligentsia. He also reviews several publications by Arkady Sokolov.The author remembers A. V. Sokolov’s participation in RNPLS&T’s conferences, i.e. “Crimea” conference (world forum), “LIBCOM” international conference, and “BiblioPiter” conference. A. V. Sokolov contributed a lot to the Scientific and Technical Libraries journal as a member of editorial board, permanent author and reviewer. He made his fair share of contribution to the RNPLS&T joint monograph “E-librarianship”, unfortunately, only the introduction was written, which the author cites.

In memory of A. V. Sokolov – a scholar, educator and pedagogue

The article is a tribute to outstanding Russian scholar, Arkady V. Sokolov. The author discusses his contribution to library science, bibliography, informatics and social communications, and his pedagogical activity. The author cites Sokolov’s disciples highly appraising his pedagogical efforts. He possessed the gift of polemist and orator, had an artistic streak. He respected his opponents which was reflected in the style of discussions. The author appeals to his colleagues’ reviews – O. P. Korshunov, Y. N. Stolyarov, A. N. Vaneev – with whom Arkady Sokolov debated in professional periodicals. The author analyzes the discussion he had with Sokolov on the issues of crisis in library education. He concludes that Arkady Vasilyevich Sokolov was a true scholar, educator, pedagogue, intelligent person, and his disciples must preserve and transfer his legacy to the young library professionals.

Effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on autistic behaviors and GRIN2B gene expression in valproic acid-exposed rats.

Autism is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication, and restricted repetitive behaviors. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) has emerged as a potential treatment for autism, although its effects on behavior and gene expression are not well understood. The GRIN2B gene, known for its involvement in encoding a glutamate receptor subunit crucial for neuron communication and associated with autism, was a focus of this study. Using a rat model induced by prenatal exposure to valproic acid, we examined the impact of HBOT on autism-like behaviors and GRIN2B gene expression. Male Wistar rats were categorized into four groups: control, VPA (valproic acid-exposed), VPA+HBOT [2 atmosphere absolute (ATA)], and VPA+HBOT (2.5 ATA). The rats underwent several behavioral tests to assess social behavior, anxiety, stereotype and exploratory behaviors, and learning. Following the behavioral tests, the HBOT groups received 15 sessions of HBOT at pressures of 2 and 2.5 (ATA), and their behaviors were re-evaluated. Subsequently, real-time PCR was employed to measure GRIN2B gene expression in the frontal lobe. Our results indicated that HBOT significantly increased social interaction and exploratory behaviors in VPA-exposed rats, alongside elevated GRIN2B gene expression in their frontal lobe. Our findings imply that HBOT might have a potential role in ameliorating autism-related behaviors in the VPA rat model of autism through potential modulation of GRIN2B gene expression. However, additional research is essential to fully comprehend the underlying mechanisms and refine the HBOT protocol for optimizing its effectiveness in improving autism-related symptoms.

The Application of Extended Reality in Treating Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children, characterized by social interaction, communication difficulties, and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. Existing intervention methods have limitations, such as requiring long treatment periods and needing to be more convenient to implement. Extended Reality (XR) technology offers a virtual environment to enhance children's social, communication, and self-regulation skills. This paper compares XR theoretical models, application examples, and intervention effects. The study reveals that XR intervention therapy is mainly based on cognitive rehabilitation, teaching, and social-emotional learning theories. It utilizes algorithms, models, artificial intelligence (AI), eye-tracking, and other technologies for interaction, achieving diverse intervention outcomes. Participants showed effective improvement in competency barriers using XR-based multimodal interactive platforms. However, Mixed Reality (MR) technology still requires further development. Future research should explore multimsodal interaction technologies combining XR and AI, optimize models, prioritize the development of MR intervention scenarios, and sustain an optimal intervention level.

Social Media as a Learning Platform for EFL Learning: A Case of Undergraduate Students

Social media is one of the most popular learning platforms among youths, especially for the university level EFL students. The paper aims to explore how undergraduate level EFL students in a university utilize social media to improve their English writing skills. Using a meta-analysis approach, seventeen peer-researched articles published in the last five years were downloaded from google scholar and closely reviewed. Based on the review, the study concluded that social media was used as one of the informal learning platforms for writing in English. Students were reported to have been engaged in independent writing in social media while communicating with their peers, and relatives, thereby developing confidence in writing in English, though the use of more informal language structures were preferred. The findings of the study imply that higher engagement of EFL students in social media communication positively impacts their writing skills, so institutions are to increase the use of ICT in their pedagogical practices for students’ meaningful learning.

Contribution of the serotonergic system to developmental brain abnormalities in autism spectrum disorder.

This review highlights a key role of the serotonergic system in brain development and in distortions of normal brain development in early stages of fetal life resulting in cascades of abnormalities, including defects of neurogenesis, neuronal migration, neuronal growth, differentiation, and arborization, as well as defective neuronal circuit formation in the cortex, subcortical structures, brainstem, and cerebellum of autistic subjects. In autism, defects in regulation of neuronal growth are the most frequent and ubiquitous developmental changes associated with impaired neuron differentiation, smaller size, distorted shape, loss of spatial orientation, and distortion of cortex organization. Common developmental defects of the brain in autism include multiregional focal dysplastic changes contributing to local neuronal circuit distortion, epileptogenic activity, and epilepsy. There is a discrepancy between more than 500 reports demonstrating the contribution of the serotonergic system to autism's behavioral anomalies, highlighted by lack of studies of autistic subjects' brainstem raphe nuclei, the center of brain serotonergic innervation, and of the contribution of the serotonergic system to the diagnostic features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Discovery of severe fetal brainstem auditory system neuronal deficits and other anomalies leading to a spectrum of hearing deficits contributing to a cascade of behavioral alterations, including deficits of social and verbal communication in individuals with autism, is another argument to intensify postmortem studies of the type and topography of, and the severity of developmental defects in raphe nuclei and their contribution to abnormal brain development and to the broad spectrum of functional deficits and comorbid conditions in ASD.

Deep learning based next word prediction aided assistive gaming technology for people with limited vocabulary

AimVocabulary is the base for communication and vocabulary deficits reduce effective social communication. This study aims to develop and analyze English language-based assistive gaming technology to support individuals with vocabulary deficits. Materials and methodsThe developed intervention is based on deep learning technology for next word prediction, and it is equipped with web and mobile application interaction support. Various deep learning models, including long short-term memory, bidirectional long short-term memory, and bidirectional encoder representations from transformers, were learned and deployed using an open-source dataset corpus. The proposed intervention was analyzed using a specified task of a 5-minute lecture on a simple technical topic. The completed activities were also evaluated by professionals using vocabulary-related expert characteristics. ResultsThe results of the conducted 5-minutetask on social domain without intervention and later with intervention improved. The results were assessed by counting vocabulary words as well as by vocabulary specialists. The levels of centraltendencies and deviations changed as the task improved with the proposed intervention. Mean, median, and standard deviation scores of the experimental group improved significantly (189.1, 194.0, and 67.61) in comparison to the control group (125.4, 127.0, and 43.55). Furthermore, language specialists observed significant differences in the mean and median without intervention (12.84 and 13.0) compared to the intervention group (24.23 and 24.0, respectively). ConclusionsThe outcome of the experiments appears to be in favor of the suggested intervention. As a result, the suggested deep learning based next word prediction aided assistive gaming technology could support persons in overcoming their limited vocabulary disadvantages. In the future, the integration of the proposed technology into existing communication enhancement technology could achieve better results.

Book studies in Poland between 1945 and 2015: The sources of theoretical inspiration

The aim of the paper is to picture a retrospective panorama of the theoretical legacy of post-war Polish book studies. Of key importance to the author is the question of the object of the discipline and, consequently, its scope. The author discusses directions in book studies and the bibliological process making up — starting in the 1930s and with Jan Muszkowski’s concept — the core tradition and foundation of book-studies theories: the theories built around the paradigm of ‘life of the book,’ looking at it as an integrally defined process of production, dissemination and consumption; Karol Glombiowski’s functional theory, thanks to which ‘systemic’ and ‘functional’ approaches became a commonly accepted methodological premise in book studies; the concepts formulated by Janusz Dunin, who linked the bibliological tradition of historical source studies of editorial forms of books to the functional theory and to ‘communication’ perspective; the theory formulated by Radoslaw Cybulski, who, in combining the established morphology of the book with a semiotic and communication perspective, adopted ‘book consumption,’ that is, an ‘integrated system of satisfying the needs of book users,’ as a functional category to describe the behaviour of participants in the book market; the concepts focused on the ‘social communication situation’ as a research concept and perspective stemming from the sociological and semiotic reorientation of humanistic thinking. At the end, the author discusses the trends which have considerably expanded research perspectives in recent years: books in the media space; the ‘culture of the book’ paradigm, which is conducive to an ‘anthropologisation’ of the bibliological process, perceived no longer only institutionally, from the perspective of social communication, but also through relations, interactions and value judgements of people participating in it, which shifts research priorities towards the questions of reading and often also towards ‘regional’ approaches; and the theory of book art and research into book aesthetics. At the various stages of the development of bibliology and in relation to respective research approaches, the focus shifted from the book as a cultural artefact and its ‘life,’ that is, the bibliological process with its institutions, to the functions of the book with regard to the public in the process of social and cultural transmission, and, finally, to the public as the creator and user of the culture of the book, whose actions are ‘recorded’ in bibliological documentation.

Analysis of Social Media Usage in Enhancing Communication and Collaboration in Educational Environments

In this rapidly evolving digital era, the use of social media has become an integral part of daily life, including among students, teachers, and parents in educational environments. This study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of social media usage in efforts to enhance communication and collaboration in educational settings. The method employed in this research is a qualitative literature review utilizing data sourced from Google Scholar spanning from 2020 to 2024. Key search terms included social media, communication and collaboration, and education environment. The data analysis technique used in this research is qualitative data analysis. The qualitative data analysis process involves several steps, such as organising the data, forming themes or patterns, and interpreting the findings from the scientific articles used. The study's findings reveal that in the continuously evolving digital era, social media usage has become a crucial aspect across various domains, including education. The analysis of social media usage in enhancing communication and collaboration in educational environments highlights its significant potential to increase participant engagement, facilitate the exchange of ideas, and broaden the reach of educational information. However, the utilization of social media also necessitates a careful and responsible approach to address associated challenges and risks.

Predictors of health-related quality of life for children with neurodevelopmental conditions

Neurodevelopmental conditions can be associated with decreased health-related quality of life; however, the predictors of these outcomes remain largely unknown. We characterized the predictors of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of neurodiverse children and youth. We used a cross-sectional subsample from the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental Disorders Network (POND) consisting of those children and young people in the POND dataset with complete study data (total n = 615; 31% female; age: 11.28 years ± 2.84 years). Using a structural equation model, we investigated the effects of demographics (age, sex, socioeconomic status), core features (Social Communication Questionnaire, Toronto Obsessive Compulsive Scale, Strengths and Weaknesses of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-symptoms and Normal Behavior), co-occurring symptoms (Child Behaviour Checklist), and adaptive functioning (Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System) on HRQoL (KINDL). A total of 615 participants had complete data for this study (autism = 135, ADHD = 273, subthreshold ADHD = 7, obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) = 38, sub-threshold OCD = 1, neurotypical = 161). Of these participants, 190 (31%) identified as female, and 425 (69%) identified as male. The mean age was 11.28 years ± 2.84 years. Health-related quality of life was negatively associated with co-occurring symptoms (B = − 0.6, SE = 0.20, CI (− 0.95, − 0.19), p = 0.004)) and age (B = − 0.1, SE = 0.04, CI (− 0.19, − 0.01), p = 0.037). Fewer co-occurring symptoms were associated with higher socioeconomic status (B = − 0.5, SE = − 0.05, CI (− 0.58, − 0.37), p < 0.001). This study used a cross-sectional design. Given that one’s experiences, needs, supports, and environment and thus HrQoL may change significantly over the lifespan and a longitudinal analysis of predictors is needed to capture these changes. Future studies with more diverse participant groups are needed. These results demonstrate the importance of behavioural and sociodemographic characteristics on health-related quality of life across neurodevelopmental conditions.

Stories Sit in Places: News Media Representations and Social Development Communication of the Protesting Farmers in Central Mindanao, Philippines of the Kidapawan Massacre

This study explored the media representations of farmer-victims in Kidapawan City, the Philippines. Specifically, this examined how Metropolis-based news media represented the farmers who were reportedly involved in socio-political issues with the government that paved the way to the Kidapawan Massacre dated 1 April 2016. Juxtaposed with the exploration was the examination of how the oppressed and marginalised group was presented in media reports within the context of social development. This researcher employed van Dijk’s (1998, A critical discourse analysis) Critical Discourse Analysis of selected 27 tabloid news stories. This critical research led to the way of thinking that because of the government’s inaction and the media’s neoliberal-capitalistic ideology, farmers’ plight was overlooked and silenced. In this elite-dominated Philippine society as well as in the Asia-Pacific, discourses of people-centred development were relatively scant and torpid. Hence, the conceptualisation of an alternative model, that is Communication and Social Development ( Pascual, 2018 : Media representations of the Kidapawan farmers and social development communication in the Kidapawan Massacre).

MONITORING RESEARCH IN THE SYSTEM OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION SCIENCES

The article interprets and systematizes the idea of monitoring as a research method in the field of social communication sciences for the solution of traditional issues of journalism science and outlines the prospects of its application in view of the current issues of media science, which introduce into the research field the latest trends in the development of the mass media system at the current stage of deployment information society. The scientific value of monitoring as a research method is inseparable from its ability to see mass media as a complex heterogeneous system object and to ensure systematicity (complexity of vision, comparability of data, consistency of aspects of object analysis) of observations of this object at its different levels and in different sections. It is also important to be aware of the need to see the background as a theoretical basis for interpreting monitoring data. Self-sufficient, self-valued empirical monitoring studies of mass media activity can be good material for larger research projects, which demonstrates the high research potential of the monitoring method. Monitoring studies of mass media is the accumulation of empirical material for large-scale research projects in the field of social communications of both synchronic and diachronic type. However, only qualitative data from monitoring studies can be adequately used in the future and productively included in large-scale scientific projects, where comparison of data, combination of disparate empirical material with other analytical data is expected. Monitoring studies of mass media is a perspective of using the accumulation of empirical material for media critical studies and providing recommendations and practical advice for the implementation of mass media activities of editorial teams. This is the potential of monitoring research in the aspect of management decisions in the mass media system. The latest media phenomena that are of research interest, but have not yet entered the science of social communications as an object and subject of scientific understanding, with clearly defined parameters, are probably promising material for monitoring observations. This is a question of understanding the potential of the monitoring method in its application to the newest media phenomena that are significantly transforming the sphere of mass communication activity. Among the media phenomena that can become material for monitoring studies, the author of the article sees, first of all, such notable and influential phenomena as constructive journalism (journalism of solutions) and brand journalism. Monitoring provides an opportunity to verify, through the observation of extensive empirical material, the theoretical statements of scientists regarding the requirements for constructive journalism and brand journalism, which are formulated on the basis of the construction of a conceptual model of this type of mass media work. Thanks to monitoring, it is possible to study constructive journalism and brand journalism in terms of their use of forms of information submission, the specifics of addressing narrow target segments of the mass audience, technologies for retaining the recipient’s attention, etc. The data obtained during the monitoring can be used in a comparative study in the future, which can significantly expand the understanding of modern science about the latest media phenomena, which are still difficult to fit into the limits of scientific interpretations. If we see the latest trends and phenomena in the mass communication environment as indicators of transformations and look for factors of significant changes and shifts in social communication activity, then monitoring as a research method can be extremely useful and promising in understanding changes in the mass media system.

The mental health and well-being implications of a mesothelioma diagnosis: A mixed methods study

PurposeMesothelioma is an incurable, asbestos-related cancer with a poor prognosis. There is scant evidence about the mental health and well-being impacts on patients and carers living with the illness. This study aimed to investigate mesothelioma's impact on mental health and well-being and the scale of mental health conditions in patients and informal carers. MethodsA mixed-methods design was used: a cross-sectional survey of mesothelioma patients and informal carers plus semi-structured interviews with patients and carers. The survey used validated scales collecting data on mental health aspects of mesothelioma: the EQ5D to assess health-related quality-of-life; the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale; the PCL-5 to assess Posttraumatic Stress; and the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory. The datasets were integrated during analysis. Results96 useable survey responses were received. A clinical level of depression was reported by 29 participants (30.21%), of anxiety by 48 (50%), of posttraumatic distress disorder by 32 (33.33%), and of posttraumatic growth by 34 (35.42%). Carers had worse scores than patients. Three main themes were developed from interviews with 10 patients and 11 carers: ‘Prognosis’, ‘Support from services’, and ‘Social connections and communication’. ConclusionsHealthcare professionals delivering a mesothelioma diagnosis require regular training in communication skills plus updating in current treatment options, so they provide an appropriate mix of realism and hope. Better signposting to mental health support is needed for patients and carers. Our introduction of posttraumatic growth into the mesothelioma literature is novel. We recommend specialist nurses are trained to recognise, understand, and foster posttraumatic growth.

Linguistic Models of Mass Media Genres` Stylistic Diffusion in the Communicative Space of Ukraine and Bulgaria

Research attention is focused on fundamental changes in techniques and methods of informing , which activate the communicative capabilities of language and give rise to new genres, forms and formats of interpersonal communication in various spheres and discourses. It actualizes the research problem of the diffuse stylistic nature of mass media genres, argued by the processes of assimilation of public communication`s spheres. The author’s argumentation is based on the vectors of the dynamics of the literary language`s evolutionary potential, that is focused on the format and tasks of social communication. Predictably, the architectonic heterogeneity and polyfunctionality of the language of media texts explain the syncretic nature of the genres. And also the tendency to their constant modification and transformation regarding the structure, meanings and communicative valence of language units. The article interprets models of updating of the functional and stylistic paradigm of modern literary languages in their genre projection and perspective, which do not depend on the time and space of culture. To prove this thesis, the texts of the Ukrainian and Bulgarian media space in the genre of posts in social networks were chosen as the object of analysis. The main research aim is to determine the typicality / atypicality of stylistic diffusion in the genre paradigm of Ukrainian and Bulgarian media. The attention is paid to the bloggers and companies that are well- known in Ukraine and Bulgaria as influencers who make professional activities in the fields of health, beauty, sport, etc., and really model the current mass language consciousness. The research base is formed by texts that were published in the social networks Instagram, Facebook in 2023 – 2024. The functional and stylistic methodology of the mentioned material`s interpretation allows in a comparative discourse to prove the typicality of communicative processes that are resulted in the stylistic diffusion of modern mass media genres.

SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN WARTIME (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE ODESA CITY COUNCIL)

The relevance of the study lies in the fact that during a full-scale war, the social communications of the authorities acquire special importance. Communication between authorities and citizens takes place at different levels, and various tools are used. When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, these communications links underwent a significant transformation, some were destroyed. Defending itself against aggression, the Ukrainian state has taken a number of steps in the information sphere. In particular, access to certain resources (state registers, etc.) was closed, as well as access to other open sources was restricted. Such actions caused concern among the active part of the society, because the legal grounds of state authorities and local self-government in this area are not clearly defined. Experts have also drawn attention to this problem. They defined the closure of access to some data posted on the website of the Odesa City Council as unfounded. The purpose of the author of the article was to investigate the methods of communication between representatives of the Odesa territorial community and the city council, its officials and officials during martial law, as well as to determine the level of effectiveness of such communication. The study made it possible to conclude that the remarks made by experts and public activists regarding the unfoundedness of restricting Internet users’ access to the resources of the Odesa City Council have generally been corrected. Most of the pages of the council’s web portal are available, in addition, employees of the relevant divisions of the local self-government body actively maintain social networks of the city council. Among the shortcomings should be attributed the non-working state of hyperlinks to individual resources of the authority, work with interruptions of some sources, as well as duplication of certain information on the Internet resources of the Odesa City Council and the Mayor of Odesa. The achieved results are planned to be developed through a more detailed study of social communications of the Odesa City Council in further scientific articles.

Characterization of Ultrasonic Vocalization-Modulated Neurons in Rat Motor Cortex Based on Their Activity Modulation and Axonal Projection to the Periaqueductal Gray.

Vocalization, a means of social communication, is prevalent among many species, including humans. Both rats and mice use ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) in various social contexts and affective states. The motor cortex is hypothesized to be involved in precisely controlling USVs through connections with critical regions of the brain for vocalization, such as the periaqueductal gray matter (PAG). However, it is unclear how neurons in the motor cortex are modulated during USVs. Moreover, the relationship between USV modulation of neurons and anatomical connections from the motor cortex to PAG is also not clearly understood. In this study, we first characterized the activity patterns of neurons in the primary and secondary motor cortices during emission of USVs in rats using large-scale electrophysiological recordings. We also examined the axonal projection of the motor cortex to PAG using retrograde labeling and identified two clusters of PAG-projecting neurons in the anterior and posterior parts of the motor cortex. The neural activity patterns around the emission of USVs differed between the anterior and posterior regions, which were divided based on the distribution of PAG-projecting neurons in the motor cortex. Furthermore, using optogenetic tagging, we recorded the USV modulation of PAG-projecting neurons in the posterior part of the motor cortex and found that they showed predominantly sustained excitatory responses during USVs. These results contribute to our understanding of the involvement of the motor cortex in the generation of USV at the neuronal and circuit levels.

Investigating implicit emotion processing in autism spectrum disorder across age groups: A cross-modal emotional priming study.

Cumulating evidence suggests that atypical emotion processing in autism may generalize across different stimulus domains. However, this evidence comes from studies examining explicit emotion recognition. It remains unclear whether domain-general atypicality also applies to implicit emotion processing in autism and its implication for real-world social communication. To investigate this, we employed a novel cross-modal emotional priming task to assess implicit emotion processing of spoken/sung words (primes) through their influence on subsequent emotional judgment of faces/face-like objects (targets). We assessed whether implicit emotional priming differed between 38 autistic and 38 neurotypical individuals across age groups as a function of prime and target type. Results indicated no overall group differences across age groups, prime types, and target types. However, differential, domain-specific developmental patterns emerged for the autism and neurotypical groups. For neurotypical individuals, speech but not song primed the emotional judgment of faces across ages. This speech-orienting tendency was not observed across ages in the autism group, as priming of speech on faces was not seen in autistic adults. These results outline the importance of the delicate weighting between speech- versus song-orientation in implicit emotion processing throughout development, providing more nuanced insights into the emotion processing profile of autistic individuals.

Review of The Sociolinguistics of Language

This piece is an introduction and a review of one of Ralph Fasold’s works, the Sociolinguistics of Language. From address forms to pragmatics, Prof. Fasold studied various language phenomena in social communications, including gender and language, discourse analysis, and creolistics. Pidgin and creole language phenomena should be examined in terms of processes instead of types of languages. To apply the theory into daily experiences, we should make efforts in language arts education.

Career progression for autistic people: A scoping review.

Lots of autistic people are unemployed. Even when they are employed, autistic people might be given fewer opportunities than non-autistic people to progress in their careers. For example, assumptions about autistic people's differences in social communication might mean they are not given as many promotions. Indeed, we know that many autistic people are in jobs lower than their abilities (known as 'underemployment'). We reviewed 33 studies that tell us something about career progression for autistic people. Our review found that lots of autistic people want to progress in their careers, but there are many barriers in their way. For example, when they told their employer about being autistic, some people were given fewer opportunities. Research has also shown that autistic people do not get enough support to progress and that gaps in their employment history can make it difficult to progress. Our review suggested that good employment support (e.g. mentors) might help autistic people to progress in their careers. However, not much research has evaluated employment support for autistic people, which means we do not know how useful it is. Future research should find the best support that allows autistic people to live and work in ways that are meaningful to them.

The Use of CGH Arrays for Identifying Copy Number Variations in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) encompass a broad group of neurodevelopmental disorders with varied clinical symptoms, all being characterized by deficits in social communication and repetitive behavior. Although the etiology of ASD is heterogeneous, with many genes involved, a crucial role is believed to be played by copy number variants (CNVs). The present study examines the role of copy number variation in the development of isolated ASD, or ASD with additional clinical features, among a group of 180 patients ranging in age from two years and four months to 17 years and nine months. Samples were taken and subjected to array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), the gold standard in detecting gains or losses in the genome, using a 4 × 180 CytoSure Autism Research Array, with a resolution of around 75 kb. The results indicated the presence of nine pathogenic and six likely pathogenic imbalances, and 20 variants of uncertain significance (VUSs) among the group. Relevant variants were more prevalent in patients with ASD and additional clinical features. Twelve of the detected variants, four of which were probably pathogenic, would not have been identified using the routine 8 × 60 k microarray. These results confirm the value of microarrays in ASD diagnostics and highlight the need for dedicated tools.