Everyday positioning experience in typically developing infants and infants with or at risk for cerebral palsy

Resting-state EEG microstates across a dimensional spectrum of autistic traits: From typical development to diagnosed ASD.

655. Brainstem Subregion Volumes in Typical Development and Psychosis Spectrum Youth

Children with developmental dyslexia (DD) exhibit deficits in auditory temporal processing, potentially linking to their difficulties in reading. Previous studies in alphabetic languages have reported atypical neural synchronization to low-frequency rhythms. For non-alphabetic languages like Chinese, however, the specific frequency bands involved and the cognitive mechanisms through which such abnormalities might relate to reading outcomes are less clearly understood. In this study, we recorded Auditory Steady-State Responses (ASSRs) from 64 Chinese children, including 38 with DD, in response to white noise amplitude-modulated (AM) at 4Hz (syllabic rhythm) and 30Hz (phonemic rhythm). Findings revealed that children with DD exhibited atypical auditory temporal sampling patterns, marked by a trend toward excessive responses in the temporal cortex at 4Hz and diminished responses in the frontal cortex at 30Hz, particularly among older children in Grades 3-6 (DD: n = 12, Mage = 10.88 years; typical development [TD]: n = 15, Mage = 11.00 years). In addition, in TD children, temporal-region ASSRs elicited by 4Hz AM noise were indirectly associated with reading fluency via rapid automatized naming (RAN), whereas this pathway was not evident in children with dyslexia. These dual anomalies at the theta and low gamma bands may reflect a developmental failure in neural entrainment, disrupting both syllabic and phonemic-level speech processing. This study provides novel evidence for frequency- and region-specific auditory processing deficits in Chinese children with DD, which also highlight the importance of considering both language-specific characteristics and age-related modulation in understanding the neural oscillatory mechanisms underlying dyslexia. SUMMARY: Chinese children with dyslexia showed atypical auditory temporal sampling in theta and low gamma bands. Auditory Steady-State Responses (ASSRs) revealed neural deficits at 4 and 30Hz in dyslexia. Language-specific phonological features influence auditory processing in developmental dyslexia. The results underscore the importance of language context and age-related modulation in understanding the neural oscillatory underlying dyslexia.

286. Schizophrenia Polygenic Risk, Deviations From Typical Brain Development, and Expected Brain Deficit Patterns in Individuals With Schizophrenia, Unaffected Relatives, and Healthy Controls

We describe three unrelated individuals with congenital generalized hypertrichosis with gingival hyperplasia (CGHGH), each carrying a distinct structural rearrangement (duplication, deletion, inversion) at 17q24.2-q24.3 identified by CMA and WGS. Despite differences in the type of rearrangement, all three patients seem to exhibit alterations affecting the genomic architecture of a cluster of genes, particularly involving the ABCA family (notably ABCA5, ABCA6, ABCA9, ABCA10), MAP2K6, and potassium channels (KCNJ16, KCNJ2). These findings suggest that disruption of the local chromatin organization, including topologically associating domains (TADs), may contribute to the pathogenesis of CGHGH. Although previous studies implicated deletions affecting ABCA5 as the likely cause of CGHGH, our findings emphasize a broader spectrum of structural variation capable of producing similar phenotypes. Interestingly, one patient involved a cryptic 1.2 Mb inversion that disrupted the region between ABCA9 and KCNJ2, detectable only by whole genome sequencing, reinforcing the need for advanced molecular diagnostics in patients with syndromic hypertrichosis. In all three individuals, gingival overgrowth co-occurred with typical facial features, coarse hair, and normal cognitive development, adding evidence to the phenotype-genotype correlation. Overall, this study strengthens the hypothesis that disruption of regulatory elements and chromatin architecture at 17q24.2-q24.3, rather than single nucleotide variants alone, can be a primary driver of CGHGH. These findings underscore the need to incorporate genome-wide structural variant analysis in the diagnostic workflow of rare developmental disorders, especially those with heterogeneous or subtle clinical presentations.

To establish reference ranges for regional brain volumes in normally developing very preterm infants without brain injury at term-equivalent age, using automated brain segmentation, and to explore associations with sex and gestational age. This was a cross-sectional study of very preterm infants (gestational age <32 weeks) with structurally normal magnetic resonance imaging at term-equivalent age and normal neurodevelopmental outcomes up to 2 years of age. 3-Tesla MRI scans were processed using Infant Free Surfer, a fully automated segmentation tool, yielding 26 regional brain structures. MRIs were acquired on the same scanner. Only scans of highest quality, confirmed by expert consensus, were included. Associations between regional brain volumes and gestational age, as well as sex differences were assessed using Pearson correlations and Mann-Whitney U tests. The final cohort included 55 infants (24 male) with a median gestational age of 29.4 (interquartile range: 27.6-31.0) weeks. Reference volumes and sex-stratified centiles (3rd-97th) are provided. Male infants had significantly larger volumes of the putamen (p=0.031) and the hippocampus (p=0.003). Gestational age showed weak or no correlations with regional brain volumes. This study establishes normative data on regional brain volumes in a well-defined cohort of normally developing very preterm infants without brain injury at term-equivalent age. These data provide a reference for future research on early brain development and may support studies investigating whether deviations from typical brain development can be detected and inform early interventions.

Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have difficulty making online predictions of language material following verbs (e.g., "The monkey eats a very delicious … [banana]"). We explore the contributions of lexicosemantic knowledge deficits and online processing deficits by comparing performance across offline lexicosemantic and online processing tasks in sentences with higher versus lower speed and complexity. Participants included twenty-six 4- to 5-year-old children with DLD and 26 age-matched children with typical development (TD). In Experiment 1, participants' lexicosemantic knowledge about verb-patient associates was assessed (e.g., "What do babies usually wear? A bib or a necklace?") in an offline pointing task. Following the offline task, participants' online predictive processing for the same verb-patient associates was assessed using eye tracking (e.g., "The baby is wearing a very special [bib vs. necklace]"). In Experiment 2, the same tasks were completed with simpler sentences spoken at a slower rate with a reduced number of words. Across the two experiments, the quality of lexicosemantic knowledge impacted the quality of sentence prediction for children in both groups. In addition, children with DLD had poorer lexicosemantic knowledge compared to peers with TD. Yet even after accounting for item-level lexicosemantic knowledge, the children with DLD differed from their peers with TD in sentence prediction. Specifically, children with DLD showed similar sentence prediction to peers with TD in faster sentences, but in slower sentences, their predictions decayed over time. Children with DLD have sentence prediction deficits due to a combination of lexicosemantic knowledge deficits and problems with working memory decay and sustained attention. Sentence prediction deficits in DLD arise from both lexicosemantic and processing factors. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31999236.

Aims To assess the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), probable DCD, and typical development, and its relation to biological and environmental factors. Methods A total of 694 children participated (50.8% girls, 8.03 ± 1.43 years old) in this cross-sectional study. Caregivers completed the caregiver version of the PedsQL 4.0, the DCD Questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Children were assessed using the Movement ABC − 2 and completed the child version of the PedsQL 4.0. Children were divided into three groups: children with DCD, probable DCD, and typical development. Results In the caregivers’ perception, there was a significant difference between groups for all HRQoL domains (physical, emotional, social, and school) and the total score (p < 0.001). In the child’s self-perception, there was a significant difference between groups in the physical (p = 0.011), school (p < 0.001), and total score (p = 0.004) domains. Biological and environmental negative factors, when interacting with the groups, were associated with HRQoL. Conclusion Children with DCD show significantly lower HRQoL than children with typical development and with probable DCD. Biological and environmental negative factors, especially environmental, were associated with HRQoL when interacting with the groups.

ABSTRACT Corpora of speech sound disorder are precious resources in Speech and Language Therapy (SLT) education, but their development is costly in terms of time and funding. This paper reports on an initiative that created a dataset of Irish English-based materials for teaching and assessing phonetic transcription at the pre-registration level. The dataset includes audio recordings of single words, sentences and spontaneous speech elicited from five children with speech sound disorder, five children with typical speech development and five typical adults with no speech difficulties. In order to design and evaluate the resource, SLT students and Practice Educators were surveyed before and after resource creation. We report on the overall process, discuss results from the surveys and outline future directions in resource development for teaching purposes. Overall, our respondents agreed that the resource filled a gap in teaching materials for SLT education.

Aims To examine (1) differences in mastery motivation (MM) between children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD) and children with typical development (TD), (2) group differences in maternal stress, and (3) explore the association between maternal stress and MM. Methods In this cross-sectional study, mothers of TD (n = 89) and NDD children (n = 38) completed the Dimensions of Mastery Questionnaire (assessing instrumental and expressive MM and General Competence) and the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form (measuring multiple stress domains). Results Mothers of children with NDD reported significantly higher stress and their children’s lower instrumental MM and General Competence, while expressive MM did not differ between groups. In the TD group, higher stress correlated with lower social and cognitive persistence. In the NDD group, stress was associated with reduced motor and cognitive persistence, and General Competence showed negative correlations with all stress subscales. Expressive MM showed weak correlations in the TD group. Conclusions Maternal stress is linked to lower child persistence and perceived competence, particularly in children with NDD. These findings highlight the need for interventions addressing both child motivation and parental stress to promote optimal development.

Early identification of language and literacy disorders (LLDs) in multilingual children remains a challenge in linguistically diverse educational systems shaped by ongoing migration. In many contexts, including Greece and Cyprus, where LLDs have been poorly investigated, teachers lack screening tools that can reliably distinguish typical multilingual development from possible indicators of LLDs. This study presents the development and preliminary piloting of two teacher-report screening questionnaires for multilingual children aged 4–6 and 6–9 years, designed for use in everyday classroom settings to support early identification and referral. A structured multi-stage procedure guided development. First, items were derived from internationally established clinical markers of multilingual LLDs, covering oral language, phonological awareness, communication, literacy, and related cognitive domains. Second, a scoring framework was created to support consistent, referral-oriented interpretation across languages. Third, the questionnaires were reviewed by specialists in linguistics, education, and speech-language therapy. Fourth, pilot testing with teachers evaluated clarity, feasibility, and classroom relevance. Expert and teacher feedback indicated that the questionnaires are practical and support differentiation between multilinual language differences and potential underlying difficulties. Overall, this study introduces two promising cross-linguistic screening tools for educators in multilingual educational settings, currently undergoing psychometric validation.

In many mammals, early interactions between caregivers and offspring involve rich physical contact during which offspring typically remain calm near the caregiver. Such contact is thought to support emotional regulation during infancy, but how prior experience shapes these mechanisms remains unclear. Here, we show that back stroking induces a calming response in human infants and mouse pups, with reduced movement. In mouse pups, back stroking further reduces heart rate, facilitates sleep onset, and attenuates stress-induced corticosterone elevations. These sleep-promoting and stress-buffering effects are absent in artificially reared pups deprived of postnatal maternal care, suggesting that early experience tunes the calming response to stroking. Transcriptomic analysis reveals reduced hypothalamic expression of the calcium channel subunit gene Cacna1b in artificially reared pups, and knockdown of hypothalamic Cacna1b in maternally reared pups abolishes stroking-induced calming. Thus, early-life maternal care and associated physical contact may shape hypothalamic circuits supporting behavioral and physiological regulation.

Most individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) exhibit symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), suggesting a substantial overlap in social cognitive profiles. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore social cognitive abilities in children and adolescents with FXS in comparison with an age-matched heterogeneous ASD group and typically developing (TD) peers. Key domains assessed included basic visual social attention towards faces, autonomic arousal in reaction to conflicting emotional information and Theory of Mind (ToM). Participants comprised 14 children with FXS, 24 with ASD and 19 TD controls, aged 6-18 years. Visual attention and implicit emotion recognition were measured using an emotional oddball paradigm using gaze behaviour and pupillometric analysis, and ToM was assessed with the NEPSY-II neuropsychological test battery ToM subtest. Results indicated that children and adolescents with FXS directed their gaze less towards relevant social-emotional information (i.e., faces and especially eyes), compared with both the ASD and TD groups. Regarding implicit emotion recognition, the attentional disparity between the FXS group and the TD group was reduced when conflicting multisensory emotional information was presented, rather than congruent cues. Next, a diminished pupillary response to conflicting emotional information was found in the FXS group, as compared with the ASD group. Additionally, the FXS group showed difficulties with ToM, compared with the ASD and TD groups. These findings suggest that both deviations in basic and higher-order social cognitive abilities may contribute to the social difficulties experienced by individuals with FXS and may partly account for the high incidence of ASD diagnoses in this population.

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to augment the validity of the CDI-III by interviewing mothers about their experiences while completing the scale. In this qualitative study, 12 mothers (six in Croatian and six in Slovenian), including eight whose children have typical language development and four whose children have developmental disabilities, were interviewed. Their experiences related to completing the Croatian and Slovenian versions of CDI-III were documented, with the aim of using their recommendations to make the scale clearer for parents. Mothers reported difficulties with the vocabulary section, particularly with emotional and cognitive words, mainly because of their homonymity and semantic similarities. This study shows the importance of consulting parents during the development of the CDI-III to improve its clarity and comprehensibility.

The subplate (SP) is a transient fetal brain compartment supporting neuronal migration, axonal ingrowth, and early cortical activity, yet the dynamics of its regional development remain poorly understood in vivo. Using T2-weighted fetal MRI of 68 typically developing fetuses (22 to 32 wk gestational age, GA), we developed a semiautomated pipeline to quantify regional SP morphology (thickness, surface area, and volume). SP characteristics scaled strongly with GA and residual brain volume and showed marked regional differences. After correcting for geometric confounds, regional variation of SP thickness persisted, with highest values in parietal and perisylvian regions, suggesting that SP thickness may serve as a sensitive marker of intrinsic developmental differences. Between the late 2nd and early 3rd trimesters, mean SP thickness increased by 39.2% with large variation across regions (±11.0 SD), whereas surface area growth was more uniform (64.3% ±0.7 SD). Continuous growth trajectories clustered into distinct spatiotemporal profiles: early-developing regions (e.g., pericentral and medial occipital cortices) contrasted with later-developing regions (prefrontal, temporal, and parietal cortices). These patterns partially recapitulate primary-to-association, medial-to-lateral, and posterior-to-anterior maturational hierarchies, pointing to organized developmental programs. SP development also showed region-specific hemispheric asymmetries, including leftward thickness and volume asymmetry in the superior temporal and precentral gyri. Some asymmetries amplified, others attenuated or reversed with age, suggesting both transient states and potential precursors of postnatal lateralization. Together, these findings provide a framework for regional SP quantification and position SP morphology, particularly thickness, as a promising early biomarker that might link fetal SP changes to subsequent cortical development and neurodevelopmental outcomes.

Traditional language assessments using monolingual standardized tests often lead to misdiagnoses in bilingual children due to variations in language experiences. Given the strong link between iconic gestures and language abilities, an iconic gesture comprehension task could serve as an effective screening tool for bilingual children with developmental language disorder (biDLD), as it does not necessitate verbal output. Therefore, we explored the potential and validity of such a screening tool. We developed an iconic gesture comprehension task where children observe a gesture and select the corresponding image from four options. The task was completed by 70 monolingual children with typical development (moTD), 70 bilingual children with typical development (biTD), and 40 biDLD between 3 and 9 years old. Additionally, language tests were administered to gain insight into the relation between gesture performance and language abilities. Performance on the gesture task increased with age, and group comparisons revealed that moTD and biTD outperformed biDLD. Although the task was unaffected by language experience, diagnostic accuracy at the individual level was 68.18%. Additionally, gesture performance was associated with lexicosemantic abilities in biDLD, suggesting that the task appears most sensitive to children with significant semantic deficits. While the iconic gesture comprehension task differentiated between children with and without developmental language disorder at the group level, its diagnostic accuracy at the individual level remains limited. Further research is needed to assess whether the task, in a modified form, still has potential as a screening task and to clarify how gesture comprehension relates to language abilities. https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.31211821.

This study explores whether alternative approaches to education, as applied in centers such as TUMO Tirana, can support the psychoeducational development and intrinsic motivation of children with typical and atypical development in Albania. Grounded in the theories of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Erikson on cognitive, social, and emotional development, as well as Deci and Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory on competence, autonomy, and social relatedness, the research analyzes the impact of alternative education on these fundamental dimensions of child development. The study involved 50 participants (25 children with typical development and 25 children with atypical development) who had completed a one-year cycle at TUMO. Data were collected through a mixed-methods approach: a structured questionnaire for parents on observed changes in behavior and emotional development at home, and semi-structured interviews with trainers to capture psychoeducational progress observed within the center’s environment. Findings indicate that participation in a free and creative learning environment such as TUMO increases children’s sense of competence, autonomy, and social connection, with particularly positive effects for children with atypical development. The study also identifies challenges and barriers that must be addressed to strengthen inclusive education in Albania, highlighting the importance of psychoeducational approaches in modern models of alternative education.

Sleep-like slow waves in ADHD: Regional specificity in combined type.

This special issue of Polis is conceived as an academically grounded yet practice oriented contribution to the field of psychoeducation in Albania, developed through close collaboration between researchers and practitioners engaged in school, clinical, and community settings. The volume reflects the Faculty of Humanities, Education and Liberal Arts’ commitment to advancing evidence-based approaches to children’s development and inclusion, while addressing the practical constraints faced by professionals in contemporary educational environments. Co-edited with Prof. Dr. Erika Melonashi, Head of The Department of Psychology, Education and Sports, whose expertise in psychology has significantly informed the thematic and methodological direction of this issue, the edition aims to offer a rigorous, multidisciplinary treatment of psychoeducational processes within the Albanian context. The education system constitutes a dynamic environment where children develop psychological, social, physical, and intellectual dimensions. The structure and characteristics of the immediate environment have a fundamental impact on their formation, requiring ongoing professional engagement and research in psychoeducation. However, the psychoeducational process often faces challenges related to children’s individual characteristics, the level of parental involvement, and the professional competencies of teachers (often limited by insufficient training and lack of institutional support). The inadequate involvement of school psychologists or organizational inefficiency of the system (class size, curriculum, schedules, etc.) can negatively affect children’s development and learning. Significant challenges might also arise in the psychoeducation of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, due to the complexity of these conditions and the lack of specific resources and intervention programs. The psychoeducation of children, whether with typical or atypical development, represents one of the primary challenges of the Albanian educational system and society.