Motor delays in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are being increasingly recognized using a brief screening tool, called the Developmental Coordination Disorder-Questionnaire (DCD-Q). Further validation of these motor delays using a more robust normed, developmental measure is clearly warranted. In this analysis, a nationally representative sample from the SPARK study was used wherein parents completed the DCD-Q and a more widely used developmental/adaptive functioning measure, called the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS); which comprises of various developmental domains including the motor domain (N = 2,644 completed the DCD-Q and VABS). Eighty two percent children with ASD had a motor delay based on their DCD-Q scores whereas 77% children with ASD had a motor delay based on their VABS motor domain scores. Approximately 70% children with ASD had concurrent motor delay on the DCD-Q and the VABS (i.e., positive predictive value of DCD-Q). Furthermore, there was 81.2% accuracy in reporting a risk/no risk of motor delay across both measures. Overall, these statistics align with the recent reports on proportions of children with ASD having motor delays. Parents of ~70% children with ASD are reporting motor delays that are corroborated across two different motor measures. This not only validates the motor delays reported based on the DCD-Q but also indicates the need for concurrent motor screening using both DCD-Q and VABS for better detection of motor delays in children with ASD. Only 10%–32% of the current SPARK sample received any physical or recreational therapies. This mismatch between presence of motor delays and the lack of access to motor services highlights the need for more motor intervention referrals for children with ASD.
{"title":"Validating motor delays across the developmental coordination disorder-questionnaire and the Vineland adaptive behavior scales (VABS) in children with autism spectrum disorderASD: A SPARK dataset analysis","authors":"A. N. Bhat","doi":"10.1002/aur.3189","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.3189","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Motor delays in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are being increasingly recognized using a brief screening tool, called the Developmental Coordination Disorder-Questionnaire (DCD-Q). Further validation of these motor delays using a more robust normed, developmental measure is clearly warranted. In this analysis, a nationally representative sample from the SPARK study was used wherein parents completed the DCD-Q and a more widely used developmental/adaptive functioning measure, called the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS); which comprises of various developmental domains including the motor domain (<i>N</i> = 2,644 completed the DCD-Q and VABS). Eighty two percent children with ASD had a motor delay based on their DCD-Q scores whereas 77% children with ASD had a motor delay based on their VABS motor domain scores. Approximately 70% children with ASD had concurrent motor delay on the DCD-Q and the VABS (i.e., positive predictive value of DCD-Q). Furthermore, there was 81.2% accuracy in reporting a risk/no risk of motor delay across both measures. Overall, these statistics align with the recent reports on proportions of children with ASD having motor delays. Parents of ~70% children with ASD are reporting motor delays that are corroborated across two different motor measures. This not only validates the motor delays reported based on the DCD-Q but also indicates the need for concurrent motor screening using both DCD-Q and VABS for better detection of motor delays in children with ASD. Only 10%–32% of the current SPARK sample received any physical or recreational therapies. This mismatch between presence of motor delays and the lack of access to motor services highlights the need for more motor intervention referrals for children with ASD.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141602291","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Clara Bled, Quentin Guillon, Laurent Mottron, Isabelle Soulieres, Lucie Bouvet
<p>Sensory atypicalities such as over-reactivity to auditory input or unusual interest in perception-based information are a common feature of autism (Ben-Sasson et al., <span>2019</span>). However, these atypicalities as not limited to the “sensory” dimension as higher levels of perceptive functioning are also atypical in autism (Bertone et al., <span>2005</span>; Mottron, <span>2019</span>; Samson et al., <span>2011</span>). The Enhanced Perceptual Functioning (EPF) theory suggests a higher role, autonomy and performance of perceptive abilities in autism (Mottron et al., <span>2006</span>; Mottron & Gagnon, <span>2023</span>; Samson et al., <span>2011</span>). Perception in autism is argued to be more precise and less likely to be altered by prior knowledge. As visual mental imagery and perception activate the same neural networks and rely on the same content-dependent representations in visual areas (Kosslyn et al., <span>2006</span>), the enhanced visual abilities described in autism could induce enhanced visual mental imagery abilities. Thus, mental imagery might be a key interface between a particular cognitive functioning and the sensory particularities in autism. However, this cognitive mechanism has seldom been studied so far. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate in depth mental imagery abilities in autism with the hypothesis of superior aptitudes in autism.</p><p>Mental imagery is defined as the evocation of a representation and its associated sensory information in the absence of a direct external stimulus (Pearson et al., <span>2015</span>). Mental imagery plays a central role in cognition as it allows one to remember past events, plan the future, represent oneself in space or even make decisions. These various uses of mental imagery are made possible by its four different stages: generation, maintenance, inspection and manipulation of mental images (Kosslyn et al., <span>2006</span>; Pearson et al., <span>2013</span>). A mental image is indeed “generated” as it is constructed “step by step” (Koenig et al., <span>1991</span>). Once generated, a mental image is subject to rapid decay with an average duration of only 250 ms (Kosslyn, <span>1994</span>). An active maintenance of the image in our attention window is then required. Subsequently, this image can then be inspected or manipulated in space. The “scanning” of mental images is one possible form of inspection activity (i.e., moving from one point to another in a mental image) (Finke & Pinker, <span>1983</span>). Mental images then can also be modified/transformed in space (Pearson et al., <span>2013</span>).</p><p>Visual mental imagery has anecdotally been indicated as an autistic strength (Grandin, <span>2009</span>). According to the self-reports of some autistic adults, autism entails a particular “way of thinking” described as “thinking in pictures”. Autistic individuals report using mental visual representation, and hence mental imagery, more frequent
{"title":"Visual mental imagery abilities in autism","authors":"Clara Bled, Quentin Guillon, Laurent Mottron, Isabelle Soulieres, Lucie Bouvet","doi":"10.1002/aur.3192","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.3192","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sensory atypicalities such as over-reactivity to auditory input or unusual interest in perception-based information are a common feature of autism (Ben-Sasson et al., <span>2019</span>). However, these atypicalities as not limited to the “sensory” dimension as higher levels of perceptive functioning are also atypical in autism (Bertone et al., <span>2005</span>; Mottron, <span>2019</span>; Samson et al., <span>2011</span>). The Enhanced Perceptual Functioning (EPF) theory suggests a higher role, autonomy and performance of perceptive abilities in autism (Mottron et al., <span>2006</span>; Mottron & Gagnon, <span>2023</span>; Samson et al., <span>2011</span>). Perception in autism is argued to be more precise and less likely to be altered by prior knowledge. As visual mental imagery and perception activate the same neural networks and rely on the same content-dependent representations in visual areas (Kosslyn et al., <span>2006</span>), the enhanced visual abilities described in autism could induce enhanced visual mental imagery abilities. Thus, mental imagery might be a key interface between a particular cognitive functioning and the sensory particularities in autism. However, this cognitive mechanism has seldom been studied so far. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate in depth mental imagery abilities in autism with the hypothesis of superior aptitudes in autism.</p><p>Mental imagery is defined as the evocation of a representation and its associated sensory information in the absence of a direct external stimulus (Pearson et al., <span>2015</span>). Mental imagery plays a central role in cognition as it allows one to remember past events, plan the future, represent oneself in space or even make decisions. These various uses of mental imagery are made possible by its four different stages: generation, maintenance, inspection and manipulation of mental images (Kosslyn et al., <span>2006</span>; Pearson et al., <span>2013</span>). A mental image is indeed “generated” as it is constructed “step by step” (Koenig et al., <span>1991</span>). Once generated, a mental image is subject to rapid decay with an average duration of only 250 ms (Kosslyn, <span>1994</span>). An active maintenance of the image in our attention window is then required. Subsequently, this image can then be inspected or manipulated in space. The “scanning” of mental images is one possible form of inspection activity (i.e., moving from one point to another in a mental image) (Finke & Pinker, <span>1983</span>). Mental images then can also be modified/transformed in space (Pearson et al., <span>2013</span>).</p><p>Visual mental imagery has anecdotally been indicated as an autistic strength (Grandin, <span>2009</span>). According to the self-reports of some autistic adults, autism entails a particular “way of thinking” described as “thinking in pictures”. Autistic individuals report using mental visual representation, and hence mental imagery, more frequent","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aur.3192","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141592254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Laura Ilen, Farnaz Delavari, Clémence Feller, Olivia Zanoletti, Carmen Sandi, Maude Schneider
Several autism-related characteristics, such as social difficulties, may contribute to high perceived stress and increased exposure to stressful life events in some autistic individuals. Repeated exposure to stress might lead to the dysfunction of the hypothalamic–pituitary-adrenocortical-axis and be a vulnerability factor for developing mental health difficulties. Previous studies show contradictory findings on salivary cortisol in autism. In the current study, we investigated diurnal cortisol profiles in autistic adolescents and young adults, as well as their associations with social difficulties, stress exposure, and mental health symptoms. Autistic (n = 48, Mage = 17.6) and nonautistic (n = 51, Mage = 18.4) participants collected salivary cortisol at home six times a day for 2 days. Social difficulties, exposure to stressful life events/bullying, and mental health symptoms were assessed with questionnaires and clinical interviews. Similar diurnal cortisol slopes (DCS) and cortisol awakening responses were observed between the groups, but autistic participants showed higher total cortisol output (AUCG, area under the curve with respect to ground) during the day (b = 19.09, p = 0.009). In the autistic group, more severe social difficulties were associated with flatter DCS (b = 0.01, p = 0.007). Finally, cortisol alterations were associated with self-reported mental health symptoms, especially in autistic females in analyses uncorrected for multiple comparisons. In conclusion, our results do not indicate autism-related group-level alterations in most diurnal cortisol measures, but autistic youth showed higher total cortisol (AUCG) compared with nonautistic peers. More detailed investigation of interindividual variability in cortisol profiles within autistic people might give us important insights into vulnerability to developing stress-related mental health difficulties.
{"title":"Diurnal cortisol profiles in autistic adolescents and young adults: Associations with social difficulties and internalizing mental health symptoms","authors":"Laura Ilen, Farnaz Delavari, Clémence Feller, Olivia Zanoletti, Carmen Sandi, Maude Schneider","doi":"10.1002/aur.3184","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.3184","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Several autism-related characteristics, such as social difficulties, may contribute to high perceived stress and increased exposure to stressful life events in some autistic individuals. Repeated exposure to stress might lead to the dysfunction of the hypothalamic–pituitary-adrenocortical-axis and be a vulnerability factor for developing mental health difficulties. Previous studies show contradictory findings on salivary cortisol in autism. In the current study, we investigated diurnal cortisol profiles in autistic adolescents and young adults, as well as their associations with social difficulties, stress exposure, and mental health symptoms. Autistic (<i>n</i> = 48, <i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 17.6) and nonautistic (<i>n</i> = 51, <i>M</i><sub>age</sub> = 18.4) participants collected salivary cortisol at home six times a day for 2 days. Social difficulties, exposure to stressful life events/bullying, and mental health symptoms were assessed with questionnaires and clinical interviews. Similar diurnal cortisol slopes (DCS) and cortisol awakening responses were observed between the groups, but autistic participants showed higher total cortisol output (AUC<sub>G</sub>, area under the curve with respect to ground) during the day (<i>b</i> = 19.09, <i>p</i> = 0.009). In the autistic group, more severe social difficulties were associated with flatter DCS (<i>b</i> = 0.01, <i>p</i> = 0.007). Finally, cortisol alterations were associated with self-reported mental health symptoms, especially in autistic females in analyses uncorrected for multiple comparisons. In conclusion, our results do not indicate autism-related group-level alterations in most diurnal cortisol measures, but autistic youth showed higher total cortisol (AUC<sub>G</sub>) compared with nonautistic peers. More detailed investigation of interindividual variability in cortisol profiles within autistic people might give us important insights into vulnerability to developing stress-related mental health difficulties.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aur.3184","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141556079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tessel Bazelmans, Rowan Arthur, Greg Pasco, Elizabeth Shephard, Bosiljka Milosavljevic, Jannath Begum Ali, Andrew Pickles, Mark H. Johnson, Emily J. H. Jones, Tony Charman, The BASIS/STAARS Team
Autism sibling recurrence in prospective infant family history studies is ~20% at 3 years but systematic follow-up to mid-childhood is rare. In population and clinical cohorts autism is not recognized in some children until school-age or later. One hundred and fifty-nine infants with an older sibling with autism underwent research diagnostic assessments at 3 years and mid-childhood (6 to 12 years (mean 9)). We report the autism sibling recurrence rate in mid-childhood and compare developmental and behavioral profiles at mid-childhood and 3 years in those with earlier versus later recognized autism, and those who had, or had not, received a community autism diagnosis. The autism recurrence rate in this sample in mid-childhood was 37.1%, 95% CI [29.9%, 44.9%] and higher in boys than girls. Around half of those diagnosed with autism in mid-childhood had not received a diagnosis at 3 years. Later, diagnosis was more common in girls than boys. While some had sub-threshold symptoms at 3, in others late diagnosis followed a largely typical early presentation. Sibling recurrence based on community clinical diagnosis was 24.5%, 95% CI [18.4%, 31.9%]. Those who also had a community diagnosis tended to be older, have lower adaptive function and higher autism and inattention symptoms. Notwithstanding limitations of a single site study, modest sample size and limits to generalisability, autism sibling recurrence in family history infants may be higher in mid-childhood than in studies reporting diagnostic outcome at 3 years. Findings have implications for families and clinical services, and for prospective family history studies.
{"title":"Mid-childhood autism sibling recurrence in infants with a family history of autism","authors":"Tessel Bazelmans, Rowan Arthur, Greg Pasco, Elizabeth Shephard, Bosiljka Milosavljevic, Jannath Begum Ali, Andrew Pickles, Mark H. Johnson, Emily J. H. Jones, Tony Charman, The BASIS/STAARS Team","doi":"10.1002/aur.3182","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.3182","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Autism sibling recurrence in prospective infant family history studies is ~20% at 3 years but systematic follow-up to mid-childhood is rare. In population and clinical cohorts autism is not recognized in some children until school-age or later. One hundred and fifty-nine infants with an older sibling with autism underwent research diagnostic assessments at 3 years and mid-childhood (6 to 12 years (mean 9)). We report the autism sibling recurrence rate in mid-childhood and compare developmental and behavioral profiles at mid-childhood and 3 years in those with earlier versus later recognized autism, and those who had, or had not, received a community autism diagnosis. The autism recurrence rate in this sample in mid-childhood was 37.1%, 95% CI [29.9%, 44.9%] and higher in boys than girls. Around half of those diagnosed with autism in mid-childhood had not received a diagnosis at 3 years. Later, diagnosis was more common in girls than boys. While some had sub-threshold symptoms at 3, in others late diagnosis followed a largely typical early presentation. Sibling recurrence based on community clinical diagnosis was 24.5%, 95% CI [18.4%, 31.9%]. Those who also had a community diagnosis tended to be older, have lower adaptive function and higher autism and inattention symptoms. Notwithstanding limitations of a single site study, modest sample size and limits to generalisability, autism sibling recurrence in family history infants may be higher in mid-childhood than in studies reporting diagnostic outcome at 3 years. Findings have implications for families and clinical services, and for prospective family history studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":5.3,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/aur.3182","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141556114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}