Autism Research最新文献

This study examines changes in irritability from early childhood to adolescence and differences by diagnostic group, sex, and early childhood nonverbal and verbal abilities. Participants included 243 autistic (AUT) and 194 typically developing (TD) children, with 20% of participants being female, 47% identifying as non-White, and 26% identifying as Hispanic. Data were drawn from the CHARGE (Childhood Autism Risks from Genetics and the Environment) Study, which evaluated children at ages 2–5 years and followed up during pre- (ages 8–12) or late (ages 15–19) adolescence through the ReCHARGE Study. Irritability was higher in the AUT group than in the TD group across all time points; participants overall experienced a decrease in irritability over time. A three-way interaction among sex, diagnosis, and time emerged in late adolescence but not in pre-adolescence, and this effect remained significant even after adjusting for early cognitive abilities. Specifically, TD males and females, and AUT males, showed reductions in irritability, while AUT females exhibited persistently high irritability. In pre-adolescence, higher early verbal and nonverbal cognitive abilities were linked to greater reductions in irritability regardless of diagnosis, whereas in late adolescence, only nonverbal ability predicted irritability change, with this effect specific to autistic youth. Higher levels of adolescent psychopathology were associated with less improvement in irritability, regardless of diagnostic group. Collectively, these findings reveal that while irritability generally decreases over time, its trajectory varies by diagnostic group, sex, and early cognitive ability—highlighting the importance of early identification and interventions, particularly in autistic females, targeting irritability to support positive long-term outcomes.

Many autistic children demonstrate sensory integration differences that impact their participation in daily living activities and tasks. Occupational Therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration (OT-ASI) is an evidence-based intervention for autistic children that addresses the sensory integrative factors impacting daily living skills and participation in a variety of tasks and activities. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is the recommended evidence-based practice for autism to improve a range of developmental domains. This study compared Occupational Therapy using Ayres Sensory Integration, Applied Behavior Analysis, and no treatment on daily living skills and individualized goals for autistic children who also show sensory differences. A parallel arm comparative effectiveness trial design with participants randomized equally to OT-ASI, ABA, or no treatment. Intervention consisted of 30 one-hour sessions. Significant gains in individualized goals, measured by Goal Attainment Scaling, were found in both treatment arms over the no treatment group. Both the OT-ASI and the ABA groups improved in daily living skills measured on the Pediatric Evaluation of Disabilities Inventory; although the improvements over the no treatment group were not significant. Both OT-ASI and ABA improved individualized goals and daily living skills at comparable levels. These findings are discussed in light of their implications for intervention.

Trial Registration: NCT02536365

This study aimed to investigate the incidence of physical illnesses of autistic young children compared with children in the general population. This population-based study included children (aged ≤ 5 years) with newly diagnosed autism (autism group), followed up for 5 years after their autism diagnoses. Data were collected from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database in the period of 2000–2019. Autistic children (n = 45,680) were matched (1:20; by age and sex [assigned at birth]) with a comparison group from the general population (n = 913,600). We calculated incidence rate ratios (IRRs) for physical illnesses diagnosed within 5 years after autism diagnoses. Data were analyzed using Poisson regression models adjusted for person-time and stratified by sex and the presence/absence of intellectual disabilities. The prevalence of almost all illnesses across major organ systems after 1 year of autism diagnosis was higher in the autism group than in the comparison group. The autism group exhibited significantly elevated incidence of cardiovascular disorders, cerebrovascular disorders, and endocrine diseases within 1 year after autism diagnosis (IRR 2.30–71.42). Although the incidence rates of these illnesses decreased over the 5-year follow-up period in the autism group, they remained higher than those in the comparison group, with most IRRs exceeding 2 in the fifth year after autism diagnosis. The IRRs were significant in both autistic male and female children and those with and without intellectual disabilities, although those with intellectual disabilities displayed descriptively larger IRRs. Autistic young children have heightened risks of being diagnosed with physical illnesses soon after their autism diagnoses. Future research should understand the etiological associations between autism and physical illnesses to offer tailored care from early in life.

In-the-moment dissociations between language and visuospatial systems in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may explain notable heterogeneity observed in both language and visuospatial skills. The current study used pupillometry, a physiological measure of in-the-moment cognitive effort, during a mental rotation task to examine associations between structural language and visuospatial cognition. Participants were 25 children and young adults with ASD and 25 age- and IQ-matched neurotypical (NT) peers. The mental rotation task involved four conditions: two- and three-dimensional figures, and two- and three-dimensional objects. We measured structural language using the grammar subscale from the Test of Language Development: Intermediate. Growth-curve mixed-effects model results indicated no overall group differences in average pupil dilation or the time course of cognitive effort. Group differences were evident in the association between grammar skills and latency of cognitive effort for stimuli in the objects, 3D, and, more narrowly, 3D objects conditions. Autistic individuals with relatively better grammar skills deployed cognitive effort less efficiently, whereas, NT individuals with relatively better grammar skills deployed cognitive effort more efficiently. These findings suggest that language and visuospatial systems are more dissociated in autistic individuals than in NT peers. This work underscores the importance of examining the time course of how language and cognition interact in ASD.

Handwriting is an essential skill for school-aged children. Research indicates that autistic children often demonstrate poor handwriting fundamentals, which significantly affect their handwriting performance. These children also often exhibit weak central coherence (WCC), a cognitive visual processing characteristic that impairs their ability to integrate details into a cohesive whole in writing tasks. This challenge is particularly pronounced in logographic handwriting, where spatial relationships between radicals are essential for legibility, adding another layer of complexity. The modified geometric-based handwriting intervention program was designed to improve fundamental skills while addressing the spatial demands of logographic characters and the impact of WCC for autistic children. Twenty-two first- and second-grade autistic students were recruited and received a 12-h one-on-one handwriting intervention. Assessments of handwriting performance (legibility and speed), fundamental skills (visual perception, fine motor coordination, and visual-motor integration), and acceptability (motivation and satisfaction) were collected for data analysis. Results showed significant improvements in handwriting legibility, visual perception, and fine motor coordination, with high acceptance ratings from both participants and caregivers. This study provides evidence that the program effectively enhances handwriting legibility and foundational skills while maintaining high motivation levels in autistic children.

This study aims to investigate the relationship between gray matter (GM) changes and severity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We examined 113 ASD children aged 2–8 years (17 mild cases, 56 moderate cases, and 40 severe cases), as well as 110 age and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to compare GM density (GMD) changes between ASD and HC groups. Additionally, structural covariance network analysis quantified the cross-regional synchronous changes in GM among ASD children, and causal analysis described the pattern of changes in the GM network related to symptom severity in ASD children. The results indicated that ASD children exhibiting mild symptoms have an enlarged parahippocampal gyrus, and as the severity of ASD increases, the range of GMD changes expands (p < 0.05, FDR correction). Granger causality (GC) analysis revealed that the parahippocampal gyrus may function as a central hub within ASD-related directional networks, exerting causal effects on other brain regions (p < 0.05). These findings were validated by external datasets. Our results provide preliminary insights into the role of the parahippocampal gyrus in ASD and promote the application of dimensional models.