Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders最新文献

Background: In traditional societies, fathers are often viewed as authority figures with limited involvement in child development. This study examined the parenting attitudes and participation levels of fathers of children aged 3-6 with developmental disabilities in Türkiye.

Method: The sample consisted of 134 fathers who voluntarily participated. Data were collected using a demographic form, the Parental Attitude Scale (PAS), and the Father Involvement Scale (FIS) and analyzed with SPSS.

Results and conclusions: Parenting attitudes did not significantly vary by the child's gender, diagnosis, preschool attendance, or number of children. Non-working fathers showed more authoritarian attitudes than working fathers. Fathers of daughters scored higher on interest and closeness, while fathers in single-child families scored higher on caregiving and participation. A moderate positive relationship was observed between democratic parenting attitudes and FIS subdimensions. Authoritarian and permissive attitudes showed weaker positive relationships with specific FIS subdimensions, including caregiving and participation.

Purpose: This pilot randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a telehealth-based Pivotal Response Treatment (TPRT) program for preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in Taiwan, where access to evidence-based, parent-mediated interventions remains limited in underserved communities.

Methods: Fifty children aged 24-72 months were randomly assigned to either the intervention group, which received a 12-week therapist-guided TPRT program, or the control group receiving general parent support. Parents in the TPRT group attended weekly online coaching sessions and practiced the strategies daily at home. After the 12-week intervention, all participants entered a 4-week follow-up phase, during which TPRT parents independently practiced and applied the learned strategies in daily routines without therapist supervision, allowing evaluation of their autonomous use and short-term maintenance of treatment effects. Post-intervention assessments at the end of the follow-up evaluated child developmental outcomes and parental stress.

Results: Compared with controls, the TPRT group showed significantly greater improvements in language and motor development, with medium-to-large effect sizes in adaptive functioning, particularly in daily living and motor domains. Parenting stress significantly decreased, with most parents reporting reduced distress and improved perceptions of child behavior. Program adherence was high (88% daily strategy use, 85% homework completion), and parental satisfaction averaged 93%.

Conclusions: The TPRT program was feasible, well accepted, and associated with meaningful developmental and parental benefits. Findings support the promise of telehealth-delivered, parent-mediated PRT as a scalable model to improve service accessibility for young children with ASD in underserved settings.

Purpose: This study examined the relationship between executive functioning (EF) and core features associated with autism in children aged 2 and 4 years. EF encompasses a set of goal-directed skills that enable organized thoughts and behavior which develop rapidly during the preschool period. To examine concurrent associations between EF and early autism expression, we analyzed whether EF performance relates to observed social communication and repetitive behaviors during parent-child interactions.

Methods: Participants included 110 autistic children aged 24 to 60 months diagnosed with autism. Developmental and cognitive abilities were assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning. Social communication and repetitive behaviors associated with autism were coded from 10-minute free play parent-child videos using the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC), yielding total social communication, restricted/repetitive behaviors scores, and overall total scores. An EF score was derived from a test battery that included measurements of set-shifting, working memory, inhibition, and delay. Regression analyses were conducted to assess EF's contribution to autism expression, controlling for cognitive ability.

Results: For 2-year-olds, EF was not related to observed autism behaviors after controlling for cognition. Conversely, for 4-year-olds, EF related to overall behaviors associated with autism observed during parent-child interactions.

Conclusion: Findings of an association between EF and autism-related behaviors observed in parent-child interactions by preschool at age 4 but not in toddlerhood at age 2 highlight potential developmental differences in the relation between EF and autism-related behaviors. Longitudinal and experimental research is needed to establish directionality and malleability of EF and autism-related behaviors.

Purpose: The PANSS Autism Severity Score (PAUSS) has recently become a popular measure of autistic features in psychosis populations, but evidence on its longitudinal reliability and factor configuration is poor. The aims of this investigation were to examine psychometric characteristics of the PAUSS in young patients with First Episode Psychosis (FEP) treated in an early intervention service, with primary interest for its long-term stability across 2 years of follow-up and factor configuration.

Methods: All FEP participants completed the Positive And Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Autism Quotient (AQ) at baseline and across the follow-up. Statistical analysis mainly included Cronbach's α to examine internal consistency of the PAUSS, Cohen's k statistics and Spearman's ρ correlation coefficients for its longitudinal stability and convergent validity with AQ scores, and exploratory factor analysis to explore its dimensions' configuration.

Results: 301 FEP participants were recruited (170 with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder [SSD]). Cronbach's α value for the PAUSS was 0.806, but with unacceptable inter-item correlations for PANSS G5 and G15 items. K value for examining PAUSS convergent validity with AQ score was unacceptable (0.295), as well as ρ and k values to quantify long-term test-retest reliability (< 0.750 and < 0.600, respectively). No long-term stability of the PAUSS scores across the follow-up was also found using Wilcoxon's test for repeated measure. Our EFA found a 2-factor model in the FEP total sample and a 3-factor configuration in the SSD subgroup.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that the PAUSS does not represent a valid instrument to assess autistic features in FEP and SSD. Indeed, the it probably captures psychotic symptom severity rather than autistic features, especially reflecting negative symptom load.

Purpose: Coaching, which integrates structured guidance with systematic performance feedback, is increasingly used to enhance the instructional competencies of preservice teachers. Despite its growing application, limited research has investigated its direct impact on instructional fidelity and student reading outcomes. This study examines the effects of hybrid coaching on preservice special education teachers' instructional accuracy and students' reading fluency.

Methods: Using a single-case multiple probe design, four preservice special education teachers and four middle school students with intellectual disabilities participated in an intervention that incorporated structured coaching, systematic feedback, and fluency-based reading instruction. Data were collected through direct observation, implementation checklists, and reading fluency assessments. Visual analysis and Tau-U effect size calculations were used to assess the intervention's effectiveness.

Results: Results indicated a substantial improvement in instructional accuracy among preservice teachers, reaching and sustaining 100% across three consecutive probe sessions. In parallel, students demonstrated significant increases in reading fluency, with correct words per minute (CWPM) scores improving by 20-50%. Social validity data highlighted high levels of satisfaction, with preservice teachers reporting increased confidence and instructional proficiency.

Conclusion: The intervention's effectiveness was most pronounced in structured coaching, while shared variance across all coaching components contributed significantly to both teacher and student outcomes. Findings reinforce the potential of hybrid coaching as a generalizable and sustainable approach for strengthening instructional fidelity and improving reading fluency outcomes in students with intellectual disabilities.

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to investigate whether an intervention combining explicit and visually cued instruction could help upper primary students with ASD improve their social inferential reading comprehension performance.

Methods: A multiple probe design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention on four children with ASD, aged 10 to 11 years. The study was conducted two to three times per week, each lasting 60 min, over ten weeks. The interventionist used think-alouds to explicitly model cognitive processes, error correction prompts to scaffold thinking, and a graphic organiser worksheet to simplify the social inferential reading comprehension process. All test probes used in the study were developed based on the 'Strange Stories' test by Happé (1994), and they were statistically equated using Rasch analysis.  RESULTS: Results indicated a mean improvement ranging from 40% to 56% between baseline and intervention phases across different students. Supporting this finding, the effect size calculations using PND, PEM, PAND and Tau-U suggested an effective intervention. To reject the null hypothesis of no treatment effect, a randomization test was conducted using the SCRT-R software, yielding a p-value of 0.008.

Conclusions: With appropriate support, children with ASD may be able to develop the complex reading skills needed to interpret the emotions and intentions of story characters. While the findings of this study are promising, they should be considered preliminary. This exploratory research provides a foundation for future studies to build upon and to further investigate effective interventions for improving social inferential reading comprehension in students with ASD.

Purpose: Scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, occurs in populations at high risk for nutritional deficiencies. Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), a condition frequently associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), represents a predisposing factor for this and other micronutrient deficiencies. The purpose of this article is to report a case series of patients with ASD who presented with gait disturbance as the first manifestation of scurvy, emphasizing the importance of early diagnostic suspicion.

Materials and methods: We conducted a retrospective review of electronic medical records of patients with ASD and gait abnormalities evaluated at the pediatric neurology department of Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires between 2013 and 2025. Inclusion criteria were ASD, restrictive eating patterns, and clinical features compatible with scurvy. Cases with conditions or medications that could alter vitamin C metabolism were excluded.

Results: Nine patients met inclusion criteria. All presented with subacute gait disturbance (limping, antalgic gait, or refusal to walk) associated with pain, cramps, or weakness. Five showed petechiae or purpura. None had a prior ARFID diagnosis despite marked dietary restriction, and all ultimately fulfilled diagnostic criteria during follow-up. Anthropometric parameters were within normal ranges in all cases. A targeted dietary history revealed severely restricted food intake. Based on clinical suspicion of scurvy, plasma vitamin C levels were measured and found to be significantly low. Treatment with ascorbic acid led to significant symptom improvement within the first week and full recovery of gait.

Conclusions: Scurvy should be considered in the differential diagnosis of children with ASD who present with restrictive eating behaviors and gait disturbances, even in the presence of normal anthropometric measurements or absence of a prior ARFID diagnosis. Early recognition and targeted laboratory testing enable timely treatment, preventing unnecessary investigations and allowing for rapid clinical recovery.

Purpose: Eating problems are prevalent among children with Autism. Early identification is crucial for intervention. This study aimed to validate the Brief Autism Mealtime Behavior Inventory (BAMBI) for use in Iran and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI).

Methods: The study involved a sample of 873 children, including 540 with autism and 333 neurotypically developing children, with a mean age of 7.09 years. The translation process followed a rigorous methodology, including obtaining official permission, translation, back-translation, and pilot testing to ensure cultural relevance and accuracy.

Results: The BAMBI, a mealtime behavior scale, showed strong internal consistency (α = 0.832) and a stable three-factor structure in 873 children (540 autistic, 333 neurotypical) aged 2-14 in Iran and the KRI. The BAMBI demonstrated good discriminant and convergent validity, correlating strongly with autism diagnostic measures.

Conclusion: The BAMBI questionnaire has been successfully translated and validated for both Persian and Kurdish languages, enabling the evaluation of mealtime behaviors in clinical settings in Iran and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.