Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Julia Yurkovic-Harding, Grace Lisandrelli, Rebecca C. Shaffer, Kelli C. Dominick, Ernest Pedapati, Craig A. Erickson, Chen Yu, Daniel P. Kennedy
Summary: This study compares joint attention behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and typically developing children during free play, finding that both groups rarely look at each other's faces and achieve similarly high rates of joint attention through alternative pathways.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sarah Wilkes-Gillan, Reinie Cordier, Anita Bundy, Michelle Lincoln, Yu-Wei A. Chen, Lauren A. Parsons, Alycia A. Cantrill
Summary: This study found that a play-based intervention is highly effective in improving the social play skills of typically-developing playmates of children with ADHD.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Mikhail Kissine, Ariane Saint-Denis, Laurent Mottron
Summary: This systematic review explores the role of joint attention in language development in autism and presents new perspectives. Joint attention plays a crucial role in the emergence of language in autism, but some autistic children are capable of acquiring language skills even in the absence of joint attention.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Xuening Chang, Lingli Sun, Ruizhen Li
Summary: Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often struggle with symbolic play. However, the effectiveness of the symbolic play test (SPT) in differentiating between ASD and other developmental disorders is inconsistent. This study aimed to evaluate the application of SPT in identifying ASD without global developmental delay (GDD) and developmental language disorder (DLD).
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Angela John Thurman, Amanda Dimachkie Nunnally
Summary: This study compared joint attention between preschool-aged boys with autism and fragile X syndrome (FXS). While joint attention appeared similar, differences were observed after controlling for other factors, particularly in language and anxiety symptoms.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Ya-Chih Chang, Stephanie Shire, Wendy Shih, Connie Kasari
Summary: This study suggests that the JASPER intervention can significantly improve play diversity and complexity in children with autism. Play and joint attention skills are crucial intervention targets and outcomes for children with autism.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Helen Marwick, Karena Jarvie, Hilary Cowie, Lorna Johnston, Nicola Hammond-Evans, Rachael Cockayne
Summary: The joint play approach embedded in professional practice was found to effectively support pretend play for autistic children, as evidenced by increased age-equivalent scores on pretend play tests following the intervention period. Incorporating this approach into regular practice could be valuable for developmental outcomes in autistic children.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Educational
Jessie Krier, Katina M. Lambros
Summary: This study demonstrated the effectiveness of peer-mediated intervention on joint attention and social play skills for students with autism spectrum disorder. By training third-grade peers to work with preschoolers with ASD, the researchers were able to increase social skills and inclusion for severely impacted students.
PSYCHOLOGY IN THE SCHOOLS
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Wing-Chee So, Wing-Wun Law, Chun-Ho Cheng, Cassandra Lee, Ka-Ching Ng, Fai-Yeung Kwok, Ho-Wai Lam, Ka-Yee Lam
Summary: This study compared the learning effectiveness of robot-based intervention (RBI) and human-based intervention (HBI) in improving joint attention (JA) in children with autism. The results showed that children in the RBI group produced more behaviors related to joint attention in the delayed post-test. Parents of the RBI children also rated the program more positively. The findings suggest that robot-based intervention may be more effective than human-based intervention in promoting joint attention in autistic children with high support needs.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Kyle M. Frost, Anamiguel Pomales-Ramos, Brooke Ingersoll
Summary: The study found that children's baseline skills in responding to joint attention uniquely predicted the rate of expressive language growth over time in a heterogeneous sample of autistic children. Object imitation skills did not significantly predict language growth rate beyond joint attention skills.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Isabella C. Stallworthy, Daniel Berry, Savannah Davis, Jason J. Wolff, Catherine A. Burrows, Meghan R. Swanson, Rebecca L. Grzadzinski, Kelly Botteron, Stephen R. Dager, Annette M. Estes, Robert T. Schultz, Joseph Piven, Jed T. Elison, John R. Pruett, Natasha Marrus
Summary: Social motivation, defined as a psychobiological predisposition for social orienting and interaction, plays a foundational role in the development of social communication. This study investigates the contribution of infant social motivation to joint attention and language development. The findings suggest that greater social-motivation growth from 6-12 months is associated with better joint attention abilities at 12-15 months, which in turn are associated with greater language skills at 24 months. These findings provide insights into the importance of early intervention to support healthy social communication development.
DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Educational
Chi-hsin Chen, Derek M. Houston, Chen Yu
Summary: This research, using head-mounted eye tracking, examines toddlers' information seeking behaviors and parents' information providing behaviors in real-time interactions. The study found that children and parents modify their behaviors when encountering novel objects with to-be-learned names, creating clearer signals that potentially facilitate word learning.
Article
Pediatrics
Patricia Perez-Fuster, Gerardo Herrera, Lila Kossyvaki, Antonio Ferrer
Summary: This study examined the effects of an intervention based on augmented reality technology on the joint attention skills of children with autism. The results showed that the intervention improved the children's ability to follow gaze and point, and these improvements were maintained over time and generalized to real-world situations.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Liman Cai, Dandan Wu, Jingjing Zhou, Hui Li
Summary: This study found that theme-based block play can significantly enhance the language capacity of Chinese children. These findings have important educational implications.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Lai-Sang Iao, Ching-Wan Shen, Chin-Chin Wu
Summary: This longitudinal study in Taiwan examined early predictors of language development in 74 young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The results showed that both responding to joint attention (RJA) and manual imitation (MI) predicted receptive and expressive language across two assessments, suggesting the importance of these factors in language development for children with ASD. These findings have implications for international early interventions targeting language development in children with ASD.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Matthew J. Hollocks, Virginia Carter Leno, Susie Chandler, Pippa White, Isabel Yorke, Tony Charman, Andrew Pickles, Gillian Baird, Emily Simonoff
Summary: Autistic individuals have high rates of co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses, particularly emotional and behavioral disorders, which show significant stability from childhood to adolescence. ADHD, on the other hand, has more variability in diagnostic outcomes, with many adolescents transitioning across diagnostic thresholds.
EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Jack Hollingdale, Emma Woodhouse, Susan Young, Gisli Gudjonsson, Tony Charman, Will Mandy
Summary: This study aimed to identify the trajectory of conduct and emotional problems in young people and their relationship with hyperactive/inattentive traits, with a focus on the moderating effect of autistic social traits. Findings showed that hyperactive/inattentive traits were associated with higher rates of conduct and emotional problems, particularly for boys with autistic social traits. Therefore, identifying and addressing hyperactive/inattentive traits and autistic social traits are crucial in addressing conduct and emotional problems in young people.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Sophie Carruthers, Natasha Mleczko, Stephanie Page, Shalini Ahuja, Ceri Ellis, Patricia Howlin, Kathy Leadbitter, Lauren Taylor, Vicky Slonims, Tony Charman
Summary: One core component of the intervention involves supporting parents to change their interaction and communication style with their child. The study interviewed 27 parents and explored their use of intervention strategies after the trial. Analysis revealed barriers and facilitators related to parents' characteristics, their context, and features of the intervention, with almost all parents reporting continued use of the strategies. Consideration of these factors can inform future studies of similar interventions.
Article
Psychiatry
Dorothea L. Floris, Han Peng, Varun Warrier, Michael V. Lombardo, Charlotte M. Pretzsch, Clara Moreau, Alex Tsompanidis, Weikang Gong, Maarten Mennes, Alberto Llera, Daan van Rooij, Marianne Oldehinkel, Natalie J. Forde, Tony Charman, Julian Tillmann, Tobias Banaschewski, Carolin Moessnang, Sarah Durston, Rosemary J. Holt, Christine Ecker, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Eva Loth, Thomas Bourgeron, Declan G. M. Murphy, Andre F. Marquand, Meng-Chuan Lai, Jan K. Buitelaar, Simon Baron-Cohen, Christian F. Beckmann
Summary: Using deep learning on brain images, the authors found that both autistic males and females tend to have neuroanatomy more similar to males, as well as social cognitive features and gene expression patterns associated with male characteristics. These neurophenotypes provide important insights into the biological mechanisms underlying autism.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Gordon Forbes, Rachel Kent, Tony Charman, Gillian Baird, Andrew Pickles, Emily Simonoff
Summary: This study examines the outcomes of social, mental health, and quality of life in early adulthood for autistic individuals and identifies childhood predictors for these outcomes. The findings suggest that young autistic adults face challenges in various areas of life, but may fare relatively well in terms of mental health or quality of life.
Article
Psychiatry
Viola Hollestein, Geert Poelmans, Natalie J. Forde, Christian F. Beckmann, Christine Ecker, Caroline Mann, Tim Schaefer, Carolin Moessnang, Sarah Baumeister, Tobias Banaschewski, Thomas Bourgeron, Eva Loth, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Declan G. M. Murphy, Nicolaas A. Puts, Julian Tillmann, Tony Charman, Emily J. H. Jones, Luke Mason, Sara Ambrosino, Rosemary Holt, Sven Boelte, Jan K. Buitelaar, Jilly Naaijen
Summary: The E/I imbalance hypothesis suggests that the imbalance between excitatory and inhibitory mechanisms underlies the behavioral characteristics of autism. This study used innovative analysis methods to investigate the relationships between genetic variance, brain structure, and autism symptomatology. The results suggest complex relationships between E/I-related genetics and autism symptom profiles as well as brain structure alterations.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Sophie Carruthers, Andrew Pickles, Tony Charman, Helen McConachie, Ann Le Couteur, Vicky Slonims, Patricia Howlin, Rachel Collum, Erica Salomone, Hannah Tobin, Isobel Gammer, Jessica Maxwell, Catherine Aldred, Jeremy Parr, Kathy Leadbitter, Jonathan Green
Summary: This study investigates the mechanism by which the parent-mediated Paediatric Autism Communication Therapy (PACT) intervention achieves sustained effects on autistic child outcomes. It finds that increased communication initiation between the autistic child and their caregiver is largely responsible for the long-term effects on behavior and adaptive outcomes.
JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Jannath K. Begum-Ali, Louisa Gosse, Luke Mason, Greg Pasco, Tony H. Charman, Mark Johnson, Emily J. H. Jones
Summary: Children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as ASD and ADHD, frequently experience sleep disturbances. A study conducted on infants with family history of ASD and/or ADHD revealed that infants with first-degree relatives with ASD showed poorer night sleep quality at 14 months. Poor infant sleep quality was associated with later ASD diagnosis, decreased cognitive ability, increased ASD symptoms, and developing social attention.
JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Melanie Palmer, Susie Chandler, Virginia Carter Leno, Farah Mgaieth, Isabel Yorke, Matthew Hollocks, Andrew Pickles, Vicky Slonims, Stephen Scott, Tony Charman, Emily Simonoff
Summary: This study investigates the role of pre-existing and pandemic-related factors in the mental health symptoms of autistic youth and their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The findings suggest that more engagement and enjoyment in education and outdoor activities are associated with better mental health for both children and parents during the pandemic. Pre-existing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children are linked to more behavioral and ADHD symptoms during the pandemic, while pre-existing parental mental health problems are associated with more mental health symptoms in parents during the pandemic.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Leyan Li, Greg Pasco, Jannath Begum Ali, Mark H. Johnson, Emily J. H. Jones, Tony Charman
Summary: Infants with later autism tend to have slower language and motor development, and these two domains of development are interlinked. A study on infants with and without a family history of autism revealed that language and motor abilities are associated with emerging autistic traits, especially gross motor and receptive language skills.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Siofra Heraty, Alexandra Lautarescu, David Belton, Alison Boyle, Pietro Cirrincione, Mary Doherty, Sarah Douglas, Jan Roderik Derk Plas, Katrien Van Den Bosch, Pierre Violland, Jerneja Tercon, Amber Ruigrok, Declan G. M. Murphy, Thomas Bourgeron, Christopher Chatham, Eva Loth, Bethany Oakley, Grainne M. Mcalonan, Tony Charman, Nicolaas Puts, Louise Gallagher, Emily J. H. Jones
Summary: A change in research culture is needed to improve the relationship between autistic people and the biomedical research community. Through participatory research, we can reject negative perceptions of autism and work towards a shared vision that embraces neurodiversity.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Jiedi Lei, Eleanor Leigh, Tony Charman, Ailsa Russell, Matthew J. Hollocks
Summary: This study identifies a strong relationship between camouflaging and safety behaviours in social anxiety among autistic and non-autistic adolescents. The assessment and formulation of construct overlap between camouflaging and impression management can inform psychoeducation and adaptation of social anxiety treatment for autistic adolescents.
JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Lisa M. Berg, Caroline Gurr, Johanna Leyhausen, Hanna Seelemeyer, Anke Bletsch, Tim Schaefer, Charlotte M. Pretzsch, Bethany Oakley, Eva Loth, Dorothea L. Floris, Jan K. Buitelaar, Christian F. Beckmann, Tobias Banaschewski, Tony Charman, Emily J. H. Jones, Julian Tillmann, Chris H. Chatham, Thomas Bourgeron, Jumana Ahmad, Sara Ambrosino, Bonnie Auyeung, Simon Baron-Cohen, Sarah Baumeister, Sven Boelte, Carsten Bours, Michael Brammer, Daniel Brandeis, Claudia Brogna, Yvette de Bruijn, Bhismadev Chakrabarti, Ineke Cornelissen, Daisy Crawley, Flavio Dell'Acqua, Guillaume Dumas, Sarah Durston, Jessica Faulkner, Vincent Frouin, Pilar Garces, David Goyard, Lindsay Ham, Hannah Hayward, Joerg Hipp, Rosemary Holt, Mark H. Johnson, Prantik Kundu, Meng-Chuan Lai, Xavier Liogier D'Ardhuy, Michael V. Lombardo, David J. Lythgoe, Rene Mandl, Andre Marquand, Luke Mason, Maarten Mennes, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Carolin Moessnang, Nico Bast, Laurence O'Dwyer, Marianne Oldehinkel, Bob Oranje, Gahan Pandina, Antonio M. Persico, Barbara Ruggeri, Amber Ruigrok, Jessica Sabet, Roberto Sacco, Antonia San Jose Caceres, Emily Simonoff, Will Spooren, Roberto Toro, Heike Tost, Jack Waldman, Steve C. R. Williams, Caroline Wooldridge, Marcel P. Zwiers, Declan G. Murphy, Christine Ecker
Summary: This study investigates the neurobiology of individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their co-occurring condition, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The findings suggest that the neuroanatomy of ASD is significantly modulated by ADHD, indicating that individuals with co-occurring ADHD may have specific neuroanatomical underpinnings potentially mediated by atypical gene expression.
Article
Psychiatry
Christina Isakoglou, Koen V. V. Haak, Thomas Wolfers, Dorothea L. L. Floris, Alberto Llera, Marianne Oldehinkel, Natalie J. J. Forde, Bethany F. M. Oakley, Julian Tillmann, Rosemary J. J. Holt, Carolin Moessnang, Eva Loth, Thomas Bourgeron, Simon Baron-Cohen, Tony Charman, Tobias Banaschewski, Declan G. M. Murphy, Jan K. K. Buitelaar, Andre F. F. Marquand, Christian F. F. Beckmann
Summary: Sensory atypicalities are common in autism spectrum disorders (ASD), but the functioning of the somatosensory region and its association with the ASD phenotype is not well understood. In this study, we examined the functional connectivity of the primary somatosensory cortex (S1) in autistic and neurotypical individuals. We found that the S1 connectopy is organized along a dorsoventral axis and is associated with adaptive functioning skills. Furthermore, the S1 connectopy showed differences between rest and emotion processing, indicating a task-modulating effect.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Melanie Palmer, Zhaonan Fang, Matthew J. Hollocks, Tony Charman, Andrew Pickles, Gillian Baird, Emily Simonoff
Summary: ADHD questionnaires may not be accurate in screening symptoms in young adults with autism, leading to under-diagnosis.
JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2023)