Review
Psychology, Developmental
Teresa Girolamo, Lue Shen, Amalia Monroe-Gulick, Mabel L. Rice, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: Autism research often excludes racially and ethnically minoritized autistic individuals, leading to a limited evidence base for characterizing and diagnosing language impairment in this population. This systematic review examined reporting practices for participant socio-demographics in studies focused on language impairment in autistic school-age individuals using age-referenced assessments. Findings revealed insufficient adherence to reporting guidelines and systematic exclusion of racially and ethnically minoritized individuals, highlighting the need for improved reporting and inclusion in autism research.
Article
Neurosciences
Natasa Georgiou, George Spanoudis
Summary: This study examined the relationship between autism spectrum disorder and developmental language disorder, revealing a subgroup within the autism population with language impairment similar to that seen in developmental language disorder. Both autism and language-impaired groups exhibited lower language abilities compared to typically developing children, indicating a common pathology in language ability between the two conditions.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Maria Vender, Mirta Vernice, Antonella Sorace
Summary: This paper discusses the relationship between bilingualism and neurodevelopmental disorders, emphasizing the benefits of bilingualism for children with developmental disorders without exacerbating their difficulties. The article also provides recommendations, highlighting the importance of supporting the family language for the complete and harmonious bilingual growth of children.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Sebastian Lundstrom, Mark Taylor, Henrik Larsson, Paul Lichtenstein, Ralf Kuja-Halkola, Christopher Gillberg
Summary: This study found that impairment due to autism symptoms increased with consecutively later birth cohorts based on data from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden. Parents of children born in 2007-2009 reported a higher degree of impairment compared to those born in 1995-1997, even at levels below the diagnostic threshold. These results suggest a growing diffuseness in the conceptualization of the ASD diagnosis.
JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Pediatrics
Ivana Bogavac, Ljiljana Jelicic, Jelena Dordevic, Ivana Veselinovic, Masa Marisavljevic, Misko Subotic
Summary: This research aims to determine the anxiety levels in mothers of children with neurodevelopmental disorders and mothers of typically developed children. Results revealed that mean levels of anxiety are elevated in mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Review
Biology
Miriam D. Lense, Eniko Ladanyi, Tal-Chen Rabinowitch, Laurel Trainor, Reyna Gordon
Summary: This article discusses the impact of neurodevelopmental disorders on children, pointing out that these disorders may involve different impairments in social, cognitive, and motor functioning, as well as comorbidities between different disorders. The article also explores difficulties related to rhythm, timing, and synchrony skills, and how these impairments may affect various NDDs.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Amanda Taboas, Karla Doepke, Corinne Zimmerman
Summary: Although person-first language is widely used in professional settings, it has received criticism from self-advocates and scholars. Disability advocates and individuals with autism are increasingly preferring identity-first language.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Sofia Daniolou, Nikolaos Pandis, Hansjoerg Znoj
Summary: This study investigated the efficacy of early interventions in improving cognitive ability, language, and adaptive behavior in preschool children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Results showed that early interventions had positive outcomes for cognitive ability, daily living skills, and motor skills. However, when studies without blinding of outcome assessment were excluded, positive outcomes remained only for daily living skills and motor skills. The variability in participant and intervention characteristics should be considered when interpreting these results.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2022)
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
Psychiatry
Liliana Dell'Osso, Giulia Amatori, Barbara Carpita, Gabriele Massimetti, Benedetta Nardi, Davide Gravina, Francesca Benedetti, Chiara Bonelli, Danila Casagrande, Mario Luciano, Isabella Berardelli, Natascia Brondino, Marianna De Gregorio, Giacomo Deste, Marta Nola, Antonino Reitano, Maria Rosaria Anna Muscatello, Maurizio Pompili, Pierluigi Politi, Antonio Vita, Mario Maj
Summary: Several studies have found a correlation between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and catatonia, both of which are also associated with mood disorders. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between autistic traits and catatonic symptoms, as well as the potential mediating role of mood disorder spectrum. The results showed strong positive correlations, with the strongest coefficient observed between AdAS Spectrum total score and CS total score. Mediation analysis revealed that the mood disorder spectrum had a significant indirect effect on the relationship between autistic traits and catatonic symptoms.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Psychology, Developmental
Juliana Felix, Maria Emilia Santos, Antonio Benitez-Burraco
Summary: This review investigates the possible overlap in language development shared by autism spectrum disorders (ASD), specific language impairment (SLI), and social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD), and suggests that individuals who are matched in certain language or cognitive skills also exhibit similar characteristics in other language domains.
REVIEW JOURNAL OF AUTISM AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Neuroimaging
Caroline Larson, Karla Rivera-Figueroa, Hannah R. Thomas, Deborah Fein, Michael C. Stevens, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Summary: This study investigated the presence of structural language impairment in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and those who no longer meet criteria for ASD. The results showed no significant difference in the proportion of participants with structural language impairment between the ASD and LAD groups. Functional MRI results indicated greater left hemisphere lateralization in the group with structural language impairment. Structural language abilities were not significantly associated with social abilities or ADHD symptoms in the subgroups with structural language impairment.
NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL
(2022)
Review
Psychiatry
V Nezgovorova, C. J. Ferretti, B. P. Taylor, E. Shanahan, G. Uzunova, K. Hong, O. Devinsky, E. Hollander
Summary: Current treatments for ASD are limited in efficacy, leading to the need for novel experimental therapeutics. The endocannabinoid system may play a role in the pathogenesis of ASD, making phytocannabinoids a potential effective treatment for core symptoms.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Philippa L. Howard, Felicity Sedgewick
Summary: The communication preferences of autistic adults vary depending on the scenario, with a preference for written forms of communication, such as email, especially when contacting unfamiliar organizations. Accessibility can be improved by offering written options instead of relying solely on phone calls. The preference for face-to-face communication among known connections is influenced by the closeness and acceptance of the relationship.
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Briana J. Taylor, Charles F. Reynolds, Matthew Siegel
Summary: This study examined the impact of insomnia subtypes on clinical impairment in children with autism spectrum disorder. The findings indicate that different insomnia subtypes are associated with length of hospital stay, autism symptom severity, and behavioral functioning. Specifically, sleep maintenance and early morning waking were linked to longer hospital stays, with early morning waking also related to greater autism symptom severity. Children with difficulty staying asleep or multiple insomnia symptoms tended to have lower adaptive behavior scores and higher maladaptive behavior scores.
