Diagnostic Stability in Very Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) diagnosis in very young children may be delayed due to doubts about validity. In this study, 77 children received a diagnostic and developmental evaluation between 16 and 35 months and also between 42 and 82 months. Diagnoses based on clinical judgment, Childhood Autism Rating Scale, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule were stable over time. Diagnoses made using the Autism Diagnostic Interview were slightly less stable. According to clinical judgment, 15 children (19%) moved off the autism spectrum by the second evaluation; none moved onto the spectrum. Results indicate diagnostic stability at acceptable levels for diagnoses made at age 2. Movement off the spectrum may reflect true improvement based on maturation, intervention, or over-diagnosis at age 2.     

Characterising the Early Presentation of Motor Difficulties in Autistic Children

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - This study aimed to explore the rates of motor difficulties in children from the Australian Autism Biobank, and how early motor concerns impacted on...     

Parent Questionnaires in the Evaluation of Pre-School Children Referred for Neuropsychiatric Assessment

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - One-hundred twenty-four pre-school children referred for assessment to a neuropsychiatric team were included in this study of the Autism Behavior...     

5-HTTLPR Genotype-Specific Phenotype in Children and Adolescents With Autism

OBJECTIVE: The serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) is a strong autism candidate gene because of its association with anxiety, aggression and attention, and the effectiveness of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in treating certain behavioral symptoms. In families with individuals with autism, several reports of biased transmission of both alleles (short, long) at the serotonin transporter gene promotor polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) locus of SLC6A4 now exist. The heterogeneity in these reports may be due to clinical heterogeneity. The authors hypothesized that 5-HTTLPR genotypes would be related to variation in specific symptoms in children with autism. METHOD: The authors explored whether variants of two functional polymorphisms of SLC6A4 (5-HTTLPR, intron 2 variable number tandem repeat [2 VNTR]) were related to behavioral characteristics measured by the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. Subjects (N=73, age 3-19 years old) met diagnostic criteria for autistic disorder based on both measures. RESULTS: Evidence of genotype-phenotype interactions on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised was found with the 5-HTTLPR short group of HTTLPR (S/L or S/S genotypes) being rated as more severe on the subdomain "failure to use nonverbal communication to regulate social interaction," and the long group (L/L genotype) being more severe on the subdomain "stereotyped and repetitive motor mannerisms" and on an aggression measure. In contrast, on the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, the long group was associated with greater severity on directed facial expressions and unusual sensory interests. There were no significant relationships between the intron 2 VNTR genotypes and subdomains or domains of symptoms on the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised or the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide initial support for genotype-specific phenotypes for 5-HTTLPR in autism based on ratings from the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule.     

Comparing Early Pragmatics in Typically Developing Children and Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - This study examined the early pragmatic language skills in typically developing (TD) preschool-age children, children with language impairment (LI)...     

Maternal Mid-Gestation Cytokine Dysregulation in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder characterised by deficits in social interactions and communication, with stereotypical and...     

Animal-Assisted Interventions for School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Research has indicated beneficial effects of Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs) for children with Autism. However, there is a dearth of...     

Brief Report: Children on the Autism Spectrum are Challenged by Complex Word Meanings

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - The current work suggests that two factors conspire to make vocabulary learning challenging for youth on the Autism spectrum: (1) a tendency to focus...     

Visuospatial Bias in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from Line Bisection Tasks

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Previous studies have found reduced leftward bias of facial processing in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, it is not clear...     

Developing a Toothbrushing Visual Pedagogy (TBVP) for Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Visual pedagogy and social stories have been widely used to assist children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in learning various skills. A...     

Language Abilities of Russian Primary-School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence from Comprehensive Assessment

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - The purpose of the present research was to comprehensively assess the language abilities of Russian primary-school-aged children with Autism Spectrum...     

A Psychometric Evaluation of the Quality of Life for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Scale

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Our purpose in this study was to validate the Quality of Life for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder scale. We first conducted an exploratory...     

Diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorders in Pre-school Children Using Two Standardised Assessment Instruments: The ADI-R and the ADOS

The reliable diagnosis of Autism/Autism Spectrum Disorder in pre-school children is important for access to early intervention and for accurate ascertainment for research. This paper explores the combined use of two standardised assessment instruments—the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS)—in a large sample of pre-school children. The children were recruited to research studies, and a ‘best estimate’ clinical diagnosis reached. The findings show good agreement between the instruments especially for children with core Autism. The instruments appear to have a complementary effect in aiding diagnosis and confirm the importance of a multidisciplinary assessment process with access to information from different sources and settings. The presence of repetitive behaviours during the ADOS appeared of diagnostic significance.     

Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised Within DSM-5 Framework: Test of Reliability and Validity in Chinese Children

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - This study examines the psychometric properties of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) in the context of DSM-5 in a sample of Chinese...     

Brief Report: Adaptive Functioning in Children with ASD,ADHD and ASD + ADHD

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often co-occur. Children with ASD and ADHD demonstrate deficits in...     

Pivotal Response Treatment for School-Aged Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) is promising for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), but more methodologically robust designed studies are...     

Brief Report: Identifying Concerns of Military Caregivers with Children Diagnosed with ASD Following a Military Directed Relocation

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Military families relocate three times more often than non-military families. Those whom have children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder face...     

Dietary Sugar Exposure and Oral Health Status in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Case-control Study

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - This case-control study compared dietary sugar exposure and oral health status between children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), aged...     

The Effect of Teaching Initiations on the Communication of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - This study examined the effect of Pivotal response treatment (PRT) to improve verbal initiations in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, age...     

Exploring Cultural Differences in Autistic Traits: A Factor Analytic Study of Children with Autism in China and the Netherlands

Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders - Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed globally, but recognition, interpretation and reporting may vary across cultures. To compare autism across...