The relationship between autism spectrum and sleep–wake traits

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacey D. Elkhatib Smidt ◽  
Arpita Ghorai ◽  
Sara C. Taylor ◽  
Brielle N. Gehringer ◽  
Holly C. Dow ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
The Relationship

Cognitive profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder with parent-reported extraordinary talents and personal strengths

Autism ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 136236132110206
Author(s):  
Vanessa H Bal ◽  
Ellen Wilkinson ◽  
Megan Fok
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Impairment ◽  
General Population ◽  
Standardized Tests ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Cognitive Profiles ◽  
Personal Strengths ◽  
Simons Simplex Collection ◽  
And Performance ◽  
The Relationship

It is essential to recognize the strengths and talents of autistic individuals. Previous studies of extraordinary talents (i.e. skills that stand out relative to the general population) have combined individuals with different skills (e.g. calendrical calculation, drawing) into one group. There has been limited investigation of talents in specific areas and even less consideration of personal strengths (i.e. skills that stand out relative to that person’s other abilities, but not the general population). We extend this literature by examining the relationship between parent-reported talents and strengths and performance on standardized cognitive tests in 1470 children (4–18 years) from the Simons Simplex Collection with autism and IQ above 70. Almost half (46%) had at least one parent-reported talent and an additional 23% without extraordinary talents had at least one personal strength. Children with parent-reported talents and strengths had different cognitive profiles than children with no reported skill in visuospatial, drawing, computation, or music. Those highlighted for their memory abilities had somewhat more even verbal and nonverbal abilities, relative to children whose memory was not emphasized as a special skill. These results emphasize the importance of exploring strengths separately by domain and a need for more research in this area. Lay abstract Previous research has suggested that focusing on impairments can be detrimental to the well-being of autistic individuals, yet little research has focused on strengths and positive qualities in autism. Some studies explored “savant skills” (herein referred to as “extraordinary talents”), that is, skills that stand out compared to the general population. These often group everyone who has a specific talent, rather than exploring subgroups with strengths in specific areas. There has been even less research focused on personal strengths (i.e. skills that stand out relative to the individual’s other abilities, but not the general population). To expand this research, we use a sample of 1470 children (ages 4–18 years) from the Simons Simplex Collection without cognitive impairment to examine the relationship between having a parent-reported skill in a specific area and performance on a standardized cognitive test. Almost half (46%) had at least one parent-reported talent and an additional 23% without extraordinary talents had at least one personal strength. Children with these parent-reported skills had different patterns of performance on these standardized tests than children without skills in that area (i.e. visuospatial, drawing, computation, reading, and memory). Specific skills in computation or reading were associated with higher overall performance on the standardized tests. These results emphasize the importance of considering strengths separately by area, rather than combining individuals with different types of strengths. The high number of children with skills in this study underscores the need for more research in this area, particularly using instruments focused on understanding the nuances of these strengths. It is important for future studies to consider these skills in children with cognitive impairment.

scholarly journals Dysfunctions in Infants’ Statistical Learning are Related to Parental Autistic Traits

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bettoni Roberta ◽  
Valentina Riva ◽  
Chiara Cantiani ◽  
Elena Maria Riboldi ◽  
Massimo Molteni ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Statistical Learning ◽  
Crucial Role ◽  
Autistic Traits ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Statistical Structure ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Visual Habituation

AbstractStatistical learning refers to the ability to extract the statistical relations embedded in a sequence, and it plays a crucial role in the development of communicative and social skills that are impacted in the Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Here, we investigated the relationship between infants’ SL ability and autistic traits in their parents. Using a visual habituation task, we tested infant offspring of adults (non-diagnosed) who show high (HAT infants) versus low (LAT infants) autistic traits. Results demonstrated that LAT infants learned the statistical structure embedded in a visual sequence, while HAT infants failed. Moreover, infants’ SL ability was related to autistic traits in their parents, further suggesting that early dysfunctions in SL might contribute to variabilities in ASD symptoms.

scholarly journals Bayonet-shaped language development in autism with regression: a retrospective study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Gagnon ◽  
Abderrahim Zeribi ◽  
Élise Douard ◽  
Valérie Courchesne ◽  
Borja Rodríguez-Herreros ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Development ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Early Language ◽  
Verbal Iq ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Language Level ◽  
Language Outcome ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Language delay is one of the major referral criteria for an autism evaluation. Once an autism spectrum diagnosis is established, the language prognosis is among the main parental concerns. Early language regression (ELR) is observed by 10–50% of parents but its relevance to late language level and socio-communicative ability is uncertain. This study aimed to establish the predictive value of ELR on the progression of language development and socio-communicative outcomes to guide clinicians in addressing parents’ concerns at the time of diagnosis. Methods We used socio-communicative, language, and cognitive data of 2,047 autism spectrum participants from the Simons Simplex Collection, aged 4–18 years (mean = 9 years; SD = 3.6). Cox proportional hazard and logistic regression models were used to evaluate the effect of ELR on language milestones and the probability of using complex and flexible language, as defined by the choice of ADOS module at enrollment. Linear models were then used to evaluate the relationship of ELR and non-verbal IQ with socio-communicative and language levels. Results ELR is associated with earlier language milestones but delayed attainment of fluent, complex, and flexible language. However, this language outcome can be expected for almost all autistic children without intellectual disability at 18 years of age. It is mostly influenced by non-verbal IQ, not ELR. The language and socio-communicative level of participants with flexible language, as measured by the Vineland and ADOS socio-communicative subscales, was not affected by ELR. Limitations This study is based on a relatively coarse measure of ultimate language level and relies on retrospective reporting of early language milestones and ELR. It does not prospectively document the age at which language catches up, the relationship between ELR and other behavioral areas of regression, nor the effects of intervention. Conclusions For autistic individuals with ELR and a normal level of non-verbal intelligence, language development follows a “bayonet shape” trajectory: early first words followed by regression, a plateau with limited progress, and then language catch up.

scholarly journals A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies on metaphor comprehension in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: Do task properties matter?

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 1421-1454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tamar Kalandadze ◽  
Valentina Bambini ◽  
Kari-Anne B. Næss
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Syntactic Structure ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Response Format ◽  
Metaphor Comprehension ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractIndividuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience difficulty in comprehending metaphors compared to individuals with typical development (TD). However, there is a large variation in the results across studies, possibly related to the properties of the metaphor tasks. This preregistered systematic review and meta-analysis (a) explored the properties of the metaphor tasks used in ASD research, and (b) investigated the group difference between individuals with ASD and TD on metaphor comprehension, as well as the relationship between the task properties and any between-study variation. A systematic search was undertaken in seven relevant databases. Fourteen studies fulfilled our predetermined inclusion criteria. Across tasks, we detected four types of response format and a great variety of metaphors in terms of familiarity, syntactic structure, and linguistic context. Individuals with TD outperformed individuals with ASD on metaphor comprehension (Hedges’ g = −0.63). Verbal explanation response format was utilized in the study showing the largest effect size in the group comparison. However, due to the sparse experimental manipulations, the role of task properties could not be established. Future studies should consider and report task properties to determine their role in metaphor comprehension, and to inform experimental paradigms as well as educational assessment.

scholarly journals IQ and Internalising Symptoms in Adolescents with ASD

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monisha Edirisooriya ◽  
Dominika Dykiert ◽  
Bonnie Auyeung
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Intelligence Quotient ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Social And Emotional ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Adolescents With Asd

AbstractIntelligence quotient (IQ), has been found to relate to the presence of internalising symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This meta-analysis sought to clarify the direction of the relationship between IQ and two prevalent internalising symptoms, anxiety and depression, in adolescents with ASD. Secondly, this study aimed to highlight methodological factors contributing to inconsistent findings in existing research. Self-reported anxiety was found to be significantly higher in youth with a lower IQ, while depression was positively associated with IQ. Consequently, parents, schools and clinicians should be cautious of underestimating anxiety in youth with a lower IQ. However, care should also be taken to ensure adolescents with ASD without intellectual disabilities are not overlooked with regards to social and emotional support.

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