Respiratory sinus arrhythmia: A marker for positive social functioning and receptive language skills in children with autism spectrum disorders

2011 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle A. Patriquin ◽  
Angela Scarpa ◽  
Bruce H. Friedman ◽  
Stephen W. Porges
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Social Functioning ◽  
Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

A Multimethod Assessment of Anxiety and Problem Behavior in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disability

2013 ◽  
Vol 118 (6) ◽  
pp. 419-434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren J. Moskowitz ◽  
Emile Mulder ◽  
Caitlin E. Walsh ◽  
Darlene Magito McLaughlin ◽  
Jennifer R. Zarcone ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Problem Behavior ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Parent Report ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Sinus Arrhythmia ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Abstract Despite the increased risk for anxiety disorders in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), there is a lack of research on the assessment and treatment of anxiety in this population, particularly for those with an intellectual disability (ID). The present study evaluated a multimethod strategy for the assessment of anxiety and problem behavior in three children with ASD and ID. Anxiety was operationally defined using: (1) behavioral data from anxious behaviors, (2) affective/contextual data from parent-report and observer ratings of overall anxiety, and (3) physiological data (heart rate [HR] and respiratory sinus arrhythmia [RSA]). A functional assessment of problem behavior during high- and low-anxiety conditions was conducted. Higher levels of problem behavior and HR and lower RSA were found in the high-anxiety than in the low-anxiety conditions.

scholarly journals Word Processing in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence From Event-Related Potentials

2017 ◽  
Vol 60 (12) ◽  
pp. 3441-3455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micheal Sandbank ◽  
Paul Yoder ◽  
Alexandra P. Key
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorders ◽  
Word Processing ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Receptive Language ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Related Potentials ◽  
Spectrum Disorders

Purpose This investigation was conducted to determine whether young children with autism spectrum disorders exhibited a canonical neural response to word stimuli and whether putative event-related potential (ERP) measures of word processing were correlated with a concurrent measure of receptive language. Additional exploratory analyses were used to examine whether the magnitude of the association between ERP measures of word processing and receptive language varied as a function of the number of word stimuli the participants reportedly understood. Method Auditory ERPs were recorded in response to spoken words and nonwords presented with equal probability in 34 children aged 2–5 years with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder who were in the early stages of language acquisition. Average amplitudes and amplitude differences between word and nonword stimuli within 200–500 ms were examined at left temporal (T3) and parietal (P3) electrode clusters. Receptive vocabulary size and the number of experimental stimuli understood were concurrently measured using the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventories. Results Across the entire participant group, word–nonword amplitude differences were diminished. The average word–nonword amplitude difference at T3 was related to receptive vocabulary only if 5 or more word stimuli were understood. Conclusions If ERPs are to ever have clinical utility, their construct validity must be established by investigations that confirm their associations with predictably related constructs. These results contribute to accruing evidence, suggesting that a valid measure of auditory word processing can be derived from the left temporal response to words and nonwords. In addition, this measure can be useful even for participants who do not reportedly understand all of the words presented as experimental stimuli, though it will be important for researchers to track familiarity with word stimuli in future investigations. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5614840

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