scholarly journals Priming the Pathway: Combining Oxytocin and Behavioral Intervention to Improve Outcomes in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Kuhl Meltzoff Stavropoulos ◽  
Elizabeth Baker
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Restricted Interests ◽  
Children With Asd

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social-communication deficits and the presence of restricted interests and/or repetitive behaviors. There are currently no psychopharmacological agents approved to treat core symptoms of ASD. As such, behavioral interventions are the most effective method for improving symptoms. In the current chapter, we propose that administering the neuropeptide oxytocin in conjunction with evidence-based behavioral interventions may lead to improved outcomes in social-communication for children with ASD. From a mechanistic perspective, we hypothesize that oxytocin may “prime” social reward circuitry in the brain, thereby allowing behavioral interventions designed to increase social motivation/initiation to be more effective. Extant literature related to theories of ASD, oxytocin administration in children with ASD, and behavioral intervention outcomes are reviewed, and considerations for individual characteristics (e.g., genetics, oxytocin availability, age, behavioral profile, etc.) that may affect efficacy are discussed.

scholarly journals Is the gluten-free and casein-free diet efficacious in the treatment of childhood autism spectrum disorder?

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Klaus W. Lange ◽  
Andreas Reissmann
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Alternative Therapies ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Gluten Free ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Supplementary Treatment

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a set of heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions, characterized by early-onset difficulties in social communication as well as repetitive and unusually restricted behaviors and interests. The treatment of ASD is based primarily on psychoeducational and behavioral interventions. Since the effectiveness of available treatments for ASD is limited, many families search for alternative therapies, such as the gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet. Despite the popularity of the GFCF diet as a supplementary treatment in children with ASD, several rigorous evaluations have failed to confirm its effectiveness. The majority of the available studies examining the efficacy of the GFCF diet are seriously flawed and allow no firm conclusions. The available evidence regarding the effectiveness of the GFCF diet in the treatment of childhood ASD is very weak and cannot be considered promising. The GFCF diet should be used only if an allergy or intolerance to nutritional gluten or casein has been established. The identification of a hypothetical diet-related ASD phenotype may help in selecting children who could benefit from a GFCF dietary intervention. An important consideration is that potentially ineffective therapies may imply considerable opportunity costs, with other possibly more effective treatment approaches remaining unutilized.

scholarly journals Parent-mediated Behavioral Intervention for Treatment Behavioral Excesses in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 422-437
Author(s):  
Esmaeil Shiri ◽  
◽  
Hamidreza Pouratemad ◽  
Jalil Fathabadi ◽  
Mohammad Narimani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autistic Children ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Children With Asd

Background and Aim: One of the problems of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is behavioral excesses resistance to many educational and rehabilitation programs. Parent-mediated behavioral interventions seem to be effective in overcoming these problems. However, these methods are not well-introduced. The purpose of this study is to systematically review these studies and their primary and secondary outcomes, and finally analyze the components. Methods & Materials: This study was a systematic review. The search included SID, Magiran, Medline, PubMed, Springer, Science Direct, Online Library, and PsycINFO. We reviewed The articles published between 2000 and 2017 about parent-mediated behavioral interventions on behavioral excesses in autistic children. Ethical Considerations: This study with ethical code IR.SBU.ICBS.97/1013 was approved by the Biological Research Department of Shahid Beheshti University. Results: The findings of 9 studies indicated positive effects of parent-mediated behavioral intervention on behavioral excesses, including repetitive behaviors, irritability (including tantrums, aggression, and self-injurious behaviors), echolalia, and destructive behaviors (preliminary results). Also, these interventions improved the adaptive behaviors in autistic children, and parental functions such as self-efficacy, parental style, psychological problems (secondary results). Components of the therapeutic program included the type of consequence-based interventions (such as response interruption and redirection), antecedent-based interventions A (visual cue and daily schedules), antecedent-based interventions B (such as enriching environment with play). Three articles had medium certainty of the evidence, and 6 had high certainty of evidence. Conclusion: The results of this study indicated the positive effect of parent-mediated behavioral intervention on behavioral excesses in children with ASD. Future studies should emphasize the comprehensiveness of all the effective components in the parent-mediated behavioral intervention and the feasibility of the intervention in various contexts. It is suggested that parent-mediated interventions be implemented on behavioral excesses in children with ASD in Iran.

Parents’ Perceptions on Social Skills Functioning of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Preliminary Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-37
Author(s):  
Joanna Hie Ping Ting ◽  
Kee Jiar Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
Social Reciprocity ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Social Skills Deficits

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is defined as a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects social communication, social interaction and sensory sensitivities. Social skills are one of the common deficits displayed by children with ASD. However, the level of impairment exerted by children with ASD relies on the disorder severity. Social skills are critical to successful social-emotional, communication and cognitive development. Specific social skills deficits include difficulties in initiating interactions, maintaining social reciprocity, sharing attention, taking another person’s perspective, and inferring the interests of others. In this study, social skills consist of social awareness, social cognition, social communication, social motivation and autism mannerism. This study aimed to uncover the conceptualization of social skills from the parents’ perspective, thus providing an indication of education on the topic of ASD.

The Influence of Language Context on Repetitive Speech Use in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 327-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allison Gladfelter ◽  
Cassidy VanZuiden
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Receptive Vocabulary ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
School Age Children ◽  
Social Responsiveness ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Language Context

Purpose Although repetitive speech is a hallmark characteristic of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the contributing factors that influence repetitive speech use remain unknown. The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine if the language context impacts the amount and type of repetitive speech produced by children with ASD. Method As part of a broader word-learning study, 11 school-age children with ASD participated in two different language contexts: storytelling and play. Previously collected language samples were transcribed and coded for four types of repetitive speech: immediate echolalia, delayed echolalia, verbal stereotypy, and vocal stereotypy. The rates and proportions of repetitive speech were compared across the two language contexts using Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests. Individual characteristics were further explored using Spearman correlations. Results The children produced lower rates of repetitive speech during the storytelling context than the play-based context. Only immediate echolalia differed between the two contexts based on rate and approached significance based on proportion, with more immediate echolalia produced in the play-based context than in the storytelling context. There were no significant correlations between repetitive speech and measures of social responsiveness, expressive or receptive vocabulary, or nonverbal intelligence. Conclusions The children with ASD produced less immediate echolalia in the storytelling context than in the play-based context. Immediate echolalia use was not related to social skills, vocabulary, or nonverbal IQ scores. These findings offer valuable insights into better understanding repetitive speech use in children with ASD.

Specialized Diet Therapies: Exploration for Improving Behavior in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (40) ◽  
pp. 6771-6786
Author(s):  
Geir Bjørklund ◽  
Nagwa Abdel Meguid ◽  
Maryam Dadar ◽  
Lyudmila Pivina ◽  
Joanna Kałużna-Czaplińska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Caloric Intake ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Nutritional Deficiencies ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Restricted Interests ◽  
Balanced Diet ◽  
The Individual

As a major neurodevelopmental disorder, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) encompasses deficits in communication and repetitive and restricted interests or behaviors in childhood and adolescence. Its etiology may come from either a genetic, epigenetic, neurological, hormonal, or an environmental cause, generating pathways that often altogether play a synergistic role in the development of ASD pathogenesis. Furthermore, the metabolic origin of ASD should be important as well. A balanced diet consisting of the essential and special nutrients, alongside the recommended caloric intake, is highly recommended to promote growth and development that withstand the physiologic and behavioral challenges experienced by ASD children. In this review paper, we evaluated many studies that show a relationship between ASD and diet to develop a better understanding of the specific effects of the overall diet and the individual nutrients required for this population. This review will add a comprehensive update of knowledge in the field and shed light on the possible nutritional deficiencies, metabolic impairments (particularly in the gut microbiome), and malnutrition in individuals with ASD, which should be recognized in order to maintain the improved socio-behavioral habit and physical health.

scholarly journals Identifying and measuring the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for autism spectrum disorder: Development of the NDBI-Fi

Autism ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 2285-2297
Author(s):  
Kyle M Frost ◽  
Jessica Brian ◽  
Grace W Gengoux ◽  
Antonio Hardan ◽  
Sarah R Rieth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Intervention ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Common Elements ◽  
Intervention Science ◽  
Intervention Models ◽  
The Common ◽  
Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention

Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder share key elements. However, the extent of similarity and overlap in techniques among naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models has not been quantified, and there is no standardized measure for assessing the implementation of their common elements. This article presents a multi-stage process which began with the development of a taxonomy of elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Next, intervention experts identified the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions using quantitative methods. An observational rating scheme of those common elements, the eight-item NDBI-Fi, was developed. Finally, preliminary analyses of the reliability and the validity of the NDBI-Fi were conducted using archival data from randomized controlled trials of caregiver-implemented naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions, including 87 post-intervention caregiver–child interaction videos from five sites, as well as 29 pre–post video pairs from two sites. Evaluation of the eight-item NDBI-Fi measure revealed promising psychometric properties, including evidence supporting adequate reliability, sensitivity to change, as well as concurrent, convergent, and discriminant validity. Results lend support to the utility of the NDBI-Fi as a measure of caregiver implementation of common elements across naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models. With additional validation, this unique measure has the potential to advance intervention science in autism spectrum disorder by providing a tool which cuts across a class of evidence-based interventions. Lay abstract Naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for young children with autism spectrum disorder share key elements. However, the extent of similarity between programs within this class of evidence-based interventions is unknown. There is also currently no tool that can be used to measure the implementation of their common elements. This article presents a multi-stage process which began with defining all intervention elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Next, intervention experts identified the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions using a survey. An observational rating scheme of those common elements, the eight-item NDBI-Fi, was developed. We evaluated the quality of the NDBI-Fi using videos from completed trials of caregiver-implemented naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions. Results showed that the NDBI-Fi measure has promise; it was sensitive to change, related to other similar measures, and demonstrated adequate agreement between raters. This unique measure has the potential to advance intervention science in autism spectrum disorder by providing a tool to measure the implementation of common elements across naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention models. Given that naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions have numerous shared strategies, this may ease clinicians’ uncertainty about choosing the “right” intervention package. It also suggests that there may not be a need for extensive training in more than one naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention. Future research should determine whether these common elements are part of other treatment approaches to better understand the quality of services children and families receive as part of usual care.

scholarly journals Perceptions of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Etiology among Parents of Children with ASD

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 6774
Author(s):  
Wei-Ju Chen ◽  
Zihan Zhang ◽  
Haocen Wang ◽  
Tung-Sung Tseng ◽  
Ping Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Parental Perceptions ◽  
Repetitive Behaviors ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Religious Factors

Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by social communication deficits and restricted or repetitive behaviors. Parental perceptions of the etiology of their child’s ASD can affect provider–client relationships, bonding between parents and their children, and the prognosis, treatment, and management of children with ASD. Thus, this study sought to examine the perceptions of ASD etiology of parents of children with ASD. Methods: Forty-two parents of children diagnosed with ASD were recruited across Texas. Semi-structured interviews were conducted individually. All interviews were recorded and later transcribed verbatim for content analysis utilizing NVivo 12.0 (QSR International, Doncaster, Australia). Results: The content analysis identified the following themes regarding parental perceptions of ASD etiology: Genetic factors (40.5%), environmental factors (31.0%), problems that occurred during pregnancy or delivery (23.8%), vaccinations (16.7%), other health problems (7.1%), parental age at the time of pregnancy (4.8%), and spiritual or religious factors (2.4%). Conclusions: The parental perceptions of ASD etiology were diverse, but several views, such as vaccinations and spiritual or religious factors, were not based on scientific evidence. Health professionals and researchers can use these findings to develop and provide targeted education to parents who have children with ASD. Our findings also support policymakers in developing campaigns designed to increase parental ASD awareness and knowledge.

scholarly journals Fostering Emotion Recognition in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 57
Author(s):  
Vinícius Silva ◽  
Filomena Soares ◽  
João Sena Esteves ◽  
Cristina P. Santos ◽  
Ana Paula Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Social Interaction ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Children With Asd

Facial expressions are of utmost importance in social interactions, allowing communicative prompts for a speaking turn and feedback. Nevertheless, not all have the ability to express themselves socially and emotionally in verbal and non-verbal communication. In particular, individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are characterized by impairments in social communication, repetitive patterns of behaviour, and restricted activities or interests. In the literature, the use of robotic tools is reported to promote social interaction with children with ASD. The main goal of this work is to develop a system capable of automatic detecting emotions through facial expressions and interfacing them with a robotic platform (Zeno R50 Robokind® robotic platform, named ZECA) in order to allow social interaction with children with ASD. ZECA was used as a mediator in social communication activities. The experimental setup and methodology for a real-time facial expression (happiness, sadness, anger, surprise, fear, and neutral) recognition system was based on the Intel® RealSense™ 3D sensor and on facial features extraction and multiclass Support Vector Machine classifier. The results obtained allowed to infer that the proposed system is adequate in support sessions with children with ASD, giving a strong indication that it may be used in fostering emotion recognition and imitation skills.

scholarly journals A Review of the Efficacy of the Dietary Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (F) ◽  
pp. 88-94
Author(s):  
Zainab Taha ◽  
Khalid A. Abdalhai
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Dietary Intervention ◽  
Neurodevelopmental Disorder ◽  
Food Additives ◽  
Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Omega 3 ◽  
Dietary Interventions ◽  
Children With Asd

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder with 1 in 68 children prevalence. The key symptoms of ASD include social deficits, verbal and non-verbal communication deficits, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. For unknown reasons, gastrointestinal symptoms are related to ASD. The aim of the current paper is to review the available literature on dietary interventions in children with ASD and provide up-to-date evidence. METHODS: Searches in online databases, using the search terms’ dietary intervention, “autism spectrum disorders,” and “autism” were conducted. The search targeted publications ranging from 2010 to 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies with different study designs which evaluated the effectiveness of specific dietary interventions in children with ASD were included in our review. Several dietary interventions were of popular practice in the management of children with ASD, including elimination (gluten-/casein-free diet and oligoantigenic diet), modification (modified ketogenic diet), supplementation (minerals, vitamins, omega 3, and omega 6), and exclusion (food additives). Studies showed different results with varying degrees of evidence. Overall, data were inadequate to make accurate conclusions. CONCLUSION: There is little evidence to support the use of dietary interventions for children with ASD. Additional high-quality studies and further research are, therefore, needed.

scholarly journals Caregiver-mediated approaches to managing challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 225-233
Keyword(s):  
Autism Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children And Adolescents ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Challenging Behaviors ◽  
Significant Proportion ◽  
Children With Autism ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Spectrum Disorder ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
Adolescents With Asd

A significant proportion of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are referred to mental health centers due to the presence of challenging behaviors. Because challenging behaviors in children and adolescents with ASD often result from underlying social and communication difficulties and comorbid anxiety, traditional caregiver-mediated behavior intervention techniques developed for children with disruptive behavior disorders may need to be adapted for this population. Behavioral interventions that target communication skills, social skills, anxiety, and sensory responsiveness in children with ASD may be needed. Notably, while best practice necessitates the involvement of caregivers in treating children and adolescents with ASD, few randomized control studies have examined the effectiveness of caregiver-implemented interventions in reducing challenging behaviors. This review summarizes the current literature with regard to caregiver-mediated behavioral interventions for children with ASD, and suggests areas for intervention development and research.

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