The results were then subjected to multivariate statistical analysis.
The researchers found, in contrast to previous similar research, that children with both conditions did not evidence any greater problems with either gross motor or fine motor skills but that they did make more "mistakes" in imitation and that they were subject to greater problems in maintaining their balance. They expected the children with both syndromes to have both increased motor control problems and greater errors in imitation. Thus their hypothesis was supported in part.
The diagnostic consequences for this finding are that children who have been diagnosed with Fragile X who show high error rates in imitation and problems in balancing should also be assessed for autism.
Study III
Zandt, Prior, & Kyrios (2009) assessed differences between children with obsessive compulsive disorder and those with autism spectrum disorder. Because both populations share some behaviors (a number of different types of repetitive behavior), there can be some diagnostic confusion. While generally children who exhibit such behaviors early in childhood are much more likely to have autism rather than OCD, some very young children do manifest symptoms of OCD. The researchers were primarily interested in the underlying cognitive processes of children with both of these disorders. Understanding these underlying processes has implications for both diagnosis and treatment.
The study involved 54 children and adolescents aged 7 to 16 years. They were divided into three groups: Children with OCD, children with autism, and children who showed normal development patterns. Children with a co-morbid disorder (such as Tourette's) were excluded. All of the children in the groups tested at normal or above intelligence. They were each given executive functioning tests that "were specifically designed for or had shown reliability and validity with paediatric populations, were suitable for the broad age range included in the study, allowed for the assessment of a range of executive function skills, and incorporated both summary and strategy scores."
The results of these tests had very low statistical significance. There was a slightly greater prevalence for children with ASD to perform more poorly on tasks that required a series of responses and a slightly greater prevalence for children with OCD to have problems with tasks that required inhibition.
It is important to remember that negative findings are as important as positive ones in science. The fact that tests for executive functioning are not good instruments for distinguishing between children with OCD and children with ASD is useful to know.
Study IV
Brian et al. (2008) focused on protocols for diagnosing autism in children at the age of 18 months, the lowest current limit of widely accepted tests. By looking for behavioral antecedents of autism in toddlers, they were seeking to find methods of reliably assessing children at the earliest possible age, thus allowing for even earlier treatment than is now available, which would (in turn) lead to a better prognosis.
The researchers assessed 155 toddlers who were considered to be at higher than average risk because they had a full sibling with autism. A control group contained 73 children with no family history of autism. The children were assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and Autism Observation Scale for Infants (AOSI).
The researchers found that while there were small but significant differences between the control group and those children with a sibling with autism was that those working to diagnose small children should consider not only social interaction skills (which is what is now the primary focus) and should instead include this but also assess "basic dimensions of temperament."
The most important implications of this study is that current methods for diagnosis tend to focus too narrowly on communication skills.
Communication training
A large percentage of the interventions and therapeutic approaches to children with autism (as well as a substantial amount of the basic research) focuses on the ways in which autism limits people's ability to communicate with those around them and ways in which communication can be improved. People with autism tend to have difficulty not only in expressing themselves but also in understanding other people's expressions.
Study I
Chiang (2008) investigated whether there were any significant variations in communication limitations among different types of expression for children with autism or whether there were universal or blanket problems in communication. Which conditions was true has implications for treatment as well as possible implications for understanding the underlying mechanisms of the disorder.
He tested children in special schools for children with autism, self-contained...
In some students, autism is more severe than it is in others, and teachers must learn to anticipate this if they are to be successful in the classroom. The severity of the autism can make the difference between whether students with autism should be included or whether they should be taught separately (Shattuck, et al., 2009). Students cannot make that decision, of course, but the parents and teachers can work
Autism is a developmental disorder as it is marked with pervasive and severe impairment revolving around areas of development such as communication, imagination, reciprocal interaction and behavior. The diagnostic criteria for autism as incorporated by the DSM IV TR includes symptoms such as impairment in the use of nonverbal behaviors like eye contact, gestures, bodily postures during the normal routine social interaction, the inability to form good peer relationships, delay
Social Skills Interventions for Hfasd Adolescents Asperger's Syndrome Social Skills Interventions for Adolescents Diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Social Skills Interventions for Adolescents Diagnosed with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder Surprisingly, the possibility of a causal relationship between challenging behaviors, social abilities, and language deficits in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders had never been systematically studied. To remedy this lack of understanding Matson and colleagues (2013) examined the association between challenging behaviors
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Autism in Children Autism can be defined as a developmental disability significantly affecting verbal and non-verbal communication and social interaction usually evident before age 3 that adversely affects a child's educational performance. Other characteristics often associated with autism are engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movement, resistance to environmental change or change in daily routines, and usual sensory experiences (Coffey, 2004). Symptoms of autism are usually apparent by 30 months of age.
A brief but insightful article that stresses the importance of communication is Autistic Kids Benefit from Dads' Involvement. This also applies to the issue of parental stress but echoes other studies that emphasize the importance of communication skills in treating autistic children. There article notes that autism is a disability or disorder that appears during the first three years of life and is characterized by problems interacting and communicating with
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