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From a purely educationist perspective, gaining a deeper understanding of several aspects related to the prevalence of autism/ASD in a given population is of great value in planning and improving educational and psychological intervention for treatment, training, and teaching of children with this disorder. In this article, I present and discuss nu...
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Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are prone to personal pronoun difficulties. This article investigates maternal input as a potential contributing factor, focusing on an early developmental stage before ASD diagnosis. Using Quigley and McNally’s corpus of maternal speech to infants (3–19 months; N = 19) who are either at high or low risk...
Background
The Developmental, Individual-differences, Relationship-based model (DIR/Floortime) is one of the well-known therapies for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), in which its main principle is to promote holistic development of an individual and relationships between the caregivers and children. Parental engagement is an essential element to DI...
Spaces for Autism. Examples in Italy of spaces designed for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Background
Although there have been suggestions that central coherence may be associated with eating disturbances (EBD) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), relatively little attention has been given to specific aspects of IQ and EDB.
Methods
The association between total IQ, perceptual and verbal composite scores and subtests was expl...
Citations
... They found a statistically significant difference between pretest and posttest scores of children's overall interpersonal skills and all four sub-factors (i.e., social group skills, peer interaction, social communication & interaction, and appropriate behaviors). These results have supported the findings of (Dillenburger & Keenan, 2023;Matson et al., 2012;Özerk, 2016, 2018Petursdottir et al., 2007;Shukla-Mehta et al., 2010), who found a significant difference between pretest and post-test scores of children before and after the ABA treatment regarding complex cognitive abilities and communication skills. ...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is significantly known as social interaction impairment that can be reduced through early school-age intervention. The quasi-experimental research design was used to examine the effect of applied behavior analysis treatment on ASD children's interpersonal skills. The researchers used a purposive sampling technique to select 30 participants who have symptoms of ASD, which were divided into two groups (control and experimental) without gender discrimination. The assessment of basic language and learning skills (ABLLS-R) protocol and portage guide of early education was used to develop a questionnaire comprising four factors. The results indicate a statistically significant difference between the experimental and control groups in terms of students' interpersonal skills and the pretest and post-test scores of the experimental group. It is suggested that parents and therapists should develop a sharing ability among children with autism symptoms so they can understand social reinforcement.
... The greatest increase was observed among boys and adolescents aged 14-17, suggesting that more previously unrecognized cases are being diagnosed. Some of the factors that could account for the increase in numbers include better recognition and identification of autism (15); greater awareness of parents and other professionals; better access to diagnosis; and refinement of the diagnostic process (60,116). ...
Introduction
Autism Spectrum Disorder is a complex neurodevelopmental syndrome that profoundly affects social interactions, communication, and sensory perception. The research traced the evolution of autism research from 2011-2022, specifically focusing on the screening and diagnosis of children and students.
Methods
Through an analysis of 12,262 publications using the PRISMA framework, bibliographic coupling, science mapping, and citation analysis, this study illuminates the growth trajectory of ASD research and significant disparities in diagnosis and services.
Results
The study indicates an increasing trend in autism research, with a strong representation of female authorship. Open Access journals show a higher average citation impact compared to their closed counterparts. A keyword co-occurrence analysis revealed four central research themes: Child Development and Support Systems, Early Identification and Intervention, Prevalence and Etiology, and Mental Health. The pandemic’s onset has prioritized research areas like mental health, telehealth, and service accessibility.
Discussion
Recommendations on a global level stress the importance of developing timely biological markers for ASD, amplifying Disability Inclusion research, and personalizing mental health services to bridge these critical service gaps. These strategies, underpinned by interdisciplinary collaboration and telehealth innovation, particularly in low-resource settings, can offer a roadmap for inclusive, context-sensitive interventions at local levels that directly support SDG3’s aim for health and well-being for all.
... munications and interaction, restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviour, interests or activities and sensory perception and responses [1]. Current data suggest that as many as 1 in 54 children in the United States of America are on the autism spectrum [2] while other studies suggest a figure of between 1 in 68 to 1 in 100 in the general population [3]. ...
For a period of 3 weeks in June 2021, we embedded a social robot (Softbank Pepper) in a Special Educational Needs (SEN) school for autistic children. The robot’s behaviours and integration into the school were co-designed with the children and teachers, with a focus on improving the well-being of the pupils. Using a mix-method approach, we studied the robot’s adoption over the course of the study, and the impact of the robot’s presence on the children well-being and the school ecosystem. We found that the robot successfully integrated within the school; it fostered and maintained a steady level of interactions (330 interactions, 16 h of continuous use over 3 weeks) with a small yet meaningful group of children with a positive impact on their well-being; and it led to a nuanced conversation with the students and school staff about the role and impact of such a social technology in a SEN school.
... The concept of spectrum involves a wide heterogeneity of the three core features among people with ASD: we can find individuals with ASD who develop functional language and good social competence, while other individuals in the spectrum present a more severe profile (i.e., they do not acquire functional language and some of them demonstrate significant difficulties in social competence). This heterogeneity hinders early diagnosis and, consequently, early intervention, which are closely related to better prognosis as they allow the display of assistance resources and appropriate support for a child at an early age, when the brain is still in development (Autism Europe., 2015;Bennett et al., 2014;Corsello, 2005;Mandell et al., 2005;Nicholas et al., 2009;Ö zerk, 2016;Zablotsky et al., 2017). Therefore, research as well as clinical practice require accurate markers to detect the presence of the disorder as early as possible. ...
Background
Children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) demonstrate distinctive scanning of faces, which has been suggested as an obstacle to social expertise, hindering their lifelong social relationships.
Method
This study aimed at comparing social attention in young children with and without ASD (N = 34). We designed two eye-tracking paired preference tasks to assess the effects of emotional expression and the actor’s gender (Experiment 1) and actor’s age (Experiment 2) on the visual scanning pattern of faces in both groups.
Results
Data analysis yielded three behavioral markers in the ASD group: (1) late orientation to angry faces, (2) late orientation to child faces, and (3) superficial facial processing (shorter visits).
Conclusions
Clinical and research implications are discussed regarding potential markers that could contribute to early diagnosis and intervention.
... In 2013 Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) are the manuals being used to make a diagnosis of autism and ASD by specialized health professionals (Ozerk, 2016). ...
Inclusive education entails educational reforms and major behavior change. To effectively effect change, all societal and individual factors must be targeted. With its success being largely dependent on teachers, demographic and personal factors were examined. Building on the KAP model, teachers' knowledge, attitudes and practices in teaching students with ASD were assessed.
The study was conducted in a public school district in the region of Bulacan where twenty-one (21) towns/municipalities have a fixed number of representatives in employment of Neyman Allocation. Results showed that teachers have fairly good knowledge on ASD but should be taken with caution as sixty percent (60%) of them have no dealing experience. Their attitudes are neutral with hesitations stemming from the belief that students with ASD are too impaired to benefit in the inclusion and placing them in the general classroom would be unfair for other students and for them as teachers to accept specially when teachers are not trained in special education. Their responses to the best pedagogical practices relative to the teaching of students with ASD are slightly competent that revealed inadequacies in characteristics, developmental and behavior assessment leading to difficulty in structuring of learning objectives, planning, process, and evaluation. Relations among knowledge, attitudes and practices are established only between attitudes and practices.
Outcomes of the study with the identified gaps are used for the development of an Inclusion Manual for teachers using the framework of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
... Autism is a lifelong neurodevelopmental condition that affects how a person perceives, communicates and interacts with the world. Current data suggest that as many as 1 in 54 children in the United States of America are on the autism spectrum (Russell et al., 2014) while other studies suggest a figure of between 1 in 68 to 1 in 100 in the general population ( € Ozerk, 2016). However, these rates and numbers do not fully capture either the individual nature of the condition or the different types of support required to enable this group to achieve their potential. ...
Purpose
The potential of head mounted displays based virtual reality (HMD-based VR) for autistic groups has been well documented. However, the deployment and application of this technology, especially in schools, has been extremely limited. One of the main criticisms in this field has been the lack of involvement from practitioners in research on educational approaches for autistic populations and the gap between research and practice in real-life settings.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual article focuses on our research in a UK-based special needs school that sought to examine the effects and potential use of VR-HMDs, while seeking to establish best practices for safe and ethical application using this technology. This draws upon ethical and participatory research guidance, including British Educational Research Association and Autism Participatory Research.
Findings
The authors make recommendations on planning and implementing a participatory, safe and ethical approach to researching the use of VR-HMDs in special needs schools and engaging with the priorities of autistic children and young people and their teachers.
Originality/value
This conceptual article provides an initial first consideration of ways we can better include autistic people and their views in research that is with and about them. The value in this will mean we are able to better support autistic groups moving ahead using VR HMD-based technologies. Without this paradigm shift and including autistic people (and their stakeholders) the field might continue to build initiatives around medical-based models of disabilities rather that what the community need/want.
... Specialist clinics in countries with elaborate children's services, in the past recorded between seven and eight cases annually [4], but recent evidence indicates the prevalence of childhood autism is rising. A recent study shows over 50 studies from 21 countries reveal that prevalence rates of autism or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) among children are on rising [5]. Over the past decade, estimates of increases between 50% to over 2000% in cases of Autistic Disorder diagnoses have been charted, studied and discussed worldwide [6]. ...
Background: Early detection and intervention of children living with Autism Spectrum Disorders have shown a great improvement in the child's behaviour, predominantly in language and motor skills development. We are proposing to conduct a systematic scoping review that will map all evidence available on children living with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Africa.
Methods and analysis: This study will be guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework of scoping reviews. A comprehensive literature search will be done in the following electronic databases. Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Science Direct, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, Health Sources, and Google Scholar. Primary studies, published in peer-reviewed journals and grey literature such as unpublished studies, studies in press and Theses that address our research question will be included. To reduce research bias two independent reviewers will perform title, abstract, and full article screening in parallel. Data extraction from the selected studies will be conducted by two independent reviewers. NVivo version 12 software will be used to assist with the extraction of relevant answers to the study questions from selected studies using content thematic analysis. The results of this planned study will be presented following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). Mixed Methods Assessment Tool version 2018 will be used for quality appraisal of included studies.
Discussion: We anticipate that the proposed mapped evidence on Children living with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Africa will reveal indicators for early detection that would facilitate strategies for intervention. We are also anticipating that this systematic scoping review will reveal gaps that can be addressed to ensure context-sensitive interventions and identify caregiver burdens of children living with Autism. This will contribute to the reduction of a scarcity of literature on children living with Autism in Africa.
... Although a few children in the current sample had a confirmed ASD diagnosis (N = 10), this sample was too small to verify the study's findings on (sub-)clinical ASD traits. The low rate of confirmed ASD in our study corresponds to existing reports on ASD prevalence in the Netherlands [72,73]. Therefore, we cannot generalize the findings to children with clinical ASD. ...
Background
Children with autism have difficulties in understanding relationships, yet little is known about the levels of autistic traits with regard to peer relationships. This study examined the association between autistic traits and peer relationships. Additionally, we examined whether the expected negative association is more pronounced in children with a lower non-verbal IQ and in those who exhibit more externalizing problems.
Method
Data were collected in a large prospective birth cohort of the Generation R Study (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) for which nearly 10,000 pregnant mothers were recruited between 2002 and 2006. Follow up data collection is still currently ongoing. Information on peer relationships was collected with PEERS application, an interactive computerized task ( M = 7.8 years). Autistic traits were assessed among general primary school children by using the Social Responsiveness Scale ( M = 6.1 years). Information was available for 1580 children.
Result
Higher levels of autistic traits predicted lower peer acceptance and higher peer rejection. The interaction of autistic traits with externalizing problems (but not with non-verbal IQ or sex) was significant: only among children with low externalizing problems, a higher level of autistic traits predicted less peer acceptance and more peer rejection. Among children exhibiting high externalizing problems, a poor peer acceptance and high level of rejection is seen independently of the level of autistic traits.
Conclusion
We conclude that autistic traits—including traits that do not classify as severe enough for a clinical diagnosis—as well as externalizing problems negatively impact young children’s peer relationships. This suggests that children with these traits may benefit from careful monitoring and interventions focused at improving peer relationships.
... A recent study shows over 50 studies from 21 countries reveal that prevalence rates of autism or Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) among children are on rising [5]. Over the past decade, estimates of increases between 50% to over 2000% in cases of Autistic Disorder diagnoses have been charted, studied and discussed worldwide [6]. ...
Background: Early detection and intervention of children living with Autism Spectrum Disorders have shown a great improvement of the child's behaviour, predominantly in language and motor skills development. We are proposing to conduct a systematic scoping review that will map all evidence available on children living with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Africa.
Methods and analysis: This study will be guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s framework of scoping reviews. A comprehensive literature search will be done in the following electronic databases. Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Science Direct, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE, Health Sources, and Google Scholar. Primary studies, published in peer-reviewed journals and grey literature such as unpublished studies, studies in press and Theses that address our research question will be included. To reduce research bias two independent reviewers will perform title, abstract, and full article screening in parallel. Data extraction from the selected studies will be conducted by two independent reviewers. NVivo version 12 software will be used to assist with the extraction of relevant answers to the study questions from selected studies using content thematic analysis. The results for this planned study will be presented following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Extension for Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR). Mixed Methods Assessment Tool version 2018 will be used for quality appraisal of included studies.
Discussion: We anticipate that the proposed mapped evidence on Children living with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Africa will reveal indicators for early detection that would facilitate strategies for intervention. We are also anticipating that this systematic scoping review will reveal gaps that can be addressed to ensure context-sensitive interventions and identify caregiver burdens of children living with Autism. This will contribute to the reduction of a scarcity of literature on children living with Autism in Africa.
... Uno de los trastornos más similares al TEL en edades tempranas es el Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA), caracterizado por dificultades persistentes en la comunicación e interacción social y un repertorio restringido y repetitivo de actividades e intereses (APA, 2014; Autism Europe [AE], 2015; Charman & Baird, 2002;OMS, 2001). Al contrario de lo que ocurre en TEL, existen numerosos estudios de prevalencia en población con TEA, estimándose una proporción del 1 % a nivel global (AE, 2015;Málaga et al., 2019;Özerk, 2017). ...
... Factores como la severidad del trastorno (Goodwin et al., 2017;Martos & Ayuda, 2004;Zablotsky et al., 2017) o determinadas características sociodemográficas (Mandell et al., 2005) favorecen el diagnóstico temprano, ya que permiten detectar anomalías del desarrollo con mayor antelación. Los primeros diagnósticos de sospecha son de gran utilidad, ya que conducen al inicio temprano de la intervención, lo cual se relaciona con un mejor pronóstico de la evolución (Bennett et al., 2014;Bishop, 2000;Charman & Baird, 2002;Eadie et al., 2014;Mandell et al., 2005;Martos & Ayuda, 2004;Nicholas et al., 2009;Özerk, 2017;Reilly et al., 2014;Zablotsky et al., 2017). Sin embargo, en estas primeras etapas la estabilidad del diagnóstico es menor, siendo posible que este evolucione hacia perfiles distintos (Charman & Baird, 2002 (Eadie et al., 2014) o los juicios clínicos basados en el uso de distintas fuentes de información (Charman & Baird, 2002) repercuten en la estabilidad del diagnóstico conduciendo, en ocasiones, a un fenómeno conocido como migración diagnóstica. ...
... El término 'migración diagnóstica' surgió para referirse al cambio de diagnóstico en algunos individuos que en el momento del diagnóstico inicial son incluidos en una categoría diagnóstica, pero con el paso del tiempo cumplen los criterios de otra, ya sea por cambios en los criterios de clasificación, los métodos y procedimientos de evaluación, o por las características individuales del sujeto y del trastorno (Cardinal & Griffiths, 2016;Özerk, 2017). Otros autores se refieren al mismo fenómeno como 'sustitución diagnóstica' (King & Bearman, 2009). ...
Trastorno específico del lenguaje (TEL) y trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) son trastornos del neurodesarrollo muy similares a edades tempranas, lo que dificulta el diagnóstico diferencial temprano. El fenómeno ‘migración diagnóstica’ alude al cambio diagnóstico por evolución del trastorno o modificación de criterios diagnósticos, instrumentos o técnicas de evaluación. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar la incidencia y el impacto del fenómeno en los centros de atención infantil temprana (CAITs) de la provincia de Córdoba. A través de un cuestionario en formato online habilitado desde marzo a mayo de 2020, los responsables de los CAITs proporcionaron datos cuantitativos sobre este fenómeno y su valoración del impacto en la intervención, el pronóstico y las familias de población infantil de 0 a 6 años. Diez CAITs con financiación pública respondieron al cuestionario. Los resultados arrojaron una alta incidencia del fenómeno migración diagnóstica, principalmente desde TEA hacia TEL. También se observó una diferencia significativa en el número de casos diagnosticados en ambos trastornos, siendo TEA el diagnóstico mayoritario. El impacto de este fenómeno sobre el pronóstico del niño y la familia se estimó positivo, ya que generalmente suponía una evolución hacia un trastorno más leve. Estos resultados ofrecen una aproximación hacia un tema de importancia y escasa investigación hasta la fecha. Continuar esta línea de investigación ampliando la muestra de centros, la información sociodemográfica de los mismos e incluyendo la perspectiva de las familias mejoraría el conocimiento de estos trastornos y favorecería la práctica clínica en el ámbito de la atención temprana.
