Search

This study investigated sex and age differences in autistic behaviours in children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who scored within the clinical range on the Social Responsiveness Scale - Second Edition (T score ≥ 60). Thirty-four males and 28 females (3–16 years) were assessed with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule - Second Edition and Autism Diagnostic Interview - Revised. Across both measures, males exhibited greater social communication deficits relative to females. Age-related abatement of social communication difficulties was observed for males but not females. Conversely, no sex differences were found for restricted/repetitive behaviours, which were stable over time for both males and females. The findings are discussed within the context of broader neurodevelopmental considerations that are common in NF1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There is a paucity of effective long-term medication treatment for secondary dystonias. In situations where significantly impairing secondary dystonias fail to respond to typical enteral medications and intrathecal (or even intraventricular) baclofen, consideration should be given to the use of deep brain stimulation (DBS). While Level I evidence and long-term follow-up clearly demonstrate the efficacy of DBS for primary dystonia, the evidence for secondary dystonia remains mixed and unclear. In this study, we report our experience with pediatric subjects who have undergone DBS for secondary dystonia. Methods: We discuss the indications and outcomes of DBS procedures completed at our center. We also present a detailed discussion of the considerations in the management of these patients as well as a literature review. Results: Of the four cases retrospectively examined here, all subjects experienced reductions in the severity of their dystonia (ranging from 0 to 100% on both the Barry-Albright Dystonia (BAD) and Burke-Fahn-Marsden Dystonia Rating Scale-Motor (BFMDRS-M) scales). Conclusions: Pallidal DBS should be considered among children with functionally debilitating, medication-resistant secondary dystonia. Patients without fixed skeletal deformities who have experienced a short duration of symptoms are most likely to benefit from this intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) consistently report executive functioning (EF) deficits. This study investigates the factor structure of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) as reported by parents of children with ASD and typically developing children (TDC). BRIEFs for 411 children with ASD and 467 TDC were examined. Confirmatory factor analysis of a nine-factor model met thresholds for goodness-of-fit in TDC, but not in the ASD sample. We found globally elevated EF problems in the ASD sample, especially on the Shift scale. These findings confirm that children with ASD exhibit significant EF deficits. Further investigation is needed to understand the pervasive nature of cognitive inflexibility in children with ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated The Transporters, an animated series designed to enhance emotion comprehension in children with autism spectrum conditions (ASC). n = 20 children with ASC (aged 4–7) watched The Transporters everyday for 4 weeks. Participants were tested before and after intervention on emotional vocabulary and emotion recognition at three levels of generalization. Two matched control groups of children (ASC group, n = 18 and typically developing group, n = 18) were also assessed twice without any intervention. The intervention group improved significantly more than the clinical control group on all task levels, performing comparably to typical controls at Time 2. We conclude that using The Transporters significantly improves emotion recognition in children with ASC. Future research should evaluate the series’ effectiveness with lower-functioning individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

LEGO® therapy and the Social Use of Language Programme (SULP) were evaluated as social skills interventions for 6–11 year olds with high functioning autism and Asperger Syndrome. Children were matched on CA, IQ, and autistic symptoms before being randomly assigned to LEGO or SULP. Therapy occurred for 1 h/week over 18 weeks. A no-intervention control group was also assessed. Results showed that the LEGO therapy group improved more than the other groups on autism-specific social interaction scores (Gilliam Autism Rating Scale). Maladaptive behaviour decreased significantly more in the LEGO and SULP groups compared to the control group. There was a non-significant trend for SULP and LEGO groups to improve more than the no-intervention group in communication and socialisation skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]