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Introduction Schizophrenia (SZ) and autism (ASD) have been historically considered as a related diagnostic category. Studies point to difficulties in comprehension of figurative language and a tendency to interpret it in a literal manner in both populations. Aims To examine idiom comprehension and pattern of hemispheric processing of idioms in SZ as compared to ASD. Methods Nineteen adults diagnosed with SZ, 24 adults diagnosed with ASD, and 22 typically developing (TD) adults participated in the study. The SZ and the ASD groups were matched by gender and verbal abilities. Participants performed a lexical decision task to either literally or idiomatically related target words presented to either the left or the right visual field using the divided visual field paradigm. Results First, although both SZ and ASD groups performed worse than TD, they demonstrated relatively unimpaired comprehension of idiomatic expressions. No significant difference in idiom comprehension was found between the SZ and the ASD groups. Second, adults with SZ demonstrated a similar pattern of hemispheric lateralization (i.e. right lateralization) as TD participants during the processing of the literal interpretations of idioms. In contrast to SZ and TD participants, ASD participants demonstrated a bilateral pattern of hemispheric processing. Conclusions Our findings suggest that brain lateralization is intact in adults with SZ but atypical in adults with ASD. The atypical hemispheric processing in addition to relatively unimpaired understanding of figurative language can point to a compensation mechanism in ASD. Thus, the current findings point to a different brain mechanism in each clinical group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diagnosis of intellectual disability (ID) may overshadow, or co-occur with, hearing impairment, but screening is frequently inaccessible due to various factors that prevent successful test execution. There is a pressing need for easily, locally administered hearing tests. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of the digit-in-noise (DIN) test, as well as three variations of it, as a hearing screening for individuals with mild to moderate ID. Additionally, we explored correlations between participant characteristics and cognitive-linguistic abilities, with DIN test performance., Method: Forty participants with ID aged 21-40 were recruited from two supported employment centres, 31 of whom met full inclusion criteria. Controls were 20 typically developed (TD) participants, aged 21-40. The original DIN test (DIN(3)) was administered, and those unable to recall the three digits were administered a version with two digits (DIN(2)). Participants unable to successfully complete DIN(3) or DIN(2) were administered versions with added visual and verbal performance feedback., Results: A significant difference in speech receptive threshold in noise (SRTn) between DIN(2) and DIN(3) was only present for the ID group. A moderate negative relationship between DIN(2) SRTn and vocabulary and a positive relationship with age was found for the ID group; no correlation was found with digit span or matrices. The DIN(2) SRTn was correlated with the average hearing level of pure tones measured by audiometry., Conclusions: Our findings highlight the DIN(2) as the most effective version, as its signal-to-noise ratio (SRTn) threshold was closest to the typically developed (TD) control group. This study is the first step towards developing a hearing screening test for individuals with ID who are at elevated risk of impairment and who have insufficient evaluation access. Our findings suggest that adults with mild to moderate ID can sufficiently perform the adapted DIN(2) as a hearing screening test., (© 2024 MENCAP and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Hearing impairment among adults with intellectual disability (ID) is notably prevalent yet frequently underdiagnosed due, in part, to the challenges associated with traditional hearing screening methods in this population. This study explores the effectiveness of the Digit-in-Noise (DIN) test as a viable alternative for hearing screening within natural settings and with familiar personnel. A total of 16 Hebrew-speaking adults with ID were recruited from supported employment programs, 10 of whom completed the study. The DIN test, which was administered in a daily environment using a simple digital device, evaluated the speech recognition threshold in noise. Results indicated that while some participants performed comparably to typically developing individuals, others showed varying levels of hearing thresholds, suggesting diverse auditory capabilities within the ID population. This pilot study confirms that the DIN test can be feasibly integrated into routine care settings, offering a friendly and accessible method for assessing hearing abilities in adults with ID. The findings advocate for the broader adoption of and potential modifications to the DIN Test to enhance its applicability and inclusiveness, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy and subsequent auditory care for this underserved population.

Purpose: Follow-up studies of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in early childhood that focus on friendship formation during adolescence are scarce. The present study focused on exploring characteristics possibly related to the ability to establish friendships during adolescence among children diagnosed with ASD in toddlerhood., Methods: The cohort included 43 participants who underwent comprehensive assessments during toddlerhood and adolescence. Participants were divided into two groups [Friendship(+)/Friendship(-)] based on (1) adolescent social insight as assessed by professionals and (2) parental and adolescent self-reports regarding having or not having friends. No differences in IQ, ASD symptoms, or adaptive behavior during early childhood were found between the two groups., Results: Different and better changes in social communication, adaptive socialization, and daily living skills were observed for the Friendship(+) group. Adolescents with ASD in the Friendship(+) group exhibited greater social independence. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder incidence, anxiety symptom severity, and placement in mainstream or special education classes did not differ between the two groups., Conclusion: This long-term study highlights that for children with ASD, longitudinal growth in social communication and adaptive functioning is possible, highly important for and related to the development of the complex ability to establish friendship., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Purpose: Only a few studies examined the longitudinal pattern of parent-teacher reports on autism severity and comorbidities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and yielded conflicting results. The study's aims were to compare parents and teachers' perception of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety symptoms severity in children with ASD, at the start (T1) and end (T2) of the school year, to assess changes in their perception over time and to examine correlations between their reports., Methods: The study included 73 participants, (M = 61), aged 2:10 - 7:6 years (M = 4:10, SD = 1:0), who attended ASD special education classes and were receiving intensive interventions. Parents and teachers completed measures of autism severity and ADHD and anxiety symptoms at T1 and T2., Results: Teachers, in comparison to parents, rated more severe social-communication impairments and inattention symptoms at T1, but not at T2. A significant improvement in teachers' ratings of autism and inattention symptoms severity was documented at T2. At both time points, parents reported more severe anxiety symptoms. Significant correlations between parents' and teachers' reports were noted for autism severity at T1 and T2, but not for inattention and anxiety symptoms severity., Conclusion: The study emphasizes the contribution of multiple perspectives for better collaboration between home and school environments. Obtaining accurate information from parents and teachers at the start of the school year may help to identify factors needed for better adjustment at school and to better address difficulties at home., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Concerns raised by parents regarding their child's development are compatible with the child's final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. A better understanding of the relationship between parental concerns and a final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is therefore critical. In the current study, we compared the frequencies of parental concerns related to DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder between pair-matched groups with and without a final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and determined which parental concerns predicted a final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The cohort included 80 participants (48-154 months of age, IQ > 70) assessed for a possible autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Parental concerns were retrieved from the free-description portion of the introductory questions of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and analyzed to assess whether they corresponded to any of the seven DSM-5 criteria for ASD. The two groups only differed in the frequency of parental concerns relating to deficits in social-emotional reciprocity. Parents of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder were four times as likely to report deficits in social-emotional reciprocity. This finding highlights the significance of parental concerns regarding deficits in social-emotional reciprocity in predicting a final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

The rising prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has increased awareness of the need for early diagnosis and intervention; however, not all children are diagnosed at preschool age. In the literature, findings regarding factors that may play a role in later diagnosis are inconsistent. Presence or absence of intellectual disability is a possible factor. This study aimed to identify factors associated with later diagnosis of ASD among children grouped according to low and high cognitive levels. Data of children who were previously diagnosed with ASD between 2002 and 2016 at a national autism center were analyzed. Better cognitive ability, having more siblings, and previous diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder were predictors of later diagnosis among the entire cohort. Children exhibiting lower cognitive levels (LC-ASD; DQ/IQ < 70; n = 209) were diagnosed much earlier. Among this group, later ASD diagnosis was predicted by poorer adaptive behavior, more severe restricted and repetitive behaviors, and previous diagnosis of epilepsy. In the higher cognitive level group (HC-ASD; DQ/IQ ≥ 70; n = 321), familial variables and more severe social impairments were predictors of later ASD diagnosis. Clinicians should be aware of variables that may affect ASD diagnostic age among children with varying cognitive abilities., (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with deficient comprehension of figurative language and, specifically, idioms. Theories ascribe this to deficits in specific abilities (e.g., Theory of Mind [ToM]; executive functions [EF]; general language skills), but no comprehensive theory has resulted. This study investigated the differential contribution of various abilities to idiom comprehension among children and adolescents with ASD compared to matched controls with typical development (TD). The TD group outperformed the ASD group in idiom comprehension. However, whereas EF predicted idiom comprehension in the TD group, vocabulary predicted idiom comprehension in the ASD group. Our findings emphasize the link between general language competence and figurative language comprehension in ASD and point to different processing mechanisms in each group.

Previous studies on adults with dyslexia (DYS) have indicated difficulties in the comprehension of figurative language. Using the divided visual field paradigm, the present study investigated the hemispheric processing of idioms among 22 adults with DYS and 21 regular reader (RR) adults. Participants performed a lexical decision task for a target word related to either a literal or a figurative interpretation of an idiom. The results show that whereas the RR group demonstrated a bilateral pattern of hemispheric processing of idiomatic meanings, the DYS group showed a right hemisphere (RH) advantage. Furthermore, both groups demonstrated the typical RH advantage in processing the literal meanings of idioms. Our findings indicate increased recruitment of the RH in dyslexia, probably due to differences in cerebral language areas or weaker LH semantic processing.

Studies focusing on the comprehension of figurative language among schizophrenia patients (SZ) reveal their difficulties comprehending such language and their tendency to interpret it literally. The present study investigated hemispheric processing and comprehension of irony in 16 SZ patients and 18 typically developing (TD) adults. Two experimental tasks were used: an online divided visual field experiment and an offline irony questionnaire. The results show an atypical reversal of hemispheric processing of irony in SZ patients as compared to TD adults. While the TD group demonstrated a right hemisphere advantage in processing irony, SZ patients demonstrated a left hemisphere advantage. Greater comprehension of irony was associated with decreased negative symptoms. In addition, under conditions that not involving a time restriction, the SZ patients' performance improved. Our findings reinforce those of previous studies suggesting that brain lateralization is atypical in SZ patients.

Previous studies on individuals with pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) have pointed to difficulties in comprehension of figurative language. Using the divided visual field paradigm, the present study examined hemispheric processing of idioms and irony in 23 adults with PDD and in 24 typically developing (TD) adults. The results show that adults with PDD were relatively unimpaired in understanding figurative language. While the TD group demonstrated a right hemisphere advantage in processing the non-salient meanings of idioms as well as the ironic endings of paragraphs, the PDD group processed these stimuli bilaterally. Our findings suggest that brain lateralization is atypical in adults with PDD. Successful performance along with bilateral brain activation suggests that the PDD group uses a compensation mechanism.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience difficulty in comprehending figurative language in general and irony in particular. The current study measured the effectiveness of a short-term intervention in enhancing the comprehension of irony. Twenty-nine adults with ASD and 22 typically developing (TD) adults participated in the study. Participants with ASD were randomly assigned to a study (intervention) or control (passive intervention) group. TD participants were also assigned to a passive intervention control group. The intervention improved comprehension of irony in the ASD group. Furthermore, responses to ironic and literal targets were similar within each hemisphere prior to the intervention within the ASD study group, but after the intervention responses lateralized to the right. Thus, following the intervention, participants with ASD demonstrated a pattern of hemispheric processing of ironic target words that resembled the pattern seen in the TD group prior to the intervention. Our findings suggest that an intervention that focuses on comprehension of irony improves performance of adults with ASD and affects the pattern of hemispheric processing of irony., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)