| 1. |
- Alarifi, Hana, et al.
(författare)
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Machine learning for distinguishing saudi children with and without autism via eye-tracking data
- 2023
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Ingår i: CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY AND MENTAL HEALTH. - 1753-2000. ; 17:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BackgroundDespite the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) globally, there's a knowledge gap pertaining to autism in Arabic nations. Recognizing the need for validated biomarkers for ASD, our study leverages eye-tracking technology to understand gaze patterns associated with ASD, focusing on joint attention (JA) and atypical gaze patterns during face perception. While previous studies typically evaluate a single eye-tracking metric, our research combines multiple metrics to capture the multidimensional nature of autism, focusing on dwell times on eyes, left facial side, and joint attention.MethodsWe recorded data from 104 participants (41 neurotypical, mean age: 8.21 +/- 4.12 years; 63 with ASD, mean age 8 +/- 3.89 years). The data collection consisted of a series of visual stimuli of cartoon faces of humans and animals, presented to the participants in a controlled environment. During each stimulus, the eye movements of the participants were recorded and analyzed, extracting metrics such as time to first fixation and dwell time. We then used these data to train a number of machine learning classification algorithms, to determine if these biomarkers can be used to diagnose ASD.ResultsWe found no significant difference in eye-dwell time between autistic and control groups on human or animal eyes. However, autistic individuals focused less on the left side of both human and animal faces, indicating reduced left visual field (LVF) bias. They also showed slower response times and shorter dwell times on congruent objects during joint attention (JA) tasks, indicating diminished reflexive joint attention. No significant difference was found in time spent on incongruent objects during JA tasks. These results suggest potential eye-tracking biomarkers for autism. The best-performing algorithm was the random forest one, which achieved accuracy = 0.76 +/- 0.08, precision = 0.78 +/- 0.13, recall = 0.84 +/- 0.07, and F1 = 0.80 +/- 0.09.ConclusionsAlthough the autism group displayed notable differences in reflexive joint attention and left visual field bias, the dwell time on eyes was not significantly different. Nevertheless, the machine algorithm model trained on these data proved effective at diagnosing ASD, showing the potential of these biomarkers. Our study shows promising results and opens up potential for further exploration in this under-researched geographical context.
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| 2. |
- Andreén, Lisa, et al.
(författare)
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Developing tolerance to eye contact in autism: A feasibility study with adults using behavioral, interview, and psychophysiological data
- 2021
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Ingår i: Psychology of Language and Communication. - : University of Warsaw. - 1234-2238 .- 2083-8506. ; 25:1, s. 240-263
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many individuals with autism report that eye contact makes them stressed or uncomfortable. Besides expressing their right to respect for neurodiverse ways of nonverbal communication, some autistic individuals also express the wish to improve their capacity to tolerate eye contact. In the current study, five autistic adults completed a 21-to 28-day computerized program that combines psychoeducation with graduated exposure to eye contact through photos. Interview data, questionnaires, gaze patterns, and psychophysiological measures indexing stress and arousal (pupillary and galvanic skin response levels) were collected to monitor and evaluate outcomes. At intake, discomfort resulting from eye contact in everyday life was described as overwhelming and multifaceted. Post-training data showed that observed increases in eye contact were not happening at the expense of heightened arousal. These results provide information about the (complex) nature of eye gaze discomfort in autism while pointing toward promising techniques to increase discomfort tolerance. © 2021 Lisa Andreén et al., published by Sciendo.
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| 3. |
- Backman, Ellen, PhD, 1981-, et al.
(författare)
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Parental perceptions of social life before and after attending a parent training program for children with complex communication needs: the ComAlong example
- 2024
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Ingår i: Augmentative and Alternative Communication. - : Taylor & Francis. - 0743-4618 .- 1477-3848. ; 40:1, s. 46-56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Parent training programs aimed at improving language outcomes for children with complex communication needs have predominantly been evaluated on child-centered outcomes and less often on the impact on social life or parental well-being. This study examined parent perceptions of social life before and after ComAlong, a group intervention providing parents with knowledge and training in responsive communication, environmental-milieu teaching strategies and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Parents (N = 467) completed questionnaires during the first and last sessions of ComAlong groups held in Sweden 2012 to 2018. Main outcome measure was change in the Social Life Scale from the Family Impact Questionnaire. Associations between this measure and demographic factors of parents and children were analyzed, along with reported change in parents' use of AAC. Pre-post comparisons revealed small significant positive changes in perceived impact of social life following intervention. The magnitude of the positive change was larger among parents of children with non-syndromic diagnoses and parents of children with autism spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyper activity disorder (ADHD). Differences in social life impact was not associated with parents' gender, language proficiency, age, or educational background. In conclusion, communication-focused parent training programs can have a positive impact on social family life and may thereby influence children's participation.
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| 4. |
- Boström, Petra, 1972, et al.
(författare)
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Self-reported psychological wellbeing in adolescents: the role of intellectual/developmental disability and gender.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDR. - : Wiley. - 1365-2788 .- 0964-2633. ; 62:2, s. 83-93
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Wellbeing in Special Education Questionnaire was developed to assess subjective wellbeing in young persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) as this perspective is rarely included in research. The present study explored how ID/DD and gender are related to self-reported wellbeing among adolescents.Students with (n=110) or without (n=110) ID/DD, aged 12-16years, completed the Wellbeing in Special Education Questionnaire. Analyses of the effects of gender and disability status on peer relations and conflict, mental health, mental ill-health, school environment and family relations were carried out.The experiences of the school environment and of positive mental health aspects did not differ between students with and without ID/DD, but those with ID/DD reported more mental health problems and less positive experiences of peer relations and family. Generally, boys reported more positive experiences of school and less mental health problems than girls.Including the subjective perspective of young persons with ID/DD through self-reports can provide essential information about wellbeing that cannot be gained from proxy ratings. The results suggest both differences and similarities in self-reported wellbeing between boys and girls with and without ID/DD and potentially also in how they perceived the concepts measured.
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| 5. |
- Boström, Petra, 1972, et al.
(författare)
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Subjective Mental Health, Peer Relations, Family, and School Environment in Adolescents with Intellectual Developmental Disorder: A First Report of a New Questionnaire Administered on Tablet PCs
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1931-5864 .- 1931-5872. ; 9:4, s. 207-231
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Few studies have explored the subjective mental health of adolescents with intellectual disabilities, while proxy ratings indicate an overrepresentation of mental health problems. The present study reports on the design and an initial empirical evaluation of the Well-being in Special Education Questionnaire (WellSEQ). Questions, response scales, and an application for tablet PCs were developed in cooperation with students and teachers in special education schools. One hundred and thirteen students (age 12-16) and their parents and teachers participated. Positive results in terms of test-retest reliability, internal consistency of scales, and response rates were obtained. Level of reading appeared to affect the students' understanding of items. Teachers' and parents' ratings on the WellSEQ correlated well with established measures. Correlations between proxy ratings and students' reports varied. The questionnaire and technology of WellSEQ may enable students with IDD to participate independently in research with good completion rates and reliable responding.
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| 6. |
- Brimo, Katarzyna, et al.
(författare)
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The co-occurrence of neurodevelopmental problems in dyslexia
- 2021
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Ingår i: Dyslexia. - : Wiley. - 1076-9242 .- 1099-0909. ; 27:3, s. 277-293
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The primary aim of this study was to explore the overlaps between dyslexia and a range of neurodevelopmental disorders and problems (NDPs), specifically symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, atypical sensory perception and developmental coordination disorder. Capitalizing on a population-based sample of twins, secondary aims included estimating the heritability of dyslexia and reporting on the measurement characteristics of the scale used to assess dyslexia. A telephone interview regarding symptoms of dyslexia and other NDPs was conducted with parents of 1,688 nine-year-old twins. The prevalence and the heritability of dyslexia were estimated at 8 and 52%, respectively. The boy: girl ratio was 1.5:1. Results revealed that there was more than an eightfold increase in (diagnostic proxy) NDPs prevalence in the dyslexia group as compared to typical readers. Quantitatively measured symptoms of inattention, oral language problems and atypical sensory perception significantly predicted dyslexia status in a multivariate analysis. By contrast, ASD-related inflexibility was inversely associated with dyslexia in the multivariate model. In sum, dyslexia often overlaps with other NDPs. The current study provides new knowledge supporting the position to move beyond isolated diagnostic categories into behavioural profiles of co-occurring problems when trying to understand the pattern of strengths and needs in individuals with dyslexia.
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| 7. |
- Carlsson, Emilia, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Assessing False-Belief Understanding in Children with Autism Using a Computer Application: A Pilot Study.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of psycholinguistic research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-6555 .- 0090-6905. ; 47:5, s. 1085-1099
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We have developed a False-Belief (FB) understanding task for use on a computer tablet, trying to assess FB understanding in a less social way. It is based on classical FB protocols, and additionally includes a manipulation of language in an attempt to explore the facilitating effect of linguistic support during FB processing. Specifically, the FB task was presented in three auditory conditions: narrative, silent, and interference. The task was assumed to shed new light on the FB difficulties often observed in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Sixty-eight children with ASD (M=7.5years) and an age matched comparison group with 98 typically developing (TD) children were assessed with the FB task. The children with ASD did not perform above chance level in any condition, and significant differences in success rates were found between the groups in two conditions (silent and narrative), with TD children performing better. We discuss implications, limitations, and further developments.
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| 8. |
- Carlsson, Emilia, 1983, et al.
(författare)
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Narrative Skills in Primary School Children with Autism in Relation to Language and Nonverbal Temporal Sequencing
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Psycholinguistic Research. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0090-6905 .- 1573-6555. ; 49, s. 475-489
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent research has suggested that temporal sequencing of narrative events might be a domain-general ability that underlies oral narrative capacities. The current study investigated this issue in a group of children with known pragmatic and narrative difficulties, namely Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We hypothesized (1) that children with ASD (n = 45) would retell narratives of poorer quality than both chronological age-matched (CAM) children and younger children matched on sentence-level language skills (LM), and (2) that nonverbal temporal sequencing skills would uniquely predict individual differences in oral narrative performance in children with ASD. The results show that children with ASD performed poorer on all measures of oral narrative quality compared with the CAM group, and on eight of ten measures compared with the LM group. Thus, our first hypothesis was confirmed, suggesting that narrative difficulties in ASD cannot be fully explained by impaired language. The second hypothesis was only partly confirmed: nonverbal temporal sequencing explained significant or marginally significant variance in some, but not all, aspects of oral narrative performance of children with ASD. These results are discussed from theoretical and clinical/educational perspectives, in relation to the heterogeneity of language skills in ASD and to domain-general features of narrative processing.
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| 9. |
- Cedergren, Katarina, et al.
(författare)
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Monitoring medication response in ADHD: what can continuous performance tests tell us?
- 2022
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Ingår i: European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0940-1334 .- 1433-8491. ; 272:2, s. 291-299
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Documenting effectiveness of ADHD medication is essential throughout the course of treatment. A rating scale and a continuous performance test (CPT) with motion tracking were used to study the effect of ADHD medication including compliance during one year. Children (N = 78, age 6-18 years) with ADHD were tested with the QbTest at baseline, visit 1 (1 month after baseline) and visit 5 (12 months after baseline). The ADHD-Rating scale was rated by investigator interview at the same visits. QbTest results and ADHD-RS ratings showed reductions in symptoms on all cardinal parameters of the QbTest and on all ADHD-RS subscales between baseline and 1 month and between baseline and 12 months. There was a weak but significant correlation between the total change scores on the two measures from baseline to 1 month. Eighteen participants dropped out of the study before visit 5; at baseline, these children showed significantly lower results on the inattention parameter of the QbTest, with faster reaction time and lower variation in reaction time, suggesting they suffered less problems with inattention. Both the QbTest and the ADHD-RS showed robust ADHD symptom improvements indicative of medication effect, and the QbTest results might also predict non-compliance of medication. Further research is warranted to increase knowledge about reliable monitoring of long-term medication and compliance.
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| 10. |
- Eldblom, Julia, et al.
(författare)
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Word reading, vocabulary, and mental health problems in adolescent girls and boys with intellectual and developmental disabilities
- 2021
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Ingår i: International Journal of Developmental Disabilities. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2047-3869 .- 2047-3877. ; 67:2, s. 131-139
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Reading difficulties are linked to several disadvantages in the general population. Less is known about correlates of reading difficulties in individuals with intellectual and severe developmental disabilities (IDD). Vocabulary and word reading were assessed in 112 adolescents with IDD, recruited from Special needs comprehensive schools in Sweden (grundsarskolor in Swedish). Proxy-ratings of mental health were collected from teachers and parents for a subset of the participants. Relationships between all measures were investigated. Reading and vocabulary were poorly developed in both groups and significantly associated. While mental health problems were common, there were no significant associations with word reading or with vocabulary knowledge. Thus, the study did not confirm an association between reading difficulties and mental health problems in adolescents with IDD. Still, the frequency of mental health problems and the low reading abilities point to the need for further intervention for adolescents with IDD.
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