| 1. |
- Gustafsson, Lennart
(författare)
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Excessive lateral feedback synaptic inhibition may cause autistic characteristics
- 1997
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Ingår i: Journal of autism and developmental disorders. - 0162-3257 .- 1573-3432. ; 27:2, s. 219-223
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Reviews the existence of abnormalities of perception in autism and argues that cortical maps for feature recognition are impaired in autistic individuals. Suitably chosen artificial neural networks are mathematical models of individual neurons and their connections, albeit simplified in several ways. Computer simulations of these models may yield insights into the impairments of the brain. A self-organizing map constitutes a structure which upon training becomes sensitive to features in the stimuli. Successful development of a feature map demands proper lateral feedback. If the inhibitory component is strong the neural columns become narrowly focused, that is, variability in the different features is not accepted if features are to be recognized. If the inhibitory component becomes excessive, feature maps will not develop. The author states that narrowly focused or undeveloped feature maps have relevance in explaining autism.
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| 2. |
- Heimann, Mikael, 1951-, et al.
(författare)
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Increasing reading and communication skills in children with autism through an interactive multimedia computer program.
- 1995
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Ingår i: Journal of autism and developmental disorders. - : Springer. - 0162-3257 .- 1573-3432. ; 25:5, s. 459-80
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This paper reports on the effect of using an interactive and child-initiated microcomputer program (Alpha) when teaching three groups of children (N = 30) reading and communications skills: (a) 11 children with autism (M chronological age, CA = 9:4 years), (b) 9 children with mixed handicaps (M CA = 13:1), and (c) 10 normal preschool children (M CA = 6:4 years). Their mental age varied from 5:8 years to 6:9 years and all children received computer instruction supplementary to their regular reading and writing activities. Tests of reading and phonological development were carried out at the onset of the training (Start), at the end (Post 1), and at a follow-up evaluation (Post 2). In addition, video observations of the childrens' verbal and nonverbal communication were added at Start and Post 1. The children with autism increased both their word reading and their phonological awareness through the use of the Alpha program. Clearly significant gains were observed during the intervention, but none during the follow-up period. A similar but weaker pattern is observed for the children with mixed handicaps. In contrast, the normal preschool children increased their scores regardless of the program. Analyses of the children's classroom behavior indicate that the intervention succeeded in stimulating verbal expressions among the children with autism and mixed handicap. A significant increase in enjoyment was also noted for the children with autism. It is concluded that the intervention with a motivating multimedia program might stimulate reading and communication in children with various developmental disabilities, but that such interventions must be individually based and include both detailed planning and monitoring from teachers, and parents, as well as from clinicians in charge.
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| 3. |
- Ehlers, Stephan, et al.
(författare)
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A screening questionnaire for Asperger syndrome and other high-functioning autism spectrum disorders in school age children
- 1999
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Ingår i: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. - 0162-3257. ; 29:2, s. 129-141
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The high-functioning Autism Spectrum Screening Questionnaire (ASSQ) is a 27-item check- list for completion by lay informants when assessing symptoms characteristic of Asperger syn- drome and other high-functioning autism spectrum disorders in children and adolescents with normal intelligence or mild mental retardation. Data for parent and teacher ratings in a clini- cal sample are presented along with various measures of reliability and validity. Optimal cut- off scores were estimated, using Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis. Findings indi- cate that the ASSQ is a useful brief screening device for the identification of autism spectrum disorders in clinical settings.
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| 4. |
- Gillberg, Christopher, 1950
(författare)
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Chromosomal disorders and autism
- 1998
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Ingår i: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. - 0162-3257. ; 28:5, s. 415-425
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many cases of autism appear to be caused by several abnormal genes acting in concert. The literature on chromosomal aberrations in autism is reviewed, with a view to finding potential gene markers for the neuropsychiatric disorder. Most of the chromosomes have been implicated in the genesis of autism. However, aberrations on the long arm of Chromosome 15 and numerical and structural abnormalities of the sex chromosomes have been most frequently reported. These chromosomes appear to hold particular promise in the search for candidate genes.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
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| 7. |
- Rosenhall, U, et al.
(författare)
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Autism and hearing loss
- 1999
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Ingår i: Journal of autism and developmental disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0162-3257. ; 29:5, s. 349-357
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
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| 8. |
- Viviann, Nordin, et al.
(författare)
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The Swedish version of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale in a clinical setting.
- 1998
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Ingår i: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. - 0162-3257. ; 28:1, s. 69-75
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS) is an instrument for screening and diagnosis of autism. The present study was performed to assess the interrater reliability of a Swedish version of the CARS when used in a clinical setting. The procedure used mimicked a frequent form of consultation in neuropsychiatry and pediatric neurology. During a restricted time period, both an interview with the parents and observation of the child take place. Often this assessment is an important screening procedure and directs further investigation. CARS was used for rating autistic behavior by two investigators in 25 children. A variant of the weighted kappa statistic (correcting for chance and for degrees of disagreement) showed values between .53 and .75 (indicating fair to excellent agreement). Aspects of validity and reliability are discussed.
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| 9. |
- Zappella, Michele, et al.
(författare)
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The preserved speech variant: a subgroup of the Rett complex: a clinical report of 30 cases
- 1998
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Ingår i: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. - 0162-3257. ; 28:6, s. 519-526
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thirty girls and young women, 6 from Sweden and 24 from Italy, are described in this paper. They ranged in age from 5 through 28 years. All but one of the cases met full symptom criteria for DSM-IV autistic disorder. However, they also showed many features of classic Rett syndrome (RS) as outlined by the Rett syndrome Diagnostic Criteria Work Group. All met the required 3 out of 6 main criteria and 47% also met both these and the required 5 out of 11 supportive criteria for RS variants as outlined by Hagberg. The course of the disorder was more benign than in classic RS, but all the girls were severely functionally impaired. There was familial clustering in a subgroup. It is concluded that these 30 cases represent a syndrome, similar and probably related, to classic RS. It is suggested that there is a spectrum of syndromes ranging from severe cases with classical presentation to considerably milder variants. We propose that, at the present state of knowledge, these conditions might be best categorized as subgroups of the "Rett Complex," in which classical RS and the preserved speech variant may be the most frequent.
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