| 1. |
- Miniscalco, Carmela, 1963, et al.
(författare)
-
Imitation (rather than core language) predicts pragmatic development in young children with ASD: a preliminary longitudinal study using CDI parental reports
- 2014
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders. - : Wiley. - 1368-2822. ; 49:3, s. 369-375
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Research in the last decades has clearly pointed to the important role of language and communicative level when trying to understand developmental trajectories in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Aims: The purpose of this longitudinal study was to investigate whether (1) core language skills, measured as expressive vocabulary and grammar, and/or (2) pre-linguistic social-communicative skills, including gestures and imitation abilities, drive pragmatic language development in young children with ASD. Methods & Procedures: We examined correlates and longitudinal predictors of pragmatic growth in a sample of 34 children with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD), whose parents were given parts of twoMacArthur Communicative Developmental Inventories (CDI: Words & Gestures and CDI: Words & Sentences) for completion at two time points (at time 1 the mean child age was 41 months, and at time 2 it was 54 months). A novel feature in this study is that the relevant parts from both CDI forms were included at both time points, allowing us to examine whether pre-linguistic social-communication skills (e.g. imitation and gesturing) and/or core language skills (i.e. grammar and vocabulary) predict pragmatic language growth. Outcomes & Results: The results show that basically all pre-linguistic, linguistic and pragmatic skills were associated concurrently. When controlling for possible confounders and for the autoregressive effect, imitation skills predicted pragmatic growth over time, whereas core language did not. This could only have been shown by the use of both CDI forms. Conclusions & Implications: This preliminary study may be of both conceptual and methodological importance for research in the field of language and communication development in ASD. Imitation may play a pivotal role in the development of subsequent conversational pragmatic abilities in young children with ASD. Future research should be directed at unravelling the mechanisms underlying this association.
|
|
| 2. |
- Ulf, Rosenhall, et al.
(författare)
-
Autism and auditory brain stem responses.
- 2003
-
Ingår i: Ear and Hearing. - 0196-0202 .- 1538-4667. ; 24:3, s. 206-214
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: To study a controversy that has been discussed for more than two decades: whether or not children with autism have abnormalities affecting the cochlear nerve or the auditory pathway in the brain stem and, if so, to describe these abnormalities. DESIGN: A group of 153 children and adolescents with autistic disorder were included in an investigation of auditory brain stem responses (ABR). Two thirds of this group, 101 individuals (75 boys, 26 girls), had normal hearing and they were selected for an in-depth ABR study. The results from the study group were compared with those of an age-matched comparison group. RESULTS: The III-V interpeak latency (IPL) was significantly prolonged in both boys and girls with autism, compared with the controls. The latencies of ABR waves I and V were also significantly lengthened in the study groups. The individual test results showed that more than half of this normal-hearing autistic disorder group (58%) had abnormalities of one or more of eight ABR parameters studied. The most common abnormalities were prolongation of wave V (38%), and of I-V IPL (28%). A lengthening of the I-V IPL was also recorded in 27% of 49 children who were difficult to test or who had hearing loss. Abnormal left-right differences of ABR latencies were found in 18% of autism cases with normal hearing. CONCLUSIONS: Possible causes of the reported ABR abnormalities, observed here as well as in other studies, are discussed. Brain stem lesion, occult cochlear dysfunction, and involvement of the cochlear efferent system are probable factors that can explain the ABR findings
|
|
| 3. |
- Johnson, Mats, 1956, et al.
(författare)
-
Omega 3/6 fatty acids for reading in children: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 9-year-old mainstream schoolchildren in Sweden
- 2017
-
Ingår i: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines. - : Wiley. - 0021-9630 .- 1469-7610. ; 58:1, s. 83-93
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background Previous research has shown positive effects of Omega 3/6 fatty acids in children with inattention and reading difficulties. We aimed to investigate if Omega 3/6 improved reading ability in mainstream schoolchildren. Methods We performed a 3-month parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial followed by 3-month active treatment for all subjects. Mainstream schoolchildren aged 9–10 years were randomized 1:1 to receive three Omega 3/6 capsules twice daily or identical placebo. Assessments were made at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. The primary outcome measure was the Logos test battery for evaluating reading abilities. The trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02557477. Results The study enrolled 154 children (active n = 78; placebo n = 76), of whom 122 completed the first 3 months (active n = 64; placebo n = 58) and 105 completed the whole study (active/active n = 55; placebo/active n = 50). Outcomes were assessed by per protocol (PP) and intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses. Active treatment was superior to placebo at 3 months for improvement in phonologic decoding time (PP active/placebo difference −0.16; 95% CI −0.03, −0.29; effect size (ES) .44; p = .005; and ITT ES .37; p = .036), in visual analysis time (PP active/placebo difference −0.19; 95% CI −0.05, −0.33; ES .49; p = .013; and ITT ES .40; p = .01), and for boys in phonologic decoding time (PP −0.22; 95% CI −0.03, −0.41; ES .62; p = .004). Children with ADHD-RS scores above the median showed treatment benefits in visual analysis time (PP ES .8, p = .009), reading speed per word (PP ES .61, p = .008), and phonologic decoding time per word (PP ES .85, p = .006). Adverse events were rare and mild, mainly stomach pain/diarrhea (active n = 9, placebo n = 2). Conclusions Compared with placebo, 3 months of Omega 3/6 treatment improved reading ability – specifically the clinically relevant ‘phonologic decoding time’ and ‘visual analysis time’ – in mainstream schoolchildren. In particular, children with attention problems showed treatment benefits.
|
|
| 4. |
- Kopp, Svenny, 1948, et al.
(författare)
-
Girls With Social and/or Attention Deficit Re-Examined in Young Adulthood: Prospective Study of Diagnostic Stability, Daily Life Functioning and Social Situation
- 2023
-
Ingår i: Journal of Attention Disorders. - : SAGE Publications. - 1087-0547 .- 1557-1246. ; 27:8, s. 830-846
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: Investigate diagnostic stability, daily life functioning and social situation in women diagnosed with ADHD and/or ASD in childhood. Methods: Prospective 17 to 20-year follow-up study of 100 girls of whom 92 diagnosed in childhood with main DSM-IV ADHD or ASD, and 60 comparison girls. Ninety and 54 of these women were examined (M = 27, 4 years old) with semi-structured interviews and questionnaires, close relatives were interviewed. Results: At follow-up, 89% of women with ADHD or ASD in childhood still met the criteria for either of these diagnoses. Very few women were “in remission.” In 34% the main diagnosis shifted from ADHD to ASD. Women with ADHD and ASD had significantly more disability and unfavorable social situation than comparison women. Conclusion: Women with ADHD and/or ASD in childhood had impairing problems 17 to 20 years later. Early ADHD changed to ASD in adulthood in some cases. Nearly all with ASD met criteria for ADHD as adults.
|
|
| 5. |
- Nylander, Lena, et al.
(författare)
-
Older Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders in Sweden : A Register Study of Diagnoses, Psychiatric Care Utilization and Psychotropic Medication of 601 Individuals
- 2018
-
Ingår i: Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0162-3257 .- 1573-3432. ; 48:9, s. 3076-3085
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In a Swedish sample of persons eligible for disability services and aged 55 years or older in 2012, persons (n = 601) with autism spectrum disorder diagnoses registered in specialist care were identified. Register data concerning diagnoses of other psychiatric disorders, psychiatric care, and psychiatric medication were reviewed. More than 60% had been in contact with psychiatric care. The majority had no intellectual disability (ID) diagnosis recorded during the study period. Apart from ID, affective disorders, anxiety and psychotic disorders were most commonly registered; alcohol/substance abuse disorders were uncommon. Psychotropic drug prescriptions were very common, especially in the ID group. Professionals need awareness of this vulnerable group; studies concerning their life circumstances and service requirements should be conducted.
|
|
| 6. |
|
|
| 7. |
- Berkowitz, Staci A., et al.
(författare)
-
Childhood body mass index in adolescent-onset anorexia nervosa
- 2016
-
Ingår i: International Journal of Eating Disorders. - : Wiley. - 1098-108X .- 0276-3478. ; 49:11, s. 1002-1009
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: Although weight history is relevant in predicting eating disorder symptom severity, little is known about its role in the etiology of anorexia nervosa (AN). This study aimed to determine whether BMI or BMI trajectory differed between individuals who later developed adolescent-onset AN and a comparison group of HCs between school grades 1 through 6.METHOD: This study was based on longitudinal data that identified 51 adolescents with AN and 51 matched HCs. Cases were identified through community screening in Sweden and included individuals born in 1969 through 1977. Measured weights and heights were retrieved and BMIs and weight trajectories of the AN and HC groups were compared using growth curve analysis. Main outcome measures included measured BMI and BMI trajectories from grades 1-6. Secondary outcomes examined included ponderal index at birth and maternal body weight.RESULTS: Individuals who later developed AN had higher BMIs than HCs between grades 1 and 6, by an average of 1.42 BMI-units. There was no difference in rate of weight gain between groups. Ponderal index at birth was higher for the AN as compared with HC group. Maternal weight did not differ significantly between groups.DISCUSSION: These findings, combined with those previously reported on the premorbid BMIs of those with bulimia nervosa, suggest that a predisposition toward elevated premorbid BMIs during childhood characterizes those who later develop anorexia or bulimia nervosa. These findings are consistent with a transdiagnostic perspective and suggest shared risk factors for AN and obesity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.(Int J Eat Disord 2016).
|
|
| 8. |
- Cavonius-Rintahaka, Diana, et al.
(författare)
-
Dialogical Family Guidance (dfg)-Development and implementation of an intervention for families with a child with neurodevelopmental disorders
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Nursing Open. - : Wiley. - 2054-1058. ; 8:1, s. 17-28
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: To describe the development and implementation of a Dialogical Family Guidance (DFG) intervention, aimed at families with a child with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Design: The DFG components are presented and the content of a DFG training course. Professionals' experiences after the DFG training were evaluated. Methods: Dialogical Family Guidance development phases and implementation process are examined. The Revised Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence checklist (SQUIRE 2.0) was used to provide a framework for reporting new knowledge. Results: The DFG training course seemed to increase possibilities of a more independent role as a nurse to deliver the DFG family intervention. The project showed that the use of dialogue can be difficult for some professionals. Analysis of the questionnaire completed after DFG training reported a high level of satisfaction. DFG training offered a new approach to deliver knowledge and understanding to families using dialogue, including tailored psychoeducation and emotional and practical guidance.
|
|
| 9. |
- Dinkler, Lisa, et al.
(författare)
-
Development of a parent-reported screening tool for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID): Initial validation and prevalence in 4-7-year-old Japanese children
- 2022
-
Ingår i: Appetite. - : Elsevier BV. - 0195-6663. ; 168
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The prevalence of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in the general child population is still largely unknown and validated screening instruments are lacking. The aims of this study were (1) to investigate the prevalence of children screening positive for ARFID in a Japanese birth cohort using a newly developed parent-reported screening tool, (2) to estimate the prevalence of children with ARFID experiencing physical versus psychosocial consequences of their eating pattern, and (3) to provide preliminary evidence for the validity of the new screening tool. Data were collected from 3728 4-7-year-old children born between 2011 and 2014 in Kochi prefecture, Japan (response rate was 56.5%); a sub-sample of the Japan Environment and Children's Study (JECS). Parents completed a questionnaire including the ARFID screener and several other measures to assess convergent validity. The point prevalence of children screening positive for ARFID was 1.3%; half of them met criteria for ARFID based on psychosocial impairment alone, while the other half met diagnostic criteria relating to physical impairment (and additional psychosocial impairment in many cases). Sensory sensitivity to food characteristics (63%) and/or lack of interest in eating (51%) were the most prevalent drivers of food avoidance. Children screening positive for ARFID were lighter in weight and shorter in height, they showed more problem behaviors related to mealtimes and nutritional intake, and they were more often selective eaters and more responsive to satiety, which together provides preliminary support for the validity of the new screening tool. This is the largest screening study to date of ARFID in children up to 7 years. Future studies should examine the diagnostic validity of the new ARFID screener using clinically ascertained cases. Further research on ARFID prevalence in the general population is needed.
|
|
| 10. |
- Kaltenegger, Helena C., et al.
(författare)
-
Low prevalence of risk drinking in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum problems
- 2021
-
Ingår i: Addictive Behaviors. - : Elsevier BV. - 0306-4603 .- 1873-6327. ; 113
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- © 2020 Elsevier Ltd Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have high rates of “comorbidity”. Research on concurrent substance use (disorder) in ASD, however, is scarce and findings have been inconsistent. This study aims at assessing the prevalence of risk drinking in adolescent and young adult twins with and without autism spectrum problems. Data from a Swedish longitudinal nationwide twin study were analyzed. Across three age groups of 15- (N = 10,050), 18- (N = 7,931) and 24-year-olds (N = 2,882) prevalence rates of risk drinking were compared between twins with and without an ASD proxy diagnosis and between different ASD subgroups based on comorbid proxies for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or Learning Disorder (LD). ASD, ADHD, and LD were assessed using the Autism-Tics, ADHD, and other Comorbidities inventory (A-TAC), and risk drinking was captured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT; age 18 and 24) and another set of self-report questions (age 15). In each age group, the prevalence of risk drinking in ASD was lower than in individuals without ASD, yet increasing continuously with age. Exploratory subgroup ASD analyses showed a trend towards risk drinking being more common among individuals with co-existing ADHD or LD problems than among those without “comorbidity”, although sample sizes were too small to draw any certain conclusions. This study indicates low prevalence of risk drinking in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum problems and highlights the need for further research on alcohol use in individuals with ASD and comorbid disorders.
|
|
