Patterns of development in young children with autism (original) (raw)
Related papers
Psychology Research and Applications, 2021
The study describes the relationships between autistic symptomatology severity, developmental heterogeneity, and chronological age for a group of 62 Brazilian children with ASD (59 boys, 3 girls); average chronological age was 42 months and 8 days (SD = 17 months, 15 days). Assessments were carried out with the Social Cognitive Evaluation Battery (SCEB), a French psychological assessment tool currently being validated in Brazil, and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). Results indicated a negative correlation between developmental levels and intensity of autistic symptoms; a negative correlation between heterogeneity indices and developmental levels; and a positive correlation between heterogeneity indices and autistic symptomatology intensity. When comparing the group of younger children (less than 33 months) to the older children in the sample, the study demonstrates that early socio-emotional heterogeneity is a developmental marker in young children with ASD, and this findin...
Clinical and Developmental Profile of Children with Autism
Indian Journal of Child Health, 2017
Background: Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in reciprocal social interaction as well as communication and a restrictive repertoire of activities. Indian studies on this subject have been few. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess clinical characteristics of children with ASD in Indian scenario. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational survey in special schools involving diagnosed autistic children, and their parents using a pretested standardized questionnaire based on diagnostic and statistical manual IV criteria. Results: Males (n=25) outnumbered the females (n=11). Only 6 cases (16.7%) were diagnosed as autistic before 3 years of age. 39% cases were detected between ages of 3 and 4.11 years. 22% cases were diagnosed in each of 5-6.11 years and 7 years and above category. The must watch behavior characteristics that our study found were impaired eye to eye gaze, impaired peer relationships, poor facial expressions, language delay, lack of pretend play, and inflexible adherence to rituals. Conclusion: Clinicians should be educated and encouraged to make timely diagnosis of ASD so as to initiate early interventions for these children.
Measuring developmental outcomes in autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
Behavioral Development Bulletin, 2017
The purpose of the study was to generate a behavioral-developmental scale and see how well it predicted performance in the participants diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Forty-two children diagnosed with ASD were given a behavioraldevelopmental instrument, Autism Developmental Task Sequence (ADTS). The instrument was found to be a very good predictor of how developmentally difficult the task items were. The correlation between Order of Hierarhical Complexity (OHC) of the items and Rasch score was extremely strong, r(43) ϭ .892, p ϭ .000. The instrument was also found to be a very good predictor of performance. The mean stage of performance was M ϭ 4.26, SD ϭ 2.36. The age range and mean stage of performance of the sample did not line up with the age and stage distribution of normal population (Commons & Rodriguez, 1993). With the instrument, we were able to show the development sequence cross sectionally. This information is useful for knowing where to intervene and to measure effectiveness of intervention over a reasonable period.
Six Developmental Trajectories Characterize Children With Autism
PEDIATRICS, 2012
WHAT'S KNOWN ON THIS SUBJECT: Autism is widely considered a heterogeneous disorder in terms of etiology and phenotype. Although autism is usually a lifelong disorder, little is known about the rate or timing of how children develop regarding their communication and social functioning.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 2012
This prospective, longitudinal, study charted the developmental profiles of young children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) identified through routine developmental surveillance. 109 children with Autistic Disorder (AD), 'broader' ASD, and developmental and/or language delays (DD/LD) were assessed using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) at 12-months (n = 10 assessments), 18-months (n = 45 assessments), and 24-months (n = 99 assessments). The children with AD performed most poorly, overall, than the ASD and DD/LD groups on the MSEL. Furthermore, the children with AD/ ASD displayed an uneven cognitive profile, with poorer performance on verbal (particularly receptive language) relative to nonverbal skills. There was also evidence of developmental slowing in verbal skills from 18-to 24-months for children on the spectrum, especially those with AD. Given that the poor receptive, relative to expressive, language profile emerges very early in life for children with AD/ASD, this cognitive profile may serve as an additional red flag to social attention and communication deficits. Receptive language should therefore be stringently monitored in any developmental surveillance program for autism spectrum disorders in the second year of life.
The early development of autistic children
Journal of Autism and Childhood Schizophrenia, 1977
A sample of 74 young autistic children was selected and defined by direct observation of specific behaviors and clinical assessment of the presence or absence o f associated pathological conditions. Retrospective developmental data on these children and 38 age-matched normal children were gathered by means of a written inventory completed by the parents when the children were relatively young (mean age less than 4 years). The autistic children were reported to have had significant delays in the development of motor abilities, speech, communication, comprehension, and, to a lesser extent, perception during their 1st and 2nd years.
Two-Year Outcome of Preschool Children With Autism or Asperger's Syndrome
American Journal of Psychiatry, 2000
DSM-IV specifies that Asperger's disorder is a type of pervasive developmental disorder without clinically significant cognitive or language delay. There are no data, however, on the outcome of children with Asperger's disorder or on whether their outcome differs from that of children with autism. The objectives of this study were to compare the outcome of groups of children with these disorders over a period of 2 years on variables independent of the defining criteria and to identify variables that might account for these differences. All children 4-6 years of age who came for assessment or were currently in treatment at a pervasive developmental disorder service of one of several centers in a large geographic region were identified. Children who received a diagnosis of autism (N=46) or Asperger's syndrome (N=20) on the basis of a diagnostic interview and had an IQ in the nonretarded range were given a battery of cognitive, language, and behavioral tests. Families were contacted roughly 2 years after the date of their enrollment in the study, and many of the tests were readministered. Children with Asperger's syndrome had better social skills and fewer autistic symptoms 2 years after study enrollment than the children with autism. The differences in outcome could not be explained by initial differences in IQ and language abilities. Children with autism who had developed verbal fluency at follow-up were very similar to the children with Asperger's syndrome at study enrollment. Although the exact mechanism for the differences in outcome remain to be determined, it appears that Asperger's disorder and autism represent parallel but potentially overlapping developmental trajectories.
Differentiating the behavioural profile in autism and mental retardation and testing of a screener
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2004
In order to differentiate the behavioural profiles in autism and mental retardation and to crossvalidate a behavioural autism screen, 84 subjects with autism (64 males and 20 females) with a mean age of 10 years selected from a Swiss national survey were compared to a control group of 84 subjects matched by age and gender with mental retardation, but without autistic features. The behavioural profile was assessed using the Developmental Behaviour Checklist (DBC). The behavioural profile in autism, in contrast to mental retardation, was marked by higher scores in the domains of disruptive, self-absorbed, communication disturbed, anxious and autistic behaviour, and a higher total DBC score. Furthermore, a higher vulnerability for behavioural abnormalities became evident for females with autism. A recently proposed DBC-Autism Screen was cross-validated, and a slight extension of the screen led to even higher correct classification rates. It was concluded that the DBC is a suitable instrument for the assessment of the behavioural profile and for screening in autism