自闭症谱系障碍儿童早期脑结构发育异常及其神经机制

自闭症谱系障碍是儿童发育早期出现的一种神经发展性疾病。近年来,基于婴幼儿同胞研究范式的脑神经科学研究发现,自闭症儿童发育早期会出现皮层表面积加速增大、脑脊液异常增加和脑白质结构异常,这些发现有助于追踪自闭症儿童大脑和核心行为症状的发育轨迹,预测自闭症早期的发生和后期的发展趋势。本文对自闭症儿童早期脑结构发育异常及其神经机制的研究进行了系统梳理,以期深入理解自闭症的发病机制,助益于自闭症的早期筛查、靶向干预和有效康复。     

A spectrum of support: current and best practices for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at community colleges

More than 50% of all college students with a disability enroll in public 2-year institutions. Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a type of disability that affects a growing number of students in postsecondary education. Currently, over 70% of 2-year public institutions enroll students with ASD. In spite of increased awareness, the vast majority of existing ASD research focused on primary and secondary education. Research on practices that support students with disabilities in the community college environment is imperative for promoting student success. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to explore current and best practices that support students with ASD at 2-year public, postsecondary institutions. A web-based tool was used to survey a nationally representative sample of disability service professionals from 367 2-year, public institutions (35.4% response rate). Our results show reasonable accommodations with an academic focus (e.g., extended exam time) were provided more frequently than sensory accommodations. General support services that focused on the transition to college were offered by 42% of the institutions surveyed, and 26% of institutions supplied ASD-specific services. These results indicated that many institutions provide students with a baseline level of academic accommodations; however, accommodations and support services that specifically target the functional limitations of ASD are offered less frequently. Best practices for supporting students with ASD were synthesized and implications for practice were discussed.     

Mindfulness Training: Reducing Anxiety in Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Early Childhood Education Journal - Students with ASD frequently experience anxiety disorders as a co-occurring condition (Kent and Simonoff in Anxiety Child Adolesc Autism Spectr Disord....     

Virtually in the Middle: Alternative Avenues for Parental Involvement in Middle-Level Schools

The incidence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasing in the United States. The rate of diagnosis, combined with the trend towards more inclusive classrooms, means that general education teachers will most likely be teaching some students with ASD. In their teacher preparation course in special education, pre-service teachers learned about characteristics of students with ASD by reading literature with positive portrayals of individuals with ASD. In conjunction, pre-service teachers received instruction on teaching strategies to use in the classroom for students with ASD. By combining good literature with instruction in inclusive teaching practices, teacher educators can model the use of disability literature in the classroom to the benefit of all students.     

European Journal of Special Needs Education Vol. 18, No. 3, October 2003 erratum

The current paper reports on the outcome of an ongoing action research project at a school for higher-functioning students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Sweden. The overall aim of the study was to develop and evaluate a questionnaire that captures social and individual aspects of classroom learning suitable for use with students with ASD. Interview data is presented on the perceived utility of the questionnaire for understanding and planning classroom instruction for the children with ASD through the eyes of the students’ teachers and their parents, as assessed during an Individual Education Plan meeting. Further, teacher ratings obtained by means of the instrument were found to differentiate a group of students with ASD (n = 10) from a group of typically developing children matched with regard to grade year, word reading ability and receptive vocabulary (n = 10). Implications and future directions are discussed, as are limitations of this pilot study.     

Teaching science skills and knowledge to students with developmental disabilities: A systematic review

A comprehensive review of the literature was conducted to identify current practice on teaching science to students with intellectual disability (ID) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in relation to two review questions—students' science outcomes and students' and teachers' experiences of the interventions. Six databases related to education, psychology, and science were systematically searched. A detailed protocol can be viewed on PROSPERO (registration number: CRD42017057323). Thirty studies were identified that reported on science interventions and 20 on student/teacher experiences of the interventions. The majority of the studies targeted science vocabulary and concepts. Other targets included inquiry skills and comprehension skills. The majority of the interventions used components of systematic instruction (n = 23). Five studies focused on self-directed learning and two on comprehension-based instruction. Students and teachers reported positive experiences of the interventions. The findings suggest that components of systematic instruction in particular might be effective in teaching science content to students with ID and/or ASD. Further research is needed to explore the effectiveness of identified interventions on teaching more complex science skills and with students with severe disabilities. Some limitations related to the search strategy are highlighted.     

Autism Spectrum Disorders: Neurobiology and current assessment practices

This study reviews recent research related to the neurobiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) an provides an empirical analysis of current assessment practices. Data were collected through a survey of 117 school psychologists. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS), and Gilliam Asperger's Disorder Scale (GADS) were the most frequently used measures. Among the less popular, but more intensive instruments, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) appears to be gaining popularity within school‐based evaluations. Generally, respondents approached the assessment of ASDs from a traditional psychoeducational perspective and reported the use of a very narrow range of ASD‐specific instruments. Concerns are raised regarding the inconsistent inclusion of developmental questionnaires, parent/guardian interviews, and medical professionals in the ASD evaluation process. Implications for practice and the training of school psychologists are discussed. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

自闭症谱系障碍个体社会奖赏加工缺陷的神经机制

自闭症谱系障碍(ASD)是一种以社会交往障碍为主要特征的神经发育障碍,ASD的社会交往障碍与社会动机的缺乏有关,主要表现为社会奖赏加工缺陷.已有的神经影像学、脑电成分和神经化学成分的研究从神经机制上揭示了ASD个体的社会奖赏加工存在缺陷,并且该缺陷发生在奖赏预期阶段,但其非社会奖赏加工能力和奖赏加工阶段是否也存在缺陷没...     

Do labels matter? Analysis of teachers' self-efficacy towards the autism spectrum disorder depending on the diagnostic label used (ASD or Asperger's)

Changes in the classification of autism and Asperger's syndrome led to changes in social perception of ASD. Since last criteria, studies indicate higher levels of stigma towards ASD than towards Asperger's. These prejudices are barriers to inclusive education. Thus, it is relevant (1) to evaluate pre-service teachers' self-efficacy towards the label of ASD; (2) to evaluate pre-service teachers' self-efficacy towards the label of Asperger's and (3) to compare those results to analyse whether the use of different diagnostic labels brings about different levels of self-efficacy. One hundred and eighty-six primary education pre-service teachers participated in the current study. Two adaptations of the Autism Self-Efficacy Scale for Teachers (ASSET) were used: a version with the label of ‘ASD’ (n = 96) and another for ‘Asperger's’ (n = 90). The scores obtained by the group asked about ASD were high according to the ASSET score range, while the scores obtained by the group asked about Asperger's were medium. After comparing the results, participants asked about the label ASD showed higher levels of self-efficacy than participants asked about Asperger's. These results could be a consequence of the consolidation of the ASD diagnosis among society and the higher presence of children with ASD in schools and cultural products, among other factors.     

The Effect of an Education Program for Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Jordan

There are few support services for parents of children with a disability in Jordan. The present exploratory study investigated whether the provision of an education program in Jordan for mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder increased mothers’ understanding of their child’s behaviour, improved the mothers’ coping skills, and reduced their stress levels. Following the education program, the mothers reported a statistically significant reduction in stress levels, an increase in coping skills, and an improvement in mother-child interaction. Compared to fathers, mothers’ stress levels were significantly higher and their coping skills were significantly lower. The outcomes have valuable implications for interventions for families with a child with ASD living in Jordan or in other Arabic countries.     

Making the Transition from Diagnosis to Treatment-planning: Validity,Reliability and Factor Structure of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Behaviour Checklist

The validity, reliability and factor structure of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Behaviour Checklist-Revised (ASDBC-R) were measured in a sample of 140 boys with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) aged between 6 and 18 years. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha) was satisfactory and the ASDBC-R significantly correlated with the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Factor analysis of the ASDBC-R revealed a five-factor solution, which included all of the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for ASD but with considerable overlap across criteria and factors. Agreement between ASDBC-R factors and SRS subscales was significant for three ASDBC-R factors but only marginal for the remaining two factors. Results indicated that the ASDBC-R could be used to develop targeted behavioural treatment plans for children with ASD across a range of settings, thus improving the development of individualised interventions for children with ASD.     

自闭症谱系障碍个体社会性注意的眼动特征及干预策略

在过去的十多年中,自闭症谱系障碍个体社会性注意的眼动研究数量激增,很多研究表明,自闭症谱系障碍个体对社会性刺激的注意表现出两个特征:对社会性刺激的注意减少;对社会性刺激的处理方式是非典型的,伴随对眼睛注意的减少和对嘴注意的增加。然而,也有相反的证据。本研究系统地回顾了从婴儿到成人期自闭症谱系障碍个体社会性注意的眼动追踪研究,分析了已有研究结果存在矛盾的可能原因。最后,根据自闭症谱系障碍个体社会性注意的眼动特征,提出了相应的干预策略。     

Classroom Structuring Methods and Strategies for Children and Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism experts and individuals with high-functioning autism contend that many individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) respond most favorably to information that is presented visually. Accordingly, strategies capitalizing on this visual preference have received significant recent attention in both ASD research and practitioner-related literature. This article provides a review of visually based strategies for organizing classrooms for children and youth with ASD. Classroom structuring methods, visual schedules, and visually based organizational strategies are described and discussed. For each of the above, a justification, a brief review of the research literature, implementation guidelines, recommendations for effective use, and suggested resources for practitioners are provided. Tables and figures that provide examples of methods are also provided.     

Developmental Trajectories in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorders: The First 3 Years

Retrospective studies indicate 2 major classes of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) onset: early and later, after a period of relatively healthy development. This prospective, longitudinal study examined social, language, and motor trajectories in 235 children with and without a sibling with autism, ages 6–36 months. Children were grouped as: ASD identified by 14 months, ASD identified after 14 months, and no ASD. Despite groups' initial similar developmental level at 6 months, ASD groups exhibited atypical trajectories thereafter. Impairment from 14 to 24 months was greater in the Early‐ASD than the Later‐ASD group, but comparable at 36 months. Developmental plateau and regression occurred in some children with ASD, regardless of timing of ASD diagnosis. Findings indicate a preclinical phase of varying duration for ASD.     

From Genes to Environment: Using Integrative Genomics to Build a “Systems‐Level” Understanding of Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are pervasive neurodevelopmental disorders that affect an estimated 1 in 110 individuals. Although there is a strong genetic component associated with these disorders, this review focuses on the multifactorial nature of ASD and how different genome‐wide (genomic) approaches contribute to our understanding of autism. Emphasis is placed on the need to study defined ASD phenotypes as well as to integrate large‐scale “omics” data in order to develop a “systems‐level” perspective of ASD, which in turn is necessary to allow predictions regarding responses to specific perturbations and interventions.     

Autism Support in a Community College Setting: Ideas from Intersectionality

ABSTRACT

Autism diagnoses continue to increase, and students who have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are attending college in greater numbers. Many choose community colleges to start their postsecondary careers, so these institutions have a unique opportunity to provide necessary social support. When developing social support initiatives, it is important to consider the diversity of the spectrum, not just in terms of ASD features, but also cultural factors. Autism is diagnosed more in males than females, is linked to gender nonconformity, and is variably diagnosed across racial groups. This article uses intersectionality as a theoretical framework to identify needs and make suggestions about how to best support students on the spectrum.