 |
|
New model may better predict outcomes for children with autism and autistic spectrum disorders
July 05, 2005Classification tool may better describe autism-related disorders, help evaluate treatments
A new classification tool may allow healthcare professionals treating children with autism and autism-related disorders to more systematically sort out the combination of traits in the condition, and to better predict how children may improve over time. If the model holds up to further study, it may also allow researchers to gauge the effectiveness of different autism treatments.
Developmental pediatrician James Coplan, M.D., reports on a study of 91 children he saw between 1997 and 2002 at the Regional Autism Center of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Most patients were pre-schoolers or of elementary school age, and predominantly boys. The study appears in the July 2005 issue of Pediatrics.
The children in the study had autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), a group of neurodevelopmental disorders of impaired social communication. Those disorders include classic autism, pervasive developmental disorder and Asperger's syndrome. Dr. Coplan studied the relationship among three variables: the severity of the disorder (called atypicality), general intelligence (measured as IQ or developmental quotient) and time.
"These disorders are dynamic and change over time," says Dr. Coplan. "Although they are traditionally classified into mutually exclusive diagnostic boxes, they tend to blend into each other, and this model provides a way to look continuously at ASD, as the symptoms occur and develop along the autistic spectrum, and as the symptoms change over time."
Some children have severe autistic symptoms but high intelligence; others have mild symptoms and mental retardation, or combinations in between, he added. In explaining the model to parents, he sometimes draws an analogy to weight and height. Just as each individual can have a different combination of weight and stature, someone can have an individual combination of intelligence and degree of autism.
One central finding of the study, said Dr. Coplan, is that children in the normal range of intelligence (an IQ of 70 or above) show significant improvement in their ASD symptoms over time. "We can offer the hopeful message to parents that many children with ASD will improve as part of the natural course of the condition," he said. This finding reinforced impressions by Dr. Coplan and many previous researchers about clinical outcomes for children with ASD.
Dr. Coplan cautions that although the model has predictive value for clinical outcomes when looking at average outcomes for groups of children, it will not necessarily predict a course for each individual patient. Rather it would provide a "roadmap" on which to plot a child's progress over time.
The model still must be confirmed in larger studies of populations of children with ASD, not just in a sample from one clinic, according to Dr. Coplan.
If larger studies validate the model, he adds, it may become a benchmark to help researchers evaluate the effectiveness of particular ASD treatments. "Many currently popular therapies may be capitalizing on the natural history of ASD, and claiming such improvement on their own behalf," he writes in the paper. If patients improved more than would be anticipated from the model's outline of the natural course of ASD alone, that might provide evidence for a treatment's success.
Additionally, the model might shed light into causes of ASD, as yet unknown. Children with ASD from different causes may follow different developmental paths,\\\
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
"These disorders are dynamic and change over time," says Dr. Coplan. "Although they are traditionally classified into mutually exclusive diagnostic boxes, they tend to blend into each other, and this model provides a way to look continuously at ASD, as the symptoms occur and develop along the autistic spectrum, and as the symptoms change over time."
Some children have severe autistic symptoms but high intelligence; others have mild symptoms and mental retardation, or combinations in between, he added. In explaining the model to parents, he sometimes draws an analogy to weight and height. Just as each individual can have a different combination of weight and stature, someone can have an individual combination of intelligence and degree of autism.
One central finding of the study, said Dr. Coplan, is that children in the normal range of intelligence (an IQ of 70 or above) show significant improvement in their ASD symptoms over time. "We can offer the hopeful message to parents that many children with ASD will improve as part of the natural course of the condition," he said. This finding reinforced impressions by Dr. Coplan and many previous researchers about clinical outcomes for children with ASD.
Dr. Coplan cautions that although the model has predictive value for clinical outcomes when looking at average outcomes for groups of children, it will not necessarily predict a course for each individual patient. Rather it would provide a "roadmap" on which to plot a child's progress over time.
The model still must be confirmed in larger studies of populations of children with ASD, not just in a sample from one clinic, according to Dr. Coplan.
If larger studies validate the model, he adds, it may become a benchmark to help researchers evaluate the effectiveness of particular ASD treatments. "Many currently popular therapies may be capitalizing on the natural history of ASD, and claiming such improvement on their own behalf," he writes in the paper. If patients improved more than would be anticipated from the model's outline of the natural course of ASD alone, that might provide evidence for a treatment's success.
Additionally, the model might shed light into causes of ASD, as yet unknown. Children with ASD from different causes may follow different developmental paths,\\\
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Autistic Spectrum Disorders Current Events and Autistic Spectrum Disorders News RSSBrain's magnetic fields reveal language delays in autism
Faint magnetic signals from brain activity in children with autism show that those children process sound and language differently from non-autistic children.
Knowing looks: Using gaze aversion to tell when children are learning
People use eye contact in a variety of ways every minute of every day but how often do you find yourself staring into space with concentrating on an issue or problem? Psychologists now know that people who are carrying out a complex task tend to look away from anyone else who is nearby. They refer to it as 'gaze aversion'.
University of Leicester to lead audit of adults with autism
The University of Leicester is leading on a national study to calculate the number of adults with autism, it has been announced today.
Autistic mannerisms reduced by sensory treatment
Parents of children with autism are increasingly turning to sensory integration treatment to help their children deal with the disorder, and they're seeing good results.
Study supports theory that rise in autism is related to changes in diagnosis
Research funded by the Wellcome Trust suggests that many children diagnosed with severe language disorders in the 1980s and 1990s would today be diagnosed as having autism. The research supports the theory that the rise in the number of cases of autism may be related to changes in how it is diagnosed.
Preschool kids do better when they talk to themselves, research shows
Parents should not worry when their pre-schoolers talk to themselves; in fact, they should encourage it, says Adam Winsler, an associate professor of psychology at George Mason University.
Ergonomics helps autistic children
A research team comprising of an ergonomist, autism expert and interactive design and media artists, are using ergonomics to design an interactive, polysensory environment for children with ASD (autistic spectrum disorders) to meet the youngsters' needs in a way that can be tailorable to specific needs. Delegates to the Ergonomics Society Annual Conference in Swansea this week (14-16 April) will hear from Andree Woodcock, a member of the project team, on how they plan to use the latest multimedia computer technology to engage with children in new and interesting ways. It has been estimated that autism spectrum disorders may affect as many as 50,000 families in the UK. Polysensory environmen
Stop being scared of school
A novel technique, being applied in education for the first time, is helping children with complex needs to become less scared of school. Dr Anne Greig and Dr Tommy Mackay of the Argyll & Bute Psychological Service and the University of Strathclyde have developed a psychological intervention to help young people with Asperger Syndrome (a type of social communication disorder) to cope better with school and avoid anxiety and depression. They explained the approach today, Thursday 8 January 2004, at the British Psychological Society's Division of Educational and Child Psychology Annual Conference in Paris. The technique is based on cognitive behaviour therapy and works by helping students to
Research-based software shows benefits for children with autism and Asperger syndrome
A new software program is showing significant improvements in the ability of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) to recognise and predict emotions from facial expressions after only eight half hour sessions. Dr Miriam Silver from St James` University Hospital in Leeds, UK, has developed the `Emotion Trainer` CD Rom from her PhD research, and believes the program will help children and adolescents with ASD to improve their social and communication skills. "Over recent years there has been a welcome improvement in the diagnosis of ASD," she said. "However, there has been a disparity between the amount of money spent on improving diagnosis and exploring possible causes, and the edu
More Autistic Spectrum Disorders Current Events and Autistic Spectrum Disorders News Articles
 | Teaching Playskills to Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Practical Guide by Melinda Smith |
 | Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Understanding the Diagnosis and Getting Help by Mitzi Waltz Autistic spectrum disorders--including autism, pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), Asperger's syndrome, and others--are labels to describe neurological conditions that can affect a person's speech and communication, emotional growth, social skills, and physical and mental abilities. Up to 1 in 150 children in some geographical areas have these conditions; children... |
 | Accessing the Curriculum for Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Using the TEACCH Programme to Help Inclusion by Gary Mesibov This book explains ways to open up the curriculum to pupils who have autistic spectrum disorders. The particular difficulties experienced by pupils are discussed in direct relation to specific areas of the curriculum, including: core and foundation subjects, PSHE, citizenship and broader aspects such as break times and assemblies. The authors show the reader how structured teaching can enable... |
 | Developing Play and Drama in Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders by Dave Sherratt Learning through play is a well-established principle that underpins much educational practice, yet it is often overlooked in association with children with autistic spectrum disorders. This book considers the ranging benefits of developing play and taking it into drama with these children. The authors demonstrate how to implement such approaches via a highly practical, structured developmental... |
 | Using Intensive Interaction and Sensory Integration: A Handbook for Those Who Support People With Severe Autistic Spectrum Disorder by Phoebe Caldwell, Jane Horwood People with severe autism experience the sensory information they receive from the world completely differently to those not on the spectrum. They feel cut off and overwhelmed, and their behaviour can become very distressed. This handbook shows how we can engage with people who are non-verbal or semi-verbal and sometimes even those who have speech but lose the power to process it when they are in... |
 | Access and Inclusion for Children With Autistic Spectrum Disorders: Let Me in by Matthew Hesmondhalgh, Christine Breakey Based on their pioneering work at the King Ecgbert School, the authors explore the issues of access and inclusion in employment and education for children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD). They describe the challenges they faced in establishing and running an Integrated Resource for children with ASD, within a mainstream secondary school. The twenty-eight pupils at The... |
 | Autistic Spectrum Disorders in the Early Years (Autistic Spectrum Disorder Support Kit) by Lynn Plimley, Maggie Bowen, Hugh Morgan Autistic Spectrum Disorders in the Early Years provides information on the services that are available for children from birth to five years and addresses issues related to identification, assessment, teaching and learning, and family support. Illustrated with case studies provided by parents and practitioners, this resource covers: The Code of Practice for SEN & the SEN and Disability... |
 | Autistic Spectrum Disorders: An Introductory Handbook for Practitioners by Rita Jordan Written for practitioners working in the field of autism and related disorders, including Asperger's syndrome, this handbook offers an overview of understandings of these disorders from a behavioral, biological and psychological perspective. A coherent analysis of the different theoretical viewpoints is provided, especially at the psychological level which has the greatest bearing on practice.... |
 | Supporting Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders: A Guide for School Support Staff (Autistic Spectrum Disorder Support Kit) by Lynn Plimley, Maggie Bowen 'There can be no doubt that the action suggested by the authors to improve outcomes for pupils with ASD, would benefit the inclusion of all pupils' - Special Needs Information Press 'This book will be a really useful resource for those supporting children with ASDs in a range of schools, both special and mainstream. It uses case study material collected from experience and discussions with... |
| Helping Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders to Learn by Mary Pittman Are you looking for caring and creative ways to support students on the autistic spectrum?Helping Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders to Learn provides guidelines to help educators structure the classroom environment, understand and improve behavior, and look at transition through the eyes of students with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). With invaluable insights from the author’s many... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |