Objectives: 1) to determine if children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encounter difficulties accessing dental, 2) to identify barriers that diminish access to dental care for this population. Methods: This descriptive study is based on a web-survey conducted at the Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto between November 2008 and March 2009. Forty-nine multiple choice questions including open-ended fields were developed. Parents of children with ASD (ages 5–18) completed the survey. Results: The majority of participants visited a dentist regularly (71%) and had private dental insurance (64%). Parents/caregivers were more likely to have difficulties finding a dentist as unmarried parents (OR=3.7, P=0.075) or when their level of education was high school/less (OR=10.4, P=0.043). Conclusions: The majority of children/adolescents with ASD had access to dental care. Difficulties accessing dental care were related to family structure, parents’ education and their perception of dentists’ knowledge of ASD.

Objectives: 1) to determine if children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) encounter difficulties accessing dental, 2) to identify barriers that diminish access to dental care for this population. Methods: This descriptive study is based on a web-survey conducted at the Geneva Centre for Autism in Toronto between November 2008 and March 2009. Forty-nine multiple choice questions including open-ended fields were developed. Parents of children with ASD (ages 5–18) completed the survey. Results: The majority of participants visited a dentist regularly (71%) and had private dental insurance (64%). Parents/caregivers were more likely to have difficulties finding a dentist as unmarried parents (OR=3.7, P=0.075) or when their level of education was high school/less (OR=10.4, P=0.043). Conclusions: The majority of children/adolescents with ASD had access to dental care. Difficulties accessing dental care were related to family structure, parents’ education and their perception of dentists’ knowledge of ASD.

Facial expressions are a useful source of information about the emotional state of others. However, facial expressions do not always correspond with an underlying emotional state. It is advantageous for perceivers to be able to differentiate between those expressions that are associated with a corresponding emotional state (genuine expressions) and those which are not associated with underlying emotions (posed expressions). The present study investigated the sensitivity of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and age and sex-matched control children to the different emotions underlying posed and genuine smiles. The first task required participants to listen to 12 emotion eliciting stories and select, from a grid of 4 facial expressions (a genuine smile, a posed smile, a neutral expression and a sad expression) that which matched how the target in the story would feel. Children with ASD correctly matched facial expressions and stories than did participants without ASD. The second task required children to look at a series of faces, each displaying either a posed smile, a genuine smile or a neutral expression and indicate whether each target was or was not happy. Participants with ASD were less sensitive both to the underlying emotional state of the targets and to the difference between posed and genuine smiles than were the control participants. Results are discussed in terms of the social deficits symptomatic of ASD.

As the prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) increases, School Psychologists (SPs) and Educational Psychologists (EPs) have an increasing role in assessing children with ASD. The systematic literature review aimed to provide an overview of the tools and processes EPs and SPs are using to assess children with ASD or possible ASD. Studies published between 1996-2016 were identified from four databases. Eight studies met the inclusion criteria, and were analysed using quality and relevance frameworks. Six studies were included in the final review. Commonly used tools are identified and discussed. The SLR drew some tentative conclusions around the range of tools used by SPs in the US. The small and dated UK sample means that limited conclusions can be drawn about current EP practice. Due to the gap in current knowledge around how EPs assess children with ASD or possible ASD, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to EP professionals in the UK and Ireland in order to gain an up to date picture. Data from 161 participants were used in the analysis. Analysis of the quantitative data involved descriptive statistics and content analysis was used to analyse the qualitative responses. Frequently used tools and the factors that seem to influence decision making around the choice of assessment are discussed. Implications for EPs' assessment practices and directions for future research are discussed. Having considered evidence based practice and practice based evidence, the final paper discusses dissemination of evidence to professional practice. A strategy for disseminating the findings of the empirical study to the profession is outlined.

Heightened levels of stress are observed in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), yet little is known about the relationship between stress and coping in mothers of children recently diagnosed with an ASD. The objectives of this study were to determine the levels of maternal stress, identify coping strategies used by mothers, examine the relationship between stress and coping, and ascertain whether coping mediated the relationship between ASD symptom severity and subsequent maternal stress. Data on 128 mothers of children who had received a diagnosis of ASD in the last four months were examined. Results indicated that mothers presented with elevated levels of stress. With regards to coping, escape-avoidance and confrontive coping were positively correlated with stress, while seeking social support was negatively correlated with stress. Confrontive coping did not mediate the relationship between ASD symptom severity and maternal stress. Results confirm previous findings, while underscoring the importance of helping mothers understand the relationship between the coping strategies they adopt and the subsequent stress they experience.

Despite numerous studies documenting the high prevalence of social anxiety in children and adolescents with High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD), there has been little empirical investigation into methods for the assessment of social anxiety in this population. The purpose of this study was to create an empirically derived screening instrument to measure subjective feelings of social anxiety in adolescents and adults with HFASD. Based on a thorough review of the literature in this area, items from all measures (k = 15) used to assess social anxiety in adolescents and adults with HFASD were compiled. After collapsing similar items into one composite item, a pool of 86 items were included in an electronic survey that was sent to experts (n = 99) in the field of anxiety disorders in ASD. Experts ranked the degree to which each item was indicative of social anxiety in HFASD. Based on expert responses, 30 items were selected as the most representative for assessing social anxiety in the target population. In the second phase of the study, experts were asked to rate the final pool of items comprised of the 30 derived from phase I and 10 additional items developed from expert feedback and coding of taped diagnostic interviews with adolescents with HFASD and social anxiety. A final screening measure was derived comprised of 31 items. Future directions and use of the newly formed measure are discussed. / Master of Science

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: It has been well established that children born preterm are at an increased risk of developing Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and that risk increases as gestational age decreases. However, there is limited knowledge on how the ASD phenotype in preterm-born children compares to ASD presentation in children born at term. The objective of this study is to compare ASD core symptoms and characteristics commonly associated with ASD in children born extremely preterm (EP) and children born at term. METHODS: Extremely preterm (EP) participants (n=59) from the Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborn (ELGAN) Study who met diagnostic criteria for ASD at approximately 10 years of age were matched with term participants (n=59) from the Simons Simplex Collection (SSC) on age, sex, and nonverbal IQ. Differences in core ASD symptomatology were evaluated using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R), an in-depth parent interview, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd edition (ADOS-2), a semi-structured clinical observation assessment. Developmental milestones, anthropometrics, seizure disorder, and psychiatric symptoms were also investigated as associated characteristics of ASD. Analyses excluding multiplex EP individuals and their term matches, as well female-only analyses, were also conducted. RESULTS: On the ADI-R, the EP group had lower scores (decreased symptom severity) on verbal communication, specifically stereotypic language, and restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRBs). However, no between-group differences were observed with direct observation based on the ADOS-2 assessment. The EP group was more likely to have delayed speech milestones, lower height, weight, and head circumference, and lower rates of depression and anxiety symptoms. When 7 multiplex EP participants and their term control matches were eliminated from the sample, there were no differences from the primary analyses. Female-only analyses were similar to primary analyses on core ASD symptomatology findings. Regarding associated characteristics, females only differed on height, head circumference, and anxiety symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Accounting for age, sex, nonverbal IQ, and prior ASD diagnosis status, EP children had less severe stereotypic language and RRB symptoms compared to term children based on ADI-R parent report, but exhibited no differences on parent-reported nonverbal communication or reciprocal social interaction symptoms, or with direct observation of social affective and repetitive and restricted ASD symptoms on the ADOS-2. EP children with ASD also showed decreased physical growth and delayed language relative to those born at term, possibly reflecting the developmental effects of being born EP. In sum, the ASD phenotype was generally similar between EP and term born children, with the exception of less severity of retrospectively parent-reported stereotypic behaviors, lower physical growth parameters, and increased delays in language milestones among EP born children with ASD.

Triadic attention, sharing attention with a person about an object or event, typically develops between eight and 12 months of age. This ability facilitates the development of social skills and language through shared exploration of objects and social stimuli. Two key aspects of triadic attention are initiating joint attention (IJA), the use of gaze and gestures to involve another in an experience, and behavioral requesting (IBR), the use of verbal and nonverbal communication to elicit help from another. Both aspects of triadic attention are impaired in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs), which are characterized by social and communication deficits. The current study investigated the early development of triadic attention in eight- to- 12 month old infants who either have an older sibling diagnosed with an ASD (ASD-Sibs), or have older siblings with no ASD symptomatology (COMP-Sibs). This study examined age-related changes in the frequency of infant-initiated triadic attention using two measures, the Early Social Communication Scales (ESCS) and parent-administered Triadic Play Interaction (TPI). Triadic attention had modest associations between the TPI and the ESCS, with three of the six possible associations significant. At eight months of age, ASD-Sibs initiated significantly fewer IJA bids during the ESCS than COMP-Sibs. At 12 months of age, presence of IBR during the TPI differed significantly by group, with 18 percent of ASD-Sibs initiating a behavioral request, compared to 58 percent of COMP-Sibs. This study demonstrated that infant-initiated triadic attention behaviors differed by group status in both measures used, suggesting these measures offer different and complementary information regarding triadic attention behaviors in ASD-Sibs compared to COMP-Sibs. The use of the TPI in examining triadic attention development in ASD-Sibs is discussed.

Syftet med denna rapport är att belysa hur matematikundervisningen för elever med ASD/Aspergers syndrom och matematiksvårigheter organiseras. Dessutom undersöka hur elever med denna problematik kan inkluderas i matematikundervisningen utifrån relevant och aktuell forskning. Rapporten utgår från en kvalitativ grund där två lärare har intervjuats och observerats. Resultatet visar att lärarna använder aktuell forskning som de upptäcker genom kollegialt lärande och olika media som lärarforum på internet, forskningsrapporter samt böcker. Eleverna får arbeta med grupparbeten vilket skapar en social tillhörighet och eleverna har tidigt fått stödstrukturer för att hjälpa varandra. Eleverna arbetar utifrån sina förkunskaper och sin kunskapsnivå. Lärarna och eleverna ser olikheter som en tillgång och är positiva till alla elever oavsett om de har problematik eller inte och arbetar utifrån att eleverna ska få en social och kunskapstillägnande inkludering, inte bara en rumslig sådan. Detta gör att lärarna kan släppa taget istället för att hålla handen genom matematikundervisningen.

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a behaviourally defined disorder characterised by impairments in three domains of social interaction, communication, and repetitive/restricted interests and behaviours (DSM-IV-TR; APA, 2000; ICD-10; WHO, 1992). Recent research suggests that this diagnostic triad may no longer fit as the best way to conceptualise ASD. Although not due for publication until 2013, a proposed revision of autistic disorder for DSM-V has merged three domains into two; i) Social/communication deficits and ii) Fixated interests and repetitive behaviours (APA, 2010). The aim of this study was to examine the structure of ASD symptom domains within the Adult Asperger Assessment (AAA; Baron-Cohen et al., 2005). Method: Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine data from a clinical population of adults diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS) and High Functioning Autism (HFA). Results: Analysis suggested that none of the theoretically-driven models were supported by the AAA data. However, it did highlight high correlations between social and communication factors (r > 0.9) within unmodified models. Discussion: The results of the analysis did not provide support for the move towards considering ASD as a dyad of ‘social-communication’ impairments and repetitive/restricted interests and behaviours, as none of the models were supported by the AAA data. The validity of the AAA as a diagnostic tool is discussed, as well as limitations and suggestions for future research. Conclusion: This study did not provide the evidence required to endorse a move towards the proposed DSM-V dyad. Further research to understanding the structure of autism symptoms could improve diagnostic and classification systems, and further studies of the genetic and neurobiological bases of ASD.