Short Report: Exploring the extent to which Intellectual Disability is undiagnosed within children attending developmental paediatric clinics.

Intellectual Disability is under-ascertained worldwide and is associated with greater physical and mental health difficulties. This research aimed to identify clinical features and characteristics of children with Intellectual Disability in a population of 126 6-18 year olds in mainstream school, attending paediatric developmental clinics. Intellectual Disability was defined according to the DSM-5 (deficits in intellectual and adaptive functioning, present during childhood).

Psychometric properties of the School Participation Questionnaire: Testing a measure of participation-related constructs.

Aim: To explore concurrent validity, convergent validity, interrater reliability, test-retest reliability, and Rasch model analysis of the School Participation Questionnaire (SPQ), a tool for teachers to assess personal and environmental determinants of school participation.

Method: Teachers of children with additional support needs, including intellectual disability, autism, and learning difficulties completed measures. Data were collected using the SPQ and the Participation and Environment Measure for Children and Youth (PEM-CY).

Social identities and mental well-being in autistic adults.

Social identities are groups that we are part of and influence how we think about ourselves. However, up until now there has been little examination of the groups that autistic people may belong to, and how these groups may influence their mental health. This survey-based study investigated whether autistic adults answer questions about social groups in a similar way to non-autistic non-autistic adults, including the types and number of social groups they may belong to, and whether these are associated with depression, anxiety and positive traits of mental well-being.

Development, psychometrics and feasibility of the School Participation Questionnaire: A teacher measure of participation related constructs.

Background: We report development of the SPQ (School Participation Questionnaire) a teacher-completed measure of participation related constructs for schools. The SPQ was developed to support participation-related assessment, interventions, and research in the inclusive school context.

Methods: Several iterative steps were undertaken.

Community-based participation of children with and without disabilities.

Aim: To describe and compare the socio-demographic characteristics and community-based participation of children with and without disabilities.

Method: This cross-sectional study reports data on 1073 children with disabilities (663 males, 410 females) and 11 122 children without disabilities (5617 males, 5505 females) aged 10 to 12 years from the fifth sweep of the Millennium Cohort Study. χ was used to explore differences between the two groups.

Joint production of research priorities to improve the lives of those with childhood onset conditions that impair learning: the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership for 'learning difficulties'.

Objectives: To engage children and young people with conditions that impair learning, their parents/carers and the health, education, social work and third sector professionals to identify and prioritise research questions for learning difficulties.

Design: Prospective surveys and consensus meeting guided by methods advocated by the James Lind Alliance.

Setting: Scotland.

Visual supports at home and in the community for individuals with autism spectrum disorders: A scoping review.

Visual supports are recommended in autism spectrum disorder clinical guidelines. They can reduce anxiety, increase predictability, support communication and improve participation. They are implemented regularly in schools, but evidence about home visual supports is limited.

Participation of children with disabilities in school: A realist systematic review of psychosocial and environmental factors.

Background: In order to make informed decisions about how best to support children and young people with disabilities, effective strategies that facilitate active and meaningful participation in school are required. Clinical factors, diagnosis or impairments somewhat helpful in determining what should be provided in interventions. However, clinical factors alone will not offer a clear view of how to support participation.

Family factors associated with participation of children with disabilities: a systematic review.

Aim: The aim of this review was to synthesize empirical evidence of family factors associated with participation of children with disabilities aged 5 to 12 years to inform the development of family-centred participation-fostering interventions.

Method: A systematic search was performed for articles published in English between 2001 and 2017 in MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and ASSIA following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Quality of evidence was appraised using the Research Triangle Institute Item Bank.

Screening for intellectual disability with the Child and Adolescent Intellectual Screening Questionnaire: a modified Delphi approach.

Aim: To develop a consensus framework to evaluate the impact of screening for intellectual disability, using the Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Screening Questionnaire (CAIDS-Q) in paediatric neurodevelopment clinics.

Method: A modified Delphi survey with four phases (literature review; initial development of framework [participants=11 parents, 8 professionals]; qualitative interviews [participants=4 parents, 15 professionals]; questionnaire development [participants=31 parents, 14 professionals] was used to develop the consensus framework. The framework was used to evaluate the impact of screening on six paediatricians and 31 parents of children who had participated in a previous paediatric screening project.

Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Screening Questionnaire to identify children with intellectual disability.

Aim: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Child and Adolescent Intellectual Disability Screening Questionnaire (CAIDS-Q) in paediatric neurodevelopment clinics.

Method: Participants were 181 children (aged 6-18y) attending paediatric services in Scotland, divided into three age groups according to previous CAIDS-Q standardization cut-off scores. Fifty-four children (37 males, 17 females; mean age 117mo [SD 29.

Implementation of a Practice Development Model to Reduce the Wait for Autism Spectrum Diagnosis in Adults.

This study examined waiting times for diagnostic assessment of Autism Spectrum Disorder in 11 adult services, prior to and following the implementation of a 12 month change program. Methods to support change are reported and a multi-level modelling approach determined the effect of the change program on overall wait times. Results were statistically significant (b = - 0.

Drooling Reduction Intervention randomised trial (DRI): comparing the efficacy and acceptability of hyoscine patches and glycopyrronium liquid on drooling in children with neurodisability.

Objective: Investigate whether hyoscine patch or glycopyrronium liquid is more effective and acceptable to treat drooling in children with neurodisability.

Design: Multicentre, single-blind, randomised controlled trial.

Setting: Recruitment through neurodisability teams; treatment by parents.

Improving Efficiency and Quality of the Children's ASD Diagnostic Pathway: Lessons Learned from Practice.

The 'autism diagnosis crisis' and long waiting times for assessment are as yet unresolved, leading to undue stress and limiting access to effective support. There is therefore a significant need for evidence to support practitioners in the development of efficient services, delivering acceptable waiting times and effectively meeting guideline standards. This study reports statistically significant reductions in waiting times for autism diagnostic assessment following a children's health service improvement programme.

Multiple Measures of Fixation on Social Content in Infancy: Evidence for a Single Social Cognitive Construct?

The preference of infants to fixate on social information in a stimulus is well known. We examine how this preference manifests across a series of free-viewing tasks using different stimulus types. Participants were thirty typically developing infants.

Preterm birth is associated with atypical social orienting in infancy detected using eye tracking.

Background: Preterm birth is closely associated with neurocognitive impairment in childhood including increased risk for social difficulties. Eye tracking objectively assesses eye-gaze behaviour in response to visual stimuli, which permits inference about underlying cognitive processes. We tested the hypothesis that social orienting in infancy is altered by preterm birth.

Gender ratio in a clinical population sample, age of diagnosis and duration of assessment in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder.

This article reports on gender ratio, age of diagnosis and the duration of assessment procedures in autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in a national study which included all types of clinical services for children and adults. Findings are reported from a retrospective case note analysis undertaken with a representative sample of 150 Scottish children and adults recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The study reports key findings that the gender ratio in this consecutively referred cohort is lower than anticipated in some age groups and reduces with increasing age.

Factors influencing waiting times for diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children and adults.

Aims: To identify the main factors predicting delays in diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at three stages in the diagnostic process: wait for first appointment; assessment duration, and total wait for diagnosis.

Method: Data were gathered from 150 case notes (80 child and 70 adult cases) from 16 diagnosing services across Scotland.

Results: Having more information pre-assessment was associated with a reduced duration of the diagnostic process for children.

Management of developmental speech and language disorders: Part 1.

The identification of developmental problems in a child's acquisition of speech, language and/or communication is a core activity in child surveillance. These are common difficulties with up to 15% of toddlers being 'late talkers' and 7% of children entering school with persisting impairments of their language development. These delays can confer disadvantages in the long term, adversely affecting language, cognition, academic attainment, behaviour and mental health.

The relationship between waiting times and 'adherence' to the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 98 guideline in autism spectrum disorder diagnostic services in Scotland.

The aim of this study was to explore the extent to which the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network 98 guidelines on the assessment and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder were adhered to in child autism spectrum disorder diagnostic services in Scotland and whether there was a significant relationship between routine practice which more closely reflected these recommendations (increased adherence) and increased waiting times. Retrospective, cross-sectional case note analysis was applied to data from 80 case notes. Adherence ranged from a possible 0 (no adherence) to 19 (full adherence).

Management of developmental speech and language disorders. Part 2: acquired conditions.

Many children who present with these acquired impairments of communication have a clear preceding event such as an acquired brain injury from a road traffic accident. Children often respond differently in this situation to adult presentations. They may have a period of mutism when the prognosis might look poor and yet they subsequently make rapid progress and recover speech.

Exome sequencing in an admixed isolated population indicates NFXL1 variants confer a risk for specific language impairment.

Children affected by Specific Language Impairment (SLI) fail to acquire age appropriate language skills despite adequate intelligence and opportunity. SLI is highly heritable, but the understanding of underlying genetic mechanisms has proved challenging. In this study, we use molecular genetic techniques to investigate an admixed isolated founder population from the Robinson Crusoe Island (Chile), who are affected by a high incidence of SLI, increasing the power to discover contributory genetic factors.

Social relationship difficulties in autism and reactive attachment disorder: Improving diagnostic validity through structured assessment.

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) versus Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) is a common diagnostic challenge for clinicians due to overlapping difficulties with social relationships. RAD is associated with neglect or maltreatment whereas ASD is not: accurate differential diagnosis is therefore critical. Very little research has investigated the relationship between the two, and it is unknown if standardised measures are able to discriminate between ASD and RAD.