Psychometric evaluation of the Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire.

Aim: To replicate and extend previous psychometric findings for the Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire (ASDQ).

Method: Using a cross-sectional design in two samples, including a total of 3366 children and adolescents (aged 2-17 years; 1399 with autism spectrum disorder) and a small case series, factor structure, measurement invariance, reliability, construct validity, screening and diagnostic efficiency, and detection of reliable change were examined for the ASDQ.

Results: Strong psychometric properties were observed, including replicable factor structure, strong measurement invariance, adequate-to-excellent scale and conditional reliability, strong convergent and discriminant validity, and good screening efficiency.

Toward improved understanding and treatment of self-injurious behaviors in autistic individuals with profound intellectual disability.

Self-injurious behaviors (SIB) commonly occur in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and span diverse topographies of self-inflicted behaviors ranging from head banging to hitting oneself against hard objects. Despite the high rates of SIB in autistic individuals, relatively little research has focused on psychological factors associated with the development and maintenance of SIB in individuals with autism and moderate-profound intellectual disability (ID). This commentary synthesizes existing literature on SIB and highlights the need for more research focused on psychological correlates and mechanisms in autistic individuals with moderate-profound ID.

Remote monitoring of social attention in neurogenetic syndromes and idiopathic neurodevelopmental disability.

Social attention is a key aspect of neurodevelopment and is significantly altered in neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes and many individuals with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The primary aim of the present study was to examine the psychometric properties of webcam-collected social attention measurements, including four new specific aspects of social attention, in three genetic syndromes (PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome-PHTS; Malan Syndrome-NFIX; and SYNGAP1-related disorder-SYNGAP1), a mixed group of other neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (Other NDGS), and individuals with a range of idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD). The secondary aim was to evaluate the construct validity of these social attention measurements, including evaluating known-groups validity across study groups and concurrent validity for separating ASD and non-ASD cases.

Exploring the Heterogeneity of Self-Injurious Behaviors in Autistic Youth: Patterns, Predictors, and Implications for Intervention.

Self-injurious behaviors (SIB) encompass a heterogeneous set of self-inflicted aggressive behaviors that are highly prevalent in autistic youth. Existing research on SIB in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been limited by significant methodological and conceptual inconsistencies. Thus, the current study leveraged item-level data capturing the severity of unique SIB topographies to further understanding of factors associated with distinct SIB in a sample of 582 autistic youth (M = 12.

Quantifying neurobehavioral profiles across neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes and idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorders.

Aim: To examine neurobehavioral findings in three genetic syndromes (PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome, Malan syndrome [mutations in the NFIX gene], and SYNGAP1-related disorder), a mixed group of other neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (NDGS), idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorder, and neurotypical control participants.

Method: Using a longitudinal case-control design, caregivers reported neurobehavioral information for 498 participants (PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome n = 112, Malan syndrome n = 24, SYNGAP1-related disorder n = 47, other NDGS n = 72, idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorder n = 54, neurotypical siblings n = 74, and unrelated neurotypical control participants n = 115) at three timepoints (baseline, and 1-month and 4-month follow-ups) using the online-administered Neurobehavioral Evaluation Tool (NET).

Results: NET scales had good scale and test-retest reliability.

Neuromonitoring-guided working memory intervention in children with ADHD.

We proposed a personalized intervention that integrates computerized working memory (WM) training with real-time functional neuromonitoring and neurofeedback (NFB) to enhance frontoparietal activity and improve cognitive and clinical outcomes in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study involved 77 children with ADHD aged 7-11 years, who were assigned to either 12 sessions of NFB or treatment-as-usual (i.e.

Characterizing associations between emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and repetitive behaviors in autistic youth with intellectual disability.

There is a paucity of research that explores associations between emotion dysregulation and the expression and severity of core and co-occurring characteristics of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), especially in autistic youth with co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). This study explored the interplay between developmental characteristics and emotion dysregulation, anxiety, and specific subtypes of RRBs that are elevated in autistic youth with co-occurring ID. Generalized additive models demonstrated that age, sex, language level, dysregulation, and anxiety showed unique patterns of association with subtypes of RRBs in a sample of 150 autistic youth with co-occurring ID who are non-speaking or minimally verbal.

Adherence and Opportunity Frequency as Predictors of Communication Outcomes from Pivotal Response Parent Training.

Purpose: Access to intervention is a barrier for children with autism. As parent-mediated interventions have emerged to address this need, understanding implementation components contributing to child gains is critically important. Existing literature documents relationships between parent treatment adherence and child progress; however, less is understood about components, such as frequency of learning opportunities, which could also affect child outcomes.

Characterising Insistence on Sameness and Circumscribed Interests: A Qualitative Study of Parent Perspectives.

Manifestations of insistence on sameness (IS) and circumscribed interests (CI) are complex, with individuals varying considerably, not only in the types of behaviours they express, but also in terms of a behaviour's frequency, intensity, trajectory, adaptive benefits, and impacts. However, current quantitative RRB instruments capture only certain aspects of these behaviours (e.g.

Exploring the neurological features of individuals with germline PTEN variants: A multicenter study.

Objective: PTEN, a known tumor suppressor gene, is a mediator of neurodevelopment. Individuals with germline pathogenic variants in the PTEN gene, molecularly defined as PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS), experience a variety of neurological and neuropsychiatric challenges during childhood, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, the frequency and nature of seizures and the utilization of allied health services have not been described.

A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of Motivation-Based Social Skills Group Treatment with Parent Training.

Despite the popularity of social skills groups, there remains a need for empirical investigation of treatment effects, especially when targeting pivotal aspects of social functioning such as initiations to peers. The goal of the present study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial of a 12-week social intervention (SUCCESS), which combined an inclusive social group with a parent education program. Twenty-five 4- to 6-year-olds with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were randomized to SUCCESS (N = 11) or to treatment as usual (N = 14).

Precision microbial intervention improves social behavior but not autism severity: A pilot double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by the presence of restricted/repetitive behaviors and social communication deficits. Because effective treatments for ASD remain elusive, novel therapeutic strategies are necessary. Preclinical studies show that L.

Categorical versus dimensional structure of autism spectrum disorder: A multi-method investigation.

Background: A key question for any psychopathological diagnosis is whether the condition is continuous or discontinuous with typical variation. The primary objective of this study was to use a multi-method approach to examine the broad latent categorical versus dimensional structure of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Method: Data were aggregated across seven independent samples of participants with ASD, other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD), and non-ASD/NDD controls (aggregate s = 512-16,755; ages 1.

Characterizing subdomains of insistence on sameness in autistic youth.

Insistence on sameness (IS) encompasses a range of behavioral patterns, including resistance to change, routines, and ritualized behaviors, that can be present across social and non-social contexts. Given the breadth of behaviors encompassed by IS, it is important to determine whether this domain is best conceptualized and measured as uni- or a multi-dimensional construct. Therefore, the current study aimed to characterize the structure of IS and explore potentially distinct of patterns of associations between identified IS factors and relevant correlates, including age, sex, IQ, anxiety, social abilities, emotional and behavioral dysregulation, and sensory hypersensitivity.

Electronic health records identify timely trends in childhood mental health conditions.

Background: Electronic health records (EHRs) data provide an opportunity to collect patient information rapidly, efficiently and at scale. National collaborative research networks, such as PEDSnet, aggregate EHRs data across institutions, enabling rapid identification of pediatric disease cohorts and generating new knowledge for medical conditions. To date, aggregation of EHR data has had limited applications in advancing our understanding of mental health (MH) conditions, in part due to the limited research in clinical informatics, necessary for the translation of EHR data to child mental health research.

Development of webcam-collected and artificial-intelligence-derived social and cognitive performance measures for neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes.

This study focused on the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a set of online, webcam-collected, and artificial intelligence-derived patient performance measures for neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes (NDGS). Initial testing and qualitative input was used to develop four stimulus paradigms capturing social and cognitive processes, including social attention, receptive vocabulary, processing speed, and single-word reading. The paradigms were administered to a sample of 375 participants, including 163 with NDGS, 56 with idiopathic neurodevelopmental disability (NDD), and 156 neurotypical controls.

Anxiety, concerns and COVID-19: Cross-country perspectives from families and individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the mental health and well-being of children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) and of their families worldwide. However, there is insufficient evidence to understand how different factors (e.g.

A Twin Study of Altered White Matter Heritability in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Objective: White matter alterations are frequently reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet the etiology is currently unknown. The objective of this investigation was to examine, for the first time, the impact of genetic and environmental factors on white matter microstructure in twins with ASD compared to control twins without ASD.

Method: Diffusion-weighted MRIs were obtained from same-sex twin pairs (6-15 years of age) in which at least 1 twin was diagnosed with ASD or neither twin exhibited a history of neurological or psychiatric disorders.

Reliability of the Commonly Used and Newly-Developed Autism Measures.

Purpose: The aim of the present study was to compare scale and conditional reliability derived from item response theory analyses among the most commonly used, as well as several newly developed, observation, interview, and parent-report autism instruments.

Methods: When available, data sets were combined to facilitate large sample evaluation. Scale reliability (internal consistency, average corrected item-total correlations, and model reliability) and conditional reliability estimates were computed for total scores and for measure subscales.

Profiles of circumscribed interests in autistic youth.

Circumscribed interests (CI) encompass a range of different interests and related behaviors that can be characterized by either a high intensity but otherwise usual topic [referred to as restricted interests (RI)] or by a focus on topics that are not salient outside of autism [referred to as unusual interests (UI)]. Previous research has suggested that there is pronounced variability across individuals in terms of the endorsement of different interests, however, this variability has not been quantified using formal subtyping approaches. Therefore, using Latent Profile Analysis in a sample of 1,892 autistic youth (M = 10.

Daily living skills scale: Development and preliminary validation of a new, open-source assessment of daily living skills.

Autistic individuals and individuals with a range of other neurodevelopmental conditions (NDD) often present with lower levels of daily living skills (DLS) when compared to their neurotypical peers. Importantly, lower levels of DLS have been linked to a range of negative outcomes, including lower rates of post-secondary education, lower employment rates, and higher daily support needs across autism and NDD. However, there are currently no open-source informant-reported instruments for capturing key aspects of DLS.

Development and validation of the Executive Functioning Scale.

Executive functioning (EF) processes are essential for adaptive and flexible responding to the demands and complexities of everyday life. Conversely, if impaired, these processes are a key transdiagnostic risk factor that cuts across autism and a range of other neurodevelopmental (NDD) and neuropsychiatric (NPD) conditions. However, there are currently no freely available informant-report measures that comprehensively characterize non-affective (e.

Longitudinal neurobehavioral profiles in children and young adults with PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome and reliable methods for assessing neurobehavioral change.

Background: Individuals with PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (PHTS) demonstrate a distinct neurobehavioral profile suggesting primary disruption of frontal lobe symptoms, with more severe cognitive deficits in those with associated autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that extend to other areas of neurobehavioral function as well (e.g., adaptive behavior, sensory deficits).

The Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire: Development and psychometric evaluation of a new, open-source measure of autism symptomatology.

Aim: To describe the development and initial psychometric evaluation of a new, freely available measure, the Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire (ASDQ).

Method: After development and revision of an initial 33-item version, informants completed a revised 39-item version of the ASDQ on 1467 children and adolescents (aged 2-17 years), including 104 with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Results: The initial 33-item version of the ASDQ had good reliability and construct validity.