Functional Outcomes of Children Identified Early in the Developmental Period as at Risk for ASD Utilizing the The Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa).

Early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is regarded as crucial for swift access to early intervention and, subsequently, better outcomes later in life. However, current instruments miss large proportions of children who later go on to be diagnosed with ASD, raising a question of what these instruments measure. The present study utilized data from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study and the Autism Birth Cohort study to explore the subsequent developmental and diagnostic characteristics of children raising developmental concern on the six-critical discriminative item criterion of the M-CHAT (DFA6) at 18 months of age (N = 834).

A Review Update on Gender Dysphoria and ASD and Response to Corrections.

Here we address the earlier published review by Øien et al. (J Autism Dev Disord, https://doi.org/10.

Enhancing the understanding of clinically meaningful results: A clinical research perspective.

Published research often address aspects related to "statistical significance" but fail to address the clinical and practical importance and meaning of results. Our main objectives in this article are to investigate the merit of common measures of Effect Size in statistical research and to highlight the importance of the simple Relative Risk ratio. In this article we present data where we consider two widely utilized effect size measures (Cohen's d and Pearson's r) in relations to relative risk.

Gender Dysphoria, Sexuality and Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Systematic Map Review.

In this systematic map review, we aimed (1) at identifying studies including the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and gender dysphoria (GD) between 1946 and 2018, and (2) to present the papers included in this systematic map review to provide authors in the field of GD, sexuality and ASD with an important database of studies focusing on this very complex topic. The field is of emerging interest, as observed by the large increase of studies over the past decades, especially since 2015. However, future challenges are to be addressed in future studies.

Clinical Features of Children With Autism Who Passed 18-Month Screening.

Objectives: We compared sex-stratified developmental and temperamental profiles at 18 months in children screening negative for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) but later receiving diagnoses of ASD (false-negative group) versus those without later ASD diagnoses (true-negative group).

Methods: We included 68 197 screen-negative cases from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (49.1% girls).

Assessing Binary Diagnoses of Bio-behavioral Disorders: The Clinical Relevance of Cohen's Kappa.

Cohen's (Educ Psychol Meth. 1960;23:37-40) kappa statistic has been criticized recently for providing low chance-corrected coefficients (<0.40) despite high levels of examiner agreement (e.

Sensory features as diagnostic criteria for autism: sensory features in autism.

In this study, we examined the frequency of sensory-related issues as reported by parents in a large sample of school-age adolescents and adults with autism/autism spectrum disorder (ASD) [1] as compared to a group of individuals receiving similar clinical evaluations for developmental/behavioral difficulties but whose final diagnoses were not on the autism spectrum. In no comparison were the features examined predictive of autism or autism spectrum in comparison to the non-ASD sample. Only failure to respond to noises had sensitivity above .

Reliability of the ADI-R for the single case-part II: clinical versus statistical significance.

In an earlier investigation, the authors assessed the reliability of the ADI-R when multiple clinicians evaluated a single case, here a female 3 year old toddler suspected of having an autism spectrum disorder (Cicchetti et al. in J Autism Dev Disord 38:764-770, 2008). Applying the clinical criteria of Cicchetti and Sparrow (Am J Men Def 86:127-137, 1981); and those of Cicchetti et al.

On scales of measurement in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and beyond: where Smitty went wrong.

The author examined critically three beliefs of S.S. Stevens pertaining to his quadripartite system of scales of measurement: (1) There are four scales of measurement in common usage (2) These scales and the scientific disciplines that use them can be incrementally graded for levels of reliability and validity or accuracy such that: Nominal scale variables produce the lowest levels of reliability and accuracy; with successively improving levels for Ordinal, Equal Interval, and Equal Ratio scales; and (3) The scale upon which a variable is measured determines the type of statistical test that one is permitted to apply.

Manual and automated reticulocyte counts.

Manual reticulocyte counts were examined under light microscopy, using the property whereby supravital stain precipitates residual ribosomal RNA versus the automated flow methods, with the suggestion that in the latter there is greater precision and an ability to determine both mature and immature reticulocyte fractions. Three hundred and forty-one venous blood samples of patients were analyzed of whom 224 newborn and the rest adults; 51 males and 66 females, with ages between 0 and 89 years, as part of the laboratory routine for hematological examinations at the Clinical Laboratory of the Hospital Universitário do Oeste do Paraná. This work aimed to compare manual and automated methodologies for reticulocyte countings and evaluate random and systematic errors.

The role of adaptive behavior in autism spectrum disorders: implications for functional outcome.

The relationship between adaptive functioning and autism symptomatology was examined in 1,089 verbal youths with ASD examining results on Vineland-II, IQ, and measures of ASD severity. Strong positive relationships were found between Vineland subscales and IQ. Vineland Composite was negatively associated with age.

From Bayes through marginal utility to effect sizes: a guide to understanding the clinical and statistical significance of the results of autism research findings.

The objectives of this report are: (a) to trace the theoretical roots of the concept clinical significance that derives from Bayesian thinking, Marginal Utility/Diminishing Returns in Economics, and the "just noticeable difference", in Psychophysics. These concepts then translated into: Effect Size (ES), strength of agreement, clinical significance, and related concepts, and made possible the development of Power Analysis; (b) to differentiate clinical significance from statistical significance; and (c) to demonstrate the utility of measures of ES and related concepts for enhancing the meaning of Autism research findings. These objectives are accomplished by applying criteria for estimating clinical significance, and related concepts, to a number of areas of autism research.

Comparison of short and long versions of the Prudhoe Cognitive Function Test and the K-BIT in participants with intellectual impairment.

The Prudhoe Cognitive Function Test (PCFT) directly measures the cognitive abilities of people with intellectual impairment. This study examined the relationship between this instrument and the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT) and two shorter versions of the same scale. High correlations between the verbal and performance sections of the K-BIT and the Long PCFT were found with correlation coefficients of 0.

Language outcomes of toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: a two year follow-up.

Thirty-seven children 15-25 months of age received clinical diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and were re-evaluated two years later. All subjects were judged to have retained a diagnosis of ASD at the follow-up evaluation. Communication scores for the group as a whole during the first visit were significantly lower than nonverbal IQ.

Group intervention to promote social skills in school-age children with pervasive developmental disorders: reconsidering efficacy.

A consistent result in the evaluation of group-delivered intervention to promote social reciprocity in children with PDDs is that outcome data are inconclusive. Lack of robust evidence of efficacy confounds understanding of these interventions and their value to the field. It is conceivable that the construct of impaired social reciprocity in PDD presents unique circumstances that require special consideration when evaluating the evidence base.

Evaluating the reliability of multiple assessments of PTSD symptomatology: multiple examiners, one patient.

The objective of this investigation was to assess the inter-examiner reliability of PTSD symptomatology by 12 clinical examiners who evaluated independently a single-case Vietnam-Era veteran, using videotaped clinician interviews with The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale-1 (CAPS-1). A second patient was utilized for cross-validation purposes. Data were analyzed using a specially designed Kappa statistic.

Observational Assessment of Preschool Disruptive Behavior, Part I: reliability of the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS).

Objective: To examine the reliability of the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS), a new observational method for assessing preschool disruptive behavior.

Method: The DB-DOS is a structured clinic-based assessment designed to elicit clinically salient behaviors relevant to the diagnosis of disruptive behavior in preschoolers. Child behavior is assessed in three interactional contexts that vary by partner (parent versus examiner) and level of support provided.

Observational Assessment of Preschool Disruptive Behavior, Part II: validity of the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS).

Objective: To examine the validity of the Disruptive Behavior Diagnostic Observation Schedule (DB-DOS), a new observational method for assessing preschool disruptive behavior.

Method: A total of 327 behaviorally heterogeneous preschoolers from low-income environments comprised the validation sample. Parent and teacher reports were used to identify children with clinically significant disruptive behavior.

Interexaminer agreement of histopathologic features in pediatric brain tumors: a biostatistical perspective.

Pages 108-117 of the current issue of Pediatric and Developmental Pathology contain a landmark interobserver investigation of some of the vagaries and vicissitudes involved in the nosological assessment of 6 histological features of childhood brain tumors. Doctor Gilles and his clinical research colleagues are to be commended for their conceptualization, reliability research design, execution, and interpretation of their findings. The piece is also uncommonly sophisticated concerning matters biostatistical.

A guide for monitoring child development in low- and middle-income countries.

Objective: In low- and middle-income countries, methods for clinicians to address difficulties in language, social-emotional, cognitive, behavioral, or neuromotor development during early childhood are lacking. To fill this gap, we designed, in Turkey, the Guide for Monitoring Child Development, which aims to aid clinicians in monitoring and supporting child development and the early detection and management of developmental difficulties. The Guide for Monitoring Child Development monitoring component is a practical, open-ended interview that catalyzes communication between clinicians and caregivers and obtains a portrayal of the child's development.

The Quantification of Violence Scale: a simple method of recording significant violence.

Background: Although there are many rating scales recording the incidence and intensity of violence there are none that are specifically concerned with the measurement and assessment of severe violence.

Aims: To develop a scale sensitive to variation centred on severe violence, establish its normative values, test its feasibility, and assess its reliability and validity in different populations.

Method: The Quantification of Violence Scale (QOVS) was developed in two stages.

Development of the evaluative method for evaluating and determining evidence-based practices in autism.

Although research in autism has grown more sophisticated, the gap between research knowledge and applicability of research in real world settings has grown. There have been a number of different reviews of evidence-based practices of treatments for young children with autism. Reviews which have critically evaluated the empirical evidence have not found any treatments that can be considered evidence-based.