The social skills of autistic boys in preschool: the contributions of their dyadic and triadic interactions with their parents.

Background: The interactions of typically developing (TD) children within the family context are associated with their social skills in preschool, and the question guiding this study, which focused on boys, was whether the same would be true for autistic children. A specific focus was on the importance of the boys' engagement in triadic, mother-father-child interactions over and above their engagement in dyadic, parent-child interactions. The boys' social skills were assessed concurrently with their family interactions and one year later.

Positive and challenging themes in parents' perceptions of their relationships with their child with autism: Comparison between mothers and fathers.

Most studies of how parents of children with autism see the parent-child relationship used questionnaires completed by the parents and focused on challenges. This study broadened the lens by interviewing parents using open-ended questions that provide an opportunity to raise challenging but also positive experiences. Seventy-five mother-father dyads were interviewed individually about their own and their spouses' relationships with their preschooler, and we found nine relationship themes.

Parental insightfulness is associated with mother-father-child interactions among families of preschoolers with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis.

Background: Parental insightfulness underlies parental sensitive behavior and is associated with secure attachment among Typically Developing (TD) children and also among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Moving beyond the parent-child dyad, a study of TD children and their parents linked mothers' and fathers' combined insightfulness to triadic interactions. The goal of the current study was to examine this association in families with children with ASD.

Attachment to fathers and mothers in preschoolers with an Autism Spectrum Disorder diagnosis.

We examined whether the Strange Situation Procedure (SSP) is applicable not only for assessing children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their mothers but also with their fathers. Forty preschoolers with ASD were observed in the SSP with their mothers and 39 with their fathers. Unexpectedly, the SSP was found to be not applicable (NA) to 25% of the SSPs with fathers because levels of attachment behavior were minimal, but all SSPs with mothers were codable.

Do developmental and temperamental characteristics mediate the association between preterm birth and the quality of mother-child interaction?

Background: The current study aims to evaluate the association between preterm birth and the quality of mother-child interaction of very preterm-, moderate preterm-, and full-term-born children at 18 and 36 months and to determine whether developmental and behavioral characteristics mediate the association between preterm birth and the quality of mother-child interaction.

Method: Participants included 110 preterm-born children and 39 full-term-born children assessed at ages 18 and 36 months. Mother-child free play interactions, the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, the Infant Behavior Questionnaire, and the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire were administered.

Disrupted maternal communication and attachment disorganization in children with autism spectrum disorder.

We examined whether disrupted maternal communication, which is associated with disorganized attachment in typically developing children, is also associated with disorganized attachment in children with ASD. The attachments of 45 boys with ASD and maternal disruption were assessed in the Strange Situation Procedure. Analyses revealed a link between low cognitive functioning and resistant/ambivalent and disorganized attachment, and children's functioning was therefore controlled.

Cumulative Risk of the Oxytocin Receptor Gene Interacts with Prenatal Exposure to Oxytocin Receptor Antagonist to Predict Children's Social Communication Development.

Compelling evidence for the far-reaching role of oxytocin (OT) in social cognition and affiliative behaviors set the basis for examining the association between genetic variation in the OT receptor (OXTR) gene and risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In the current study, gene-environment interaction between OXTR and prenatal exposure to either OT or OXTR antagonist (OXTRA) in predicting early social communication development was examined. One hundred and fifty-three children (age: M = 4.

Early motor abilities in infants at heightened versus low risk for ASD: A Baby Siblings Research Consortium (BSRC) study.

Research has identified early appearing differences in gross and fine motor abilities in infants at heightened risk (HR) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) because they are the younger siblings of children with ASD, and it suggests that such differences may be especially apparent among those HR infants themselves eventually diagnosed with ASD. The present study examined overall and item-level performance on the gross (GM) and fine motor (FM) subscales of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) administered at 6 months to a large, geographically diverse sample of HR infants with varying developmental outcomes (ASD, elevated ADOS without ASD, low ADOS without ASD) and to infants with low ASD risk (low risk [LR]). We also explored whether motor abilities assessed at 6 months predicted ASD symptom severity at 36 months.

Risk for ASD in Preterm Infants: A Three-Year Follow-Up Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to examine the long-term risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in individuals who are born preterm and full-term using both observational instruments and parental reports. Neonatal risk factors and developmental characteristics associated with ASD risk were also examined.

Method: Participants included 110 preterm children (born at a gestational age of ≤ 34 weeks) and 39 full-term children assessed at ages 18, 24, and 36 months.

Developmental assessment of preterm infants: Chronological or corrected age?

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of age correction on the developmental assessment scores of preterm infants, using for the first time, the Mullen scales of early learning (MSEL) test. Participants included 110 preterm infants (born at a gestational age of ≤ 34 weeks) at ages 1, 4, 8, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. The corrected age-based MSEL composite score and each of the five MSEL scale scores were significantly higher than chronological age-based scores at all ages.

Preterm-infant emotion regulation during the still-face interaction.

Very-preterm (VPT), moderately-preterm (MPT), and full-term (FT) infants' emotion-regulation behaviors were assessed via the Still-Face procedure at a corrected age of four months. As a developmental task during the first year of life, emotion regulation is important for social and cognitive development. Although substantial evidence indicates that VPT infants exhibit emotion-regulation difficulties, little is known about MPT infants' emotion regulation capabilities, this group also possibly being at risk.

Early developmental trajectories of preterm infants.

Background And Objectives: Preterm infants are at risk for neuro-developmental impairments and atypical developmental trajectories. The aims of this study were to delineate early developmental trajectories of preterm and full-term infants.

Methods: The cognitive, language, and motor development of 149 infants - 19 extremely preterm (EPT), 34 very preterm (VPT), 57 moderately preterm (MPT), and 39 full-term (FT) - was evaluated using Mullen Scales at 1, 4, 8, 12, and 18 months.

Maternal resolution of preterm birth from 1 to 18 months.

Preterm birth can be traumatic for some mothers, involving feelings of grief over the hoped-for full-term pregnancy. In this longitudinal study, we interviewed 50 mothers of preterm infants, using the reaction to diagnosis interview when their child was 1 month and 18 months old. We examined change and stability in resolution status over time.

Paternal HLA-C and Maternal Killer-Cell Immunoglobulin-Like Receptor Genotypes in the Development of Autism.

Killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) are a family of cell surface proteins found on natural killer cells, which are components of the innate immune system. KIRs recognize MHC class I proteins, mainly HLA-C and are further divided into two groups: short-tailed 2/3DS activating receptors and long-tailed 2/3DL inhibitory receptors. Based on the Barker Hypothesis, the origins of illness can be traced back to embryonic development in the uterus, and since KIR:HLA interaction figures prominently in the maternal-fetal interface, we investigated whether specific KIR:HLA combinations may be found in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) children compared with their healthy parents.

Non-ASD outcomes at 36 months in siblings at familial risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD): A baby siblings research consortium (BSRC) study.

We characterized developmental outcomes of a large sample of siblings at familial high-risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), who themselves did not have ASD (n = 859), and low-risk controls with no family history of ASD (n = 473). We report outcomes at age 3 years using the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and adaptive functioning on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Around 11% of high-risk siblings had mild-to-moderate levels of developmental delay, a rate higher than the low-risk controls.

Attitudes of the autism community to early autism research.

Investigation into the earliest signs of autism in infants has become a significant sub-field of autism research. This work invokes specific ethical concerns such as use of 'at-risk' language, communicating study findings to parents and the future perspective of enrolled infants when they reach adulthood. This study aimed to ground this research field in an understanding of the perspectives of members of the autism community.

Stability of early risk assessment for autism spectrum disorder in preterm infants.

Stability and change in early autism spectrum disorder risk were examined in a cohort of 99 preterm infants (⩽34 weeks of gestation) using the Autism Observation Scale for Infants at 8 and 12 months and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Toddler Module at 18 months. A total of 21 infants were identified at risk by the Autism Observation Scale for Infants at 8 months, and 9 were identified at risk at 12 months, including 4 children who were not previously identified. At 18 months, eight children were identified at risk for autism spectrum disorder using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-Toddler Module, only half of whom had been identified using the original Autism Observation Scale for Infants cutoffs.

Stability and change in resolution of diagnosis among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder: Child and parental contributions.

The contribution of change over time in parent and child characteristics to parents' resolution of child's diagnosis was examined among 78 mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorder. Children's characteristics (e.g.

Early Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Under 3 Years of Age: Recommendations for Practice and Research.

This article reviews current evidence for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interventions for children aged <3 years, based on peer-reviewed articles published up to December 2013. Several groups have adapted treatments initially designed for older, preschool-aged children with ASD, integrating best practice in behavioral teaching methods into a developmental framework based on current scientific understanding of how infants and toddlers learn. The central role of parents has been emphasized, and interventions are designed to incorporate learning opportunities into everyday activities, capitalize on "teachable moments," and facilitate the generalization of skills beyond the familiar home setting.

Early Screening of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recommendations for Practice and Research.

This article reviews current evidence for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) screening based on peer-reviewed articles published to December 2013. Screening provides a standardized process to ensure that children are systematically monitored for early signs of ASD to promote earlier diagnosis. The current review indicates that screening in children aged 18 to 24 months can assist in early detection, consistent with current American Academy of Pediatrics' recommendations.

Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recommendations for Practice and Research.

Early identification of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is essential to ensure that children can access specialized evidence-based interventions that can help to optimize long-term outcomes. Early identification also helps shorten the stressful "diagnostic odyssey" that many families experience before diagnosis. There have been important advances in research into the early development of ASDs, incorporating prospective designs and new technologies aimed at more precisely delineating the early emergence of ASD.

Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) Algorithms for Toddlers and Young Preschoolers: Application in a Non-US Sample of 1,104 Children.

The current study aimed to investigate the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) algorithms for toddlers and young preschoolers (Kim and Lord, J Autism Dev Disord 42(1):82-93, 2012) in a non-US sample from ten sites in nine countries (n = 1,104). The construct validity indicated a good fit of the algorithms. The diagnostic validity was lower, with satisfactorily high specificities but moderate sensitivities.