Developmental Coordination Disorder/ Dyspraxia Cortical functioning in children with developmental coordination disorder: a motor overflow study

Sensory processing and higher integrative functions impairments are highly prevalent in children with ASD. Context should be considered in analyzing the sensory profile and higher integrative functions. The main objective of this study is to compare sensory processing, social participation and praxis in a group of 79 children (65 males and 14 females) from 5 to 8 years of age (M = 6.09) divided into two groups: ASD Group (n = 41) and Comparison Group (n = 38). The Sensory Processing Measure (SPM) was used to evaluate the sensory profile of the children: parents reported information about their children's characteristics in the home environment, and teachers reported information about the same characteristics in the classroom environment. The ASD Group obtained scores that indicate higher levels of dysfunction on all the assessed measures in both environments, with the greatest differences obtained on the social participation and praxis variables. The most affected sensory modalities in the ASD Group were hearing and touch. Only in the ASD Group were significant differences found between the information reported by parents and what was reported by teachers: specifically, the teachers reported greater dysfunction than the parents in social participation (p = .000), touch (p = .003) and praxis (p = .010). These results suggest that the context-specific qualities found in children with ASD point out the need to receive information from both parents and teachers during the sensory profile assessment process, and use context-specific assessments. Development of Tests to Evaluate the Sensory Abilities of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Elisabeth Söchting, Johannes Hartl, Martin Riederer, Christian Schönauer, Hannes Kaufmann, Claus Lamm ScienceDirect: Available online at :www.sciencedirect.com Abstract An emerging line of research attempts to reveal underlying mechanisms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by studying differences in sensory processing in individuals with ASD. One sense that has not been studied well yet in this context is proprioception, a sensory system that processes information from muscles and joints about body position and force, and is hypothesized to feed into a body schema that is the foundation for motor planning and purposeful action (praxis). In this paper, we introduce new methods to measure proprioceptive functions of children with ASD. The instruments use force, touch and RGB-D sensors to retrieve data in different test scenarios. Data are transferred to a mobile device or PC and analyzed close to real-time with specifically developed software tools. The instruments were pilot tested with typically developing children to test for functionality and usability of the instruments. They will be used in a larger study with children with ASD. Clinical differences in children with autism spectrum disorder with and without food selectivity, Valentina Postorino, Veronica Sanges, Giulia Giovagnoli, Laura Maria Fatta, Lavinia De Peppo, Marco Armando, Stefano Vicari, Luigi Mazzone, Appetite: Available online 18 May 2015, ISSN 0195-6663, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.05.016. Abstract Several studies have described the atypical eating behaviors frequently occurring in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and food selectivity is the most frequent of these problems. The everyday management of mealtime behaviors among children with ASD can have a negative impact on family routines and become a significant stressor for families. However, much remains unknown about why food selectivity is so prevalent among individuals with ASD. The objective of this study was to investigate clinical and behavioral features in individuals with ASD with the aim of identifying distinctive clinical profiles in children with and without food selectivity. A total of 158 children with ASD were enrolled in this study: 79 participants with food selectivity (FS) were age and sex matched with 79 participants without food selectivity (No FS). All participants and their parents completed a battery of psychological tests for a comprehensive evaluation of ASD symptoms, cognitive abilities, adaptive skills, behavioral problems and parental stress level. No statistically significant difference on gastrointestinal symptoms and growth adequacy was found between the FS group and the No FS group. Overall, the FS group showed significantly higher rates of ASD symptoms as compared to the No FS group in the questionnaires completed by parents. Furthermore, parents of the FS group reported significantly higher levels of parental stress and a larger degree of their children's behavioral problems as compared to the No FS group. Finally, there were no differences between the FS and the No FS group on any adaptive skill domain. Our findings suggest that the identification of distinctive clinical and behavioral patterns in children with ASD and food selectivity is a crucial issue for parents and therapists in the daily management. Psychological Correlates of Sensory Processing Patterns in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review Magdalena Glod,Deborah M. Riby, Emma Honey, Jacqui Rodgers Rev J Autism Dev Disord (2015) 2:199221 DOI 10.1007/s40489-015-0047-8 Abstract Existing evidence suggests that there is a relationship between sensory processing difficulties and the clinical and non-clinical features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current review aimed to evaluate evidence of the psycho-logical correlates of sensory processing patterns in individuals with ASD. Primary studies investigating sensory processing patterns in children and adolescents with ASD were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases and evaluated for methodological rigor and reporting quality. In 21 studies, associations between sensory processing patterns and psychological correlates were found. Sensory hyporesponsiveness was correlated with core features of ASD. Social awareness difficulties and affective disorders were associated with hyperresponsiveness. Mixed results were found for repetitive behaviours. Further research is needed to confirm, clarify and extend these findingExisting evidence suggests that there is a relationship between sensory processing difficulties and the clinical and non-clinical features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current review aimed to evaluate evidence of the psycho-logical correlates of sensory processing patterns in individuals with ASD. Primary studies investigating sensory processing patterns in children and adolescents with ASD were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases and evaluated for methodological rigor and reporting quality. In 21 studies, associations between sensory processing patterns and psychological correlates were found. Sensory hyporesponsiveness was correlated with core features of ASD. Social awareness difficulties and affective disorders were associated with hyperresponsiveness. Mixed results were found for repetitive behaviours. Further research is needed to confirm, clarify and extend these finding Feasibility of a Sensory-Adapted Dental Environment for Children With Autism Sharon A. Cermak; Leah I. Stein Duker; Marian E. Williams; Christianne Joy Lane; Michael E. Dawson; Ann E. Borreson; José C. Polido American Journal of Occupational Therapy, April 2015, Vol. 69, Abstract OBJECTIVE. To provide an example of an occupational therapy feasibility study and evaluate the implementation of a randomized controlled pilot and feasibility trial examining the impact of a sensory-adapted dental environment (SADE) to enhance oral care for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHOD. Twenty-two children with ASD and 22 typically developing children, ages 6–12 yr, attended a dental clinic in an urban hospital. Participants completed two dental cleanings, 3–4 mo apart, one in a regular environment and one in a SADE. Feasibility outcome measures were recruitment, retention, accrual, dropout, and protocol adherence. Intervention outcome measures were physiological stress, behavioral distress, pain, and cost. RESULTS. We successfully recruited and retained participants. Parents expressed satisfaction with research study participation. Dentists stated that the intervention could be incorporated in normal practice. Intervention outcome measures favored the SADE condition. CONCLUSION. Preliminary positive benefit of SADE in children with ASD warrants moving forward with a large-scale clinical trial. Sensory Features as Diagnostic Criteria for Autism: Sensory Features in Autism Jordan N. Grapel,* Domenic V. Cicchetti, and Fred R. Volkmar, Yale J Biol Med. 2015 Mar; 88(1): 69–71.Published online 2015 Mar 4.PMCID: PMC4345540