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The term "gifted" refers to individuals who give evidence of higher performance in specific fields or domains considered relevant for his/her culture of origin. The teachers' opinion is a valuable aid in identifying giftedness, thanks to the privileged perspective from which they can observe students. The standardized assessment scales compiled by teachers are functional in a multi-informant and multimethod process of evaluation, because they are highly suitable for grasping the complexity that constitutes intellectual giftedness. The present study investigated the psychometric characteristics of the Italian version of the GATES-2, a tool to identify talented and gifted students, in a sample of 925 students, who participated in the Italian adaptation of the instrument. Statistical analyses were conducted to test internal consistency, score stability, and the discriminative validity. The excellent reliability and validity measures of the GATES-2 confirmed its usefulness in recognizing the talent of students. The GATES-2 represents an ideal aid, as it evaluates the five characteristics of giftedness recognized in national definitions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Held during the second presidential term of Juan Domingo Perón, in Mendoza, the Fair of the Americas (1954) took place. It was a continental exhibition that sought to promote regional production and strengthen Argentina's commercial and international relations with neighboring countries. It was also praised as an attractive event for visitors and locals. Likewise, it stood out as a space for international competition, given that stands from industries, business chambers, and chambers of commerce took part in the call. Conceived as elements of ephemeral architecture, the pavilions designed for the Fair displayed the disciplinary precepts typical of their time. Recent research has sought to account for the historical and symbolic relevance of this event for the region, as well as the disciplinary debates on Architecture and Design, that led to this international gathering. In this framework, this article aims to study the case of the only material testimony of the Fair that still stands, starting from a critical-analytical reading of the project documentation and of the architectural work as a messenger, considering the professional backgrounds of the technical players involved with its conception and materialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Held during the second presidential term of Juan Domingo Perón, in Mendoza, the Fair of the Americas (1954) took place. It was a continental exhibition that sought to promote regional production and strengthen Argentina's commercial and international relations with neighboring countries. It was also praised as an attractive event for visitors and locals. Likewise, it stood out as a space for international competition, given that stands from industries, business chambers, and chambers of commerce took part in the call. Conceived as elements of ephemeral architecture, the pavilions designed for the Fair displayed the disciplinary precepts typical of their time. Recent research has sought to account for the historical and symbolic relevance of this event for the region, as well as the disciplinary debates on Architecture and Design, that led to this international gathering. In this framework, this article aims to study the case of the only material testimony of the Fair that still stands, starting from a critical-analytical reading of the project documentation and of the architectural work as a messenger, considering the professional backgrounds of the technical players involved with its conception and materialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is a complex condition with wide variation in type and severity that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, restricted/repetitive behaviours and adaptive behaviours. In recent years, research has deepened the study of the predictive factors of optimal outcome, intended as indicators of positive trajectory in children with a previous diagnosis of autism who, after a therapeutic path, show a significant reduction in the "core" symptoms of autism and a positive evolution in social, adaptive, affective, and relational skills. Methods: The study included 40 children aged 21 to 66 months, enrolled between 2015 and 2016 for an autism spectrum disorder clinical suspicious. Children were re-evaluated after at least 2 years of therapy and they were divided into two groups: the ASD-ASD group included children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD, and the ASD-OO comparison group included children who no longer met the criteria for an autism classification. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the presence of cognitive, emotional and relational predictors capable of predicting the presence of optimal outcome in with a diagnosis of autism; the predictors taken into consideration were the intelligence quotient, the play, the emotional contagion and the understanding of other's intentions. In this way, it is possible to support clinicians in defining a more complete diagnostic framework of autism, using assessment tools that can be administered quickly and therefore suitable for short observation sessions in paediatric patients. Results: The findings showed that 15 out of 40 children, after at least for 2 years, no longer fell into the diagnostic ASD category based on the ADOS-2, DSM-5 and clinical criteria. The children in the ASD-OO group initially had a higher IQ than those in the ASD-ASD group, lower severity of autistic symptoms, greater understanding of intentions, more emotional contagion, and better quality of play. The results suggest that the initial coexistence of skills in these areas at the time of the first diagnostic assessment may allow us to predict the possibility of achieving optimal outcome after 2 years of therapy. Conclusions: The data of this study highlight the importance of considering, during assessment, intelligence quotient, play, emotional contagion, and understanding of the intentions of others as potential prognostic predictors that can become useful tools for clinicians and paediatricians. This allows us to focus attention, in both the diagnostic and prognostic phases, on emotional-relational variables that can support the clinician in defining a more complete diagnostic framework and in planning a more personalized therapeutic path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism spectrum disorder is a complex condition with wide variation in type and severity that involves persistent challenges in social interaction, speech and nonverbal communication, restricted/repetitive behaviours and adaptive behaviours. In recent years, research has deepened the study of the predictive factors of optimal outcome, intended as indicators of positive trajectory in children with a previous diagnosis of autism who, after a therapeutic path, show a significant reduction in the "core" symptoms of autism and a positive evolution in social, adaptive, affective, and relational skills. Methods: The study included 40 children aged 21 to 66 months, enrolled between 2015 and 2016 for an autism spectrum disorder clinical suspicious. Children were re-evaluated after at least 2 years of therapy and they were divided into two groups: the ASD-ASD group included children with a confirmed diagnosis of ASD, and the ASD-OO comparison group included children who no longer met the criteria for an autism classification. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the presence of cognitive, emotional and relational predictors capable of predicting the presence of optimal outcome in with a diagnosis of autism; the predictors taken into consideration were the intelligence quotient, the play, the emotional contagion and the understanding of other's intentions. In this way, it is possible to support clinicians in defining a more complete diagnostic framework of autism, using assessment tools that can be administered quickly and therefore suitable for short observation sessions in paediatric patients. Results: The findings showed that 15 out of 40 children, after at least for 2 years, no longer fell into the diagnostic ASD category based on the ADOS-2, DSM-5 and clinical criteria. The children in the ASD-OO group initially had a higher IQ than those in the ASD-ASD group, lower severity of autistic symptoms, greater understanding of intentions, more emotional contagion, and better quality of play. The results suggest that the initial coexistence of skills in these areas at the time of the first diagnostic assessment may allow us to predict the possibility of achieving optimal outcome after 2 years of therapy. Conclusions: The data of this study highlight the importance of considering, during assessment, intelligence quotient, play, emotional contagion, and understanding of the intentions of others as potential prognostic predictors that can become useful tools for clinicians and paediatricians. This allows us to focus attention, in both the diagnostic and prognostic phases, on emotional-relational variables that can support the clinician in defining a more complete diagnostic framework and in planning a more personalized therapeutic path. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

90 Italian children (72 boys, 18 girls) with a diagnosis of infantile autism (age range = 2.5-16.5yr.) were assessed with a non-verbal intelligence test (Leiter-R). The test was repeated 3 times in four years. The measures used were IQ and Fluid Reasoning (FR), as evaluation of inductive and deductive reasoning, and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS), indicative of the severity of autistic symptoms at the beginning and at the end of therapy. The increase in the average IQ and FR scores at retests demonstrates the effectiveness of a treatment that emphasizes the centrality of the relationship-based approach. Moreover, the FR score at intake was predictive of a significant decrease of ADOS scores after four years of treatment, and of the increase in IQ observed in later evaluations. The data support the hypothesis that a relationship-based intervention allows cognitive improvement regardless of the autism severity expressed in the ADOS score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) constitute a relatively heterogeneous set of neurodevelopmental disorders characterised by social-communication impairments and the presence of repetitive and restricted behaviours, activities, and interests. These core characteristics determine developmental anomalies in both cognitive and relational profile and are often responsible for delays or atypical evolution in the acquisition of language as well as in all those symbolic activities that require a good internalisation of experiences. The present study involved 36 children aged 6 to 12 years old with a diagnosis of autism who, after a therapeutic path, achieved the ability to represent real world objects with drawing, the cognitive understanding to perform required tasks, and the linguistic and metacognitive ability to comment on one's own drawing production. These children were administered the Wartegg test, which is a projective, semi-structured drawing technique, with proven reliability and validity, which allows for a psychological assessment from the age of 5 (age is related to abilities). We were interested in highlighting how children with ASD can represent the contents of their internal world and understand which aspects appear more problematic in their experience to guide the therapeutic response. The results of this research confirmed the presence, in children with ASD, of traits of rigidity, closure, and lack of flexibility towards stimuli coming from the outside world, such as to interfere with their ability to attune into the environment and adapt to it in a functional way. The data also show a prevalence of the emotional-affective component over the rational and control one, and an impairment of the possibility of exercising conscious control over one's own experiences. Finally, the results of this study highlight the presence, in children diagnosed with ASD, of elements attributable to a psycho-affective structure characterised by a greater deflection of mood than in typically developing children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]