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Many experts have extensively studied the potential of exercise as a treatment option for psychiatric conditions, including depression and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite their core symptoms, these conditions exhibits comparable component traits, an anxiety. In this study, we explored the effect of exercise on behavioral abnormalities in psychiatric conditions, focusing on its intensity and emotional resilience. Shank3B knockout (KO.sup.SED) mice displaying self-injurious repetitive behavior and C57BL/6J mice, susceptible to stress as ASD and depression model, respectively, were subjected to moderate-intensity exercise (ME) for 2 weeks. ME mitigated the core symptoms (excessive grooming traits and behavioral despair) but did not exert a significant anxiolytic effect. Notably, exercise intensity has emerged as a critical determinant of its efficacy, as evidenced by a lower ventilation threshold and anxiolytic effect mediated by low-intensity exercise. The findings substantiate the notion that exercise is promising as a disease-modifying treatment, but intensity matters for emotional resilience. Graphical Abstract Keywords: Depression, Autism spectrum disorder, Exercise intensity, Anxiety-like behavior, Psychiatric condition, Author(s): Dong-Joo Hwang[sup.1,2] and Tae-Kyung Kim[sup.1,2,3] Background Psychiatric disorders encompassing conditions such as depression, anxiety, and autism (referred to as autism spectrum disorders (ASD)) pose significant challenges to global health, [...]

The trial-based functional analysis (TBFA) offers several advantages in natural settings, such as time efficiency and ecological validity. Previous studies have successfully trained or coached a variety of professionals and parents to conduct a TBFA utilizing in-person training procedures; however, no study has evaluated the effectiveness of telehealth coach or train others to implement a TBFA. Utilizing telehealth coaching, we coached three mothers of children with autism to conduct a TBFA in their home. The TBFA identified consequences maintaining challenging behavior for all three participants. Based on the results of the TBFA, we developed a functional communication training (FCT) intervention. Experimenters coached the mothers to implement the FCT intervention in their home. All interventions resulted in decreased challenging behavior and increased communication. The results suggest parents are capable of conducting a valid TBFA with telehealth coaching and support., Author(s): Tonya N. Davis [sup.1], Stephanie Gerow [sup.1], MacKenzie Wicker [sup.1], David Cosottile [sup.1], Emily Exline [sup.1], Remington Swensson [sup.1], Providence Lively [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/005781934, grid.252890.4, 0000 0001 [...]

The signaling perspective offers an alternative to the Skinnerian view of understanding behavior. The signaling effects of reinforcers have predominantly been explored in the laboratory with nonhuman subjects. To test the implications of this view for applied behavior analysis, we contrasted the effect of discriminative stimulus versus reinforcer control in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We aimed to determine whether the duration of their transitions from one reinforcer context to another is controlled by their most recent past or the likely future based on more extended past experience. Reinforcer context (rich, moderate, or lean) was signaled in the first condition. We observed that transition times to the leaner reinforcer were longer than those to the richer. The reinforcer context was unsignaled in the second condition. The differences between transition times disappeared in the second condition. The difference in durations of transitions to signaled and unsignaled reinforcer densities suggests that behavior is primarily controlled by signals of likely future reinforcers as extrapolated from extended past experience rather than strengthened by the most recent event. Keywords Stimulus vs. reinforcer control * ASD * Transitions, The main concern of all behavior analysts is how the behavior and the environment of organisms interact. Both behavior analysts working in experimental laboratories and those working in the applied [...]

Background: Over recent decades, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been of increasing epidemiological importance, given the substantial increase in its prevalence; at present, clinical diagnosis is possible only after 2 years of age. In this study, we sought to develop a potential predictive model for ASD screening. Methods: We conducted a longitudinal follow-up study of newborns over 3 years. We measured transcript levels of 4 genes (superoxide dismutase-2 [SOD2], retinoic acid-related orphan receptor-[alpha] [RORA], G protein--coupled estrogen receptor-1 [GPER], progesterone receptor [PGR]), 2 oxidative stress markers and epigenetic marks at the RORA promoter in case-control umbilical cord blood mononuclear cell (UCBMC) samples. Results: We followed 2623 newborns; we identified 41 children with ASD, 63 with delayed development and 2519 typically developing children. We matched the 41 children with ASD to 41 typically developing children for UCBMC measurements. Our results showed that children with ASD had significantly higher levels of H3K9me3 histone modifications at the RORA promoter and oxidative stress in UCBMC than typically developing children; children with delayed development showed no significant differences. Children with ASD had significantly lower expression of SOD2, RORA and GPER, but higher PGR expression than typically developing children. We established a model based on these 4 candidate genes, and achieved an area under the curve of 87.0% (standard deviation 3.9%) with a sensitivity of 1.000 and specificity of 0.854 to predict ASD in UCBMC. Limitations: Although the gene combinations produced a good pass/fail cut-off value for ASD evaluation, relatively few children in our study sample had ASD. Conclusion: The altered gene expression in UCBMC can predict later autism development, possibly providing a predictive model for ASD screening immediately after birth., Introduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been of increasing epidemiological importance, given the substantial increase in its prevalence over the past 2 decades, (1) with heavy economic and social impacts, [...]

Social deficits often impede the ability of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to obtain and maintain employment (Barnard et al., Barnard et al., Inclusion and autism: Is it working? 1000 examples of inclusion in education and adult life from the National Autistic Society's members, National Autistic Society, 2000; Elksnin & Elksnin, Elksnin and Elksnin, Exceptionality 9:91-105, 2001). The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a social skills intervention including behavioral skills training, video modeling, and self-monitoring on the acquisition of discrete vocational social skills in young adults with IDD. Participants included high school students in special education that were part of a work internship program. A multiple baseline design across skills with concurrent replication across participants was used to evaluate the effects of the packaged intervention on target skill accuracy. Results indicate that the packaged intervention was effective in promoting social skill acquisition for all participants. Further, high levels of skill acquisition were observed during the maintenance phase., Author(s): Kate A. Helbig [sup.1], Keith C Radley [sup.1], Stefanie R. Schrieber [sup.1], James. R. Derieux [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.267169.d, 0000 0001 2293 1795, The University of South Dakota, [...]

Stereotypic behaviours have been widely linked to a blocking effect, which affects the ability to learn and interact with peers, and can also have effects on everyday activities and long-term musculoskeletal problems. The objectives of this systematic review were to analyse the lasting effects of different aerobic intensity exercise interventions on the frequency and duration of stereotypic behaviours shown by subjects with ASD and suggest an optimal aerobic intensity intervention according to the results of the studies. Searches were conducted in relevant databases using the descriptors 'ASD' and 'exercise' in combination with the keyword 'stereotypy.' All the articles that met the eligibility criteria were included in this review (n = 10). To meet the criteria, articles must include individuals with ASD as participants, stereotypic behaviours as the dependent variable, exercise as the independent variable, and enough information so the aerobic intensity could be calculated. The 10 studies included a total of 70 participants. All the studies found aerobic exercise effective to reduce the number of stereotypic behaviours from 30 to 120 minutes after the exercise intervention. Nine out of 10 of the studies found these effects to be significant. Evidence from this review suggests that 10 to 15 minutes of light to moderate aerobic intensity exercise is effective in decreasing stereotypic behaviours in individuals with ASD with lasting effects of 30 to 120 minutes. Keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, stereotypy, aerobic exercise, physical exercise, systematic review, Introduction According to the American Psychological Association (2013), autism is a neurodevelopmental condition that main diagnostic criteria are 'persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction' and 'restricted, repetitive patterns [...]

Interoception, the body's perception of its own internal states, is thought to be altered in autism, though results of empirical studies have been inconsistent. The current study systematically reviewed and meta-analyzed the extant literature comparing interoceptive outcomes between autistic (AUT) and neurotypical (NT) individuals, determining which domains of interoception demonstrate robust between-group differences. A three-level Bayesian meta-analysis compared heartbeat counting performance, heartbeat discrimination performance, heartbeat counting confidence ratings, and self-reported interoceptive attention between AUT and NT groups (15 studies; n.sub.AUT = 467, n.sub.NT = 478). Autistic participants showed significantly reduced heartbeat counting performance [g = - 0.333, CrI.sub.95% (- 0.535, - 0.138)] and higher confidence in their heartbeat counting abilities [g = 0.430, CrI.sub.95% (0.123, 0.750)], but groups were equivalent on other meta-analyzed outcomes. Implications for future interoception research in autism are discussed., Author(s): Zachary J. Williams [sup.1] [sup.2] [sup.3] [sup.4] [sup.5] , Evan Suzman [sup.6] , Samantha L. Bordman [sup.7] , Jennifer E. Markfeld [sup.2] , Sophia M. Kaiser [sup.8] , Kacie [...]

This Winter 2023 issue of Teacher Education Quarterly provides four articles, including two multi-authored articles focused on Special Education. The first focuses on the inclusion of students with autism and [...]

Inclusion of students with special education needs (SEN) and especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into general education curricula is a challenging practice. In recent years, the practice of inclusion has been expanding within the international school community. Outside of the United States, the process of inclusion is developing rapidly due to an ever-increasing demand. The demand is fueled by families and is compounded by the scarcity of international schools with developed programs and inclusive classrooms. Applied Behavior Analysis provides evidence-based strategies and tactics that support educators and those responsible for inclusion of students SEN and ASD. The purpose of the present study was to use behavioral observation techniques to determine socially valid performance criterion for attending behaviors in typically developing primary school students during group instruction and independent desk work. No direct observation data were found on this subject, to date. Direct observations occurred in situ using whole interval recording procedures across typical students across primary grades one through eight, inclusive. Data were collected under two types of conditions, lecture style instruction, and independent desk work for boys and girls across all grades. The performance criterion could then be used to guide decisions by IEP teams to fade out support of those students with SEN in the general education setting. Results show that typical students attend to the teacher during live lectures an average of 93% of the time using a time sampling data collection technique and 96% during independent desk work. Key Words autism, special education needs, inclusion, applied behavior analysis, attending behaviors, on task, international school, Inclusion of students with special education needs (SEN) and especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD) into general education classes is a challenging practice. In recent years, the practice of inclusion has [...]

The association between maternal sensitivity and attachment security has long been established among normative samples. However, less is known about how this association operates among children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). This meta-analytic review is the first to address the association between maternal sensitivity/availability and attachment security in a population of children with ASD (aged 1 to 7 years) and to explore if this association is moderated by child chronological age, mental age, ASD-related symptoms severity. The objective was also to assess the role of methodological moderators, including the informant of the attachment measure, country and publication year. A systematic search was performed on relevant databases. Seven studies were retained. Meta-analytic results showed a significant medium effect size between maternal sensitivity/availability and attachment security in children with ASD (r = .47; 95% CI: 0.32-.60; p < .001), which is a stronger association than in the general population (r = .24). Moderation analyses did not show any significant effect of child chronological age and publication year on effect sizes. The categorical moderators (e.g., informant, country) could not be tested due to the limited number of studies. More research is needed to better understand the way mothers adapt to their children with autism and identify the nuances regarding how maternal sensitivity/availability relates to child attachment in the context of ASD., Author(s): F. Cossette-Côté [sup.1] , E. L. Bussières [sup.2] , K. Dubois-Comtois [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.14848.31, 0000 0001 2292 3357, Psychology Department, Université de Montréal, , 2900 boul Edouard-Montpetit, [...]

Byline: Inusha. Panigrahi, Mohammed. Shariq, Chitra. Bamba, Ramandeep. Kaur, Yogita. Bhatt, Priyanka. Srivastava Chromosomal deletion and duplication syndromes can lead to intellectual disability, autism, microcephaly, and poor growth. Usually manifestations [...]

This study examined the effect of pre-meal presentation on the consumption of vegetables in a sample of 16 students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). These 16 students (75% male; mean age = 13 years; age range 8-18 years) were enrolled in a private school serving children with autism. School staff offered participants 10 small pieces of two vegetables during lunch (baseline) or prior to lunch (pre-meal presentation). Observers recorded the number of bites students consumed. We used an A-B-A-B design to examine the effects of pre-meal presentation. Results were evaluated using a mixed-method, individual- and group-level, analysis. Pre-meal presentation resulted in increased vegetable consumption for 9 of the 16 participants. A reversal to baseline demonstrated expected decreases in bites consumed, and the subsequent return to intervention demonstrated expected increases in bites consumed. One-way repeated measures ANOVA compared bites consumed per session across 10 four-session study blocks and found significant differences between these two conditions. Paired comparisons revealed no change in bites consumed per session from baseline to intervention block #1, but significant increases from baseline to intervention #2 and all subsequent intervention blocks. Our results suggested pre-meal presentation can serve as a low-cost, low-effort intervention for increasing vegetable consumption for some children with ASD., Author(s): Jonathan W. Ivy [sup.1], Keith Williams [sup.2], Lauren Davison [sup.3], Ben Bacon [sup.3], Fred E. Carriles [sup.1], Helen M. Hendy [sup.4] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.29857.31, 0000 0001 2097 4281, [...]

Competing viewpoints on the independency or interdependency of Skinner's verbal operants have been discussed in the literature and with empirical support for both positions generated using single-case research methods. Our study provides support for the interdependency of the verbal operants using items contained in the Verbal Behavior Milestones Assessment and Placement Program as a measure of broader skill acquisition in each verbal operant category and across skill complexity levels. The result of an exploratory factor analysis conducted across 85 participants with autism suggested that items did yield factors consistent with the verbal operants, rather items appeared to cluster in terms of skill complexity producing a best-fit 2 factor model. Together with prior research showing untrained cross-operant transfers, results fail to support Skinner's verbal behavior taxonomy distinguishing between the verbal operant categories as independent constructs, with implications for how behavior scientists and analysts describe language development and assess and treat language deficits of individuals with autism., Author(s): Jordan Belisle [sup.1], Mark R. Dixon [sup.2], Albert Malkin [sup.2], Joshua Hollie [sup.2], Caleb R. Stanley [sup.3] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.260126.1, 0000 0001 0745 8995, Psychology Department, Missouri State [...]

Purpose: Children with autism are found to have delayed and heterogeneous gesture abilities. It is important to understand the growth of gesture abilities and the underlying factors affecting its growth. Addressing these issues can help to design effective intervention programs. Method: Thirty-five Chinese-speaking preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder ([M.sub.age] = 4.89 years, SD = 0.91; four girls) participated in four play sessions with their parents over 9 months. Their child-based factors including autism severity, intellectual functioning, and expressive language abilities were assessed. The gestures (deictic, iconic, and conventional) of the children and their parents were coded. Growth curve analyses were conducted to examine individual growth trajectories and the roles of child-based factors and parental input in shaping the children's gesture development. Results: Child-based factors and parental input predicted gesture development differently. Parents' gestures positively predicted their children's gestures of the same type. Autism severity negatively predicted iconic and conventional gestures. Overall growth was found in deictic rather than iconic and conventional gestures. Subgroup variation was also found. Specifically, children with better expressive language ability showed a decrease in deictic gestures. An increase in iconic and conventional gestures was found in children with more severe autism and those with poorer expressive language ability and intellectual functioning, respectively. Conclusions: Different types of gestures may have different growth trajectories and be predicted by different child-based factors. Particular attention should be given to children who never produced iconic gestures, which is more challenging and may not develop over a short period, and hence require direct instruction., Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is widely recognized as a complex, heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition. According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), [...]

Este ensayo analiza la novela Lake Success (2018) de Gary Shteyngart como un ejercicio de cuestionamiento de las narrativas formativas de la identidad estadounidense--el sueño americano y el hombre hecho a sí mismo--a través de la historia de Barry, un hedge fund manager que abandona a su mujer e hijo con autismo para viajar por la América que está a punto de elegir a Donald Trump como presidente. En base a la relación intertextual con The Great Gatsby (1925), este ensayo contextualiza la corrupción de estas narrativas formativas dentro de la cultura del individualismo desenfrenado, argumentando que la victoria de Trump ha normalizado aun más el oportunismo y la disociación entre el éxito individual y el bienestar colectivo. Esta vacuidad del sueño americano y el hombre hecho a sí mismo presenta una imagen bastante sombría de los EE.UU. contemporáneos. Sin embargo, sostengo que la novela sugiere la posibilidad de un cambio, tanto para el protagonista como para su país, llamando a la reintroducción del otro en las narrativas formativas de la identidad estadounidense para así ampliar sus límites actuales. Palabras clave: Sueño americano; hombre hecho a sí mismo; Donald Trump; hombres malos; autismo; orientación This essay analyses Gary Shteyngart's Lake Success (2018) as an inquiry into the formative narratives of the American identity--the American Dream and self-making--through the story of a hedge-fund manager, Barry, who abandons his wife and child with autism to travel across the US just as the country is about to elect Donald Trump as president. Building on the intertextual connection with The Great Gatsby (1925), this essay contextualizes the ongoing corruption of these narratives within the culture of unbridled individual advancement, arguing that Trump's victory has further normalized opportunism and the dissociation between individual success and collective well-being. Although this hollowing out of the American Dream and self-making renders a rather bleak picture of contemporary US, the novel suggests the possibility of change, both for Barry and America, as it calls for the re-insertion of the other into the formative narratives of American identity, thus expanding their current limits. Keywords: American Dream; self-made man; Donald Trump; mean men; autism; orientation, Rewriting the American Dream for the Trump Era and Beyond in Gary Shteyngart's Lake Success (2018) I. INTRODUCTION: LAKE SUCCESS AS SHTEYNGART'S AMERICAN NOVEL At first sight, Lake Success (2018) [...]

Background Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have digestive problems and microbial imbalances in their guts, suggesting that these conditions may play a role in the development of the disorder. Scopus-based research on the gut microbiota and ASD was examined in this bibliometric analysis to shed light on the current state of research and identify potential hotspots for future work in this area. Methods We searched documents from the Scopus database and reference citation analysis to collect published data on the gut microbiota and ASD from 2003 to 2022. The downloaded document records were exported to VOSviewer v.1.6.19 to examine and visualize the collaboration between countries and determine the research hotspots. Results The search yielded 958 articles specifically dedicated to gut microbiota and ASD. The number of publications in this field increased rapidly after 2013, with a peak in 2022. The United States (n = 267; 27.87%) was the most active country, followed by China (n = 171; 17.85%) and Italy (n = 96; 10.02). International collaboration was observed, with the USA playing a central role. University College Cork, Ireland, was the most productive institution (n = 24; 2.51%). The National Natural Science Foundation of China was the most active funding agency (n = 76; 7.93%). Nutrients journal had the highest number of publications (n = 28; 2.92%). The articles related to gut microbiota and ASD were highly cited, with an h-index of 108. The research themes identified focused on the modulation of gut microbiota as a potential therapy for children with ASD and gut-brain axis dysfunction in ASD. Conclusions In recent years, the study of gut microbiota and its association with ASD has garnered considerable interest as an emergent field of study. The results of this study substantially enhance our current understanding of the knowledge landscape in this field and illuminate potential avenues for future research. It is essential to emphasize the significance of devoting more resources to the newest and most promising research areas, such as investigating the potential therapeutic benefits of modulating the intestinal microbiota in children with ASD. This research has enormous potential and merits intensified focus and investigation. Keywords: ASD, Autism, Gut microbiota, Autism spectrum disorders, Bibliometric, Scopus, Reference citation analysis, Author(s): Sa'ed H. Zyoud[sup.1,2], Muna Shakhshir[sup.3], Amani S. Abushanab[sup.1], Amer Koni[sup.1,4], Moyad Shahwan[sup.5], Ammar A. Jairoun[sup.6], Adham Abu Taha[sup.7,8] and Samah W. Al-Jabi[sup.1] Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an [...]

Researchers widely assert that requiring eye contact from students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) before instruction is highly important to the outcome of teaching (Greer and Ross in Verbal behavior analysis, Pearson Education, New York, 2008; Lovaas in J Consult Clin Psychol 55(1):3-9, 1977. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006x.55.1.3). However, to our knowledge, no research to date has evaluated the effects of this component of instruction on skill acquisition. In this current study, we evaluated the effect of requiring student eye contact from participants with ASD prior to giving an instruction on the rate of skill acquisition. Using an adapted alternating treatments design, this study compared the skill acquisition of three participants diagnosed with ASD during discrete-trial instruction (DTI) for expressive identification of novel items. Requiring eye contact was manipulated as a treatment integrity error during DTI in high-integrity, low-integrity, and control conditions. The experimenter established eye contact with the participants prior to giving an instruction during 100% of trials in the high-integrity condition, whereas eye contact was only established prior to the instruction in 67% of trials in the low-integrity condition. Results indicate that all three participants acquired expressive labels for items in fewer sessions in the high-integrity condition as compared to the low-integrity condition. Implications for the impact of eye contact on skill acquisition are discussed., Author(s): Daniela P. Silva [sup.1], Kate E. Fiske [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.430387.b, 0000 0004 1936 8796, Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, , 151 [...]