Objective This study had three goals, to examine: 1) the frequency of atypical development, consistent with the broader autism phenotype, in high-risk infant siblings of children with ASD, 2) the age at which atypical development is first evident, and 3) which developmental domains are affected. Method A prospective longitudinal design was used to compare 294 high-risk infants and 116 low-risk infants. Participants were tested at 6, 12, 18, 24, and 36 months of age. At the final visit, outcome was classified as ASD, Typical Development (TD), or Non-TD (defined as elevated ADOS score, low Mullen scores, or both). Results 28% of the high-risk group was classified as Non-TD at 36 months of age. Growth curve models demonstrated that the Non-TD group could not be distinguished from the other groups at 6 months of age, but differed significantly from the Low-Risk TD group by 12 months on multiple measures. The Non-TD group demonstrated atypical development in cognitive, motor, language, and social domains, with differences particularly prominent in social-communication. Conclusions These results demonstrate that features of atypical development, consistent with the broader autism phenotype, are detectable by the first birthday and affect development in multiple domains. This highlights the necessity for close developmental surveillance of infant siblings of children with ASD, along with implementation of appropriate interventions as needed.

Most cases of VI in children did not appear on the statutory blind or partially sighted registers, thus these have limited value for service development. The implications for practice highlight the need for early assessment and advice from a co-ordinated team to optimize visual potential in childhood.

This study examines different ways of measuring the onset of symptoms in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present findings suggest that declining developmental skills, consistent with a regressive onset pattern, are common in children with ASD and may be more the rule than the exception. The results question the accuracy of widely used methods of measuring symptom onset and argue against their widespread use.

This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of undernutrition in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to determine the relation with feeding ability. Ninety children with CP from special needs schools were examined. Undernutrition was diagnosed on one or more of the following criteria: weight <2nd centile, triceps or subscapular skinfold measurement <3rd centile, mid-arm circumference <5th centile. Feeding competence was scored with respect to seven specific oromotor tasks using the Multidisciplinary Feeding Profile. Thirty-six participants (40%) had diplegia, 29 (33%) quadriplegia, 13 (14%) hemiplegia, and 12 participants (13%) had dyskinetic CP. Age ranged from 2.6 to 18.7 years (mean 10.8 years). Forty-six percent (41 of 90) were undernourished. In all aspects of feeding, those undernourished had lower feeding competence scores compared to adequately nourished children (p<0.002). Each modality of feeding competence correlated significantly to the centiles of weight, triceps or subscapular skinfold measurement and mid-arm circumference (p<0.02). A positive association of weight, triceps skinfold measurement, and mid-arm circumference with chewing ability was present independent of other feeding modalities (p<0.05). Undernutrition was common in this group and was associated with poorer feeding ability.

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