The purpose of the study was to count and characterize the range of stereotypies – repetitive rhythmical, apparently purposeless movements – in developmentally impaired children with and without autism, and to determine whether some types are more prevalent and diagnostically useful in children with autism. We described each motor stereotypy recorded during 15 minutes of archived videos of standardized play sessions in 277 children (209 males, 68 females; mean age 4y 6mo [SD 1y 5mo], range 2y 11mo–8y 1mo), 129 with autistic disorder (DSM‐III‐R), and 148 cognitively‐matched non‐autistic developmentally disordered (NADD) comparison children divided into developmental language disorder and non‐autism, low IQ (NALIQ) sub‐groups. The parts of the body involved and characteristics of all stereotypies were scored blind to diagnosis. More children with autism had stereotypies than the NADD comparison children. Autism and, to a lesser degree, nonverbal IQ (NVIQ) <80, especially in females contributed independently to the occurrence, number, and variety of stereotypies, with non‐autistic children without cognitive impairment having the least number of stereotypies and children with autism and low NVIQ the most. Autism contributed independently to gait and hand/finger stereotypies and NVIQ <80 to head/trunk stereotypies. Atypical gazing at fingers and objects was rare but virtually limited to autism. Stereotypies are environmentally modulated movement disorders, some highly suggestive, but not pathognomonic, of autism. Their underlying brain basis and genetic correlates need investigation.

IMPORTANCEAssociations between in utero exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection and neurodevelopment are speculated, but currently unknown.OBJECTIVE To examine the associations between maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy, being born during the COVID-19 pandemic regardless of maternal SARS-CoV-2 status, and neurodevelopment at age 6 months. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTSA cohort of infants exposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and unexposed controls was enrolled in the COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes Initiative at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. All women who delivered at Columbia University Irving Medical Center with a SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy were approached. Women with unexposed infants were approached based on similar gestational age at birth, date of birth, sex, and mode of delivery. Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Ages & Stages Questionnaire, 3rd Edition (ASQ-3) at age 6 months. A historical cohort of infants born before the pandemic who had completed the 6-month ASQ-3 were included in secondary analyses.EXPOSURES Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy and birth during the COVID-19 pandemic. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESOutcomes were scores on the 5 ASQ-3 subdomains, with the hypothesis that maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy would be associated with decrements in social and motor development at age 6 months. RESULTSOf 1706 women approached, 596 enrolled; 385 women were invited to a 6-month assessment, of whom 272 (70.6%) completed the ASQ-3. Data were available for 255 infants enrolled in the COVID-19 Mother Baby Outcomes Initiative (114 in utero exposed, 141 unexposed to SARS-CoV-2; median maternal age at delivery, 32.0 [IQR, 19.0-45.0] years). Data were also available from a historical cohort of 62 infants born before the pandemic. In utero exposure to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection was not associated with significant differences on any ASQ-3 subdomain, regardless of infection timing or severity. However, compared with the historical cohort, infants born during the pandemic had significantly lower scores on gross motor

Cerebral metabolic patterns are heterogeneous among patients with CSWS. This metabolic heterogeneity could be related to the use of corticosteroid treatment before PET. The parietofrontal altered connectivity observed in patients with hypermetabolism is interpreted as a phenomenon of remote inhibition of the frontal lobes induced by highly epileptogenic and hypermetabolic posterior cortex.

Entering a community of minds is conceptualized as a theoretical framework for understanding social cognitive development during the preschool years. This framework incorporates an experiential and social-pragmatic view of cognitive development. How language functions to advance the development of children’s understanding of the social world is a central issue within this framework. Two studies of 3- and 4-year-old children solving theory-of-mind-like problems and engaging in discourse about their responses are discussed in terms of the community of minds proposal, in particular that changes in their understanding of mental states reflect participation in discourse about social interactions within pragmatic contexts.