Autism spectrum disorder: psychological and functional assessment, and behavioral treatment approaches

Abstract

Autism, first described in 1943 by Leo Kanner, was at that time thought to be a rare disorder (1). In the past two decades, the prevalence of Autism has seen a consistent and dramatic increase with the diagnostic criteria changing to encompass a broader perspective of symptom manifestations, now called autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which has led to increased knowledge and push for earlier screening and recognition of the disorder. In the past, the ASD were historically made up of multiple distinct disorders (i.e., autistic disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified and Asperger disorder). In 2013, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), these disorders were combined into one term Autism Spectrum Disorder. The most recent estimate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is that 1 in 68 children has a diagnosis of ASD (2). In 2016, The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended all children be screened for ASD at ages 18 and 24 months and for all children who fail routine developmental surveillance. Many studies have been published on emerging theories for the pathophysiology and etiology of ASD, most concluding the cause is multi-factorial with a complex interplay of several mechanisms, genetics, epigenetics, and environmental

Neural Mechanisms Underlying Repetitive Behaviors in Rodent Models of Autism Spectrum Disorders

“…The restricted, repetitive behaviors in ASD share similarities with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and other neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders (Scahill and Challa, 2016 ; Jiujias et al, 2017 ; Gulisano et al, 2020 ). Currently, behavioral and pharmacological interventions target specific symptoms and/or associated comorbidities, which are personalized according to individual needs (Eissa et al, 2018 ; Chahin et al, 2020 ). Yet, more robust therapeutic interventions have been required that target the underlying neural mechanisms that govern these core autistic symptoms.…”

Relationship between Sensory Alterations and Repetitive Behaviours in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Parents’ Questionnaire Based Study

“…However, it should be considered that the observational (and partly retrospective) nature of our study did not allow us to consider individual types of rehabilitation therapy and their timing. Moreover, treatments targeted to improve these manifestations (Sensory Integration Therapy, PRT, and sensory extinction therapy), whose effectiveness is however not unequivocal [ 20 , 53 , 67 , 68 ], are not always included in clinical practice and/or started early.…”

Reliability and validity of a novel caregiver-assessed skills system based on the ALSO conception in children with autism spectrum disorders

“…Academic skills [86] Motor imitation [11] Speaking and writing skills [22] Tact [36] Mathematica | concepts [17] Receptive labeling [43] Sensory perception [15] Sample matching [19] Independent playing games [10] Painting and handcrafting skills [25] Exercise capacity [43]…”

“…Classroom behaviors [24] Emotion management skills [9] Community life skills [19] Interactive language [20] Understanding social games [17] Demonstrating prosocial behavior [15] Following directions [16] Mand [24] Dressing and undressing skills [17] Self-feeding [13] Daily chores [31] Personal hygiene skills [18] Cognitive skills subdomains are showed. The counts in brackets are the numbers of items in the specific subdomain or domain.…”

“…Given that the critical shortage of qualified professionals in China, many parents must function as both caregivers and home therapists (13). The actual situation is that the abovementioned assessments are usually too difficult for most Chinese caregivers of children with ASD to acquire professional qualifications on applying these assessments accurately and skillfully (14,15).…”