Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

In the evaluation of any treatment, it is extremely important to gather information about the longlasting effects of treatment by collecting follow-up data. Follow-up research aims to measure effects of treatment over time to determine if the treatment has resulted in a structural improvement or if clients relapsed to pre-assessment levels. The importance of follow-up data for the evaluation of neurofeedback has been noted repeatedly. Heinrich, Gevensleben, and Strehl (2007), for example, suggest investigation of clinical outcomes, spectral EEG analysis, and neuromodulatory skills using at least a 6-month follow-up interval. Despite many recommendations, the use of follow-up in evaluating neurofeedback as a treatment for several disorders has been used only in a few studies. In Previously we demonstrated significant improvement of executive functions and social behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) treated with 40 sessions of EEG neurofeedback in a nonrandomized waiting list control group design. In this paper we extend these findings by reporting the long-term results of neurofeedback treatment in the same group of children with ASD after 12 months. The present study indicates maintenance of improvement of executive functions and social behavior after 12 months in comparison with the immediate outcomes. Neurofeedback mediated suppression of theta power is supposed to promote more flexible functioning of the brain by enhancing activation in the medial prefrontal cortex and improving flexibility of activation in the default mode network supporting the improvement of executive functions and theory of mind in ASD. ß

Deprivation, ethnicity and the prevalence of intellectual and developmental disabilities

“…Third, the overall identification rates for mild and severe intellectual disability and for ASD are consistent with the results of previous research 1–3 5 6 16 17 19. Finally, variation in the identification rates are largely consistent with the results of previous research in indicating strong associations between SEP and less severe intellectual disabilities and between male gender and ASD 1–3 5 6 16 17 19. The cross-sectional nature of the design obviously imposes severe limitations on the identification of any causal pathways that may underlie the observed associations.…”

“…The estimated prevalence of I/DD is approximately 3–4% for children in high income countries,1–3 although much higher rates have been reported in some studies 4. Intellectual and developmental disabilities are associated with increased mortality and morbidity, increased risk of social exclusion, and significant demands on families and health and social care agencies 5 6. The lifetime costs to health and social care agencies of an individual with autism has been estimated at £2.4 million 7…”

Prevalence of autism spectrum disorders in adult psychiatric patients: a systematic review

“…Second, a number of high quality reviews of this area have been published over the past decade. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] Instead, we reviewed these reviews and supplemented them with a review of epidemiological studies published since 2000. These additional studies were identified by a combination of: (1) literature searches undertaken in September 2010 using the databases Medline and PsycINFO; (2) consultation with recognised experts in the field.…”

Autism Spectrum Disorders and the Healthcare Experiences of Aging Adults

“…Given this, we do have some limited understanding of the biological associations with ASD and other co-morbidities. As mentioned in Chapter One, it is estimated that more than half of children with ASD have an ID (Baird, et al, 2006;van Engeland and Buitelaar, 2008). There is evidence that people with lower cognitive abilities and people have poorer health than their peers (Krahn, et al, 2006).…”

“…Also, dietary challenges are seen in adults and children with ASD. Evidence suggests there is a link between ASD and compromised immune systems, such as gluten allergies, and other medical causes (van Engeland and Buitelaar, 2008;Pessah, et al, 2008). Restricted diet is a common issue for many people with ASD, due to sensory preferences, and often leads to poor nutrition and weight concerns (Heller, et al, 2013).…”