Psychiatric Comorbidity in Autism Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently have co-occurring (comorbid) psychiatric conditions, with estimates as high as 70 to 84 percent.  A Comorbid disorder is defined as a disorder that co-exists or co-occurs with another diagnosis so that both share a primary focus of clinical and educational attention. Research indicates that autistic children and youth have a high risk for meeting criteria for other disorders, such as mood and anxiety disorders, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and disruptive behavior diso ..read more

Autistic girls, boys differ in how they talk about social groups CHARLES Q.CHOI  During conversations, girls with autism use “we,” “they” and other words related to social groups differently than autistic boys do, according to a new study. The findings could help parents and clinicians identify autism in girls, who tend to be diagnosed less often and later than boys, researchers say. The failure to recognize autism in girls can put them at an increased risk of mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and suicidality. “If girls ..read more

Co-Occurring ADHD in Autistic Children Interest in the co-occurrence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has grown in the last decade. Both are neurodevelopmental disorders with onset of symptoms in early childhood. Research, practice and theoretical models indicate that these disorders frequently overlap and co-occur. For example, studies conducted in the US and Europe indicate that children with ASD in clinical settings present with comorbid (co-occurring) symptoms of ADHD with rates ranging between 37% and 85%. In fact, ADHD is a r ..read more

 Genes’ Influence On Social Behaviors Shifts With Age Reciprocal social behavior — the give and take of information or objects during interactions with others — is strongly heritable, according to an analysis of twins. Some social behaviors associated with autism are heritable, according to a new study. But the extent to which genes and the environment influence these behaviors changes as a child grows, the results show. The researchers examined toddlers’ so-called reciprocal social behavior, or the ability to engage in interactions such as sharing toys or conversing. Reciprocity ..read more

Autism and Music Therapy Music therapy has become an integral part of many programs for children with autism. The broad category of music therapy is generally described as interventions that seek to teach individual skills or goals through music. Music therapists use their training as musicians, clinicians, and researchers to effect changes in cognitive, physical, communication, social, and emotional skills.  According to the National Autistic Society, “Music therapy aims to encourage increased self-awareness/self-other awareness, leading to more overt social interactions. The therap ..read more

Autism Traits in Childhood Linked to Eating Disorders in Adolescence BY LAURA DATTARO  /  4 JUNE 2020 Children with social difficulties are more likely than those without to develop disordered eating by age 14, according to a recent study. The researchers analyzed data from a longitudinal study to understand the relationship between autism and eating disorders over time. At least 20 percent of adults and 3 percent of children with eating disorders also have autism. But much of what researchers know about link between the two conditions has come from studies of people ..read more

  The empathizing-systemizing (E-S) theory describes a distinct cognitive style or way of thinking. The E-S theory attempts to explain many of the social-communication problems experienced by autistic individuals by focusing on two factors or psychological dimensions, empathizing (E) and systemizing (S). Empathizing (E) is defined as the drive to identify emotions and thoughts in others and to respond to these appropriately. In contrast, Systemizing (S) is defined as the drive to analyze and construct systems, with the goal of identifying and understanding rules in order to predict syst ..read more

Predictors of Self-Injurious behavior in Autism Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) frequently engage in maladaptive behaviors such as aggression and rituals. The most distressing to caregivers and challenging for health care providers are self-injurious behaviors (SIB). Although self-injury is not a symptom of autism, certain symptoms, situations, and comorbidities related to ASD can lead some autistic individuals people to engage in self-injurious behavior. The most common types of SIB in children and adults with ASD include hand biting, head banging and scratching. Th ..read more

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Since Congress added autism as a disability category to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the number of students receiving special education services in this category has increased over 900 percent nationally. The number of students receiving assistance under the special education category of autism over the past decade has increased from 1.5 percent to 9 percent of all identified disabilities. Autism now ranks fourth among all IDEA disability categories for students age 6-21. It’s critically important ..read more

Impairment in social communication and interaction is a core feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Social skills deficits include difficulties with initiating interactions, maintaining reciprocity, taking another person’s perspective, and inferring the interests of others.  Unfortunately, many autistic children do not receive consistent and intensive social skills programming in school. This is problematic, especially considering social impairments may result in negative outcomes, such as poor academic achievement, social failure, isolation, and peer rejection, which often leads to ..read more