ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the effects of a behavioral summer treatment program for children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD). Twenty boys (M = 9.2 years) diagnosed with HFASD participated in the 6-week program across 6 years. Detailed daily behavioral data were collected on a variety of positive and negative social behaviors. Repeated measures ANOVAs of weekly behavior frequencies indicated substantial improvements in a number of behaviors over the 6 weeks of the program, including following activity rules, contributing to a group discussion, paying attention, and less complaining/whining. Overall, results highlight the potential efficacy of treating chronic functional impairments of HFASD and associated problem behaviors in the context of an intensive behavioral summer treatment program.
Subject(s)
Autism Spectrum Disorder/therapy , Behavior Therapy/methods , Seasons , Social Behavior Disorders/therapy , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/diagnosis , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/psychology , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/therapy , Autism Spectrum Disorder/diagnosis , Autism Spectrum Disorder/psychology , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Male , Social Behavior Disorders/diagnosis , Social Behavior Disorders/psychologyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: There is no validated scale to assess neurodevelopment of infants and children in Sri Lanka. The Bayley III scales have used widely globally but it has not been validated for Sri Lankan children. We administered the Cognitive and Motor Scales of the Bayley III to 150 full-term children aged 6, 12 and 24 months from the Gampaha District of Sri Lanka. We compared the performance of Sri Lankan children 6, 12 and 24 months of age on the cognitive and motor scales of the Bayley III with that of US children. RESULTS: Compared to the US norms, at 12 months, Sri Lankan children had significantly higher cognitive scores and lower gross motor scores, and at 24 months significantly lower cognitive scores. The test had a high test-retest reliability among Sri Lankan children. CONCLUSIONS: There were small differences in the cognitive and motors scores between Sri Lankan and US children. It is feasible to use Bayley III scales to assess neurodevelopment of Sri Lankan children. However, we recommend that the tool be validated using a larger representative sample of all population groups.
Subject(s)
Child Development/physiology , Cognition/physiology , Motor Skills/physiology , Age Distribution , Child, Preschool , Female , Humans , Infant , Male , Socioeconomic Factors , Sri Lanka , United StatesABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Symptoms of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) are correlated with inattention and internalizing difficulties. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether symptoms of SCT reflect comorbid internalizing disorder with ADHD or a separate syndrome. METHOD: Using a clinical sample of youth evaluated for behavioral and learning difficulties (N = 73), this study examined whether SCT remains associated with symptoms of ADHD after accounting for comorbid symptoms of anxiety and depression reported by children and parents. RESULTS: SCT symptoms were correlated with inattention and parent reports of child depression, but not with parent-reported anxiety or child reports of internalizing problems. Inattention (in the absence of hyperactivity/impulsivity) remained uniquely associated with SCT even after accounting for internalizing problems. CONCLUSION: The findings confirm SCT as a correlate of inattention and support its construct validity as separate from comorbid internalizing problems. Further research on the clinical utility of SCT is needed.
Subject(s)
Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/physiopathology , Hypokinesia/physiopathology , Adolescent , Anxiety/epidemiology , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/classification , Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity/epidemiology , Child , Comorbidity , Depression/epidemiology , Female , Humans , Hypokinesia/classification , Hypokinesia/epidemiology , Internal-External Control , Male , Parents , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , SyndromeABSTRACT
The present study examined Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT) in relation to ADHD symptoms, clinical diagnosis, and multiple aspects of adjustment in a clinical sample. Parent and teacher reports were gathered for 322 children and adolescents evaluated for behavioral, emotional, and/or learning problems at a university clinic. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) supported the presence of three separate, but correlated factors (SCT, inattention, and hyperactivity/impulsivity) in both parent and teacher ratings. As expected, SCT symptoms were greatest in youth with ADHD Inattentive type, but were also found in non-ADHD clinical groups. SCT symptoms were related to inattention, internalizing, and social problems across both parent and teacher informants; for parent reports, SCT was also related to more externalizing problems. Findings support the statistical validity of the SCT construct, but its clinical utility is still unclear.
