按类别存档： 理论前沿

作者：Irene Polo-Blanco, Paula Suárez-Pinilla, Juncal Goñi-Cervera, Marta Suárez-Pinilla & Beatriz Payá

摘要：

This study examines relationships between mathematical problem-solving performance (in terms of strategies used and accuracy) and the main cognitive domains associated with mathematical learning (i.e. executive functions, verbal comprehension and social perception) of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD and non-ASD resp.). The study involved 26 ASD and 26 non-ASD children without intellectual disabilities, between 6 and 12 years old, matched by sex, age and school (grade and classroom). The results show a higher percentage of ASD children with problem solving difficulties than non-ASD (57% vs. 23% resp.). Poor performing ASD children showed comparatively lower scores in inhibition, theory of mind and verbal comprehension. Implications for the design of mathematical interventions for ASD students are discussed.

本研究考察了患有和不患有自闭症谱系障碍（ASD 和非 ASD ressp.）的儿童的数学解决问题表现（在使用的策略和准确性方面）与与数学学习相关的主要认知领域（即执行功能、言语理解和社会感知）之间的关系。该研究涉及 26 名 ASD 和 26 名非 ASD 儿童，年龄在 6 至 12 岁之间，按性别、年龄和学校（年级和教室）匹配。结果显示，与非自闭症谱系障碍儿童相比，有解决问题困难的自闭症儿童比例更高（57% 对 23%）。表现不佳的自闭症儿童在抑制、心理理论和言语理解方面的得分相对较低。讨论了对ASD学生数学干预设计的影响。

作者：

Jane Shkel, Alicia Geng, Elise Pilchak, Maria Estefania Millan, Jessica M. Schwartzman, Rachel Schuck, Maria Victoria Bundang, Agatha Barnowski, Devon M. Slap, Sydney Stratford, Antonio Y. Hardan, Jennifer M. Phillips & Grace W. Gengoux

摘要：

Despite the popularity of social skills groups, there remains a need for empirical investigation of treatment effects, especially when targeting pivotal aspects of social functioning such as initiations to peers. The goal of the present study was to conduct a randomized controlled trial of a 12-week social intervention (SUCCESS), which combined an inclusive social group with a parent education program. Twenty-five 4- to 6-year-olds with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) were randomized to SUCCESS (N = 11) or to treatment as usual (N = 14). Combining a peer group model with a parent training program, the SUCCESS intervention used naturalistic behavioral techniques (e.g., environmental arrangement, natural reinforcement) to increase social initiations to peers. After 12 weeks, children participating in the SUCCESS program made more frequent initiations to peers than children in the treatment-as-usual group, including more prompted and unprompted initiations to request. Additional gains in clinician-rated social functioning were observed in children randomized to SUCCESS, while differential treatment effects were not detected in parent-rated measures. However, lower baseline social motivation was associated with greater parent-reported initiation improvement. This study provides preliminary support for the efficacy of a naturalistic, behavioral social skills intervention to improve peer initiations for children with ASD. The findings suggest that using a motivation-based social skills group was effective in increasing both prompted and spontaneous initiations to peers, and highlights the need for further research into the role of baseline social motivation in predicting social skills treatment response.

尽管社交技能小组很受欢迎，但仍需要对治疗效果进行实证调查，尤其是在针对社会功能的关键方面时，例如对同伴的启蒙。本研究的目的是进行一项为期 12 周的社会干预 （SUCCESS） 的随机对照试验，该试验将包容性社会群体与家长教育计划相结合。25 名患有自闭症谱系障碍 （ASD） 的 4 至 6 岁儿童被随机分配到 SUCCESS （N = 11） 或常规治疗组 （N = 14）。SUCCESS干预将同伴群体模型与家长培训计划相结合，使用自然主义行为技术（例如，环境安排，自然强化）来增加对同伴的社交启蒙。12 周后，参与 SUCCESS 计划的儿童比常规治疗组的儿童更频繁地向同龄人发起，包括更多提示和无提示的请求。在随机分配到SUCCESS的儿童中观察到临床医生评定的社会功能有额外的增益，而在父母评定的措施中未检测到差异治疗效果。然而，较低的基线社会动机与父母报告的启动改善更大有关。本研究为自然主义、行为社交技能干预改善 ASD 儿童同伴启动的功效提供了初步支持。研究结果表明，使用基于动机的社交技能小组可有效增加对同龄人的提示和自发启动，并强调需要进一步研究基线社会动机在预测社交技能治疗反应中的作用。

Hung, L.Y., Margolis, K.G. Autism spectrum disorders and the gastrointestinal tract: insights into mechanisms and clinical relevance. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 21, 142–163 (2024).

Abstract

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are recognized as central neurodevelopmental disorders diagnosed by impairments in social interactions, communication and repetitive behaviours. The recognition of ASD as a central nervous system (CNS)-mediated neurobehavioural disorder has led most of the research in ASD to be focused on the CNS. However, gastrointestinal function is also likely to be affected owing to the neural mechanistic nature of ASD and the nervous system in the gastrointestinal tract (enteric nervous system). Thus, it is unsurprising that gastrointestinal disorders, particularly constipation, diarrhoea and abdominal pain, are highly comorbid in individuals with ASD. Gastrointestinal problems have also been repeatedly associated with increased severity of the core symptoms diagnostic of ASD and other centrally mediated comorbid conditions, including psychiatric issues, irritability, rigid–compulsive behaviours and aggression. Despite the high prevalence of gastrointestinal dysfunction in ASD and its associated behavioural comorbidities, the specific links between these two conditions have not been clearly delineated, and current data linking ASD to gastrointestinal dysfunction have not been extensively reviewed. This Review outlines the established and emerging clinical and preclinical evidence that emphasizes the gut as a novel mechanistic and potential therapeutic target for individuals with ASD.

孤独症谱系障碍（ASDs）被认为是中枢神经发育障碍，核心障碍俄日为社会互动、沟通和重复行为。对ASD是一种中枢神经系统（CNS）介导的神经行为障碍的认识，导致ASD的大多数研究集中在中枢神经系统上。然而，由于ASD的神经机制性质和胃肠道中的神经系统（肠神经系统），胃肠道功能也可能受到影响。因此，胃肠道疾病，特别是便秘、腹泻和腹痛，在ASD患者中高度共病也就不足为奇了。胃肠道问题也多次与ASD诊断的核心症状和其他中枢介导的共病条件的严重程度增加有关，包括精神问题、易怒、刚性强迫性行为和攻击性。尽管ASD中胃肠道功能障碍及其相关的行为共病的发病率很高，但这两种情况之间的具体联系尚未被明确描述，目前ASD与胃肠道功能障碍之间的联系数据尚未得到广泛的回顾。这篇综述概述了已确定的和新兴的临床、临床前证据，强调将肠道作为ASD个体的一个新的机制和潜在的治疗靶点。

Liu, C.-H., Chen, Y.-L., Chen, P.-J., Ni, H.-C., & Lai, M.-C. (2024). Exploring camouflaging by the Chinese version Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire in Taiwanese autistic and non-autistic adolescents: An initial development. Autism, 28(3), 690-704.

Abstract

Camouflaging is a strategy adopted by neurodivergent individuals to cope in neurotypical social contexts, likely related to perceived stress. Despite increasing research in autistic adults, studies of camouflaging in adolescents remain sparse. The self-reported Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire has been validated in adults in some Western societies, but not in non-Western populations. We examined the psychometric properties of the self-reported and caregiver-reported Chinese version Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire in Taiwanese adolescents. We enrolled 100 autistic and 105 non-autistic adolescents (aged 12–18 years) and their caregivers. As an initial development, we found a two-factor structure (“compensation-masking” and “assimilation”) via exploratory factor analysis, alongside good internal consistency and test–retest reliability, for both the self-reported and caregiver-reported Chinese version Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire. Self-reported and caregiver-reported Chinese version Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire scores were moderately to highly correlated. Autistic adolescents showed higher total Chinese version Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire and assimilation scores than non-autistic adolescents in both males and females. Female autistic adolescents showed higher assimilation than male autistic adolescents, but there was no significant difference between sex assigned at birth on compensation-masking in either autistic or non-autistic adolescents. Assimilation correlated with higher self-perceived stress for both autistic and non-autistic adolescents. Both self-reported and caregiver-reported Chinese version Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire were reliable and offered meaningful information to understand social coping of Taiwanese autistic and non-autistic adolescents.

伪装是神经分化个体在典型的神经社会环境中采用的一种策略，可能与个体受到的压力有关。尽管对孤独症成人的研究与日增多，但对青少年伪装的研究仍较少。自我报告伪装孤独症特质问卷已在一些西方社会的成年人中得到了验证，但还未在除西方社会外的人群中得到验证。我们在台湾青少年中检验了自我报告和照顾者报告的中文版伪装孤独症特质问卷的心理测量特性。我们招募了100位孤独症青少年和105位非孤独症青少年（12-18岁）及其照顾者。作为起点，我们通过探索性因素分析发现了一个双因素结构（“补偿掩蔽”和“同化”），还得出，自我报告和照顾者报告的中文版本伪装孤独症特征问卷都具有良好的内部一致性和复测信度。自我报告和照顾者报告的中文版伪装孤独症特征问卷得分有中等高等的相关度。无论是男性还是女性，孤独症青少年的中文版伪装孤独症特质问卷和同化得分均高于非孤独症青少年。女性孤独症青少年比男性表现出更高的同化能力，但在孤独症和非孤独症青少年中，出生时的补偿-掩饰在性别上没有显著差异。同化与孤独症青少年和非孤独症更高的自我感知压力相关。自我报告和照顾者报告的中文版伪装孤独症特质问卷都是可靠的，并为了解台湾孤独症和非孤独症青少年的社会应对提供了有意义的信息。