Social anxiety in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review

Social anxiety in autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review

A B S T R A C T
Purpose: Social anxiety (SA) commonly co-occurs with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). It is
conceivable that inherent socio-communication impairments, or their impact on social experiences, contribute to the development of SA.

Method: We undertook a systematic review to summarise English-language research about relationships between core ASD symptoms and SA in individuals with ASD.

Results: We searched five databases for studies published up until 28 July 2017. Of 1481 publications retrieved, 24 cross-sectional studies (described in 25 papers) met the inclusion criteria.
Given methodological and clinical heterogeneity, data were synthesised narratively. SA, in individuals with ASD, was associated with poorer social skills and functioning, and reduced social
motivation. There were associations between self-report SA and ASD measures, but a trend towards non-significant relationships between parent-ratings of these symptoms. Tentative evidence indicated that SA symptoms were not associated with restricted, repetitive behaviours or
sensory sensitivities.

Conclusion: These findings support the notion that there are links between core ASD characteristics and SA. Further studies, employing qualitative and quantitative designs are needed to
enhance understanding of causal, maintaining and protective mechanisms for SA in ASD.

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Machine learning approach for early detection of autism by combining questionnaire and home video screening

Machine learning approach for early detection of autism by combining questionnaire and home video screening

ABSTRACT
Background: Existing screening tools for early detection of autism are expensive, cumbersome, time- intensive, and sometimes fall short in predictive value. In this work, we sought to apply Machine Learning (ML) to gold standard clinical data obtained across thousands of children at-risk for autism spectrum disorder to create a low-cost, quick, and easy to apply autism screening tool.

Methods: Two algorithms are trained to identify autism, one based on short, structured parent-reported questionnaires and the other on tagging key behaviors from short, semi-structured home videos of children. A combination algorithm is then used to combine the results into a single assessment of higher accuracy. To overcome the scarcity, sparsity, and imbalance of training data, we apply novel feature selection, feature engineering, and feature encoding techniques. We allow for inconclusive determination where appropriate in order to boost screening accuracy when conclusive. The performance is then validated in a controlled clinical study.

Results: A multi-center clinical study of n ¼ 162 children is performed to ascertain the performance of these algorithms and their combination. We demonstrate a significant accuracy improvement over standard screening tools in measurements of AUC, sensitivity, and specificity.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that a mobile, machine learning process is a reliable method for detection of autism outside of clinical settings. A variety of confounding factors in the clinical analysis are discussed along with the solutions engineered into the algorithms. Final results are statistically limited and will benefit from future clinical studies to extend the sample size

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Neonatal Transitions in Social Behavior and Their Implications for Autism

Neonatal Transitions in Social Behavior and Their Implications for Autism

Abstract
Within the context of early infant–caregiver interaction, we review a series of pivotal transitions
that occur within the first 6 months of typical infancy, with emphasis on behavior and brain
mechanisms involved in preferential orientation towards, and interaction with, other people. Our
goal in reviewing these transitions is to better understand how they may lay a necessary and/or
sufficient groundwork for subsequent phases of development, and also to understand how the
breakdown thereof, when development is atypical and those transitions become derailed, may
instead yield disability. We review these developmental processes in light of recent studies
documenting disruptions to early-emerging brain and behavior mechanisms in infants later
diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, shedding light on the brain–behavior pathogenesis of
autism.

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