The hidden faces of autism and misdiagnosis in the lifespan: Clinical observations in adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

The hidden faces of autism and misdiagnosis in the

lifespan: Clinical observations in adults with

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Abstract

Autism  Spectrum  Disorder  (ASD)  includes  early-onset  developmental

disorders  characterized  by   symptoms  ranging  from  impaired   social

communication   skills,   stereotyped   behaviors,   impairment   in   social

interactions,   to   poor   language   development.   Although   the   autistic

condition  is  stable  across  the  life  span,  a  substantial  number  of  adult

ASD  patients  may  be  undiagnosed  or  misdiagnosed  as  having  other

mental  disorders.  Twenty-three  ASD  adult  patients  underwent  clinical

examination   and   were   assessed   by   the   following   psychodiagnostic

instruments: the RAADS-R, the Y-BOCS, and the Rorschach inkblot test.

The  mean RAADS total  score  was higher than cut-off  threshold (126 ±

43;  cutoff  =  65).  Y-BOCS  total  scores  were  moderately  high  (21  ±  9;

cutoff   =   7).   Rorschach   protocols   were   characterized   by   a   mean

productivity (number of responses: 23 ± 12), a concrete intelligence with

traits  of  meticulousness  (D  =  39%,  Dd  =  8%),  inaccurate  formal

perception  with  falls  of  representation  (F-  >  F+),  poor  attention  to

human   contents,   and   perseveration   and   devitalization   as  particular

phenomena.    Adult    ASD    patients    are    characterized    by    peculiar

psychopathological features that can be effectively investigated with the

use   of   both   psychometric   and   projective   methods.   An   accurate

investigation  of  behavioral  and  clinical  features  and  personality  traits,

should  integrate  the  diagnostic  pathway  of  those  adult  subjects  often

presenting    with    comorbid    psychiatric    disorders    and    symptoms

heterogeneity.

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Improving social skills in children with ASD using a long-term, in-home social robot

Improving social skills in children with ASD using a long-term, in-home social robot

Social robots can offer tremendous possibilities for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interventions. To date, most studies with this population have used short, isolated encounters in controlled laboratory settings. Our study focused on a 1-month, home-based intervention for increasing social communication skills of 12 children with ASD between 6 and 12 years old using an autonomous social robot. The children engaged in a triadic interaction with a caregiver and the robot for 30 min every day to complete activities on emotional storytelling, perspective-taking, and sequencing. The robot encouraged engagement, adapted the difficulty of the activities to the child’s past performance, and modeled positive social skills. The system maintained engagement over the 1-month deployment,
and children showed improvement on joint attention skills with adults when not in the presence of the robot. These results were also consistent with caregiver questionnaires. Caregivers reported less prompting over time and overall increased communication.

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Exploratory study examining the at-home feasibility of a wearable tool for social-affective learning in children with autism

Exploratory study examining the at-home feasibility of a wearable tool for social-affective learning in children with autism

Although standard behavioral interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are effective therapies for social deficits, they face criticism for being time-intensive and overdependent on specialists. Earlier starting age of therapy is a strong predictor of later success, but waitlists for therapies can be 18 months long. To address these complications, we developed Superpower Glass, a machine-learning-assisted software system that runs on Google Glass and an Android smartphone, designed for use during social interactions. This pilot exploratory study examines our prototype tool’s potential for social-affective learning for children with autism. We sent our tool home with 14 families and assessed changes from intake to conclusion through the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS-2), a facial affect recognition task (EGG), and qualitative parent reports. A repeated-measures one-way ANOVA demonstrated a decrease in SRS-2 total scores by an average 7.14 points (F(1,13) = 33.20, p = <.001, higher scores indicate higher ASD severity). EGG scores also increased by an average 9.55 correct responses (F(1,10) = 11.89, p = <.01). Parents reported increased eye contact and greater social acuity. This feasibility study supports using mobile technologies for potential therapeutic purposes.

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