Autism Spectrum Disorder 15 It A

Autism Spectrum Disorder
Recent Advances
Edited by Michael Fitzgerald
Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recent Advances

Edited by Michael Fitzgerald
D3pZ4i & bhgvld, Dennixxx & rosea (for softarchive)

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Published: 02 April, 2015

ISBN-10 953-51-2037-9
ISBN-13 978-953-51-2037-7
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1 Autism and School Shootings Overlap of Autism

(Asperger's Syndrome) and General Psychopathy
by Michael Fitzgerald
Chapter 2 Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder
by Fatih Hilmi Cetin, Huseyin Tunca, Esra Guney
and Elvan Iseri
Chapter 3 Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism
Spectrum Disorders
by Yasemin Tas Torun, Esra Guney and Elvan Iseri
Chapter 4 Coping Strategies and Parents Positive Perceptions of
Raising a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorders
by Encarnacin Sarri and Pilar Pozo
Chapter 5 The Intertwining of Language Impairment and Autism Spectrum
Disorders Highlighting the Need of Long Term
Interdisciplinary Collaboration
by Bruce Barbro, Nylander Lena, Sjberg Ingrid
and Thernlund Gunilla
Chapter 6 Social Communication and Language Deficits in Parents and
Siblings of Children with ASD A Short Review
by Ewa Pisula and Karolina Ziegart-Sadowska
Chapter 7 Implicit and Spontaneous Theory of Mind Reasoning in Autism
Spectrum Disorders
by Beate Sodian, Tobias Schuwerk and Susanne Kristen
Chapter 8 Speech-Language Pathology in the Assessment and Diagnosis
within the Autism Spectrum
by Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes, Milene Rossi Pereira
Barbosa, Thas Helena Ferreira Santos and Cibelle
Albuquerque de La Higuera Amato
VI
Contents
Chapter 9 Occupational Therapy in Autism

by Gonca Bumin, Meral Huri, Sinem Salar and Hulya Kayihan
Chapter 10 Autism and Functional Language Development
An Experiment with AAC Intervention
by Rubina Lal and Disha Sanghvi
Chapter 11 A Conceptual Model for Empowering Families in Less Affluent
Countries Who Have a Child With Autism
by Sayyed Ali Samadi, Hadi Samadi and Roy McConkey
Chapter 12 Evidence-Based Management and Intervention for Autism
Spectrum Disorders
by Karola Dillenburger
Chapter 13 Understanding the Importance of the Evaluation and Treatment
of Elevated Androgens in Autism Spectrum Disorder
by David A. Geier and Mark R. Geier
Chapter 14 ReAttach The Exciting Development of a Promising
Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders
by Paula Weerkamp-Bartholomeus
Chapter 15 Meeting the Communicative Rights of People with Autism
Using Pictorial Supports During Assessment, Intervention
and Hospital Care
by Gunilla Thunberg, Magdalena Johansson and Julia Wikholm
Chapter 16 Etiology of Autism the Complexity of Risk Factors in Autism
Spectrum Disorder
by Agnes Cristina Fett-Conte, Ana Luiza Bossolani-Martins and
Dante Bruno Avanso Rosan
Chapter 17 Possible Endophenotypes in the Search for Genetic Risk Factors
in Autism Spectrum Disorders
by Adriana Daz-Anzalda, Rigoberto Rosendo Gutirrez,
Alejandro Daz-Anzalda and Jos Octavio Hernndez Lagunas
Preface
This book starts with a new sub category of Autism Criminal
Autistic Psychopathy and school shootings. It focuses on a
number of interventions, including speech and language pathology,
speech and language assessment instruments, occupational therapy,
improving functional language development in autism with natural
gestures, communication boards etc as well as helping people with
autism using the pictorial support, training of concepts of
significant others, theory of mind, social concepts and a
conceptual model for empowering families of children with autism
cross culturally.
It also examines the issue of hyperandrogenism and evidence-based
treatments of autism. In terms of assessment, it focuses on
psychological and biological assessment including neurotransmitters
systems, structural and functional brain imaging, coping strategies
of parents, examines the intertwining of language impairment, specific
language impairment and ASD, as well as implicit and spontaneous
Theory of Mind reading in ASD.
In terms of aetiology, it focuses on genetic factors, epigenetics,
synaptic vesicles, toxicity during neurodevelopment, immune system
and sex differences.
It also examines the link between social cognitive anatomical and
neurophysiologic biomarkers and candidate genes.
This book will be relevant to all mental health professionals because
autism occurs in all the different areas of psychiatry and professionals
who will find it helpful will be psychiatrists, psychologists, social
workers, nurses, teachers and all those working with persons with Autism
including parents who nowadays are interested in knowing more and more,
at a detailed level about their children or adults with autism.
Chapter 1
Autism and School Shootings

Overlap of Autism
(Asperger's Syndrome)
and General Psychopathy
Michael Fitzgerald
Additional information is available at the end of the chapter
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58882
1. Introduction
The vast majority of persons with Autism Spectrum Disorders are highly moral but can show
aggression of a non-lethal severity. Nevertheless there are a small number of persons with
Autism or Asperger's Syndrome who do show lethal violence. I have described these as
Criminal Autistic Psychopathy [(Fitzgerald 2010]. The rate of these problems in special
hospitals and prisons is almost twice the general population prevalence of Autism and
Asperger's Syndrome. Originally, these conditions were called Autistic Psychopathy by Hans
Asperger 1938 and 1944. [9] I am suggesting that we bring back the diagnosis of Autistic
Psychopathy for those persons with Autism and Asperger's Syndrome who engage in criminal
activities with the new diagnosis Criminal Autistic Psychopathy. These persons have the dual
features of Autism and Psychopathy. The seriousness of this condition is often missed with
the sole diagnosis of Autism or Asperger's Syndrome. There are overlapping features but also
differences from General Psychopathy as described in these examples of school killers in the
literature.
In relation to the school shooting at Sandyhook School, Solomon (214) noted that from his
conversation with Peter Lanza that his son Adam who shot 26 people at his school showed
poor eye contact, problems with social relationships, preservation of sameness, narrow
interests, poor communication skills and sensory issues. These are the classic features of
Asperger's Syndrome DSM IV or the sub group of Asperger's Syndrome called Criminal
Autistic Psychopathy [11].
Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances
2. Social relationship problems

Father [16] p.38) described him as showing "social awkwardness" and one of his psychiatrists
Robert King [16] p.39) noted that he declined "to shake hands" when he met him. Adam was
extremely controlling and dominating and had very little capacity for social reciprocity. He
became very withdrawn and isolated as he grew up. Father said [16] p.40) that his son "was
not open to therapy" and "did not want to talk about problems". Poor concentration is central
to Asperger's Syndrome and Criminal Autistic Psychopathy. He showed problems in that area.
He had major empathy deficits in relation to other people. According to [16] when his mother
"asked Adam whether he would feel sad if anything happened to her, he replied "no". He found
it much easier to communicate online. It's online that the true state of affairs of people with
dangerous thoughts and fantasies particularly those with Asperger's Syndrome, Criminal
Autistic Psychopathy sub type can be noticed. He felt hostile to people particularly females.
On his computer he wrote "why females are inherently selfish" [16] misogynism is very
common in these conditions. Father [16] states that "Adam would have killed me in a heartbeat,
if he'd had the chance". He shot his mother "four times". [16].
In relation to social relationships the State Attorney [16] stated that he "was more likely to be
victimised than to act in violence against another". This is usually what happens to people with
Asperger's Syndrome. He once asked his father "why do you need friends?" [16].
2.1. Preservation of sameness
[16] describes him as showing "sclerotic orderliness". He found changing classes during the
school day very stressful. His psychiatrist King also noted that "if mother walks in front of him
in the kitchen, he would insist she re-do it" [16]. He had evidence of OCD and according to [16]
"washed his hands excessively".
2.2. Narrow interests
He would spend hours playing with lego with his brother [16] and indeed "invented his own
board games". [16]. He wrote violent stories. [16]. He was "fascinated with guns and with the
second world war, and showed an interest in joining the military". [16]. He became preoccupied with "mass murder". [16] and "left a photograph of himself with a gun to his head".
[16]. He created his own private autistic world. He loved hi-tech matters and "was a member
of his school hi-tech club". [16]. Mother tried to fit in with his special interests for example
taking him to the shooting range. She did her best. His interest in violence was best seen in his
essays and online.
2.3. Non-verbal behaviour
He showed poor eye contact and the psychiatrist Robert King described him as "pale, gaunt,
awkward, young, adolescent standing rigidly with downcast gaze". [16].
Autism and School Shootings Overlap of Autism (Asperger's Syndrome) and General Psychopathy
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58882
2.4. Sensory issues and motor issues

He suffered from sensory overload, which of course made school much more difficult for him.
[16] noted that he "showed hyper-sensitivity to physical touch that tags had to be removed
from his clothing and "sometimes he smelled things that weren't there". I don't agree with this
as he had hyper-sensitivity to smell and could smell things that the average person would be
unable to do so. In relation to visual hyper-sensitivity "colour graphics" upset him. [16]. He
probably also had clumsiness with a "stiff lumbering gait [16]. His father stated that he had
an "awkward walk" [16] pointed out that he was "intolerant of his mother brushing by his chair
and objected to her new high heels, high heel boots, because they were "too loud". This was
according to psychiatrist King.
2.5. Verbal communication
King [16] also noted that he "had relatively little spontaneous speech but he responded in a
flat tone with little inflection and almost mechanical prosody". And when King asked about
his three wishes he replied "that whatever was granting the wishes would not exist".
2.6. Anxiety and depression
He suffered from anxiety and depression and was prescribed Lexopro an anti-depressant but
got side effects and stopped it. Father described him as suffering from "uncomfortable anxiety"
[16]. He had negative thinking, low self-esteem and mother noticed that "he was exhausted
and lethargic all day" and had a "sense of hopelessness". [16]. He was tearful and his mother
described his "escalating misery". [16].
2.7. School
He was a bright boy nevertheless school was experienced as a challenge for him both socially
and academically which led to some home schooling. He was an autodidact. There was
evidence of symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder in terms of poor concentration. He showed
poor school progress and his mother reported that he was in despair "when faced with some
course work in German" [16]. Nevertheless he set himself very high standards.
3. Eric Harris: Columbine

Eric had Criminal Autistic Psychopathy with a Narcissistic Personality and Depression.
3.1. Early years
He was a highly intelligent child. He loved fishing with his father and loved the quietness of
the mountains and lake. He was very visual and had a keen appreciation of landscape and
appreciated the effect of light on water and in particular loved "water". [5]. [5] describes a
neighbour's comment on Eric that he was "nice, polite, preppy, and a dork". [5] noted that "his
hand was always shooting up in a class and he always had the right answer". Page 9. He was
highly intelligent and of course in the long term this increased his dangerousness. He was also
described as being "painfully shy". [5]. He had surgery for "pectus excabatum, an abnormally
sunken sternum". [5]. This was a narcissistic wound for him as a child. Eric was "gifted
analytically, excellent at maths, a technology expert and into "gadgets, computers, video
games". [5]. Here again we see some overlap between General Psychopathy and Criminal
Autistic Psychopathy. Cullen notes that a Little League Team mate described Eric as the "shyest
out of everybody" and was restricted in what he said. His coach [5] noted that "he didnt want
to miss (a ball). He didnt want to fail" and therefore he was very slow to swing a bat. This
again shows his narcissistic vulnerability and his fear of missing which he found humiliating.
In a way according to [5] Eric "scripted Columbine, as a made for TV murder". [5]. This is
further evidence of his narcissism and in fantasy he re-enacted the pleasure of the massacre
endlessly in the long period leading up to it. In his own mind he was the superior one, the man
who was awesome and frightened the world.
[5] noted that "Eric wanted to be remembered". He certainly left his mark on the sands of time.
He wanted to be feared and wanted to be in a position where nobody ever looked down on
him again.
3.2. Narcissism
The FBI analyst who examined his motives suggested that Harris was a classical psychopath
and had a "messianic level superiority complex and hoped to illustrate his massive superiority
to the world". Immelmann (2009) described Eric as possessing a "malignant narcissism a
Pathological Narcissistic Personality Disorder with borderline and anti-social features, also
with some paranoid traits and unconstrained aggression". Eric wrote according to [5] that "my
belief is that if I say something, it goes. I am the law. If you dont like it, you die". [5] summarised
Fuseliers opinion that "Eric had a preposterously grand superiority complex, a revulsion for
authority, an excruciating need for control". This was largely inherent in Eric with huge innate
factors and again we see the overlap with Criminal Autistic Psychopathy. Eric also stated "I
feel like God and I am higher than almost anyone in the fucking world in terms of universal
intelligence". [5]. This was not psychosis but it is close to psychosis.
Eric also said that "Zeus and I also get angry easily and punish people in unusual ways". [5].
In a way Zeus was one of the superior Gods. After Eric was arrested for the breaking into the
car he switched from being an "observer to enforcer". [5]. This was a critical life event and even
though he was the perpetrator he understood it himself as that he was the victim and how
dare they arrest him and put him in handcuffs. This speeded up his sense of injustice, his hatred
of humanity and simply accelerated his wish to do the massacre. Of course he was on that path
before he was arrested. Eric "fancied himself as a non-conformist, but he craved approval and
fumed over the neighbour's disrespect". [5]. Eric was hypersensitive to any rejection or
criticism and [5] noted that Eric had "a long list of betrayals, an actual "shit list" on his computer
of despicable young girls". He talked a lot about people who "knifed him in the back". Most
of this was more imaginary than real. Nevertheless it was psychologically very real to him.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58882
3.3. Attitude to other people

Eric stated on one occasion "I hate almost everyone" and ah yes "I wanna rip his head off and
eat it" in a "flat voice". [5]. After a fishing trip he talked about going back to "shithead society
populated by automatons too dense to comprehend what was out there". [5]. Eric also wrote
"if you have a problem with my thoughts, come and tell me and I'll kill you" [5]. Another one
of his rants was "I hate". [5]. According to [5] p.216 Eric's "only internal struggle concerned
which stupid bastards was more deserving of his wrath". He saw himself as an avenging God.
Before the massacre of course he was a petty criminal. [5]) noted that Eric "savoured the idea
(of) heroic opportunities to obliterate alien hoards. His dreams were riddled with gunfire and
explosions" and "he was always dazzled by fire". Eric made "death threats" to another student.
[5] p.88. Eric wrote on his website that he wanted to "mow down" the people of his area and
that "I dont care if I live or die in the shootout..."all I want to do is kill and injure as many of
you pricks as I can". [5] p.216. [5] p. 219 notes that Eric "described going to some random
downtown area....and blowing up and shooting up everything he could. He assured us he
would feel no remorse, no sorrow, no shame. He would make them pay". This shows an
incredibly deep hatred of the human race and he did not have a traumatic childhood. Again
we are dealing with a personality and with problems largely coming from inside him.
In 1998 he wrote in a notebook "I hate the fucking world" and that "I am not respected". [5].
This was a largely paranoid thought and not based on reality. Eric also stated that "human
beings were pathetic fuckheads too dense to perceive their lifeless existence...automatons" and
people were "assembly-line robots". In a way Eric wanted to destroy humanity in the world.
In addition Eric "had a grander vision. All his writing alluded to a wider slaughter; killing
everything, destroying the human race" and he also wrote "kill them all. Well if you have not
figured it out yet, I'd say "kill mankind". [5].
3.4. Eric's description of himself and description of him by others
Cullen (2009) states that girls found him "cute" and that "he'd always hated his appearance".
Eric also could be charming and told a great deal of lies. He did not suffer from guilt for his
actions. [5] noted that his Principal in college Frank de Angelis noted that Harris was "the type
of kid who, when he was in front of adults, he'd tell you what you wanted to hear". Cullen also
noted that a classmate had "the impression... (that Eric) wanted to be an outcast. He was also
described as "moody and aggressive". P. 140. He suffered from depression. Eric was "egotis
tical, empathy-free". [5]. When Eric was asked to describe himself in filing out a questionnaire
which focused on distrust etc., he described himself as agreeing with some of the following
descriptions: jealous "anxiety, suspiciousness, temper, obsessive thoughts, mood swings,
disorganised thoughts, homicidal thoughts" [5]. When mental health professionals assessed
him he seethed "as he scrawled out his answers" and he considered "the nerve of these low
lifes judging him" and how he "hated fools telling him what to do." [5]. In addition, Eric was
"a dreamer" of "a world where the rest of us had been removed". [5]. [5] described Harris as a
"cold-blooded, predatory psychopath". Fusilier [5] noted that Eric showed "cold rational
calculation-(was) charming, callous, cunning, manipulative, comically grandiose, egocentric,
with appalling failures of empathy". He had the capacity when he wanted to to fool people
and deceive people and was a superb liar and he was also a sensation seeker and novelty
seeker. Therapy for persons with psychopathy often makes them better at psychopathy and
improves their destructive social skills. He was in therapy but only pretended to engage
himself from it. He was "unemotional" and was extremely dominating and controlling. [5].
He was well able to manage adults and to tell adults what they wanted to know and what they
wanted to hear. His parents described him earlier as "getting angry all the time.at almost
anything he didnt like" and he would "punch a wall" [5].
3.5. Interests
Eric wrote (Cullen 2009) that "guns! boy, I loved playing guns". He was also superb at violent
video games. He used to sketch "medieval armour and sub-machine guns" and would draw
"victims (who) were frequently on fire and freshly decapitated" as well as he showed a great
interest in the Nazis and their activities. [5], p.81. Another great interest was in "explosives".
[5]. He loved to make home made bombs. Other interests included "Nietzsche, Freud, Hitler"
and he used to say "Sich Heil" or "Heil Hitler". He was obsessed with massacres and mayhem
on television.
3.6. Relationship with girls and other adults
Eric was a boy who "smoked, drank, dated" (page 6 [5] and he would walk up to "hotties in
the Mall". "He won them over with quick wit, dazzling dimples and a disarming smile". [5].
Nothing could be further from Asperger's Syndrome than this. This was his genuine evidence
of an element of General Psychopathy.
3.7. Control and domination
[5] stated that when "somebody needed to take control. Eric was your man. He was like a robot
under pressure". The local Pizza Store where he worked had a particularly good opinion of
his capabilities and put him "in charge when he left". [5]. He had excellent management skills
and found it very easy to manage his co-killer Dylan Klebold.
3.8. Conclusion
In writing there was often contradictions and Eric's writing wasnt always logical. Eric had
excellent social know how compared to Dylan. Dylan and Eric had major empathy deficits and
were both hostile and somewhat paranoid people. Both suffered from depression. They
became a most dangerous murderous couple. Eric was the active one the leader and Dylan
was the follower the passive one. They played out their killing in fantasy many times before
they carried it out. The warning signs were mainly in their writings and on their website.
Nevertheless they both had contact with the police. Clearly if teachers read the kind of essays
that they write and their pre-occupations from now on they should take these writings very
seriously and take action on them.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58882
4. Dylan Klebold
4.1. Childhood
Dylan was described by his parents as an "introverted and has grown up isolated" and is "often
angry or sullen and his behaviours seemed disrespectful to and intolerant of others". [5]. Dylan
[5] was "born brilliant" and went to school "a year early" and was sent to a gifted child
programme because he was "a maths prodigy". Everybody said he was extremely shy. He was
extremely sensitive to criticism and could have meltdowns that could take quite a while for
him to recover from. He had very vulnerable self-esteem and criticism would easily lead to a
meltdown.
4.2. Social relationships
[5] points out that Dylan Klebold was "meek, self-conscious and shy. He could barely speak
in front of a stranger, especially a girl. He'd follow quietly after Eric (co-mass killer) on the
Mall conquests attempting to appear invisible". Eric flattered "girls" with compliments; "Dylan
passed them chips, cookies to let them know he liked them. Dylan's friends said he had never
been on a date; he may never have asked a girl out". Not surprising Dylan wrote in 1997 "I feel
so lonely without a friend". [5]. Dylan was a loner, which caused him pain and "felt cut off
from humanity". [5] Dylan described himself as someone who had "no girl (friends)/not even
platonic, no other friends, nobody accepting him, doing badly in sports, looking ugly and
acting shy, getting bad grades, having no friends in life". [5]. Dylan did at times regard other
humans as "zombies" and wrote about himself "I am God compared to some of these unexistable brainless zombies". [5]. This was projection and shows that he had some grandiosity
as well which is often hidden behind low self-esteem.
He was very naive and tended to be caught if he did anything wrong. This is typical of persons
with Autism. He was caught when he broke into a car and stole stuff with his friend Eric Harris
(co-mass killer). According to [5] "Dylan Klebold was not a man of action. He was conscripted
by a boy who was". Persons with Asperger's Syndrome are very easily led. They are often led
into serious crime by other people particularly persons with psychopathy like Eric Harris. He
shared talents with Eric Harris including great mathematical ability, technological expertise
and in particular Dylan was excellent at "analysing, inventing, deconstructing". [5]. Dylan
would hammer at "ideas relentlessly". [5]. Dylan wanted to become a specialist in computing
technology and there was no doubt he would have achieved that if he hadnt met Eric Harris.
4.3. Interests
Dylan was very interested in "classical philosophers and renaissance literature". [5]. Dylan was
into polarities and felt himself to be split in his mind. One of the polarities that fascinated him
was "good and bad". This was a major focus for him [5]. [5] that "Dr Fuselier from the FBI stated
that "both boys fantasised about murder, but Dylan focused on a single attack".
10
4.4. Sense of self

[5] points out that Dylan did believe in God but that he would "cry out, cursing God for making
him a modern Job, demanding an explanation for the divine brutality of his faithful servant.
It's hardly surprising he considered suicide as a way out. Dylan wrote that "God had chosen
him" as someone "in search of answers, never finding them, yet in hopelessness understands
things. He seeks knowledge of the unthinkable, of the undefinable, of the unknown. He
explores everything/using his mind, the most powerful tool known to him". [5].
4.5. Depression
Dylan had fantasies about relationships with a girl which were very powerful. He suffered
from depression which is very typical with Autism indeed he wrote "good God I hate my life,
I want to die really bad right now". [5]. He also had preservation of sameness and was very
much a routine driven boy.
4.6. Naivety
When Dylan hacked into the school computer he was caught and reprimanded. [5] wrote that
when Dylan was "caught scratching obscenities into a freshman's locker, he was called before
the school Dean and went ballistic. He cussed the Dean and bounced off the walls" and acted
bizzarely.
4.7. Home movies
Dylan had acting potential which was really one area where he was superior to Eric Harris his
leader. It is well known (Fitzgerald 2014) that many great actors had Autism or Asperger's
Syndrome. [5] noted that on film Dylan "unleashed his anger and he was that crazy man
disintegrating in front of the camera. His eyes bulged out". It was also noticed that in life
generally he was not very capable and was not given complex tasks to do.
Overall he had no ability to plan an operation on his own like the massacre and was simply
led in a very naive way by a person with psychopathy Eric Harris.
5. Virginia tech shootings

Cho Seung-Hui the mass killer at Virginia Tech also had a diagnosis of Autism. He was a shy,
withdrawn child who had problems with social know how and social cop on. He hated
hugging as a child and was very violent. He was clingy to his mother. He showed poor
communication and often gave one word answers to questions. He great aunt [2] stated that
"when others called his name he just answered yes or no but never showed any feelings or
emotions. We started to worry he was autistic". Later he was formally diagnosed with Autism.
He was bullied within the educational system.
A Professor Lucinda Roy complained to the campus police about him and she also gave him
"individual lessons" and said to him: "You seem so lonely"-"Do you have any friends?". "I am
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58882
lonely". Cho replied. "I dont have any friends". A student at Virginia Tech Karen Grewal [17]
noted that "he was so quiet, it was almost as if he wasnt there and was invisible. He must have
been worried that he'd would be found out".
[3] noted that there were "college girls who reported him to the police for stalking and got
him carted off to a mental hospital after he sent them shy love messages full of mean
ing". Cho [3] also wrote "by a name, I know not how to tell who I am". This is typical of
the identity diffusion of autism. He was unable to get a girlfriend and "he had to make up
with a fantasy girlfriend". [3]. He was a loner as a child. [2] notes that a fellow student
noted he was "obsessed with violence and with serious personal problems". He admired
the Columbine killers. Professor Nikki Giovanni one of his teachers at Virginia Tech was
concerned about his writing i.e. "your bra is torn and I am looking at your flesh". [3]. He'd
never speak but he frightened everyone. According to [17] "he insisted on wearing
sunglasses and pulling his baseball cap low on his forehead" and that neighbours "descri
bed him as a surly youth who did not communicate and ignored them in the street". He
was a major mathematical talent like many with Autism. [9]. Professor Louis Schlesging
er a Professor of Forensic Psychology states that "mass killers tend to be aggrieved, hurt,
clinically depressed, socially isolated and above all paranoid". (Begley 2007).
In the psychiatric hospital in 2007 a psychiatrist noted his "affect is flat and mood is depressed".
(Begley 2007).
6. Conclusion
School shootings and mass killings are not uncommonly committed by persons with neuro
developmental disorders i.e. Criminal Autistic Psychopathy/Asperger's Syndrome with often
a good deal of warning based on writings on the internet and elsewhere.
Author details
Michael Fitzgerald*
Trinity College Dublin (TCD), Dublin, Ireland
References
[1] Asperger H. (1944-1991) Die "Autistischen Psychopathen". i.m Kindesalter, Archives
fur Psychiatrie und Nervenkrankheitem 117, 67-136. Translated in U. Frith (ed) Au
tism and Asperger's Syndrome, Cambridge University Press 39-92.
11
12
[2] Baxter S. 2007 Cold Childhood of Cho. Sunday Times April 22nd p.27
[3] Baxter S. 2007 American Psycho. Sunday Times Review April 22nd p. 1-2
[4] Cullen Davi Erics Big Lie (http://columbine-online.com/journals/columbine-eric-har
ris-big-lie.htm)columbineonline
[5] Cullen D. 2009 Columbine. Oldst publishing: Devon U.K.
[6] Dylan showed classical Asperger's Syndrome ICD 10 that is Criminal Autistic Psy
chopathy sub-type (Fitzgerald 2010).
[7] FBI The Depressive and the Psychopath: The FBI analysis of the killer's motives.
(http://www.slate.com/id/20992031).Slate April 20th 2004
[8] Fitzgerald M (2005) Malignant alienation or Asperger's Syndrome. The Journal of
Psychiatric Practice, 29, 5, 193.
[9] Fitzgerald M. James I. 2007 The Mind ofthe Mathematician. John Hopkins University
Press: Baltimore
[10] Fitzgerald (2014 In Press) The Mind of the Artistic. Nova Science: New York.
[11] Fitzgerald (2010) Young Violent and Dangerous to Know. Nova Science: New York.
[12] http://nen.wikipedia.org/wiki/columbine_high_school_massacre.
[13] Immelman, Aubrey August (2004) Eric Harris: personality profile. (http://
www.csbsju.edu/usbb/Criminalp20filing/Columbine-eric-harris-profile.html.
[14] Lyons V. Fitzgerald M. (2009) Asperger & Kanner, the two pioneers of Autism. Jour
nal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 37, 2022-2023.
[15] Patrick C. J. (2006) Handbook of Psychopathy. Gilford Press: New York.
[16] Solomon .A 2014. The reckoning March 17th The New Yorker 36-45.
[17] Sherwell P. Shipman T. 2007. He'd never speak, but he frightened everyone. Sunday
Independent. April 2nd 2002.
Chapter 2
Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Fatih Hilmi Cetin, Huseyin Tunca, Esra Guney and
Elvan Iseri
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59122
1. Introduction
Neurotransmitters, which connect neurons with each other, have key roles in normal
development of brain, memory, motor activity and behavior regulation [1]. Based on these
knowledge, neurotransmitter system dysfunction thought to be the cause of Autism
Spectrum Disorder (ASD), by affecting neuronal cell migration, differentiation and
synaptogenesis and eventually developmental processes of the brain [2, 3]. In pathophysi
ology of ASD many neurotransmitter systems has been investigated and dysfunction of
these systems has been shown to be responsible. In the literature, neurotransmitters that
are most commonly associated with the pathogenesis of ASD are, GABAergic, glutamater
gic and serotonergic systems [4].
2. GABA
In order to maintain function and homeostasis of Central Nervous System (CNS) the balance
between excitation and inhibition of neurons is very important. Main inhibitory neurotrans
mitter in the brain is gamma amino butyric acid (GABA) [5]. GABA is synthesized from
glutamate by the enzyme glutamic acid decarbosilase (GAD) [6]. This enzyme has two
isoforms known as GAD67 and GAD65, these are encoded by GAD1 and GAD2 gene. These
enzymes different from each other in terms of the intracellular localization, expression, and
enzymatic activity [7]. After GABA sythesized, it is taken to the vesicle by vesicular GABA
transporter (VGATs) [8]. GABA is released to synaptic space under influence of Action
Potential (AP) and binds to the GABAA and GABAC iyonotrophic receptors or metabotrop
ic GABAB receptors [9]. The activity of GABA that is released to the synaptic space is ended
by GABA transporters which are located at cell membrane (GAT) [10]. Finally GABA that
16
is taken to the inside cell furtherly degrades by the transaminase or succinate semialde
hide dehidrogenase enzymes [9].
GABA has a key role in the regulation of early developmental stages of cell migration,
neuronal differentiation and stages of maturation [11]. Besides, formation of GABAergic
system has a critical role in migration of GABAergic neurons and formation of glutamer
gic system mediated excitatory processes that regulate cortical inhibitory system [12].
Therefore, it is not suprising that especially in ASD and in many neurodevelopmental
disorders GABAergic system is the main responsible [13, 14]. In addition, the high
prevalence of epilepsy in patients with autism have made it worth to investigate GABA
neurotransmitter system in individuals who has ASD [15].
Neurochemical abnormality that postulated to be associated with pathophysiology of ASD is
the reduction in the expression of GAD65 and GAD67 which cause suppression of GABAergic
inhibition [16]. Fatemi and his colleagues [17], in the cerebellum and parietal cortex of patients
has shown significantly decrease in two isoforms of the rate-limiting enzyme which are
responsible for the conversion of glutamate to GABA. Detection of low platelet GABA levels
in children with ASD [18] and postmortem studies that illustrtaed significant reduction in
GABAA and GABAB receptor subunit in various brain regions [19, 20] support the widespread
dysfunction of GABAergic system in patients with ASD. Reduced production or signaling of
GABA cause hyperexcitability state and leads to cognitive dysfunction [21]. Deletional
mutations of genes encoded by chromosome 15q11-q13 which is some of the GABAA receptor
subtype unites (GABRB3, GABRA5 and GABRG3) might be cause of reduction in GABAergic
transmission, and these mutations have been suggested to be a risk factor ASD [14]. Also, many
of the candidate genes associated with ASD are expressed in interneurons [22]. Antiepileptic
agents, especially benzodiazepines has been used in ASD and epilepsy coexisted patients and
they have shown to improve socialization and communication skills, though, in some cases,
they lead to increased anxiety and aggression, because of this, the information mentioned
above is not clear yet [23,24]. Lemonier and Ben-Ari [25] sugeested that the inhibition of Na /
K / Cl transporter (NKCC1) lead intracellular increased Cl levels, so the GABAergic transmis
sion will change depolarization to the hyperpolarization and in five ASD cases they get positive
results after the treatment with NKCC1 inihbitor bumetanide. Then they carried out double
blind randomized controlled clinical trial of bumetanide for treatment of ASD for 3 months of
period in 54 patients, the results has shown to provide a significant improvement of ASD
symptoms [26]. In utero exposure to valproate in mice model, has caused dissappearance of
swicth between GABA excitation / inhibition and this problem has shown to lead the devel
opment of chronic chlorine deficits and autistic-like behavior [27]. Ion channels mutated mouse
model which led to the reduced GABAergic transmission, and the corelation between ASD
symptoms and reduced GABAergic transmission level and with benzodiazepine treatment
autistic-like behavior to has shown to decrease [28].
As a result of animal model publications and studies conducted in patients with ASD has
confirmed the hypothesis of "decreased GABAergic transmission in ASD patients". In future
studies, to develop a new therapeutic agents, and to even prevent the disease focus should be
directed on the GABA neurotransmitter system.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59122
3. Glutamate
Glutamate is essential excitatory neurotransmitter of the central nervous system. It is synthe
sized from glutamine via glutaminase enzyme. There are two types which are iyontropic and
metabotropic receptors. Metabotropic receptors (mGluR) are coupled with G protein and
within the cell according to signaling pathways they divided 3 into subtypes: Group I (mGluR1
and mGluR5), group II (mGluR2 and mGluR3), Group III (mGluR4 and mGluR6-8). Group I
works through activation of phospholipase C whereas Group II and Group III works through
decreasing cyclic AMP level [29]. Ionotropic receptors which are coupled with ion-channel,
have 3 sub-types: N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), -amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole
propionic acid (AMPA) and kainate receptors. Kainat receptors located presynaptically at the
hippocampus, stimulation of them reduce glutamatergic transmission [30]. Induction of
AMPA receptors, these are associated with learning and memory, lead to the long-term
potentiatio (LTP) and long-term depressio of (LTD) [31]. High levels of glutamate leading to
overstimulation of NMDA receptors and cause a high amount of calcium influx, which is main
responsible for excitotoxicity lead to the neuronal damage. Therefore, optimization of the level
of glutamate in the synaptic cleft is critical. To protect post-synaptic neurons from excitotoxic
effect the neuronal glutamate transporters which reside at the presynaptic membrane take
back glutamate into cell from synaptic cleft. In final stage, glutamate is destroyed with GAD
[1]. Balance between excitation / inhibition is crucial for synaptogenesis and plasticity,
especially in first 3 years of life [32]. Blockade of NMDA receptors in the prenatal period
initiates apoptosis in neurons [1].
From this point, glutamate plays a central role in shaping the architecture of the brain. Cell
migration, maturation and developmental stages, such as synaptogenesis and neuroplastisic
ity is accomplished with the optimum glutamat transmission level [33, 34]. At the same time
it is directly associated with cognitive processes such as memory and learning [35].
Glutamate receptors associated with ASD are highly expressed in the hippocampus and
cerebellum [36]. For these reasons, the role of glutamatergic system in patiets with ASD has
been substantially investigated, two opposite hypotheses regarding the role of this system
have been proposed [37]. First hypotheses of ASD has been proposed hypoglutamatergic state
[38, 39, 40], the second postulated the depletion of GABAergic inhibition excitation / inhibition
rate which eventually lead to the hyperglutamatergic state [41, 42, 43]. Consistent with the
hypothesis suggested that ASD is hypoglutamatergic disorder, in 1998 Carlsson has postulated
decrease in glutamate signaling lead to activation of receptors at the cortical GABA interneur
ons and this state cause significant depression in excitator glutamate circuit [38, 44].
Other supportive evidence is hypoglutamatergic state in mouse models caused similiar
presentation to ASD including inability to change behavior paradigm, limitation in habits and
behavior [45] In a postmortem study patients with ASD has shown significant decrease in
AMPA type 2 and 3 in cerebellum tissue [40].
Another hypothesis that might be surrogate to explain ASD is hypoglutamatergic state and
associated cortical tissue hyperexcitability in spesific cortical areas. Some studies has demon
17
18
strated higher serum glutamate levels in individuals with autism [46]. Increased glutamate level
probably connected with diminished GAD enzyme level [47, 48, 49]. This diminish also explain
reduction in GABA transmission [50]. First study was done by Shimmura has illustrated higher
serum glutamate levels and lower glutamine levels [51]. Secondly Shimmura et al. [52] has done
another study they researched brain tissue from 7 postmortem ASD patients, they found higher
levels of glutamate and glutamine levels at anterior cingulate cortex, interstingly levlels of
glutaminase, glutamine synthase, and GAD were normal. As mentioned above ASD patients
have high incidence of epilepsy, this is due to increase in glutamatergic activity [53, 54].
Animal models and conducted clinical studies in ASD subjects support hyperglutamatergic
hypothesis. Silverman et al. [55] is conducted a study on ASD core symptoms observed mice
model and found that GRN-529 (allosteric modulators of mGluR5 receptor) ameliorated all
core symptoms of ASD. Another study conducted with AMPA receptor agonist (Ampakin)
relieved symptoms of respiratory system on mice model with Rett syndrome [56]. Lamotrigine,
which reduce glutamate transmission, has improved communication skills, socialization and
behavior problems in 28 children diagnosed with ASD [57]. Ketamine, an NMDA receptor
antagonist, has been shown to have a positive impact on focused attention in ASD cases [58].
Another NMDA receptor antagonist, memantine, significant improvement was observed on
learning, language skills and in the areas of socialization in patients with ASD [59]. Recently,
a randomized controlled study carried out, the memantine and risperidone receiving group
were compared to placebo and risperidone receiving group, at the 10th week of treatment,
memantine and risperidone received group better recovered compared to only risperidone
received group in terms of the irritability, stereotypies and hyperactivity symptoms [60].
Recently, non-invasive brain imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance spectroscopy
has enabled measurment of glutamate levels in brain tissue. Since first study was published
in 2006 to date there were 15 studies done and conflicting results have been obtained [37]. In
some studies, the anterior cingulate cortex [61] and auditory cortex [62] areas glutamate levels
was increased compared to healthy controls, while in others there was no difference, and in
the rest lower glutamate levels was observed [63, 64].
Some researchers thought these two hypotheses related to glutamatergic system are not
completely opposite, some spesific cortical areas has increased excitatory / inhibitory ratio
whereas in other regions, this ratio could turn opposite [44].
As a result, it is not clear yet whether the ASD individuals hyper or hypoglutamatergic, but it
is clear that there is dysfunction in the glutamatergic system. New investigations has focused
more in hyper-glutamatergic state and efforts are directed at glutamate receptor antagonismin
order to develop new therapeutic agents. A better understanding of the glutamatergic system
agents in the future will contribute to enlight ASD pathogenesis.
4. Serotonin
Serotonin is a neuromodulator which acts as a developmental signal [65]. Serotonin is
synthesized by the enzyme triptophanhidroksilase which convert triptpohan to 5-hydroxy-

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59122
tryptophan, and decarboksilation at the end [66]. Serotonin neurotransmitter system has
critical role in the regulation of crucial steps of neuronal development such as cell proliferation,
differentiation, migration, apoptosis synaptogenesis, neuronal and glial development [67, 68].
Serotonin system in the prefrontal cortex and temporal cortex regulates GABAergic inhibition,
therefore it has played a role in the regulation of many aspects of cognitive functions [69].
Serotonin plays an important role in the development of social skills during gestational period
and early childhood. Inadequate stimulation of serotonin in the early stages of life, can lead to
the unpreventable abnormalities in serotonin metabolism in subsequent period of life. These
defect may cause permanent problems in serotonin metabolism in people who have been
deprived serotonin effects necessary for the brains especially early developmental stages of
life. This is why, adequate levels of serotonin are necessary for the development of close
relationships and social skills in the early stages of life [70]. Social skills and behavior have
been shown to be associated with hippocampal neurogenesis in ASD individuals and because
of that hippocampal abnormalities are found frequently [71]. Serotonin play a central regu
lating role in serotonin dependent neurogenesis activity in the hippocampus [72].
Pathophysiology of ASD has two main hypothesis for serotonin neurotransmitter systems, just
like glutamate hypothesis. One widely accepted for a long time and confirmed for many times
is hyperserotonin state and while the other one is hyposerotonin hypothesis which became
prominent in recent years [66]. Two main findings of hyperserotonin hypothesis in patients
with ASD are increased blood serotonin levels (my hiperserotone) and decreased brain
serotonin levels [66]. The presence of hyperserotonemia in 25 to 50% of individuals with ASD
is important to showing they may have abnormalities in the serotonergic pathway [73, 74,75].
Furthermore, first-degree relatives of individuals with ASD found to have hyperserotonemia,
as well as parents of these kids more often showed the presence of serotonin associated
psychiatric disorders, such as depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder [74, 76]. Other
supportive evidence, brain serotonin level decreased and exacerbation of many repetitive
behavior was observed (such as spinning, stepping, self-hit and shoot) with tryptophan poor
diet (low-tryptophan diet) [77]. Serum levels of tryptophan to large neutral amino acid ratio
was shown to be decreased in children with ASD. This rate is an indicative of presence of
tryptophan for serotonin synthesis in the brain and this lower ratio demonstrate low trypto
phan usability which might suggest one of the mechanisms associated with serotonergic
dysfunction in ASD [78]. Another study demonstrated, after L-5-hydroxytryptophan admin
istration young people with ASD, their blood serotonin levels increased, whereas in control
group no difference was seen [79].
Severity of at least one specific behavioral problem in ASD is reported to be associated with
5HT1D receptor sensitivity [80]. Various studies have reported controversial results
regarding association of serotonin transporter gene in ASD. In contrast, in accordance with
the data regarding the transfer of serotonin transporter gene polymorphic alleles associat
ed with the findings of the degree of the social and communicative deficits, these alleles
instead of being risk factor for ASD they might change the severity of clinical presenta
tion in autistic children [75].
19
20
Shown correlation between ASD and serotonin transporter gene and found mutations in genes
encode rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of L-tryptophan such as 2,3 dioxygenase gene
is thought to be responsible for increased serotonin levels [81]. There might be defect in the
development of the serotonergic system in patients with ASD. Normally, the serotonin
neurotransmitter system follows a pattern of age-related development, for example, develop
mental studies of serotonin receptor binding in monkeys showed that increment during
infancy and throughout childhood, a prepubertal peak, and eventually slowly reduction
during adolescence and early adulthood [82]. In humans at 6 year of age serotonin receptor
binding is higher than neonatal period or 13-14 year of age [83]. This dynamic changes are
impaired in ASD, at the beginning of childhood low serotonin levels are observed compared
to normal baseline, but steadily increased from 2 to 15 years of age and reaches higher than
adult levels [84, 85]. In various animal models when effect of higher levels of serotonin
investigated particlarly in the development of somatosensory system, the deterioration in the
formation of thalamo-cortical sensory circuits were observed [86]. Recently "ASD is a hypo
serotonergic condition" hypothesis is worth to discuss. In a study of volunteer postmortem
brain tissue of ASD patients examined, and the increase in number of serotonergic axons were
observed [87].
This situation cannot be explained by the hypothesis of compensatory mechanisms which
expected to result reduction of serotonergic axons in hyperserotonergic state [88]. In men with
ASD, in one side of the brain of frontal region and thalamus, typically synthesis of serotonin
was reduced, in opposite side of the brain of cerebellum, and dentate nucleus serotonin has
been shown to be increased [70].
Several PET and SPECT studies in individuals with ASD has shown serotonin transporter
binding amount decreased significantly in various brain regions (frontal cortex, cingulate,
thalamus, etc..) [89, 90]. Other study was exhibited that low levels of blood serotonin in mothers
of children with ASD compared to normal developing children's mother [91]. In another study,
individuals with ASD were shown to have low levels of gene responsible for synthesis of
serotonin [92]. Serotonergic drugs, the main symptoms of ASD respond less to treatment, but
some are partially effective in the symptomatic treatment of patients with autism. These drugs
include selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitr=SSRI),
5-HT 2A receptor antagonists, tricyclic antidepressants and receptor antagonists (dopamin/5HT) mix.
Mechanism of action of these treatments are unknown, but they are thought to act on the
developmental defects in serotonergic pathways such as serotonin synthesis, catabolism, and
transport-related dynamic abnormalities [93, 94].
As a result, the highest level of evidence for ASD relationship with monoamines is the
serotonergic system. Hyperserotonemia in peripheral blood in individuals with ASD, despite
the presence of opposite results, has been shown to be present in many studies. Low levels of
serotonin in the brain tissue is the common finding of hyposerotonergic and hyperserotonergic
hypothesis. Future studies will enlight reson for lower serotonin levels in the brain tissue and
will open new horizons both for diagnosis and treatment.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59122
5. Catecholamines
Evidence for the relationship of dopamine and norepinephrine with ASD was gathered from
the studies reported decrease in DBH (Dopamine B Hydroxilase) activity and increased serum
norepinephrine levels in children with autism and in their parents [95]. Findings increased
catecholamine levels of the blood, urine, and cerebrospinal fluid in children with ASD [96,
97] as well as evidences sugested abnormal dopaminergic activity in the medial prefrontal
cortex proposed abnormal cathecolaminergic activity [98]. Another supportive study has
shown that, patients with ASD have increased urinary homovalinic acid level which is a
degradation product of dopamine [99].
Robinson et al [100] demonstrated, mothers of children with ASD has low serum DBH levels
and this interpreted to cause possible risk factor for ASD by creating a non-ideal intrauterine
environment (leading to reduced norepinephrine and increased levels of dopamine). Study
was done by using positron emission tomography (PET) in high-functioning ASD individuals
has enligthened that increased activity of dopamine transporter (DAT) at the orbitofontal
cortex region [89]. In a more detail study, Neale BM and his colleagues have found a de novo
mutation of DAT gene (SLC6A3] in individuals with ASD [101].
6. Acetylcholine
Chemical and histochemical studies in the brains of individuals with ASD has shown loss of
nicotinic receptors, in addition to that basal forebrain cholinergic neurons have been reported
to be abnormally large and surplus [102]. A postmortem investigation of parietal neocortex
showed reduced number of neuronal -4 and -2 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)
subunit [103]. A while decreased cerebellar -3/-4 / -2 nAChR ligand binding was detected,
-7 receptor subunit was exhibited compensatory increase [104].
Another study showed reduction in the expression of -4 nAChR subunit in the frontal
cortex whereas expression of -4 nAChR subunit was found to increase in the cerebel
lum [105]. In another study, the -7 nAChR subunit was determined to decreas especial
ly in paraventricular nucleus and nucleus reuniens [106]. Postmortem samples taken from
ASD individuals demonstrated significantly decreased -7 receptor mRNA levels in frontal
cortex [107]
Brain samples of cerebral cortex and basal forebrain choline acetyltransferase and acetylcho
linesterase enzyme activity was measured, but no significant relationship was found with
ASD. However, increased BDNF levels were detected which has affect on development
and functions of cholinergic neurons in the basal forebrain [103]. Evidence of relation
ship between ASD and cholinergic circuits is still weak. Therefore extensive research in
this area are needed.
21
22
Author details
Fatih Hilmi Cetin, Huseyin Tunca, Esra Guney* and Elvan Iseri
*Address all correspondence to: dresraguney@gmail.com
Gazi University Medical Faculty, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Turkey
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Chapter 3
Structural and Functional Brain Imaging

in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Yasemin Tas Torun, Esra Gney and Elvan seri
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59121
1. Introduction
Damasio and Maurer (1978) proposed that autism occurs due to structural and functional
abnormalities at mesolimbic (dopaminergic) brain areas (ventromedial prefrontal cortex,
medial temporal lobes, limbic striatum and thalamus), as damage to these brain regions can
cause features of autism (impaired social and emotional functioning, stereotyped behaviours,
mannerisms and obsessionality) [1]. This hypothesis is supported by studies in animals and
human [2]. Areas outside the limbic system, such as the parietal lobes, are associated with
autism. The lack of attention about understanding significant social cues in autism is similar
to negligence and attention deficiency in the parietal lobe damage [3]. In addition to structural
abnormalities in the cerebellum, another aetiological factor associated with autism is func
tional deterioration in cerebellar-cortical serotonergic pathways due to acquired cerebellar
lesions, which can lead to impairment in social and emotional behaviour and impairment in
executive functions and obsessions [4]. Brain imaging techniques are used in the investigation
of these proposed structural and functional changes within autistic spectrum disorders.
2. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies

2.1. Head circumference and total brain volume
Atypical head circumference growth curve in the first two years of life is a phenotypical risk
indicator for autism [5, 6]. In the case of autism, head circumference that is normal or near
normal size at birth follows an accelerated growth pattern at about four months [7, 8]. It has
been shown that 37% of autistic children between the ages of two and four meet the criteria
for developmental macrocephaly [9].
32
In a follow-up study by Dawson et al. [2007], involving 28 children with autism from birth
up to 36 months, has been shown accelerated growth of head circumference and previ
ous studies have indicated that repeatedly [7]. This head circumference growth pattern
occurs independently from autistic regression [10]. In autism, head circumference growth
rate has been compared to the period from birth to 12 months; after the 12th month, these
findings shows that unusually rapid head growth is limited to the 1st year of life [11]. Many
studies have shown that the behavioural symptoms of autism become easily understanda
ble during the first eight- to 12 months. [12, 13]. Therefore, the onset of accelerated head
circumference growth between four- and 12 months partially leads to significant behaviou
ral symptoms and an overlap between these symptoms. Interestingly, Dawson et al.
reported a slowdown in the rate of head circumference growth in the next 12 months to
be associated with a loss of or deceleration in the acquisition of new skills. Another study
[7] reported that rapid growth in head circumference between birth and the 12-month
period, followed by a slowdown in growth after 12 months to be a risk indicator for the
development of autism symptoms at 24. months [14].
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used in order to measure the size and shape of brain
structures. The results of research conducted using the MRI method has been consistent with
results yielded by head circumference studies in terms of autism. Sparks et al. (2002) reported
that children aged three to four with autism had a significantly larger total brain volume
compared to normally developing peers or developmental delayed peers [15]. Another study
[16] showed that 90% of children with autism spectrum disorders aged between two and four
had larger brain volumes than usual. Using the MRI method, the size of the brain among
autistic children aged between one-and-a-half and four years old was shown to be abnormally
increased (about 5-10%) [8, 15, 16]. Courchesne et al. [16] proposed that an increase in brain
volume among children with autism in younger age groups tended to decrease front-to-back
(maximum at the frontal lobe, with the occipital lobe growth showing the least). However, it
has not been clearly determined whether the growth pattern of young children (four years old)
is permanent or not among older children and adolescents [16, 17]. It has been found that brain
size in autistic children at birth was 13% smaller than the control group, reached a 10% larger
size at the age of one and was at the onset of puberty only 2% larger than the control group;
these results were obtained by Redcay and Courchesne [6] following the evaluation of head
circumference and brain weight using MRI brain volume and autopsy studies. It has been
reported that in a large proportion of individuals with autism in adulthood, the brain volume
did not differ from healthy controls [6].
The hypothesis has been put forward that unusual brain growth curves lead to an abnormal
pattern of changes in cortico-cortical connections. Changes in the brain during development
adversely affect the development and persistence of growth curves among short-and longhaul connections. It has been suggested that the growth rate of brain size is less than the normal
rate where developmental disorders are concerned, which leads to an increase in long-haul
connections. Moreover, if brain size is larger than normal in developmental disorders such as
autism, leads to a reduction in long-distance structural and functional connections [18].
Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorders

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59121
2.2. White and grey matter changes

Abnormal brain growth in autistic children primarily stems from cerebral white and grey
matter. However, Herbert and colleagues asserted that this growth originates from the
disproportionate increase of white matter, not grey matter [19]. Abnormalities in white matter
volume can be linked to differences in axonal density and organization, myelination abnor
malities or the abnormal proliferation of glial cells [20]. In two different studies with autistic
children (between one-and-a-half and four years old) has been shown to significantly increase
white matter rather than grey matter [8, 16]. However, it is not clear whether this increase in
older children and adolescents is permanent or not [21, 22]. Even though the growth rate of
grey matter has been shown to be smaller than that of white matter in early life, it is reported
to be persistent in adulthood [16, 21].
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), also called diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTMRI) is a method used to assess the integrity of white brain matter. One of the parameters
determined by this method, which identifies the movement of water molecules in the brain, is
fractional anisotropy, which reflects asymmetry in fluid movement [23]. High fractional
anisotropy values reflect a more intense or more proper structure of the brain. Two separate
studies in children and adults with autism have shown a decrease in cerebral white matter
using fractional anisotropy. A decrease in the temporal cortex among adults with autism has
also been indicated using fractional anisotropy [24], as well as on the ventromedial prefrontal
cortex, anterior cingulate, temporal lobe, amygdala and cortical and along subcortical regions
containing the corpus callosum in autistic children and adolescents [25]. The most consistent
findings concerning decreases in the brain using fractional anisotropy has been found for the
corpus callosum [25, 26]. In another study, a 14% reduction in the size of the corpus callosum
was shown, which is associated with decreased fractional anisotropy on genu and splenium
[27]. In contrast to these findings, Ben-Bashat et al. [28] observed an association between
increased fractional anisotropy values and white matter maturity in autistic children at
younger ages. These findings have been associated with abnormal increases in brain volume
during the early ages of children with autism [28].
A reduction in fractional anisotropy alongside an increase in white matter volume may reflect
abnormal connections in the form of increased non-myelinated white matter connectivity.
Extremism in the weak links due to the activity of immature myelination may adversely affect
information processing. A decrease in white matter integrity reduces the brain's functional
integration, a factor that has served as a basis of current theories about abnormal connections [20].
Recently, corpus callosum abnormalities have been associated with the theory of insufficient
common functional connectivity (underconnectivity) in adults with autism [29]. Functional
brain imaging studies have shown a decrease in the activation of the synchronization of many
brain regions concerning different functions like social content interpretation [30], working
memory [31], executive functions [29] and visual imagery [32]. These findings have led to the
hypothesis that insufficient cortical connections may be associated with autistic disorders [33].
The reduction of white matter structural integrity in the context of autism may cause differ
ences in functional connectivity, while theory of mind deficits [34] within the autism context
can potentially be responsible for weak central coherence as well as social and cognitive
symptoms [26].
33
34
2.3. Cerebral cortex

The largest and most consistent increase has been reported for the frontal lobe, despite a grey
and white matter increase having been in the frontal, temporal and parietal lobes in several
studies [21, 35, 36]. In autism, there exists an opposite growth rate from the norm following
the period of accelerated growth in cerebral and cerebellar regions. For example, it has been
shown that frontal lobe grey and white matter volume increase by 19% at two- and four years
of age and 46% between the ages of nine and 12 in normal children, while in autistic children,
these rates are 1% and 14%, respectively [36, 37].
In autism, abnormal asymmetry patterns in the frontal and temporal regions associated with
language have been observed. Herbert et al. has shown that lateral inferior frontal cortex
language (Broca's area is associated with pars opercularis) has reverse asymmetry in children
with autism. It has also been shown that autistic men have a 27% larger volume in the right
side of the frontal language region, compared to controls' 17% larger volume on the left side
of the frontal language region. In addition to these findings, planum temporal asymmetry has
been reported to be fairly different between the two groups; autistic males showed a 25% left
dominance, while this rate was only 5% for the control group. Differences in terms of rightsided symmetry at the supramarginal posterior gyrus have been identified between autistic
(39% greater) and control groups (greater than 2%). Another asymmetry region is the posterior
superior temporal cortex (greater at the right in controls) associated with Wernicke's area,
although this is not statistically significant. Structural abnormalities like abnormal asymmetry
observed in autistic males in language regions may be associated with abnormalities in
language skills [38].
2.4. Cerebellum
The cerebellum plays a role on coordination between voluntary movements and complex
movements. Data obtained from animal and human studies have shown that the cerebellum
may play a role in cognitive processes, in language use and emotion [39, 40]. Several MRI
studies have determined that when autistic patients in different age groups are compared with
a control group, there is a significant increase in cerebellar volume. This increase in cerebellar
volume function is usually proportional to the total brain volume [41]. Different from other
studies, in a study with autistic children below the age of three (18-35 months), there was no
difference in terms of cerebellum size [8]. In contrast to the increase in the total volume of the
cerebellum, some autistic children showed a relatively small volume vermis [42, 43]. Specifi
cally cerebellum region is vermian lobules VI-VII that reported about volume reduction in
autism [16]. Vermis hypoplasia in autism is associated with deficits in automatically attention
directing and research behaviour. [37]. Courchesne et al. [44] suggest that autistic disorders
have two subtypes associated with cerebellum pathology: [1] vermis hypoplasia and [2] vermis
hyperplasia [44]. However, no differences have been reported concerning IQ levels being
affected by vermal volume in different study groups matched for intelligence quotient (IQ)
[45]. In addition, it has been suggested that increases in the volume of the frontal lobe is
associated with a reduction in cerebellar vermis volume. It has been shown that patients with
normal vermis volume have normal frontal cortex volume, while patients with vermis

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59121
hypoplasia have greater frontal cortex volume. Abnormal neuronal signals from subcortical
structures can affect the development of the cerebral cortex and increased neuronal activity
can in this way lead to growth among neuronal elements. Therefore, it has been claimed that
abnormal neuronal activity in the cerebelloretinal-thalamocortical projections (possibly
associated with a reduction in inhibitor signals as a result of the premature reduction in the
number of cerebellar Purkinje cells) can lead to developmental failure in the frontal lobe and
in the other input regions [37]. These volume changes are not specific to autism and are also
commonly found in various developmental and psychiatric disorders [43, 46]. In autism,
hypoplasia at the structure of the brain stem has been identified by Hashimoto et al. [47] in a
study that evaluated cerebellum and brain stem structures.
2.5. Amygdala
Amygdala volume shows an increase in proportion to the total cerebral volume in children
with autism. Sparks et al. [15] found that autistic children (aged between 36-56 months)
had an abnormal amygdala growth rate (13-16%). It has been reported that an increased
amygdala volume (without increasing total cerebral volume) at three years of age is
associated with severe progress in children aged between three and six years old [48]. An
increase in amygdala volume has been associated with more severe anxiety [49] and with
poor communication skills and social skills [48]. In a study with autistic males aged between
the eight and 18 compared with a healthy control group, , it was found that amygdala
volume had grown up to 15% between 8-12 age period, but in the period between the ages
of 13-18 were found to be any difference at the amygdale volume. Amygdala volume among
men with healthy development increased by about 40% between the ages of eight and 18;
however, this was not the same for males with autism. These findings are important for
the realization of amygdala volume initially being larger than normal in autistic children,
and also important for indicate that autistic children have not age-related increase at
amydala volume in the preadolescence period like healthy controls [50]. These findings are
supported by some MRI studies, including those pertaining to autistic adolescents and
adults where results showed an amygdala volume not significantly different or smaller [51]
than those in control groups. It has been suggested that amygdala abnormalities in autism
spectrum disorders play a central role in social symptoms [52].
2.6. Hippocampus
In autism, findings are contradictory regarding hippocampal volume. A MRI study by
Schumann et al [50] showed that autistic children had an increase of hippocampal volume and
this increase persisted during adolescence. A study that included autistic adolescents and
young adults reported a decrease in hippocampal volume [51]. Where autism is concerned,
various studies have shown no significant differences in hippocampal volume [53, 54].
2.7. Corpus callosum
The corpus callosum is responsible for transferring cortical and subcortical information
between homologous regions of the cerebral hemisphere. It is associated with bilateral sensory
35
36
and motor integration such as bimanual motor coordination, visual attention scrolling and
procedural memory processes. In autism, especially in the posterior region of the corpus
callosum, a volume decline was noted in [55]. These findings are associated with interhemi
spheric weakness in autism [20].
2.8. Caudate nucleus
It has been shown that the caudate nucleus volume is increased in autism. This increase may
be associated with observed repetitive and ritualistic behaviour in adolescents and adults with
autism [56, 57].
3. MR Spectroscopy (MRS) studies

MRS techniques are used to distinguish between patients with active neurodegenerative
process. N-acetyl groups, bearing phospholipids, choline, creatine (Cr), phosphocreatine, lipid
and lactate levels can be measured by proton MRS. N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) is a marker of
neuronal integrity and lower NAA/Cr ratio is associated with neuronal loss or damage.
Choline reflects the integrity of cell membranes and increased levels of choline or choline/Cr
ratio indicate increased cell destruction, the destruction of myelin, gliosis or inflammation.
Creatine is sometimes used as a standard for relatively fixed elements of cellular energy
metabolism in the brain. Creatine signals reflect glial and neuronal cell density. Myo-inositol
plays a role in neuronal homeostasis [58].
It has been determined that NAA, creatine and myo-inositol concentration decrease signifi
cantly in children with autism spectrum disorders between the ages of three and four [59]. In
several studies, it has been shown that NAA concentrations significantly decreased in the
amygdaloid-hippocampal region, cerebellum and Brodmann's [41-42] areas (primary auditory
area) in children and adults with autism [60, 61]. These findings can be associated with
neuronal loss or functional immaturity in these regions, which play an important role in
cognitive and emotional processes [60].
Levitt and colleagues [62], in a study involving autistic children, showed that choline and
creatine levels increased in the head of the right caudate nucleus, while choline levels de
creased in the left inferior anterior cingulate cortex. In the same study, decreased levels of
creatine were found in the left body portion of the nucleus caudatus and right occipital cortex.
These findings were associated with changes in membrane metabolism and energy metabo
lism in these regions. In a different study, NAA and glutamate/glutamine (Glx) levels were
found to be significantly decreased on the grey matter which involves many cerebral lobes in
a common area. at children with autism. These findings have been associated with neuronal
integrity and dysfunction, which spreads over a wide area at glutamatergic neurons in autistic
children [63]. In some MRS studies, no significant changes have been found in metabolite levels
in white matter [63, 64].

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Vasconcelos et al. [65] reported that myo-inositol and choline levels were increased in the
anterior cingulate cortex and left striatum, in contrast with previous studies that reported no
significant changes in NAA levels.
When evaluated, these molecular indicators, amendments and increased white and grey
matter volume have been believed to reflect changes in a) the number and size of neurons and
glia; b) in the development of axons, dendrites and synapses; c) axodendritic pruning; d)
programmed cell death; e) the occurrence of the cortical column; f) changes in myelination [66].
4. PET and SPECT studies

In the context of autism, functional neuroimaging studies were performed at rest or during
various activities. Injected or inhaled radiopharmaceuticals were applied in positron emission
tomography (PET) methods. Dissolved radioactive isotopes emit positrons that are detected
by the PET camera. Some PET methods measure blood flow, while others measure cerebral
metabolic rate [67].
In PET studies performed with autistic children at rest it has been determined that a decrease
in blood flow occurred in the temporal lobes. Functional dysfunction in the temporal lobe was
concentrated within the auditory associative cortex and superior temporal sulcus. Functional
impairment in the auditory cortex of autistic children may explain initial diagnoses of going
deaf and experiencing serious deterioration in communication. It has been suggested that
functional deterioration in the superior temporal sulcus might explain emotional and cognitive
components of autistic symptoms indirectly, due to these being closely linked with the
frontoparietal and limbic regions of the multimodal association [68].
A PET scan study conducted with autistic adults found a wide increase in glucose utilization
in the brain at rest [69]. Despite these findings, different results during the performance of
different tasks have also been found. Haznedar et al. [70] reported a decrease in glucose
metabolism in the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus during a verbal learning test for
autism and Asperger's syndrome [70]. Similarly, in a different PET study, it a decrease in
relative glucose metabolism was determined for frontal lobe medial/cingulate areas during
verbal memory operations. The same study showed an increase in relative glucose metabolism
for the occipital and parietal regions [71].
Neuronal activation areas associated with auditory cortical processing was also examined
using the PET method. In a study by Boddaert et al. [72], activation in the superior temporal
gyrus was observed while listening to the complex speech-like sounds of adults with autism,
which was similar to the control group [72]. However, while this activation was observed for
the right superior temporal gyrus in the autistic group, the opposite pattern was observed in
the control group. It has been shown that although there is less activation at the left temporal
areas, there is pronounced activation patterns at the right middle frontal gyrus among autistic
individuals [73]. In a different study involving children with autism, lower activation patterns
in the left superior temporal gyrus (in fields related with auditory) have been identified when
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listening to speech-like sounds, similar to what was found for adults. According to these
findings, it is suggested that abnormalities in auditory cortical processing are associated with
defects in language skills and that they result in a poor response to the voice among those with
autism [72].
A PET scan study with high functioning autistic adults which practiced during instruction the
tasks of theory of mind identified decreased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, bilateral
superior temporal sulcus and basal temporal area (right temporal tip and left fusiform gyrus
adjacent to the amygdala), which are components of the mentalization network [30].
In several PET studies, the association between neurotransmitter systems and autism has been
investigated. In a PET study with autistic children, Nakamura et al. [74] showed a reduction
in the binding capacity of serotonin transporter protein throughout the entire brain. In autistic
individuals, decreased serotonin transporter protein binding capacity in the anterior and
posterior cingulate cortex has been associated with deterioration in social cognition, similar to
decreased serotonin transporter protein binding capacity in the thalamus being associated
with recurrent and obsessive behaviours. It has also been reported that dopamine transporter
protein (the dopamine transporter = DAT) binding correlates in the opposite direction with
serotonin transporter binding protein in the orbitofrontal cortex. These findings support the
relationship between autism and serotonergic/dopaminergic systems.
The single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) method provides information on regional
cerebral blood flow and provides a cerebral blood flow map according to the regional cerebral
glucose metabolism of the brain. A decrease in regional cerebral blood flow reflects hypome
tabolism and consequently reflects damage in brain functions [75].
In accordance with several PET studies, reduced regional blood flow in the temporal cortex
[76, 77, 78], frontal cortex [76], parietal cortex [77], occipital cortex, thalamus, basal ganglia [79]
and cerebellar hemisphere [80] has been observed in SPECT studies with autistic children and
adults. In a study of children and adolescents with high-functioning autism, evidence has been
provided that the presence of abnormal neuronal network lateralization. In this study, it has
been found lower blood flow at the right angular region than left angular region and also lower
blood flow at left pericallosal, thalamic and hippocampal regions than right pericallosal,
thalamic and hippocampal regions [81].
A decrease in regional cerebral blood flow in the bilateral insula, superior temporal gyrus and
left prefrontal cortex has been reported by Ohnishi et al. in a SPECT study with autistic
children. Autistic symptoms are associated with perfusion patterns at the limbic system and
the medial prefrontal cortex. In this SPECT study by Ohnishi et al., support is provided for
impairments in communication and social interaction that is thought to be related to the theory
of mind deficits associated with perfusion changes in the medial prefrontal cortex and anterior
cingulate gyrus, as well as the obsessive desire for sameness, which is associated with the right
medial temporal lobe. Regional blood flow patterns are important in terms of indicating the
possible location of abnormalities in brain function that underlie abnormal behaviour within
the context of autism [82].

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59121
A SPECT study that investigated the relationship between neurotransmitter systems and
autism showed a reduction of serotonin transporter protein binding capacity in the medial
frontal cortex in accordance with PET studies in this area; however, DAT binding capacity did
not differ in autistic individuals [83].
5. Functional MRI (fMRI) studies

According to the SPECT and PET methods, the fMRI method has superior spatial and temporal
resolution, is not an invasive procedure and does not involve ionizing radiation [67].
Autistic individuals have corrupted cognitive processing, both in a self-referential and otherreferential context. Lombardo et al. recently conducted an fMRI study focusing on when
autistic disorder adults made reflective "mentalizing" (reflective mentalizing) or physical
judgments about themselves or the Queen of England. In another recent study, healthy
individuals were compared to autistic patients for self-other reference tasking. The results
revealed that autistic patients responded more to other mentalization as opposed to selfreferential mentalization at the middle cingulate cortex, while these two operations respond
equally at the ventromedial prefrontal cortex [84]. This finding is consistent with earlier study
results that reported decreased activity in the middle cingulate cortex while high-functioning
autism making their decisions the social condition [85]. These atypical responses only occur
in areas that primarily process self-knowledge and do not affect the area that primarily
responds to other-referential information. The neural self-other distinction at the ventromedial
prefrontal cortex is closely associated with the degree of social impairment in autism in early
childhood. It has been shown that individuals whose ventromedial prefrontal cortex can make
the obvious distinction between self- and other mentalizing have had the least social disruption
during early childhood, while individuals whose ventromedial prefrontal cortex makes little/
any distinction between self- and other mentalizing are more likely to have experienced
maximum social disruption during early childhood. These findings are important in terms of
showing the atypical organization of neural circuits, primarily in self-information encoding,
in the context of autism [84].
Brain regions such as the medial prefrontal cortex, rostral anterior cingulate, posterior
cingulate and the precuneus have high metabolic activity during resting states. Internally
managed processes (self-trial thought and higher-level social and emotional processes)
continuously activate the medial cortical network, which includes the medial prefrontal cortex,
rostral anterior cingulate, posterior cingulate and precuneus. This metabolic activity is
suppressed during tasks that require cognitive effort. The suppression during activity, which
is observed as "deactivations" using the fMRI method, is indicative of interrupted mental
activity during rest. Kennedy et al. [86] showed that this deactivation does not appear in
autistic individuals. These findings have been associated with the absence or abnormal mental
processes in autism. The absence of this deactivation in autism has shown abnormalities in
internally managed process and these findings have been suggested to be associated with
social and emotional deficits regarding autism.
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Individuals with autistic disorders and Asperger's syndrome experience abnormalities in the
perception of faces. It has been shown that healthy individuals have increased activation in
the fusiform gyrus during face processing and increased activation in the inferior temporal
gyrus during processing object activation, while individuals with autistic disorders or
Asperger's syndrome have less activation in the right fusiform gyrus and more activation
during face discrimination (this is not the case for objects). The autism group tends to use more
of the inferior temporal gyrus during face processing when compared to controls. This finding
shows that they process faces like objects [87]. The basic zone associated with face processing
in healthy individuals is the lateral fusiform gyrus (called as "fusiform face area"). It has been
reported to decrease activation in the fusiform gyrus and other areas associated with process
ing face detection such as the inferior occipital gyrus, superior temporal gyrus and amygdala
in individuals with autism during face detection tasks. It has also been reported that autistic
individuals use different neuronal systems for seeing faces and have individual-specific,
scattered activation patterns when compared to normal individuals [88].
In a fMRI study with high-function autistic adults, detected decreased activation in the
fusiform gyrus during the identification of the person who has been seen before, in contrast
to previous studies. Social dysfunction in autism has been associated with common abnor
malities observed in the social brain network. The severity of impairment in social functioning
is associated with a reduction in the connections between fusiform face area and amygdala
and also increment in the connections between fusiform face area and right inferior frontal
cortex.. This result indicates neuronal abnormalities in the limbic system to be associated with
a prevalence of poor social impairment in autism [89].
Neuronal activation fields associated with working memory have been studied using fMRI
methods. Luna et al. [90] reported lower activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and
posterior cingulate regions during spatial working memory. Koshino et al. [91] showed that
autistic individuals had lower activation in the inferior left prefrontal area (verbal processing
and working memory-related) and right posterior temporal area (associated with theory of
mind) during a working memory task that used photographic facial stimuli. The same study
noted activation in the different division of the fusiform area in autistic individuals. It has also
been shown that fusiform activation is in the lower and lateral division and also displaced
from the typical region activated during face detection, compared to the region activated
during object detection in an autistic group. These findings support the notion that face
processing in autism analyse face characteristics as an object in terms of humanitarian
significance. Abnormal fusiform activation showing a lower-level link with the frontal area is
associated with the presence of the neuronal communication network, which has reduced
synchronization [91].
A study conducted by Mller et al. [92] determined activation on opposite sides of the primary
sensorimotor (the most powerful) cortex, premotor and/or supplementary motor areas during
a simple finger movement task completed by healthy individuals in contrast, autistic groups
showed no significant activation. [92]. Autistic individuals showed activation in regions that
are not associated with these tasks, e.g., the superior parietal lobe and posterior neuronal
precuneus.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59121
Over time, neural outputs decrease in response to recurrent stimuli. This adaptation is believed
to be associated with plasticity and learning. In the case of autism, it has been shown that there
is no neural adaptation in the amygdala in response to neutral facial stimuli. In the case of
autism, abnormal sustained amygdala stimulation in response to social stimuli is believed to
be associated with social disruption, as observed in [89] (activation levels in the amygdala
never reach the maximum level in healthy individuals).
The mirror neuron system (the pars opercularis in the inferior frontal gyrus) is active during
observation, imitation and understanding the actions of others. Therefore, it is considered to
provide a neuronal mechanism for a complete understanding of the purpose and actions of
others. When on the move, along with the limbic system, it is thought to mediate an under
standing of emotions or facilitating sympathy with someone else's feelings. Thus, the feelings
of others are perceived as real and not simply at a cognitive level, but understood at an
emotional level (empathy). It has been shown that there is no activation of mirror neurons on
the pars opercularis during the observation or imitation of emotional expression in children
with autism. Activation in this region is inversely proportional to the severity of the symptoms
shown. Early functional defects that emerge in the mirror neuron system have been suggested
as the primary cause of social and emotional deficits in autistic disorders [93].
In FMRI studies with autistic individuals, a significant reduction has been revealed in the
timing of the activation or synchronization between cortical areas associated with memory
functioning, language, problem solving and social cognition. These findings support the
hypothesis referred to as "insufficient functional connectivity" (underconnectivity) within and
between neocortical systems [93].
6. Conclusion
In autism, common neuroanatomical defects in the early stages of brain development such as
hypoplasia at specific areas and excessive cerebral growth leads to abnormalities in the
development of functional systems. If the developing brain is traumatized by genetic or
environmental factors, the functional organization and hence, functional activities, are
disrupted. Abnormal functional activity and organization affect different structures in
different ways, because autism is associated with neural defects in many types and locations.
Many structures that have been shown as affected by autism can in turn affect the different
functional areas of cerebral and cerebellar organization, as these structures function as
intermediaries for the development of different types of neural defects. Therefore, more
obvious abnormalities have been observed in some functions [94].
Functional imaging studies pose various limitations, for example, these studies include
patients with autism and Asperger's syndrome together so study groups have heterogeneous
diagnostic measurement. It is proposed that in future studies, working groups can be created
to be a homogeneous diagnostic measurement comprised of different age groups and different
levels of mental development when testing different tasks.
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Author details
Yasemin Tas Torun, Esra Gney* and Elvan seri
*Address all correspondence to: dresraguney@gmail.com
Gazi University Medical Faculty, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Turkey
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49
Chapter 4
Coping Strategies and Parents Positive Perceptions of

Raising a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Encarnacin Sarri and Pilar Pozo
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58966
1. Introduction
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder of organic origin characterised
by impairment and deficits in social interaction and communication as well as repetitive and
restricted patterns of behaviour [1]. ASD can manifest with very different degrees of severity,
but most children with autism have special needs in all aspects of their development and in
all contexts. Associated problems such as intellectual deficit, sensory issues, problems with
eating and sleeping and behavioural problems are also common in ASD and may cause as
much impairment as the core features of the disorder [2-5].
Therefore, autism is considered one of the developmental disorders that has the greatest impact
on the family. Raising and caring for a child with autism is a daunting and permanent challenge
for parents and primary caregivers. Parents often need to adapt their professional lives and
relationships in order to find appropriate solutions that are suited to the specific needs of their
child [6]. A large number of studies have consistently found that parents of children with ASD
have higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression than parents of typically developed
children or children with other disorders [7-13].
However, previous research also reports large differences in the adaptation of families to ASD.
Despite the difficulties of caring for a child with ASD, many families demonstrate resilience
and achieve a good fit between the needs of the child with ASD and the needs of the other family
members [14, 15]. Various factors, including social support, the characteristics of the child with
ASD, coping strategies and the perception of the problem may be involved in the familys
adaptation to ASD and could explain the differences in degree of resilience. Social support (both
formal and informal) appears to be a protective factor that relieves parental stress [16-19] and
increases personal well-being and family quality of life [20-22]. With regard to the characteris
tics of children with ASD that relate to family stress, many studies suggest that behaviour
52
problems are the main predictor of parental stress rather than the severity of the disorder [23-28].
Parents coping strategies also prove relevant. Parents who adopt coping strategies of active
avoidance (denial, distraction and guilt) report more stress than do those who adopt positive
and problem-focused strategies [29-32]. Parents perceptions of the problem and how they define
for themselves the state of their lives also appear to be significant predictors of parents
adaptation. A negative perception of the situation as a catastrophe and feelings of guilt about
having caused their childs problems are main predictors of stress for parents of children with
intellectual disabilities [33] and mothers with children with ASD [34], whereas positive
perceptions or definitions of the situation as manageable, understandable and meaningful seem
to protect families from stress and improve their welfare [7, 10, 22, 31, 35, 36].
However, very little is known about the nature and impact of positive perceptions of the
situation, because of the dominance of research focused on the negative consequences of ASD.
The positive orientation of research on the impact of disability on families with children with
ASD and the study of the factors that explain parents psychological well-being are very new
and are progressing only slowly.
A review of the studies on this subject suggests that most research on the situation of parents
of children with intellectual disabilities has focused on the analysis of the negative aspects
(such as stress, anxiety or depression) and possible related factors [37, 38]. This negative
perspective is even more evident in research focused on parents of children with ASD [39].
The idea that caring for a disabled child may have a positive influence on parents and families
is not incorporated into the dominant trend in research.
Helf and Glidden [37] conducted a review of published research (between 1970 and 1990)
on the adaptation of families of children with intellectual disabilities. Independent judges
rated the degree of negativity or positivity reflected in the approach, method and discus
sion of research. They considered any reference to benefits the family or any of its members
had experienced as a result of having a child with disabilities as positivity. Indicating that
the family or its members had suffered negative consequences such as anxiety, depres
sion, frustration, loss, illness, neuroticism, stress and others was considered an expression
of negativity, particularly when these references were not balanced by the inclusion of
positive concepts or reactions such as adequate coping, family strength, positive adjust
ment, recovery or reward. The study concluded that although there has been some decrease
in the negativity in the study of family adjustment over the past 20 years of research (e.g.,
terms such as disaster or permanent damage present in the findings of studies in 1970s
disappear in studies of 1980s and 1990s), this decrease has not been accompanied by a
concomitant increase in positivity. The negative approach in studies on adjustment of
families with a member with intellectual disabilities still dominated in the 1990s. Accord
ing to Helfin and Glidden, "In the overwhelming majority of the articles reviewed, the
authors failed to mention any positive outcomes of having a child with a developmental
disability" [37, p. 461].
As these authors point out in the introduction to their work [37], and others [14, 40] also
assume, various reasons may explain the predominance of studying the negative effects of
Coping Strategies and Parents Positive Perceptions of Raising a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorders
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58966
having a child with a developmental disability. The influence of researchers with a clinical
orientation whose fundamental experience is related to families with difficulties who look
for their assistance, coupled with the challenges of applied research that must evaluate and
justify an investment in resources and specific supports for these families, is strong. All of
these reasons are honest and understandable, and the results of these studies have certainly
provided great help in the form of psychological interventions and support for these
families; however, these lines of research have also had some less-than-positive effects.
Research paradigms and interventions both reflect and influence each other. If we only focus
on risks and problems and do not formulate hypotheses about family strengths and if we do
not develop sensitive instruments for measuring positive experiences of families, we will
hardly detect the existence of these strengths. As Antonovsky [40] stated over 20 years ago, if
our research questions are formulated negatively and only ask about the negative, we are not
very likely to find positive answers.
When research provides an opportunity to make the positive aspects of these situations
manifest, those positive aspects become clear. Parents of children with disabilities do not dwell
only on difficulties of caring for their children with special needs, but they also speak of the
positive impact that having a child with a disability has on their personal growth and family
cohesion [14, 41-48].
As Hastings and Taunt [42] reported in their review of research on positive perceptions of
disability in the family, one of the first and most relevant documents in this regard is the report
by Mullins [49]. Mullins analysed the content of 60 books written by parents of children with
different disabilities. He found that parents report that their child's disability involves both
strong demands and stress and enrichment and expansion of the meaning of their lives. These
conclusions are borne out by a further analysis of texts produced by parents of children with
disabilities by Hornby [50].
One of the most important studies on the positive contributions of children with disabili
ties to the family was conducted by Behr, Murphy and Summers [51]. This research was
the basis for the construction of the four scales that make up the Kansas Inventory of
Parental Perceptions (KIPP), which includes the specific assessment of positive contribu
tions (Positive Contribution Survey). A qualitative analysis of interviews with 28 families
led the researchers to generate a database of 206 items related to the perception of positive
contributions that they pooled into 16 categories and five factors. A validation study with
1,262 families with disabled children showed new factors that were not identified in the
previous phase. Thus, the Positive Contributions scale was formed, comprising 52 items
corresponding to eight dimensions. Positive contributions were defined as a) learning
through experience with special problems in life; b) happiness and fulfilment; c) personal
strength and family closeness; d) understanding lifes purposes; e) personal growth and
maturity; f) awareness of future issues; g) expanded social network; g) career or job growth;
and h) pride and cooperation. In a subsequent study that factor analysed this scale [52],
these dimensions were grouped into three distinct factors of positive contributions that
53
54
have become a benchmark for future research: 1) happiness and fulfilment, 2) strength and
family closeness, and 3) personal growth and maturity.
Kausar, Jevne and Sobsey [44] conducted a qualitative study of interviews with 19 parents of
children with developmental disorders. Most parents reported that accompanying their
disabled child throughout their life became a positive and empowering experience for their
own lives. Parents reported that the birth of their child with disabilities led them to redefine
their role as parents, giving them a new sense of strength and meaning. They also reported
that having a positive approach (e.g., addressing their childs achievements and abilities rather
than disabilities) increased their hope and determination to seek and find resources and
solutions to better meet the needs of their child. The initial experience was described as a
frustrating blow, but parents also described how, over time, this experience evolves into a
fortress of personal growth and a new meaning of life. Hope appeared linked to a realistic
acceptance of the conditions of their disabled child.
These findings about the positive evolution of parents in their perception of the impact of
disability on themselves and their family are reaffirmed in the results of a longitudinal study
[48]. This study found that while positive perceptions appeared earlier in mothers than in
fathers, both parents converged over time in recognition of the positive impact of childhood
disability on family life. Additionally, the study of Bayat [14] on the resilience of families with
children with autism reported a positive evolution among most parents. This study suggested
that a positive change of perspective occurs among parents two years after receiving their
childs diagnosis of autism. This change makes them recognise within themselves a new sense
of life and makes them more aware of difficulties and differences, stronger and more patient,
and more appreciative of small pleasures in their life. The stories of parents in this study further
demonstrate that they consider their child with disabilities to have been a source of cohesion
and family unity.
This transformation of initial negative reactions into feelings of acceptance and strength and
the joy and satisfaction that accompany witnessing their childs accomplishments [43] have
been shown in other studies to support parents for the exercise of their role as caregivers
Hastings et al. [52] found that positive perceptions of mothers of children with intellectual
disabilities were associated with a restructuring of their coping strategies. The authors
concluded that the perception of positive contributions can functions as a mechanism to cope
with stress and the demands of raising a child with intellectual disabilities. Werner and
Shulman [53] reported that giving a positive meaning to the care that parents give to their
children, along with self-esteem and psychosocial support, plays a moderating role in the effect
of the stigma of disability on psychological well-being for mothers of children with intellectual
disability.
Although the findings are still scarce, the few studies we could find on the role of the perception
of positive contributions to the psychological adaptation of parents of children with ASD also
present suggestive evidence of the protective role of positive perceptions.
Kayfith, Gragg and Orr [54] analysed the relationship between positive experiences and
parental stress in 23 pairs of mothers and fathers with school-aged children with ASD.
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While mothers reported more positive perceptions than fathers, these perceptions were
negatively related to stress for both mothers and fathers. Data suggesting greater per
ceived positive contributions among mothers also appeared in a study using a sample from
the Spanish population (24 fathers and 33 mothers of children with ASD) [55]. This study
reported a negative relationship between perceived positive contributions and anxiety in
mothers. Mothers who perceived more positive contributions of their child with ASD had
lower levels of anxiety than did mothers who reported fewer perceived positive contribu
tions.
Hastings et al. [56] attempted to identify possible predictors of perceived positive contributions
in 41 pairs of parents of preschool children with autism. Their results indicated that mothers
reported greater perceived positive contributions than fathers, and none of the characteristics
of children evaluated in the study (symptoms of autism, behaviour problems and adaptive
behaviours) proved to be a significant predictor of perceptions of positive contributions in
fathers or mothers.
In summary, review of the literature allows us to state that research on the positive aspects of
living with a child with intellectual disabilities in the family is still in the minority compared
to the predominance of research focusing on the negative impact of disabilities. This shortage
is even more striking in the case of specific studies on the impact of ASD and points to
significant gaps in our knowledge about the role that positive contributions can play in
supporting the psychological adjustment and emotional well-being of parents who face the
challenge of living with a child with autism.
Another feature of the research in this area is that most of the studies are based on the
responses of mothers, both because of mothers greater availability and because mothers
are often assumed to be the primary caregiver for children with disabilities [57]. While we
accept that this assumption might be largely true, it is also necessary to note that fathers
are generally more involved in raising their children in recent years than they were in
previous generations. Many studies found that mothers have higher levels of stress than
fathers [3, 58-61], but some recent studies have detected comparable levels of anxiety [30]
and no differences in family quality of life [62, 63] among mothers and fathers of chil
dren with intellectual disabilities.
We consider it important to include fathers as participants in studies on the impact of ASD in
the family and recommend that they be represented with appropriately sized samples. As
noted by other authors [64], possible discrepancies in the results from different studies
comparing the psychological adjustment of mothers and fathers may be related not only to the
historical timing of the research but also to methodological variability. In most comparative
research, the number of fathers in the study is usually very small, both in absolute terms and
in relative terms compared with the number of mothers.
Research on factors related to the psychological well-being of parents (mothers and fathers)
who face the challenge of caring for a child with developmental disabilities is doubly
important. A better understanding of the factors related to psychological well-being among
parents would allow us to design guidelines for psychological support for families and
55
56
orientation guidelines for the different professionals involved in the care of the child.
Parents themselves are worthy of the best and most effective psychological support that
professionals can provide to promote parents quality of life and well-being. Research has
shown that parents can obtain significant benefit from psychological support to face the
challenge of caring for their child with special needs [65-70]. It is also important to
remember that the psychological well-being of parents affects the exercise of their paren
tal role and, therefore, contributes to conditions that support the childs development and
welfare [71, 72].
This review allows us to justify the pertinence of a study with the primary aim of analysing
the relationship between parents perceived positive contributions of raising a child with ASD
and their psychological well-being and perception of family quality of life. The complexity of
parents psychological adaptation processes leads us to propose a complex design that include
other variables to obtain the most comprehensive information about possible intervening
factors, the relationship among these factors, and the relative position that positive contribu
tions could have on predictive models of parental well-being. An ex post facto design was
applied with a wide sample of parents of children diagnosed with ASD (127 mothers and 90
fathers) and the following study variables:
Predictor variables: age of the child with ASD, behaviour problems, family income, parents
coping strategies, social support and perception of positive contributions
Criterion variables: parents psychological well-being and family quality of life.
Considering the results of the research reviewed above, the following hypotheses are formu
lated:
1.
We expect some differences between mothers and fathers. Mothers will have higher levels
of perceived positive contributions than fathers.
2.
The perception of positive contributions will be related to psychological well-being and

perceived family quality of life among the parents in the study. Higher levels of perceived
positive contributions would correspond with higher levels of psychological well-being
and family quality of life.
3.
The perception of positive contributions will be a relevant predictor of the two criterion
variables: psychological well-being and family quality of life.
2. Method
2.1. Participants
The sample used this research was composed of 217 parents of children diagnosed with ASD
(127 mothers and 90 fathers). All of the parents spoke Spanish as their primary language.
Participation was voluntary and kept confidential. The data presented in Table 1 indicate that
mothers and fathers were similar in age, marital status and educational level.
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% (n)
Mean
(Standard Deviation)
Mothers (n = 127)
Age (years) range 28-73
44.03 (8.5)
Education level
Primary school
18.9 (24)
Secondary school
29.9 (38)
University
51.2 (65)
Marital status
Married
88.2 (112)
Stabled couple
3.1 (4)
Divorced
5.5 (7)
Windowed
3.1 (4)
Employment status
Unemployed
43.3 (55)
Employed
53.8 (67)
Retired
3.9 (5)
Fathers (n = 90)
46.05 (9.1)
Education level
Primary school
17.8 (16)
Secondary school
34.4 (31)
University
47.8 (43)
Marital status
Married
94.4 (85)
Stable couple
2.2 (2)
Divorced
3.3 (3)
Employment status
Unemployed
2.2 (2)
Employed
89.0 (81)
Retired
7.8 (7)
Table 1. Demographic information for parents
A significant difference appeared in employment (chi square=54.89, p=0.01), with 54% of the
mothers and 89% of the fathers gainfully employed. Data on family composition with the
frequency distribution according to number of members and household income are presented
in Table 2.
57
58
Families (n = 137)
% (n)
Family composition
2 members
4.4 (6)
3 members
25.5 (35)
4 members
51.8 (71)
5 members
15.6 (20)
6 members or more
3.7 (5)
Family incomes
< 500 euros
10.9 (15)
500-850 euros
30.7 (42)
850-1200 euros
29.2 (40)
1200-1800 euros
18.2 (25)
1800-2000 euros
2.9 (4)
> 2000 euros
8.0 (11)
Table 2. Family composition and family income
Individuals with ASD (n = 137)
% (n)
Mean (SD)
11.72 (8.36)
Gender
Men
79.6 (109)
Female
20.4 (28)
Type ASD
Autistic disorder
59.9 (82)
Aspergers syndrome
4.4 (6)
Retts syndrome
5.8 (8)
Disintegrative disorder
1.5 (2)
PDD-NOS
27.7 (38)
Education centre
Ordinary school
43.0 (59)
Special-education school
5.1 (7)
Autism-specific school
38.0 (52)
Day centre
13.9 (19)
Note. SD=Standard Deviation; ASD=Autism Spectrum Disorders

PDD-NOS=Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
Table 3. Demographic information for individuals with ASD
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With regard to the characteristics of the individuals with ASD (N=137), it is important to note
(see Table 3) the wide age range (3-37 years); the average of age was M=11.7 years, SD=8.36;
109 of the individuals with ASD were male and 28 were female. The main category of ASD
among participants was Autistic Disorder (82), followed by PDD-NOS (38), Retts Syndrome
(8), Aspergers Syndrome (6) and Disintegrative Disorder (2). The criteria diagnoses corre
spond to the categories of DSM-IV-TR because the diagnoses were made before publication
DSM-V (APA, 2013).
2.2. Procedure
Initially, the heads of schools were contacted and informed of the aims of the research through
the psychologist responsible for the school counselling in the case of ordinary schools and
through the Spanish Professional Association of Autism in the case of specific centres. Parents
received a letter inviting them to participate in the study. Further instructions were sent with
the questionnaires to the voluntary participants. Instructions highlighted the confidential
nature of the data, the participants right to abandon the research if desired and the require
ment that questionnaires be completed individually, without discussion with their spouse. We
relied on a non-probability sampling based on schools accessibility to the researcher and
individuals availability for participation (convenience sample). Parents participated by
individually completing a set of questionnaires that they received either through the school
or by e-mail, depending on their preference. A total of 217 parents (127 mothers and 90 fathers)
completed the questionnaires.
2.3. Measures
Demographic information describing the parents, individuals with ASD and families was
obtained through a brief questionnaire designed by the research team. Six questionnaires
administered in Spanish evaluated the study variables. Two questionnairesthe Brief
Psychological Well-being and the Family Quality of Life Scalewere previously adapted for
Spanish by other authors. We translated the following measures into Spanish: the Behaviour
Problems Inventory, the Checklist of Support for Parents of the Handicapped, the Positive Contribu
tions Scale and the Brief Coping Orientation of Problems Experienced. We adopted the backtrans
lation technique to ensure translation accuracy. Two bilingual experts were invited to translate
the Spanish versions back to English to correct differences between the two versions.
The Behaviour Problems Inventory (BPI; [73]), a 52-item scale, was used to assess the behaviour
problems of individuals with ASD. Each item is scored on a 4-point severity scale ranging from
0 (no problem) to 3 (a severe problem). The BPI has three subscales: self-injurious, stereotyped
and aggressive/destructive behaviour. The BPI has been found to be a reliable and valid rating
instrument for behaviour problems in individuals with mental retardation and developmental
disabilities [73]. The reliability in the original scale is high, with a Cronbachs alpha of.83 for
the total scale. The internal consistency of the total scale in the present study was also high,
with =.89.
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60
The Checklist of Supports for Parents of the Handicapped (CSPH; [74]) was used to evaluate the
social support available to parents caring for a child with ASD. It is a 23-item rating scale that
uses a 5-point item scale ranging from 0 (nothing useful) to 4 (very useful). The total score of
the measure was used in this study. There is no information regarding the internal consistency
of the original scale, but in the present study, Cronbachs alpha was.82.
The Positive Contribution Scale of the Kansas Inventory of Parental Perceptions (KIPP; [51]) was
chosen to evaluate the positive feelings of parents towards the child with ASD. The KIPP is a
50-item rating scale that ranges from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree). Higher scores
are associated with greater awareness of the positive perceptions. We also used measures of
three subscales: a) source of happiness and fulfilment subscale (six items) to represent positive
feelings towards the child; b) source of personal growth and maturity subscale (seven items)
to indicate positive impact upon the respondent; and c) source of strength and family closeness
(seven items) to represent the positive impact upon the family. The alpha reliability for the
original Positive Contribution Scale was.80. For the subscales, the alpha reliability ranged
from.84 and.86, indicating good psychometric characteristics. In the present study, Cronbachs
alpha for the total scale was.91, and for the subscales, the alpha ranged from.68 to.81.
The Brief Coping Orientation of Problems Experienced (Brief-COPE; [75]; adapted to Spanish by
[76]) was used to obtain information on coping strategies used by parents raising an individual
with ASD. The Brief-COPE has 14 two-item subscales. Each item is rated in terms of how often
the responder utilises a particular coping strategy as measured on a 4-point scale, where 0
represents I have not been doing this at all and 3 represents Ive been doing this a lot.
To reduce the number of strategies, we performed a principal component factor analysis
following the methodology used by Hastings et al. [30]. The results showed that two factors
explained 28% of the variance; the two factors included items from the original Brief-COPE
sub-scales. Factor 1, which is named positive and problem-focused coping strategies,
includes thirteen items for active coping, planning, seeking instrumental and emotional social
support, positive reframing, and humour (items 2, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23 and 28).
Factor 2, which is named active avoidance coping strategies, includes nine items (items 1, 3,
6, 8, 9, 16, 20(-), 24(-) and 26). Only the scores for these two factors were used in the current
study. Reliability was good for the total scale (=.77), positive and problem-focused coping
strategies (=.79), and active avoidance coping strategies (=.71).
The Brief Psychological Well-being Spanish Version [77] is a brief version of the original Psycho
logical Well-being Scale [78]. It is a 29-item scale with a 4-point item scale ranging from 1
(completely disagree) to 4 (completely agree). The 29 items are organised into six dimensions
(self-acceptance, positive relations, autonomy, environmental mastery, purpose in life and
personal growth). The measure of psychological well-being used in this study was the total
score. The internal consistency of the brief version of the scale in the original study was good
(=.84). In the present study, Cronbachs alpha was.91.
The Family Quality of Life Scale (FQOL [79]; adapted for Spanish by [80] was used to assess
parents satisfaction with their family quality of life. This is a 25-item scale with five sub-scales
(family interaction, emotional well-being, parenting, physical/material well-being and
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disability-related support). This scale has two different response formats: satisfaction and
importance. We used the total score of satisfaction format in this study. The items are rated on
a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (very dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). Cronbachs alpha for the
FQOL subscale rating of satisfaction was.94 in the original study and.95 in this study.
There were no missing values for the total scores of any of the scales. Missing values were
limited to specific items of the questionnaires and were not always the same. The rates for all
missing data were less than 1%. We applied average values derived from the existing values
to fill in missing items. Comparative analysis between mothers and fathers were applied.
Bivariate correlations and multiple regression analysis were performed separately for mothers
and fathers. Data analysis was conducted using the SPSS 15 Program. The G* Power 3.1
program [81] was used to calculate the effect size.
3. Results
3.1. Comparative analysis between fathers and mothers
First, we were interested in exploring the data to know the average values of the variables that
made up the study among both fathers and mothers. T-tests were applied to examine whether
there were significant differences in the values of the variables between the two groups. The
results of the comparisons of mean values are shown in Table 4.
As shown by the data in the table, we did not find significant differences between fathers and
mothers in the perception of the severity of the behaviour problems presented by children with
ASD. The same pattern was found with the social support total score and subscale scores
(informal, formal, and informational). None of the criterion variables (psychological wellbeing and family quality of life) was found to be significantly different between the groups.
The study variables that showed significant differences between fathers and mothers were the
positive contributions and coping strategies. In relation to the positive contributions that the
child of ASD brings to the family, the data indicated that mothers perceive a higher amount
of positive contributions than fathers (t (1, 215)=-2.97, p=.003; M=134.94, M=126.76, respective
ly). The same results were found with the subscale of strength and family closeness (t (1,
215)=-3.18; p=.002; M=21.84 for mothers, M=20.20 for fathers). The effect sizes of the differences
were Cohens d=.41, and.44 for the total scale and subscale scores, respectively.
With regard to coping strategies, t-tests showed that mothers reported higher use of both
strategies: positive and problem-focused coping strategies (t (1, 215)=-3.50; p=.001; M=17.76 for
mothers, M=15.14 for fathers; Cohens d=.49) and active avoidance coping (t (1, 215)=-3.18; p=.
05; M=3.67 for mothers, M=2.87 for fathers; Cohens d=.27).
Another aspect of active avoidance strategies to note is that the average value obtained in both
groups is very small (M=3.67 for mothers, M=2.87 for fathers) because the potential range that
this variable can reach is 0-21. These data indicate the limited use of this type of strategy for
dealing with situations that arise in everyday life.
61
62
Fathers (n = 90)
Variables
Mean
SD
Mothers (n = 127)
Mean
SD
t (1, 215)
Behaviour problems
18.79
15.16
18.65
13.89
.68
Social support
49.03
15.22
49.80
14.81
-.37
Informal support
20.48
6.32
19.07
6.80
1.54
Formal support
17.80
6.73
18.35
6.73
-.60
Effect size
(Cohen d)
Informational support
10.76
5.97
12.37
6.51
-1.86
Positive contributions
126.76
20.47
134.94
19.53
-2.97**
Happiness and fulfilment
17.53
3.69
18.35
3.60
-1.64
Personal growth and maturity
17.69
4.60
18.54
4.56
-1.36
Strength and family closeness
20.20
4.13
21.84
3.43
-3.18**
.44
Positive and problem-focused
15.14
4.96
17.76
5.71
-3.50**
.49
Active avoidance coping
2.87
2.76
3.67
3.07
-1.97*
.27
Psychological well-being
124.34
22.52
122.63
18.91
.61
Family quality of life
85.97
18.12
87.60
15.75
-.71
.41
coping
** P < 0.01, * P < 0.05

Table 4. Results of the comparisons of fathers and mothers mean values on study variables
3.2. Correlations
Pearson correlations were used to explore bivariate associations between all of the variables
considered. Correlations were calculated separately for fathers and mothers (see Tables 5a and
5b, respectively). The correlations results are described below.
The table data show that psychological well-being has a significant positive relationship with
family quality of life in both parents (r=.49 for fathers; r=.54 for mothers). For both parents,
psychological well-being was negatively associated with behaviour problems (r=-.38 for
fathers; r=-.20 for mothers) and with active avoidance coping (r=-.51 for fathers; r=-.33 for
mothers), and positively correlated with positive contributions (r=.27 for fathers; r=.37 for
mothers). For fathers, we also found a positive relationship with family income (r=.21). In the
case of mothers, psychological well-being was positively correlated with social support (r=.24)
and positive and problem-focused coping strategies (r=.19).
For fathers and mothers, the family quality of life was negatively associated with behaviour
problems (r=-.29, r=-.21, respectively) and active avoidance coping (r=-.23, r=-.33, respectively).
Additionally, for both parents, family quality of life was positively associated with social
support (r=.23, r=.23, respectively). Only in the case of mothers was family quality of life
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58966
1
1. Age of individuals with ASD
---
2. Educational level
-.02
3. Family income
.17
.29**
4. Behaviour problems
-.11
-.11
-.17
5. Social support
-.03
-.02
-.09
-.02
6. Positive contributions
-.04
.01
.24*
-.22*
.25*
-.28*
.22*
.12
.11
.17
.19
8. Active avoidance coping
-.02
-.15
-.16
.33**
-.07
- .01
.10
9. Psychological well-being
.06
.13
.21*
-.38**
.08
.27*
.02
-.51**
10 Family quality of life
.11
.15
.03
-.29**
.23*
.20
-.04
-.23*
.49**
7. Positive and problem-focused

coping
(a)
1
1. Age of individuals with ASD
2. Educational level
-.18*
3. Family income
.12
.26**
4. Behaviour problems
-.12
-.12
-.22*
5. Social support
.03
-.08
-.03
-.08
6. Positive contributions
-.12
-.14
-.01
-.01
.24*
-.13
.01
-.07
.22*
.11
.25**
8. Active avoidance coping
.05
-.11
-.03
.23**
-.09
-.06
.10
9. Psychological well-being
-.06
.12
.16
-.20*
.24**
.37**
.19*
-.38**
10. Family quality of life
-.09
.06
.05
-.21*
.23**
.31**
.21*
-.33**
.54**
7. Positive and problem-focused

coping
(b)
** P < 0.01, * P < 0.05
Table 5. (a) Pearson correlation coefficients for total measures of study variables in fathers; (b) Pearson correlation
coefficients for total measures of study variables in mothers
positively associated with positive contributions (r=.31) and positive and problem-focused
coping (r=.21).
Next, we describe the relationship between predictor variables. Educational level was
positively associated with family income (r=.29 for fathers; r=.26 for mothers), and social
support was positively correlated with positive contributions (r=.25 for fathers; r=.24 for
mothers). Only in mothers, the perception of severity of childs behaviour problems were
negatively associated with family income (r=-.22) and positively associated with the two types
of coping (r=.22 for positive and problem-focused coping; r=.23 for active avoidance coping).
In the case of fathers, behaviour problems were negatively correlated with positive contribu
tions (r=-.22), and positive contributions were positively associated with family income (r=.24).
63
64
We performed a more detailed analysis of the relationship between positive contributions

(total and subscales) and the other variables included in the study. Correlations were calcu
lated separately for fathers and mothers. The results are presented in Tables 6a and 6b,
respectively.
Total positive
Happiness and Personal growth and Strength and family
contributions
fulfilment
maturity
closeness
Age of individuals with ASD
-.04
-.31**
-.06
-.03
Educational level
.01
-.06
-.12
-.02
Family income
.24*
.23*
.25*
.23*
Behaviour problems
-.22*
-.20
-.07
-.12
Social support
.25*
.13
.06
.19
.19
.20
.17
.24*
-.01
-.23*
-.07
-.06
.27*
.22*
.12
.29**
.20
.11
-.04
.23*

coping
(a)
Total positive
Happiness and Personal growth and Strength and family
contributions
fulfilment
maturity
closeness
Age of individuals with ASD
-.12
-.32**
-.02
-.01
Educational level
-.13
-.04
-.26**
-.05
Family income
-.01
-.03
-.98
.05
Behaviour problems
-.01
-.14
.07
.04
.24**
.11
.13
.09
.25**
.18*
.22*
.25**
Social support
coping
-.06
-.18*
-0.12
-.16
.37**
.38**
.18*
.32**
.31**
.35**
.16
.29**
(b)
** P < 0.01, * P < 0.05
Table 6. (a) Pearson correlation coefficients between positive contributions (total and subscales) and other study
variables among fathers; (b) Pearson correlation coefficients between positive contributions (total and subscales) and
other study variables among mothers
The correlations involving the total score on the positive contributions scale has already been
described; here we describe only the findings related to the subscales. For both parents, the
happiness and fulfilment subscale was positively correlated with psychological well-being (r=.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58966
22 for fathers; r=.38 for mothers), and negatively associated with age of the children (r=-.31 for
fathers; r=-.32 for mothers) and active avoidance coping (r=-.23 for fathers; r=-.18 for mothers).
The strength and family closeness subscale was positively associated with three variables:
psychological well-being (r=.29 for fathers; r=.32 for mothers), family quality of life (r=.23 for
fathers; r=.29 for mothers) and positive and problem-focused coping (r=.24 for fathers; r=.25
for mothers).
In the case of fathers, family income was positively correlated with the three subscales (r=.23
for happiness and fulfilment; r=.25 personal growth and maturity; r=.23 for strength and family
closeness). In the case of mothers, two subscales were positively associated with positive and
problem-focused coping (r=.18 for happiness and fulfilment; r=.22 for personal growth and
maturity), psychological well-being (r=.38 for happiness and fulfilment; r=.18 for personal
growth and maturity), and family quality of life (r=.35 for happiness and fulfilment; r=.29 for
strength and family closeness).
Having explored the correlation matrix of the variables, we next examined which variables
predict psychological well-being and family quality of life. We performed a multiple regression
analysis, as described below.
3.3. Regression
A stepwise forward selection multiple regression analysis was run to examine the predictor
variables of psychological well-being and family quality of life. The analysis was carried out
separately for fathers and mothers. We considered the age of children with ASD, behaviour
problems, family income, social support, positive contributions and coping strategies (active
avoidance coping and positive and problem-focused coping) as potential predictor variables.
The null hypotheses tested were that multiple R2 was equal to 0 and that the regression
coefficients were equal to 0. The data were screened for violation of assumptions prior to
analysis.
The results of the multiple regression analysis for psychological well-being are presented in
Table 7. We used the adjusted R2 index, which indicates the percentage of variation in the
dependent variable explained after adjusting for sample size and the number of predictors.
The active avoidance coping strategies measure was the main explicative variable in the
models for both mothers and fathers, accounting for a significant amount of the variance in
psychological well-being ( adjusted R2=.24 for fathers and.14 for mothers). Specifically, higher
levels of active avoidance coping strategies predicted lower levels of psychological well-being
(=-.50, p <.001 for fathers and =-.38, p <.001 for mothers). Positive contributions also account
ed for a significant amount of the variance in psychological well-being ( adjusted R2=.07 for
fathers and.11 for mothers). In this case, higher levels of positive contributions predicted higher
levels of psychological well-being (=.26, p=.004 for fathers and =.35, p <.001 for mothers). The
regression model included a third predictive variable in the case of fathers, indicating that
higher behaviour problems predicted lower fathers psychological well-being (=-.19, p=.049).
The total adjusted R2=.33 for the fathers model indicated that these three variables accounted
65
66
adjusted R2
R2
.24
.24
Positive contribution
.31
Behaviour problems
.33
Variables
Degrees of
(1,87)
29.32**
-.50**
.07
(1,86)
20.47**
.26**
.02
(1,85)
15.45**
-.19*
freedom
(a)
Variables
Degrees of
adjusted R2
R2
.14
.14
(1,125)
20.71**
-.38**
Positive contribution
.25
.11
(1,124)
22.00**
.35**
freedom
(b)
**p <.01; *p <.05
Table 7. (a) Regression analysis predicting psychological well-being in fathers (b) Regression analysis predicting
psychological well-being in mothers
for approximately 33% of the variation in psychological well-being among fathers. Interpreted
according to [82], this value suggests a large effect size (2=.49). In the case of mothers, the
multiple adjusted R2=.25 (2=.33) indicated a medium effect size. Other variables proposed in the
analysis such as age of children with ASD, family income, and social support were not included
in the models, indicating that these variables do not account for a significant amount of
variance in psychological well-being after including active avoidance coping strategies,
positive contributions and behaviour problems.
Regression models of family quality of life are presented in Table 8. The fathers model includes
only behaviour problems and social support as predictor variables, and the total adjusted R2=.
11 (2=.12) indicates a small effect size. Higher behaviour problems predicted lower perceived
family quality of life (=-.28, p=.007), and higher levels of social support predicted higher levels
of family quality of life (=.23, p=.027) among fathers.
In mothers, the regression model was more complex, with four predictors that could predict
23% of the variance of family quality of life (adjusted R2=.23; 2=.30), which suggests a medium
effect size. The active avoidance coping strategies measure was the main variable explaining
the variance in family quality of life among mothers ( adjusted R2=.11). Behaviour problems
also appeared as a predictor ( adjusted R2=.02). Higher levels of active avoidance coping
strategies and behaviour problems predicted lower levels of family quality of life (=-.33, p <.
001 and =-.18, p=.027, respectively). Positive contributions and positive and problem-focused
coping strategies accounted for a significant amount of the variance in mothers reported
family quality of life ( adjusted R2=.04, adjusted R2=.05, respectively). Higher levels of
positive contributions and positive and problem-focused coping strategies predicted higher
levels of mothers reported family quality of life (=.29, p=.004 and =.18, p=.011, respectively).
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58966
adjusted R2
R2
Behaviour problems
.07
.07
Social support
.11
.04
Variables
Degrees of
(1,87)
7.63**
-.28**
(1,86)
6.53**
.23**
freedom
(a)
Variables
Degrees of
adjusted R2
R2
.11
.11
(1,125)
15.73**
-.33**
Positive contributions
.16
.04
(1,124)
15.29**
.29**
Positive and problem-focused coping
.21
.05
(1,123)
11.98**
.18*
Behaviour problems
.23
.02
(1,122)
10.53**
-.18**
freedom
(b)
**p <.01; *p <.05
Table 8. (a) Regression analysis predicting family quality of life in fathers; (b) Regression analysis predicting family
quality of life in mothers
The other variables proposed in the analysis (age of children with ASD and family income)
were not included in the models.
4. Discussion
We conducted a study with the aim of analysing both the perception of positive contributions
of disability in a large sample of Spanish parents with children with ASD and the impact of
this positive perception on their well-being. The results confirm the relevance of the perception
of positive contributions of disability for both parents and support its role as predictor of
psychological well-being and family quality of life. Coping strategies also appear as a relevant
factor, in relation to both the parents well-being and their perception of positive contributions.
The results also provide suggestive information on common and specific issues for fathers and
mothers.
Comparative analysis of the values reported by fathers and mothers in terms of the different
variables of the study inform us that both groups showed similar levels of psychological wellbeing, perceptions of family quality of life and social support. However, the results reported
differences in coping strategies and perceptions of positive contributions, such that mothers
had higher values than fathers. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that differences
exist between fathers and mothers on these measures. The finding of greater perceived positive
contributions among mothers is consistent with what has been detected in other studies
[54-56]. However, providing an explanation for this result is not easy. One could pose an
explanatory hypothesis based on gender characteristics, but one hypothesis to consider the
67
68
role of primary caregiver among mothers in most families may be more parsimonious. The
role of primary caregiver can generate more everyday strain but may also provide more
opportunities to experience personal growth and strength as positive contributions of their
disabled child. The significant difference on the outside employment situation of fathers and
mothers in our sample (89% and 54%, respectively) is a relevant fact that demonstrates the
high probability that mothers were exercising the role of primary caregiver. In addition, this
difference in employment status of parents of children with ASD is not unique to our sample
and the social environment in which this study is carried out but instead seems to be a fairly
widespread reality [83].
The results of the correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between the perception
of positive contributions and psychological well-being among both fathers and mothers. That
is, parents who perceived more positive contributions of their child's disability had higher
levels of psychological well-being. In mothers, it also appeared that a positive relationship
existed between perceived positive contributions and the perception of family quality of life.
These results support the hypothesis that the positive relationship between perceived positive
contributions and the perception of family quality of life exists, but it appeared only in the case
of mothers. The positive relationship between positive contributions and psychological wellbeing found in this study is consistent with the results of other studies that found a negative
relationship between perceived positive contributions and both paternal stress [54] and
maternal anxiety [55] in parents of children with ASD.
It is pertinent to note the relationship between coping strategies and perceived positive
contributions. More frequent use of active avoidance coping strategies had a negative rela
tionship with the perception that the condition of their child contributed to their happiness
and fulfilment among both fathers and mothers. Meanwhile, positive and problem-focused
coping strategies were associated with the perception of positive contributions, particularly in
the case of mothers. For fathers, only a positive relationship between positive and problem
focused coping strategies and the subscale of strength and family closeness appeared, while
in the case of mothers, this relationship was broader. Mothers who reported greater use of
positive and problem-focused coping strategies reported also higher levels of perceived
contributions not only in relation to the strength and closeness of the family but also in relation
to more personal aspects such as happiness and fulfilment and personal growth and maturity.
The bidirectionality of these relationships makes it difficult to know whether the ability to
perceive positive contributions has a positive effect on promoting the use of positive and
problem-focused coping strategies or whether parents who resort to this type of coping
strategy better perceive the positive contributions of their child to their life and the life of their
family. It is also possible that a third variable, such as a psychological trait, could explain the
covariation of these two factors. In any case, despite the difficulty of clarifying the direction of
effects, this finding on the relationship between coping strategies and positive perceptions is
important, to the extent that both factors were also expressed as predictors of psychological
well-being and the family quality of life reported by parents. Both aspects could become the
subject of future work in psychological intervention to support parents with potential mutual
benefits and positive effects on parents well-being.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58966
Active avoidance coping strategies appeared as the main predictor negatively related to
psychological well-being in the regression models, both mothers and fathers. Positive and
problem-focused coping strategies appeared as relevant predictor of family quality of life
among mothers. This finding is consistent with the results of previous research on parental
stress. Research examining the coping strategies used by parents to manage daily situations
has demonstrated that parents who adopt active avoidance coping strategies report more stress
than parents who adopt positive reframing coping strategies [29, 30]. Other studies show that,
compared with parents of typically developing children, parents of children with ASD more
frequently employ escape-avoidance coping strategies [84-86]. Therefore, it is important to
help parents of children with ASD discover and implement positive coping strategies that can
replace these avoidance coping strategies.
The results of the regression analyses are also consistent with the fundamental hypothesis of
this study on the relevance of the perception of positive contributions as predictor of parental
well-being. Another common result for both groups, mothers and fathers, was the detection
of perceived positive contributions as the second most important predictor of parents
psychological well-being. The regression models of family quality of life also highlighted the
role of positive contributions; however, in this case, this variable only appears as a relevant
predictor in the model of mothers. Increases in the perception of positive contributions
predicted increases in family quality of life. Inversely, behaviour problems of the child
predicted lower family quality of life, both mothers and fathers.
Before considering the implications of the findings of this research, it is convenient to reflect
on its limitations. The main limitation to note is the correlational and cross-sectional nature of
the design and, therefore, the inability to determine the direction of effects in the relationships
between variables. Although we assign and test the possible role of predictor variables when
performing regression analysis and although some of the study results are significant and clear,
we cannot rule out influences in the other direction. Perceived positive contributions appear
in our results to have a predictive in increasing psychological well-being and family quality
of life, but we cannot know to what extent the levels of parents psychological well-being affect
their ability to perceive positive contributions of disability. More research, especially longitu
dinal research, is required to advance knowledge of the direction of these effects.
In addition, it must be noted that this study is based on a sample of Spanish families. We must
be aware that there are significant cultural differences in the understanding of disability and
the dynamics of families and should therefore be cautious in generalising these results to other
cultures.
5. Conclusions
Despite its limitations, this study contributes to a better understanding of the factors related
to the psychological well-being of parents raising a child with ASD. A better understanding
of these factors may guide the design of intervention strategies to promote parents well-being.
The empirical evidence supporting the importance of coping strategies and the perception of
the positive contributions of disability for parental psychological well-being and their family
69
70
quality of life suggest the importance of awareness among professionals working with families.
Parents of children with ASD are faced with many potential stressful situations. The challenges
may change over the course of their childrens lifespan. There is not only one pattern of coping
that fits well for all of these stressful situations. The results of the current investigation show
that active avoidance coping strategies may be maladaptative and may not contribute to
parents well-being. Professional interventions to help parents of children with ASD could
include objectives oriented to provide them with a wide repertoire of emotional, cognitive and
instrumental positive coping strategies and to develop the flexibility to implement the most
appropriate strategy to address the situation at a given time. Moreover, helping parents in
their processes of positive transformation, guiding them to pay attention to and learn to
appreciate the achievements of their children and helping them discover their own personal
and family strengths will contribute to their well-being.
We agree with Patterson [87] in her conclusion that clinicians who believe in the ability of the
family to discover their strengths are in a much better position to enhance family resilience
and facilitate the adaptive processes needed by the family to restore its functioning after a crisis
situation. Believing in the ability of the family to discover their strengths and recognising their
success in coping with stressful situations, whether large or small, empowers the family to
cope effectively. The importance of paying attention to the positive aspects of the development
of children and families it is not solely the responsibility of clinicians. Many professionals in
very different roles (psychologists, medical, nurses, social workers and teachers) are involved
in accompanying parents in caring for their child with ASD. In each moment of evaluation,
monitoring or guidance to parents, professionals' ability to adopt, within their speciality, a
perspective not only focused on the problem and the difficulties but also oriented toward the
childs achievements and other positive aspects of his or her development and familys
functioning can be critical to help parents develop strength and positive experiences.
Over the past few decades, we have been able to incorporate major changes related to the
perception of people with disabilities. An increase in sensitivity has led to important legislative
changes that recognise and promote rights aimed at improving the quality of life of people
with intellectual disabilities and their families. There have been changes that affect aspects as
simple as our language, such as changing the disorder-focused expression (e.g., disabled child
or autistic child) to a person-focused expression (e.g., child with intellectual disabilities or child
with autism or ASD) or changing patient consideration to the active participants, and some
decisive other as inclusive education. Considering not only the problem and special needs of
the child but also the positive contributions of people with disabilities to their environment,
particularly to their family, is a necessary change in both research and practice. This change is
just beginning to take hold, and much more work in practice and research is needed.
Author details
Encarnacin Sarri and Pilar Pozo
Faculty of Psychology, UNED: National University of Distance Education, Madrid, Spain
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/58966
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Chapter 5
The Intertwining of Language Impairment and Autism

Spectrum Disorders Highlighting the Need of Long
Term Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Bruce Barbro, Nylander Lena, Sjberg Ingrid and
Thernlund Gunilla
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59623
1. Introduction
This chapter highlights the importance of adopting a broader as well as longer perspective in
screening for problems of language and communication in children prospectively as well as
in adults retrospectively. As coauthors we represent a wide range of professional experience
covering different disciplines: speech and language pathology, pediatrics, child psychiatry and
adult psychiatry. We have several years of experience of working in teams for assessment and
diagnostics as well as of performing interventions for children, youth and adults with complex
developmental disorders.
2. Language Impairment (LI) and Specific Language Impairment (SLI)

One of the most common worries in parents of young children concern their childrens
language and communication development and these are thus among the first aspects that
parents as well as nurses at the Child Health Care (CHC) centers focus on in developmental
screening procedures. Language delays are fairly common although there is a huge variation
in typical early language development, in particular in expressive language, i.e. language
production. Language impairment (LI) might be an early sign of a severe developmental
disorder such as an intellectual disability and/or an autism spectrum disorder [36], although
commonly it is only a question about problems of language development. Specific language
impairment (SLI) is used as a diagnosis for markedly impaired expressive language when
82
nonverbal intelligence has been tested and found to be within the normal range and if there
are no apparent sensory or neurological dysfunctions. As [38] points out, SLI is not used if
there is an autism-related disorder, but [38] also comment on the fact that a notable minority
of individuals with SLI move across subtypes throughout development (p. 944). These
authors made a review of possible links between different language impairments and autism
spectrum disorders and ended up with the recommendation to concentrate on those aspects
of language impairment that predominate in each disorder rather than on those comparatively
small areas of potential overlap (p. 944). There are also several, but rare genetic disorders that
cause both problems with language acquisition and autistic traits. Therefore, children with
language problems should always be evaluated broadly as [13] pointed out in his formulation
of Early Symptomatic Syndromes Eliciting Neurodevelopmental Clinical Examinations,
ESSENCE. The speech and language therapist have a central role in the teamwork that scaffolds
families with preschool children. However, in line with the ESSENCE thinking, the team must
include disciplines representing child development as well as clinical psychologists, physio
therapists and social workers. The team must have access to several other consultant serviceschild neurologists, child psychiatrists and sometimes even adult psychiatrists. The latter
should preferably have experience of developmental disorders in adults, as parents sometimes
realize that they have or have had similar problems as their children have.
In line with the ESSENCE thinking, the child is often presented to the pediatrician as a child
with a delayed gross motor function, especially delayed walking ability, often before two years
of age. It is of great importance for the pediatrician not only to analyze and possibly exclude
any neurological pathology behind this, but also to, in collaboration with the physiotherapist,
instruct the parents how to stimulate the childs development of gross motor function during
everyday activities. It is also important to assess the level of the childs development in all
aspects including language production as well as comprehension, vision and hearing ability
and social interaction. As the parents often at the first visit mainly are aware of the childs gross
motor function and language production, the child must be observed and the parents must be
asked to describe the level of other abilities. It is highly recommended to see the child regularly
during the following years in order to, by watchful expectancy, observe development in all
functions and, in case of delays in any ability, to consult other specialists.
Language and communication problems occur in different disorders and vary in symptoma
tology. Language is a complex skill covering perception as well as production of language and
comprises both structural aspects such as phonology, morphology, syntax, and functional
aspects, such as use of language in different social contexts, often referred to as pragmatic skill
or ability of social communication. Another language skill reflects the meaning of words, the
content of language, both in order to understand and interpret, and to retrieve words in
narration, a skill which has many labels, i.e. semantic, lexical or vocabulary skill. For these
reasons language problems often tend to coexist and be intertwined with other problems, and
furthermore they tend to be persistent over time [34] although there is a large heterogeneity
of causes as well as symptomatology.
Expressive language problems often elicit early concerns in parents. One reason is that
expressive language is fairly easy for parents to notice and possibly take notes of. Another
The Intertwining of Language Impairment and Autism Spectrum Disorders Highlighting the Need of Long Term
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59623
reason is that parents tend to compare with the development of siblings and peers. However,
language skills, in particular language production, not only reflect how far the child has
developed language skills, but also his/her interests and personality, which all are revealed by
how much s/he is engaged in a topic and talks.
Language comprehension skills, often referred to as receptive language skills, however, are
most often identified indirectly, for example by misunderstandings or by the child notably not
paying attention. A consequence of this might be that language comprehension problems
neither early nor easily are detected in small children. Another reason why language compre
hension problems tend to be ignored is that parents and those who know the child well
intuitively facilitate for the child by sharing the same context with its referential objects, and
thereby offer a redundancy of contextual information scaffolding the information given by
words. Sometimes they almost mind-read the child and render the support the child needs
in order to understand. This tendency to be hidden makes language comprehension
problems particularly detrimental, especially since they are closely associated with generic
learning skills with a long term negative effect on academic skills [6].
Another important aspect of language development is the ability to participate in social
communication, often referred to as pragmatic skill. It is not easy for parents to neither describe
nor evaluate the pragmatic skill of their children the parents are themselves part of the
communication and instinctively compensate the child in case of problems. For an early
detection of pragmatic problems it is therefore necessary to ask teachers at preschool and
school and use a questionnaire for example the Childrens Communication Checklist [3], which
focus on different aspects of social communication in a more neutral and descriptive way.
3. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

As described above, problems with social communication can, in children with language
impairment, be either the main problem or a possible consequence of the weak and vulnerable
language. To make the picture even more complex, communication problems are one of the
core characteristics in autism spectrum disorders. Although less frequently occurring,
problems with structural language, often recognized in specific language impairment, SLI, can
also be seen in children with ASD, something that Williams, Botting and Boucher referred to
as ASD-LI (2008). Cognitive, communication and language problems are commonly found to
co-occur, although in different combinations and levels of severity, which reflects their nature
of being complex and heterogeneous. Family studies that found a relation between genetic
vulnerability to autism and language impairment revived the interest to more thoroughly
study aspects of language in autism [35]. Diagnoses based on mainly communication and
language problems are therefore difficult to discriminate and differentiate between [38]. Many
trials have been performed with psychometric as well as language tests (i.e. [10]. When the
concept of pragmatic language impairment was introduced [5], it became particularly tricky
to delineate this kind of language impairment from autism spectrum disorder, in particular in
individuals with average or high intellectual functioning. Furthermore these problems not
83
84
seldom change picture over time [11]. However, it is important to try to discriminate between
different symptoms since they might require different types of intervention.
The parents may have worries and questions concerning long time prognosis for their child.
When there is a severe developmental problem, as an autism spectrum disorder with intel
lectual disability, it is necessary to plan very well in advance for the childs transition into
adulthood and adult services [17]. The complete puzzle is laid when child and youth psychia
trists, pediatricians, psychologists and speech and language therapist collaborate with adult
psychiatrists. Also in adult patients it has been shown that those with developmental problems
often had shown the ESSENCE deviances in childhood [31]. Persistent language problems have
been shown in long-term follow-ups [12, 19, 24, 34]. [9] made a follow-up of children with
developmental language disorders in later adult life and found severe literacy impairments as
well as phonological processing problems. Furthermore, they reported unemployment and
social problems, i.e. very few close friends.
The prognosis, or the functioning in adulthood is of course depending not only on the degree
of communication difficulties, but also on several other factors. Foremost is the individuals
general cognitive functioning, or IQ. An intellectual disability, at least in the range of moderate
or severe, is generally accompanied by severe language and communication problems,
especially in the many cases where there is also an autism spectrum disorder [29]. In these
cases, the prognosis is poor, and the individual will need constant support, supervision and
augmentative communication also in adult life [2, 26]. As Noens and Van Berckelaer-Onnes
highlight, the comprehension problems, including the strong tendency to attend to details
rather than, and instead of, seeing the whole picture is supposed to be at the core of the
communication difficulties.
The same can be said about individuals with autism spectrum disorders and intellectual
abilities within the normal range. Many authors have described the so-called weak central
coherence as an autism-specific cognitive style, which causes dysfunction and impairment in
most situations [15]. This is especially the case in social situations, where the quick and intuitive
grasping of the whole situation and thus the meaning in the ongoing communication is
essential. Even in cases with good over-all cognitive skills, adults with autism spectrum
disorders find it difficult to find work and to keep up relationships [1, 14, 23] since their
pragmatic communication skills are not on par with their intellectual level. It can be speculated
that the communication difficulties contribute to the vulnerability to psychiatric disorder,
which is often seen in these cases [16, 32]. Even when an adult with autism spectrum disorder
seeks help in adult psychiatry, communication problems in association with receptive
language problems [22], may be an obstacle to diagnosis and treatment.
4. Connections and coexistence between LI, SLI and ASD

In order to prevent negative and perhaps additional and secondary-consequences of the
language delay, e.g. problems with social communication and learning, it is important to
identify persistent problems and differentiate them from transient ones. This requires valid
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and reliable methods of prediction, which seems to be easier at a later age when the variation
is not any longer so large. Botting, Faragher, Simkin, Knox and [11] found that narrative skills
and expressive syntax were the strongest predictors of future outcome.
This scenario of complexity and variability both on presentation and longitudinally highlights
the importance of working in multidisciplinary teams that include professionals from different
clinical disciplines and with focus on a longer perspective from childhood to adulthood. Such
early soft signs or symptoms of vulnerability as are understood by the term ESSENCE might
reflect developmental problems as well as persistent impairments. The symptoms vary
between individuals, and dynamically shift in different contexts as well as over time, i.e. they
are heterogeneous and dynamically changing. As described above, one dilemma is that
comprehension problems and social communication problems are difficult to identify for
parents who are part of the communication themselves. Another dilemma occurs when young
children are referred to see different professionals one at a time; this practice makes it difficult
to grasp the whole picture, for both the specialists and the parents.
Individuals with language and communication delays require different intervention principles
in different ages and contexts. Therefore language and communication impairments as well
as autism spectrum disorders can be regarded as relational and contextual.
5. Anna A child with early identified language problems

Anna was referred to a speech and language therapist after screening at the Child Health Care
center at the age of four. Her parents had elicited concern and asked for a referral to a speech
and language specialist. Her preschool teachers had pointed out that Anna had difficulties
when asked to tell about things that had happened at home, but also when referring to activities
at preschool, telling and retelling stories. She almost never asked questions and actually did
not manage to participate actively in simple everyday conversations. The CHC nurse had been
a little sceptic about her having a developmental problem since Anna had for a long time
demonstrated fully intelligible expressive language skills with almost perfect pronunciation.
However, the nurse pointed out that she had experienced some difficulties in chatting with
Anna, whose answers and comments were found to be quite odd and irrelevant. This was not
something Anna herself seemed to worry about; she continued to speak even if others were
not following and responding properly.
At preschool it was pointed out that it was difficult to understand what Anna wanted although
her pronunciation was pretty clear. It was also difficult to calm her when she was upset.
Communication with Anna was tricky and there was a feeling of frustration from both parts.
Misunderstandings and conflicts were commonly occurring during play. However, the nurse
at the CHC-center did not seem to find the situation problematic, she underlined that Anna
since early age had a fully intelligible spoken language. Eventually the nurse also noticed that
it was a little difficult to get answers from Anna to simple questions and that she sometimes
gave a bit odd answers to trivial, simple questions.
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When Anna was about to start preschool classes, make new friends and have a new preschool
teacher, her mother was worried. She pictured Anna ending up to be excluded from the peer
group, short of play mates and a lonely girl. She was also afraid that new playmates would
make fun of her, tease and cheat her.
The pre-school year proved to be a challenge for Anna herself. Almost every day there were
misunderstandings and conflicts. Anna was not aware of her own role in the communication
problems, as is usually the case with pragmatic problems. In addition, neither preschool
teachers nor parents or peers could point out or articulate what the problem was. There were
often conflicts, chaos and confusion. However, it became a little easier as the months went by
and everyone got to know each other. This was particularly true in structured and teacher-led
activities and thematic work where the topic was well defined and known.
The first years of elementary school went quite well. The teacher got to know Anna and more
or less intuitively she adapted the teaching to Anna's needs. For example, she repeated
instructions, she explained with other and easier words and simplified grammar and asked
for feed-back to make certain that Anna had understood. A special needs teacher gave Anna
individual teaching and introduced her in a social communication-training group. In this
group the communication itself was highlighted in a metacognitive way. This means that the
participants of the group explicitly talked about what was said, how different conversational
participants interpreted it and what the speaker intended to say. Altogether this was very
helpful for Anna, who became more aware of what was going on in conversations. She also
got some help in narrative skill by visualization of story grammar, which scaffolds the
construction of meaning and chronology in a story. Sometimes, Anna's associations went too
far away for the listener to be able to follow, i.e. topic drifts and abrupt topic shifts. Although
Anna had learnt to use some communicative strategies, e.g. repetitions and reformulations,
there was often a risk of misunderstanding. The time outside the classroom was much more
of a challenge. All peer conversations were rapid and there were no adults participating and
scaffolding.
The following years at school turned out to be an even bigger challenge for Anna-as well as
for her teachers and parents who suffered seeing Anna withdrawing from active participations
in social communication, predominantly at school but also after school at home. Anna became
introvert and dropped her assertiveness and spontaneity and spent less time with peers. She
completely avoided situations with demands on social communication, but since she had no
expressive language difficulties it was not obvious for anybody that she had hidden language
vulnerability with at least former language comprehension problems. Instead the teachers
perceived her behavior as a teenage problem and as a sign of lack of motivation for school.
What can we learn from this story? First, developmental language problems do not necessarily
involve expressive language problems. Therefore they might be more subtle and difficult for
the environment to discover although they have a bad prognosis and are challenging for the
child to cope with. Such problems have been referred to as pragmatic language impairment
[5], but has been renamed as social communication disorder in the updated diagnostic manual
DSM-5 (http://www.psychiatry.org/dsm5). The diagnosis of social communication disorder is
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hereby more precisely defined and seen as a distinct language problem rather than a variant
of autism spectrum disorder [28].
In a study by [19] the symptoms of earlier diagnosed language impairment commonly persist
at age 11 years, although they are no longer specific language problems, but problems of
general learning skill and/or social communication. With increasing age the demands on
language skills both in academic literacy and in social communication are accentuated. As a
teenager and young adult one is expected to make new acquaintances, to listen, understand
and respond to what people say, both in more spontaneous conversations and while reading
and writing academic texts. The more one is engaged into broader perspectives and new
subjects, the more ones world is widened and the more concepts and language one needs to
develop. The single most important factor for school success is a wide and well organized
vocabulary [37], a skill that is continously being challenged and stimulated in all contexts
during a persons whole life. [33] underline the importance of teaching children wordlearning
principles explicitly, stressing associations and morphologic as well as semantic relationships
between known and new words with focus on meningfulness and usability. The better a
persons vocabulary is organized and structured, the more fast and easy it is to retrieve words
when narrating stories. This is an important argument for the need of interdisciplinary
collaboration in a long time perspective [11].
One question is if Annas language problems could have been compensated for at an early age
and thereby prevented or proactively been scaffolded? A predictive symptom was her early
reluctance to tell and retell stories. Narrative skill has been found to predict the later language
development [8]. Story telling is an important activity that is continuously performed and
thereby stimulated and challenged in preschool activities, which makes is possible to scaffold
narrative skill from early childhood.
Another symptom regards language comprehension focusing the ability to engage in social
communication, i.e. pragmatic skill. Can such problems be identified and compensated for at
an early age? There is not one straightforward answer on this question. At an early age there
is a huge tolerance for breaking social rules and expectations. Explicit comments on social
behavior e.g. politeness or the absence of it, are commonly given by parents and other adults.
Annas language problems affecting the functional aspects of language rather than the
structural ones, made social interactions based on verbal conversation difficult. This in turn
affected her status as a playmate during childhood and she often preferred playing with adults
[21]. As she grew older Anna became less and less assertive and she had few close friends of
her age [5, 7]. As a child becomes older both these parameters are changed: the tolerance for
differences decreases at least in similar age groups and explicit comments on behavior are
not expected. On the other hand being practiced in a variety of contexts and social meetings
pragmatic skill is developed in an emergent way [30]. One way of stimulating pragmatics is
therefore to involve and engage the child during social communication with different people,
possibly representing different roles in play. Such imaginative play stimulates the ability to
take different perspectives from different points of view, which means a kind of decontextu
alisation and mindreading, often referred to as theory of mind [25].
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6. Anders A young adult diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder

Anders, 26 years old, was referred to psychiatry for depression after having tried sixteen
different training jobs without success. He was living alone in his own apartment, which his
mother helped him to clean every week. He had a friend, but kept in touch by e-mail and had
not met the friend for 4 years. He had never had a girlfriend, and, when asked, said I dont
want a girlfriend-it would be too time-consuming since I would have to be with her in my
leisure time. He had no idea why the jobs he had tried had been failures, but he remembered
one of them going well for several months, whereafter he was asked to leave. He described
that in the job that went well, he had a written detailed description of his assignments which
he had followed precisely. However, after three months his supervisor took away the instruc
tion, assuming that Anders now knew what he was supposed to do. But since there was no
description any more, Anders did nothing. His supervisors in this and other jobs were
contacted, and they described why Anders had been asked to leave. In the workplaces he had
behaved oddly in many ways not greeting his colleagues, taking the biggest pieces of cake
first in the coffee room but without socializing, intruding on others workspace and many other
things. Consistently were described misunderstandings and misinterpretations Anders had
a tendency to interpret literally and to say things that were considered rude or offensive.
Anders and his parents described that he had been quite clumsy as a small child, but the parents
did not worry since he started walking at 15 months of age. He was quite late to speak, but
soon developed a large vocabulary that impressed the parents. He preferred to play by himself
or with his 3 years younger sister, and had no special friends at school. He disliked surprises,
and became upset when routines were changed, and the family had adapted to this by e. g.
never going on trips overnight until Anders was 15. The teachers had expressed some worry
since Anders was always by himself, but since he did not seem unhappy, and since the father
thought of himself as a happy loner, nothing was done. Anders got fairly good grades,
especially in science subjects but had relatively more difficulties in subjects where more of a
social or coherent understanding was required. He was never bullied, and he liked going to
school. However, after finishing high school he did not know what to do. His most intense
interest was in bird-watching, especially night-active birds and he had collected large amounts
of facts and observations concerning these birds.
The jobs that Anders was assigned were mostly low-skilled work in offices, food shops or
stockrooms. The assignments were below his intellectual skills, but he failed since he did not
have any intuitive understanding of the aims, or the bigger picture of the workplace, in
addition to irritating his coworkers by being socially clumsy.
The psychiatrist and a psychologist, after doing a cognitive assessment of Anders and
interviewing his parents, diagnosed an autism spectrum disorder with IQ within the normal
range. His depression was considered to depend on his lack of meaningful occupation, and he
was referred to a job center for adults with developmental disorders and normal IQ. In the job
center Anders was assigned a special job coach with experience in autism spectrum disorders,
and at his last visit to the psychiatrist seemed hopeful regarding his future chances to get a
part time job as an assistant in a research lab, and perhaps later study science at the university
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in a program for students with autism. Anders was also referred to the habilitation center,
where he has regular visits with a social worker.
Looking backward, Anders may, or may not have been helped by an earlier recognition of his
problems. After all, he managed to go through school with good grades and without emotional
disturbances. His family and classmates considered him normal, even if a bit odd and seclusive,
and he was never bullied. Thus, Anders did not need any special help until after school, and
it can be speculated that his self-esteem and emotional well-being might have been disturbed
by earlier interventions. However, it seems unnecessary and unhelpful that Anders had to wait
for 8 years of repeated failures in jobs until his problems were recognized and accordingly
managed.
7. Mats An adolescent with combined SLI and ASD

Mats was the second born child, with a sister 3 years older. The sister was diagnosed with high
functioning autism with normal language acquisition at 5 years of age. The mother had
Aspergers syndrome. Mats was evaluated at 4 years of age due to delayed language devel
opment. He also had severe communication problems especially with his peers but normal
development regarding gross and fine motor function and nonverbal problem solving. The
evaluation resulted in a diagnosis of ASD. He started at a normal school and never got any
special education for the first 7 years in school. At that time he developed a severe depression
with suicidal and homicidal ideation. A new evaluation by a speech and language therapist
revealed major difficulties in both impressive and expressive language as well as in syntax and
word mobilisation. His cognitive function was normal on performance tests but his verbal IQ
was in the range of intellectual disability. This resulted in a transition to a special education
class. His depression was somewhat improved but he refused to engage in any activity outside
school and home. He loved watching violent Youtube scenes. He also refused to see a therapist
and eventually decided to stop talking altogether. He communicated with gesture and by
writing. He explained that he never could fully grasp what people were saying in a conver
sation and that he could not find words for what he himself would like to say, therefore he
found it better to be mute.
8. Summary
The development of human society is totally dependent on our ability to interact, which
requires language in order to communicate. Difficulties in communication underlie many
human problems and, if severe, can jeopardize a persons adaptation to society. Communica
tion problems are at the heart of many psychiatric disturbances, in particular ASD. Speech and
language therapists have, from another perspective, studied language development and
described many aspects of language such as phonology, semantics, grammar and pragmatics.
A psychiatrist and clinical psychologist evaluated the case Anders, whereas a speech and
language therapist evaluated the case Anna. Anders was judged to have ASD and Anna
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pragmatic language disorder. Could Anna have got the diagnosis of ASD if evaluated by a
psychiatrist? Would a more thorough assessment have revealed problems like circumscribed
interests, obsessive symptoms and/or difficulties with change so that Anna would have met
the full criteria for autism? Similarly, Anders might have got a diagnosis of pragmatic language
disorder if evaluated by a speech and language therapist. The status of pragmatic language
impairment as either a subtype of SLI or a form of ASD has been discussed for many years [4,
38]. Given the huge complexity as well as variability and instability of symptoms involving
social interaction, language and communication, it is a big challenge to differentiate and
discriminate between diagnoses such as LI, SLI and ASD [20]. Since these problem areas have
been suggested to share a common genetic etiology and vulnerability it might be more fruitful
to ask ourselves how we can help these individuals by supporting them and preventing
secondary consequences emanating from their primary vulnerability. In order to see the whole
picture we need to collaborate in multidisciplinary teams and to build bridges between
specialists focusing on children, teenagers and adults. What was helpful to Anders was an
understanding of his problems by his employer and work mates, whereas Anna benefitted
from social training as a child, but as a teenager she had severe difficulties to cope with. Mats
had a combination of autistic traits and SLI. He did not get any special help during his
important first tears of schooling. It is difficult to assess how much of his communication
problems, which were a basis for the diagnosis of autism in reality were due to his severe
language impairment. As a conclusion we will underline the central role of language and
communication in each of the three diagnoses LI, SLI and ASD, regardless if the language and
communication problem is a specific or a more general problem, and regardless if it is a core
problem or the consequence of another one. Working together in multidisciplinary teams over
time adopting a longitudinal perspective from childhood to adulthood with the goal of
promoting language and communication skills, can be a key to success in helping individuals
develop academic and social skills.
Author details
Bruce Barbro1*, Nylander Lena2, Sjberg Ingrid2 and Thernlund Gunilla2
*Address all correspondence to: barbro.bruce@mah.se
1 Malm University, Malm, Sweden
2 Skne University Hospital, Malm, Sweden
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Chapter 6
Social Communication and Language Deficits in Parents

and Siblings of Children with ASD A Short Review
Ewa Pisula and Karolina Ziegart-Sadowska
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59134
1. Introduction
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders associated
with severe deficits in social communication, often accompanied by restricted patterns of
behaviour, activity and interests [1]. ASD prevalence has been on the rise and is currently
estimated to be 1:68 with higher rates for boys (1:42) than girls (1:189) [2].
Social, communication and cognitive deficits typical for ASD can affect individual sufferers
with various severity and in many different combinations, which prompted the concept of
autistic continuum, later replaced by autistic spectrum [3, 4] Already in the earliest publica
tions on autism, Kanner [5] and Asperger [6] identified certain similarities in the untypical
severity of certain traits and behaviours in children with autism and their parents, such as
tendency to social withdrawal, limited interest in people, late speech development and
pedantry. Further research demonstrated that autistic traits are more prevalent in the closest
relatives of individuals with ASD than in other groups [7-11].
Subtle, subclinical traits or characteristics that parallel the defining features of autism, present
in non-affected individuals, in particular the first-degree relatives of people with autism, are
referred to as Broader Autism Phenotype (BAP) [10-13]. The presence of specific character
istics in terms of social and communication skills, cognitive processes and personality in
parents and siblings of individuals with ASD may suggest genetic involvement in the aetiology
of autism, what is strongly supported by evidence obtained from twin and family studies.
Research in this area may expand our knowledge of the nature of autism and the mechanisms
underlying the emergence of its characteristic symptoms [14].
It has been estimated that BAP characteristics may be presented in at least 10-20% of parents
and siblings of children with these disorders [12, 15]. For instance, Bolton et al. [12] found out
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that 12,4% of siblings of the autistic probants compared to only 1,6% of the siblings of Downs
syndrome were described as performing autistic traits, but of a less severe degree. In spite of
many studies considering difficulties demonstrated by relatives of children with ASD, specific
determination of characteristics included in BAP requires further research.
A number of publications have described the specific personality traits of parents and siblings
of children with ASD: shyness, preference to be alone, insistence on sameness, reluctance to
change and obsessive-compulsive behaviours [16, 17]. There are also data on the mental health
problems in members of these families [18], although the results of studies in this area are not
consistent (see: [19] for review).
In addition, the relatives of children with ASD demonstrate a specific cognitive characteristics.
They achieved lower scores in attribution mental states based on facial expressions tasks [20],
showed weaker central coherence (e.g. [16, 20, 21]), and a lower level of efficiency in planning,
attention shifting and other executive function [22-26].
Several comprehensive reviews of the few dozen years of research on BAP have been published
(e.g. [7, 14, 27, 28]). In this article we will be focusing on social communication problems such
as understanding body language and emotional expression, as well as specific language
characteristics in parents and siblings of people with ASD. Impaired language and social
communication problems are defining elements of autism and include a delay or lack of spoken
language that cannot be compensated by other means of communication, difficulties in
initiation and maintenance of conversation as well as repetitive and stereotypic language
patterns and expressions [29]. The deficits in these domains are recognized as the key features
of broader autism phenotype [13, 30, 31].
This review was conducted in the first half of 2014 using the following electronic databases of
international literature: Web of Science, MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, EBSCO. The articles
reviewed were published from 1992 to May 2014. Keywords related to phenotype, endophe
notype, autism, parents, siblings and family were used. The next step was to select studies
meeting the following criteria: a) published in English; b) the social communication and
language characteristics of autism in parents and siblings of individuals with autism were
objects of study; c) original studies. We have excluded articles that did not explore the themes
of social communication and language, those that discussed research on BAP in general
population or more distant relatives of individuals with ASD rather than in their parents and
siblings, as well as studies that did not include a control group.
2. Research on social communication and language in parents and siblings

of individuals with ASD
Tab. 1 presents a summary of information about research on social communication and
language in parents and siblings of individuals with autism. Descriptions of individual studies
are limited to themes associated with social communication and language, although the
majority of reviewed articles covered other aspects of BAP as well.
Social Communication and Language Deficits in Parents and Siblings of Children with ASD A Short Review
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59134
Study
Participants
Main results
Landa et al. (1992) Pragmatic language;
Characteristics
43 ASD parents (sex
42% of ASD parents had some pragmatic
[32]
ratio not reported);
language deficit, compared to 2% of controls
verbal interactions
21 control adults (sex

ratio not reported)
Szatmari et al.
Cognitive
The unaffected siblings and
(1993) [33]
impairments
parents of 52 PDD probands and domains of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior
including language;
33 Down syndrome and low
developmental history birth weight controls
No differences on the social and communication

Scales in ASD siblings compared to control
siblings;
No group differences in developmental history
of language delays
Bolton et al. (1994) Social and
ASD relatives (198 parents, 137
20.4% of ASD siblings (and 3.1% of control
[12]
communication
siblings);
siblings) showed communication atypicalities,
impairments
Control relatives (72 parents, 64
social impairments, or restricted behaviors;
siblings)
The same pattern of results in parents, but to a

lesser degree
Baron-Cohen and Reading emotions in
30 ASD parents (15 mothers and Parents of children with autism were slighly
Hammer (1997)
15 fathers); 30 control adults (15
the eyes
[34]
impaired in emotion recognition
females and 15 males)
Fombonne et al.
Verbal intelligence,
99 first-degree ASD relatives; 36
Slightly higher mean verbal IQ scores in relatives
(1997) [35]
reading and spelling
relatives of individuals with
of ASD individuals;
skills
Down syndrome
Siblings of ASD individuals, affected with the

broad phenotype of autism, had significantly
lower IQ scores, poorer reading and spelling
abilities than unaffected siblings
Piven and Palmer Reading and spelling
25 mothers and 23 fathers from
ASD parents showed weaker reading
(1997) [25]
25 multiple-incidence autism
performance (passage comprehension and rapid
families; 30 mothers and 30
automatized naming) compared to parents of
fathers from 30 Down
individuals with DS
performance
syndrome families
Piven, Palmer,
39 multiple-incidence autism
Higher rates of speech and pragmatic language
Landa,
Pragmatic language
parents (having two children
deficits in multiple-incidence autism parents
Santangelo, Jacobi,
with autism); 58 parents of
Childress (1997)
children with Down syndrome
[10]
Piven, Palmer,
Social and
25 multiplex autism families;
Higher rates of social and communication
Jacobi, Childress
communication
relatives of 30 Down syndrome
deficits in the families with multiple-incidence
and Arndt (1997)
deficits
probands
autism
Folstein et al.
Pragmatic language;
166 parents and 87 siblings of
No differences in verbal IQ scores, reading and
(1999) [36]
verbal IQ; reading and individuals with autism; 75
spelling skills; More deficits in pragmatic
spelling performance
language in parents of individuals with autism
[11]
parents and 64 siblings of

97
98
Study
Characteristics
Participants
Main results
as well as early language-related difficulties in
that group
Hughes et al.
Verbal fluency
(1999) [22]
31 siblings of children with
Superior verbal span in siblings of children with
autism; 32 siblings of children
autism; Bigger than expected part of that group
with developmental delay
of siblings achieved poor results in verbal

fluency tasks
Pilowsky et al.
Language abilities
(2003) [37]
Higher scores in siblings of children with autism
autism, 23 siblings of children
on receptive, expressive, and total language
with mental retardation of
scales of the Children's Evaluation of Language
unknown etiology, 22 siblings of Fundamentals and on verbal IQ compared to
Bishop (2004) [8]
children with developmental
siblings of children with developmental
language disorders
language disorders
Communication skills Children with ASD (59 with
Communication skills
(self-report measure)
autism, 21 with PDD-NOS);
significantly lower in ASD parents (particularly
ASD parents (65 mothers, 46
fathers) compared to control parents
fathers);
Control parents (48 mothers, 37
fathers)
Bishop et al.
Phonological
145 parents of children with
No difference in phonological processing;
(2004b) [38]
processing,
ASD;
In the group of parents classified as BAP there
communication
96 parents of typically
was a history of more language and literacy
developing children
problems than in other ASD parents
Dorris et al.
Mind-reading (Eyes
Poorer performance of the AS siblings in the Eyes
(2004) [39]
Test)
Asperger syndrome (AS);
Test
27 control children
Hill, Berthoz and
Emotion processing
Frith (2004) [40]
27 high-functioning adults with
No significant differences between relatives of
autistic spectrum disorders, their individuals with ASD and controls in identifying
biological relatives (n = 49), and
and describing feelings
normal adult controls (n = 35)

Bishop (2006) [41] Communication
deficits (assessed by
43 ASD siblings;
The only difference between groups in syntax;
46 control children
23.8% of ASD siblings scored 2 SD below the
parents using
control mean on CCC-2, compared to 2.2% of
Childrens
controls;
Communication
Some differences in structural
Checklist-2, CCC-2)
language skills
Palermo et al.
Recognition of
Poorer performance in parents of children with
(2006) [42]
schematic displayed
autism, 40 control adults
autism; Fathers of children with autism had more
emotions
difficulties than mothers
Chuthapisith et al. Language
32 preschool siblings of children Delayed language development in 8 of autism
(2007) [43]
with autism (aged 2-6 years); 28
siblings; After excluded the siblings with ASD
control children
and DLD diagnosis, in the remaining 29 siblings
development
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59134
Study
Characteristics
Participants
Main results
verbal IQs were not significantly different from
the control group
Di Michele et al.
Pragmatic language
More pragmatic language difficulties in parents
(2007) [44]
(evaluation of the
autism; 12 parents of children
of people with autism;
taped conversations)
with Down syndrome and 23
Problems in identifying relevant and redundant,
parents of healthy children
non-essential information
48 parents of individuals with
No differences between parents of individuals
Losh and Piven
Ability to read
(2007) [45]
complex psychological autism; 22 control parents,

states from viewing
with autism and Controls;
including parents of individuals There was an aloof subgroup identified among
only the eye region of with Down syndrome and
parents of individuals with autism (n = 13); The
faces
results of that group were lower than the results
typically developing children
obtained by Controls in the Eyes Test

Ruser et al. (2007) Communicative
Parents of children with autism and SLI
[46]
competence;
presented lower communication abilities than
pragmatic language,
with specific language
parents of children with DS;
over-talkativeness
impairment (SLI); 21 parents of
Severe pragmatic language deficits in about 15%
of autism and SLI parents
Pilowsky et al.
Neurocognitive
No differences between siblings of children with
(2007) [47]
functioning
autism; 28 siblings of children
autism and the other groups
with mental retardation, 30

siblings of children with
developmental language delay
Whitehouse et al.
Communication (self
Communication difficulties in parents of children
(2007) [48]
report measure:
with autism
Autism Quotient by
with specific language
Baron-Cohen et al.,
impairment; 30 parents of
2001)
children typically developing
Face processing
15 socially 'aloof' parents of
Socially 'aloof' parents showed poorer
individuals with autism; 27
performance compared to 'nonaloof' parents and
'nonaloof' parents of children
control parents
Adolphs et al.
(2008) [49]
with autism; 20 control parents of

neurotypical children
Scheeren and
Communication
Stauder (2008) [50] (measured by AQ)
25 parents of children with HFA; No differences between groups

25 parents of typically
developing children
Schmidt et al.
Phonological
ASD parents achieved lower scores on the
(2008) [51]
processing
autism; 22 controls
nonword repetition task; No differences between

groups in figurative language, receptive
language, expressive language, verbal fluency
and in history of reading difficulties
Losh et al. (2008)

[13]
Pragmatic language
More pragmatic and speech errors in MIAF
autism (multiple-incidence
parents than in SIAF parents; SIAF parents
99
100
Study
Characteristics
Participants
Main results
autism families - MIAF); 78
committed significantly more pragmatic
parents of individuals with
violations and speech errors than Down
autism (single-incidence autism
syndrome parents
families - SIAF); 60 parents of

individuals with Down
syndrome
Gamliel et al.
Language
37 siblings of children with ASD At 7 years, 40% of the SIBS-A
(2009) [52]
development
(SIBS-A); 47 siblings of typically
(and 16% of SIBS-TD) showed cognitive,
developing children (SIBS-TD)
language and/or academic difficulties (this sub-
(longitudinal study: from 4
group was named SIBS-A-BP); Early language
months to 7 years)
scores (1454 months) were significantly lower in

SIBS-A-BP compared to the language scores of
SIBS-TD. Language was a major area of difficulty
for SIBS-A during the preschool years
Lindgren et al.
Syntax memory for
Parents of people with autism and language
(2009) [53]
language, Lexical
autism and language
impairment had a better performance in
comprehension,
impairment; 39 parents of
language tests than parents of children with
Semantics,
children without autism and
specific language impairment
Morphology, Reading language impairment; 70 parents

abilities
of children with specific

language impairment
Losh et al. (2009)
Reading complex
36 high-functioning individuals
There were three groups of parents of
[54]
psychological states
with autism, 41 controls
individuals with autism extracted: group of
from the eye region of (neurotypical individuals with
parents with social BAP characteristics (n = 22);
faces
no family history of autism), 83
group with the rigid/perfectionistic BAP traits (n
parents of individuals with
= 34), and group without BAP features BAP () (n
autism, 32 control parents (with
= 40).
no family history of autism or
In Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test parents of
developmental delays)
individuals with autism with social BAP

performed poorer than control parents. No
difference between Controls and BAP (-) parents
Ben-Yizhak et al.
Pragmatic language,
School-age siblings of children
Lower pragmatic abilities in a subgroup of SIBS-
(2011) [55]
school related
with autism (SIBS-A), n=35;
A identified with BAP related difficulties; No
linguistic abilities
Controls (n = 42)
differences between groups in school
Losh et al. (2010)
Rapid automatized
Three samples:
[23]
naming
I: 48 parents of multiple children with autism and in people with HFA compared
achievements and reading processes
with ASD; 62 parents with a

single child with autism; 53
parents of children with Down
syndrome;
Longer naming times in parents of individuals

to controls
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59134
Study
Characteristics
Participants
Main results
II: 167 parents from multiplex

families;
III: 83 parents of individuals with
autism, 32 parent controls, 36
high-functioning individuals
with autism, 38 controls
Wheelwright et al. Communication (self- 2,000 parents of children with
Parents of children with ASD showed more
(2010) [56]
communication difficulties
report using AQ)
ASD (571 fathers and 1429

mothers); 1,007 parents of
typically developing children
(349 fathers and 658 mothers)
Whitehouse et al.
Language (speech,
(2010) [57]
syntax and semantics), autism; 187 parents of typical

pragmatic skills,
No differences between groups in the language

subscale
individuals
communication style
Levy and Bar-
Language
Siblings of nonverbal children
SIBS-ANV achieved lower scores on the
Yuda (2011) [58]
performance
with autism SIBS-ANV (n=28);
Receptive Scale, Expressive Scale and the Total
Controls (n = 27); aged 49 years Language Scale of the Clinical Evaluation of

Language Fundamentals; Differences in the
language scores were associated with IQ
Neves et al. (2011) Facial emotion
Parents of children with autism performed worse
[59]
recognition
autism; 41 healthy controls
in the facial emotion recognition test than
Bernier et al.
Conversational skills
39 parents of multiple-incidence
Greater impairment in social communication
autism families (M-parents); 22
skills in M-parents compared with S-parents, DD
parents of single-incidence
parents, and parents of typically developing
autism families (S-parents); 20
children
controls
(2012) [60]
parents of children with

developmental delay without
ASD (DD); 20 parents of
typically-developing children
Berthoz et al.
Emotional
High functioning adults with
Parents differed from controls on social
(2013) [61]
impairments
ASD (n = 38), parents of
anhedonia; Higher proportion of parents were
individuals with ASD (n = 87),
classed as alexithymic, compared with controls
typical adults (n = 47)

Sucksmith et al.
Emotion recognition
(2013) [62]
314 adults with ASD; 297 parents No difference between parents of a child with
with children with ASD; 184
ASD and controls at recognising the basic
controls
emotions (after controlling for age and nonverbal IQ)
Gizzonio et al.
(2014) [63]
Verbal IQ
32 children with ASD, 21 siblings No significant difference between Verbal

of these children,
Intelligence Quotient and Performance

Intelligent Quotient scores between groups;
101
102
Study
Characteristics
Participants
Main results
43 children with typical
Not significant, a predominance of performance
development
over verbal abilities observed in siblings group
Kadak et al. (2014) Recognition of
36 mothers and 36 fathers of
Poorer recognition of emotional expressions in
[64]
emotion (face
children with ASD; 19 mothers
ASD parents
expression)
and 19 fathers of typically

developing children
Oerlemans et al.
Recognition of facial
(2014) [65]
emotion and affective and 47 without ADHD), 79 ASD than the controls and better than the ASD
prosody
90 children with ASD (43 with
The worse performance of unaffected siblings
unaffected siblings, 139 controls
probands in recognition of facial emotion and
aged 6-13 years
affective prosody tasks
Table 1. Social communication and language characteristics in parents and siblings of individuals with ASD
As it is shown in Table 1, many authors have found social communication and language deficits
in first-degree relatives of individuals with ASD. Both receptive and expressive language is
affected [37]. Difficulties include, among others: pragmatic language deficits (e.g. [10, 12, 13,
32, 36, 44, 46, 55]), verbal fluency [22], reading abilities [25, 35], delay of language development
and problems in language developmental history [11, 38, 43, 52], conversational skills [60] and
syntax [41].
Some researchers, however, found no differences between first degree relatives of people with
ASD and the comparison groups in the social communication and language (e.g. [33, 47, 51]).
No such differences were found, among others, in the language development history [33],
verbal fluency [51] and reading and spelling abilities [36, 55]. Similarly, there were no differ
ences between parents or siblings of individuals with autism and control groups in terms of
phonological processing [38, 51] and structural language [53, 57].
Findings on the development of verbal and non-verbal intellectual skills in first-degree
relatives of people with autism are less consistent. Some comparisons have shown that firstdegree relatives of individuals with ASD had lower verbal IQ compared to control groups (e.g.
[37]), while other studies found no such differences [36, 63]. Fombonne with colleagues [35]
even reported slightly higher verbal IQ in relatives of individuals with autism than in relatives
of people with Down syndrome.
Studies using self-reported measures to assess difficulties in communication experienced by
parents of individuals with ASD have also failed to provide a clear picture. In the majority of
those studies parents reported more severe difficulties in that area compared with adult
controls (e.g. [8, 48, 56]). Scheeren and Stauder [50], however, found no differences when
comparing parents of high-functioning individuals with autism and parents of typically
developing children.
In a similar way several studies have indicated also that parents or siblings of children with
ASD showed lower scores in recognize emotions tasks [34, 39, 42, 59, 61, 64, 65] than Down
syndrome or typically developing children relatives. However, Sucksmith with colleagues
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59134
[62], after controlling for age and non-verbal IQ, did not detect differences in recognizing the
basic emotions between parents of children with ASD and controls.
It should be noted that in some studies in which differences between first-degree relatives of
individuals with autism and controls were not significant it was possible to identify subgroups
of participants demonstrating traits similar to those seen in individuals with ASD. Subgroups
with BAP characteristics are significantly more numerous in the groups of parents or siblings
of individuals with ASD than subgroups with similar problems in control groups. For instance,
Landa with colleagues [32] stated that 42% of parents of children with ASD had some prag
matic language deficits, compared to 2% of control parents. Findings from research where it
has been shown that among parents or siblings of people with autism there were the subgroups
that manifested some difficulties in social communication and language, but it does not apply
to these groups as a whole (e.g. [43, 45, 49, 54, 60, 66]) may be particularly relevant to further
research on genetic involvement in BAP. Schmidt with colleagues [51] showed impairments
in phonological processing in parents of children with low functioning autism. In their study
on emotion recognition, Adolphs with colleagues [49] found difficulties in parents identified
as socially aloof, while nonaloof parents were similar to controls. Folstein et al. [36] found
that only those parents of individuals with autism who showed cognitive deficits associated
with language in childhood performed worse than parents of individuals with Down syn
drome in reading and writing tasks. By controlling for a variety of variables, including autism
severity and developmental characteristics individuals with autism, as well as the number
ASD cases in the extended family (e.g., taking into account the siblings of both parents of an
individual with autism, as well as their children) we are likely to find out more about BAP.
Some empirical data suggest that families may differ in terms of genetic liability to autism.
Losh et al. [13] compared three groups of individuals: 25 parents from multiple-incidence
autism families, 40 parents from single-incidence autism families, and 30 parents from Down
syndrome families. They found that autistic characteristics were most pronounced in parents
from multiple-incidence autism families, less pronounced in single-incidence autism families,
and weakest in parents of children with Down syndrome. In the majority of families with two
children with autism, both parents demonstrated autistic characteristics; by contrast, in
families with one child with autism the likelihood of both parents showing those characteristics
was the same as for one parent or neither parent to have autistic traits. Gerdts and Bernier [66]
showed that mothers, fathers, and siblings from multiplex ASD families were less expressive
in their use of nonverbal communication compared to mothers, fathers and siblings from
simplex families. Thus, it appears that research on multiple-incidence autism families can
provide valuable information with respect to the hereditary mechanisms underlying autism.
Schwichtenberg et al. [67] found that children from multiplex autism families had greater BAP
traits than simplex siblings, and ASD multiplex infant siblings were more likely to develop
ASD than ASD simplex and control. Findings from research on BAP in monozygotic and
dizygotic twins are also interesting. It was shown [68] that concordance for BAP was much
greater in MZ pairs than DZ pairs.
Recently there has been a surge in research on infants at high familial risk for ASD (see [69]
for review). An estimated 10-20% of at high risk infant siblings may be affected by sub-clinical
103
104
ASD symptoms or other developmental impairments [70]. These studies are not included in
Table 1 because participants included children with ASD. Nevertheless, their findings with
respect to social communication and language are relevant to the understanding of BAP. A
number of those research projects have shown that some siblings of individuals with ASD
demonstrate observable communication deficits already in the first three years of life and that
these impairments can change over time. They include, among others, lower receptive
language scores, delayed receptive and expressive language [15, 71-74], requesting behavior
[75, 76], understanding words and phrases, gesture use, and social-communicative interactions
with parents [77]. The important question is how early are those problems manifested. It was
shown that at 6 months of age there were no statistically significant group differences in
language development between high risk (HR, children having sibling with autism) and low
risk (LR) infants (no autism history in family) [15, 78]. No differences in gaze following were
found in children of 7 and 13 months between HR and LR groups [79]. Georgiades et al. [80]
concluded that pragmatic language deficits were not relevant traits of BAP at 12 months.
Obviously, this does not mean that HR children experience no deficits in language develop
ment at that age. Ozonoff with colleagues [78] found atypical language development in highrisk infants of 12 months of age. Differences in language between HR and LR infants of 24
months of age are found much more often [15, 73, 74]. Longitudinal studies are the most
desirable as they offer insight into the dynamics and changes in the development of these
children. While problems are overcome in some, in others they persist at later stages. As
demonstrated by Gamliel et al. [71], expressive and receptive language deficits were still
present in HR children at 54 months of age despite the resolution of some other developmental
problems. Another important issue is to find out how many of 24-months old HR siblings
demonstrating language difficulties are eventually diagnosed with ASD. Hudry et al. [81]
found that reduced receptive vocabulary advantage in high risk infants at 14 months, main
tained to 24 months only in the subgroups of ASD or other atypicality outcome. This suggests
a close to typical development of other children in the HR group. The results of these sample
studies on HR infants expose gaps in the knowledge on the issue.
3. Conclusions
Currently, it is difficult to identify universal, clear regularities relating to social communication
and language deficits in parents or siblings of children with autism, but they have been found
in some subgroups. A more complete knowledge in that area can contribute to a better
understanding of autism. It can also provide hints for future research, by focusing attention
on selected subgroups of parents and siblings.
There are many reasons for the variation in empirical results discussed in this section. Specific
ones include methodological considerations such as sample size, research methods, enrolment
criteria, as well as specifics of control groups (Cf. [19]).
It would be difficult to identify the components of BAP in terms of social communication and
language based on currently available data. The best documented aspect of BAP appear to be
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59134
pragmatic language deficits. Other characteristics analysed in the above studies as BAP
components, such as delay of language development, difficulties in reading, spelling and
writing, difficulties in structural language use or verbal fluency, remain controversial.
A number of studies on BAP focus on parents, and there are also many that analyse HR infants.
In other studies on siblings, groups tend to be very heterogeneous, e.g. in terms of age.
Longitudinal research on the development of social communication and language deficits in
preschool and school age siblings are particularly necessary, especially that, as shown by
Gamliel et al. [52], language may be a major area of difficulty for siblings of individuals with
autism during the preschool years.
Acknowledgements
This paper was funded by the project of the National Science Center in Poland, #UMO-2011/03/
B/HS6/03326.
Author details
Ewa Pisula and Karolina Ziegart-Sadowska*
*Address all correspondence to: ewa.pisula@psych.uw.edu.pl
Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Chapter 7
Implicit and Spontaneous Theory of Mind Reasoning in

Autism Spectrum Disorders
Beate Sodian, Tobias Schuwerk and Susanne Kristen
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59393
1. Introduction
In a seminal study, conducted almost 30 years ago, Baron-Cohen, Leslie and Frith [1] provided
first empirical support for the idea that individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)
have a Theory of Mind (ToM) deficit, i.e. they are impaired in the fundamental human ability
to attribute mental states like beliefs, desires or intentions to themselves and others and
therefore fail to explain and predict behavior in a commonsense way in everyday interactions
(see [2]). Baron-Cohen et al. [1] used a task in which story character Sally does not witness
story character Anne transferring a ball from a basket to a box and thus falsely believes it is
still in its original location. Twelve-year-old participants with ASD systematically based their
prediction of Sallys search behavior on their own knowledge about the situation and failed
the test, answering she will look for the ball in its new location. Crucially, typically developed
children and children with Downs Syndrome who were matched for mental age, passed the
task. It was concluded that participants with ASD were specifically impaired in adopting
Sallys perspective, that is, in attributing a false belief to her. Since then, a wealth of studies
confirmed this ToM deficit in children and adults with ASD (e.g., [3]).
Despite its major contributions to explaining core symptoms of autism (social deficits, deficits
in pragmatic language, imaginative play, and empathy), the ToM hypothesis has also been
criticized for failing to provide a specific account for the social and cognitive impairments,
especially in high functioning individuals with ASD [4]. First, verbal skills strongly predict
performance on verbal ToM tasks [5]. In some studies, when verbal ability was entered as a
covariate, ToM did not predict the degree of social impairments in children and adults with
ASD [6]. Second, ToM deficits are not specific to ASD, but have also been observed in clinical
groups with for example schizophrenia [7] and deafness [8]. Third, ToM skills assessed in
standard experimental tasks may not be informative of real-world social competencies and
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deficits, since experimental situations do not pose the kinds of stressful demands on individ
uals with ASD that real-life social situations do. This may be one reason for the failure of ToMbased interventions to enhance real-world social competencies [9].
In the last ten years, new methods, relying on spontaneous and implicit ToM processing have
been productively used to further investigate the social and cognitive impairments in ASD.
These methods were first used in infant research; infants and young children under the age of
about 4 years, like patients with ASD, fail explicit ToM tasks, but nevertheless show a spon
taneous sensitivity to others mental states in looking-time, eye-tracking, and interactive tasks
[10]. An implicit ToM appears to developmentally precede an explicit one (two-systems
accounts; [11]).
Explicit ToM reasoning describes the ability to deliberately consider others mental states and
provide reasons in order to explain their behavior (Sally will look for the ball in the basket
because she falsely believes it is still in there; see [12]). This form of ToM reasoning acts
consciously, can be flexibly employed in various situations, and is cognitively demanding.
Explicit ToM tasks, like the Sally-Anne task, test this ability by assessing verbal responses to
the direct question for the protagonists mental state and belief-based behavior.
Implicit ToM reasoning refers to the spontaneous sensitivity to others mental states without
the need to deliberately reflect on them. It is supposed to work fast, unconsciously, but rigidly.
Implicit ToM tasks, clever nonverbal versions of the Sally-Anne task, assess the participants
gaze in anticipation of the protagonists belief-based behavior as an indicator of implicit ToM
reasoning (e.g., [13]). In the first section of the present chapter, we review the research on
implicit ToM processing in ASD.
Not all spontaneous ToM processing is implicit. The spontaneous use of mental state terms in
everyday conversations is one of the first signs for an explicit understanding of mental states
in child development, with talk about volitional states and emotions, beginning in the second
year of life and preceding cognitive language by over one year [14]. While some usages of
mental state terms serve conversational functions without genuine reference to mental states
[14], there is evidence for specific relations between cognition terms and perspective taking
abilities [15] and for predictive relations between preverbal communicative abilities and
mental state language [16] in child development. Since the study of mental state language in
ASD poses fewer restrictive task demands than experimental ToM tasks, it may add to our
understanding of mental state representation in ASD in important ways. The second part of
the present chapter focuses on this line of research.
2. Implicit theory of mind reasoning in Autism Spectrum Disorders:

Insights from the analysis of eye movements
In the last years, eye tracking gained massive popularity in ASD research [17]. This method
aims at linking gaze patterns to cognitive processes [18]. Tracking eye movements while
watching social stimuli on a computer screen is especially suited for ASD research because it
Implicit and Spontaneous Theory of Mind Reasoning in Autism Spectrum Disorders

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59393
is independent of verbal abilities of the participants and avoids possible aversively experienced
social interactions with the experimenter during the test.
Senju, Southgate, White and Frith [19] were the first to combine eye tracking and an implicit
ToM task in an experiment with individuals with ASD and found a striking dissociation
between explicit and implicit ToM reasoning: Participants with Asperger syndrome did not
differ from a neurotypical control group in their performance on explicit ToM tasks. However,
their eye movements in the implicit false belief task revealed an intriguing group difference.
In this task, just like in the explicit version, the participants watched an agent who did not
witness the transfer of a ball from one box to another and thus has a false belief about its
location. However, in the subsequent test phase, participants were not explicitly asked where
the agent would search for the ball (in the now empty box), but eye movements in anticipation
of the following reaching action of the agent were measured. This allowed for assessing
whether participants kept track of the agents belief about the objects location without
explicitly asking for it. Whereas neurotypical adults correctly anticipated that the agent would
search for the ball in the now empty box, individuals with ASD lacked this anticipation of the
false-belief congruent behavior.
Senju et al.s [19] groundbreaking findings corroborated two-systems accounts of ToM.
Furthermore, the findings suggest that while the explicit ToM deficit can be alleviated by
compensatory strategies [20], the implicit ToM reasoning deficit is sustained and not address
able with learning strategies [21].
The following section reviews recent empirical findings on implicit and explicit ToM in ASD
to shed light on the cognitive characteristics of ToM reasoning in ASD. In the beginning we
provide a short rationale of why and how eye movements can be utilized to draw conclusions
on the cognitive nature of ToM reasoning. Subsequently, we review the fast growing body of
evidence on implicit ToM reasoning in ASD in the light of two-systems accounts. We will
particularly discuss the fit of recent empirical findings with the notion of a sustained implicit
ToM deficit which cannot be compensated for.
2.1. What eye movements reveal about ToM reasoning
In the past years the analysis of gaze behavior became more and more popular in ToM research.
The investigation of eye movements aims to relate gaze patterns to cognitive processes. In twodimensional scenes two basic types of eye movements occur: First, fixations, the persistence
of the center of sharp vision for a specific amount of time on an item in the scene; second,
saccades, jump-like movements of the eyes from one fixation to the next. Since visual infor
mation is only obtained during fixations, fixation patterns can very precisely reveal what visual
information is taken into account at a given point in time [18]. On the basis of such data,
conclusions can be drawn on the cognitive processes that underlie visual search [22]. Eye
tracking systems provide an abundance of precise information about the focus of visual
attention in time and space. These systems record gaze data from one or both eyes, providing
x-and y-coordinates of the fixated location of a screen. This happens on a millisecond level
with a spatial resolution of around 0.1 of visual angle, depending on the system, sampling
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rate, and accuracy of calibration. But how can this method tell us something about ToM
reasoning?
In the 1990s eye movements started to be employed in ToM research. Clements and Perner [13]
investigated whether eye movements in the false belief task reveal children's understanding
of others mental states. Video recordings of childrens looking behavior were decoded and
raters judged which of the two locations in a false belief task the child was looking at. Although
the 3-year-olds provided a wrong answer, supporting the claim that children before 4 years of
age are not able to understand false beliefs [23], their looking patterns suggested sensitivity to
the characters false belief. This pioneering eye tracking work started a line of research and a
heated debate on when and how children are able to attribute mental states [24]. Furthermore,
this study showed that the analysis of eye movements might be an interesting approach to
indicate ToM reasoning.
Psycholinguistic research employing the visual world paradigm [25] showed that eye move
ments are influenced by mental representations. An example of how this paradigm can be used
comes from Altmann and Kamide [26]: In their experiment they presented a scene depicting
a woman and table, for example. A bottle and a glass were on the floor. Subjects listened to
the sentence The woman will put the glass on the table. Then, she will pick up the bottle, and
pour the wine carefully into the glass. This scene either remained unchanged (experiment 1)
or it was completely removed before the sentence was spoken (experiment 2). Eye movements
towards the table, or towards the location where the table had been, after hearing pour
revealed an influence of the mental representation of the glass (according to the sentence it
should now be on the table) on fixation patterns.
If ones own current and past mental representations of an objects locations in a scene influence
eye movements, they might also be sensitive to the processing of anothers mental represen
tation. Adapting the visual world paradigm Ferguson and Breheny [27] reported evidence that
eye movements indeed provide insight into the real-time processing of others mental states.
In an interactive video task, a participant and a confederate watched movie clips of an object
that was put into one of two boxes and subsequently was pulled out of it again. After that the
object was either put back into the same place or transferred to the other box. In half oft he
trials the confederate did not witness whether there was a transfer or not. Thus, unlike the
participant, the confederate was unsure about the final location of the object. At the end of the
trial the confederate verbally described the situation as in the following scheme: "The [object]
is in box [A/B]". The participants fixations on the boxes were linked to the onsets of critical
words in this verbal description. This analysis revealed a tendency to fixate the box in which
the object actually ended up. Only when the confederate did not witness the object transfer,
this gaze pattern changed towards an increased probability to anticipatorily fixate the
alternative box, which was empty, but the confederate might have assumed that it could have
been in there. This suggests that participants took into account what the other had or had not
seen.
First, this finding demonstrates that neurotypical adults are rapidly and spontaneously
sensitive to others mental states during communication. Second, this study shows that eye
movements are a sensitive indicator of spontaneous and online ToM reasoning without

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59393
explicitly asking for mental states of others. Thus far, the fast growing field of eye tracking
research on ToM has employed a number of paradigms and measures (Box 1 provides an
overview of hitherto used eye movement measures).
Anticipatory eye movements. The analysis of predictive saccades and fixations is an appealing way to address ToM
reasoning. If the location where someone will fruitlessly search for an item (because of a false belief about the objects
location) is anticipated by predictive saccades and fixations, these eye movements are indicative of cognitive processes
that account for the others false belief (Schneider, Bayliss, Becker & Dux, 2012; Schneider, Lam, Bayliss & Dux, 2012;
Senju, Southgate, White & Frith, 2009; Southgate, Senju & Csibra, 2007).
Location of first fixation. The direction of the first saccade on a scene can reveal what item is prioritized (FletcherWatson, Findlay, Leekam & Benson, 2008). A tendency to direct the first saccade towards the location where subjects
believe an object is, rather than towards the location where the story character falsely believes it is located, may reflect
an interference from ones own perspective in a false belief task (Rubio-Frnandez & Glucksberg, 2012).
Fixation latency. How long does it take after trial onset until a certain part of a scene is fixated? The latency until the
fixation of a false belief-congruent location is informative about the characteristics of false belief attribution (RubioFrnandez & Glucksberg, 2012).
Number of fixations and fixation duration. Analyzing how often and for how long an item is fixated when viewing a
scene provides information on the importance this item had in processing the scene and also on the influence of
anothers belief about that item (Keysar, Lin & Barr, 2003). Klein, Zwickel, Prinz and Frith (2009) employed fixation
durations on items that elicited mental state attribution as an indicator of processing depth and interpreted it in terms
of a high cognitive load, required when we ascribe mental states.
Probability of fixating an object as a function of time. Ferguson and Breheny (2012) showed that when another
person might falsely assume an object could be in a certain location, the probability of fixating this location rose when
the person started to report his or her assumption about the objects location. This procedure can reveal sensitivity to
others mental states with a crucial advantage: it serves as online measure of ToM reasoning in a natural social
interaction without overtly asking for others mental states (cf., Tanenhaus & Spivey-Knowlton, 1996).
Pupillary dilation. It may also be worthwhile to consider pupillary dilation. Changes in the diameter of the pupil can
be linked to attentional shifts and changes in mental states (Laeng, Sirois & Gredebck, 2012). This might not only be
useful to detect if subjects react to anothers mental state, but also to see which information at what point in time has
led to such a response.
Box 1. Extractable eye movement measures in Theory of Mind (ToM) research
When interpreting eye movements in terms of underlying cognitive functions, a few meth
odological limitations have to be considered. When an item is fixated during a task, it may be
because crucial information of that item is processed, but this must not inevitably be the case.
It might also be that during the recorded fixation no information at all or different information
is processed, for example in the periphery of the visual field. Aslin [28] pointed to a limitation
of global looking time measures that also affects the investigation of the microstructure of eye
movements via eye tracking: looking times consist of active information processing as well as
blank stares. It cannot be premised that for example in free visual exploration of a scene each
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recorded fixation reflects active information processing of the fixated item. Furthermore it is
possible that during a fixation, not the focused item is regarded, but rather different informa
tion is processed. Relevant information about objects can also be obtained in periphery [29].
Additionally, if a fixation reflects cognitive processing of the fixated information, conclusions
to a specific cognitive process have to be drawn carefully. Depending on the employed
paradigm, observed fixation patterns may reflect the detection, identification, discrimination,
categorization or integration of visual stimuli. These factors have to be considered carefully
when designing eye tracking paradigms to test ToM reasoning.
In sum, the rapidly increasing number of eye tracking studies on ToM reasoning suggests that
the analysis of eye movements is a sensitive measure to address implicit ToM reasoning (cf.,
[30]). Furthermore, eye tracking appears to be especially well suited to test participants with
ASD. First, it allows for inferences on social cognitive processes independent of the verbal
abilities of the participants. Second, video presentation takes advantage of a strong preference
of individuals with ASD for electronic screen media [31]. Third, unlike in classical false belief
tasks (e.g. [32]), eye tracking versions of this task do not entail actual social interactions during
stimulus presentation and assessment of measures of interest. In this way social cognition can
be studied without possible aversively experienced interactions with the experimenter (cf.,
[33]). This promises to reduce the burden for participants with ASD to engage in the task and
to enable tapping social cognitive process, otherwise masked by a disadvantageous test setting.
A recent study by Chevallier et al. [34] provides empirical support for this idea. In this study
children with and without ASD completed a ToM task in a social (instructions by an experi
menter) and a nonsocial setting (computer-based instructions). Intriguingly, the ToM per
formance gap between children with ASD and neurotypical children, consistent with previous
literature, was only found in the social setting. Accordingly, recording eye movements while
presenting stimuli on a computer screen seems to provide comparable test conditions for
participants with and without ASD. To be clear, research on social cognition in ASD should
entail the study of real reciprocal social interactions (see [35]). However, one must be aware
that such studies might impose too much demand on social interaction and obtained results
might lead to an underestimation of social cognitive competencies of individuals with ASD.
2.2. Implicit ToM reasoning and compensatory learning in ASD
To date, the implicit ToM deficit, assessed with an implicit version of the Sally-Anne task, has
been documented in adults [19] and eight-year-old children with ASD [36]. Recently, Gliga et
al. [37] expanded these findings by showing that this implicit ToM deficit can not only be found
in participants with an ASD diagnosis, but also in three-year-old children with an older sibling
with ASD. Those children being at risk of developing a disorder from the autism spectrum,
differed from a control group in their anticipation of a false-belief congruent action. Morever,
Gliga et al.s results tentatively suggest a gradient in spontaneous sensitivity to others mental
states in the autism spectrum. Within the at-risk group, only children who received an ASD
diagnosis themselves later on significantly differed in their anticipatory looking from the
control group. Neither at-risk children who developed typically, nor at-risk children who
showed subclinical abnormalities later on, differed in their gaze behaviors from the control

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group. This study suggests that an implicit ToM deficit may not merely originate from isolated
intra-individual factors, but may be genetically and/or environmentally determined. Further
research is needed to characterize the implicit ToM deficit in the broader autism spectrum.
Both ToM reasoning systems, the explicit and the implicit one, appear to be affected in ASD.
However, there seems to be a dissociation with respect to the possibility to tackle an explicit
and an implicit ToM deficit by compensatory strategies (see [2,21]): On the one hand, individ
uals with ASD are able to alleviate an explicit ToM deficit through compensatory learning.
Experience with social situations may have led to the acquisition of non-mentalistic routes to
deal with mental states of others. Evidence that high functioning individuals with ASD pass
explicit ToM tasks supports this notion [20].
On the other hand, based on the finding that those participants with ASD who passed explicit
ToM tasks, showed no spontaneous sensitivity to a characters false belief in an implicit ToM
task [19], it was argued that this implicit ToM deficit is pervasive and cannot be modulated by
compensatory learning. Moreover, if implicit ToM reasoning runs automatically, without topdown control [38], it should not be susceptible by alternative, non-mentalistic, strategies.
Callenmark, Kjellin, Rnnqist and Blte (2013) [39] report a similar dissociation between
explicit and implicit social cognitive processes. In an explicit version of a social cognition task
(multiple-choice rating of other peoples thoughts about violations of social norms) adolescents
with ASD did not differ in their performance from neurotypical controls. However, in a more
implicit version of this task (free interview instead of multiple-choice format) the ASD group
performed more poorly as compared to the neurotypical control group. In a similar vein to
Senju et al [19], the authors concluded that in explicit but not in implicit tasks, compensatory
strategies which were acquired through learning and experience with social situations, can be
employed.
A limitation of the above described implicit false belief tasks is that they only employed one
critical test trial to assess gaze behavior that indicates a lack of spontaneous sensitivity to
mental states in ASD. However, claiming that individuals with ASD have a persisting implicit
ToM deficit requires testing whether atypical gaze behavior is sustained over time. Such an
implicit ToM deficit, impenetrable by learning from experience, should be observable in the
consecutive presentation of multiple test trials and should not be alleviated by the repetition
of those trials.
Using a methodologically refined version of the implicit false belief task, Schneider, Slaughter,
Bayliss and Dux [40] tested this hypothesis in adults with ASD. First, they replicated the
previously observed group difference between participants with and without ASD in falsebelief congruent anticipatory looking. Second, for both groups gaze behavior remained stable
over the repetition of test trials: Whereas the neurotypical control group showed sustained
false belief-congruent anticipatory looking, individuals with ASD revealed a persisting lack
of this false belief tracking. Additionally, just like in Senju et al.s [19] study, the same partic
ipants passed explicit ToM tasks. This empirically underpins the proposal that individuals
with ASD can employ explicitly learned strategies to face an explicit ToM deficit and that those
strategies are useless to tackle an implicit ToM deficit. Furthermore, these findings critically
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extend previous suggestions by adding the notion that experience with the implicit false belief
task (through repeating the test trials) does not trigger spontaneous compensatory learning.
In contrast to the finding by Schneider et al. [41], Schuwerk, Vuori and Sodian [42] reported
apparently contradictory results. They also adapted Senju et al.s [19] paradigm to test learning
effects on false belief-congruent anticipatory looking in adults with ASD. In order to assess the
impact of experience on gaze behavior, the critical false belief test trial was repeated once. Eye
movement patterns in the first presentation of the false belief test trial revealed the welldocumented group difference between the participants with ASD and the neurotypical
controls. However, in the subsequent repetition of the test trial, anticipatory looking of the
ASD group no longer differed from the neurotypical control group.
Why did Schneider et al. find no effect of experience in a total of ten subsequently presented
false belief trials whereas in Schuwerk et al.s study the single repetition of the false belief trial
was sufficient to make the group difference disappear? One task property, which was changed
by Schuwerk et al., but not by Schneider et al., can serve as explanation of those discrepant
findings. In contrast to previous versions of this implicit false belief task, Schuwerk et al.
presented the belief-corresponding action (the agent is searching for the object in the now
empty box), and its outcome (the actor does not find the car). Therefore it is possible that
presenting a perception-action contingency (agent does not witness the transfer agent
searches for the object in the wrong box) provided a basis for individuals with ASD to learn
about the association between the agents gaze direction and the subsequent action. Notably,
this learning from experience can result in the observed alternation of gaze behavior without
the need to actually consider the actors mental state. Thus, this finding suggests that individ
uals with ASD are sensitive to behavioral cues to learn about perception-action contingencies.
Furthermore, this knowledge can be employed as compensatory strategy to rapidly adapt
action predictions in an implicit ToM task.
2.3. Summary
In sum, evidence is accumulating that implicit ToM reasoning is impaired in individuals with
ASD and also their younger siblings. Moreover, compensatory non-mentalistic strategies,
which are useful in explicit ToM tasks, fail to alleviate the deficit to spontaneously appreciate
anothers mental state. However, recent findings show that the strict distinction that explicit,
but not implicit ToM reasoning can be addressed by compensatory learning, may not be
tenable. It rather seems that also the implicit ToM deficit can be modulated by compensatory
strategies: if individuals with ASD are provided perception-action contingencies, they may
also be able to rapidly use this information to anticipate anothers false belief-based action. We
propose that the implicit ToM deficit in ASD is not as persistent and impenetrable as it seems.
Future research has to evaluate possibilities to tackle the lack of spontaneous belief apprecia
tion with learning from experience. More evidence for compensatory learning in implicit social
cognition would support the previously tentatively stated idea that compensatory strategies
can be taught to face impaired implicit social cognitive processes in ASD [43].
To conclude, the analysis of eye movements has substantially advanced our understanding of
ToM reasoning in ASD. The advantage of eye tracking to tap into more implicit social cognitive

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processing makes this method an integral part of future research on two-systems accounts of
functional and dysfunctional ToM.
3. Explicit theory of mind reasoning in Autism Spectrum Disorders

3.1. Early explicit ToM in spontaneous mental state language
In the second year of life, typically developing children begin to refer to invisible and abstract
entities, like their own and others psychological states. Such states can be volitional states
(e.g., want), ability terms (e.g., hard to do), perceptions (e.g., see), physiological states
(e.g., hungry), emotional states (e.g., sad), moral terms (e.g., good), or cognitive states
(e.g., know) (cf. also [44]). All of these states have in common that they describe intangible
processes within a person. One key aspect of childrens mental state references is that they
indicate the development of childrens explicit, verbally expressible ToM, which begins to
emerge in the second year of life. Mental state vocabulary may serve a variety of conversational
functions in discourse (e.g., you know? is often used in a colloquial way rather than to inquire
after someones knowledge state) and thus might not always indicate psychological compre
hension. However, there is evidence for genuine references to mental states (desires, knowl
edge, beliefs, emotions) early in development [14].The definition of what a ToM is has different
shades of meaning across different areas of research. According to Premack and Woodruff [45]
ToM is the ability to attribute mental states to one self and others. This ability can be understood
as a theory because mental states cannot be observed but have to be inferred. Thus, just like
a scientific theory helps researchers explain their data, a ToM helps humans explain the
underlying causes of the observable behaviour of others. Since autistic children are impaired
in their mental state representation, as assessed in ToM tasks, it seems likely that their
spontaneous mental state language production should also be impaired.
The evidence on the development of mental state language in ASD is scarce and partly
contradictory. While some studies indicate impairments across a broad range of internal state
term categories, others provide evidence for specific impairments or, dependent on the context,
even no impairments. For instance, when playing with their preferred toys, children with ASD
were specifically impaired in their use of cognitive terms (e.g., think) and were less otheroriented than neurotypical controls by using fewer mental state terms to call for attention [46].
To detect specific impairments in autistic children, Tager-Flusberg [46] compared 6 boys with
Down syndrome (DS) to 6 boys with autism matched for age (range 3 to 6 years) and mean
length of utterance (MLU). The children with autism exceeded controls in their use of desire
terms (e.g., want) and references to causes and antecedents of desires. However, they were
impaired in their use of cognitive terms and used fewer mental state terms to call for attention.
With increasing MLU, autistic children were shown to increase their use of desire, emotion,
and perception terms, but not their use of cognitive terms. In contrast, another study [see 9]
reported in a sample of 30 autistic children from age 4 to 13 years that in interactions around
a wordless picture-book they produced fewer internal state words in any category (emotion,
volition, cognition, or perception). Tager-Flusberg [46] reports that in their study the mothers
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were asked to select activity toys or games that would best suit the individual interests of the
children. Thus, parent-child object play with a familiar toy, due to its interactive nature, might
have elicited more desire, perception, and emotion talk in autistic children than would
normally be the case. This is corroborated by the fact that in the Tager-Flusberg [46] study
autistic childrens conversational use of desire terms by far exceeded the genuine use of desire
terms. Studies using storybook narratives and memory narratives rather than toys showed
that children with ASD were less likely to include terms that referred to cognitive, emotional
or perceptual states [46]. Even when using as many internal state terms as controls, children
with ASD made less effort to explicate the causes of mental states in their narratives and they
were also limited in their ability to monitor and sustain listeners attention when compared to
the narratives of matched controls [47]. This indicates that internal state language might not
always be indicative of autistic childrens awareness of their own and others psychological
states. This could explain why training autistic childrens mental state understanding is not
related to their mere use of mental state terms when narrating a wordless picture-book [9],
while training their communication of internal state terms in a truly intentional way might be.
However, some studies indicate interrelations between autistic childrens cognition talk and
their overall comprehension of the mind, including more complex emotion understanding.
For instance, two studies found significant positive associations between autistic childrens
use of cognitive terms (while narrating stories to others) and their ToM abilities [48], as well
as more specifically, their false belief abilities [49]. In contrast, Losh and Capps [47] found that
autistic childrens use of mental state terms in personal and storybook narratives (cognitive or
affective) were significantly associated with their ability to define emotions, but not to ToM
abilities. Recent work [50] showed that autistic childrens general ToM scores were related to
their use of emotion terms during a wordless picture book interaction, but not to their use of
cognition terms. Differences across studies might have to do with context effects on internal
state talk. In some contexts autistic children might communicate psychological meaning, in
some contexts they might not. Note that internal state talk was assessed differently in each
study. Further, as tasks tap into different facets of ToM, including childrens comprehension
of hidden emotion, moral and irony, developmental links between talk about psychological
states and childrens conceptual comprehension might also become increasingly complex. In
regard to ToM development, consistent with the development of mental state talk in Englishspeaking (Bartsch & Wellman, 1995) [14], as well as in children speaking other languages [51],
typically-developing children [52] usually first come to understand own desire and own
beliefs, before they come to understand perceptions and others false beliefs, as well as hidden
emotions and finally, children grasp that other people can misconstrue others minds (secondorder theory of mind) [53]. In contrast, autistic children show the same developmental
sequence up to a point, but in the later steps of progression, they show a significantly different
sequence of understandings [54]. While they lag behind several years, like in typicallydeveloping children, autistic childrens understanding of desires precedes an understanding
of belief. In addition, they comprehend knowledge and ignorance before they develop a grasp
that someone can hold a belief that differs from reality and is false. In contrast to typical
development, autistic children were shown to understand hidden (or false) emotions slightly
earlier than false beliefs.

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In order to provide a fuller picture, future research needs to explore context effects on autistic
childrens internal state language. For instance, situations that prove motivating for autistic
children are likely to be nonsocial in nature and might involve mechanical systems (e.g.,
mechanical toys) [55]. These situations might provide autistic children with opportunities to
talk about their own volitional and eventually, also emotional states. Consistently, autistic
toddlers were found to exceed boys with Down syndrome in their use of desire terms (e.g.,
want) and references to causes and antecedents of desires when playing with their own toys
[46]. Further, children with autism were found to use less mental state language when
describing picture-sequences involving human intentions than controls, while they did not
differ from controls when describing pictures depicting behavioral interactions or mechanical
actions [56]. Finally, when describing mechanical or intentional launching effects of animated
stimuli, 6-to 15 year old autistic individuals [57] were found to use as many mental state terms
as controls. What remains unclear is if this kind of mental state talk is related to child ToM.
Further, studies need to explore if and how autistic individuals impaired social attention (e.g.,
[58]) is related to both childrens talk about and comprehension of the mind. According to
socio-constructivists, triadic interactions, which emerge at about the end of the first year of life
and involve the infant, another person and an object, event, or mental states, are thought to be
the basis of childrens ToM development (cf. [59]). Note that consistent with the socioconstructivist view of language development, longitudinal work in typically-developing
children showed that joint attention skills are developmentally related to childrens internal
state language vocabulary [16]. A rather general main proposal of the socio-constructivist view
is that children actively construe [60] a ToM by interacting and communicating with other
individuals, as opposed to passively acquiring a theory of mind. According to socioconstructivists, triadic interactions, which emerge at about the end of the first year of life and
involve the infant, another person and an object, event, or mental states, are thought to be the
basis of childrens theory of mind development. For instance, talk about cognitive states within
the family is thought to be causally related to inter-individual differences in ToM development.
The developmental process itself is gradual and cumulative. This view corresponds to the
contextual view of semantic development [61]. In summary, the contextual view emphasizes
the relevance of early communicative exchanges in establishing the meaning of mental verbs.
It is the functional use of mental state terms in familiar and recurrent contexts, in which
children communicate pre-linguistically and verbally with others, which according to this
view plays a central role for the development of mental state language. This view suggests
that the pre-verbal obtainment of objects (such as the use of proto-imperatives [62] is at the
centre of joint attentional communicative exchanges from which desire verbs emerge and that
the subsequent linguistic development involves expanding the number of ways of talking
about desires within communicative acts. For instance, children have to learn that like is
used to describe a general preference which is distinct from seeking to obtain something for
the moment being, as would be indicated by want. In sum, the contextual view considers
semantic development to be the product of the social practices, framing the purpose of words,
the pragmatic purposes of the words, the peculiar syntactic properties of the verbs, and the
relevant cognitive development. Turnbull & Carpendale [63] found numerous examples of
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criteria displays (pointing to a persons puzzled look and describing the person to be think
ing) in typically-developing mother-child dyads.
One direct implication of the contextual view is that if the criteria that are normally displayed
in parent-child dyads are impaired, as is the case in autism, this might be related to childrens
delayed ToM performance. Further, mothers might also be influenced by childrens skill level.
Recent research by Slaughter, Peterson, & Carpenter [64] suggests that mothers mental state
talk is connected to both infants joint visual attention and their emerging pointing skills. For
instance, mothers seem to switch their conversational focus from their infants visual behav
iour and experiences to the object of their mutual attention and childrens imperative pointing
gestures are directly followed by mothers talk about volitions and intention, while later,
declarative gestures are followed by both, epistemic and cognitive state talk. If children point
less, this might lead parents to talk less. For instance, in a case study [65], all parental talk
directed to a young child with autism at home over a day-period was analysed for internal
state language focusing explicitly on the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions of animate beings.
Compared to what has been found in parents of typically developing children, the parents
rarely elaborated on the causes and consequences of these internal states and they primarily
referred to sensory and desire terms (the mother did so in 24% of her utterances, while the
father did so in 33% of his utterances).
3.2. Later explicit, spontaneous ToM: Mind-Mindedness
There is ample evidence for a deficit in ToM for others in adults with ASD (see [66] for a review).
More specifically, autistic adults are severely impaired in their ability to decode affective (e.g.,
reading emotions from the eye region) and cognitive states. There is, however, a growing
dissatisfaction with the tasks used to assess ToM abilities in adults with ASD.
One prominent task to measure autistic individuals emotion understanding (affective ToM)
is the Reading-the-Mind-in-the-Eyes task (RME task; [3]). The task contains 36 black/white
photographs of the eye region expressing complex mental states in terms of emotions, such as
'jealous', 'bored', or 'admiring'. Participants have to distinguish the correct mental state from
three distractors (i.e., mental state terms with the same emotional valence as the target) on each
trial. Previous research has shown that the performance on the RME task is inversely correlated
with the degree of autistic impairments and is significantly lower in autistic adults when
compared to controls (e.g., [67,68]). Autistic individuals comprehension of cognitive states is
usually measured with the Strange Stories-test [69]. This test is also called the short stories task
and comprises five mental short stories referring to five different advanced ToM abilities:
double bluff, white lie, deception, misunderstanding, emotion understanding. The short
stories require participants to provide mental state justifications for story characters nonliteral
statements and thus measure ToM for others. Research has shown a general deficit on
advanced ToM tasks in adults with ASD which appears on the social-perceptual level, as well
as on the conceptual level, with reference to self and others (e.g., [70]), In regard to ToM for
other, the worse performance of the ASD group on the RME task compared to controls provides
further evidence for an impairment of socialperceptual processes, which enable mental state
decoding from nonverbal cues (i.e., eye gaze), in ASD (e.g., [3]). The results from the mental

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short stories clearly indicate that adults with ASD have difficulties in providing mental state
justifications for story characters nonliteral statements (i.e., double bluff, white lie, deception,
misunderstanding), as well as in emotion understanding. In most studies, the deficit in mental
state reasoning observed in ASD appears largely independent of verbal and non-verbal
intelligence. Few studies have explored ToM for self, with results indicating severe and specific
deficits in self-knowledge in ASD (see [71]). In sum, the assessments of ToM abilities and
deficits in adults with ASD are highly specific, posing considerable verbal demands, and
neglecting a wide range of competencies underlying spontaneous mentalizing.
In developmental research, the concept of Mind-Mindedness (MM) has been productively
used by Meins and her colleagues to capture individual differences in the spontaneous
tendency to conceive of a person in mentalistic (as oposed to behavioural) terms. Meins,
Fernyhough, Russell & Clark-Carter, 1998 [72] first studied the concept in mothers by letting
them describe their children. They found that mothers differ in the degree to which they reflect
upon their children in mentalistic terms rather than based on their outward appearance or
behaviour. Thereby, a greater number of mental terms (e.g., he is reflective) instead of
behavioural terms (e.g., he likes to ride his bike), physical (e.g., he has brown hair) or general
terms (e.g., he is my neighbour) indicate a higher degree of mindedness in regard to others
mind (mind-mindedness) (cf. [73]). Meins and colleagues [73] have since extended the concept
to friends, romantic partners and works of art.
If individuals with ASD are impaired in their everyday, spontaneous ability to conceive of
themselves and others as mental agents, then this deficit should be reflected in their person
descriptions. To date, the concept has only been employed in one study [74] with respect to
self-descriptions. Few studies have investigated self-concepts of individuals with ASD at all
(e.g., [75]). In an early study, Lee and Hobson [76] employed a self-understanding interview
[77] in a sample of children and adolescents with and without ASD and found that participants
with ASD produced significantly fewer self-descriptors scored as social compared to
controls. Further, an elaborated analysis of the content of psychological statements highlighted
qualitative differences: More than half of the psychological self-descriptors in the ASD group
referred to preferred activities (e.g., 'I like swimming.'). The study by Kristen, Rossmann,
Sodian, [74], used the MM-task adapted from Meins & Fernyhough (cf. [73,78]). Since MM was
assessed in adults, a representational measure of MM was used. Participants were given a
simple, open-ended instruction: "Can you describe yourself for me? What kind of a person are
you? Tell me everything you consider as important to describe yourself!" Participants were
not given any hints on how to answer the question. The results suggest that when compared
to typically-developing controls, individuals with ASD use fewer mental self-descriptors,
which appears to point to their inability to reflect on their own mental states in a mind-minded
way. This result remained stable when controlling for verbal and non-verbal IQ.
The following paragraph is an example (translated from German) of an autistic males selfdescription referring mainly to general information and physical aspects.
First, my age and I have siblings and so on. I am 37 years of age and will turn 38 on the 29th of november.
My hobbies are varied: I hike, I ride my bike, I watch TV, I go to the theatre and to the ballet, the opera.
I perform on stage and I write poems. I have brown-blond hair and blue eyes. I always smile. I have had
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surgery, but I dont want people to know. Im autistic and this is important for people to know. I also
repeat myself sometimes. But I will manage this problem. I work 8 hours a week. Im very interested in
the weather, that is my work and in maps, as a hobby. Sometimes I read books.
The following paragraph constitutes a more mind-minded description from a participant from
the control group. Note that even a less talkative persons self-reflection can contain a high
percentage of mind-minded comments. This demonstrates that mind-mindedness is inde
pendent of verbosity. The paragraph also shows the relatively low levels of general and
behavioral information in a typically-developing persons self-description.
I am a very considerate person. I reflect a lot upon myself and others. I am also very sensitive and
interested in artistic aspects of human existence. I am also a bit arrogant, or at least, others might think
I am arrogant. But I am also honest and trustworthy.
ToM for self does not take into account the accuracy or appropriateness of mental state
ascriptions (cf. [73]). Thus, it remains an open question how appropriately autistic adults reflect
on themselves. Consequently, studies need to address not only if, but how appropriately ASD
patients ascribe mental states to themselves.
Since impaired ToM for self is connected to an impaired episodical, autobiographical memory
it might also be seen as a valid indicator of an impaired identity development in autism. In
contrast to semantic traces, episodic traces cannot be formed (i.e., events cannot be encoded
as experienced) without a ToM. According to Tulving [79,80] and colleagues [81], the involve
ment of self (autonoetic) consciousness is assumed to be critical for episodic autobiographical
memory in adulthood. Thus, episodic memory deficits in adults with autism might be due to
a diminished level of self-consciousness at encoding. The work by Kristen et al. [74] showed
a specific correlation between MM for self and personal episodic memory that was independ
ent of verbal and non-verbal IQ and that can be interpreted in terms of introspection. Intro
spection is essential for ascribing mental states to oneself as well as for re-experiencing personal
episodic memories. A study by Perner et al. [82] showed that a modality-specificity test of ToM,
which required introspection, yielded the highest predictive value of episodic memory
performance compared to other ToM tasks. This was seen as evidence that introspection is
functionally related to children's understanding of the sources of their experience. More
specifically, when children re-experience (i.e., remember actively) a past event, they have to
understand that the origin of this experience lies in the past (understanding source of experi
ence) and that this experience is a representation of the original experience (meta-representa
tional understanding). Further, the correlation might reflect autobiographical meaning making
skills. It has been proposed that the construction of autobiographical memories constitutes a
complex, narrative process [83,84]. Thereby, the use of mental state terms is a good indicator
that one has formed organized explanatory accounts of past events that are integrated with a
subjective perspective on ones own thoughts and emotional reactions to autobiographical
events [85]. Further, if autobiographical memories are less coherently constructed this, in turn,
might lead to the need for more prompts to retrieve personal episodic memories. In support
of this view, a study of young school-children [86] suggests that controlled retrieval processes
are required to tell about ones past. Like younger children, individuals with ASD might have
a less coherently constructed cognitive memory network (i.e., they might not have linked

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causes to consequences of events) and thus, they might also encounter difficulties in triggering
specific nodes within that semantic network (cf. [87]).
3.3. Summary
In sum, studies in autistic children as well as in adults demonstrate a clear deficit in referring
to internal states. Further, autistic individuals also lack the ability to comprehend mental states.
Thereby, early in development children might lack implicit understanding needed for
interactions involving joint attentional cues [88], which in turn, might lead to delayed and
impaired mental state language development. Further, work from our own laboratory
(Kristen, Vuori, Sodian,[89] submitted) suggests that even if autistic children refer to internal
states, it is only the internal state language they utter in a joint attention context in combination
with their sustained attention that is related to childrens more complex ToM-skills. One
possible reason is input poverty, since parents might use less complex internal state language
towards children who provide them with fewer joint attention cues and are less attentive. As
a result, as adults autistic individuals are not only impaired in their spontaneous explicit ToM,
involving implicit decoding skills (as measured by the REM task), but also show deficits in
explicit mental verb usage (as measured by the Mind-Mindedness task) that might be based
on joint attention deficits.
To conclude, studies on spontaneous explicit ToM support the idea of a ToM deficit in autism.
Impairments occur independently of verbal and non-verbal IQ. Thus, the deficit seems to be
specific.
4. General conclusions
The empirical investigation of implicit and spontaneous ToM reasoning in ASD is still in an
early stage. Yet, the available evidence supports the ToM hypothesis by indicating specific
impairments in ASD. With regard to implicit ToM processing, available eye tracking evidence
consistently indicates that implicit ToM reasoning is impaired in ASD even in high-functioning
adults with ASD, who pass experimental explicit ToM tasks. Individuals with ASD seem to
lack a spontaneous sensitivity to others mental states. This specific deficit might be one origin
of social-cognitive deficits and difficulties in social interactions. Further research is needed to
evaluate how persistent this implicit ToM deficit is and if learning through experience, or even
explicit instructions, can compensate for it. To this end more within-subject studies that
systematically assess implicit and explicit ToM task performance, as well as the influence of
different forms of training, are desirable.
Moreover, for a better understanding of social-cognitive deficits in ASD we need to gain more
knowledge about how individuals with ASD process social signals in general, not only how
they process false beliefs. According to a recent account, sensitivity to ostensive signals, such
as direct gaze or addressee-directed speech, is essential for learning through social interaction
[90]. An impaired processing of ostensive signals in ASD could result in insufficient learning
from others, another burden in the life of individuals with ASD.
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Another important issue in research on implicit and explicit ToM in autism concerns task
analysis: To what extent do certain tasks require automatic, on-line tracking skills (e.g., nonverbal decoding skills) versus conscious and learned reflection on mental states (e.g., the use
of mental state vocabulary when describing oneself). The REM task, for instance, requires both
types of processing, since one has to decode emotions but also to ascribe the correct verbal
label to the emotion. Therefore, it is difficult to pinpoint the nature of autistic individuals
impairments in the task. Similarly, self-descriptions pose complex demands on different levels
of processing. Impairments of individuals with ASD may arise from deficits in the fast and
automatic retrieval of self-related information as well as from an inability to express their ideas
about themselves with a mentalistic vocabulary they have not fully acquired, thus leading to
a less detailed and mentalistic account of themselves as individuals. Future research needs to
further analyze the relative contribution of implicit and explicit skills in solving a wide array
of ToM tasks.
Acknowledgements
Preparation of this chapter was supported by a grant from the Volkswagen Foundation and a
fellowship from the Center for Advanced Studies at LMU Munich.
Author details
Beate Sodian1*, Tobias Schuwerk1,2 and Susanne Kristen1
*Address all correspondence to: sodian@psy.lmu.de
1 Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
2 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
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135
Chapter 8
Speech-Language Pathology in the Assessment and

Diagnosis within the Autism Spectrum
Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes,
Milene Rossi Pereira Barbosa,
Thas Helena Ferreira Santos and
Cibelle Albuquerque de La Higuera Amato
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
1. Introduction
The main purpose of this chapter is to discuss assessment tools that can be used with children
and adolescents of the autism spectrum and verify their effectiveness. It will be based on two
studies that present the application and comparison of 4 different diagnostic tools. These four
instruments are not language-specific and therefore can be used with different groups of
children that speak different languages. Certainly cultural variations must be considered but
the possibility of using tools that are internationally recognized may contribute to the efforts
in improving the amount of information about diagnosis and treatment as proposed by the
World Health Organization (WHO) in the World Report on Disabilities (2012).
The first study associates two different methods for identifying the functional communicative
profile of children with autism, specifically regarding the initiative and interactivity of
communication of individuals with autism.
The FCP-R is a protocol designed to the individual communication assessment developed by
Kleiman (1994). It provides a simple and organized evaluation procedure based on age and
acquired and/or developmental deficits. It can be used in four different ways: based on an
interview with the therapists or the parents; direct assessment of the child/adolescent of
observation of filmed samples.
This tool assesses the individual communication abilities in the following areas: Sensory/
Motor; Attentiveness; Behavior; Receptive Language; Expressive Language; Pragmatic/Social;
140
Speech; Voice; Oral; Fluency and Non-Oral Communication. To this study the areas of
Behavior; Attentiveness; Receptive Language; Expressive Language and Pragmatic/Social
were selected.
The analysis of the functional communicative profile (FCP) adopts the criteria proposed by
Fernandes (2004). It uses 15-minute filmed samples of patient-therapist interaction. In these
situations the dyads play with toys regularly used in language-therapy sessions and that
usually produced good communicative situations. Data are recorded, transcribed and
analyzed with a specific protocol.
The analysis of the FCP uses the Pragmatic Recording Protocol [8]. This study used the data
about the communicative functions. After the record of the data in the specific protocols the
incidence of each communicative function expressed by the participant is determined as well
as the proportion of the communicative space occupied, the number of communicative acts
expressed per minute and the proportion of more interactive communicative acts expressed.
The occupation of the communicative space is determined by the ratio of communicative acts
produced by the participant and by the therapist in each sample. The number of communica
tive acts expressed per minute was obtained by the ratio of communicative acts expressed and
the size of the sample (in minutes). The proportion of interactive communicative acts is defined
by the ratio of all communicative acts expressed by the participant and those that expressed
one of the more interactive communicative functions.
2. Methods
This chapter will describe two different studies and discuss their results.
2.1. Study 1. Comparison of the Functional Communicative Profile and the Functional
Communicative Profile-Revised of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders
2.1.1. Methods
Participants were 50 children and adolescents with ages between 3 years 9 months and 14 years
8 months (average 7 years 11 months) of both genders with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
attending a specialized Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) service for periods of six months to
two years.
All participants were assessed according to the criteria of the Functional Communicative
Profile (FCP) and of the Functional Communication Profile Revised (FCP-R). The results were
recorded, scored and classified.
Since the FCP-R is a tool with technical data, extensive and detailed; therefore it was applied
by means of interviews with the speech-language therapist of each participant. All the SLPs
have been assigned to each participant for at least six months prior to the interview. This time
was considered enough to the therapists to have all the information demanded by the FCP-R.
Speech-Language Pathology in the Assessment and Diagnosis within the Autism Spectrum
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
The analysis of the FCP considered the five minutes with more symmetric interaction of each
sample.
2.1.2. Data analysis
The data obtained by the FCP-R and FCP assessments were individually analyzed, identifying
the global performance based on individual comparison.
This comparison used the following areas of the FCP-R:
Behavior;
Atention/Concentration;
Receptive Language;
Expressive Language;
Social/Pragmatic.
Data obtained with the use of both tools were compared by the t-Student test and the adopted
significance level was 0.05 (5%).
With the purpose of verifying if there were linear correlations between the analyzed areas of
both tools the Correlation test was also used. The correlation test identifies the correlation
coefficient, that can be positive or negative. In the first case, the positive correlation, the
variables present a similar behavior, i.e., if one of them increases the other increases also, and
vice-versa. In the negative correlation the variables present the opposite behavior, i.e., if one
of them increases the other decreases, and vice-versa.
Data about communication interactivity, number of communicative acts expressed per minute
(CAM) and the proportion of communicative space occupied (CSO) were analyzed by means
of their averages.
2.1.3. Results and comments
The comparison between the FCP and the FCP-R used the proportion of communicative
interaction (CI), the CAM and the CSO obtained by each participants FCP. CI was obtained
by the ratio of the more interpersonal communicative acts expressed and the total of commu
nicative acts expressed. It is considered a very significant data about the overall interactivity
of the communication. CAM and CSO were obtained as described above.
The descriptive statistics is presented in the following tables.
The median of the results regarding CI was determined in order to classify the participants as
more interactive or less interactive. The individual results presented large variation and the
objective of this classification was to associate theses results with the selected areas of the FCPR. The areas of Behavior, Attentiveness, Receptive Language, Expressive Language and Social/
Pragmatic of the FCP-R were considered the most relevant to this comparison. The median of
CI in the FCP was 53.75. Therefore, individuals with interactivity above this level were
141
142
The
T compariso
on between thee FCP and the FCP-R used th
he proportion of
o communicattive interaction
n (CI), the CAM
M an
- Recent
Advances
the
t CSO
obtain
ned
by each pa
articipants FCP
P. CI was obtaiined by the rattio of the moree interpersonal communicativ
ve ac
expressed
e
and
d the total of communicative
c
e acts expresseed. It is consid
dered a very significant datta about the over
o
interactivity
i
off the communiccation. CAM an
nd CSO were o
obtained as desscribed above.
considered the more

interactive
group
and inthose
bellow
The
T descriptive
e statistics
is prresented
thee following
tablthis
les. level were considered less
interactive participants.
Average
54.35
Standard Deviation
Variance
21.61
466
The association of values of CI obtainedStandard

in theerro
area
presented in
or of Behavior of the FCP-R is3.05
Figure 1.
Median
53.75
Table
T Average
1. Descrip
ptive statistics Communication
C
Interactivity - FC
CP
54.35
Standard error
3.05
The
T median off the results reegarding CI waas determined in order to claassify the partiicipants as morre interactive o
or le
Median
53.75
interactive.
i
The individual reesults presented
d large variatio
on and the objeective of this cllassification waas to associate thes
t
results
r
with
th
he selected area
as of the FCP-R
R. The areas off Behavior,21.61
Atteentiveness, Recepptive Language,, Expressive Lan
ngua
Standard
Deviation
and
a
Social/Praggmatic of the FCP-R were con
nsidered the m
most relevant to
o this compariison. The mediian of CI in thee FC
Variance
466
was
w 53.75. Theerefore, individ
duals with intteractivity abov
ve this level were
w
considered the more in
nteractive group
p an
those
t
bellow th
his level were considered
c
lesss interactive paarticipants.
Table 1. Descriptive statistics Communication Interactivity-FCP
The
T association
n of values of CI
C obtained in the
t area of Behaavior of the FCP
P-R is presented
d in Figure 1.
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
MoreInteractiive
1900ral
LessInteractivve
1900ral
Figure
F
1. Proporttion of communiication interactiv
vity de interactiviity in the area off Behavior
Figure 1. Proportion of communication interactivity de interactivity in the area of Behavior
Table
T
2 shows the compariso
on of the resultss in the area off Behavior in thee FCP-R and itss correlation wiith the proporttion
Table 2 shows the

of theonresults
in the
area of Behavior in the FCP-R and its
interactivity
i comparison
off communicatio
verified by
t the
FCP.
correlation with the proportion of interactivity of communication verified by the FCP.
Severity
Behavior(%)
Severity
Normal
Behavior(%)
Interactivity
p-value
Correlation
coefficient
More
2
Normal
6
More
Lesss
InteractivityMild
Mild
14
More
Leess
Moderate
4
3
14
60 0.39
p-value
0.5
LessCorrelation
More
Less
More
Less
coefficient
1
4
3
16
14
Moderaate
60
More
L
Less
Severe
16
1
14
18
0.16
More
Less
-0.33445
5
4
5
Severre
18
More
Profou
und
2
L
Less
More
Less
Profound
5
0
1
0.37 2
0.722
More
Less
0
Table
T
2. Associaation between the area of Behavior in the FCP-R an
nd the proportio
on of communicaative interaction in
i the FCP.
0.5
0.39
0.16
0.37
0.72
Data
D
suggest that
t
the group defined accord
ding to behaviioral disorders do not presen
nt significant differences
d
regaardi
-0.33445
the
t proportion
n of communiccation interactivity.
Howeverr, when the lin
near correlation
n is considered
d it can be obsserv
that
t
as the sev
verity increasees in this dom
main the comm
munication inteeractive proportion decreasees. It characterizes
Table 2. Association between the area of Behavior in the FCP-R and the proportion of communicative interaction in the
FCP.
Data suggest that the group defined according to behavioral disorders do not present signif
icant differences regarding the proportion of communication interactivity. However, when the
143
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
linear correlation is considered it can be observed that as the severity increases in this domain
the communication interactive proportion decreases. It characterizes a negative correlation,
suggesting that participants with more sever behavioral disorders show less interactive
negative
n
correelation, suggeesting that paarticipants witth more seveer behavioral disorders sho
ow
communication.
communication
c
n.
less interractive
Considering behavioral issues, [21] suggests that intervention focus on communication and
Considering
C
beehavioral issuees, Springhousee (2006) suggessts that interveention focus on
n communicatio
on and interperrsonal
interpersonal
toase
decrease
the
behavioral
persons
with
such
relationship
r relationship
teends tends
to decrea
the behav
vioral
disorderrs disorders
of persons of
with
ASD su
uch asASD
aggress
sion and disru
uptive
as aggression
behaviors.
b and disruptive behaviors.
The values The
totained
communication
interaction
theFCP
FCP
of Attentiveness
in are presennted in
Tobtained
values obt
to comm
munication
inteeraction in
in the
of Attentiven
ness in the FCP
P-R
in in
the the
areeaarea
Figure
F presented
2.
the FCP-R are
in Figure 2.
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
190
00ral
MoreInteeractive
LessInteractive
Figure
F
2. Proporttion of communiicative interactio
in the area of A
Attentiveness.
Figure 2. Proportion
of communicative interaction in the on
area
of Attentiveness.
Table
T
3 shows the association
n of the results in the area of A
Attentiveness off the FCP-R and
d the proportio
on of communiicative
Table 3 shows
the association
interaction
i
of the
t FCP. of the results in the area of Attentiveness of the FCP-R and the
proportion of communicative interaction of the FCP.
Severity
Attention/
Concentratio
on
Normal
(%)
16
Interactivity
y
Severity
Attention/
Concentration (%)
Interactivity
p-value
More
7
Normall
16
Mild
More
38 Leess
7
1
More 0.0009*
Less
Less
p-value
Correlation
n 13
1
6
coefficient
0.0009*
0.002*
Mild
Moderaate
38
Moderate
Severre
36 Severe
Profou
und
Profound2
More 36Leess More Less

L 8 More Less
L
More
Less
2
13
6
5
13
1
3
0
1
More
More*
Less 0.18 More
Less
0.002* Less 0.0008
0.722
5
13
0.0008*
1
-0.446223
0.18
1
0.72
Table
T
3. Associaation of the area Attentiveness of the
t FCP-R and th
he proportion of communicative interaction of thee FCP.
Correlation
-0.44623
coefficient
*Significant
*
value in the t-Stu
udent test at 95%
%
Observing
O
the data we may
y conclude thatt the groups d
defined by defficits in attentioon/concentration
n present signiificant
*Significant value
testthe
at 95%
differences
d in the t-Student
reg
garding
prroportion of co
ommunicative interaction in the first 3 lev
vels of severity
y: normal, mild
d and
moderate.
m
In the
t normal and
d mild levels the
t significant results are asssociated to ind
dividuals with high proportio
ons of
communicative
c
e interaction
in the
t andmoderate
levelofthey
are associated
dividuals with
h low
with of
the
Table 3. Association
of the area
Attentivenesswhereas
of the FCP-R
the proportion
communicative
interaction
theind
FCP.
communicative
c
e interaction. Analyzing
A
the linear correlattion it can be observed that the proportion
n of communiicative
interaction
i
decreases as thee severity of the
t
Attentiveneess deficits increases. Thesee data indicatee that attentiv
veness
Observing the
datadirec
wectly
may
conclude
that the
defined
by deficits
in hav
attention/concen
interferes
i
in the
IC since individua
als groups
with better
a
attentiveness
r
results
also
ve higher proportions of IC. In
I this
be respo
aspect,
a
Lovela
and and
Landrry (1986)
havee already
stateed that an
ention deficit mayinteraction
onsible for botth the
tration present
significant
differences
regarding
the proportion
of att
communicative
functional
f
lang
guage disorderrs and the sociaal impairment of
o individuals with
w ASD.
Figure
F
3 showss the values reegarding the arrea of Receptive Language of th
he FCP-R and communicative
c
interaction
i
acco
ording
to
t the FCP.
144
in the first 3 levels of severity: normal, mild and moderate. In the normal and mild levels the
significant results are associated to individuals with high proportions of communicative
interaction whereas in the moderate level they are associated with the individuals with low
communicative interaction. Analyzing the linear correlation it can be observed that the
proportion of communicative interaction decreases as the severity of the Attentiveness deficits
increases. These data indicate that attentiveness interferes directly in the IC since individuals
with better attentiveness results also have higher proportions of IC. In this aspect, [14] have
already stated that an attention deficit may be responsible for both the functional language
disorders and the social impairment of individuals with ASD.
Figure 3 shows the values regarding the area of Receptive Language of the FCP-R and commu
nicative interaction according to the FCP.
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
MoreInteractive
1900ral
LessInteractive
1900ral
Figure
F
3.interaction
Commu
unicative
interacction
and Receptiive Language.
Figure 3. Communicative
and Receptive
Language.
Tthe association
4 shows the association
n of the
in FCP-Rs
ea of Receptive
L and FCPs
Language
and FCPs communiica
Table 4 showsTable
of the results
in results
FCP-Rs
area of are
Receptive
Language
communicative interaction.
Severity
Normal
Receptive
40
Language (%)
Interactivity
p-value
correlation
coefficient
Severity
Receptive
Language
Mild
(%)
34
Interactivity
More
Less
15
5
<0.001*
More
Mild
Normal
40 Moderate
Moderatte
34
14
Severe
Severee
Profound10
2
More Lesss14 More Lesss 10More Leess More
L
Less
15
5
9
8
2
5
0
5
Less
More
Less
More
Less
More
Less
<0.001*
0.34
0.07
0.03*
p-value
9
8
correlation
0.34
coefficient
0.07
1
0.03* -0.74981
Profou
und
2
More Le
0
1
0.722
0.72
-0.74981
Table
T
4. Associaation of the Recep
ptive language
a
area
of the FCP-R
R and the proportion of communiicative interactio
on o
*Significant
*
value in the t-Stu
udent test at 95%
%
It
I is possible to
o consider that there is a negaative correlation
n between the area of Receptiive Language of
o t
communicative
c
e interaction of
o the FCP. Ass the severity of receptive la
anguage disorrders increase, th
Table 4. Association of the Receptive language area of the FCP-R and the proportion of communicative interaction of
interaction
i
deccreases.
*Significant value in the t-Student test at 95%
the FCP.
Figure
F
4 presen
nts the results of the Expressivve Language areea of the FCP-R
R according to the communicati
the
t FCP.
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
More Lesss
15
5
<0.001*
Interactivity
More Lesss
9
8
0.34
More Leess
2
5
0.07
More Less
L
0
5
0.03*
p-value
correlation
Speech-Language Pathology in the Assessment and Diagnosis within
the1Autism Spectrum
-0.74981
coefficient
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
More Le
0
1
0.722
145
Table
T
ptive language area
a
of the FCP-R
on o
It is possible to consider that there is a negative correlation between the area of Receptive
*Significant
*
value in the t-Stu
udent test at 95%
%
Language of the
the communicative
interaction
of the
FCP. As
ofive Language of
It
I is FCP-R
possibleand
to
o consider
that there is a nega
ative correlation
n between
thethe
areaseverity
of Recepti
o t
receptive language
disorders
increase, the
communicative
interaction
decreases.
communicative
c
e interaction
o the
of
FCP. Ass the severity
anguage disorrders increase, th
of receptive
la
interaction
i
deccreases.
Figure 4 presents the results of the Expressive Language area of the FCP-R according to the
communication
theresults
FCP. of the Expressivve Language areea of the FCP-R
Figure
F interactivity
4 presen
ntsofthe
R according to the communicati
the
t FCP.
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
MoreInteractive
LessInteractive
Figure
F
4.interaction
Commu
unicative
interacction
and Expresssive Language
and Expressive
Language
Table
T
5 presents the associiation of the results
r
in FCP
P-Rs area of Expressive Lan
nguage and FC
CP
Table 5 presents the association of the results in FCP-Rs area of Expressive Language and FCPs
interaction.
i
Severity
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Profound
42
32
20
Expressive Language
(%)
Interactivity
p-value
More
Less
More
Less
More
Less
More
Less
More
Less
16
0.72
Correlation
Coefficient
<0.001*
0.16
<0.001*
0.46
-0.10007
*Significant value in the t-Student test at 95%

Table 5. Association of the Receptive language area of the FCP-R and the proportion of communicative interaction of
the FCP.
These data suggest that there is a negative correlation between the area of Expressive Language
of the FCP-R and the communicative interaction of the FCP. As the severity of the expressive
language disorders increase, the communicative interaction decreases.
-0.100007
Coefficient
Table
T
ptive language area
a
of the FCP-R
o
146
Autism Spectrum*Significant
Advances
* Disorder - Recent
value
in the t-Stu
udent test at
95%
%
These
T
data sug
ggest that therre is a negativee correlation beetween the areea of Expressiv
ve Language o
communicative
c
e interaction off the FCP. As the
t severity of the expressive language diso
orders increase
icorrelations
dec
creases.
The negativeinteraction
in
both receptive and expressive language areas of the FCP-R indicate
that IC decreases as the language disorders severity increases. A study conducted by [19],
The
T functional
negative correlations
caspects of the
in both
banswers
receptive
language
areeasLanguage
of the FCP--R indicate tha
and expressiv
analyzing the
of children
withvesevere
Specific
increases.
A
language
l
disor
rders
severity
s
study
conduct
ted
by
Rocha
and
a
Befi-Lope
Impairment (SLI) observed that this children are less efficient than their peers of the same
age. s (2006), anal
aspects
a
of
the
ildren
with
sev
vere
Specific
L
Language
Impa
airment
(SLI)
o
that t
answers
of
chi
The authors suggest that this indicates that the formal aspects of language interfere directly in observed
efficient
e
than their
t
peers of the same age. The authors ssuggest that th
his indicates th
hat the formal
its functional efficiency.
interfere
i
directtly in its functio
onal efficiency.
Data about the association between communicative interaction as assessed by the FCP and the
Data
D
about the
association
beetween
commu
unicative
P and the areaa
area of Social/Pragmatic
ofe the
FCP-R are
displayed
on
Figure 5interaction as assesssed by the FCP
of
o the FCP-R arre displayed on
n Figure 5
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
MoreInteractive
LessInteractive
Figure
F
5. interaction
Commu
unicative
interacction and Social/P
Pragmatics
and Social/Pragmatics
Table
T the
6 presen
ts the associati
on of the
ts in area
FCP-Rs
aarea of Social/Prragmatics
and F
FCPs commun
Table 6 presents
association
of the results
in resul
FCP-Rs
of Social/Pragmatics
and FCPs
Severity
Social/
NormalPragmatic (%
Mild
%)
Severity
Social/ Pragmatic (%)
Interactivity
p-value
Correlation
26
Interactivity
y
More
Less
More
Normal
Mild
26
More
Less
11
2
p-value
0.46 Correlation
<0.001*
coefficient
Moderate
Lesss18
More
0.467
Severe
Modera
ate
Severre
18
44
Profound
Mor
Mor
Mor
Leess 44
Less 8
L
Less
e
e
e
Less
More
Less
More
Less
11
2
7
2
4
18
2 <0.001*
4*
18 0.008**2
2<0.001
1*
0.008*
<0.001*
0.6837002
Profo
8
Mor
e
2
1
0.683702
T
6. Associaation of the Socia
al/pragmatics are
ea of the FCP-R and
a the proportio
on of communicaative interaction
coefficientTable
*Significant
* in the t-Student
value
in95%
the
*Significant value
test at
t-Stu
udent test at 95%
%
These
T
results suggest that as the disorders in the soccial/pragmatic area increasees, the commu
u
decreases.How
d of the Social/pragmatics
wever, there
betweenofth
hese
variables.
. The questions
R
Table 6. Association
areaisofno
thelinear
FCP-R relat
and tion
the proportion
communicative
interaction
of the s of the FCP-R
FCP.
These results suggest that as the disorders in the social/pragmatic area increases, the commu
nicative interaction decreases.However, there is no linear relation between these variables. The
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
147
questions of the FCP-R regarding this area focus on some important social situations and
pragmatic abilities but the answer takes into account just the occurrence of the situation,
regardless of its frequency or of the consistency with which happens and not considering the
focus on some important social situations and pragmatic abilities but the answer takes into accou
focus of the subjects intention.
the situation, regardless of its frequency or of the consistency with which happens and not cons
These
findingsintention.
suggest that objective protocols to the characterization of the pragmatic abilities
subjects
may not be sufficient to determine the functional communicative profile of a person with ASD.
The specific
functional
assessment
of communication
be necessary, with
These findings
suggest
that objective
protocolsseems
to thetocharacterization
of the
the FCP-R
pragmatic abilities m
providing
complementary
but
not
exclusive
information.
Other
studies
also
suggest
the use
determine the functional communicative profile of a person with ASD.
The specific fun
of complementary
assessment
in order towith
characterize,
identify
and assess
individuals but not exclu
communication
seems totools
be necessary,
the FCP-R
providing
complementary
withstudies
ASD due
to the
variability
of the
symptoms presented
[2, 20]. tools in order to characterize, identify
also
suggest
the use
of complementary
assessment
ASD due
the variability area
of theofsymptoms
et that
al, 2012;
Barbosa et al, 2011)
Still with
considering
theto
social/pragmatic
the FCP-R presented
it could be(Santos
observed
the group
with severe disorders has shown significant difference in the IC proportion. This result
Still considering
the social/pragmatic
area of with
the FCP-R
it could be observed
indicates
that both protocols
agree that individuals
low social/pragmatic
abilities that
also the group wi
significant difference
in the IC proportion. This result indicates that both protocols agre
haveshown
less communicative
interaction.
low social/pragmatic abilities also have less communicative interaction.
These results also agree with several prior studies regarding this issue. [22] observed that
children with ASD present less answers to interactive attempts by others and less spontaneous
These results also agree with several prior studies regarding this issue. Watson et al (2007) obse
communication. [13] reported that children with ASD have great impairments in the functional
ASD present less answers to interactive attempts by others and less spontaneous communication
use of communication. [1] observed that, even when interacting with a familiar interlocutor,
reported that children with ASD have great impairments in the functional use of communication
children with ASD have great difficulties with the interactive use of communication. These
(2010)
observed
even
whenconfirm
interacting
a familiar interlocutor, children with ASD hav
authors
point
out that that,
the FCP
usually
thesewith
difficulties.
the interactive use of communication. These authors point out that the FCP usually confirm these
Data regarding the average of IC and the severity degree in the FCP-R show large deficits in
IC asData
the severity
increases.
Figureof6IC
shows
the severity
association
of theinmean
proportion
comdeficits in IC a
regarding
the average
and the
degree
the FCP-R
showoflarge
municative
interaction
and
the
areas
of
the
FCP-R
that
were
considered
in
this
study.
It
Figure 6 shows the association of the mean proportion of communicative interaction
and the a
indicates
that
the
overall
severity
of
the
FP-R
is
determinant
to
the
proportion
of
IC.
were considered in this study. It indicates that the overall severity of the FP-R is determinant to th
Figure 6. Mean proportion of communicative interaction associated with the FCP-R
Figure 6. Mean proportion of communicative interaction associated with the FCP-R
The distribution of the average proportion of communicative interaction in this group of particip
an important decrease in interactivity associated to the increase in severity of the disorders in the
were analyzed.
The following data refer to the association between other aspects of the FCP communicative act
(CAM) and proportion of the communicatuve space occupied (CSO) and the same areas of the FC
148
The distribution of the average proportion of communicative interaction in this group of

participants shows that there is an important decrease in interactivity associated to the increase
in severity of the disorders in the areas of the CFP-R that were analyzed.
The following data refer to the association between other aspects of the FCP communicative
acts expressed per minute (CAM) and proportion of the communicatuve space occupied (CSO)
and the same areas of the FCP-R.
Behavior
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Profound
CAM
11.3
7.4
7.9
8.1
15.4
CSO(%)
38
42.6
44.1
39.7
39
Table 7. Average of CAM and CSO associated to the Behavior area of the FCP-R
The number of communicative acts expressed per minute was similar in the participants with
mild to moderate behavior disorders; but it varied in those with normal behavior and even
more to the ones with profound behavior disorders. However, considering the proportion of
the communicative space that was occupied by the participants, all groups had an average
bellow 50% (that would indicate an even distribution of CEO among the dyad). It suggests
that the large number of communicative acts expressed per minute doesnt leads to commu
nicative efficiency.
The association of behavior disorders identified by the FCP-R and the indicators of commu
nicative intent (CAM and CSO) of the FCP has similar results for the various severity scores.
It may suggest that the isolated communicative intent (no adequately addressed) doesnt result
in functional efficiency. This brings to attention the issue of the need to take the communicative
context into consideration when analyzing pragmatic abilities of individuals with ASD [5, 12].
The averages of CAM and CSO associated to the Attentiveness area of the FCP-R are presented
in Table 8.
Attentiveness
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Profound
CAM
8.3
9.1
7.2
CSO(%)
41.4
45.7
40
39
52
Table 8. Average of CAM and CSO associated to Attentiveness
Although the CAM average didnt present a linear distribution, it has a slight decrease between
the severe and profound groups. It suggests that the participants with large attention deficits
may even occupy the communicative space symmetrically but their communicative intent is
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
reduced. Children with severe attention deficits may show more difficulties to start commu
nication when compared to children with mild no none attention deficits.
The averages of CAM and CSO associated to the Receptive Language area of the FCP-R are
presented in Table 9.
Receptive Language
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Profound
CAM
8.5
8.2
8.7
6.2
7.8
CSO(%)
43.7
40.9
45.1
40.4
42
Table 9. Average of CAM and CSO associated to Receptive Language
CAMs average shows a decrease tendency as the deficits in receptive language increases,
although this is not a linear association. These data seem to suggest that language compre
hension is closely associated to the performance regarding the initiative to communicate that
is reflected in the number of communicative acts expressed per minute. The association of the
severity of the deficits in receptive language and IC has shown that the difficulties in under
standing the language expressed may be associated with the few IC. The same occurs with the
expressive language: individuals with more impairments tend to show less CAM.
The averages of CAM and CSO associated to the Expressive Language area of the FCP-R are
Expressive Language
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
CAM
13
8.4
8.3
7.8
Profound
5.6
CSO(%)
24
43.7
44.6
38.7
44.5
Table 10. Average of CAM and CSO associated to Expressive Language
These data point out to the interdependency between the severity of the deficits in expressive
language and the CAM. There is a clear decrease in the number of communicative acts expressed
per minute as the severity of the deficits increases. Therefore, it seems clear that the expressive
language abilities are directly associated to the CAM in the FCP.
A longitudinal study of the pragmatic abilities of children with SLI [3] indicated that the CAM
is the clearer parameter of disorder for these children.
The association of the social/pragmatic area and CAM and CSO has shown that even small
impairments in this area of the FCP-R have are related to proportional deficits in the FCP.
These data confirm prior studies [6, 7] that assessed pragmatic therapeutic intervention
processes in 6-month to 1-year periods and observed association of results regarding CAM,
CSO and IC.
149
150
The averages of CAM and CSO associated to the Social/ Pragmatic area of the FCP-R are
2006; Fernandes et al, 2008) that assessed pragmatic therapeutic intervention processes in 6-month to 1
observed association of results regarding CAM, CSO and IC.
Social/Pragmatic
Mild
Moderate
Severearea of theProfound
The averagesNormal
of CAM and CSO
associated to
the Social/ Pragmatic
FCP-R are presented in Ta
CAM
CSO(%)
9.8
33.5
8.8
45.2
8.8
40.1
7.5
Social/Pragmatic
42.5
8.1
44.8
Normal
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Profound
Table 11. Average of CAM and CSO
associated to Social/
CAM
9.8Pragmatic
8.8
8.8
7.5
8.1
CSO(%)
33.5
45.2
40.1
42.5
44.8
The CAM
average
for the
group
is higher than
all the
other groups. It may suggest that
Table
11. Average
of normal
CAM and
CSO associated
to Social/
Pragmatic
any social/pragmatic deficit interferes with the communicative initiative of individuals with
ASD. The CAM average for the normal group is higher than all the other groups. It may suggest that an
deficit interferes with the communicative initiative of individuals with ASD.
The analysis of the CAM and CSO averages regarding the selected areas of the FCP-R are
presented in figures 7 and 8.
The analysis of the CAM and CSO averages regarding the selected areas of the FCP-R are presented in
Figure 7. Average
CAM andofthe
selected
of the FCP-R.
Figure 7.ofAverage
CAM
andareas
the selected
areas of the FCP-R.
Several studies have been conducted regarding the development, adaptation and validation
of diagnostic and severity scales for ASD in Brazil [15], Pereira, Wagner & Riesgo, 2007). There
is still no single tool that can provide all the information regarding characterization and
severity scores. Therefore the use of complementary protocols seems to be the better alternative
for comprehensive and detailed diagnostic and description that will allow efficient planning
of intervention procedures. It is true to other countries where other languages are used.
Linguistic and cultural adaptations are at least as important as the translation from one
language to the other when the use of a foreign assessment toll is proposed.
The second study aimed to identify useful tools to the assessment of the diagnostic hipothesis
of ASD and their specific characteristics
Figure 8. Average of CSO and the selected areas of the FCP-R.
Several studies have been conducted regarding the development, adaptation and validation of diagn
scales for ASD in Brazil (Marteleto & Pedromonico, 2005; Pereira, Wagner & Riesgo, 2007). There is
that can provide all the information regarding characterization and severity scores. Therefore the use
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
151
Figure 7. Average of CAM and the selected areas of the FCP-R.
2.2. Study
2. Comparing
the results
of DAADD
and ABC
children included
in Autism
Several
studies have
been conducted
regarding
theofdevelopment,
adaptation
and validation of dia
Spectrum
Disorders
scales for ASD in Brazil (Marteleto & Pedromonico, 2005; Pereira, Wagner & Riesgo, 2007). There
that can provide all the information regarding characterization and severity scores. Therefore the us
2.2.1. Methods
protocols seems to be the better alternative for comprehensive and detailed diagnostic and descrip
efficient planning of intervention procedures. It is true to other countries where other languages are
Participants were 45 individuals with ASD and their language therapists. All the individuals
cultural adaptations are at least as important as the translation from one language to the other when
were assessed and received language therapy at the Speech-Language Research Laboratory in
assessment toll is proposed.
Autism Spectrum Disorders (LIF-DEA) of the School of Medicine University of So Paulo
(FMUSP), Brazil. They all had been diagnosed with ASD by neurologists and/or psychiatrists
The second study aimed to identify useful tools to the assessment of the diagnostic hipothesis of AS
according to the DSM-IVtr (2002) or the IDC-10 (2003) criteria.
characteristics
The Differential Assessment of Autism and Other Developmental Disorders (DAADD) [10] was
proposed to differentiate, by means of the identification of the childs behavior, specific
developmental disorders such as autism, Rett syndrome (RS), Asperger syndrome (AS),
pervasive developmental disorders not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS), apraxia, mental
deficits (MD) and other syndromes (OS). These three last categories were not focused in this
study because they are not included in the ASD according to the DSM-tr or the IDC-10.
According to the DAADD guidelines the participants were divided groups according to their
ages (2-to-4years; 4-to-6 years and 6-to-8 years) and age-specific protocols were used to the
assessment. Each group comprised 15 participants. Familiar income and school level were not
considered inclusion criteria. The DAADD uses technical data, is extensive and demands
detailed information; therefore it was applied during an interview with the speech-language
therapists of the 45 participants. All the therapists are speech-language pathologists and
audiologists (fonoaudilogas) and were working with the participants for at least 1 year [10].
Figure 9 shows the distribution of the participants according to their ages.
The medical diagnosis of the participants was determined by psychiatrists or neurologists
working in public and private services of the state of So Paulo (Brazil). And the distribution
of the diagnosis was: 29 children with ASD; seven with PDD; five with PDD-NOS; two with
AS; one with High Functioning Autism (HFA) and one with Atypical Autism.
152
Familiar
F
incom
me and school level were nott considered in
nclusion criteriia. The DAADD
D uses techniccal da
and
a demands detailed inform
mation; therefo
ore it was appliied during an interview
i
with
h the speech-lan
ngua
the
t
45 particip
pants. All the therapists are speech-languaage pathologissts and audiollogists (fonoau
udilo
working
w
with the
t participantts for at least 1 year
y
(Gail & Ly
ynn, 2003).
Figure
F
9 showss the distributio
on of the particcipants accordiing to their agees.
1900ral
1900ral
1900ral
33y11m 44
4y11m 55y11m 66y11m
7 8
years
Figure
F the participants.
9. Age of the participants..
Figure 9. Age of
The
T medical diiagnosis of the participants was
w determined
d by psychiatrists or neurolog
gists working in
n pu
Data regarding the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC) were retrieved from the individuals
services
s
of the state of So Paulo
P
(Brazil). And
A
the distrib
bution of the diagnosis
d
was: 29 children wiith A
protocols registered
at the
LIF-DEAtw
of FMUSP
it High
is regularly
usedAut
during
the annual
PDD;
P
five with
h PDD-NOS;
wo
with AS; where
on
ne with
Fu
unctioning
tism (HFA)
and
d one with Aty
ypical
assessment process. The ABC (Krug, Arick & Almond, 1993) identifies the non-adaptative
Data
D indicates
regarding
gthe
the probability
Autism Behavior
Check
klist (ABC)
re retrieved
from the individu
uals protocols regist
r
behaviors and
of the
diagnosis
of wer
autism.
The questionnaire
focus
Dof atypical
of FMUS
SP
where it
is regularly
used
d during the
aannual assessm
ment use
process.
T ABC (Krug
The
g, Ar
on 57 itemsDEA
behavior
within
5 areas:
language,
sensorial,
relational,
of body
1993) identifiess the non-adap
ptative behavio
ors and indicatees the probabillity of the diag
gnosis of autism
m. Th
and object and social abilities. The scores are totaled by area and generate the final general
focus
f
on 57 iteems of atypicall behavior with
hin 5 areas: lan
nguage, sensorrial, relational, use of body and
a
o
score.
abilities.
a
The sccores are totaleed by area and generate the fiinal general sco
ore.
Figure 10 shows the distribution of the participants according to the results of the ABC.
Figure
F
10 show
ws the distributtion of the partticipants accord
ding to the resu
ults of the ABC
C.
10
8
6
NonAutistic
Moderateprobability
HighProbabilitty
0
2 4years 4 6yyears 6 8years
Figure
F
10. Autism
m probability acccording to the Au
utism Behavior Chhecklist.
Figure 10. Autism probability according to the Autism Behavior Checklist.
2.2.2.
2
Data analysis
a
2.2.2. Data analysis
Data
D
obtained in the two asssessments were analyzed fo
or each subjectt and the glob
bal performancce was bas
overall
o
results.. Data resulting
g from the ABC
C and the DAA
ADD wee asso
ociated accordin
ng to their cateegories, as
Data obtained
in12.
the two assessments were analyzed for each subject and the global perform
Table
T
ance was based on the overall results. Data resulting from the ABC and the DAADD wee
Differen
ntial Assessmen
nt of Autism and
a
associated according to their categories, as shown in Table 12.
Autism Behavior
B
Check
klist (ABC)
Language
Other Dev
velopmental Diisorders (DAA
ADD)
Languag
ge
Relational
Sensorial
Pragmattic
Sensorial
Usee of body and object

o
Social abilitiees
Motorr
Behavio
or
Table
T
12. ABC an
nd DAADD areas
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
Data of both protocols were compared and the adopted significance level was 0.05 (5%). The
significant areas were analyzed by the t-Student test and the Wilcoxon test was used to verify
linear correlations between them.
Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC)
Differential Assessment of Autism and Other

Developmental Disorders (DAADD)
Language
Language
Relational
Pragmatic
Sensorial
Sensorial
Use of body and object
Motor
Social abilities
Behavior
Table 12. ABC and DAADD areas
2.2.3. Results
It was observed that 20% of the older children were considered without risk for autism by
the ABC.
Table 13 presents the more frequent answers to the DAADD regarding the developmental
disorders considered. It was verified that either in G2 and G3 the most frequent diagnosis was
autism.
Age Groups
G1
G2
G3
Diagnosis
Number of participants
Autism
Rett
Asperger
Autism
13
Rett
Autism
10
Asperger
Table 13. Developmental disorders according to the DAADD in all age groups
Comparing the DAADD and the ABC it can be noted that although there is no significant
difference, there is a great occurrence of RS according to the DAADD. In G1 these children
were rated as with high risk for autism, maybe due to the several motor disorders observed.
153
154
With the increasing age these proportion decreases and the high risk for autism is the most
frequent score of the ABC in groups G2 and G3. In G3 the DAADD attributes the diagnosis of
AS to 75% of the participants of G3.
The Wilcoxon test was applied in the comparison of the ABC and DAADD areas. They were
compared within each age group in tables 14, 15 and 16.
The answers to the DAADD and to the ABC are similar in each area. These data indicates that
with increasing age the diagnosis identified by the DAADD is closer to the medical diagnosis.
Standart
Variables
Means (%) deviation

(%)
Minimun Maximum Percentile Percentile 50 Percentile

(%)
(%)
25 (%)
(Median) (%)
75 (%)
ABC LG
15
28.39
20.41
6.45
80.65
9.68
25.81
41.94
DA LGG AUT
15
48.44
13.21
33.33
80.00
40.00
46.67
53.33
ABC LG
15
28.39
20.41
6.45
80.65
9.68
25.81
41.94
DA LGG RETT
15
54.44
11.73
41.67
83.33
41.67
50.00
58.33
ABC LG
15
28.39
20.41
6.45
80.65
9.68
25.81
41.94
DA LGG DN
15
43.14
12.31
29.41
70.59
3.29
41.18
47.06
ABC RE
15
48.25
17.37
19.05
78.57
35.71
47.62
61.90
DA PRAG AUT
15
74.67
11.60
60.00
100.00
66.67
73.33
80.00
ABC RE
15
48.25
17.37
19.05
78.57
35.71
47.62
61.90
DA PRAG RETT
15
79.56
11.67
66.67
100.00
66.67
80.00
86.67
ABC RE
15
48.25
17.37
19.05
78.57
35.71
47.62
61.90
DA PRAG AS
15
75.83
9.99
62.50
93.75
68.75
75.00
81.25
ABC RE
15
48.25
17.37
19.05
78.57
35.71
47.62
61.90
DA PRAG DN
15
75.42
10.15
62.50
93.75
68.75
75.00
81.25
ABC BO
15
62.67
15.76
36.00
84.00
48.00
68.00
76.00
DA BEH AS
15
43.33
26.01
8.33
91.67
16.67
50.00
66.67
ABC BO
15
62.67
15.76
36.00
84.00
48.00
68.00
76.00
DA BEH DN
15
43.03
29.05
0.00
90.91
18.18
54.55
72.73
p-value
0.003
0.003
0.012
0.001
0.001
0.002
0.002
0.017
0.041
Legend:ABC=Autism Behavior Checklist; LG=language, DA=Differential Assessment of Autism and Other Develop
mental Disorders, LGG=language, AUT=autism, RETT=Rett Syndrome, DN=pervasive developmental disorder not oth
erwise specified, RE=relating, PRAG=pragmatics, AS=Asperger Syndrome, BEH=behavior, BO=body-object use.
Table 14. Comparison of the different areas of the DAADD and the ABC to G1
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
Standart
Variables
Means (%) deviation

(%)

(%)
(%)
25 (%)
(Median) (%)
75 (%)
ABC LG
15
60.00
25.51
22.58
93.55
35.48
61.29
83.87
DA LGG AS
15
25.56
19.02
8.33
75.00
8.33
25.00
33.33
ABC LG
15
60.00
25.51
22.58
93.55
35.48
61.29
83.87
DA LGG DN
15
14.44
15.26
0.00
50.00
0.00
16.67
16.67
ABC RE
15
61.11
17.33
19.05
95.24
57.14
61.90
69.05
DA PRAG DN
15
46.67
17.99
20.00
80.00
40.00
40.00
60.00
ABC SE
15
59.09
19.59
22.73
100.00
45.45
63.64
72.73
DA SE AUT
15
34.81
20.52
11.11
88.89
22.22
33.33
44.44
ABC SE
15
59.09
19.59
22.73
100.00
45.45
63.64
72.73
DA SE RETT
15
34.81
20.52
11.11
88.89
22.22
33.33
44.44
ABC SE
15
59.09
19.59
22.73
100.00
45.45
63.64
72.73
DA SE AS
15
23.33
22.54
0.00
83.33
16.67
16.67
33.33
ABC SE
15
59.09
19.59
22.73
100.00
45.45
63.64
72.73
DA SE DN
15
24.00
20.28
0.00
80.00
20.00
20.00
40.00
ABC BEH
15
49.12
23.91
13.16
81.58
26.32
52.63
73.68
DA MOT AUT
15
28.00
23.66
0.00
70.00
10.00
20.00
50.00
ABC BEH
15
49.12
23.91
13.16
81.58
26.32
52.63
73.68
DA MOT RETT
15
26.67
22.91
0.00
72.73
9.09
18.18
45.45
ABC BEH
15
49.12
23.91
13.16
81.58
26.32
52.63
73.68
DA MOT AS
15
27.50
25.09
0.00
75.00
12.50
25.00
37.50
ABC BEH
15
49.12
23.91
13.16
81.58
26.32
52.63
73.68
DA MOT DN
15
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
0.00
ABC BO
15
64.00
17.63
32.00
88.00
52.00
68.00
80.00
DA BEH AUT
15
30.91
26.35
0.00
90.91
9.09
27.27
36.36
ABC BO
15
64.00
17.63
32.00
88.00
52.00
68.00
80.00
DA BEH RETT
15
36.19
27.46
0.00
85.71
14.29
42.86
57.14
ABC BO
15
64.00
17.63
32.00
88.00
52.00
68.00
80.00
DA BEH AS
15
30.30
23.47
0.00
81.82
9.09
27.27
36.36
ABC BO
15
64.00
17.63
32.00
88.00
52.00
68.00
80.00
DA BEH DN
15
32.12
25.22
0.00
81.82
9.09
27.27
45.45
p-value
0.001
0.001
0.018
0.005
0.005
0.001
0.001
0.008
0.009
0.016
0.001
0.005
0.009
0.003
0.003
Legend:ABC=Autism Behavior Checklist; LG=language, DA=Differential Assessment of Autism and Other Develop
mental Disorders, LGG=language, AUT=autism, RETT=Rett Syndrome, DN=pervasive developmental disorder not oth
erwise specified, RE=relating, PRAG=pragmatics, AS=Asperger Syndrome, BEH=behavior, BO=body-object use,
SE=sensory, MOT=motor
Table 15. Comparison of the different areas of the DAADD and the ABC to G2.
155
156
Standart
Variables
Means (%) deviation

(%)

(%)
(%)
25 (%)
(Median) (%)
75 (%)
ABC SE
15
43.94%
21.37%
0.00%
77.27%
31.82%
45.45%
59.09%
DA SE AS
15
28.33%
28.14%
0.00%
75.00%
0.00%
25.00%
50.00%
ABC SE
15
43.94%
21.37%
0.00%
77.27%
31.82%
45.45%
59.09%
DA SE DN
15
13.33%
35.19%
0.00%
100.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
ABC BEH
15
40.00%
24.33%
0.00%
73.68%
13.16%
47.37%
57.89%
DA MOT DN
15
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
p-value
0.030
0.020
0.001
Legend: ABC=Autism Behavior Checklist, DA=Differential Assessment of Autism and Other Developmental Disor
ders, DN=pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified, AS=Asperger Syndrome, BEH=behavior,
BO=body-object use, SE=sensory, MOT=motor
Table 16. Comparison of the different areas of the DAADD and the ABC to G3.
3. Discussion
The results of the two protocols tend to be more similar with the increasing age. The DAADD
has shown to be more sensible in the different age-groups, while the ABC seems to be more
specific only in the older group. It must be noted that the ABC aims just to identify the risk for
autism while the DAADD differentiates the children that already have the diagnosis within
the autism spectrum.
The need for diagnostic protocols that consider the association of communication and
behavior disorders of children with ASD is clear. These protocols must provide means for
the careful observation and record of communicative behaviors (Matson, Nebel-Schwalm
& Matson, 2006; [18].
The comparison of the different areas of the DAADD and the ABC has shown that the DAADD
is more efficient to the identification of language disorders. It must be considered, however,
that this is not the purpose of the ABC. The use of both protocols may be complementary,
applied as needed along the diagnosis process. In several countries and in different regions of
many countries providing services of medical diagnosis for children with ASD takes precious
time. The time spent waiting for the conclusion of the diagnostic process would be extremely
important to the childs development. The sooner the child receives appropriate therapy and
education, the better the prognosis (Volkmar, Chawarska & Klin, 2005) Therefore, the use of
screening tools that helps to identify children at risk for ASD or with some probability of
receiving this diagnosis may represent the better use of resources that are frequently limited.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59409
The comparison of different protocols, especially considering the needs of non-Englishspeaking groups, allow a more comprehensive perspective about tools that can be used in the
assessment process of children with developmental disorders.
4. Conclusions
During the last decades important changes have taken place regarding the concept and
prevalence of ASD. This resulted in a greater need for screening tools that can be used in public
health programs designed to provide services to an increasing number of children as soon as
possible in their development.
The diagnosis of ASD often produces, besides the emotional stress in the affected families,
large social and emotional impact. It implies in the urgent need for efficient models of screening
and diagnosis that can support intervention plans that are individually planned and imple
mented. Early diagnosis and intervention are essential to the better prognosis; therefore
clinicians and researchers have been dedicated to the development of efficient strategies to the
identification of disorders and intervening factors.
Several diagnostic and assessment tools have been proposed, aiming the early identification
of ASD. However, the efforts to improve the early identification of children with ASD will only
be effective if the diagnosed children have access to appropriate intervention services.
Considering that the assessment process may be long and expensive and that the diagnosis
frequently depends on clinical impressions, the use of specific and sensitive tools is essential.
In this context an important aspect to be considered in the use of specific tools to the assessment
and diagnosis of children with ASD is that it should be possible to use them despite the
diversity of symptoms that are characteristic of these children. Besides, these tools should also
be able to identify the central features of ASD. Cultural aspects and the possibility of use in
different contexts should also be considered.
Finally, although there are several tools for the screening, assessment, diagnosis and followup of children with ASD, there is not just one protocol that can be universally used. In the
clinical practice the assessment, diagnosis and follow-up of intervention processes still
depends on the clinicians abilities that chooses specific and complementary tools.
Author details
Fernanda Dreux Miranda Fernandes*, Milene Rossi Pereira Barbosa,
Thas Helena Ferreira Santos and Cibelle Albuquerque de La Higuera Amato
*Address all correspondence to: fernandadreux@usp.br
Department of Phisical Therapy, Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and
Ocupational Therapy, School of Medicine, Universidade de So Paulo, So Paulo, Brazil
157
158
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Chapter 9
Occupational Therapy in Autism

Gonca Bumin, Meral Huri, Sinem Salar and
Hulya Kayihan
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59168
1. Introduction
Autism, a developmental disability, is defined by behavioural characteristics. Primary features
of autism are described as problems in language skills, plays and social interaction [1]. It is
considered a spectrum disorder, as the abilities of children with autism may very greatly from
one child to another [2]. Symptoms begin during early childhood and distinctive incompetence
and limited, repetitive behaviours are seen in socio-communicative field. In addition to these
primary features, individuals with autism generally have sensory processing and sensory
integration dysfunction, which affect adaptive behaviour and participating daily activities.
Many children with autism are unable to register many of the sensations from their environ
ment. They cannot integrate those sensations to form a clear perception of space. Atypical
sensory registration and orientation can interfere with the processes of inhibition and facili
tation in sensory systems. Some self-stimulatory behaviour is the expression of a sensory need
in children with autism. Assessing sensory integrative functioning in children with autism is
critical for planning and implementing effective intervention in occupational therapy [3-5]. As
far as motor functions are concerned, motor impairments have been reported in children with
autism. The studies shown that problems are observed in coordination, posture and balance
control, locomotion and motor preparation in individuals with autism [6-10].
Due to sensory integration dysfunction, individuals with autism have difficulty fulfilling
the roles they are expected to accomplish in their life and they can display behaviours that
can hinder their participation in daily life. The primary aim of occupational therapy practices
is to ensure that the individuals with autism participate in communal life through minimiz
ing the difficulties in the daily activities they experience at home, school or in communal
life and maximizing their independency. Occupational therapists believe that the individu
al with autisms community participation can be increased through their participation in
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meaningful and purposeful activities they have in their daily roles and aims to achieve.
They also make use of client-centred and holistic therapeutic interventions both in analysing
and evaluating the problems which individuals with autism face and in their treatment and
support system.
Occupational therapy interventions, which are designed according to standardized assess
ment tests, questionnaires, skilled observations, provide considerable advantage in dealing
with the problems individuals with autism and their families face in daily life.
This chapter will give information on standardized assessment tests and practices applied in
occupational therapy interventions such as sensory integration therapy, auditory integration
training, activities of daily living training, play therapy, social skills training, cognitive
behavioural therapy, school based intervention, recreational activities and sports and voca
tional rehabilitation.
2. Sensory integration therapy

Current estimates indicate that accompanying sensory processing problems are reported in
more than 80% children with autism. Hyper or hypo reactivity to sensory inputs is now a
diagnostic criterion for Autism Spectrum Disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders-Fifth Edition [11, 12]. A. Jean Ayres, an occupational therapist, developed
the sensory Integration theory [13]. Theory is based on neuroscience, developmental psychol
ogy, occupational therapy and education sciences. Sensory integration therapy is a common
method used in paediatric occupational therapy. Results of a survey made on occupational
therapists working with children with autism report that 99% of therapists stated that they
were referring to sensory integration therapy [14]. According to this theory; 1.sensorymotor
development is important for learning 2. Individuals interaction with environments shapes
brain development 3. Neurological system has plasticity capability. 4. Meaningful sensorymotor activity is a strong mediator of plasticity [15]. Sensory integration is a process of
organizing sensory information in brain in order to create an adaptive response. The aim of
sensory integration therapy is to provide controlled and meaningful sensory experiences so
that the child can spontaneously and appropriately form responses that require integration of
those sensations [16].
2.1. The importance of sensation
According to the theoretical basis of sensory integration vestibular, proprioceptive, tactile,
auditory and visual systems as well as olfaction (sense of smell) and gestation (sense of taste)
have a significant importance. The tactile/proprioceptive and vestibular/proprioceptive
systems interact routinely with the auditory and visual systems to supply the multimodal
sensory information needed to make a meaningful motor response. Its reported that sensory
integration is a dynamic process that sustains during development and sensory information
can be organized as a result of interaction with environment [17].

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2.1.1. Tactile system

Skin has numerous receptors that perceive touching, pressure, texture, heat, pain and move
ment. A signal is transmitted to the related parts of the brain when tactile receptors are
stimulated with touch, heat or vibration. Tactile system is a sensory system that affects
behaviour both physically and mentally. Sense of touch is quite important for neural organi
zation and praxis development [16, 18].
2.1.2. Vestibular system
Vestibular receptors related with balance and gravity, and located in inner ear consist of semicircular canals, utricle and saccule. Semi-circular canals are responsible for detection of
angular, fast, short bursts of motion, and result in phasic limb movements and momentary
head righting. Vestibular system is a system that affects balance, eye movements, posture,
muscle tonus and attention [16, 19].
2.1.3. Proprioseptive system
This system is related with position and movement. Pushing and pulling activities related with
muscles and joints are activities that provide maximum stimulation for this system. Proprio
ceptive system provides information on postural and oculomotor control, position in space
and balance together with vestibular and visual system. In terms of the problems reported in
vestibular and proprioceptive system, difficulties in good body scheme and laterality devel
opment, poor balance, poor postural control and difficulties in coordinated movements are
observed in children with autism [2, 16-18].
Children who are hypo responsive against proprioceptive stimulation have weak propriocep
tive discrimination and awareness and fail to use proprioceptive input correctly. Therefore
they tend to break their toys easily and have low postural tonus. Bites, pushes, hits, scratches,
bumps, hurls, hangs and aggressive behaviours as well as self stimulatory and hyperactive
behaviours such as banging head, biting hands are observed in children seeking for proprio
ceptive inputs [20].
2.1.4. Auditory system
The sound information from each ear goes to auditory cortex of opposite hemisphere. The
relation between the auditory system and valgus nerve is important in sensory modula
tion [16].
2.1.5. Visual system
The light received stimulates retina in order to send sensory input to the processing centre in
the brain. Integration of visual inputs with different senses provides our awareness about our
environments. Visual and vestibular systems work together for perceptual motor integration
and visual perception [16, 18].
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2.1.6. Gustatory sense

Different senses of tastes ensure that we like the food we eat and distinguish those that may
be harmful [16].
2.1.7. Olfactory sense
Smell is directly processed via limbic system and creates memories and associations that
influence some of our choices and preferences [16].
Its reported that sensory processing problems observed in individuals with autism are
associated with behavioural and/or functional performance problems and specifically stereo
typical or repetitive are associated with self-calm or sensory seeking [21]. The studies show
that repetitive behaviours, behaviours such as climbing, turning and twirling may indicate
existence of sensory processing behaviours [12].
Sensory registration, modulation, discrimination and praxis defined as motor behaviour
planning capability are performance components, which are important for sensory integration.
Sensory registration is receiving different stimulus from body or environment [17]. Sensory
registration process is important for the individual to perform effective function by paying
attention. Children with autism who have sensory registration problems fail in creating
appropriate adaptive responses against pain, touch, movement, taste, smell, light and sound
[22]. Sensory modulation is defined as capacity to regulate and organize the degree, intensity,
and the nature of responses to sensory input in a graded and adaptive manner [17]. Sensory
discrimination is important for development of motor functions, postural tonus and postural
adjustment. Different sensory modulation problems such as hyporesponsivity, hyperrespon
sivity, sensory avoiding or sensory seeking are reported in children with autism. Hypersen
sitivity is the most common auditory and tactile defensiveness. High pain tolerance is the most
significant indicator of hypo responsiveness in children with autism [2].
Difficulty in starting and sustaining a social interaction and relation, delays in speaking or
communication disorders such as echolalia, repetitive stereotypical plays, visually focusing
on any object, cognitive deficits and confusions in impacts and results of behaviours are
common sensory integrative related behaviours in children with autism spectrum disorder.
Poor sensory processing affects the child with autism in successful involvement in daily life
activities such as playing and participating in social activities with peers, tooth brushing,
eating, self care etc. [23].
2.2. Sensory integration assessment and intervention
The Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process (AOTA, 2002) which is a
comprehensive guideline of assessment and intervention is used in the assessment of
individuals with autism and in occupational therapy interventions. Accordingly, occupa
tional profile should be initially defined, occupational performance should be assessed,
intervention plan should be designed, objectives and goals should be identified and
documented, intervention should be implemented and results of intervention should be
assessed and documented [24].

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2.2.1. Assessment
It is important to identify sensory responsiveness (over, under or labile) and sensory prefer
ences (likes and dislikes) praxis and sensory processing problems that affect involvement in
daily life activities in the assessment of sensory integration in children with autism [25].
Numerous tests like given below are used for assessment of sensory integration in occupational
therapy.
Sensory Integration and Praxis Test (SIPT): It is developed to identify sensory integration
problems. Test is standardized for use in children 4 8 : 11 years of age. SIPT assesses sensory
and neurological process, which leads to behavioural, learning, language and praxis problems.
It consists of 17 subtests, which assess tactile, vestibular proprioceptive processing; form and
space perception, visual-motor coordination, praxis, bilateral integration and sequencing, and
it takes nearly 90 minutes to complete the test [26].
Southern California Sensory Integration Test (SCSIT): It is developed by Ayres for use in
physically and mentally normal children with specific learning disorder. It is standardized for
children 4-8:11 years of age. It takes nearly 75-90 minutes to complete the test [27].
Southern California Postrotary Nystagmus Test (SCPNT): This test developed by Ayres to
evaluate of nystagmus to field of occupational therapy. This test measures the amplitude of
the eyes side to side excursion and the total duration in seconds of ocular movements
following rotations [28].
Sensory Profile: The Sensory Profile is a caregiver questionnaire, which measures childrens
responses to sensory events in everyday life for children 3-10 years of age. 5-point likert scale
(nearly never, seldom, occasionally, frequently, almost always) is used for assessment [29].
Evaluation of sensory processing:This questionnaire is intended to identify behaviors thought
to be indicative of sensory processing problems [30].
Tests such as Developmental Test of Visual Motor Integration [31], Motor Free Visual Perception
Test [32], Test of Visual Perceptual Skills (Non motor) [33] are used for the assessment of visual
perceptual skills.
Besides standardized assessments, many occupational therapists refer to clinical observations
for assessment of sensory and praxis functions. Clinical observation of postural control,
behaviour organization and vestibular functions offer significant information in addition to
sensory tests. Its important to observe playing skills, social interaction and other relevant
behaviours of the child in childs natural settings [23]. Clinical Observations of Motor and Postural
Skills is a screen tool for motor deficits and assessment of cerebellar function, postural control
and motor coordination [34]. Its reported that Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) can used in
measurement of results in sensory integration studies [35].
2.2.2. Intervention
Its reported that sensory integration therapy should be individually implemented with the
consideration of the inner drive of the child, based on the sensory experience, challenge and
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interest and in a structured environments with active participation of the child [16, 22]. More
effective feed-forward mechanism required for optimum adaptive response are created with
child-directed actions. In responding children with autism, it is important to use controlled
and meaningful sensory stimulus to create organized behaviour and to make environmental
adaptations when needed. Due to the problems in body awareness, a child with autism fails
in receiving sufficient tactile, proprioceptive and vestibular inputs from his/her body. There
fore, environmental arrangements should be adjusted according to motor planning and body
awareness required for praxis. Its important to refer to sensory experiences that motivate and
please the child with complex motor planning, social interaction and language skills. Therapist
should integrate activities that contain sensory experiences required by the child into daily
routine in cooperation with the family, caregivers and teachers [23]. Validity of the results in
sensory integration studies are reported to be influenced by different practices in the inter
vention process and its further reported that Ayres Sensory Integration Fidelity Measure
which is a reliable and applicable verification measure for studies on sensory integration
disorders should be used [36, 37].
Fidelity measure consists of 10 essential elements is used in clinic based sensory integra
tion treatment. These essential elements are as follows: a) ensuring safety b) presenting a
range of sensory opportunities (specifically tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular) c) Using
activity and arranging the environment to help the child maintain self regulation and
alertness d) challenging postural, ocular, oral, or bilateral motor control e) is challenging
praxis and organisation of behaviour f) collaborating with the child on activity choices g)
tailoring activities to present the just right challenge, h) ensuring that activities are
successful, i) supporting the childs intrinsic motivation to play, and j) establishing a
therapeutic alliance with the child [37].
Activities for proprioceptive system
Proprioception is defined as a cornerstone in sensory integration therapy. Muscle movements
against resistance or gravity, traction, compression, movements related with muscles and
joints provide proprioceptive stimulus and are used to improve motor coordination, to
increase body awareness and to help arousal level modulation [2, 20].Practices like jumping
on trampoline, climbing a mountain of bolster and crash onto mats, jumping games, roller
skating, bicycle riding, throwing and catching a heavy ball, wheelbarrow walking, pulling and
pushing activities, carrying or moving heavy objects, imitating animal walks that require
heavy work (crab, bear), swinging from trapeze bar, wearing a weighted west, weighted
blanket, wearing ankle or wrist weights in activities stimulates proprioceptive system [23, 38].
(Figure 1)
Activities for tactile system
Activities like playing with dough or clay type materials, drawing on mirror with shaving
cream, finger painting, drawing shapes with fingers in sand, foam etc, massage, vibrating toys,
using different textures for playing and bathing, playing hide and seek games in dried beans
or rice, asking the child to define shapes drawn on this/her back with fingers, finding objects
from a bag full of rice or beans etc. can be used to improve tactile awareness [23, 38].

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Figure 1. Activity examples for proprioseptive and vestibular system stimulation
Activities for auditory system

The child may be asked to listen his/her favourite soft music on headphones in order to reduce
auditory sensitivity [23].
Activities for vestibular system
Activities such as linear swinging on a swing or ball on facedown position, throwing and
catching objects while swinging, sliding down a slide, climbing, using scooter board or
skateboard, jumping games, rolling activities, toys like rocking horse can be used to reduce
sensitivity against vestibular senses. The child tolerates linear vestibular stimulus more than
rotational stimulus [23, 38].
Activities for ocular-motor control
Toys and pens with lights, throwing balls at a target while swinging, games of ball throwing
and catching, bubble blowing can be used to improve ocular-motor control [23, 38].
Activities for postural control and motor skills
Ball catching games can be played on the floor or on a ball or while sitting in different positions
on a swing [23, 38].
Activities for bilateral motor coordination and praxis
Activities such as creating shapes by tearing papers with both hands, making shapes with play
dough, cutting papers etc. with scissors, making necklace by placing beads through a string,
closing/opening clothe fasteners, ball catching and throwing and clapping type hand
games[23, 38].
Activities for praxis and behaviour organization
Therapeutic activities, which are for sensory processing and facilitate skills such as initiation,
sequencing, bilateral coordination, timing and imitation can be used [5]. Activities of clapping
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and rhythm patterns hand games, building obstacle courses, activities that require whole body
movements and timing such as kicking a rolled ball, hitting a ball with a bat, imitation of animal
postures etc. can be used to improve motor planning [23, 38].
2.3. Researches about sensory integration therapy
Sensory integration therapy is a clinical based intervention that uses play activities and sensory
integration principles to increase adaptive responses of children [12]. In a systematic review
research by Benson and Koomar, 27 studies on the impact of sensory integration approach on
children were reviewed. Its reported that sensory integration approaches are effective in terms
of sensory-motor skills, motor planning, socialization, attention and behavioural regulation,
skills related with reading, active participation in plays and personal goal attainment,
however, the findings are limited due to small sample size, different practice dosages, therapy
duration and result measurements not being appropriate [39].
Schaaf et al implemented sensory integration protocol for 10 weeks on a case with autism and
consequently an increase was reported in sensory processing and home, school and family
activities measured with Goal Attainment Scale [40]. Another study by Schaaf et al reviewed
the safety, validity and applicability of sensory integration and occupational therapy in
children with autism. 10 children with autism at 4-8 years of age were under therapy for 3 days
a week for 6 weeks and an assessment was made with Ayres Sensory Integration Fidelity
Measure. Sensory integration approaches in children with autism were reported to be a safe
and applicable intervention [41]. Sensory integration therapy of 10 weeks for pre-schooler
children with autism resulted with a decrease in non-engagement behaviours and an im
provement in purposeful behaviours [42].
Pfeiffer et al reviewed the impact of fine motor activity with sensory integration therapy in 37
children between the ages of 6 and 12 with autism spectrum disorders in randomized con
trolled studies. Consequent to practice of 18 sessions, each for 45 minutes for six weeks, a
significant improvement was reported in the sensory integration group. In sensory integration
group, positive changes in sensory processing, motor skills and social functions and decrease
in stereotypical and self-stimulating behaviours were reported [43]. A study by Smith et al
reports that self-stimulating and self-injurious behaviours remain stable in children with
pervasive developmental disorders as a result of sensory integration therapy [44]. Sensory
integration and sensory based treatments resulted in increase in engagement in plays and
social interaction, proper adaptive response, decrease in stereotypical and self-stimulating
behaviours, decrease in sensitivity against touching and movement in hyper responsive
children and decrease in sensory vulnerability. Sensory integration therapy improves skills of
engagement in social interaction and modulating behaviours [45, 46].
Some studies report that sensory integration therapy does not have a positive impact due to
small sample size, short therapy duration, no fidelity measure, study design and due to the
fact that assessments are not blinded [47-51].

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The last systematic review study by Smith et al. on sensory integration notes that evidence
based studies where blinded evaluation, larger samples and randomised trial are used should
be conducted [12].
3. Auditory integration therapy

Auditory processing problems are one of the sensory processing disorders commonly reported
in children with autism. These disorders are classified either as auditory hypersensitivity or
auditory underresponsivity [3, 52, 53] and Rimland and Edelson reported that nearly 40% of
17.000 children with autism have sound sensitivity [54].
Auditory Integration Therapy is a technique developed by Dr Guy Berard, an otorhinolar
yngologist in order to reduce abnormal sound sensitivity in autism spectrum disorders. In this
method, electronically modulated music is listened by headphones for half an hour twice a
day for 10 days. Audio metrical assessment is made before the therapy. Auditory integration
training devices filters peak frequencies against which the individual has hypersensitivity. It
aims to regulate behaviour by reducing hypersensitivity. The filtered music is modulated by
a brief dampening of high and low frequencies for periods ranging from 250 milliseconds to
2 seconds [54-56].
445 individuals with autism who received auditory integration therapy were reported to have
a decrease in problem behaviours and increased hearing acuity and the observed changes
remained stable for nine months [57].
Changes in brain functions were measured before and after auditory integration therapy with
positron emission tomography and an increase in occipital lobe activity and a decrease in hyper
metabolism in frontal lobe were reported [58]. Auditory therapy according to Tomatis method
is reported to create an increase in daily life skills, motor skills, socialization and communica
tion skills in 6 cases. Furthermore, decrease in hyperactivity, atypical behaviours and increase
in attention was reported in cases [59]. Brockett et al assessed impacts of auditory integration
training on behavioural changes related with sensory modulation in children with autism.
Following a 10-days training for two times a day, a decrease was reported in sensory behaviour
problems of children [60]. In 72 cases with autism spectrum disorders, auditory integration
therapy was reported to have a therapeutic impact on social awareness, social cognition and
social communication as well as speech and communication [61]. Some studies report that
there is not difference between auditory integration therapy and control group and that
evidence based studies are required [62-64].
4. Activities of daily living

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are oriented toward taking care of ones own body and include
bathing, dressing, eating, feeding, bowel and bladder management, functional mobility,
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personal device care, personal hygiene and grooming, sexual activity and toilet hygiene. These
activities are fundamental to living in a social world; they enable basic survival and wellbeing. Instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) may require more complex interactions
with ones environment; these activities support daily life within the clients home and
community. IADLs include: communication management, home establishment and manage
ment, meal preparation and clean up, financial and health management and maintenance,
community mobility, shopping, safety and emergency maintenance, care of others and pets,
child rearing and religious observance. Children and young people learn to perform ADL and
IADL activities with socially appropriate ways in order to engage in education in family and
society, game playing, leisure, social participation and work occupations [65].
Individuals with autism generally have the risk of limited engagement in activities. Studies
show that such individuals engage in less activities less frequently and have weaker daily life
skills when compared with individuals with other developmental disorders or with typical
development [66-70]. Most common areas reported by families are limited independence in
dressing, rigid eating routines, interruption of eating time because of difficult behaviour,
limited independence and discomfort in many hygiene tasks, obvious difficulty in toilet
training, limited engagement in chores and continuous and intense supervision to provide
safety [71]. Engagement of individuals with autism in daily living activities may be effected
by core characteristics specific to autism as well as sensory processes. Studies show that 42-88
% of individuals with autism experience sensory integration disorders [72-76]. Koenig and
Rudney demonstrate in a review that children and adolescents who have sensory processing
deficits have difficulties in completing their daily occupations, including ADLs and IADLs
[77]. While the literature underlines the need to increase evidence-based studies, sensory
integration deficits of individuals and sensory features of environment should not be ignored
in assessments and interventions for activity engagements of individuals with autism.
4.1. Assessment
ADL and IADL assessments start with analysis of occupational performance. For this purpose,
interviews, inventories, observation and various standardized tests can be used as an assess
ment method. In the initial stage, interview with family, child, teacher and other care givers is
important in learning childs skills, habits, routines and roles, environmental features, goals
and dreams [78]. If the family reports difficulties about some ADL or IADLs of child, therapist
should observe the child in clinic or ideally at home if possible and in childs environment
during the activity. Assessment should contain information on social, cultural and physical
environment, which affect activity performance as much as motor, process and communica
tion/ interaction skills of the child. Environmental factors such as division of labour division
of family members for childs care, safety issues in physical environment and cultural habits
and social routines of family may be registered. Task analysis is made to define activity
demand, activity is divided into steps and reviewed, steps are listed and requirements are
defined. The Functional Independence Measure for Children (WEFIM), Waisman Activities of
Daily Living (W-ADL) Scale, The Paediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), The
Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS),

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The Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) and Sensory Profile (SP) for
sensory integration are some of the examples of standardized methods that can be used in the
assessment of performance in daily living activities [29, 79-85].
4.2. Intervention
Occupational therapists may refer to different approaches to improve ADL and IADL per
formances in children, including 1) establishing and maintaining performance, 2) activity
adaptations or compensatory methods [78].
4.2.1. Establishing and maintaining performance
At the initial stage of intervention, therapist uses an activity analysis to define which steps of
activity process are problematic and defines behavioural and educative methods to be used [78].
Behavioural approaches has been used, often in combination with other approaches, to obtain
a baseline of the childs behaviours and as a way of establishing clear goals. Behavioural
methods like reinforcement and token systems are useful in attainment and sustainment of
skills in individuals with autism. Furthermore, besides guiding learning, they may facilitate
visual (showing), verbal (speaking or written information), tactile (guidance or using a part of
body) or environmental (colour coded materials) cues. Cues are important to improve the
quality of performance and to brief individual on what to do in the next step. As individuals
with autism may experience difficulties in understanding natural cues and verbal communi
cation, context or activity demands such as use of prompting can be modified [86].
One of the important training methods used in ADL training is chaining. Training of complex
skills generally requires chaining steps of the task. Three chaining options are available for
functional task training: a) Backward chaining in which the last step of the task is trained first,
followed by the second to last step and the last step, and so on, progressing backward through
the chain, b) Forward chaining in which the first step of the chain is trained first, followed by
the first and second step, and so on, progressing forward through the chain c)Whole task
method in which each step of the chain is trained on each presentation [87]. Another method
is time-delay procedures. The time-delay cueing system typically involves two training stages:
1) A cue designed to elicit the next step in the chain is delivered so as to coincide with the
stimulus (i.e., the completion of the previous step in the chain). 2) A defined interval is inserted
between the occurrence of the stimulus and the response-eliciting cue [88]. These educational
methods include strategies that occupational therapists can use in skill training. Repetition
and development of habits and routines are required to sustain the skill after it is learned and
to reduce environmental supports. Furthermore, generalization of skill in different environ
ments should be emphasized [78].
4.2.2. Activity adaptations or compensatory methods
Compensatory strategies may include modification of task or task method, use of assistive
technology or modification of environment. Therapists may also refer to the combination of
these methods [78]:
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Adaptation of task methods

Grading is a method commonly used by therapists. Grading is adaptation of task or parts
of a task according to the capability of child. Activity is divided into subtasks with task analysis
and task is modified depending on the difficulty or easiness level for the child [78].
Visual Strategies
Individuals with autism can process visual information easier than auditory information [89].
Visually based interventions include visual (e.g., picture, written) schedules, visually organ
ized tasks, written or pictorial scripts, rule reminder cards, and visual task analyses [90]. Such
interventions are reported to be effective in individuals with autism [90, 91]. These activities
may be used for individuals with autism to learn activities of daily living skills, to foresee daily
routine and to become independent from various environments [92].
Assistive Technology
In literature, technologies like video modeling, video prompting, handheld devices, structured
computer games and virtual reality environments are used for training purposes. Research
incorporating technology has consistently demonstrated good effects to daily living skills for
children with autism. Additionally, assistive technology requirement of occupational thera
pist, which technological tool is applicable and proper assessment of factors related with
accessing technology such as economical status of family are important [92-95].
Sensory Strategies
Creating sensory-friendly environments and implementing adaptive sensory strategies are
important for effective ADL and IADL performance in children with sensory modulation
problem. For instance, environment should be structured to be silent when an activity is
performed with a child who has auditory-hyperresponsiveness responses. Use of earphone is
recommended in environments that cannot be controlled. Another example is that preparation
of a child with deep pressure and organized, rhythmical touches might be facilitating before
starting a dressing activity with a tactile defensive child [23].
5. Play in occupational therapy

Besides being an activity that exists in every stage of life, play is the most proper way for a
child to learn the world he/she lives in and to express emotions such as happiness, anxiety,
and joy particularly during the first years of life. Bundy describes it as play is a transaction
between an individual and the environmental that is intrinsically motivated, internally
controlled, and free of many of constraints of objective reality [96].
Play is primer occupation of the child. Through play, children can gain developmental
milestones, learn about occupational role, behaviours, and how to interact safely and appro
priately within their environment. Children with autism display atypical and insufficient play
skills at different levels. This atypical and insufficient play skill is generally reported as playing

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with a toy stereotypically (rotating, shaking, sequencing, putting one on top each other) which
is not suitable for its function, lack of social skill, flexibility and creativity skill to continue the
play. Developments in symbolic activity, play and social relation areas observed in children
younger than three years of age are not generally reported in children with autism [97]. Rare
interaction of children with autism with their peers limits their attainment of playing in solitary
and group plays with their peers [98]. Since game playing requires developed motor planning
and praxis skill, this may result in childs showing motor planning and praxis during play [96].
Occupational therapists are concerned with the occupation of play and the child develop
ing as a lifelong player [99, 100]. Providing engagement with play in children with autism
is one of the most important parameters of occupational therapy interventions [101]. The
primary goal of occupational therapy interventions in children with autism is to ensure
attainment of motor planning and praxis skills, which will improve childs concrete thinking
and play setting skills [99-101].
Play is multidimensional phenomenon that includes entertainment, spontaneous problem
solving skill and creativity and requires collaboration of different disciplines [101-103].
Engagement in play and sustainability of play continue as long as the self-motivation and
creativity of the player continue. Active engagement of children with autism in play and
sustainment of play with adaptive response is one of the most important objectives in occu
pational therapy interventions [96, 99-101].
Our senses (tactile, visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, proprioceptive and vestibular) help
us to collect information from the environment we live in and provide that we give adaptive
responses suitable for the environment and we generalize what we learn. Sensory information
is effective in the establishment of body scheme, which is one of the most components of motor
planning skill [13, 104-106]. Studies reported that integration of tactile, visual, proprioceptive
and vestibular sensory inputs offer improvement of body-spatial awareness [106-108]. When
children with autism fail to produce adaptive response suitable for their environment and have
insufficient body scheme, such may lead to negative experiences in their occupational
performances and may result in anxiety, frustration, anger and avoidance [109]. Therapeutic
play used in occupational therapy intervention can lead the child into a motivating activity
with inner drive that encourages active movement, self direction, interaction, sensory building
blocks and help addressing occupational performance and occupational profile of the child
with autism [106, 109]. A study assessing the effectiveness of play therapy in literature reports
that DIR-Floor Time and similar developmental approaches have a positive impact on
emotional functioning, communication, and daily living skills and moreover creates positive
changes in parent-child interactions [110]. Its noted that play based occupational therapy
improves motor and social skills in children with developmental delay [111]. Hebert reports
in his study that therapeutic plays practiced for children with developmental delay in line with
their occupational frameworks improve their non-verbal and verbal communication skills
[112]. As noted by such evidence-based studies, well structured play which is commonly used
in occupational therapy interventions has a positive impact on motor skill and planning,
communication-interaction and social skills of children with autism.
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5.1. Assessment
Play is what children to do and they expend considerable social, cognitive and motor resources
while playing, therefore play assessment may provide very meaningful insights about a childs
interests, functional abilities and behaviours [113-115]. The selection of a play assessment will
vary depending upon the developmental status of the child, the purpose of the assessment
and the intervention plan. Test of Playfulness [114], Knox Preschool Play Scale [115], Play
History [116-118] and Trans-disciplinary Play-based Assessment [119], My Child's Play [120,
121] tests are among the common standardized tests used to plan occupational therapy
interventions for the improvement of play skills [117]. Furthermore, occupational therapists
frequently refer to Observations of Factors Influencing Playfulness Form [121, 122] to plan
their interventions.
5.2. Intervention
Occupational therapists frequently use sensory integration framework where sensory differ
ences of individuals are taken into account in improving play skills of children with autism.
Developmental approaches like Dr. Stanley Greenspans Floor Time method which aims to
turn the relation between children and their families into a play with mutual interaction that
contains trust and pleasure and philosophy of Follow the childs lead [123-126]. Addition
ally, virtual reality studies are also included under play interventions [127]. During occupa
tional therapy interventions, in addition to therapeutic use of play, occupational therapists
play an effective role in the organization of play environment and parent education with the
consideration of developmental level, challenges and strengths of child [128].
Its important for the occupational therapists to implement therapy programs designed
according to sensory integration framework, under the leadership of child in structured
environments for the improvement of motor skill, social-emotional well-being, cognitive
process, praxis, attention, intimacy, interaction expression, use of feelings/ideas and logical
thinking development of child with autism in play based occupational therapy interventions
[129].
6. Social skills training

Social skills have a significant place in diagnosis of autism. Children with autism experience
difficulties in using non-verbal behavioural social skills such as eye-to-eye gaze, facial
expression, body postures and gestures to regulate social interaction; failure interaction with
peers, problems on sharing enjoyment, interests or achievements with other people and
problems in socialemotional reciprocity and may require support as of early ages. Individuals
with autism have difficulty in understanding nuances and informal rules, which are sponta
neously used during communication. Such social interaction problems may lead to indiffer
ence, teasing or bullying. Social interaction efforts of many individuals with autism result in
negative experiences as the individual is over stimulated or confused and negatively effects
the social engagement of individual. Studies report that negative reactions against individuals

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with autism from their environment are more challenging that their communication problems
[130]. Difficulties in social skill behaviours observed in individuals with autism are defined
with neuropsychological models such as the theory of mind [131, 132], executive functions
[133, 134] and weak central coherence [135, 136].
Theory of mind is defined as the capacity of interpreting, deducing and explaining the
underlying mental situations in others behaviours. Preschool children are expected to have
developed their theory of mind skills. Insufficient development of theory of mind are reported
to lead to difficulties in interpreting emotional status from voice tone and facial expression
and in social skills and negatively affects empathy skill of individual [131, 132]. Theory of mind
is used to describe the major deficits in social functionality and communication in autism [132].
Dynamic and complicated nature of information process in brain reveals definition of highlevel cognitive functions and concept of executive functions. This theory covers skills such as
self-regulation of behaviour sequence, flexibility, response inhibition, planning and organiza
tion of behaviour. Executive functions where prefrontal cortex play a central role provides that
an individual thinks about himself/ herself and defines what can happen in future and how
they can be affected [133]. Executive functioning in autism is an approach studied fort he last
20 years. Studies on executive functioning and frontal lobe functions report that performances
of children with autism in executive functions are lower than expected [133, 134]. Social skill
deficits, namely executive function disorders or stereotypical behaviours, which are consid
ered to be caused by their deficits, are observed in individuals on the spectrum and in their
relatives [132-134].
According to weak central coherence model, information received from different sources
cannot be integrated in autism [135]. Meaningful and consistent meronymy relation cannot be
established from stimulus perceived due to information processing deficit. Weak central
coherence can be associated with disadvantages experienced by individuals with autism in
areas such as learning, social, language and cognitive skills etc. and its reported to be the
reason for behavioural deviations in these areas [136].
Different disciplines commonly agree that autism is centrally a social skill deficit and therefore
this area should be the first area to be targeted in training [137]. In social skill studies for
children with autism, attainment of basic skills such as eye contact, using expressions like hello,
thank you which are the basics for social communication, answering questions like how are
you, playing with peers and getting in line in plays etc. are targeted with priority [137, 138].
There are many advanced social skills that should be attained by a child with autism after
the attainment of basic social skills. These social skills can be classified under four main
groups; communication skills: self introduction, asking proper questions to meet someone
new, starting a conversation, involving in a conversation, not deviating from topic of the
conversation, listening in a proper position, not keeping the talk too long, changing the
topic properly, using voice tone, facial expression and body posture according to the topic
of the conversation [139-141].
Social interaction skills (friendship): These are the skills like touching properly, ringing,
answering a call, helping a friend properly, asking for help, spending time together, acting at
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a proper distance depending on the type of relation, respecting ideas of others, not feeling
uncomfortable with changes in rules etc. [140].
Social interaction skills (playing): These are the skills like engagement in play, sharing toys,
playing games with rules, getting into a line during play, coping with winning and defeat
[140, 141].
Emotion recognition and management skills: They include skills like awareness on emotions,
consoling a sad person, anger control and expressing anger properly, accepting criticisms,
coping with mocking, sharing happiness, coping with making mistakes, not feeling uncom
fortable when trying new things. [140, 142].
Social skill training is not a routine part of occupational therapy interventions for individuals
with autism. Occupational therapy interventions play an important role in designing inter
vention programs for the assessment and improvement of insufficient social initiations and
responses against any occupational performance of the individual with autism at home, school
or in society, and in enhancing social participation of individual [130].
In social skill studies with children with autism, skills are tried to be taught face to face or in
groups or some skills are taught during playtime with parents or peers [140, 141]. Its reported
that a shift can be made from individual works to group works for the development of empathy
skill [139]. These working principles are also taken into consideration in occupational therapy
interventions [16].
Among the studies on improvement of social skills in children with autism, there are research
ers who think that theory of mind is the problem [133, 142, 143], and studies, which refer to,
structured training programs [140, 144] or developmental approaches [145]. More than one
technique is used in some studies. For instance various techniques like scenarios, social skill
groups, self-control, class interventions, video modelling, social plays, peer training, peer
mediation and circle of friends are used together [146-148]. There are also studies where a
single technique is used like social stories [149], peer mediation etc. [150]. Its reported that
social skill training of children with autism is more effective in communication with other
children in a natural group setting [151].
In a study where 79 studies on children with autism under the age of 12 were reviewed, it was
noted that modeling and reinforcement, approach, peer training, scenarios and social stories
were used [138]. Its further noted that programs designed with techniques of approaches to
learn social skills in groups or socially are more effective in children with autism [138, 152].
6.1. Assessment
In occupational therapy, social skills of individuals with autism are assessed with observatio
nal standardized tests and checklists [153]. Standardized tests helps assessment of social skills
and daily living skills of an individual with autism. Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scale [83]
and Social Skills Rating System [154] can be given as an example of such tests.
Occupational therapists may make structured interviews with parents and caregivers in
addition to the standardized tests, and make observations in the natural settings and structured

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play settings of the child. During the assessment, informal rating scales can be used in the
observation of social skills of the child such as spontaneously engaging in communication,
imitation, socially responding, eye contact, game playing, asking for help/ helping, adjusting
voice tone, using body language, expressing emotions verbally and non-verbally, giving
proper responses, distance with others during communication and interaction [16, 128, 155].
6.2. Intervention
Occupational therapy interventions for improvement of social skills in individuals with autism
should be client-centred, with concrete narrations, supporting active engagement in coopera
tion with family and teachers in the natural settings of the individual and should consider
emotional differences. Individuals with autism may experience significant difficulties in
implementing the social rules despite having memory skills that facilitate repeating and
memorizing these rules. Occupational therapists can give social skills training with creatively
referring to the routine daily activities of the individual with autism during the sessions. A
therapy program which starts with individual works of 30-90 minutes where necessary
considerations and modifications are made over an activity related with the occupations of the
individual with autism in his/her life and progresses with group works is considered as an
ideal occupational therapy intervention. Adult-mediated or peer-mediated activities can be
used in intervention. Teaching that the same response would not be proper in every social
situation with the consideration of social hierarchy and group work principles during the
intervention is an important detail of the intervention [16, 128, 155].
Social Stories and Social Autopsies, Social Skills Lessons and Activities, Jump Starters, Social
Skills Activities for Special Needs, and Walker Social Skills Curriculum: The Accepts Pro
gramme, Do-Watch-Listen-Say Framework, Video Modeling methods are frequently used in
occupational therapy interventions [156-158].
Occupational therapy interventions designed to improve occupational performance in line
with the basic principles given above may help in the development of social skills in individ
uals with autism and can increase their social engagement levels.
7. Cognitive behavioral therapy

The cognitive behavioural approach assumes that a person's cognitive function and beliefs
influence their behaviour, and that by helping a person dispute their irrational thoughts, they
will be empowered to change their behaviour [159].
Each persons beliefs are developed through his or her own life experiences. These experiences
can be lived as well as watched (observational learning, vicarious reinforcement etc.). Indi
viduals with autism can have problems on learning from society, and vicarious reinforcement
is key aspects of Bandura's social learning theory [160]. Cognitive behavioural therapy is used
primarily to help individuals with autism to regulate their emotions, develop impulse control,
and improve their behaviour as a result. In addition, some individuals with autism struggle
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with fears and anxiety, or may become depressed. Cognitive behavioural therapy has been
shown to be helpful for reducing anxious and depressed feelings and behaviour by making
changes in thoughts and perceptions of situations through a change in cognition. The key
ingredient of cognitive behaviour therapy based occupational therapy, which distinguishes it
from regular behaviour therapy, is working on change in cognition or how thinking is
processed [160, 161]. Occupational therapists seek to reduce challenging behaviours, such as
interruptions, obsessions, meltdowns or angry outbursts, while also teaching individuals how
to become familiar with and manage certain feelings that may arise during activities of daily
living. Cognitive behavioural therapy can be individualized which matches client-centred
approach of occupational therapy, and as a result, is very effective at improving very specific
behaviours and challenges in each individual with autism. Stabilizing emotions and improving
behaviour allows individuals with autism to prepare for and respond more appropriately in
specific situations [159-161].
Occupational therapists working with individuals with autism refer to at least one behavioural
approach, generally the frameworks of model of human occupation and biopsychosocial
model in their therapy interventions [159, 162, 163]. Occupational therapists support the
cognitive behavioural therapies implemented in line with these models with making changes
in individual-environment-activity areas [159, 162-164]. Following cognitive behavioural
therapy, occupational therapist assists an individual with autism to identify and change their
irrational thoughts, then take this learning and use it in real life opportunities [159, 162, 163].
Although studies on mental health are frequently observed when cognitive behavioural
therapy based occupational therapy interventions are reviewed, visually based interventions
such as video modeling where behavioural changes are targeted with various activities have
been demonstrated to be effective with children with autism. This approach has wide utility,
is appropriate for a range of ages and abilities of children with autism. There are video
modeling studies such as Video Self (modeling Tape the child and play back to give feedback),
Video Instruction (tape another student doing the behaviour) and Video Feed-Forward Tape.
These studies show the child the complete behaviour and promotes independent functioning,
and can be used to address numerous learner objectives of occupational therapy, including
behavioural, self-help, communication, and social objectives [164-166].
7.1. Assessment
Occupational therapists generally work in line with model of human occupation and biopsy
chosocial model in the interventions of cognitive behavioural-based therapies in individuals
with autism [159, 162, 163]. Besides the assessments of occupational therapy frame of reference,
assessments such as 5 Point Scale, Power Cards, Bibliotherapy, Video Modeling, SituationsOptions-Consequences-Choices-Strategies-Simulation, Social Autopsies, Comic Strip Conver
sation, Social Stories and Hidden Curriculum are used [156, 167-173]. Furthermore, a review
also found that ILAUGH Model had already been researched and demonstrated to be a
relevant learning hurdle for individual with autism [174].

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7.2. Intervention
There are some programs designed for children and adolescents to teach awareness of energy
levels and self-regulation. Alert Programme How Does Your Engine Run? is one of them
and it teaches awareness of energy levels and how to bring the energy level back to the centre
and it focuses on self-regulation skills according to sensory integration theory [175].
Occupational therapists also aim to improve the skills of exploring feelings in their activities
with children with autism. For this purpose, programs of Thinking about You Thinking about
Me [176], Think Social like ILAUGH [174, 177] are frequently used to improve communication
skills and problem solving skills of individuals with autism. Additionally, books used to
improve social thinking skills of children with autism are also frequently used in activities of
occupational therapists. Again, Superfleks Series [178] by Winner is commonly used in
occupational therapies planned specifically for behavioural changes in children with high
functioning autism.
Anxiety can be debilitating for a child with autism. Learning about emotions helps children
recognize connections between thinking and feeling, and helps them identify the physiological
effects of anxiety on the body (sweating, increased heart rate, crying, etc.). Learning and
teaching to explore feelings can help the child with autism to identify situations that make
them anxious and learn how to perceive the situation differently [179]. Therefore, occupational
therapists frequently refer to self-management training in coping with anxiety and stress in
their studies with children with autism. Effectiveness of intervention in individuals with
autism who receive cognitive behavioural therapy based occupational therapy is assessed with
Goal Attainment Scale (GAS) [35].
8. School based occupational therapy

Occupational therapy in school is quite different from clinic based occupational therapy.
School-based occupational therapists focus on learning, developing skills which increase the
students independence in the school environment, and also educating the school personnel
about the different considerations required for students to eliminate the barriers from partic
ipation [180-183].
Everything the occupational therapist does with student in school must be related to develop
educational skills of the student with autism. The occupational therapist evaluates, assesses
and accommodates functional abilities of the student with autism in school classrooms,
hallways and other related education areas. The occupational therapist works with teachers
to help students acquire functional abilities necessary to access and use educational materials
and be independent in the school [183]. Occupational therapists work with the students with
autism on adapting or modifying school equipment/materials to help them function better in
classrooms, the lunchroom, or restrooms. Other assistance includes helping students with
autism to be sensory stable and participate in activities outside of the school through mobility
on field trips, sports events, on playgrounds and within the community. Students with autism
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face a demanding environment at school [183-185]. Presentation methods for educational

materials must be modified to meet the challenges of students with autism, such as their ability
to communicate, view and manipulate educational materials, and move about the school.
Occupational therapists work closely with teachers to promote the highest level of function
possible for a child with autism pursuing educational goals like fine and gross motor skills
and attention skills [185-188].
8.1. Assessment
Occupational therapists use screening, assessment, and clinical observation tools and strat
egies to analyse why child with autism is having functional and sensory difficulties in
educational settings not to establish interventions in school settings. During their interventions
occupational therapists use some of the standardized tests like Sensory Profile [189, 190],
Bayley Scales of Infant Development-II [191], Peabody Developmental Motor Scale [192],
Bruininks-Oseretsky Test of Motor Proficiency [193], and Pediatric Evaluation of Disability
Inventory Test [82] in school setting [194].
If the standardized tests are not appropriate, occupational therapist can give descriptive
reports without using standardized scales. It is important to compare the childs performance
with the previous scores than the normative sample. Occupational therapists can use play
based performance profiles like Hawaii Early Learning Profile or Transdisciplinary Play-Based
Assessment [194]. Additionally ecological/environment inventories should be used to evaluate
child with autism within a variety of educational environments (classroom, garden, sports area
etc.), curricular expectations; tools/instruments to help gather relevant information; whether
the team needs expansion to obtain needed information [195, 196]. And also to determine and
work with the educational team to determine functional strengths and challenges and
providing information to design instructional programs of the student with autism. Occupa
tional therapist should try to become familiar with the individual education plan [194-196].
8.2. Intervention
Occupational therapists use direct or indirect services for students with autism in school
settings. Occupational therapy interventions purposes are to help students with autism to gain
independence in daily living activities, feeding and oral functions, play skills, task organization
and completion, written communication skills, hand function, sensory integration (process
ing), visual perception, campus/school mobility, participating on a regular and timely basis,
using tools and supplies, participating in activities throughout school settings. Also when skill
and strength cannot be developed or improved, occupational therapy offers creative modifi
cations and adaptations for carrying out development-appropriate activities [195, 196].
In school practice, occupational therapists work with students, teachers, families, classes,
schools, and school districts. Occupational therapists are experts at identifying ways to engage
students with autism in educational activities and supporting them to develop competence in
their roles as students.

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9. Recreation and sports

Recreation, a participation domain of the International Classification of Functioning Disability
and Health (ICF), includes involvement in formal and informal activities such as play, sports,
going to the theatre, crafts and tourism [197]. Leisure in occupational therapy is described as
one of the occupational areas that cover recreational activities. Leisure is defined as A nonobligatory activity that is intrinsically motivating and engaged in during discretionary time,
that is, time not committed to obligatory obligations such as work, self-care, or sleep [99].
Engagement in challenging and intrinsically motivating recreation and leisure activities is
considered as an important part of development of children and young people [198]. These
activities are reported to have positive impacts on physical and mental health, reduce behav
ioural and emotional disorders, facilitate becoming friends, widen interest areas of child and
increase life satisfaction of family [199-202].
Besides being pleasant, recreational activities improve the life quality of individuals with
autism, develop their social communication and acceptance, reduce inappropriate behaviours,
improve fine and gross motor skills and helps in attainment of social skills [203]. Findings of
studies on participation of children with autistic disorders in physical activities and sports
activities show that sports and physical activities may create opportunities for social interac
tion, reduce repetitive movements and contribute in development of motor performance and
physical suitability as well as self management skills [204-207].
Studies show that children with autism have more limited participation in recreational
activities when compared with their peers with typical development or those in other disability
groups [208-211]. Core impairments of autism spectrum disorders (i.e., communication
impairments, social deficits, and abnormal restrictive, repetitive and stereotyped behaviours)
and other features related with disorder (e.g. motor skills differences and maladaptive
behaviour) affect recreational participation [212]. Another significant factor is sensory
integration problems experiences by individuals with autism. Its reported that children with
autism and sensory difficulties participate in recreational activities less and prefer more
informal (not structured) and home activities [213]. Besides all these individual features, the
impact of family and environmental factors are also described. The interplay is noted among
the childs impairments, the familys style, preferences, and demands, as well as environmental
or community-based limitations in restricting a given childs ability to participate in an array
of recreational activities [199]. Studies show that participation of families in recreational
activities positively affect childs participation [214]. Furthermore, its observed that number
of accessible services in society is parallel to participation in these activities [199]. Another
factor is acceptance perceived from family, friends and neighbours. Families of children with
developmental delay and behavioural problems may discontinues activities outside home as
a response to negative reactions of people against the noise and temper tantrums of child [215].
As a conclusion, holistic perspective is important.
Individuals with autism are in need of programs structured and organized with proper
support to reveal their recreational interests and to improve their leisure skills [203]. Therefore
interdisciplinary teamwork is an important issue. Considering multifaceted factors that affect
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participation in recreational activities, strong cooperation of families and professionals are

required in the planning and implementation of intervention [208]. Occupational therapists
are important both with their expertise in occupational participation and their knowledge on
sensory integration interventions for participation of individuals with autism in recreational
activities. Occupational therapists point out exploration and participation in leisure activities,
which are one of the occupational areas. Leisure exploration refers to identifying interests,
skills, opportunities, and appropriate leisure activities. Leisure participation is planning and
participating in appropriate leisure activities; maintaining a balance of leisure activities with
other areas of occupation; and obtaining, using, and maintaining equipment and supplies as
appropriate [65].
9.1. Assessment
Occupational therapy assessment with an occupation-based, family-centred and top-down
approach starts with an interview with the family and self-report. Familys perspective on
interests and skills of child, life style, economical status, their access to social and community
resources should be recorded. Ideally, leisure assessments should be made in the natural
settings of the child whenever possible. Interview and observation made in this setting are
important to assess physical, social, cultural, attitudinal or organizational environment factors
which affect leisure participation of the child and to evaluate childs performance skills. It is
important for the therapist to observe motor, process and social interaction skills and attitudes
of the child against others during activities with peers [185].
Paediatric Activity Cart Shorting (PACS), Childrens Assessment of Participation and Enjoy
ment (CAPE), Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) are some of the exam
ples of standardized methods that can be used in the assessment of recreational interests and
skills of the child [85, 216, 217]. It is important to assess the sensory integration skills of the
child and impact of these skills on activities, to define strategies to meet the needs of the child
and to create sensory friendly settings. Therefore Sensory Profile (SP) is a standardized scale
used in defining sensory difficulties of child [29].
9.2. Intervention
Occupational therapists give trainings to families, friends and teachers on how to facilitate
participation of individual besides teaching the most needed skills for participation of children
in selected leisure activity. Additionally they give training on use of adaptive equipment
required for activities and make environmental modifications.Participation of children with
deficits in activities together with their peers without deficits is important for both groups.
Some of the study results show that peer support programs are useful for both groups.
Structuring recreational activities where children with autism can be together with children
with typical development can be an effective for proper modeling and social integration of
children with autism and for the positive attitude changes in others [218, 219].
One of the most important highlight of recreation and leisure activities is that they are
intrinsically motivated. Neurobiological studies show that limbic system which orchestrates

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motivation and drive in brain is not adequately developed in individuals with autism.
According to sensory integration theory by Ayres, purposeful sensory-based activities may
increase natural inner drive. Therefore, carefully selected sensory-based activities may help
finding activity meaningful and purposeful and sustaining participation [220, 221].
Virtual Reality (VR) technology is an important tool to widen leisure activity spectrum of
intellectual and developmental disability population. Easy changeability of virtual environ
ments, adaptation and scaling of difficulty of task according to the skills of the individual can
be considered as advantages of VR [222]. Furthermore, it increases motivation and leads to
positive impacts on the participation of individuals. In the intervention, its integration to home
routine as a recreational activity is considered to be useful.
10. Vocational rehabilitation

Many people diagnosed with autism experience difficulties in finding and sustaining jobs.
50-75% of this population is estimated to be unemployed [223]. One of the basic problems of
individuals with autism in finding jobs is the deficit in social and communication areas, which
require advanced support in the workplace [224]. In addition to these personal features,
availability and accessibility of services that support employment and existence of social
supports are considered as significant environmental factors that affect employment rates [81].
Studies show that individuals with autism may be successful in business life and are consid
ered as important by their employers together with proper vocational interventions [225-227].
Employment opportunities for individuals with autism may be based on two main categories;
a) integrated, competition-based employment with supportive employment opportunities and
b) separate, non-competitive opportunities including daily therapy, work activity centres and
protected businesses. Supportive employment is a system where individuals are supported in
the workplace, long term support is given with work coaching system and the support is
reduced as the individual becomes more independent. This approach is based on the assump
tion that all people can work and argues that we should create long-term support mechanism
nationally to support this assumption. So the actual question is not whether or not an indi
vidual with autism will work but whether or not there is support services required for the
individuals success in work performance [228].
Studies show that supportive employment opportunities is the effective way for the partici
pation of individuals with autism in work life [229, 230]. Supportive employment programs
have a team consisting of different professions and who work together for common goals in
the evaluation of work process, its referral, work analysis, work skills training and follow up
of the working individual. This team includes occupational rehabilitation consultant, work
coach, occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech therapist, special trainer, psychologist,
individual himself/herself, individuals family and other profession members who may
contribute in employment process. Occupational therapists have different roles in assessment,
recruitment and training, work development and supportive employment process stages of
employment process of individuals with autism. During assessment stage occupational
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therapists assess sensory and motor skills, professional interests, communication and trans
portation, daily living activities, cognitive, social and community skills, emergency response
and safety in workplace and self-assessment skills. During recruitment and training stage
occupational therapist work on training and adaptations about work task and settings,
identification and training on auxiliary equipment and technology, training on or compensa
tion of basic cognitive skills like attention, visual perception etc., training of work coaches and
supporters on use of auxiliary technologies. During work development stage occupational
therapist work for increasing environmental support and reducing barriers, doing work
analysis, adjusting improvement of conformity between skills of the individual and expecta
tions of the employer and work development in line with interests and skills of individual. In
the supportive employment process stage occupational therapist interested in training of work
coaches, training on complex cognitive skills such as problem solving, time management,
advocating rights of the individual against the employer and other colleagues and cooperation
with interdisciplinary team [231].
10.1. Assessment
Vocational assessment starts with interview, self-report and behavioural observation.
Occupational profile is defined for the occupation and occupational performance analysis
is made. Its important to assess strengths, interests and needs of the individual as well as
environmental supports and barriers during the interviews [233]. Observation of the
individual during occupational performance would provide important information for
occupational performance analysis. Other assessments specific to occupational therapy may
include sensory-motor skills, socialization skills, cognitive skills and participation in
activities of daily living. The Vocational Index, The Autism Work Skills Questionnaire
(AWSQ), Vineland Adaptive Behavioural Scale, Adult/Adolescent Sensory Profile, Wais
man Activities of Daily Living Scale are examples for standardized assessments that can be
used [80, 83, 234-236].
10.2. Intervention
Occupational therapists can train the person about skills required for occupation and train
his/her natural supports, such as co-workers, supervisors, or family members in the use of
adaptive equipment or techniques, environmental adaptations, sensory needs of the person,
and compensatory strategies to help the person perform job tasks. Also teaching and
compensating for complex cognitive skills such as problem solving, time management, and
sequencing to higher functioning persons with autism is within the scope of occupational
therapy [232].
Wilczynski, Trammell and Clarke describes forms of technology that can help individuals with
autism acquire and maintain employment. According study assistive technology like com
puter-based systems, personal computers, video recorders, tablets, iPods, iPads, and other
devices; video based instruction like video self-modeling, and video games to teach social
interaction, covert audio coaching like video modeling instruction initially and follows with
audio prompting and alternative support includes personal digital assistants, smartphones,

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and other mobile devices that can be used for auditory and visual reminders, time manage
ment, organizational skills, and daily living tasks can enhance the natural support available
for individuals with autism in the workplace [237]. Occupational therapists can compensate
sensory needs through sensory stimulation or inhibition using techniques such as fidget toys,
chewing gum, music, weighted clothing, lighting changes, and increases or decreases in
environmental stimuli in workplaces.These changes in the sensory environment may lead to
improvement in motor processes, which enable the person to be more productive on the job
site [232].
11. Conclusion
This chapter provides a brief overview of the wide variety of occupational therapy intervention
approaches for individuals with autism. Individuals with autism demonstrate complex
behaviours that reguire the integration of different approaches and methods. Occupational
therapy interventions varies according to the needs of the individuals with autism. The overall
goal of occupational therapy is to help the individual with autism improve quality of life and
to enable individuals to participate in everyday occupations. Sensory integration therapy are
often used in conjunction with holistic and client centered occupational therapy treatment
plan. This practice area is of great importance to the field of occupational therapy in children
with autism. Different approaches can assist an individual with autism in a variety of life roles
and tasks if it is incorporated into that individuals life in appropriate way. Using effective
strategies and technics in occupational therapy intervention program provide opportunities
to develop wide range of skills in individuals with autism.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Deniz Bykl, English language translator, for help in
translating and reducting the chapter.
Author details
Gonca Bumin*, Meral Huri, Sinem Salar and Hulya Kayihan
*Address all correspondence to: gbumin@hacettepe.edu.tr
Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Hacettepe University,
Ankara, Turkey
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Chapter 10
Autism and Functional Language Development An

Experiment with AAC Intervention
Rubina Lal and Disha Sanghvi
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59137
1. Introduction
Communication is the base of human interaction. It is a process of sharing ideas, feeling, needs
and desires through spoken and written word, signal, sounds, gestures, signs, pictures,
symbols, music and body language Communication lends to the social and cognitive devel
opment of human beings. It helps in building relationships, acquiring knowledge, and taking
decisions. Communication is a powerful tool, an eloquent weapon, a manipulative agent, a
distinctive attribute and as recognisable as appearance of an individual.. From the most
primitive to the most modern human being, communication as seen as the means to gain
control over ones environment and to take ones personal and social needs forward. The ability
to communicate and the selection of mode of communication varies from person to person.
The most advanced the ability, the greater the learning capacity, and vice versa. Deficits in
communication skills can prevent people from realizing their potentials. A communication
deficit or disorder is reflected in the inability to receive and process or interpret and use
concepts of linguistic symbol systems.
Autism is a developmental disability that affects the way a childs perceives the world and
learns from his or her life experiences. Even among the most complex disabilities, autism
remains an enigma [1]. It is the frequently occurring form of a group of disorders known as
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The Autism Society of America [2] has defined it as a
complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life and
is the result of a neurological disorder that affects the normal functioning of the brain,
impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Persons
with autism have deficits in verbal and nonverbal communication, social interactions, and
leisure or play activities. However, as autism is a spectrum disorder, its effects may vary from
person to person. Some may be severely affected and others less so. Occurrence of autism in
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a child may affect such core human behaviours as social interaction, ability to communicate
ideas and feelings, imagination, and establishment of relationships with others [3]. Children
with autism often are self-absorbed and appear lost in their own world. They are unable to
successfully communicate and interact with others. They may have difficulty developing both
receptive and expressive language skills. They also may have difficulty in using and under
standing nonverbal communication as body posture, hand gestures, eye contact, and facial
expressions [4]
2. Autism and the language pattern

In typically growing children, communication and language emerge as an outcome of a neural
integrity that helps them function in early social exchanges with parents or caregivers. These
interactive behaviours are essential for the cognitive, affective and social growth that lead to
development of communication and language skills. In case of children with autism there may
be a relationship between atypical central nervous system functioning and impairments in
communication and language [5]. The functional differences between typical children and
those with autism may contribute to learning styles and strategies that interfere with acquis
ition of communication and language skills. Language pattern in autism may be understood
well in the context of how nonverbal and verbal communication emerge in children with
autism
Nonverbal communication: Typically growing children use non-symbolic strategies for
communicating in early infancy. A child may try to get a toy while looking at it and the
parent who can help the child get the toy. This intentional communication is the result of
infant and parent social exchange and the parents ability to understand the infants signals.
These signals are manifest in infants gestures (e.g. pointing and waving) and vocalizations.
Children with autism use gestures and vocalization less frequently and with less sophisti
cation than typically growing children. Their gestures often involve contact with people or
objects such as leading people by hand or touching the object. Joint attention and pointing
are rarely seen. While preverbal children with autism compare favourably to children with
developmental delays with respect to production of syllables with consonants, they tend to
produce more atypical vocal behaviours such as squeals and yells [6]. Additionally, aberrant
or self-injurious behaviours are often used for communication by nonverbal children with
autism. These excess behaviours serve a range of functions such as seeking attention,
requesting, escaping and showing displeasure and protest. With respect to rate and
reciprocity of communication, it is reported that children with autism compare well with
typical children in terms of the rate of communication, although their communication is
more primitive. However, respondent acts of communication are significantly lesser than
initiated communications. This may be due to a limited ability for turn taking in commu
nicative interactions [7].
Productive speech and language: In verbal children with autism the articulatory and
phonological abilities are better in comparison to the overall communication and language
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skills. However, many may suffer with dysprosody, and voice impairments as pitch and
volume. These result in monotonous and staid speech patterns. With respect to language,
the morphological and syntactical abilities develop slowly but in typical manner. The major
difficulties faced by children are in encoding meaning relevant to conversation, meaningful
interpretation of verbal messages, semantic confusion specific to temporal sequencing, and
poor sensing of semantic relationships.
With the variety of language and communication issues discussed above, children with autism
require appropriate and systematic intervention in this area. An intervention is deemed
appropriate if it provides improvement in the childs functional communicative abilities. Over
the years, development of language and communication skills has become the core of autism
intervention efforts. Several methods and strategies have been used. Among such methods is
Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) system.
3. Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC)

AAC has Alternative and augmentative communication (AAC) includes a variety of methods
which support or replace oral language. AAC refers to any attempt to improve communication
success through unaided methods such as natural gestures, sign language, and vocalization
or through use of such aids as pictures, communication boards, and speech generating devices.
According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association [8] AAC is as an area of
clinical practice that attempts to compensate (either temporarily or permanently) for the
impairment and disability patterns of individuals with severe expressive communication
disorders (i.e., the severely speech-language and writing impaired). It incorporates the
individual's full communication abilities. AAC includes the use of visual language modes such
as signs, pictures and visual icons representing specific linguistic units. These capitalize on
strong visual processing of children with autism. Visual supports are reported to be useful in
educational program for children with autism who experience difficulties in acquisition of
functional speech or in processing and understanding spoken language & social interaction [9].
Since information provided through visual modes is predictable, static or less transient than
words, it improves the autistic childs ability to recognise language input and generate
language output [10]. Inability to communicate is often a major factor for emergence of
challenging behaviours in children with autism. Training in AAC provides a simple way to
communicate basic needs and may lead to a significant reduction in inappropriate behaviour
events that hinder learning of social interaction skills [11].
Children diagnosed with autism are unable to verbally express feelings, thoughts and needs.
Their struggle to communicate even the most basic needs through nonverbal or verbal modes
can be frustrating to them and their caregivers. The lack of adequate communicative behaviour
often hampers learning and literacy and creates significant obstacles to social and emotional
development and independence. Use of an AAC system can serve as a bridge from a life where
thoughts, feelings and needs are held in silence, to a life where interaction, expression and
learning are possible. Additionally, use of AAC for children with autism may stimulate brain
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development; facilitate access to social information and literacy experiences; reduce the need
to communicate through aberrant behaviours, and enhance self-concept [12].
3.1. Types of AAC
While AAC has been categorized as aided and unaided [13], most AAC users and practitioners
classify the system as given below.
Natural communication methods: These include hand pointing, gestures, facial expressions
and body language that people commonly use while communicating in spoken language.
These natural methods augment what is being spoken.
Sign language: Traditionally used by people with hearing impairments, sign language
consists of manual symbols for linguistic units. Signing is useful for helping children with
autism understand language. Signs provide information in visual form. They are also less
dynamic than spoken words which helps processing of information. Signing can be used as
a means of expression with other people who know the signs.
Object symbols: Miniatures, models and parts of objects are used as symbols for real objects.
Toy cars, dolls clothes, models of fruits etc. may be employed for comprehension and
expression of language. At times an object may be used to denote an activity for example
car keys may denote going for a drive.
Photos and pictures: Photos, pictures and line drawings of real objects are commonly used
as AAC system for children with autism. They are preferred for children with autism as
they provide information in visual mode, are easy to handle and are low cost aids.
Communication boards: They are introduced to children once they are familiar with a
number of words, and are able to group them in categories, and use them with some
syntactical structure. Communication boards consist of photos, pictures and/or words
denoting people, objects and activities.
Speech generating devices: These mechanical aids similar to communication boards. When
the user presses a button, the machine speaks out the word or the sentence.
3.2. Guidelines for AAC use
Before introducing AAC to a child, his or her communication goals should be determined and
discussed by professionals and parents. Assessments may be conducted to decide on the
suitability of a specific method of AAC. The following general guidelines [14] may provide
some direction for planning strategies for a child who uses an AAC system.
Restructure physical environment: One must ensure that an appropriate technical or nontechnical AAC system is easily available for the child. Additionally, a child should be seated
or positioned so that he or she can access the AAC system independently.
Provide communication opportunities: Communication is important for learning and
development. All children need opportunities to communicate their ideas in order to learn
from the environment. Unlike typically developing children, those who use AAC systems

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may not be able to start a conversation, get attention, or interrupt others, even if they wish
to say something. Communication situations should be structured with a shared focus of
attention, to enable children who use AAC systems have many opportunities to communi
cate and interact. By including communication opportunities in daily routines, the child
who uses AAC will have frequent chances to interact.
Train communication partners: Children with cerebral palsy and other physical disabilities
often need extra support in order to get access to communication partners and to get
involved in motivating activities. Their communication partners must be made aware of
this. The communication partners should be taught how to talk to, understand, and respond
to the child using an AAC system. They would then be able to find creative and rewarding
ways for the child using AAC to participate in activities.
Positive expectation from an AAC user: Communication is a two-way process. While
having a conversation with someone, we expect interaction and responses. There should be
same expectations for the children who use AAC systems. Expectation is a critical compo
nent of a successful communication partnership. If communicating partner expects an AAC
using child to respond, the chances are that the child would. Expectation of participation,
increases the possibility of its occurrence.
Provide sufficient time for communication: People with verbal communication abilities
can communicate at a faster pace. They can often carry on conversations, interrupt and
interject with ease and great speed. Children who use AAC systems may process language
inputs slowly, and thus communicate at a much slower rate. They must be allowed time for
communication messages to be sent and received.
Respond to communication attempts: It is essential that communication partners respond
to the childs communicative attempts, confirm the intended message and/or clarify
meaning. If required a communication partner may use the childs AAC system to partici
pate in conversations, showing the child how to say specific messages and use appropriate
interaction strategies, such as turn taking or asking questions. In case a childs communi
cation is unclear, the partner should try different problem solving strategies to comprehend
what the child is trying to communicate. A partner may look for gestures, eye pointing, or
other body movements that might indicate a person or object related to the message.
Provide training for AAC usage: Children need to be formally taught to use the AAC system
and need frequent opportunities to practice using it in day to day situations. Instructors
must set aside time to teach vocabulary, strategies for communication and interaction, and
the skills for operating a technical AAC system. Instructions should be broken into small
steps with well stated objectives built on previous learning. Systematic recording and
monitoring of the childs progress and skill development helps in long-term planning for
further learning.
Using of Speech generating devices: If a speech generating device is being used the
messages in the AAC system should be updated regularly to ensure that they meet the
childs communication needs and are appropriate for the current environment. Review the
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AAC system regularly to ensure that it continues to be the most effective communication
tool for the child.
Include AAC in educational plan: Every school going child with special needs has an
Individual Education Plan (IEP). If a child is need of using an AAC system, it is important
that training in AAC usage be included in the IEP. However, the AAC inclusion should not
be as a separate area. Rather, it should be listed as a strategy or technique that a student will
use to complete educational goals.
Develop community care plan: The child requires a community care plan when it is time
to leave the school. The plan should include needed revisions to the AAC system as the AAC
user prepares for a major life transition. The AAC inclusion in the community care plan
should be of similar nature as that in the IEP.
4. Picture exchange communication system

For children with autism who have severe speech and language delay, the goal of intervention
should focus on developing their functional communication. Teachers and caregivers may
enable a child to communicate functionally by selecting to teach those words/forms concepts
that are meaningful and relevant to the childs environment; teaching the child to use the
words/forms in functional manner, and preparing communication partners in the environment
to respond to words/forms used by the child in functional manner. Given the importance
communication has as a predictor of future social and educational development and later
quality of life, it is imperative that intervention program for children with autism stress on
alternative means of communication. These alternatives means consisting of visual icons,
symbols and manual signs, capitalize on strong visual processing ability in many children with
autism [1]. Picture Exchange Communication System or PECS, as it is commonly known, is an
AAC system that primarily uses pictures to teach functional communication skills. Developed
at the Delaware Autism Program by Bondy and Frost [15], PECS provides children with
communication deficits a method to communicate in social settings. According to the designers
of PECS, the rationale for PECS emerged from the failure of traditional techniques such as
speech imitations, signing, and picture point systems. These techniques relied only on the
teacher to initiate communication and did not enhance childrens capacity to initiate social
interaction. According to Bondy and Frost, PECS has several advantages over other commu
nicative interventions for young children with autism. Speech training is very slow and leaves
children no way to communicate in the interval until they can speak some words, if they
acquire the ability at all. AACs using speech or sign also require children to have the ability
to share a point of focus with an adult and to imitate actions that they see the adult do, both
behaviours that children with autism have difficulty with. Finally, according to Bondy and
Frost, typically developing children learn language in part because of the associated social
rewards for doing so. Their social deficits mean that children with autism are generally not
sensitive to such social rewards. Thus, they have little incentive to learn language. The protocol
used in PECS provides material rewards for communication in the context of the communi

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cative exchange, giving children with autism better reason to learn to communicate without
artificial reinforcement. PECS allows children with autism who have little or no communica
tion abilities, a means of communicating non-verbally. Children using PECS are taught to
approach another person and give them a picture of a desired item in exchange for that item.
By doing so, the child is able to initiate communication. The child with autism can use PECS
to communicate a request, a thought, or anything that can reasonably be displayed or sym
bolized on a picture card. PECS works well in the home or in the classroom [16]. PECS is a
low-tech AAC system. It does not require any electronic devices. It uses laminated line
drawings and a phase-wise implementation protocol.
4.1. PECS phases
PECS is introduced by teaching a child to give a picture of a desired item to a communicative
partner", who immediately responds to the request by giving the desired item. With time the
child learns discrimination of pictures and how to put them together in sentences. In the more
advanced phases, the children are taught to answer questions and to comment. The PECS
program has six phases of teaching.
The Physical Exchange. In this phase, the child is taught to pick up a picture, put it into the
hand of an adult, and release the picture upon seeing that the adult has an item that the
child wants. Only one picture at a time with a corresponding item is introduced so that the
task is simple and the child can learn the exchange of picture with desired item. For some
children who require physical prompts it may be necessary to have two adults in the
teaching session. While the first adult responds to the childs request for exchange, the
second adult prompts the child to go through the motion of picking up the picture card and
exchanging it for the item desired. The second adult may slowly reduce the support as the
child learns to perform the exchange independently. The sessions occur while the child is
seated at a desk with the adult.
Expanding Spontaneity: This phase requires the child to be more actively involved in getting
the desired item. The child is no longer working from the desk, instead he/she is expected
to fetch the picture from the communication board and bring it to the adult for an exchange
with the desired item. The communication board may be placed somewhere in the room.
Picture Discrimination: Now the child is expected to understand that different pictures denote
different objects in the real world. The training in this phase begins with just two pictures,
one of a desired item and one of a non-preferred item. If the child is unable to discriminate
between the pictures, he/she may pick up the picture of the non-preferred object for
exchange, and result gets that corresponding object. This is done with the purpose of making
the child focus on the selected picture. Prompts are provided to help a child discriminate
between the pictures and select the right one. In this case a blank card serves as a distractor.
On the other hand if the child can discriminate between pictures easily, number of distractor
pictures are increased. As the child progresses, the adult may introduce abstract pictures or
symbols denoting the desired items.
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Sentence Structure: Now the child is taught to use two pictures/symbols in combination. One
symbol for the phrase I want and the second for the desired item. At this stage, the child
is given about 20-25 pictures on a communication board and a Velcro sentence strip on which
to fix the appropriate cards. Initially the symbol for want is fixed on the strip before it is
given to the child, and the child is expected to select the desired items symbol from the
collection of symbols, fix it the adult for getting the item. Mastery of this phase occurs when
the student can successfully add the symbols for both I want and the desired item to the
sentence strip and exchange the sentence strip with a communicative partner without any
prompts on 80% of trials.
Responding to What do you want?: In this phase, skill to responding to a question is taught.
A desired item and want symbol are available. The adult points to the want symbol
and asks What do you want?. The child is expected to put the I want and the desired
objects picture/symbol on a sentence strip and give it to the adult for exchange. As the child
learns the skill, the adult slowly increases the time gap between asking the question and
pointing to the I want symbol in order to help the child understand that the exchange can
take place only when the I want symbol is placed before the symbol of the desired object.
The child now picks up the skills of forming phrases to express his/her needs.
Responsive and Spontaneous Commenting: In the sixth and the last phase the child learns to
answer/comment to questions similar to what do you want? The communication board
now may contain a symbol for I see below the want symbol along with several symbols
that do not represent highly desired items. The adult shows one of the less desirable objects,
the symbols for which is one the board, and asks the child What do you see?. The child is
slowly led to place I see symbol on the sentence strip before the corresponding symbol
for the object shown. The training follows the same process of prompting and rewarding
correct response as in the previous phases. When the child gives the correct response, the
adult reinforces it by saying yes, you see a ___, and provides a reward of childs choice.
The child is taught to answer several questions of similar nature such as what do you have?
What do you hear?, and what is this? following the same procedure. In order to ensure that
responses are generalized, the questions are asked by at least two different adults after the
child demonstrates skill acquisition.
5. Research support for AAC and PECS

A variety of AAC methods have been used with people with autism who are either nonverbal
or cannot speak intelligibly. Many of them have been investigated through single subject
research protocols. In a meta-analytical research study [17] twenty-four single-case studies
were analyzed via an effect size measure, the Improvement Rate Difference (IRD). Three
research questions were investigated concerning the overall impact of AAC interventions on
targeted behavioural outcomes, effects of AAC interventions on individual targeted behav
ioural outcomes, and effects of three types of AAC interventions. Results indicated that,
overall, aided AAC interventions had large effects on targeted behavioural outcomes in

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individuals with ASD. AAC interventions had positive effects on all of the targeted behav
ioural outcome; however, effects were greater for communication skills than other categories
of skills. Effects of the Picture Exchange Communication System and speech-generating
devices were larger than those for other picture-based systems, though picture-based systems
did have small effects. AAC is a multisensory intervention. SGDs provide a child with auditory
feedback, images and symbols on communication boards and touch screens provide visual
and tactile cues and reinforcement to give substance to words that are often abstract (e.g. the)
and difficult for children with autism to understand. AAC can help individuals with autism
manage the challenges of social communication. When eye contact, facial expressions and
sensory stimulation are over whelming individuals with autism may disengage from social
interactions. A speech generating device can be their voice to clearly communicate messages
and thereby encourage appropriate socialization. Evidence suggests that early augmented
language intervention that emphasizes opportunities for communication and capitalizes on
family involvement using AAC gets results. For this reason, and unlike conventional speech
therapy, AAC therapy involves training both the user and his or her communication partners
at home and in the community [18]. A study investigated the effect of AAC intervention on
language and social behaviour of children with autism. The children were given training to
use Makaton Vocabulary Language Program, a system of AAC. Results indicated that use of
AAC had a positive effect on childrens receptive and expressive language, and also enhanced
social behaviour [1]. Researchers compared PECS and MTS (match the sample) methods on
mastery of picture discrimination tasks. During MTS intervention, the children were asked to
match a given picture to one of a set of objects. Correct matches were rewarded with w
preferred item. In the PECS condition, child-preferred and non-preferred items were dis
played, and the child was given two corresponding pictures. When the child gave one of the
pictures, he/she received the matching item. Four out of five children required fewer trials to
master the picture discrimination tasks under PECS condition than MTS condition [19].
Children with autism with poor communication abilities were taught spontaneous demand
skill through PECS and cognitive interventions. Results showed that children learned spon
taneous communication during PECs training. They were able to generalize the skills to nonstructured setting too. Cognitive interventions served as necessary scaffold for acquisition of
task [20].
According to the guidelines on nonmedical interventions that address cognitive function and
core deficits in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) and sets priorities for future
research, there is scientific evidence (from controlled trials and observational studies) of the
effectiveness of the Picture Exchange Communication System (PECS) in increasing child-toadult initiated communication, primarily requesting communication acts. Therefore, Individ
uals with ASDs who have limited verbal language, or those who do not respond to multiple
interventions aimed at improving communication, should be offered the opportunity to use
the PECS [21]. A randomized clinical trial compared Pivotal Response Training (PRT), a
verbally-based intervention to PECS on acquisition of spoken language by 39 young (2-4 years),
nonverbal or minimally verbal children with autism. The children were randomly assigned to
either PRT or PECS condition. All children received 23 weeks of intervention. The measured
dependent variables included overall communication, expressive vocabulary, pictorial
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communication and parental satisfaction. Children in both intervention groups demonstrated

increases in spoken language skills, with no significant difference between the two conditions.
Majority of the children exited the program with more than 10 functional words. Parents were
very satisfied with both programs but indicated that PRT was easier to implement [22]. PECS
has been found to be an effective intervention for reducing maladaptive behaviours in children
with autism. In a study, 3 young boys with autism were given PECS training and its effect on
requesting, use of intelligible words and maladaptive behaviour was measured. Results
indicated that all participants quickly learned to make requests using pictures and that two
used intelligible speech following PECS instruction. Maladaptive behaviours were variable
throughout baseline and intervention phases [23]. Effectiveness of PECS protocol for the first
three phases was evaluated with 3 adults with autism. A multiple baseline across participants
design was used to assess the effect of the training package consisting of a video, written and
verbal instructions, modelling, rehearsal, and feedback. Results showed significant improve
ments relative to baseline in a short amount of training time, and that skills generalized to a
learner with a severe developmental disability [24].
6. Method
This experimental study used a pre-test post-test control group design. The study sought to
determine the effect of PECS intervention on development of functional language of children
with autism, and to compare the acquisition of functional language abilities by children who
received the PECS intervention to those who did not.
6.1. Subjects
The study was conducted in Mumbai, India on 30 children in the age range of 8 to 12 years.
The participating children were selected from 3 special classes for children with autism and
intellectual disabilities. The subjects consisted of nonverbal and minimally verbal children
with autism. As per records their psychometric performance placed them in the range of severe
to moderate intellectual disability. The schools they attended provided speech and language
intervention but the intervention was not AAC based. After selection all children were preassessed on Functional Language Assessment Scale (FLAS). Subsequently, they were ran
domly assigned to experimental and control groups so that each group had 15 children. The
experimental group received PECS intervention for 15 sessions of 30 minutes each. The control
group continued with the language intervention provided by the school.
6.2. Instruments
The researchers used PECS intervention and Functional Language Assessment Scale as
instruments. A brief description of both is given below.
PECS Intervention: The intervention consisted of the first 3 phases of PECS, namely, picture
exchange, expanding spontaneity, and picture discrimination. PECS phases were taught

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using such techniques of applied behavioural analysis (ABA) as prompting, shaping and
reinforcement.
a.
Phase 1 taught a child how to communicate by exchanging a picture card for a desired
item. This phase was taught by seating the child at a desk with a communicating
partner. Another adult was asked to provide prompts to the child while the exchange
happened. Only one desired object and its corresponding picture card was used in this
phase. The desired object was shown to the child. As the child reached for the object,
e/she was guided to pick up the picture card and give it to the communicating partner
in order to get the object.
b.
Phase 2 introduced distance between the child and the desired object. The child now
learned to seek out the picture card of the desired object and take it to the adult for
exchange. This phase shaped the childs responses by slowly increasing the distance
between the picture card and the communicating partner.
c.
Phase 3 required the child to learn to select the picture of the desired object from a set
of pictures. Initially it was taught by introducing only one distractor picture with the
picture of the desired object. As the child learned to pick up the right picture, more
distractors were introduced. For some children this incremental complexity in task was
difficult to master, while others learned it soon. Some preferred actual photos of objects
to their graphic symbols.
Functional Language assessment Scales: Two instruments were developed by the authors for
measuring the acquisition of receptive and expressive language skills. The Functional
Language Assessment Scale (FLAS) and Functional Language Assessment Scale (for
Parents) or FLAS (P). The FLAS consisted of a list of items categorized as food items,
classroom items, household items, names of common animals and play items, and verbs.
The items were selected after an extensive review of curriculum for language and commu
nication used in special classes within schools in Mumbai. The authors involved classroom
teachers of children with autism to share the language intervention goals for their children.
Additionally, parents were consulted for input on functional communication needed at
home. After the content was validated by domain experts, the instrument was pilot tested.
Since the children ranged between 8-12 years, the FLAS included a level of complexity in
items to address the variety in functioning levels of the children. It contained a total of 80
items. Both receptive and expressive language skills were measured on a 4-point scale of
Correct Response (CR), Response with Verbal Prompt (RVP), Response with Gestural
Prompt (RGP), and Response with Physical Prompt (RPP). Whereas 4 points were allotted
to a CR and a RPP was given a score of 1 point. The combined maximum score attainable
on FLAS was 640 and the minimum 160. The FLAS (P) was designed as a rating scale to be
used by parents of children in the experimental group at post intervention condition. The
scores on FLAS (P) were correlated with that on FLAS. The FLAS (P) followed the structure
of FLAS in that it measured the development of functional communication through
receptive and expressive language skills. Only those items that reflected communication
needs at home were retained in FLAS (P). While the number of items were reduced in FLAS
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(P) to 50, they were categorized and scored in the same manner as in FLAS. For details of
FLAS structure and sample of items included in it please refer to Table 1.
6.3. Procedure
The intervention commenced after assessing the childrens baseline functional language skills
on FLAS. All 30 children were underwent the assessment before being randomly assigned to
experimental and control groups. The assessments were done following the steps given below.
For assessment of receptive language, a child was asked to pick up the picture of a named
item from a group of 2-3 pictures. If the child selected correct picture without any prompts
he/she was allotted 4 points. A prompted response was marked anywhere between 3 and 1
depending on the level of prompt required by the child.
Since the research was conducted on nonverbal or minimally verbal children with autism,
expressive language was measured in terms of the childs ability to match a picture to a
given object. A child was shown a real object or its model and asked to pick up the picture
from a set of pictures that represented the object. Scoring was similar to that for receptive
language.
Once the participating children were assigned to experimental and control groups, the parents
of experimental group children were shown how to use FLAS (P), and then asked to record
their childs response to each item with respect to receptive and expressive language. The
parents were provided pictures and models where real objects could not be used. The inter
vention began once the assessment process was completed. As stated earlier, only 3 phases of
PECS training was considered for intervention. Each child received 15 sessions of intervention
of 30 minutes duration. A description of intervention steps is given below.
a.
As PECS is based on the principles of ABA, determining the motivator for a child was
important. Hence, parents and teachers of experimental group children were consulted
for this. A list of reinforcers to be used in subsequent sessions was made.
Receptive Language
CR
RVP
RGP
Items
RPP
Expressive Language
CR
Food items
biscuit
chocolate
wafer
apple
banana
samosa
Classroom items
RVP
RGP
RPP

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Receptive Language
CR
RVP
RGP
Items
RPP
Expressive Language
CR
RVP
RGP
RPP
Bag
Book
crayon
desk
pencil
Paper
Household items
Bed
Chair
toothbrush
plate
spoon
Animals & Play items
Cat
Dog
Cow
Blocks
Ball
Bat
Verbs
To eat
To sit
To drink
To run
To sleep
To Jump
Table 1. FLAS structure and sample of items
b.
The initial sessions aimed to help a child learn how to communicate. The first session
began by showing the child the desired item, and encouraging him/her to pick up the
matching picture. Since the children wanted the reinforcer, they could pick up the
corresponding picture easily. At this point only one picture card was introduced. For
children who required assistance to understand the concept of exchanging the picture for
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what they desired, another adult prompted them to give the card to the communicating
partner who held the desired item. Once the children learned the process of exchanging
picture card for desired item they were shown other items and their corresponding
pictures. Both correct and prompted responses would be followed by a reinforcer. This
ensured that a prompted response shaped into correct response as the sessions progressed.
The selection of items for a given session was based on the childs level of functioning as
pre-tested on FLAS.
c.
Once the children learned social interaction by exchanging picture cards for items sitting
on a desk with a communicating partner, the intervention moved to the second phase of
PECS training. The researchers introduced distance between the picture card and the
communicating partner. Now the cards were either kept on a nearby table or stuck on a
board. The children were expected to pick up the card and take it to the communicating
partner. They were taught persistence by increasing the distance from the partner with
desired item, so they learned to walk across the room to complete interaction.
d.
Distractor picture cards were introduced during the third and last phase of training.
Different picture cards served as distractors for teaching a child to select the target picture.
The cards consisted of pictures of items included in the FLAS. Childrens responses were
shaped though the required level of prompts. Initially this was done sitting on a desk with
the communicating partner. As the children learned to give correct response, distance was
reintroduced in the session. Hence, the children were expected to select the target picture
from a set of pictures on a board and bring it to the adult for the interaction to be completed.
While the children in the experimental group received PECS training for 15 sessions, those in
the control group continued with the language intervention program provided in their schools.
After intervention period all children were post tested on FLAS. Parents of experimental group
children were asked to reassessed their children on FLAS (P). Figures 1-6 show some inter
vention sessions.
Figure 1. Introducing a desired food item with matching picture

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Figure 2. Learning to match object to picture
Figure 3. Exchanging picture card for desired food item
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Figure 4. Selecting target picture from a group of pictures
Figure 5. Introducing verb cards

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Figure 6. Introducing distance between picture and desired object
7. Results
The study aimed to determine the efficacy of PECS based AAC intervention on development
of functional language abilities of children with autism. The children under PECS condition
showed quantitative change in their social interactions. A comparison of their composite mean
score on FLAS at baseline with that at post intervention showed a significant difference (refer
to table 2). As the selection of the children was random, the data was analysed using t-test.
Condition
Mean
t-value
df
Significance
Pre-test
15
346.66
0.72
6.80
14
P<.001
Post-test
15
512.26
Table 2. Comparison of pre and post-test composite mean scores of experimental group on FLAS
The effect of PECS intervention was evident to people who interacted with the children in the
experimental group. They noted the difference in the childrens ability to communicate
meaningfully. Statistical analysis of data supported this observation. The average score at
baseline (346.66) showed a significant increase post intervention (512.26). Each of the 15
children in the experimental group benefitted by the intervention. This led to the large
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difference between pre and post mean scores. The positive effect of training on the children is
clear when their pre and post-test individual scores are compared (Figure 7).
As may be seen from Figure 7 that all children gained from the intervention, though some
gained more than others. This may be understood in terms of the initial differences that existed
among the children due to factors such as age and intellectual levels.
Functional language skills were measured through receptive and expressive language on
FLAS. The mean scores on these component skills were compared. The baseline average score
on receptive language (224.2) was significantly lower than that at post intervention (329.53) as
indicated by the derived t-value (7.05; p<.001). From figure 8 it is evident that all children
improved their performance from pre to post test. However, in comparison with others the
observed gain was not as much in two of the children.
With respect to expressive language skills, the childrens base line mean score on FLAS was
121.8. After 15 sessions of intervention their performance was observed to have improved.
They had learned to use picture or symbols to convey their wishes and desires. They were able
to engage in more meaningful social interaction. This was also supported by their post-test
performance. The average score on FLAS (182.73) was significantly higher as indicated by the
derived t-value (6.01, p<.001). This suggested the positive effect of PECS on communication
ability. Figure 9 presents the details of pre and post-test individual performance on expressive
language skill post intervention.
While the experimental group children received PECS based intervention, those in the control
group continued with the intervention provided by their respective schools. At the end of
intervention period all children were reassessed on FLAS. The second objective of the study

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was to compare the post intervention performance of experimental group children to children
in the control group. The difference was analysed for statistical significance (Table 3.)
Groups
Mean
t-value
df
Significance
Experimental
15
512.26
5.92
28
P<.001
Control
15
353.13
Table 3. Comparison of post-test composite mean scores of experimental and control groups on FLAS
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The resultant t- value (5.92, p<.001) was highly significant. This indicated that PECS based
intervention was effective than traditional intervention methods for children with autism..
Figure 10 shows the quantitative difference in performance of children in experimental and
control groups.
Every child except one in the experimental group performed better than his/her counterpart
in the control group. Some experimental children scored significantly higher than their control
group peers. A similar trend was seen when mean scores on receptive and expressive language
skills were compared (refer to Figure 11)

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The children in the experimental group performed better on FLAS component skills. But the
difference was more in receptive language. This might be due to the limited number of
intervention sessions. Due to the short duration of intervention, the experimental group
children could not demonstrate similar gain in both receptive and expressive language skills.
However, in order to ensure that acquisition and demonstration of newly acquired functional
communication ability was not limited to intervention setting, the experimental group
individual scores on FLAS was correlated with the respective scores given to children by their
parents on FLAS (P). The parents administered FLAS (P) on their respective children at the
end of the intervention period. Their childrens gain in communication skills was reported by
the parents. When FLAS (P) scores were correlated with scores on FLAS using Product Moment
method, a high correlation (r = 0.89) resulted between the two sets.
8. Discussion
Among the various difficulties faced by individuals with autism, communication has been
described as being at the core. It is believed that one third of all individuals with autism may
never acquire oral expressive language sufficient to meet their daily needs [3]. It is imperative
that they learn to use an alternative and augmentative mode for communication. As mentioned
earlier, there are a variety of AAC systems available for children with disabilities. Selection of
a suitable system must depend on its ability to respond to the unique features of a specific
disability. One of the first communication difficulties with autism is with development of
paralinguistics [25]. They do not understand the underlying meaning of a message that are
embedded in the speakers facial expression, body language, eye gaze and tone of voice.
Learning to understand paralinguistics is important for development of receptive language.
In a typically developing toddler paralinguitics emerge as a consequence of parent-child
interactions. The parent smiles and waves a milk bottle before the infant, and asks in a high
pitched tone if the infant wants milk. The infant looks at the smiling and nodding parent, and
understands that something pleasant is going to happen. This is the premise that was used in
PECS intervention. The communicating partner showed or pointed to a picture of the object
that was desired. When the picture was exchanged the child was given the object with a smile
and a nod from the communicating partner. Besides motivating the child to communicate,
these paralinguitics provided social meaning to the exchange. Children with autism are visual
learners. Research on graphic symbol learning indicates that symbols with iconicity are easier
to learn [26]. The symbols used during the PECS intervention resembled their referents. The
children could learn to identify and exchange them easily for desired items. The significant
increase in childrens receptive language skills post intervention could be attributed to this.
Research also suggests that children with autism are more interested in inanimate objects than
in human interaction [12]. They are able to process better when information is presented in
static form. Pictures and symbols are inanimate and provide static information. The use of
PECS as an AAC system in this study responded to the learning preferences of the selected
children. PECS was designed specifically for children with autism who have limited verbal
ability [27]. It addressed the difficulty children with autism have in social initiations. Teaching
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a child to approach an adult and request for a desired object using a picture not only improved
communication but also developed social interaction. Successful outcome of each attempt
reinforced a childs communicative behaviour. The performance of the experimental group
children on FLAS was significantly higher than those in the control group. The control group
children also attended school and received speech and language intervention. Notwithstand
ing that they belonged to the same age group, the intervention goals would essentially consist
of teaching similar language concepts, the control group children did not demonstrate gains
equal to their experimental group counterparts. The principles of applied behaviour analysis
is central to the PECS program. The ABA methods such as rewards and prompts are system
atically used to shape a childs verbal behaviour though out the program, and much more
rigorously in the initial phases. The ABA methods were used during the intervention period.
This adherence to ABA principles might not be existing in the language interventions given
to the control group children. Hence, as the children were not frequently rewarded or guided
to produce correct response of identifying pictures, their gain on receptive language was below
the children who received PECS training. Similarly, with respect to expressive language skills,
in the traditional intervention setting the emphasis was on naming the picture orally. This
might have been impacted their learning as the control group children like their peers in the
experimental group were nonverbal or minimally verbal. The positive gains by the experi
mental group might be attributed to PECS training. That the change in ability to communicate
was beyond the intervention settings was evidenced by parents, and borne by the positive
correlation between observations made by the researchers and that by the parents.
9. Conclusion
Difficulties in social relationships and interactions have been the defining features of autism.
Therapists and teachers frequently use augmentative communication systems with children
with autism to support development of interactive behaviour. AAC systems follow a topo
graphically based taxonomy. Some are selection-based systems in which each response is
topographically identical and others are topography-based systems in which each response is
topographically distinct [28]. PECS being a selection based system follows a topographically
identical (e.g. card selection and exchange) pattern. It suits the literal thinking ability of a child
with autism. The pictures and symbols are static, literal and clear, and enable children with
autism to process information easily. The outcome of this study substantiate the findings of
previous researches supporting use of PECS as a suitable augmentative communication system
for children with autism.
Acknowledgements
The authors express their thanks to the children and parents who participated in this study.
They are grateful to the school administrators for their support.

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Author details
Rubina Lal1* and Disha Sanghvi2
*Address all correspondence to: rubinalal@hotmail.com
1 Samarpan Centre for Autism Spectrum Disorders, Mumbai, India
2 Special Education Professional, Mumbai, India
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[15] Bondy, A.S., and L. Frost. 2001. "The Picture Exchange Communication System." Be
haviour Modification. 25(5):725-744.
[16] Bondy, A.S. and Frost, L. (1998) Picture exchange communication system. Seminars
in Speech and Language. 19:373-389
[17] Ganz, J., Earles-Vollrath, T., Heath, A., Parker, R., Rispoli, M. & Duran, J. (2012). A
Meta-Analysis of Single Case Research Studies on Aided Augmentative and Alterna
tive Communication Systems with Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorder, 42, 60-74.
[18] http://www.icantalkclinic.com/uploads/
2/4/1/0/24107263/140121_aac__autism_aaction_points.pdf (retrieved May 15, 2014)
[19] Dyer, K., Sulzer-Azaroff, B., & Bondy, A. (May, 2006). Teaching Picture Discrimina
tion to Children with Autism: "Traditional Match-to-Sample" Training vs. Naturalis
tic PECS" Training. Poster presented at the 32nd annual Association for Behavior
Analysis convention, Atlanta, GA.
[20] Isshiki, M., Ishiyama, A., Yoshida, S., Hisatake, Y., & Terada, S. (2008). A complex ef
fect of PECS and cognition intervention for autism spectrum disorder, Bulletin of the
Faculty of Education, Kochi University, 68, 73-82.
[21] Maglione, M., Gans, D., Das, L., Timbie, J. & Kasari, C. (2012). Nonmedical interven
tions for children with ASD: Recommended guidelines and further research needs.
Pediatrics, 130, 169-178.
[22] Schreibman, L. & Stahmer, A.C. (2013). A randomized trial comparison of the effects
of verbal and pictorial naturalistic communication strategies on spoken language of
young children with autism. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disabilities, DOI
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[23] Ganz, J., Parker, R. & Benson, J. (2009). Impact of the picture exchange communica
tion system and collateral effects on maladaptive behavior. Augmentative and Alterna
tive Communication, 25, 250-261.
[24] Rosales, R., Stone, K. & Rehfeldt, R. A. (2009). The effects of Behavioral Skills Train
ing on the implementation of the Picture Exchange Communication System. Journal
of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42, 541-9.
[25] Seigel, B. (2008) http://images.pearsonclinical.com/images/assets/PDDST-II/Autism
VisualAugmentativeComm.pdf (retrieved Aug. 2014)
[26] Angermeier, A., Schlosser, R., Luiselli, J., Harrington, C., & Carter, B., (2008). Effects
of iconicity on requesting with the Picture Exchange Communication System in chil
dren with autism spectrum disorder, Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, 2, 430
446.
[27] Bondy, A. & Frost, L. (2002). A pictures worth: PECS and other visual communica
tion strategies in autism. Bethesda, MD; Woodbine House.
[28] Barlow, K., Tiger, J., Slocum, S. & Miller, S. (2013). Comparing acquisition of ex
change-based and signed mands with children with autism, The Analysis of Verbal Be
havior, 29, 59-69.
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Chapter 11
A Conceptual Model for Empowering Families in Less

Affluent Countries Who Have a Child With Autism
Sayyed Ali Samadi, Hadi Samadi and Roy McConkey
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59111
1. Introduction
International experience has demonstrated that children with ASD can be helped and that
families are crucial to the success of any interventions. In less affluent countries families play
an even more crucial role given the dearth of professionals trained in ASD and appropriate
support services [23]. In such countries, indigenous research is crucial to fully appreciate the
needs of families and the most relevant means of empowering them to face the challenges
posed by their childs condition. The outcomes of these research endeavours can then guide
practitioners and policy makers in devising services best suited to local needs. Conceptual
Models (CMs) are critical both to guide and validate the style and direction of research studies
that are undertaken as well as synthesising key factors in shaping the type of support services
provided for families. In this respect CMs have the potential to integrate research and practice.
The reason for considering CMs in any scientific field is to provide an explanation for existing
relationships among the phenomena under investigation and to provide insights that may lead
to the discovery of new relationships [32]. A Conceptual Model (CM) can be considered to be
both as a synthesis of extant knowledge on the topic but also a guide for further studies.
Sometimes the phenomena under investigation are so complex that no one CM can exclusively
provide the necessary guidance. Research on families-specifically families who have a member
with disability-fit into this category. It is the main objective of this chapter to discuss and
demonstrate how facing new problems in the course of an evolving programme of research,
encourages researchers to further develop their initial CM in order to arrive at a more com
prehensive account of the phenomena they are investigating: a necessary outcome in order to
guide practitioners in new areas of work such as Autism. Otherwise the risk is that the services
they deliver either as an individual clinician or within a service system such as education
is based on incomplete and out-dated models. The chapter draws on a series of studies
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undertaken by the first author initially for his doctoral thesis but continued in his post-doctoral
research. As a clinical psychologist, he had previously worked in services for persons with
intellectual and developmental disabilities on assessment and rehabilitation programmes.
The study started with two main aims: 1) to enhance current knowledge on the impact of taking
care of a child with ASD on family dynamics in Iran; and 2) to help parents in reducing negative
effects of raising a child with ASD through short educational courses and extending their social
network through providing opportunities for meeting each other. He first undertook a survey
of parents experiences in Tehran to having a child with ASD [21] and how the personal impact
on families differed from those with a child who had intellectual disabilities [27]. From this
study, an introductory training course on ASD for parents was devised and evaluated [25].
The longer term impact of such a course was also assessed and the contribution that mutual
support from other parents can make to maternal well-being in particular [15]. Further resource
materials to inform and guide parents were developed DVDs, educational packs and the
provision of educational materials [27].
2. Identifying appropriate conceptual models

There is no unique scientific method to guide the process of empirical enquiry. Likewise, there
is no distinctive conceptual model that can be applied in all research programmes of family
studies. So, the aim of this chapter is NOT to build up an all-embracing model in such a complex
area as family environment. No one model would be sufficiently comprehensive that it could
guide all future research. However, without adopting some form of CM no research could be
done and so, adopting a CM is the first and indispensable part of research that no researcher
could avoid even if they never make explicit the CM that underpinned their study which in
fact frequently happens.
But how does a researcher choose among the competing CMs that are available and which are
likely to prove suitable for other cultures? Again, there is not a single and simple guideline to
help the researchers choice. This is a tricky and potentially fallible step and one that has to be
informed by the chosen topic of the investigation, the extant literature on it and the experiences
gained personally by the researcher and in consultation with practitioners and families who
have the lived experience of the chosen phenomena. It is some consolation to know that the
CM initially chosen often is found to have shortcomings when it is put into practice. Aban
doning the chosen CM and adopting another one is not a good recommendation most of the
time; especially when the chosen CM has enabled us to deal with certain aspects of the problem.
The better solution is to extend the CM to encompass newly identified issues. By offering an
example around parental empowerment that might be useful to others, we aim to show how
the formation of a more complete CM can be achieved. In so doing, we hope to draw out the
ways in which this case study could assist practitioners and also the future research questions
that can emanate from it.
A Conceptual Model for Empowering Families in Less Affluent Countries Who Have a Child With Autism
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59111
3. Parental empowerment
In developing countries parental empowerment is a relatively new term in the literature on
children with developmental disabilities. Yet involving parents in the process of promoting
their childs development seems to be the most rational solution to the lack of support and
services for this group of children and their families. Even in developed and more affluent
societies, parental empowerment is a growing concern as [18] point out. Financial constraints
and changing ideologies have expanded parents' roles to include the jobs of "information
seeker, problem solver, committee member, public educator, political activist and, most
importantly, spokesperson for the needs of their children".
Empowerment has been defined as an intentional, ongoing process through which people
lacking an equal share of valued resources, gain greater access to and control over those
resources" (Cornell Empowerment Group, 1989, p. 2 cited in [19] The word intentional refers
to the psychological aspects of empowerment; ongoing process refers to the likely up and
downs that will be encountered as well as the need for persistence of over time; lacking an equal
share of valued resources refers to the societal aspects that disadvantage families and greater
access to and control over summarises the intended outcomes.
The first challenge was to find a CM that could be adopted so as to empower parents of children
with ASD in Iran. Part of the difficulty with research on topic of parental empowerment is that
it is context and culturally dependent [35]. This makes it a real challenge to find a universal
model of parental empowerment.
However there are some general criteria that can guide the choice among available CMs.
Simplicity, wideness of scope and easiness of applicability may be among these criteria (see
[16] for the virtues of a good theory). However, such criteria may be too general; appealing
more to philosophers of science and can appear trivial especially in assisting practitioners in
their choice of CM.
The following criteria were used to select appropriate CMs for research into parental empow
erment in Iran:
Concept of disability: the CM had to reflect current thinking about disability, such as that
reflected in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) [34].
Social Cultural issues: the CM had to consider the impact of social context, cultural influences
and attitudes;
Compatibility with family centred approach: the CM had to be compatible with family centred
approaches as international experience has identified this as key to effective intervention
for children with developmental disabilities.
We now examine each of these in more detail.
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4. Concepts of disability
ASD is predominantly conceived as a medical condition based on DSM or ICD definitions. The
medical model tends to believe that the curing or managing of disability generally or com
pletely, revolves around identifying the illness or disability from an in-depth clinical
perspective involving doctors, therapists and psychologists. The irony is that ASD even in the
medical sources is defined based on its behavioural manifestation rather than clinical symp
toms. Sole reliance on a medical condition sits outside modern conceptions of disability that
acknowledge environmental influences such as family and society on a child/persons level of
functioning. These may be particularly crucial in developing countries with their poor service
infrastructures at local and national.
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF, WHO, 2002) is an
updated framework for the description of health and health-related states. The classification
is focused on health and health-related domains based on what a person with a health
condition can do in a standard environment compared to what they actually do in their usual
environment (comparing the level of capacity to the level of performance). Thus social and
environmental factors can have a major influence on a childs level of functioning in addition
to any medical and disability condition.
The ICF also embodied the thinking in the bio-psycho-social frameworks which have been
proposed in disability and mental health in which different biological, psychological, and
social influences are brought together [8]. As Engel argues there is a reciprocal rather than a
linear relationship between all these three main factors. According to this model, although a
specific disability may require primary attention at the biological level such as hearing
impairment-it will also have an impact on psychological factors and both factors in turn may
influence the social system of the person with disability and their parents. Thus ICF provides
a comprehensive view of factors involving health, illness and health care and explains and
understands individual behaviour in particular contexts.
5. Social and cultural factors

[1, 2] ecological framework of the different systems that impact on a childs development, could
also help researchers and practitioners to better understand the situation of parents who are
taking care of a child with ASD. He posits five different systems that can influence childhood
development: the Microsystem, Mesosystem, Exosystem, Macrosystem and Chronosystem. A
change in any one of these components can cause a change in the other components. Micro
systems are those closest to the child-such as family and school-as they directly impact on the
child. These Microsystems are interrelated and together form a higher level system: the
Mesosystem. However these take place within an Exosystem of community services and
supports that in turn is influenced by the wider cultural Macrosystem, including ideologies,
laws, economic and social policies and religious attitudes. All of these systems and the
interactions between them can change over the course of a childs life which is captured in the
concept of the Chronosystem.
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As [33] argued, in an ecological model the main emphasis has to be on fixing the multiple
ecological environments, rather than fixing the child with disability and having him/her fit
into different social layers of family, community and society, which is the aim of the medical
model. This suggests a shift of attitude to change the focus away from the child with disability
as an independent entity towards a more global view which covers both children and their
families. According to an ecological model, the focus is on a transformed ecology in which
children with different types of disabilities can develop by using their skills in interaction with
a responsive environment [33].
6. Family-centred interventions
There is also a shift from child-focussed interventions to family-focussed interventions.
Family-centred practice is an umbrella term for both a philosophy and a method of service
delivery consisting of a set of values, skills, behaviours and knowledge that recognises the
centrality of families in the lives of their offspring. It puts family life, the strengths, needs and
choices of people with a disability and their families as the focal point of service planning,
development, implementation and evaluation. It is grounded in valuing the uniqueness of
every person and family, and a commitment to partnering with families and communities to
support children and young people with developmental delay or disability to learn, grow and
thrive.
Family-centred approaches value the strengths and resourcefulness of all families and aims to
support and encourage families in their efforts to meet the special needs of their child with a
disability and of the parents in ways that are defined as independent, functional and appro
priate [4].The efficacy of family-centred practice has been well demonstrated in affluent
countries [7] and applied across all developmental disabilities but may be less well developed
in ASD.
With these criteria in mind, the three most promising frameworks for family empowerment
were found to be: 1) Bronfenbrenners theory on human ecology [1, 2], 2) the McMaster Model
of family functioning [9, 10, 11], and 3) Enabling and Supporting Families [6]. Although other
frameworks have been applied in family research, they were considered to be insufficient for
the purpose of the research study undertaken in Iran. For example, the Lazarus Theory on
Stress and Coping (Lazarus, 1966 cited in [14] had been used in many studies on parental stress
and coping. Although this theory conceptualizes stress as an outcome of the relationship
between individuals and their situation as parents of a child with disabilities, it emphasises
more the personal rather than the social side of stress and coping.
7. Amending the adopted model and combining with other CMs

The three identified models raised a fundamental issue. How would the researcher choose
between them and which one should he choose? Were these CMs rival or complimentary to
one another? In fact the answers came as part of an evolving process during the course of the
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research. The most credible solution was to try and combine the three available conceptual
models. In addition he also had to supplement the model to elaborate the concept of empow
erment.
Initially Bronfenbrenners theory on human ecology seemed sufficient as it brought together
the insights from the other two approaches and provided a general picture of society with
respect to its different layers in order to explain interactions between the components of the
microsystem level and wider society. However our literature searches allied with the authors
experiences identified some limitations. Although this model stresses the relationships
between various components within different social layers, it does not help us to fully explore
and understand the relationship among the family members.
Thus the McMaster family functioning model was used as an extension of the ecological model.
The main reason for adopting the family functioning model was to consider the family as the
unit of analysis in the research. Although Bronfenbrenners theory is based on systems theory,
inherently it is an individualistic approach whereas McMaster theory has a holistic perspective
and focuses on the family and the impact of disability on all members of the family notably
mothers and fathers. The main focus is on present problems not past origins which can be
considered a particular concern for clinicians and practitioners. The emphasis is for family
members to address present concerns, resistances, or blockages so as to find solutions for their
problems. When using the McMaster approach, the practitioner functions as a catalyst, clarifier
and facilitator. The goal is to help family members to identify and solve problems themselves.
However the Family Functioning model alone was insufficient in understanding how this
problem solving process might be done. The addition of Dunsts family support model further
extended the model by including the types of support formal and informal that are
beneficial to families. But important as this was in identifying the range and level of supports
across systems, in itself it did not focus on the process of empowerment a point we will come
back to later.
A word of caution relating to merging CMs. In extending a basic CM to cover some merits of
another one there should be some semblance in their background and overlaps between them.
The CMs in this study recognised the core role that family relationships had within other
systems such as the extended family, school and religious systems. These levels of similarity
provided a basis for extending the ecology model to encompass aspects of the McMaster,
Enabling and Empowering Families CMs.
Within each of these domains specific aspects that researcher had found to be especially
relevant for parents empowerment in Iran were highlighted. Moreover it is the combination
of these different perspectives that is the main and novel feature of the proposed model in this
paper.
Also it could be argued that we should separate the questions of our research at the outset and
answer them in the context of separate and suitable conceptual models. Sometimes this may
be a good recommendation. However, in some instances, especially in times of dealing with
complex phenomena such as parental empowerment, a more comprehensive understanding
of the subject will not occur by separating the questions that are actually deeply related and
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answering them in unrelated CMs. Our suggestion is that in such cases expanding the chosen
CM to encompass other related questions is a better strategy.
8. Focus on empowerment
As Shultz et al., 1995, suggests empowerment can exist at three main levels: individual,
organizational and community level. This became apparent in the different stages of the
research programme.
Each of the three mentioned CMs has its own advantages for dealing with one of Scultzs levels.
A variation of a family systems model is the McMaster model of family functioning (MMFF),
described by [10] in the mid-50s. This outlines the basic concept of family functioning [17] and
is based on the theory that the primary function of the family unit is to provide a setting for
the development and maintenance of family members on the biological, social, and psycho
logical levels [10]. Over a period of thirty years this model has evolved and the reformulations
of it have tried to overcome some of the problems that emerged in the initial application of the
model [17]. It facilitates empowerment at an individual level. Empowerment at this level
entails psychological processes such as parental wellbeing, coping strategies and self-esteem.
Likewise an understanding of the socio-political environment, which includes knowledge of
the laws and an appreciation by parents of their rights and responsibilities with respect to their
situation helps with organizational empowerment. This level of empowerment enhances goaldirected actions by members of a group or organization. A model plays an important role at
this level of empowerment. This was provided through the model of Enabling and Empow
ering Families. In this CM available sources of help are also important. [5] argue that a better
relationship between parents, service providers and professionals increases the level of
empowerment. Iranian parents in these studies were asking for more and improved profes
sional services for their children and themselves. Therefore, at this stage of research, examining
the service delivery-related factors that influence family empowerment was particularly
helpful.
Finally at the broad level of community, empowerment reflects actions taken by a group of
people to improve life in their society. The ecological model clearly explains this concept and
defines approaches for helping families to strengthen their abilities to provide their children
with experiences and opportunities similar to other children with regular development.
Parents were asking for development-enhancing qualities above the individual or organiza
tional level and were hoping to change the dominant attitude of the society and the stigma
that resulted from having a child with ASD. This happened when a group of parents who were
participants of the studies went on to form a non-governmental organisation for Autism to
lobby for better services and to provide mutual support to families.This was the first Iranian
nongovernmental association in this kind.
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9. Further additions to the model

There were still aspects in family empowerment that even the extended CMs could not deal
completely with, notably how educating families produced changes in them. This needs
additional conceptual insights which were provided by [13] and [12]. Although their theories
had been initially developed for nursing education, the attractive aspect was the emphasis that
education is more than knowledge acquisition and should lead to action. [13] suggested that
learning through understanding ones own situation and abilities, is built around the processes
of enlightenment, empowerment and emancipation. In the educational sessions parents under
stand who they are, i.e., the Enlightenment. The second process helps parents to change
who they are, i.e., Empowerment. Following this, the third main dimension is presented,
i.e., Emancipation, the process which helped parents to become what they wanted to be.
This highlights the importance of education in bringing about changes in parents and their
activities so that they have their own voice in changing the attitudes of their society. On the
other hand relying solely on this model of empowerment would imply that the process of
emancipation occurred for all parents to the same extent which was not true. For example the
Parental NGO faced different system problems which caused serious crises for both the NGO
and the members. Thus the broader model that had evolved was needed to account for the
individual variations that remained and which were evident after as well as before the training
such as the nature of the disability, family dynamics and community reactions. Again, it must
be noticed that in extending a CM the auxiliary theories should have commonality with the
main CM, or at least be consistent with it. Thus enlightenment, empowerment, and emanci
pation concepts can be construed as an elaboration of the family functioning model. In this
model the primary function of the family unit is to provide a setting for the development and
maintenance of the family members on the biological, social, and psychological levels. To be
able to provide the necessary bases for family development, the familys needs and desires
must be known. Parental awareness about their needs could be obtained through information
provision, exchange of experience with other parents and letting them have their own voices
to talk about their ideas and to explain things from their own perspective. Family enlighten
ment, empowerment and emancipation will be obtained by improving family functioning and
their communication with one another along with fostering the emotional health of its
members through information provision, exchange of experience and having their own voices
through their own advocacy. Equally these three concepts could help us in understanding the
improvement of family functioning levels through providing more opportunities for being
influential in their society.
Figure 1 presents the resulting model to emerge from the research and development pro
gramme. Here we draw out the ways in which this model could assist practitioners and also
identify further research questions that emanate from it.
Finding theories and models of family programmes is not a big challenge. The challenge is to
adopt them in a way that is suitable to use in the context of the reality of the life of families
and children with developmental disabilities in different societies. Similar approaches could
be adopted to guide the development of clinical practice and services especially in less affluent
countries. A useful starting point is the model that has evolved in Iran albeit within the context
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Figure 1. The final model which was used to answer the research questions that emanate from the thesis on Parental
Empowering.
of research. In recent years this process has begun and various strategies have been tested
along the development of resources to support these new styles of working.
The following are some of the key components of service provision based on the integrated
conceptual model.
The focus should be on families and not just the child. Professionals visiting the family at
home is one means for living this message even though initially it may go against cultural
norms.
Any assessment of the child needs to be informed by family interactions he or she experi
ences, the learning opportunities provided to the child and the possible social and environ
mental barriers impeding the childs development.
Familycentred therapeutic interventions for ASD are devised which are undertaken mainly
by families in home settings rather than by professionals in clinics.
Knowledge transfer and the sharing of professional expertise is essential and can be done
through the preparation of DVDs and books. Two books on Autism has been published in
Farsi [22, 30].
Training courses are devised and offered regularly to parents. One aim of such courses is
for parents to learn from one another as a group on six to eight occasions.
Parental advocacy is promoted and in this respect, the involvement of fathers can be
especially helpful.
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Greater public awareness of ASD is promoted through parental advocacy, use of media and
briefing for community leaders.
In sum, the model envisages a community-based, family centred service based on partnership
working among all the stakeholders.
Equally this model generates further research questions. Chief among them are the following:
Are children with ASD who experience these styles of services more socially included within
their families and community?
If they are included, does this reduce their symptoms of ASD are they socially more
communicative with fewer behaviour management issues?
Are the children able to gain entry to mainstream schooling and what supports are needed
to sustain their placements?
Can schools incorporate elements of this model by becoming more family and communityfocussed?
Do parents who experience this model show sustained improvements in their family
functioning and emotional wellbeing?
How effective is this model for families living in rural settings?
10. Conclusions
Parents in most countries realise their important role in supporting themselves and their
children despite financial constraints and changing ideologies [19] but in practice in the
developing societies, their role is not clearly defined and their presence is not welcomed by
clinicians and professionals. In these societies based on the dominant service provision for
children with developmental disabilities, parents themselves preferred to act passively. In the
case of ASD in Iran, parents still need to struggle to be trained and confident enough to be
acknowledged and valued and to be recognised by the society as an integrated group. If the
needs of families of children with ASD are to be met through parental empowerment, it seems
that a more co-ordinated and coherent CM is needed. Since such a CM has not yet been
developed, the family researchers, especially those who study more complicated families, such
as a family of children with ASD, have to choose among the available CMs. The experiences
which were mentioned here have also required other conceptual models and it could be argued
that they have further validated the researchers choice of framework in different studies on
parental empowerment. The complex nature of empowerment has contributed to the adopted
approach.
The nature of the phenomena under investigation urged the researcher to adopt different CMs.
As the research went on, it became evident that the adopted CM had some limitations in
dealing with aspects of the empowerment process in parents of children with ASD in Iran. In
this case the adopted CMs need expansion each time to justify the findings. This expansion
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should be done with the aid of other conceptual models that are consistent with each other,
and could cover conceptual shortcomings. Therefore this chapter could be considered as an
attempt to specify a model specific to ASD within a tradition that incorporates social ecology,
family functioning and parent empowerment.
Author details
Sayyed Ali Samadi1*, Hadi Samadi2 and Roy McConkey1
*Address all correspondence to: s.samadi@ulster.ac.uk
1 Centre for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities-Institute of Nursing Research,
University of Ulster, N. Ireland, UK
2 Department of Philosophy of Science, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University,
Tehran, Iran
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[22] Samadi, S.A. & & Mahmoodizadeh, A. (2013). Omid early intervention resource kit
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lies with children who have developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental
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lies with children who have developmental disabilities. Research in Developmental
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[32] Tudge, J.R.H, Mokrova, I, Hatfield, B.E, & Karnik, R.B. . ((2009). ). Uses and Misuses
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[33] Turnbull, A. P, Blue-banning, M, & Turbiville, V. & J. Park ((1999). From Parent Edu
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[34] World Health Organisation (WHO) ((2001). International Classification of Function
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[35] Zimmerman, M. A. (2000). Empowerment theory: Psychological, organizational, and
community levels of analysis. In J. Rappaport and E. Seldman (eds.), Handbook of
Community Psychology. New York: Plenum.
Zimmerman, M.A. (2000). Empowerment theory: Psychological, organizational, and
community levels of analysis. In J. Rappaport and E. Seldman (eds.), Handbook of
Community Psychology. New York: Plenum.
Chapter 12
Evidence-Based Management and Intervention for

Autism Spectrum Disorders
Karola Dillenburger
http://dx.doi.org/10. 5772/58983
1. Introduction
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is diagnosed along a continuum of behavioural variants in
social communication and repetitive behaviours (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
Most individuals on the autism spectrum also experience differences in sensory perception.
Some individuals on the spectrum are high-functioning and able to cope in every day
environments, while others are severely affected, non-verbal, and may have co-occurring
diagnoses, such as intellectual disability, epilepsy, and/or obsessional, conduct, or mental
health disorders. These individuals require substantial support, caring and careful manage
ment, and evidence-based, effective interventions.
ASD diagnosis can be detected from as early as 6-months to 1-year of age, although it is more
common that children are aged 2-3 years before diagnosis is affirmed. Frequently, higher
functioning individuals are not diagnosed until adolescence, or even adulthood. Present
figures indicate that approximately 1:50 children are affected worldwide (CDC, 2013), with
parent reported prevalence rates even higher in some countries, e.g., 1:38 (2. 6%) in South Korea
(Kim, Leventhal, Koh et al., 2011) and 1:29 (3. 5%) in the UK, based on data of 11-year old
children (n=13, 287) from the Millennium Cohort Study [19]. Similar prevalence rates have
been found across racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups; it seems that boys are affected more
frequently than girls (estimated ration of 4:1), although this may be due to under diagnosis in
girls.
2. Etiology
The exact etiology of ASD remains unknown even though genetic, immunological, neurolog
ical, neurotoxins, electromagnetic radiation, and allergenic causes have been investigated.
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Early theories of maternal unresponsiveness have been discredited as mentalistic and sexist,
while recent neurological studies have shown physical differences in early brain growth and
functioning. Sibling and twin studies point to the possibility of genetic links. Ultimately, it is
likely that ASD is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental risk factors [11]. In
fact, it is to be expected that one day we will be able to differentiate symptomatology along
the spectrum much more precisely and different causes will be linked with different mani
festations along the autism spectrum.
General Practitioners (GP) are the first port of call for most parents who are concerned about
their childrens behaviour. A referral is made to an assessment team, commonly lead by a
pediatrician working in collaboration with a team of allied health professionals. A full
diagnosisis based on behavioural observations and caregiver reports of their behavioural
observations [19]. Although presently, there are no medical tests, ASD remains a medical
diagnosis that requires a medical as well as educational response.
The Vice President for State Government Affairs of Autism Speaks, the worlds largest autism
charity, Professor Lorri [87] made this point clearly when arguing for health cover:
Autism is diagnosed by a doctor, not a school principal. Treatment is prescribed by
a doctor, not a teacher. Here are some things autism families deal with daily:
swallowing aggression, teeth grinding, feces eating, depression, tantrum, drooling,
elective mutism, food refusal, food theft, genital stimulation, hallucinations,
hyperactive behaviour, hyperventilation, inappropriate vocalizations, insomnia,
public disrobing, rectal digging, seizure behaviour, self-injurious behaviour,
tongue protrusion and vomiting. Does anyone think these should be treated in our
school classrooms? (p. 1)
Of course not everyone agrees. Proponents of the neurodiversity movement [48, 58, 66] argue
that autism represents a neurological difference that should be celebrated rather than treated
with interventions. [44] maintain that these arguments are valid with regards to rights,
recognition and acceptance, however, they rightly argue that [o]nly a narrow conception of
neurodiversity, referring exclusively to high-functioning autists, is reasonable (p. 20).
3. Economic impact
For low-functioning individuals with ASD, the lifetime cost to society is estimated to bein
excess of 1. 4 million and these figures are similar internationally [7]. Of course, the cost for
quality of life for the individual and their family is much higher. For example, 86% of parents
of children with disabilities have to pay above average childcare costs and 72% of these families
have given up work or reduced their working hours, because of childcare problems [Buckland,
R., Glass, P., Baroness Eaton, et al., 2014] and only about 15% of adults with ASD are in gainful
employment [79]. The potential positive impact of effective interventions is enormous.
It is not surprising, therefore, that the intervention market is booming [17, 32]. As governmental
investments into ASD services are increasing, fad treatments abound. In fact, the struggle for
Evidence-Based Management and Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders

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a slice of the market has been called the Autism Wars [31]. Primary care, allied health, social
care, and education professionals have a key role to play in protecting families and individuals
affected by ASD from fads and ineffective, controversial, or even dangerous treatments that
are peddled by self-proclaimed autism experts for commercial reasons [15].
4. Interventions
Given that there are no medical indicators for ASD, it is not surprising that currently there are
no pharmacological treatments for the core symptoms of autism. There are, however, phar
macological treatments for some of the co-occurring symptoms, but due to lack of evidence of
effectiveness and potentially serious side effects, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence
(NICE, 2013) advises against the use of pharmacological interventions.
There are some commercially available intervention packages. However, commonly they are
very expensive and make unsubstantiated claims and promises of recovery or cure for autism.
These claims are predatory on vulnerable parents, especially since there is generally very little
evidence of effectiveness. The very few studies that exist for some of these commercial
packages are usually not very rigorous and/or conducted by people who have a financial
interest (Houghton, Schuchard, Lewis, & Thompson, 2013).
Some interventions have been developed and are frequently used or recommended by allied
health professionals despite the fact that, after a thorough review of all available research
evidence was carried out by the large team of multidisciplinary professionals for National
Autism Centre (NAC, 2009), these interventions have been categorised as unestablished. For
example, Sensory Integration Therapy is recommended widely by occupational therapists [9],
yet there is evidence that it has very little or no effects and can even be counterproductive or
detrimental [55]. Sensory Integration Therapy is classed as not recommended also by the
Australian Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs
(FaHCSIA) [74].
Facilitated Communication is another unestablished treatment (NAC, 2009) that is still in use,
despite the fact that it is highly controversial and has been exposed as being based on deception
[57] and has the potential of causing harm [56].
Virtually all interventions that have been categorised as established are based on knowl
edge and applications of the scientific discipline of behaviour analysis [NAC, 2009; 89].
Even some of the most ardent doubters or opponents of applied behaviour analysis (ABA)
have come to the realisation that behavioural interventions are the key to enhancing quality
of life for individuals on the autism spectrum and their families across the lifespan [41,
[Howlin et al., 2014], 47, 60, 95].
It is important to know that the term 'behaviour' when used by behaviour analysts refers to
anything we do and therefore includes feeling and thinking [16].
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5. Evidence base
The evidence for ABA-based interventions spans all valid and recognised research method
ologies, including Single-System Design (SSD), Randomised Controlled Trials (RCT), Metaanalysis and Sequential Meta-analysis, Systematic Reviews, Social Validity studies,
Neuroscience studies, and Cost-benefit analysis.
Single System Designs (SSD) include reversal designs, multiple baseline designs (across
behaviours, settings, or subjects), changing criterion designs, and alternating treatment
designs [46]. In SSD studies internal validity is achieved by each participant serving as his/her
own control, while external validity/generality is achieved through numerous replications of
carefully described SSD methodologies.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of Single-System Design (SSD) studies have been published
evidencing the effectiveness of ABA for individuals with autism [22]. While most of these
studies are published in flagship journals, such as Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, increas
ingly other mainstream journals publish SSD evidence for ABA-based interventions, for
example, the British Journal of Special Education [15].
A good example of an SSD is Garcia-Albea, Reeve, Brothers, and Reeve (2014), who used
a multiple-probe design across participants to teach 4 boys with autism to initiate and
participate in social interactions without vocal prompts from adults. The procedure
involved the use of a script and script-fading procedure. The boys quickly learned to talk
independently about a whole range of relevant things in their environment without the
help of adults. While this kind of research methodology lends itself particularly well to the
action-based researcher/scientist-practitioner model inherent in ABA, it can be usefully
employed in a range of different settings [49].
Randomised controlled trial (RCT), sometimes held up as the gold standard for evidence of
effectiveness of interventions, originated from medical research. RCTs were developed to
compare outcomes for one group of people who receive a certain type of medication (treatment
group), to that of another group of people who are not receiving the same medication, i. e.,
who may have received a placebo or treatment as usual (control group). The basic assumption
underpinning RCT is that, if both groups of people are well matched, any differences that are
observed after the intervention are due to the intervention [37].
While RCTs may have their utility in relatively clear-cut medical research, there are many
problems when they are used in social care or educational research, not least the ethical
dimension of withholding a potentially beneficial treatment from the control group. Of course,
there are safeguards, such as cross-over designs or the Hippocratic Oath to do no harm [90].
However, some of the main drawbacks in autism research are that, for RCT results to be valid,
all members of the treatment group have to receive the exact same treatment and this has to
be held stable for the agreed duration of the intervention. Of course, when interventions are
based on a functional analysis of behaviour, as is the case in ABA, they are tailored to the needs
of the individual, i. e., they are person/child-centered. Data-based decisions are made with

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regards to intervention adjustments, that are implemented immediately, for ethical reasons,
in order to avoid harm and enhance treatment effects [14]. These kinds of progressive,
systematic, individualized, data-based intervention revisions and adjustments would inva
lidate RCT data (see Single-System Designs).
Of course ABA (i. e., the application of the scientific discipline of behaviour analysis) itself
cannot be assessed via RCTs, yet some specific intervention packages, such as Early Intensive
Behaviour Interventions (EIBI) or the Early Start Denver Model, have been assessed in RCTs.
A good example is Howard, Sparkman, Cohen, Green, and Stanislaw (2005), who evaluated
29 pre-school children who received intensive behaviour analytic intervention (treatment
group) and two matched control groups of 16 children each, receiving either intensive or nonintensive eclectic interventions. While the scores for cognitive, language, and adaptive skills
were similar at intake, at follow-up the treatment group had statistically significant higher
mean standard scores in all areas. These data were confirmed at the 2 year follow-up [40].
Other RCTs or quasi-experimental control studies have compared Treatment as Usual with
ABA-based interventions, such as specific commercially available intervention packages [34),
high vs low intensity ABA-based interventions [30, 59], or waitlist controls [67].
Meta-analysis and sequential meta-analysis are increasingly used to give a summary of multiple
small n studies that provide individual participant data, with the expectation that combining
these data (commonly calculated in effect sizes) will allow for the identification of patterns
and thus increase statistical powerto show that treatment effects are not due to measurement
error, variation in sample, etc. Sequential meta-analyses are conducted where enough cumulative
knowledge is available through meta-analysis to draw convincing statistical conclusions about
effect size. Of course as in all research, there are a number of issues related to researcher bias
and declaration of interest, however, over recent years meta-analyses have become a welcomed
addition to the evidence-based practice literature.
With regards to autism interventions, a recent overview of meta-analyses [77] found that early
intensive ABA-based treatment was significantly related to enhanced outcomes (effect sizes 0.
30 to > 1). Further meta analyses [22, 23, 24, 72] and a recent sequential meta-analysis [54] have
confirmed these findings [1].
Systematic reviews are based on detailed searches of data banks with clearly defined inclusion/
exclusion criteria. Usually teams of multidisciplinary experts summarise selected studies, such
as RCTs, single-system research design studies, and meta-analyses. Given the wide reach of
evidence covered in systematic reviews, they have gained a strong place in evidence-based
practice in ASD.
The number of systematic reviews of ASD interventions has risen recently [77]. By-and-large
ABA-based interventions, in particular Early Intensive Behavioural Interventions (EIBI), are
endorsed by systematic reviews. A good example of a comprehensive systematic review was
carried out by the large scale multidisciplinary team of the National Autism Center (2009); 11
interventions were designated as established, of these all but one are explicitly based on ABA;
22 intervetions were categorised as emerging, most of these were also based on ABA. All other
systematic reviews came to similar conclusions [6, 36, 70, 75, 91].
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The review by [43] is the notable exception, in that it does not fully concur with these conclu
sions. Howlin et al. concluded that this review provides evidence for the effectiveness of EIBI
for some, but not all, preschool children with autism (p. 20). Given that this review is fre
quently cited in the UK as a basis against the roll-out of EIBI for all children with ASD who
need it [42], it is important to note here that Howlin et al. misinterpret a number of important
points. First, it is in the mathematical nature of all group average data (such as those calculated
for RCTs) that some individual data are above while others are below the average; such is the
nature of group averages (see also [77]; second, Howlinet al. cherry pick results by ignoring
the fact that obviously some children must do extremely well, otherwise the group average
would not be what it is. Thus, Howlin et al. contradict themselves in their conclusions. First
they call for large sample comparisons and group averages (i. e., RCTs) and then they do not
accurately interpret group data.
In a subsequent paper, Howlin and colleagues (2014) report extremely poor long-term
outcomes in a 40-year follow-up study of children diagnosed with autism at the Institute of
Psychiatry/Maudsley Hospital, London between 1950 and 1979. Intriguingly, they explicitly
link these findings to the fact that none of these children had received early intensive behav
ioural interventions and claim that EIBI is available now. Praising the potential positive effects
of EIBI stands in contrast to their earlier conclusions [42, 43]. It will be interesting to see how
this new evidence will translate into advice given to government bodies.
Given that group average scores are neither sensitive to individual differences nor offer
sufficient generality, most behaviour analytic researchers prefer to rely on replicated singlesystem designs (SSD) instead of group averages [14, 18, 29]. Clearly, SSD research data cannot
be ignored and should find their rightful place in future reviews of autism intervention
guidelines, such as NICE Guideline 170 (2013).
Social Validity studies assess the social significance, appropriateness, and importance of
treatment goals, procedures, and intervention effects [93]. Social validity measures are
increasingly becoming integral part of research into interventions in ASD [27, 53].
A number of studies have shown clear evidence of high social validity of ABA-based inter
ventions, especially those that include parent participation and training [18, 92]. Interestingly,
while there is evidence of increased parental stress in families affected by ASD [10, 17], there
is evidence of parental stress reduction when effective interventions for children are in place
[17]. This is also true for education staff [26].
Neuroscience studies, including MRI scans are useful tools to bolster evidence-based practice
in particular in the area of ASD, where the plasticity of the brain during early childhood
constitutes an important focus of intervention [11]. There is evidence of differences in brain
activity between individuals diagnosed with ASD and those who do not have an ASD
designation [Dawson, Klinger, Panagiotides, Lewy, & Castelloe, 1995, 35].
There is further evidence that early behaviour analytic intervention can lead to measurable
change in brain activity [12]. For example, [28] found that ABA-based interventions not only
lead to behavioural improvements, with some optimal outcome individuals becoming

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indistinguishable from neuro-typical peers, but that they also lead to improved neurological
development, i. e., neurological plasticity allowing for compensatory development.
Cost-benefit analyses are an important way to substantiate evidence of effective interventions.
A recent study estimated the annual cost of autism between 0. 8-1. 4+ million per lifetime
depending on the level of functioning; these costs were similar in UK and USA [7] and in other
parts of the world [61, 71].
There is evidence that effective ABA-based interventions can reduce this cost substantially in
the long-term, i. e., $1+million per year [45]. However, due to the fact that intensive interven
tions generally are rather costly in the short-term, there has been resistance to their imple
mentation. The key question is how effective high-quality programs can be delivered in a more
cost-effective sustainable model, without loosing out on effectiveness [1].
All of these studies supply ample evidence of the effectiveness and efficacy of ABA-based
interventions, in achieving individual potential in a full range of areas, including intellectual,
social, and verbal, functioning, ASD symptomatology, and challenging behaviour.
On the basis of this evidence, ABA-based interventions are now widely endorsed in the USA,
Canada, Australia, and some European countries. On a federal level in the USA, for example,
Medicaid now covers ABA-based interventions and the Affordable Care Act covers behav
ioural health treatments [83], which include ABA-based interventions generally, and is not
restricted to ASD diagnosis.
6. Endorsement
In the USA, interventions for individuals with ASD that are based on ABA are endorsed as
medically, as well as educationally, necessary and covered by health insurance in the vast
majority of States [2]. In fact, they are now considered treatment as usual [28]. As early as
1999 the [84] endorsed ABA-based interventions:
Thirty [now 45] years of research demonstrated the efficacy of applied behavioural methods
in reducing inappropriate behaviour and in increasing communication, learning, and appro
priate social behaviour. (p. 164)
More recently, [94] recommended
that principles of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) and behaviour intervention
strategies be included as important elements in any intervention program for young
children with autism. (p. 33)
[8] recognized that:
in areas such as social engagement, language, coping, and reduction of difficult
behaviours Applied behavioural analysis is usually needed to assist a child to
gain skills and reduce negative or undesirable behaviours. (p. 10)
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The Federal U. S. Office of Personnel Management responsible for all federal government
employees concluded that ABA-based interventions should be covered not only for educa
tional but also for medical reasons:
based on ample scientific and empirical evidence, ABA therapy qualifies as a
medical treatment, rather than purely educational. [5], p. 1)
In Canada, ABA-based interventions are supported, for example by the Ontario Department
of Education Policy/Program Memorandum [73] that support[s] incorporation of ABA
methods into school boards practices. . . The use of ABA instructional approaches may also
be effective for students with other special education needs. (p. 1)
The Maine Administrators of Services for Children with Disabilities confirmed their support
in the Report of the Autism Task Force [6]
It is important to note that ABA is frequently perceived to be synonymous with
discrete trial teaching. However, ABA is comprised of a broad scope of empirically
derived behavioural principles used in interventions. (p. 25)
Despite this general endorsement of evidence-based behaviour analytic interventions across
most of the English speaking world, the highly controversial approach taken by governments
across the UK and Ireland is to support an eclectic approach. There are no clear guidelines
as to what an eclectic approach entails and not a single study is published anywhere to show
the effectiveness of an eclectic approach being equal or superior to ABA-based interventions
[14]. In fact, [21] and [39] findings show clearly that ABA-based interventions are superior to
an eclectic approach. Individually tailoring behavioural interventions to match child charac
teristics is key to effectiveness [82].
Yet in the UK, the National Institute for Clinical Excellences (NICE, 2013) response to
stakeholders, who asked for ABA-based interventions to be included in the NICE guidelines
for the management of children with ASD, was the following:
In the review of evidence, the Guideline Development Group found no evidence to support
ABA, and therefore could not make a recommendation about ABA. (pp. 5& 8)
They also asserted that:
NICE clinical guidelines are based on the best quality evidence and are developed
according to rigorous and robust methodologies. The developers were unable to
identify high quality evidence of effectiveness of the ABA approach in managing
children and young people with autism. (pp. 5 & 8)
This view is informed mainly by relatively few, but well rehearsed anti-ABA arguments that
continue to circulate misinformation and misleading anti-ABA propaganda. As [33] points out:
The most concerning issue affecting the quality of practices and policies in the
helping professions is the play of propaganda, which misleads us regarding what
is a problem, how (or if) it can be detected, its causes, and how (or if) it can be
remedied. Propaganda is defined as encouraging beliefs and actions with the least

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thought possible. Censorship is integral to propaganda including hiding wellargued alternatives and lack of evidence for claims. Evidence-based practice was
developed in part because of misleading claims in the professional literature. If
propaganda is an integral part of our society, we cannot escape its influence. But
we can become aware of it, encouraged by ethical obligations to avoid harming in
the name of helping. (p. 302)
7. A new idea
Anti-ABA propaganda generally comes from people not trained in the science (e.g., [41, 47].
Censorship comes in the form of excluding behaviour analysts from review bodies [14] or
ignoring data presented to review panels [68]. As a consequence of this exclusion, ABA remains
a new idea in the UK, despite its extensively documented history and evidence base accessible
in the English language.
The German philosopher Alfred Schoppenhauer (1788-1860) recognised that:
All new ideas pass through three stages. First, they are ridiculed. Second, they are
violently opposed. Third, they are accepted as being self-evident.
This is true for the evolution of the arguments by ABA opponents [15]. First, they ridicule ABA
as one approach for autism, while promoting the rather ill-defined eclectic approach. Of
course, one could argue that the eclectic approach is one approach as it precludes any other
approach, such as the dual approach taken in Germany, where psychotherapists are trained
in either behaviour therapy and psychotherapy, and the service user has the choice which
service they prefer to use [17]. In reality then, eclecticism is one approach to autism inter
vention. When opponents of ABA state that they do not want one approach for all, they cannot
at the same time say that they promote the one approach called the eclectic approach.
There are of course further problems with eclecticism.
Staff training in all possible autism treatments is impossible. Training and skills of eclectic
practitioners necessarily remain limited to a certain number of preferred interventions. The
decision about what to include/exclude in an eclectic treatment package therefore is not
based on the childs needs but on the practitioner skills.
There is no coherent theoretical knowledge base and the potential for conflicting interven
tions means that synergy effects cannot be controlled.
There is no evidence of effectiveness.
On the other hand as mentioned earlier, ABA is not one approach to autism [16], it is the
application of the scientific discipline of behaviour analysis.
ABA aims to discover and understand the underlying principles of behaviour with
the function of a particular behaviour considered in the design of behaviour change
interventions. Interventions are designed for the individual, recognizing that the
function of behaviour varies based on complex combinations of variables. [6], p. 25)
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There is nothing wrong with using one approach, if this one approach is science [15].
Countless procedures have been developed from the science of behaviour analysis, many
specifically for ASD, e.g., Discrete Trail Teaching (DTT); Pivotal Response Training (PRT);
Natural Environment Training (NET); Verbal Behaviour Approach (VB); while other proce
dures have been developed for more general applications, e.g., Functional Analysis and
Functional Assessment; Preference Assessments; shaping, forward chaining, backward
chaining; differential reinforcement of low or zero rate and/or incompatible or alternative
behaviours; Time-out from Positive Reinforcement (TOR); etc. . Some of these procedures have
been combined into comprehensive packages for autism, such as Early Intensive Behavioural
Interventions (EIBI) or Early Start Denver Model (ESDM), while others are used more gener
ally, e.g., Programmed Instruction, Generative Instruction; Peer Tutoring; Habit Reversal
Training; etc. Given that the science of behaviour analysis underpins all of these programmes/
procedures and continuous data-based decision making is part and parcel of ABA, new
procedures and progammes are developed continuously to meet the individual or group needs
of service users.
ABA has been further ridiculed and accused of intending to change the person, while others
pride themselves for accepting the person for who they are [69, 80]. In fact, the targets of ABAbased interventions are socially relevant behaviours, linked to cultural and personal norms
and preferences [4]. The curricula are agreed with individuals with ASD and/or their caregiv
ers. They are generally based on wide-ranging target behaviours, including life skills, such as
dressing, toileting, attending; social skills, such as playing or imitation; academic skills,
including attending, reading, drawing, writing, and maths, and work/employment based
skills, including interviewing or team work.
Basically, the aim of ABA is to enhance all skills necessary to lead a fulfilled life for individuals
who would otherwise be limited in the quality of life they experience. These are the same aims
that most parents have for all of their children, irrespective of a diagnosis. As such, ABA does
not intend to change the person, but to enhance skills and help individuals to break down
barriers to learning and achieve their full potential. After all, enhancing skills development
increases choice.
Once a new idea can no longer be ridiculed, the second point Schoppenhauer made comes to
play: the new idea is opposed. In the case of ABA, this refers to statements such as there is no
evidence to support ABA and therefore no recommendation can be made (NICE, 2013). We
have outlined the wealth of evidence in favour of ABA-based interventions earlier in this
chapter. Given that behaviour analysts commonly are not included in review bodies, at least
in Europe, this mountain of evidence generally is excluded from reviews [68].
When the evidence can no longer be denied, the opposition turns to the behaviour analytic
scientists themselves, stating that research conducted by behaviour analysts is biased and
therefore not to be taken seriously. The idea, that it is objectionable that scientist conduct
scientific research in their own subject area is rather intriguing. Given that it is against ethical
guidelines of all social and health care as well as education professionals to work outside their
own area of expertise [90], clearly, multidisciplinary practice and interdisciplinary research
teams in ASD, should routinely include behaviour analysts, not least because others are not
qualified to make authoritative statements about behaviour analysis [16].

http://dx.doi.org/10. 5772/58983
Once ridicule and opposition are not longer tenable, the third point of Schoppenhauers
concept of the evolution of a new idea comes to play, when finally, new ideas are considered
self-evident. Intriguingly, this is now starting to happen with regards to ABA. There is
evidence of a claim that all teachers and psychologists use ABA techniques. However, being
able to conduct one or two behavioural techniques [16] clearly does not equate to training in
applied behaviour analysis to international standards [3]. For example, clinical psychology
training typically includes (under Psychological Therapies) competency in two evidencebased therapeutic approaches including CBT and one other (e.g. psychodynamic, systemic,
social constructionist) [76]. Other professionals commonly receive no training in behaviour
analysis and either none or very little training in ASD [19].
8. Staff training
A Board Certified Behaviour Analyst (BCBA) has received fully approved training in the
science of behaviour analysis either at Masters or doctoral level, including at least 270 hours
of course work and 1500 hours of supervised practice in ABA [3].
While NICE (2013) did not make any recommendations regarding ABA or staff qualifications,
they recommend a social-communication intervention that includes play-based strategies
with parents, carers and teachers to increase joint attention, engagement and reciprocal
communication in the child or young person.
Table 1 offers a direct comparison of the basics of ABA-based interventions that were stipulated
by the [8] and the NICE (2013) recommendations.
Basics of ABA-based interventions
A Psychosocial intervention (NICE,

2013)
Curriculum decision
Methods
The curriculum is organized around typical
A specific social-communication
developmental expectations;
intervention for the core features of
Individualized approach is used to determine
autism in children and young people;
developmental level of programme;
Be adjusted to the child or young
Functional analysis identifies the
person's developmental level;
communicative role of behavior;
To increase joint attention,
Language- and communication-intensive;
engagement and reciprocal
Socialization and play are actively stimulated;
communication;
An individualized approach is used to select or Includes play-based strategies;

develop developmentally appropriate methods; Include techniques of therapist
Procedures are based on applied behaviour
modelling and video-interaction
analysis;
feedback;
Includes structured as well as natural
Include techniques to expand the
environment training.
child or young person's

communication, interactive play and
social routines;
255
256
Basics of ABA-based interventions
A Psychosocial intervention (NICE,

2013)
Monitoring
A formalized assessment of skills (cognitive,

language, socialization, adaptive behavior, fine
and gross motor, and play) is conducted at
regular intervals;
Data are recorded to monitor progress and to
troubleshoot;
Assessment results are used as a guide for
planning what skills to teach next;
Integration of research and practice is used;
Generalisation &
Generalization and maintenance of skills are
Maintenance
built into the program;
Outcome targets
Mainstreaming opportunities with typically
Aim to increase the parents', carers',
developing peers are built into the program;
teachers' or peers' understanding of,
Transitional support is provided when the child and sensitivity and responsiveness to,
leaves one program and moves to the next.
the child or young person's patterns of
The skills needed in the next situation are
communication and interaction;
taught and support needed is considered;

Parent involvement
Parent training and family support are used;
With parents, carers and teachers;
Education about options for intervention is

provided;
Training is culturally acceptable to individual
families;
Staffing
Collaboration of all team members is used;
The intervention should be delivered
Related services are included (i.e., speech,
by a trained professional.
occupational therapy, adapted physical therapy, For preschool children consider

and/or augmentative communication);
parent, carer or teacher mediation.
Ongoing teacher/therapist training is included
For schoolaged children consider
to consider what new and experienced
peer mediation.
personnel need to know.

Table 1. Comparision of ABA-based interventions and NICE (2013) recommendation
9. Conclusion
In a recent review for the Canadian Medical Journal, [1] summed up the evidence for ABAbased intervention in ASD when they stated:
Current best practices for preschool-aged children with ASD include a focus on
improving language, cognitive and adaptive skills using applied behaviour analysis
(ABA) techniques. Applied behaviour analysis refers to the application of empiri

http://dx.doi.org/10. 5772/58983
cally derived learning principles (i. e., the antecedentbehaviourconsequence

contingency) to produce meaningful changes in behaviour. Such strategies are
carefully engineered and implemented through a variety of approaches (e.g.,
discrete trial teaching to more naturalistic learning contexts) to teach skills and
reduce problem behaviour. Applied behaviour analysis interventions can be
provided in a variety of settings (e.g., home, specialized treatment centres, special
ized or public schools) by a range of front-line therapists, ideally supervised by a
psychologist or board-certified behaviour analyst who specializes in ASD. (p. 515)
It is, therefore, not surprising that increasingly reports link ABA-based intervention with
optimal outcomes. Individuals previously diagnosed with ASD are now living independent
productive happy lives or no longer meeting diagnostic criteria. Mukaddes, Tutkunkardas,
Sari, Aydin, and Kozanoglu (2014) suggested that [i]t could be concluded that a group of
children with an autism diagnosis could lose the diagnosis of autism upon early intervention
(p. 1). [65] for example, report a strong statistical significance of early intensive behaviour
analytic interventions for children previously reported to have optimal outcomes [28], while
[85] report on reductions of restricted and repetitive behaviours and [85] focus on improve
ments in academic skills following early intensive behavioural interventions.
Evidently, ABA translates into evidence-based interventions that allow individuals with ASD
to overcome barriers by ensuring choice, human rights, equality and true active participation.
ABA helps achieve potential by cherishing the person for who they really are and, by accepting
difference, it values the difference we can make in peoples lives.
Author details
Karola Dillenburger*
Address all correspondence to: k. dillenburger@qub. ac. uk
Centre for Behaviour Analysis, School of Education, Queens University Belfast, UK
Parts of this chapter were previously published in National Association of Primary Care Review
(Spring/Summer 2012) p. 134-135.
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Chapter 13
Understanding the Importance of the Evaluation and

Treatment of Elevated Androgens in Autism Spectrum
Disorder
David A. Geier and Mark R. Geier
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59394
1. Introduction
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a prevalent, life-long, neurodevelopmental disorder
diagnosed in more than 1% of children in the United States (the most recent estimate exceeds
one in 68 children) with strong gender basis towards males (one in 42 boys) relative to females
(one in 189 girls) [1]. In addition to the diagnostic impairments specified in the fifth edition of
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) criteria for ASD in
socialization, restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities, and communi
cation, which must be present in the early developmental period, many individuals diagnosed
with an ASD frequently have co-morbid aggression and severe irritability, hyperactivity, and
repetitive behaviors, which can become a major source of additional distress and can interfere
with functioning [2]. Similarly, others have observed the occurrence of co-morbid conditions
among individuals diagnosed with an ASD as follows: hyperactivity (67%), sensory processing
problems (85%), anxiety/fear (74%), behavioral problems (89%), and obsessive-compulsive
behaviors (92%) [3]. These investigators described that behavioral problems and obsessivecompulsive behaviors were reported to be the most serious and problematic. In addition,
investigators described that some individuals diagnosed with an ASD show significant
deterioration in symptoms about the time of puberty [4]. Among the symptoms that worsened
according to these investigators were disruptive behavior, destructiveness, restlessness, and
partial loss of acquired social and academic skills.
In considering the aforementioned facts, it was previously hypothesized that male hormones
(androgens) may play a critically important role in the clinical presentation of individuals
diagnosed with an ASD and that reduction of androgens in individuals diagnosed with an
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ASD would result in a significant amelioration of their clinical symptoms [5]. The purpose of
this critical review is to examine evidence supporting the role of androgens in mediating ASD
traits/symptoms, elevated androgens among individuals diagnosed with an ASD, and the
observed important role for anti-androgen medications in treatment of ASD traits/symptoms.
2. Evidence for a correlation between elevated androgens and ASD traits/

symptoms
Investigators have systematically evaluated measurements of androgens and their relation
ship with the clinical symptoms or traits defining or observed in individuals diagnosed with
an ASD [6, 7]. Fetal testosterone levels were observed to be significantly inversely related to
eye contact, quality of social relationships, vocabulary size, and empathy among typically
developing children. By contrast, fetal testosterone levels were observed to significantly
positively correlate with autistic traits, restricted interests, and systemizing behaviors.
It was also determined on a psychological testing basis that were significant differences among
individuals diagnosed with an ASD in comparison to neurotypical males and females [6, 7].
The tests revealed that autism quotient (AQ), systemizing quotient (SQ), child autism spectrum
test (CAST), embedded figures test, intuitive physics test, social responsiveness scale, quanti
tative checklist for autism in toddlers (Q-CHAT) scores revealed a pattern of ASDs > males >
females. By contrast, empathy quotient (EQ), faux pas test, friendship and relationship
questionnaire (FQ), reading the mind in the eyes, and social stories questionnaire (SSQ) scores
revealed a pattern of females > males > ASDs.
Other investigators examined brain structure for evidence of an extreme male brain among
individuals diagnosed with an ASD in comparison to neurotypical males and females [6, 7].
A pattern of extreme male brain structure with ASD > males > females for total brain volume
and amgydala size was observed. By contrast, it was observed that the brain size was females
> males > ASD for the perisylvian language areas, left > right asymmetry in planum temporale,
and lateral fronto-parietal cortex. Furthermore, brain function patterns revealed females >
males > ASD for default mode network connectivity, embedded figures functional magnetic
resonance imaging (fMRI), and reading the mind in the eyes task fMRI.
Still other investigators examined the relationship between various diseases known to be
associated with elevated androgen levels and ASD traits and symptoms [6, 7]. For example,
individuals diagnosed with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) were found to have
increased problem behaviors and increases in AQ scores relative to unaffected controls. It was
even observed that some individuals diagnosed with DNA-confirmed CAH mutations and
associated clinical and laboratory findings had a concurrent diagnosis of an ASD. As another
example, individuals diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) were observed to
have significantly increased AQ scores, significantly impaired communication, socialization,
and attention relative to unaffected controls. Finally, investigators examined bio-physiological
and cognitive differences in children diagnosed with premature adrenarche (with elevated
blood androgen levels) in comparison to on-time adrenarche [8]. Children diagnosed with
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premature adrenarche in comparison to on-time adrenarche had significantly increased

problem behaviors and attention problems, as well as significantly decreased skills in social
ization, information processing, language/communication.
Other investigators have more specifically examined the direct relationship between hormonal
treatment status and ASD traits/symptoms by examining various groups of transsexual
individuals [9] and among individuals injected with testosterone in a double-blind study [10].
It was observed among various groups of transsexual individuals that compared ASD traits/
symptoms using AQ scores derived from five groups: (1) n = 61 transmen (female-to-male
transsexual individuals); (2) n = 198 transwomen (male-to-female transsexual individuals); (3)
n = 76 typical males; (4) n = 98 typical females; and (5) n = 125 individuals diagnosed with an
ASD [9]. Higher AQ scores were seen in transmen than in typical females, typical males, or
trans women, but transmen had lower SQ scores than those individuals diagnosed with an
ASD. Transmen displayed ASD-like symptoms/traits and were more comfortable socializing
with male peers than female peers. Thus androgen treatment in transmen correlated directly
with development of ASD symptoms/traits. Transmen had a higher mean AQ than typical
females, typical males and transwomen, but lower than individuals diagnosed with an ASD.
Transmen have more ASD traits/symptoms and may have had difficulty socializing with
female peers and thus found it easier to identify with male peer groups. The importance of
these findings being that direct hormonal treatment with androgen therapy in transmen
directly correlated with their development of ASD traits/symptoms. It was also observed,
among individuals injected with testosterone in a double-blind study, that these individuals
manifested a significant increase in ASD traits/symptoms with impairment in their cognitive
ability to infer emotions, intentions, feelings, and other mental states from observing the eye
region of another's face [10].
3. Evidence for the effect of elevated androgens in ASD

Investigators have undertaken extensive evaluation of various measurements of elevated
androgens in individuals diagnosed with an ASD. They described, among individuals
diagnosed with an ASD, significantly increased frequency of genetic changes in multiple genes
involved in sex steroid synthesis, transport, and/or metabolism, testosterone-related medical
conditions (e.g., polycystic ovarian syndrome, breast and ovarian cancers, acne, etc.), and
testosterone-related characteristics (e.g., tomboyism, etc.)[6, 7]. It was also reported that
individuals diagnosed with an ASD had significant alterations in the timing of puberty (boys
diagnosed with an ASD were observed to enter "male" puberty earlier, while girls diagnosed
with an ASD were observed to enter "female" puberty later). Elevated androgen levels and
significantly lower second to fourth digit ratios in comparison to neurotypical controls (a
known marker of elevated fetal testosterone) [6, 7].
Investigators recently measured fetal steroidogenic activity in amniotic fluid samples for
individuals diagnosed with an ASD in comparison to neuroptypical controls. Amniotic fluid
samples taken from individuals subsequently diagnosed with an ASD in comparison to
neurotypical controls revealed significant elevations in androgen levels [11].
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Investigators previously described evaluating blood androgen levels among a large cohort of
individuals diagnosed with an ASD using routine laboratory testing from the Laboratory
Corporation of American (LabCorp) [12]. It was observed that individuals diagnosed with an
ASD were observed to have significant increases in their blood levels of testosterone, free
testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), and androsternedione relative to laboratory
provided reference ranges. Overall, it was observed among the various blood androgen
attributes examined, that over 80% of the individuals diagnosed with an ASD examined were
found to have at least one of the blood androgen attributes examined that exceeded the ageand sex-specific reference ranges provided by the laboratory.
Subsequently, other investigators evaluated the potential role of androgens among individuals
diagnosed with an ASD in comparison to neurotypical controls by examining salivary levels
of hormones among children from 3-4 years-old and 7-9 years-old [13]. These investigators
observed significantly higher salivary concentrations of androgens among individuals
diagnosed with an ASD relative to controls, and the anomalies were prominent in older male
children diagnosed with an ASD. Among the specific types of androgens observed to be
increased among individuals diagnosed with an ASD in comparison to neurotypical controls
were androstenediol, DHEA, and androsterone, which, the investigators concluded were
indicative of precocious andrenarche and predictive of early puberty. These investigators also
commented that some of the androgens observed were significantly increased among the
individuals diagnosed with an ASD relative to the neurotypical controls are known to
neuroactive and modulate GABA, glutamate, and opioid neurotransmission with the potential
consequence of affecting brain development and function. They may also contribute to ASDassociated pathobiology and symptoms such as elevated anxiety, sleep disturbances, sensory
deficit, and stereotypic behaviors.
Similarly, other investigators examined hyperandrogenemia in male children and adolescents
diagnosed with an ASD in comparison to neuroptyical controls and in relation to ASD severity
by assessing serum androgen levels [14]. These investigators observed that androgen levels
were significantly higher among individuals diagnosed with an ASD in comparison to
neurotypical controls, and the elevations were observed to significantly correlate with ASD
severity. Overall, it was observed among individuals diagnosed with an ASD that 36.66% had
high serum free testosterone, 30% had high DHEA, 40% had high androstenedione, and 26.66%
showed elevation of all androgen levels in comparison to neurotypical controls. These
investigators concluded that hyperandrogenemia is prevalent among individuals diagnosed
with an ASD, correlate with ASD severity, and studies should explore the use of anti-androgen
therapy to treat such patients.
4. Treatment with anti-androgen medications in ASD

It was original hypothesized that given the significant correlation between androgen levels
and ASD symptoms/traits that administration of anti-androgen medications to individuals
diagnosed with an ASD would result in significant clinical improvements [5]. More recently
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other investigators extended this previous hypothesis by suggesting that circulating hormone
levels and the administration of testosterone and other hormones were found to predict
behavior in individuals, but the effect was suggested to be one of "activation" or "fine-tuning"
earlier organization of the brain [15].
Among the most-well studied anti-androgen medications are gonadotropin-releasing hor
mone (GnRH) analogues. GnRH analogues are synthetic peptide drugs modeled after human
hypothalamic GnRH, and are designed to interact with the GnRH receptor and modify the
release of pituitary gonadotropins follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hor
mone (LH) for therapeutic purposes, and over a period of time will lower the release of FSH
and LH from the pituitary leading to reversible suppression of androgen release [16].
The use of GnRH analogues in various animal model systems has been observed to signifi
cantly improve many ASD symptoms/traits, and the improvements observed were compara
ble to those for commonly used psychiatric medications for these conditions [7]. For example,
investigators studied the effects of GnRH agonists and antagonists on anxiety and social
behaviors in rats [17]. These investigators observed GnRH agonists significantly reduced
anxiety and increased social behaviors in the rats, and the overall effects were comparable to
those observed with diazepam. Other investigators examined the effects of GnRH agonists on
obsessive compulsive behaviors in mice. In one study it was observed that a GnRH agonist
was able to significantly reduce marble-burying behaviors, a model system for obsessivecompulsive behaviors, comparable to that observed with fluoxeteine administration [18], and
in another it was observed that a GnRH agonist was able to significantly reduce marbleburying behaviors comparable to that observed with ritanserin administration [19]. Finally,
investigators observed that GnRH agonist therapy significantly improved hyperactivity
behaviors in mice [20].
In addition to studies of animal model systems demonstrating the improvement of ASD
symptoms/traits by GnRH analogues, a number of investigators have observed similar
phenomena in human populations. For example, investigators examined the acute gonadal
suppression effects of GnRH antagonists on sexual and behaviors in a case-series of men [21].
It was observed the treatment resulted in significant reduction in outward-direct aggression
in all of the treated men with some also experiencing reductions in anxiety and sexual desire.
Other investigators reported on the use of a GnRH analogue to treat obsessive-compulsive
disorder in a clinical trial [22]. During the course of the 48 week clinical trial, it was observed
that GnRH analogue therapy was effective in significantly reducing the severity of the
symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Another investigator described the use of a
GnRH analgoue as a means to treat problems behaviors in men suffering from dementia [23].
It was observed that within 4 weeks of the start of therapy, verbal and physical aggression had
decreased; activity disturbances such as agitation, pacing, and restlessness were markedly
reduced; and a significant reduction in disruptive sexual behaviors was observed.
Investigators have reported on the successful use of GnRH analogues in the treatment of sexual
problem behaviors/symptoms in individuals diagnosed with an ASD over several decades.
For example, investigators described that administration of an GnRH analogue to an individ
ual diagnosed with an ASD and sexual behavior resulted in significant suppression of the
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patient's sexual behaviors [24]. Similarly, other investigators described the use of GnRH
analogues in the treatment of individuals diagnosed with an ASD and central precocious
puberty [25]. These investigators described that many individuals diagnosed with an ASD
tend to have early sexual maturation, and they described a case-series of patients with
precocious puberty ranging from 6 years and 9 months-old to 9 years and 6 months-old.
Treatment with a GnRH analogue to help alleviate their symptoms of precocious puberty,
especially given that these symptoms were not well-tolerated in the context of the individual's
ASD diagnoses. These investigators concluded that treatment of sexual precocity should be
considered among individuals diagnosed with an ASD not only based upon their bone age
maturation and growth, but also their mental maturation.
Finally, investigators described the successful use of the GnRH analogue, leuprolide acetate,
in the treatment of ASD traits/symptoms in a clinical trial of consecutive individuals diagnosed
with an ASD with laboratory findings showing elevated androgen levels [26]. Each patient
was clinically studied at base line and at the end of the study, to evaluate hyperandrogenemia
behavior/symptoms including secondary sexual changes, facial and body hair, early growth
spurt and aggressive behaviors. A clinical examination was undertaken for each individual to
evaluate clinical symptoms/behaviors of hyperandrogenemia such as early growth spurt, early
secondary sexual changes, body and facial hair, and aggressive behaviors at baseline and at
the end of the study period for each child. Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC)
evaluations were completed by the child's parents prior to beginning the protocol and at the
end of the study period for each child. The children received 15 mg of leuprolide acetate depot
by intramuscular injection every 28 days. This dose was supplemented with a daily subcuta
neous injection of leuprolide acetate so that each child received a total initial starting doses of
50 ug of leuprolide acetate/kilogram of body weight-daily. The children were monitored, and
increased subcutaneous doses of leuprolide acetate or oral anti-androgen medication were
administered to those children who exhibited persistent laboratory/clinical signs of elevated
androgen as clinically indicated. The participants were enrolled in the study for a minimum
of 2 months and a maximum of 7 months. Each child underwent laboratory testing at baseline
and again after approximately 3 of treatment. Treated children were observed to significantly
improve from a median baseline score of 87 (70th percentile of autism severity) to a median
score of 63 (40-49th percentile of autism severity) by the completion of the study. Significant
improvements among treated children when evaluating baseline measurements in compari
son to those obtained at the end of the study period, were observed in the specific areas of
sociability, cognitive awareness, and behavior. Additionally, trial participants having inde
pendent assessments by school evaluators showed significant improvements in general school
skills mastered and significant improvements in the frequency and severity of disruptive/
oppositional behavior at the end of the treatment period relative to baseline, despite the fact
that the evaluators were unaware of the child's participation in the trial.
Comparison of clinical evaluation at baseline with evaluation at the trials conclusion showed
significant reductions in hyperandrogenemia evidenced in clinical symptoms and the associ
ated behaviors (early secondary sexual changes, early growth spurt, body and facial hair, and
aggressive behaviors). A significant decrease in serum testosterone levels was demonstrated
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by laboratory testing, and the treatment protocol did not significant adversely affect kidney,
thyroid or liver function tests.
Since their study employed therapeutic agents designed to lower androgen levels, and
significant decreases in androgen levels were observed, the researchers concluded the
treatment protocol studied presented a novel method to significantly reduce autistic-like
behaviors. Further, the study reported that significant autistic behavior improvements (i.e.,
improvements in hyperactivity and attention, better sleep patterns, and increased socializa
tion) occurred within days of the treatment with leuprolide acetate. Finally, the study con
cluded that leuprolide acetate significantly ameliorated clinical behaviors/systems of
hyperandrogenemia including aggressive behaviors,, early secondary sexual changes,, body
and facial hair, and early growth spurt among children diagnosed with an ASD.
Other investigators reported that the administration of leuprolide acetate therapy to nearly
200 individuals diagnosed with an ASD [12] resulted in significantly lowered androgen levels
very significant overall clinical improvements in sensory/cognitive awareness, socialization,
and health/physical/behavior skills. Leuprolide acetate treatment resulted in significant
clinical ameliorations in aggression, self injury, abnormal sexual behaviors, hyperactivity/
impulsivity, stereotypy, and/or irritability behaviors in many individuals diagnosed with an
ASD. Minimal adverse clinical effects to the therapy were seen, and there were with few nonresponders.
Children were administered an intramuscular injection of 15 mg leuprolide acetate depot every
28 days and supplemented with daily, subcutaneously injected leuprolide acetate, so that
children were started on a dose of 50 g of leuprolide acetate/kilogram bodyweight/day.
Children were monitored as successive doses of leuprolide acetate were administered for
persistent clinical/laboratory signs of increased androgens, and subjects were treated with
additional subcutaneous injections of leuprolide acetate dosing and/or an oral anti-androgen
medicine as clinically necessary.
Children examined in the study were on the therapy for a minimum of 2 months and a
maximum of 7 months. Laboratory testing was conducted on each child at baseline and at
approximately 3 months of treatment. Among the children treated in the clinical trial, there
was a significant overall improvement from the 70th percentile of severity (median baseline
score = 87) at baseline to the 40-49th percentile of severity (median end of study period score
= 63) at the end of the study. In the specific areas of sociability, cognitive awareness, and
behavior, there were significant improvements among treated children when evaluating
baseline measurements in comparison to those obtained at the end of the study period.
Additionally, for specific subjects participating in the clinical trial having independent
assessments by school evaluators, who were not aware of the treatment status of the child,
there were significant improvements in general school skills mastered and significant im
provements in the frequency and severity of disruptive/oppositional behavior at the end of
the treatment period relative to baseline.
When comparing the clinical examinations undertaken for each child at baseline and at the
end of the study period, significant reductions in clinical symptoms and the associated
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behaviors of hyperandrogenemia (such as early growth spurt, early secondary sexual changes,
body and facial hair, and aggressive behaviors) were noted. Laboratory testing revealed a
significant decrease in serum testosterone levels. It was observed that the treatment protocol
did not significant adversely affect kidney, thyroid or liver function tests.
As a result, the investigators concluded, since their study employed therapeutic agents that
were designed to lower androgen levels, and significant decreases in androgen levels were
observed, the treatment protocol presented a novel method for helping to significantly reduce
autistic-like behaviors. Furthermore, the investigators reported that in some of the children
examined, significant autistic behavior improvements (i.e., better sleep patterns, improve
ments in attention and hyperactivity, and increased socialization) occurred within days of the
administration of leurpolide acetate. Finally, the investigators concluded that leuprolide
acetate administration significantly helped to ameliorate clinical symptoms/behaviors of
hyperandrogenemia such as early growth spurt, early secondary sexual changes, body and
facial hair, and aggressive behaviors that may be observed among some children diagnosed
with an ASD.
Subsequently, other investigators described their clinical experience following the adminis
tration of leuprolide acetate therapy to nearly 200 individuals diagnosed with an ASD [10].
Leuprolide acetate administration significantly lowered androgen levels and resulted in
very significant overall clinical improvements in socialization, sensory/cognitive aware
ness, and health/physical/behavior skills, with few non-responders and minimal adverse
clinical effects to the therapy. Leuprolide acetate administration also resulted in signifi
cant quantitative clinical ameliorations in hyperactivity/impulsivity, stereotypy, aggres
sion, self injury, abnormal sexual behaviors, and/or irritability behaviors in many
individuals diagnosed with an ASD.
Recently, investigators have purposed clinical guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of
androgen dysfunction in individuals diagnosed with an ASD[7, 27]. It is important when
considering medicines such as leuprolide acetate for the treatment of individuals diagnosed
with an ASD, to consider that such therapy is not intended to deprive the individual of their
sexuality nor alter their normal developmental trajectory. Instead, the initiation of such
therapy is designed to regularize a process that was proceeding in an abnormal fashion and
producing adverse effects. Thus, the use of anti-androgen medicines, such as leuprolide
acetate, can safely improve the health of the individual diagnosed with an ASD by reducing
in the frequency and intensity of their ASD traits/symptoms
In considering the in-use safety of GnRH analogues in the treatment of individuals diagnosed
with an ASD, they have been on the market for many years, and many individuals have
received GnRH analogues for many years to treat conditions such as prostate cancer, female
reproductive problems, and premature puberty without serious adverse effects [7]. Studies of
individuals receiving GnRH-analogue therapy for many years in the treatment of premature
puberty reported that GnRH analogue administration was not associated with long-term
reproductive dysfunction. The patients had normal menarche normal ovarian function etc. No
impaired physical development was observed. The patients had normal body composition,
normal body mass index, normal bone mineral density, etc. No reduction in the secretion of
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http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59394
sex hormones in men and women was observed [7]. In 2009 the American Academy of
Pediatrics issued a consensus statement describing that GnRH analogues are generally well
tolerated in adolescents and children. Systemic complaints such as hot flashes or headaches
occur occasionally but are usually short-term and do not interfere with therapy [28].
In previous long-term follow-up of individuals receiving GnRH-analogue therapy in the
treatment of premature puberty for many years, the studies reported that GnRH analogue
administration was not associated with long-term reproductive dysfunction (normal ovarian
function, normal menarche, etc.); impaired physical development (normal body mass index,
normal body composition, normal bone mineral density, etc.); or reduced secretion of sex
hormones in women and men [7]. The American Academy of Pediatrics in 2009 issued a
consensus statement describing that GnRH analogues are generally well tolerated in children
and adolescents, and systemic complaints such as headaches or hot flashes occur occasionally
but are usually short-term and do not interfere with therapy [28].
Furthermore, when considering the safety profile of GnRH analogues among individuals
diagnosed with an ASD, it is important to evaluate them in the context of currently used
psychotropic medicines. For example, risperidone is currently approved by the US Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of individuals diagnosed with an ASD. Inves
tigators recently reported on the long-term treatment effects of risperidone on prolactin levels,
sexual side-effects, and bone mineral density in pubertal boys diagnosed with an ASD [29-31].
The individuals diagnosed an ASD examined were physically healthy 10 to 20 year-old males
chronically treated with risperidone for an average of 52 months (range 16 to 126 months). It
was observed when comparing individuals chronically treated with risperidone in comparison
to individuals not treated with any antipsychotic medicine, hyperprolactinemia was present
in 47% of the chronically treated individuals in comparison to only 2% of the individuals not
treated with any antipsychotic medicine. In addition, gynecomastia and sexual dysfunction
were present in 43% and 14% of the individuals chronically treated with risperidone in
comparison to 21% and 0% of individuals not treated with any antipsychotic medicine.
Individuals chronically treated with antipsychotic medicines who developed hyperprolacti
nemia were compared to individuals not treated with any antipsychotic medicine and had no
hyperprolactinemia. The patients treated with antipsychotic medicines had significantly lower
lumbar spine bone mineral density scores, higher percentage of body fat, and a lower bio
chemical bone marker carboxyterminal cross-linking telopeptide of bone collagen. Finally, it
was observed among individuals chronically treated with antipsychotic medicines who
developed hyperprolactinemia in comparison to individuals not treated with any antipsy
chotic medicine who did not have hyperprolactinemia had significantly lower testosterone
levels.
5. Conclusion
The present critical review provides evidence for hyperandrogenism as a significant feature
among ASD. Further, many studies have shown a significant correlation between the traits/
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276
symptoms of individuals diagnosed with an ASD and hyperandrogenism. Finally, the

present critical review presents data from animal models and human clinical trials
demonstrating that medication with anti-androgens significantly improve certain traits/
symptoms exhibited by individuals diagnosed with an ASD.
The present critical review provides evidence for hyperandrogenism as a significant feature
among individuals diagnosed with an ASD. Further, many investigations have revealed a
significant correlation between the traits/symptoms of individuals diagnosed with an ASD
and hyperandrogenism. Finally, the present critical review presents data from animal models
and human clinical trials demonstrating that anti-androgen medications have the ability to
significantly improve certain traits/symptoms exhibited by individuals diagnosed with an
ASD.
In light of the high prevalence of individuals diagnosed with an ASD and the paucity of safe
and effective medical treatments to help these individuals, anti-androgen therapy should be
considered as it is an effective and relatively safe means to significantly help improve the
adverse traits/symptoms exhibited by individuals diagnosed with an ASD. By directly
targeting a traits/symptoms and/or biomedical indicators when elevated beyond the normal
ranges, this therapy controls difficult traits/symptoms associated with high androgens such
as self injurious behaviors and aggression, and, thus, contributes to the quality of the individ
ual's life and the normalcy of the individual's home life.
It is recommended that all individuals diagnosed with an ASD should be screened for elevated
androgens and elevated androgen-associated traits/symptoms as part of a standard initial
clinical assessment. In addition, these same type of blood and clinical traits/symptoms should
be assessed within the affected individual's family, so as to produce not only treatment options
for the individual diagnosed with an ASD but also an understanding of why these conditions
occur and who may be at risk. Finally, for those appropriate individuals diagnosed with an
ASD, anti-androgen treatment should be offered.
Acknowledgements
This endeavor was supported by the non-profit 501(c)3 Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc.
Author details
David A. Geier and Mark R. Geier*
*Address all correspondence to: mgeier@comcast.net
Institute of Chronic Illnesses, Inc., USA
Androgens
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59394
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Weekly Report. Surveillance Summaries 2014;63(2):1-21.
[2] Kaplan G, McCracken JT. Psychopharmacology of autism spectrum disorders. Pedia
tric Clinics of North America 2012;59(1):175-187.
[3] Geier DA, Kern JK, Geier MR. A prospective cross-sectional cohort assessment of
health, physical, and behavioral problems in autism spectrum disorders. Maedica
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velopmental Disorders 1981;11(4):365-371.
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spectrum disorders and other disorders involving mercury toxicity. Med Hypotheses
2005;64(5):946-954.
[6] Baron-Cohen S, Lombardo MV, Auyeung B, Ashwin E, Chakrabarti B, Knickmeyer
R. Why are autism spectrum conditions more prevalent in males? PLoS Biology
2011;9(6):e1001081.
[7] Geier M, Kern JK, King PG, Sykes L, Geier DA. Treatment of Elevated Male Hor
mones in Autism. In: Patel VB, Preedy CR, Martin CR (eds) Comprehensive Guide to
Autism. New York: Springer Reference; 2014. p1313-1331.
[8] Dorn LD, Hitt SF, Rotenstein D. Biopsychological and cognitive differences in chil
dren with premature vs. on-time adrenarche. Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent
Medicine 1999;153(2):137-146.
[9] Jones RM, Whellwright S, Farrell K, Martin E, Green R, Di Ceglie D, Baron-Cohen.
Brief report: female-to-male tanssexual people and autistic traits. Journal of Autism
and Developmental Disorders 2012;42(2):301-306.
[10] van Honk J, Schutter DJ, Bos PA, Kruijt AW, Lentjes EG, Baron-Cohen S. Testoster
one administration impairs cognitive empathy in women depending on second-tofourth digit ratio. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United
States of America 2011;108(8):3448-3452.
[11] Baron-Cohen S, Auyeung B, Norgaard-Pedersen b, Hougaard DM, Abdallah MW,
Melgaard L, Cohen AS, Chakrabarti B, Ruta L, Lombardo MV. Elevated fetal steroi
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[12] Geier DA, Geier MR. A prospective assessment of androgen levels in patients with
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Neuro Endocrinology Letters 2007;28(5):565-573.
[13] Majewska MD, Hill M, Urbanowicz E, Rok-Bujko P, Bienkowski P, Namyslowska I,
Mierzejewski P. Marked elevation of adrenal steroids, especially androgens, in saliva
of prepubertal autistic children. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
2014;23(6):485-498.
[14] El-Baz F, Hamza RT, Ayad MS, Mahmoud NH. Hyperandrogenemia in male autistic
children and adolescents: relation to disease severity. International Journal of Ado
lescent Medicine and Health 2014;26(1):79-84.
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[16] Engel JB, Schally AV. Drug insight: clinical use of agonists and antagonists of lutei
nizing-hormone-releasing hormone. Nature Clinical Practice. Endocrinology and
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management. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 1999;29(2):121-127.
[25] Yoshimura K, Naiki Y, Horikawa R, Tanaka T. Three patients with autism and cen
tral precocious puberty. Clinical Pediatric Endocrinology 2005;14(Suppl 24):55-57.
[26] Geier DA, Geier MR. A clinical trial of combined anti-androgen and anti-heavy metal
therapy in autistic disorders. Neuro Endocrinology Letters 2006;27(6):833-838.
[27] Geier DA, Geier MR. Autism spectrum disorder-associated biomarkers for case eval
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[28] Carel JC, Eugster EA, Rogol A, Ghizzoni L, Palmert MR; ESPE-LWPESGnRH Ana
logs Consensus Conference Group, Antoniazzi F, Berenbaum S, Bourguignon JP,
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Phillip M, Rosenfield RL, Shulman D, Styne D, Tauber M, Wit JM. Consensus state
ment on the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogs in children. Pediatrics
2009;123(4):e752-e762.
[29] Roke Y, Buitelaar JK, Boot AM, Tenback D, van Harten PN. Risk of hyperprolactine
mia and sexual side effects in males 10-20 years old diagnosed with autism spectrum
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[30] Roke Y, van Harten PN, Buitelaar JK, Tenback DE, Quekel LG, de Rijke YB, Boot AM.
Bone mineral density in male adolescents with autism spectrum disorders and dis
ruptive behavior disorder with or without antipsychotic treatment. European Journal
of Endocrinology 2012;167(6):855-863.
[31] Roke Y van Harten PN, Buitelaar JK, Tenback DE, de Rijke YB, Boot AM. Antipsy
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Chapter 14
ReAttach The Exciting Development of a Promising

Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders
Paula Weerkamp-Bartholomeus
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60462
1. Introduction
In our society, we usually talk about events that are happening around us. We do not usually
reflect on the manner in which we handle and process these events. If there is an obstacle in our
information processing, we notice that events that have happened in the past continue to
influence our current functioning. For example, we cannot manage to forget past events. We
become burdened if we are figuratively full with the unprocessed information. ReAttach is
an intervention in which people do not have to discuss their problems. This process is easier
for people if they have difficulties communicating or expressing themselves, such as with
many cases of autism. ReAttach assists with the collection of facts, impressions and events,
which are later processed quickly to ensure that the process will not overwhelm the partici
pants. During ReAttach, the therapist focuses on the process and not on the content of the
information. The participants are asked to listen to the thinking assignments given to them
during cognitive training. The subsequent insights that follow are the participants own
insights because they process information better.
2. February 2010: An experiment

Five years ago, I conducted an experiment that led to a drastic change in my work.
Introducing a new intervention in the field of autism requires courage and determina
tion. Accepting innovation requires an open mind and readiness to review pre-existing
concepts. The name ReAttach was chosen because of the importance of the attachment
theory [1] in my work as an educational psychologist. This name does not indicate that I
think that autism is an attachment disorder, nor do I blame the parents of autistic chil
282
dren. ReAttach emerged from the idea that we can learn from healthy child development
and the manner in which healthy children process information, emotions and events. We
therefore required a multimodal approach. On 26 February 2010 I was reading a manual
for schema therapy [2], a book describing a treatment for adults with trauma and person
ality disorders. I tried to understand the authors viewpoint and to integrate this view
point into the concepts that I have built from my own working experience. In my opinion,
the behaviour patterns described in this book strongly matched the behaviour patterns of
children with early maladaptive schemas. Children are able to cope with their stressful
events during play if they have fundamental environmental support that provides them
with the confidence and safety to work out their negative emotions through play. As an
educational psychologist, for me, playing is processing [3]. Playing made me create an
experimental treatment session in which I simulated the optimal conditions needed to
process defensive excluded information through play. The results of this experimental
treatment were positive, and I started to conduct practical research with traumatized adults.
In July 2010, I realized that it should be possible to develop a special intervention for people
with autism and to focus on cognitive training to improve information processing and daily
life functioning. We made special adjustments for people with autism because we had to
overcome their individual problems with arousal regulation and multiple sensory integra
tion processing to be able to teach new social cognitive skills and to improve executive
functioning. For the autistic children and adults who voluntarily joined the cognitive
training the first results were amazing. We observed improvements in facial expressions
and social cognitive skills, and high-functioning adults with autism reported that it felt as
if the computer in their brain was updated and now contained multiple processors.
This process, which was the beginning of ReAttach for Autism, needed to be described in a
protocol, and we needed to investigate how we could share this multimodal intervention with
other professionals. Finally, we had to wait to determine whether the results would last after
we ended the cognitive training. We started practical research and made improvements in the
process of transferring the intervention to colleagues and during collaboration with parents
and partners. In November 2012 I felt that there would be more options for strengthening the
treatment process (i.e., information, emotions and events) if we could gather fragmented pieces
of information stored in the long-term memory and reprocess this information in a coherent
manner to reflect the following concepts: self, significant others and social. To reprocess
information, the arousal level of a patient must be regulated slightly above the level of falling
asleep at the Alpha-Theta border (7-8 Hz). This arousal level is important for transitioning
from deep relaxation, visualization, creativity, and learning to information acquisition from
long-term memory [4, 5].
We currently work with two different arousal levels using the multimodal approach of
ReAttach. We need a high arousal level for optimal information processing, good joint
attention, active stimulation of multiple sensory integration and training social cognitive skills.
To help participants with autism process information in a coherent manner, a near-sleep
condition is required to access fragmented information that needs reprocessing. Both arousal
ReAttach The Exciting Development of a Promising Intervention for Autism Spectrum Disorders
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60462
levels might be reached by changing the tapping frequency at the back of the participants
hands.
3. The multimodal ReAttach approach

The ReAttach intervention involves individual cognitive training using multiple components
with increasing difficulty, which allows the intervention to be adapted for children and adults.
A brief overview of the therapy components is presented below to provide an impression of
the complexity of the therapeutic skills.
4. Oxytocin
Physical contact stimulates the brain to produce the hormone oxytocin, which plays an
important role in the bonding process and is a direct reward of social contact [6]. During
ReAttach, gently and frequently tapping on the back of the participants hand is used to
manage arousal. The tapping helps the participant to release stress and negative thoughts, and
it stimulates the participant to become involved in social interaction and joint attention. Joint
attention is important to maximize the results of an intervention or cognitive training. Joint
attention is considered to be a precursor of the theory of mind [7] and language development
[8]. In ReAttach, we simultaneously combine a) external arousal regulation to gain, and
maintain joint attention and b) oxytocin, administered through physical contact, to improve
the social reward system. We hypothesize that this process optimizes the conditions conducive
to further information processing and growth in individuals with autism.
There is another reason why tapping is involved. One goal of ReAttach is to stimulate multiple
sensory integration processing to teach the multitasking skill. Gently tapping on the back of
the participants hand ensures the input of the essential tactile stimuli needed to stimulate the
tactile sensory channel simultaneously with auditory and visual inputs.
The tapping is based on a natural method of making physical contact without overstimulating
oxytocin production. If a parent comforts an upset child, we see the same kind of tapping on
the back of the child. The result of that natural parental tapping behaviour is that the childs
stress levels can be easily and naturally regulated by the parent [9]. To use the same technique
during the ReAttach intervention, we chose a more professional attitude and transformed this
arousal regulation technique by gently tapping on the hands of adults and children with autism
spectrum disorders. If a participant with autism cannot bear the touch of the therapist even
after an explanation has been provided, we provide additional instructions that enable the
participant to perform the tapping himself (for example on the knees). We have learned that
even children with tactile defensiveness responded well once we gave them the time that they
needed to understand and to adjust.
A condition of safe attachment is required for the intervention. Therefore, we intend to work
in the presence of a parent or partner unless the participant prefers to work alone.
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5. Manage your own arousal

If we work with families, we start by teaching the parents how to manage their own arousal.
We provide parents with a technique to lower their own arousal and the tools to help their
children with stress and emotion regulation. To provide a good therapy session, the ReAttach
therapist must manage his/her own arousal before addressing the participant.
6. Multiple sensory integration processing

People with autism experience difficulties processing information through more than one
channel; they process sensory information atypically. Because of monotropism, people with
autism store information in a fragmented manner. According to Bogdashina and Siebelink [10],
children with autism have disrupted concept formation because of these sensory integration
problems. I believe that we can teach them how to improve in this area. To build coherent
concepts we must use multiple sensory integration processing. During optimal arousal under
multisensory stimulation (tactile, auditory, visual), we can stimulate multisensory integration
processing by requesting conceptual thinking.
7. Conceptual thinking
At approximately the first year of age, children become capable of placing coherent informa
tion into concepts. People with autism lack this ability. They continue to process incoming
information in pieces; consequently, they do not create a coherent image of the self, the other,
or the world. Baron-Cohen believes that the social interaction problems of people with autism
arise because of a basic inability to think about mental phenomena in terms of self and other'
[11]. It has been my experience that with ReAttach we can train people with autism to form
concepts. During our cognitive training, we follow the same order of development that occurs
in a young child [12]. We start with the concept of the self the name. Then, we train concepts
of significant others, theory of mind and social concepts. Autistic individuals with average or
high intelligence can start this training at the age of six and follow it through to completion.
With low-functioning people with autism and with younger children, our purpose is to teach
them to differentiate between the self and the (significant) other. At a later stage, we can try
to train theory of mind and inter-relational concepts. We must adjust the intervention to the
developmental stage of the participant.
8. Low arousal as a condition for reprocessing

Based on the theory proposed by Bogdashina, I assume that people with autism have an entire
database of loose fragmented pieces stored in their long-term memories [10]. It is important
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60462
to retrieve this information and piece it together. This training is possible during low-level
arousal a near-sleep condition [4, 5].
While the first process is still running, the therapist externally regulates the arousal in a soft
and low tapping frequency, with a dimmed voice and attitude. Most children and adults like
this condition; it makes them feel relaxed. Simple instructions are given to collect positive
information from the long-term memory to reprocess it in a coherent manner. If a person with
autism has a negative attitude toward himself and the world there will be many social
interaction problems. After reprocessing the same person might have a more realistic coherent
point of view and fewer social interaction problems. In many patients we have observed a
reduction in aggression regulation problems, as well as less explosive behaviour, and we think
that these findings might be the result of a more realistic and coherent understanding of
themselves and the world. These findings strengthen the Baron-Cohen theory that many social
interaction problems of people within the autism spectrum arise because of the inability to
think in terms of self and others [11]. By teaching these concepts we can observe a significantly
reduced number of social interaction problems.
9. An illustrative case study: The story of Jason

Jason, a 22-year old male, demonstrated development after undergoing ReAttach therapy four
years ago. Jason was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome when he was eight years old. Despite
his high intelligence level, it was obvious that something was wrong. Aspergers manifested
itself in a typical manner. Jason himself describes some of the more prominent features of his
condition before and after the ReAttach therapy.
Before receiving the ReAttach therapy, I, for instance, had always had trouble signalling my
own pain sensations. According to my mother, this was already apparent when I was young.
As a baby, when I accidentally held my arm in a hot bath, I did not flinch. When I was a
teenager, I broke my arm twice but did not hesitate to shake the general practitioners hand
with my injured arm, simply because I was unable to sense the pain this must have caused.
The same goes for sensing hunger: it has always been difficult for me not to forget to eat.
Another example was trouble in both perceiving and showing emotions. I remember how my
grandfather died when I was ten, and of course it was obvious to me that everyone was sad,
as that is what most people are at funerals. However, it was very difficult for me to become
aware of the way I felt myself. I remember thinking I had to feel sad too, but was not able to
show empathy. Looking back, I notice how seeing someone crying was connected to the
cognition of feeling sad, but the actual feeling never came.
When reflecting with my mother, it became clear that I was often absent-minded, and could
completely focus on one activity, for instance playing a video game. In these situations, I
completely lost track of time and the people around me. Simple tasks like walking the dog or
doing the dishes were not executed, not because I was unwilling but because of the lack of
overview.
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The first time I was going to receive the ReAttach therapy, I was slightly sceptical of the
improvements it could offer me. Afterwards, I realize that because I was not able to reflect on
my own situation, I could also not see the skills that I lacked. Of course I was aware of my
diagnosis, but that did not mean that I felt limited in my daily functioning. So far, I had lived
a happy life. My results at school had been excellent; why bother improving?
It is impossible for me to fully describe my gain from ReAttach, not only because it comprises
so many aspects but also because I lack a proper self-image from the first 18 years of my life.
According to my relatives my social interaction skills have improved dramatically. Not only
are my facial expressions more appropriate but people in conversation with me also feel better
understood, and...I actually take part in a conversation.
Another big improvement is the ability to multitask in everyday life. Since ReAttach, I have
been able to live on my own, get my drivers license, play in a band, maintain my social life
with my roommates and friends, and undertake university study with an internship abroad,
but above all I have been able to do these things with ease. I do not think I would have been
able to, for instance, live on my own if I had not received the ReAttach therapy. I do think that
it would have come with a lot more trial-and-error. This is the exact reason I would recommend
the therapy to everyone: after a couple of almost effortless sessions my life has become so much
easier, it would be almost foolish to not see what ReAttach could offer you.
10. Transferability and cultural differences

Working in countries other than the Netherlands (e.g., India and Romania) has taught us that
there are many different methods of expressing the meaning of ReAttach. I was pleased that
my original intent to make children experience play was easily accepted and recognisable so
many miles from home. I was also pleased with the commitment to participate in the cognitive
training as we provided ReAttach to high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorders
and to parents. In a few weeks we will begin teaching a course for professionals in Saudi Arabia,
and we are confident that we are able to make the adjustments that are needed to overcome
communication problems and cultural differences. Autism does not discriminate in terms of
intelligence, social economic status or culture; therefore, we want to include all families
affected by autism.
11. Conclusion
The development of a new intervention is an exciting process that might take several years.
Continuous practical research in the form of pre- post measurements has shown positive
results and a publication about this practical research is in progress.
This illustrative case study of one of the first follow-up interviews, four years after the
intervention, is promising. This young adult with Asperger syndrome has shown no signs of
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60462
regression at all after ending the cognitive training. On the contrary he describes how he has
been able to use his newly-acquired skills for his personal development and self-determina
tion.
Future research is necessary and most welcome to explore the mechanisms that may underlie
the improved daily function that has been observed in the children and adults with autism
who have participated in our practical research. I can only speculate that for most individuals
with autism, one or more components used in this multimodal ReAttach approach may lead
to reliable improvements.
Acknowledgements
My intention to contribute to the solution of problems in daily life functioning for people with
autism has grown with the unconditional support of parents, children and adults with autism
that were willing to participate in the innovation and practical research of ReAttach. Without
their support it would not have been possible to make efforts or progress in the field of autism.
I would like to thank all parents, special educational needs teachers, play therapists, occupa
tional therapists and other autism specialists that have embraced the ReAttach intervention
and integrate ReAttach in their daily work. We can learn a lot from each other and I am very
grateful to have the opportunity to work with you all.
Author details
Paula Weerkamp-Bartholomeus*
Address all correspondence to: info@reattach-therapy-institute.com
ReAttach Therapy Institute Waalre, The Netherlands
References
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[2] Young, E. K. (2005). Schemagerichte therapie, handboek voor therapeuten. Houten: Bohn
Stafleu van Loghum.
[3] Bartholomeus, P. (2012). Viki's View van Overleven naar Beleven. Steenwijk: 248media.
[4] Kirov R., Weiss C, Siebner H.R., Born J, Marshall L. (2009). Show oscillation brain
stimulation during waking promotes EEG theta activity and memory encoding. Proc
Natl Acad Sci USA, Sep 8: 106(36): 15460-15465.
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[5] Molle, M. B. (2011). Slow Oscillations Orchestrating Fast Oscillations and Memory Consol
idation. Elsevier.
[6] Gordon, I. V.-S. (2013). Oxytocin enhances brain function in children with autism.
PNAS, December 2, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1312857110.
[7] Gomez, C. (1993). Visual behaviour as a window for reading the mind of others in
primates. In A. Withen, Natural Theories of Mind (pp. 196-208). Oxford: Blackwell.
[8] Verhulst, F. (2008). Leerboek Kinder- en Jeugdpsychiatrie. Assen: Van Gorcum.
[9] Boer, J. D. (2003/2004). Neurofilosofie. Hersenen, bewustzijn, vrije wil. Amsterdam:
Boom.
[10] Bogdashina, O. (2004). Waarneming en zintuiglijke ervaringen bij mensen met autisme en
Aspergersyndroom. Antwerpen/Apeldoorn: Garant.
[11] Baron-Cohen, S. (1995). Mind Blindness. Cambridge: MIT Press.
[12] Feldman, R. (2007). Ontwikkelingspsychologie. Amsterdam: Pearson Education.
Chapter 15
Meeting the Communicative Rights of People with

Autism Using Pictorial Supports During Assessment,
Intervention and Hospital Care
Gunilla Thunberg, Magdalena Johansson and
Julia Wikholm
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59838
1. Introduction
The main purpose of this chapter is to describe how assessment, intervention and hospital
visits more generally can be managed to meet the communicative rights of people with autism
spectrum disorders and improve aspects of activity and participation. A working model, built
upon the United Nations conventions on the Rights of the child [1] and the Rights of persons
with disability [2], using the principle of universal design [2] and augmentative and alternative
communication (AAC) methods was developed within the project KomHIT-communication
support in paediatric and dental care. An evaluation of this model in the form of a focus group
interview with a multiprofessional team at a neuropsychiatric clinic will also be presented
alongside with the examples of the pictorial supports that were used.
2. Communication problems and communication rights in clinical settings

2.1. Communication in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)
Major advances have been made over the two past decades in understanding the socialcommunication difficulties of children with ASD, resulting in greater emphasis on early socialcommunication features in the diagnostic criteria. Most parents of children with autism first
begin to be concerned that something is not quite right in their childs development because
of early delays or regressions in the development of speech [3]. Problems with communication,
in terms of both understanding and expression, are often said to be one of the main causes of
290
the severe behaviour problems that are common among persons with severe autism and
mental retardation [4].
Although all persons diagnosed with autism have problems with communication, their type
and degree vary a lot and the work of identifying different subgroups has just begun. It has
been estimated that between one-third [5] and one-half [6] of children and adults with autism
have no speech. However, more recent research results indicate that the proportion of nonspeaking children with ASD is much smaller, approximately 14% to 20%, among those who
received very early intervention [7]. In spite of the heterogeneity of language abilities in
children with ASD, social-communication or pragmatic impairments are universal across all
ages and ability levels [8]. Certainly, communication and communication problems are at the
heart of what ASD is all about
2.2. Communication rights of persons with disability
All individuals, with or without disabilities, have a basic human right to influence their own
living conditions through communication. The United Nations (UNs) convention on the
rights of persons with disabilities, has the purpose to promote, protect and ensure the full and
equal enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental freedoms by all persons with disabili
ties, and to promote respect for their inherent dignity. (DS 2008:23) [2]. The convention is built
on eight general principles, for example: individual autonomy including the freedom to make
ones own choices, full and effective participation and inclusion in society and accessibility,
and respect for the evolving capacities of children with disabilities and respect for the right of
children with disabilities to preserve their identities. Article 25 postulates that health profes
sionals are required to provide care of the same quality to persons with disabilities as to others
and to take all appropriate measures to ensure access. According to article 21 this includes the
freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas on an equal basis with others and
through all forms of communication of their choice, including augmentative and alternative
communication. Furthermore, the idea of "Universal design" is put forth, meaning that the
design of products, environments, programmes and services should be usable by all people,
to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design [2].
2.3. Communication and communication problems in health care situations
People with disability often have many health contacts. According to Mahon and Kibirige [9]
children with disability more frequently are in need of health care and are cared for longer
than children without disabilities. Due to the communication difficulties being part of the
autism spectrum visits to health care or hospital stays can be very problematic. Children with
ASD are particularly stressed due to lack of structure and predictability [10]. It is also difficult
for the individual with a communicative disability to communicate with the staff and ask
questions [10]. To a certain degree this is true also for other individuals, in particular those
whose skills in the spoken and or written language that is used, are not enough, and also may
lack knowledge of the culture of the health care system [11].
Meeting the Communicative Rights of People with Autism Using Pictorial Supports During Assessment
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Children also may have difficulties in understanding and communicating during health care
situations. The UN convention on the rights of the child states that all children should be
equally treated and have the right to freedom of expression, including the right to seek, receive
and impart information and idea in all forms [1]. Research has shown that this is not always
the case in within health care. Coyne [12] has shown that children sometimes have the feeling
of being excluded, not receiving information or being involved in decisions and often talked
to in a language which is difficult to understand. The same study shows that children feel less
worried, calmer and respected when they are provided with information and asked about the
care [12]. According to [13] this also leads to an increased feeling of control which in turn leads
to improved compliance and more effective care.
This means that far more people, than those with communicative disability, are in need of
better support to access information and communication within the health care system. To
develop routines, procedures and materials within health care, based on the idea of universal
design, should benefit all groups both with and without communication problems. This would
also save time and resources in the efforts of providing equal care to all [11].
2.4. AAC to promote accessibility in health care situations
Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) includes all forms of communication
(other than oral speech) that are used to represent thoughts, needs, wants, and ideas. AAC can
be used both as a support for comprehension and for production of spoken or written
communication [14].
Project activities concerning use of AAC as a tool in hospital care seem to be going on in many
countries. However, when it comes to research of the effects of these interventions, specifically
regarding children, very little has been done. In a review of research regarding communication
between nurses and patients with complex communication needs (CCN) undertaken by Finke,
Light and Kitko [15], none of the twelve studies that were identified specifically concerned
children. Another review that was found focused disabled childrens experiences as inpatients
[16]. The data, gathered from children, parents and staff in the eight qualitative studies that
were reviewed, showed that communication was the overarching theme. Nurses reported that
communication was difficult and that they did not have a consistent framework for involving
the child in discussion and decision. The main conclusions comprised recommendations of
giving the child information and appropriate involvement in discussion and decision-making
and that the childrens experiences with respect to this was not optimal. Despite the strong
focus on communication in this review and the conclusions also pointing to the need of more
training in communicative strategies, there is no mentioning or discussion of augmentative
strategies or tools in this article. Beside these two reviews of communicative disability and
hospital care, a pilot study published in 2013 report successful results using pictorial supports
for children with autism in medical settings [17]. Two other studies report how AAC success
fully can be used more generally in paediatric care. The first study was published by Costello
in 2000 and presents the Childrens Hospital Boston model of pre-operative AAC-intervention.
This intervention prepares the children and the families for the expected period of loss of
speech due to tracheostomy, intubation and/or use of ventilators during the postoperative care
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at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The results of the evaluation were excellent in that almost all
patients used the communication aids they had chosen and loss of speech was not seen as the
major problem, in contrary to most evaluations of ICU care [18]. In the second study a picture
board was provided as a means to answer questions of pain after surgery. The childrens
answers were more precise using AAC and the parents were very positive [19].
In spite of these positive reports more efforts are needed. This was evident in a study by
Thunberg, Buchholz and Nilsson [20], where parents of children with communication
difficulties were interviewed (among these also parents to children on the autism spectrum).
The parents stated that hospitals should be better both in providing various forms of commu
nication materials and also in adapting these to different children and different situations.
In particular the parents stressed the importance of direct communication between the medical
staff and the children, and that staff need more knowledge about communication and use of
AAC to manage this. The staff need to communicate with the child on the child's own condition
and should therefore receive training in the use of alternative and complementary means of
communication and also how to interact with children with communication difficulties [20].
Unfortunately there is no research on how children with ASD or other types of communication
problems perceive medical care. However, there are studies showing that adults with com
munication difficulties are experiencing a lack of communication competency in health care.
Just as parents of children with communication disabilities, adults states that medical care staff
need greater knowledge of and training in communication strategies and the use of alternative
means of communication [21].
2.5. KomHIT model Communication support in paediatric and dental care
The KomHIT model communication in care settings using communicative support and IT
has the overall purpose to improve the communicative rights of children with communicative
disabilities during pediatric or dental care situations according to the Convention on the rights
of persons with disability using AAC as Universal Design (article 3, United Nations, 2006).
KomHIT therefore tries to implement AAC, mainly in the form of visual supports, generally
to all or most children. This is important in todays care which often is slimmed with respect
to time and resources, making it a challenge to implement procedures and methods that are
exceptions to the daily routines. The basic idea is that what is good for people with disability
is good for everyone. When AAC or visual support is used generally, communication, clarity
and safety is improved for everyone. This is particularly important for the group of children
with disabilities and their parents who have another language-and/or cultural background.
The model has been developed within a joint project involving both professionals and user
organizations.
KomHIT consists of both educational resources and easy available communicative tools/
materials. A web tool has been created where pictorial communication material can be made,
stored and searched by both professionals and parents (www.bildstod.se). The symbols that
are available have been developed within different EU projects and can all be used for free, as
long as they are not used commercially. This pictorial web tool www.bildstod.se can be said
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to constitute the main resource. The other web-resource (www.kom-hit.se) also shares
information about (1) communicative rights according to the UN conventions on the right of
the child and on persons with disabilities (2) project work and methods (3) relevant research
(4) a video bank of illustrative video clips and links to external video material (5) a bank of
educational resources and information about webb-based and campus-based courses and
educations.
The educational model involves both campus-and web-based courses. Two basic packages for
education has been developed. One to educate KomHIT communication mentors, and the
other one to be used by the communication mentors in their job to guide and educate their
colleagues. The education of mentors includes knowledge about communication, communi
cative disability, the UN convention on the right of persons with disability and augmentative
and alternative communication strategies. This is given through lectures, video examples, role
plays and exercises using and designing pictorial material and the web-resource www.bild
stod.se. A choice of these resources are then provided to the mentor to pass on to their
colleagues during meetings and/or educational activities within their clinics to implement the
use of AAC/pictorial support. The majority of the educational resources are available on the
KomHIT web site also to be accessed and used by other persons in need of communication
support, specifically parents of children with communicative disabilities.
2.5.1. KomHIT model A pilot study within day surgery
KomHIT was first pilot tested and evaluated on a day surgery ward at Queen Silvia Childrens
Hospital in Gothenburg, Sweden. All children/families were provided with (1) an invitation
letter to the surgery ward with structured text and pictorial support, (2) a visual schedule with
six pictures informing of the main events, (3) a communication board with 30 symbols to enable
conversation on the topic of day surgery (figure 1). (4) A visual schedule book of 6 pages,
depicting a vertical column of five photos/symbols each, showing the details of the procedures
during the visit (figure 1). Information about the KomHIT project and the use of the materials
was also attached to the invitation letter. The parents were instructed to point to the pictures
while explaining and talking to the child about the hospital visit, and to bring the visual
schedule along during the travel to the hospital. Upon arrival to the surgery ward the nurse
used point talking to the pictures in the Schedule book explaining the procedures of the day.
The child then could bring this book along during the day and remove the pictures one-byone after finishing the different steps. Each nurse also had access to the same day surgery
communication board as was sent to the family (to the right above), to be able to expand point
talking beyond the book, specifically for children with more comprehensive communication
problems.
A pilot study of this intervention was conducted focusing on the expected decrease in stress
and anxiety [22]. Twenty-five children with communicative disability (about half on the autism
spectrum) and their parents participated (seven in the intervention group, 18 controls).
Children and parents were asked about their emotional state using the State-Trait Anxiety
Inventory (STAI), for children adapted to the Talking Mats format, and samples of saliva were
collected. Premedication was also checked. Due to the few participants that could be recruited
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294
Figure 1 Examples of tools used within day surgery. To the left the visual schedule book of six
pages depicting a vertical column of five photos on each side. The child removes the pictures one-byone after finishing the different steps. This book was used for all children 2-8 years old and for older
children with disability or language problems and/or being tense or anxious. The picture to the right
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indicated that the use of pictures can reduce anxiety in children with communicative disability during
being too rough a measure. In conclusion this pilot study indicated that the use of pictures can
hospital care, but that more research is needed to prove this [22].
reduce anxiety in children with communicative disability during hospital care, but that more
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chapter describes the implementation and evaluation of the KomHITmodel in a Neuropsychiatric clinic, using AAC in the form of pictorial supports during assessment
The following
parts procedures.
of this chapter describes the implementation and evaluation of the
and intervention
KomHIT-model in a Neuropsychiatric clinic, using AAC in the form of pictorial supports
during assessment and intervention procedures.
3. The KomHIT-model using AAC during assessment and intervention

within neuropsychiatry
3.1. Implementation of the model
The department that was involved in this study is part of the neuropsychiatric clinic at Queen
Silvia childrens hospital, a regional specialist hospital for children and adolescents in Sweden.
This clinic mainly performs assessments and medical interventions for children and adoles
cents with suspected and diagnosed neuropsychiatric disorders. The main task of this
particular department or team is to assess young (pre-school-aged) children, where the
majority of the children have pervasive problems with communication. Due to the strong
hereditary factor in neuropsychiatry several parents also have problems with communication.
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A comparatively large amount of the families also have another language and/or cultural
background that complicates the understanding of information, instructions and also the
health care system and Swedish society generally.
Two team members from this department, a speech-language therapist and a special educator,
was enrolled in the development of the KomHIT model and was provided with the commu
nication mentor education described above. In collaboration with the head of the department
the planning of implementation was done. They started off by informing the staff about the
overall purpose and methods of the KomHIT intervention and that they wanted to interview
everyone about their processes, the need of pictorial supports and the design of these. After
completing these interviews the designing of the supports or tools were done according to the
wishes and ideas of the different team members.
The mentors had the opportunity to convene the staff to a kick-off a half-day of training,
going through convention texts, AAC methods and showing video clips of AAC-use in clinical
situations. Each professional was provided with a folder with his/her own set-up of tools;
visual schedules and dedicated communication boards and exercised the use of these in role
plays. The two communication mentors also presented the general tools of the department;
invitation letters with pictorial support, communication boards and visual schedules for
waiting room communication, play activities and toilet visits, and finally visual support for
identifying the different rooms. The materials that were developed are listed in the table below
(table 1) and examples of these are displayed (figure 2).
The staff was asked to start the use of the visual tools and point talking immediately after the
kick-off or as soon as possible. They were informed about the evaluation activities, a survey
and a group interview, that was about to take place two months later and that it was important
that they could participate in these.
3.2. Pictorial supports and examples
The materials that were developed are listed in the table below (table 1) and examples of these
are displayed (figure 2).
Type of material
Aim/name
Short description
Child invitation letter (figure 2) Text and illustrating pictures. Sent home to the child
Invitation letter
Invitation letter with many

appointments
Text and illustrating pictures. Sent home to the family

Pictures to be selected and used on a visual schedule
Physician and nurse
during the visit and that could be removed after finishing

the different steps
Visual schedule
Sampling and measuring
As above more specific for sampling: blood, weighing

and measuring
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Type of material
Aim/name
Short description
Pictures to be used within the clinics medication school
Medication school
where the children are taught how to manage their

medications
ADOS
Speech-language therapist
Psychologist (figure 2)
Literacy testing
Large general (figure 3)
Small general
Communication board
therapy
Specific doctor and nurse board
environment
to ADOS assessment
Pictures to support procedures and instructions in regard
to assessment and intervention
to assessment and intervention
to assessment of reading and writing
Larger board that could be used generally to support
communication/conversation and other more specific tools
Smaller board that could be used generally to support
communication/conversation
Small specific speech-language Smaller board to be used more specifically during speech-
Doctors bunch (figure 3)
Waiting room/
language therapy visits

A bunch of small boards to be used by the doctor to
support communication/conversation
Two smaller boards to be used more specifically during
medical visits
Car play
Board to support car play communication
Doll play
Board to support doll play communication
Duplo play
Board to support duplo play communication
Garage play
Board to support garage play communication
Play House
Board to support Play house communication
Reading story books
Board to support story book reading
Choosing play activity
Board to support pay and choice-making
Waiting room
Board to support waiting-room communication
Cloak room
Board to support cloak room communication
Schedule for clothing
Visual schedule for taking on/off clothes
Schedule for toilet
Visual schedule for toilet procedures, available in two

formats: less and more detailed
Text and illustrating pictures to welcome patients and
Welcome instructions
parents and provide instructions (available in different

formats for the different waiting-rooms)
Missed appointments
Text and illustrating pictures to inform about

consequences of not cancelling booked appointments
Symbols/pictures for visual
Symbols/pictures for marking-up rooms an functions on
marking-up
the clinic
Table 1. List of pictorial material that was developed on the Neuropsychiatric clinic
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297
Figure 2. Examples
pictorial materials
listed above.
To the listed
left an above.
invitation
theleft
child.
To the right
a visual
Figureof3.theExamples
of the pictorial
materials
Totothe
a general
communication
schedule for an assessment session. More material are available at www.kom-hit.se
to be used in different situations. To the right a bunch of boards dedicated for the physician.
4. Evaluation and results
Figure 3. Examples of the pictorial materials listed above. To the left a general communication board to be used in
different situations. To the right a bunch of boards dedicated for the physician.
The evaluation was done through a survey distributed to staff and parents at the department and
through a group interview with staff members. The survey was part of the general evaluation
activities that was completed on all clinics involved in KomHIT and will not be reported here. The
group interview used a semi-structured format along the lines of focus group methodology (Wibeck,
2010) and a content analysis of the transcripts was carried out to identify categories and main themes
(Graneheim & Lundman, ?).
4. 1 Participants
The participants in the focus group study was recruited from the department working with young preschool aged children on the child neuropsychiatric clinic at Queen Silvia Childrens Hospital, a
regional specialist hospital in Sweden. This department was selected since the vast majority of the
board
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4. Evaluation and results

The evaluation was done through a survey distributed to staff and parents at the department
and through a group interview with staff members. The survey was part of the general
evaluation activities that was completed on all clinics involved in KomHIT and will not be
reported here. The group interview used a semi-structured format along the lines of focus
group methodology [23] and a content analysis of the transcripts was carried out to identify
categories and main themes [24].
4.1. Participants
The participants in the focus group study was recruited from the department working with
young pre-school aged children on the child neuropsychiatric clinic at Queen Silvia Childrens
Hospital, a regional specialist hospital in Sweden. This department was selected since the vast
majority of the patients had communicative problems, were in need of communicative support
that was only occasionally provided before the intervention started. An invitation letter with
information about the interview was distributed to the entire staff at the department. A group
of six staff representing five professions was recruited. Participant data is presented in table 2.
Participant
Gender
Profession
P1
Physician
P2
Psychologist
P3
Speech language therapist
P4
Special educator
P5
Nurse
P6
Special educator
Table 2. Participants
The initial purpose was also to carry out a group interview with parents. Although many
parents were positive to participate in such an interview this idea finally had to be put off due
to practical problems.
4.2. Procedure
The group interview was carried out by the second and third author. One interviewer had the
role as moderator and was responsible for introducing new topics and lead the interview, and
also to hold a short summary at the end of the interview. The second interviewer was respon
sible for the sound recording and took notes during the interview. The sound recording was
carried using an iPhone 4 with iOS 7 and a Samsung Galaxy S4 with Android version 4.3. A
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pilot interview was first completed to practice the allocation of roles and responsibilities. Four
speech language therapy students was interviewed of how the speech language therapy
program prepares the student for working life.
The interview took place at the neuropsychiatric clinic. The participants all filled out a consent
form also containing a question about their earlier experiences of pictorial supports. An
interview guide was used. The issues were linked to the survey the staff recently had com
pleted and focused the health professionals, parents and children's views about the KomHIT
materials. The childrens and parents degree of anxiety and possibility to be active and to
participate during care and through the use of pictorial support was also discussed. The guide
was used as a support for the moderator to hold the group on focus and in presenting the
issues. Open-ended questions were used. A stimulus material consisting of examples of the
pictorial supports, was placed on the table to help the participants stay on focus [23]. The
moderator redirected the discussions when they were considered as drifting away too far from
the targeted topics. At the end of the interview, the moderator summarized what had been
said and the participants were given the opportunity to make clarifications [23]. The interview
lasted for approximately one hour.
4.3. Transcription and analysis
The audio recordings from the interview was transcribed ortographically. Focus was on
content rather than interaction patterns. The transcription was done at Level III, which meant
that the utterances were transformed to complete sentences that began with a capital letter and
ending with appropriate punctuation. Unfinished sentences, repetitions and hesitations were
removed. Pauses and laughter was not marked [23]. Transcription Level III was chosen to
facilitate for the participants to read through the transcription. The authors transcribed half of
the sound recording each and then read through each part of the transcription, and compared
with the audio recording. As a final step the authors listened to and discussed the pieces that
were difficult to hear until consensus was reached. In the transcripts, participants were given
a code and the names of individuals and entities were removed. The transcription was sent to
the participants who had the opportunity to read, review and then approve it. Participants
had a week to come back with changes. Participants were only allowed to revise their own
utterances. The revision process proceeded until the participants were satisfied. One of the
participants clarified some opinions, but did not remove any information. No other changes
were made.
Qualitative content analysis according Graneheim and Lundman [24] was applied as a method
of analysis. In the present study manifest content, ie content that is expressed directly and does
not need interpretation, was in focus. Each step in the analysis was conducted jointly by the
authors. To get an overview and to obtain an overall impression the authors began by reading
the transcript several times. The transcription was inserted into a table in a word processing
program and then divided into meaning-bearing units. This meant that utterances involving
several topics were divided into smaller units. Utterances that was on other topics or lacked
relevant content was deleted from the analysis. In case of disagreement about this, the authors
listened to the audio recording until consensus was reached. The meaning-bearing units were
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then condensed with the purpose of obtaining the core without affecting the content. The next
step was to code the condensed units. The codes were printed, spread out on a table and then
grouped in different categories based on their content. As the last step in the analysis, the
categories were grouped together to form themes. When disagreements arose the authors first
consulted the transcription and as a next step the audio recordings and discussed until
consensus was achieved.
Meaning-bearing units
Condensed
Codes
Categories
Themes
Preparation
Pictures
units
I think it helps to play down
It helps in making it more
The information
also it is not so mysterious.
concrete and less
letter demystifies
before visit
mysterious
But it is only within pediatric
Im thinking of care for the
care you are thinking. Because I elderly, when people are

belive in geriatrics and in care
Pictures should be
Pictures in other
The need of
used within
areas of care
pictures in
older this would be useful . geriatrics
health care
for the elederly, as they get old,

there must surely be. I believe
this would be great.
Table 3. Overview of the process of the content analysis and two examples
Credibility in this qualitative content analysis concerns how well the themes and categories
were consistent with the transcribed data. One way to show this that also was used in this text,
is to present representative quotations from the transcribed material [24]. This means that the
data processing is presented in an explicit and transparent way, which facilitates the exami
nation of the credibility [25]. An external check of the analysis was also conducted [23]. A senior
speech language therapy student read twenty percent of the transcription and compared the
content to the analysis and the identified codes, categories and themes. The external assessor
found that the identified themes and codes were in concordance with the text except for one
utterance that the authors had excluded as not being relevant. This was taken into account by
the authors, who returned to the audio recording to ensure proper assessment.
4.4. Result
The content analysis of the interview data resulted in 18 identified categories that could be
merged into 7 themes. These were: pictures used preparatory before healthcare visits, pictures
used during healthcare visits, design, use, guidance, reactions in children, and the need of
pictures in health care (see Table 4). Each theme and the included categories are described
below in the text and used as titles. Examples from the transcribed texts, printed in italics, are
presented for the majority of the categories.
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Themes
Categories
Pictures used preparatory before health care visits
Support for parents

Preparation
Pictures used during health care visits
Pictures in waiting room

Impact on testing
Learning
Structure
Participation
Development of materials
Digital pictures
Form
Use
Developmental and pictorial level l

Opportunities for use
Pictures as a resource
Guidance
Health care professionals as models

Generalisation
Reactions in children
Anxiety
Interest
The need of pictures in health care
Previous need for pictures

Pictures in other areas of care
Table 4. Themes and categories identified in the content analysis
4.4.1. Pictures used preparatory before health care visits

4.4.1.1. Support for parents
The staff thought that the pictures was a support for the parents. The staff expressed the
opinion that the parents anxiety seemed to be reduced when they had been provided with the
invitation letter with pictures and then had more information about what was about to happen
during the visit. The pictures seemed to serve as a tool for the parents to explain what will
happen to their children. The staff expressed that the invitation letter could play an important
role for parents of young children and also for parents with insufficient understanding of
Swedish.
"... I mean it is a support for the parents as well, explaining to the children, in that they
have access to the pictures, so in that way I believe its very positive."
4.4.1.2. Preparation
The nursing staff thought the invitation letter made both children and parents feel safe because
they know what will happen and who they are going to meet. The staff experienced that the
parents were more prepared and better informed. The invitation letter made the visit less
mysterious.. According to the staff, several parents had expressed that they appreciated the
pictorial invitation letter.
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"We really enjoyed to look at the pictures and checked, whats going to happen, well who
is this, and so on. I believe this actually is good."
4.4.2. Pictures used during health care visits
4.4.2.1. Pictures in waiting room
Only a few of the staff had used the waiting room boards, but told that some parents had
commented that the pictures were funny and that the children liked them. These boards may
not be have been used in the best interest of the children because the parents were not
accustomed to the use of pictorial support. The staff stressed that in spite of this the pictures
still were important in demonstrating an approach to support communication.
4.4.2.2. Impact on testing
Some of the staff felt that the use of pictorial support could influence the evaluation and testing
results. The perception was that the pictures facilitated the testing too much so that the purpose
of some of the tests could not be fulfilled. The staff expressed that during the assessment of
the child's communication skill the pictures should be used to enable the child to participate
in the test situation but not to communicate. However, in some test situations pictures could
not be used at all. Pictorial support was considered to be easier to use in a treatment situation.
"I can imagine it [visual schedule] would affect the ADOS-result. One would think, but
if he had not pictorial support how he had reacted when...
4.4.2.3. Learning
Most children and parents were unfamiliar with the use of pictorial supports. The staff
expressed that it was problematic that they saw the children only occasionally and too little to
really have them understand the use of the pictures, specifically those at early developmental
stages. The staff thought it was easier for the children and parents to understand the use of the
pictures if they consistently were provided with pictorial support in invitation letters, waiting
rooms and personal interaction. The staff thought the children could gradually learn the
meaning if they were recurrently exposed to the pictures and if the staff used a rich body
communication to assist the childrens understanding.
4.4.2.4. Structure
The staff felt that they did not need to use the visual schedule so often, but that it was great to
use with children who have attention difficulties. For these children, the pictures provide
structure and help to focus. The children also are provided with a concrete idea of how far
they have proceeded during the visit.
"... And said, yes, but we're going to do this, and lined up the pictures so that the child
can imagine. Yes now we can remove this, now we can take that one away. Then they are
assisted in coping".
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Staff however also had the opinion that the pictures sometimes made them less flexible. They
felt that they had to stick to the schedule, even when it was less well adapted. When they used
pictures that were not so specific, it was easier to change the order during the visit.
4.4.2.5. Participation
The picture schedule seemed to facilitate participation for some children during examination
or testing. The pictures could be used to direct the children's attention to something and to
have children who were restless to sit down. Staff discussed that the situation could be
perceived as less demanding when pictorial tools were used. A picture schedule was consid
ered to give children control over the situation. Through the use of images the children had
freedom to express what they wanted to do. The images had enabled communication between
children and the staff, and had been used by the child to ask questions.
"And a little control of the situation as well, then you do what he picture says, and will
not come up with something else that I do not know what it is. And you have the freedom
of saying, that and that, and that I do, but not this."
4.4.3. Development of materials
4.4.3.1. Digital pictures
Having access to pictures using a smartphone or tablet was considered to simplify the work.
Being able to find exactly the correct one quickly was seen as an advantage. Children who were
not interested in pictures might think they were more funny and interesting if they were
presented on a phone or tablet. However, the staff also discussed the risk that the tablet could
be associated with gaming or play. Therefore alternate forms for presentation of the pictures
are needed for different children.
4.4.3.2. Form
The group also discussed the size of the images and some thought that the images being used
were too small. Size and degree of detail of the pictures differs on an individual basis. The
nursing staff did not think that it was necessary to use a particular or specified picture/symbol
system but that it instead was the way of thinking that was important.
4.4.4. Use
4.4.4.1. Developmental and pictorial level
The staff thought that the pictures they used right now worked best with the children at more
advanced level of development. For children at earlier stages, it could be difficult to understand
the picture and associate it to the activity. Options should be available that would be more
easy to use for these children, such as photographs and objects. The staff had the idea, that to
be able to use a picture as a resource, it is not necessary to have a full understanding of the
picture. To be able to focus the picture is more important. The staff must be quick in deter
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mining whether pictures would work for a specific child. Staff expressed that it was difficult
to find and use pictures for more abstracts concepts.
"... Sometimes it doesnt mean anything to the children, the young children /... /are
sometimes on a concrete level...
4.4.4.2. Opportunities of usage
The staff discussed during which occasions the pictures were best used. Some had the opinion
that the picture schedules were difficult and unnatural to use for testing or assessment. Instead
they were considered to be easier to use during intervention and more concrete activities, such
as weighing and measuring the child. In some situations pictures were not used at all by the
staff, either because an enhanced use of body communication was considered sufficient or that
the sometimes long experience of working with children with neuropsychiatric disorders
made them manage without. On the other hand experience in using pictures was considered
to facilitate the use of pictorial support:
but I believe that it is good if you use it (pictorial support) continuously to feel comfortable
and relaxed
The opinion of the staff was that pictures was a great resource for those children who had
difficulties with eye-gaze contact. To jointly watch the pictorial aid could be a way to establish
contact without the need of direct eye-contact. The transition from the waiting-room to the
examination-room was also considered to be facilitated through the use of pictures.
4.4.4.3. Pictures as a resource
The staff thought that the pictures generally made their work with the children easier. The
pictures were looked upon as a resource or a tool that could be used when there was a need,
for example when they got stuck out of some reason. Pictures did not always help out in these
situations, but on the other hand never did any harm either
."... It is a privilege to have this resource and it is such a useful aid..."
4.4.5. Guidance
4.4.5.1. Healthcare professionals as models
The staff felt that they could act as models for the parents so they could observe how pictures
could be used in interaction with their children in everyday life. When the staff used pictures,
this no longer seemed so strange or dangerous. The staff expressed that the parents often
became positive when they could see themselves how the use of pictures facilitated the staffs
communication with their child.
"... And see that it actually increases, yes it may well increase the childs understanding
and ability to come up with something and show..."
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4.4.5.2. Generalisation
The nursing staff wished to have access to pictorial supports or tools for various activities and
games to give to parents in facilitating generalization to the home environment. According to
the staff, parents are in need of concrete support to be able start up in practice as soon as they
showed that they wished or wanted to. This was also clearly expressed by the parents. The
staff thought it would be easier to show how pictures could be used and to answer parents'
questions if they could provide the parents with some ready-made materials.
"Because they [the parents] kind of kick-offs mentally and get concrete ideas after they have
had the opportunity to start up with something."
The staff had the opinion that the generalization to the pre-school environment often was good
due to the fact that many pre-schools already used pictorial tools. The staff only had to
encourage these pre-schools in enhancing their use of visual support and sometimes also
demonstrate the use.
4.4.6. Reactions in children
4.4.6.1. Anxiety
The nursing staff believed that the pictorial supports decreased anxiety in both children and
parents. In particular, the pictorial invitation letter was considered to reduce the child's anxiety
in that the child was provided with information about what was about to happen that was
easy to understand. Sometimes when a child was anxious or restless the staff also could get
back to this letter and go through what was going to happen. The staff was convinced that
clear information reduced anxiety in children with autism. They also believed that pictorial
support should be used with an increased number of children since most children would
benefit from this.
"... We do not know how much it reduces anxiety during some visits, I think. I think, for
you, for example, you know when you to go to the nurse, 'oh they wont do anything that
I dont allow, for example.
4.4.6.2. Interest
The staff told that many of the children were very interested in the pictures. They were curious
and perceived the pictures as fun and exciting. The staff expressed that the pictures added a
sense of playfulness to the visits at their clinic.
"It gets a little bit more exciting and appealing to kids when pictures are used in some way.
They become more curious..."
4.4.7. The need of pictures in health care
4.4.7.1. The previous need for pictures
According to the opinions of the staff there had been a need for pictorial support on the clinic
long before the project was started. Parents had asked for photos of the staff and for information
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about what would happen during the visits. The staff had experienced difficulties in describing
this in a concrete way, which now easily could be done using pictures in the invitation letter.
The staff meant that texted information only, could not generate the same type of conversations
between parent and child as now was the case. Without the pictures it was more difficult for
the parent to explain to the child what would happen. Some of the staff had previously created
their own pictorial support by drawing or using photos when they felt that this was needed.
"And there was a need for this because I used to say to the parents when I met them the
first time that you can take a photo of me with your phone and show to the child..."
4.4.7.2. Pictures in other areas of care
The staff believed that the use of pictorial support was something that had come to stay within
health care. They expressed that pictures would be good to use outside of pediatrics, for
example within geriatrics, and with people with aphasia.
4.5. Further research
To further investigate the role of pictorial support in health care and within neuropsychiatric
clinical work, it would be interesting to do a controlled group study comparing both commu
nication and other aspects of care with and without the use of pictorial support. Doing a similar
study like this, but with a larger number of respondents and interviews with children, parents
and health professionals from different clinics that strengthen and further develop these
results, is also important. It would also be interesting to study and compare the results for
different groups of children of varying age, diagnosis, communication profiles-and for
different activities and types of pictorial supports.
5. Conclusion
This study is one of the first that describes an intervention aiming at increasing the commu
nicative rights of children within the autism spectrum during clinical assessment and inter
vention. The pilot evaluation in the form of an interview with the multiprofessional team
provides valuable information on how work with pictorial supports can function in practice.
The staff was generally very positive and expressed that the pictorial supports facilitated
communication. The materials made both children and parents better prepared for the visits
and the clinical procedures. The children liked the concrete visual material that also seemed
to provide them with a higher degree of control in the situation. The children were more
focused when the pictures were used and both children and parents also seemed to be more
relaxed. However, it also emerged that there are still shortcomings and that further develop
ment is needed. The staff expressed the opinion that it was easier to use the pictorial supports
in concrete activities, such as medical procedures, compared to for example assessments.
Children at really early stages of development could not benefit so much of the existing
materials but instead probably are in need of a more individually adapted support, as are some
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59838
other children as well. It was also possible to see that some opinions of the staff were contra
dictory. For example, it was expressed that they as professionals in the field did not need
pictorial support very often, but that many more children than expected were in need of
pictures. This might be a symptom of the fact that this was a new intervention that had not
been used for long.
Finally and in spite of this, the staff expressed that the use of pictures have come to stay,
both at their own clinic but also elsewhere within health care. They meant that the number of
people that benefit of the use of visual support are much larger than could be imagined.
Acknowledgements
The major parts of this chapter was part of an unpublished Masters thesis in Speech language
pathology at University of Gothenburg, June 2014. Thanks to patients, parents and staff at the
Neuropsychiatric clinic at Queen Silvia Childrens Hospital in Gothenburg who took part in
the study, specifically Julia Eldblom and Ulrika Johansson who developed all pictorial
materials, educated and inspired their colleagues. Thanks also to all members in project
KomHIT including the Association for people with autism and Asperger syndrome in the
Gothenburg region. KomHIT is funded by the Swedish Heritage Foundation. The writing of
this chapter was funded by the Research Foundation at Queen Silvia Childrens Hospital.
Author details
Gunilla Thunberg*, Magdalena Johansson and Julia Wikholm
*Address all correspondence to: gunilla.thunberg@vgregion.se
DART centre for AAC and Assistive Technology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Sweden
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[16] Shilling V, Edwards V, Rogers M, Morris C. The experience of disabled chil-dren as
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[17] Chebuhar A, McCarthy AM, Bosch J, Baker S. Using Picture Schedules in Medical
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Chapter 16
Etiology of Autism the Complexity of Risk Factors in

Agnes Cristina Fett-Conte,
Ana Luiza Bossolani-Martins and
Dante Bruno Avanso Rosan
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59109
1. Introduction
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), also currently known as autism, refers to a group of complex
behavioral disorders of varying severity, characterized by manifestations noted in early
childhood, usually before the age of three and defined as impaired social communication and
presence of restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, compromising the entire life of the
individual (DSM-5). The etiology is very complex and heterogeneous, with numerous causes
described, and includes genetic, epigenetic, or environmental factors in isolation or associated.
It aggregates in families with the heritability being estimated at 0.50, but the individual risk
and to what extent this is caused by genetic factors or environmental factors remains unre
solved. These factors probably interact at least in the majority of cases, and thus the assessment
of individuals and genetic counseling is further complicated [124].
Valuable information is been gained through the identification of candidate genes, though
case-control and association studies and more recently by comparative genomic hybridization
and whole exome and genome sequencing. In the epigenetic area, mechanisms such as
genomic imprinting, epimutations and methylation have been identified [133]. Copy number
variations (CNVs) have gained prominence on the stage of the discovery of the causes of
autism. The de novo CNVs have been reported in 7% of simplex families and ~2% in multiplex
families. Moreover, hypomorphic alterations in some genes suggest oligogenic inheritance.
Recently, discoveries employing large-scale whole exome sequencing (WES) showed that one
gene alone is not able to confer significant risk for autism. Instead, the most probable hypoth
esis is the contribution of several risk variants that are scattered in hundreds of genes. There
314
are approximately 4,000 genes involved in molecular pathways, gene regulation and functional
domains that may contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders. It is noteworthy that the same
genes can cause different disorders leading to an etiologic overlap [35].
One other issue that has emerged recently is that a significant number of synaptic proteins
directly or indirectly affect the structure and function of neurons, dendrites and synapses.
Subtle changes in the dendritic and synaptic structures can lead to huge changes in information
processing. Dendritic branches and spines are essential for the formation and plasticity of
neuronal circuits but are interrupted in many neurologic disorders, such as autism. In many
cases the same mutations are observed in unaffected relatives. This suggests the existence of
a compensatory mechanism or other genetic or non-genetic causes [140].
New findings on the genetic etiology of autism have pointed to the participation of regulatory
regions of transcription factors, the microRNAs (miRNAs), a class of noncoding RNAs of ~22
nucleotides that suppress translation by pairing with miRNA recognition elements present in
the 3'untranslated region (3'UTR) of target mRNAs. Candidate genes and sites of miRNA
targets have been identified from these. It is known that the expression of many genes involved
in autism is regulated by miRNAs. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been
described as modulators or creators of new recognition elements of miRNAs. Therefore, there
is a hypothesis that SNPs disrupting the interaction between miRNA and genes can lead to
the aberrant expressions of genes implicated in autism, resulting in susceptibility to disease or
pathogenesis in at least one subpopulation of affected individuals [149].
Although the involvement of genetic abnormalities in autism is well accepted, recent studies
have indicated that there is a similar contribution of environmental factors. However, studies
related to the environment, especially those regarding toxic products, have not been system
atically reviewed yet, as many studies have limitations, including a lack of reproducibility,
small sample size, retrospective design, bias between cases and controls and non-use of an
appropriate autism diagnostic tool. Thus, in general, there is a potential involvement of some
toxic products in complex genetic-environmental interactions which act synergistically or in
parallel on the brain in a way that increases the likelihood of developing autism.
Moreover, although some studies suggest that autistic characteristics are due to central
nervous system (CNS) dysfunction, there is evidence of autism-related abnormalities that are
not related to the CNS, at least in some individuals. Hence, the metabolic system, immune
system dysregulation and oxidative stress have also been implicated in the etiology [107].
Furthermore, other new lines of research also point to the importance of the so-called "braingut axis" revealing the central role of the intestinal microbiota in postnatal development and
maturation of the immune and endocrine systems that, in turn, control CNS signaling, brain
function and behavior [151]. But studies on this line must be carefully analyzed.
The low recurrence related to any one cause is one of the most intriguing aspects of the etiology,
as is the difference in the proportion of affected between the genders, because men are four
times more affected by ASD than women (CDC, 2014). Additionally, there is an association
between increased paternal age and risk for ASD. This finding may indicate that de novo
Etiology of Autism the Complexity of Risk Factors in Autism Spectrum Disorder

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59109
mutations, which are more common in older men, may play a smaller role in the incidence of
autism than the familial genetic load [73].
Investigating and understanding the etiology of autism is extremely important for families
because it allows a determination of the recurrence risk, the possibility of detecting other
associated medical problems, an assessment of the molecular nature and cellular pathophysi
ology, and potential therapeutic approaches. In this context, the aim of this chapter is to
provide the reader with an overview of these possible causes and others that may contribute
to autistic behavior.
2. Common chromosomal alterations: 15q11-q13, 16p11.2 and 22q11.2

In addition to well-established genic syndromes, a lot of cases of ASD present with numerical
or structural chromosomal alterations visible by conventional cytogenetic techniques [164].
Due to the high number of cases and the type and location of the genes described, the associ
ation of some chromosomal regions is well established in autism including: 1q21, 2q37, 7q11.23,
15q11-13, 16p11.2, 17p11.2, 22q11.2 and 22q13. Rearrangements involving these regions are
detected by GTG banding however more sophisticated molecular techniques are recommend
ed. High-resolution whole-genome analysis with array-based technologies have revealed
genomic imbalances in at least 10% of cases (Depine et al., 2009).
Chromosome 15 is reportedly the most common site of autosomal abnormalities in autism
with the duplication of 15q11-q13 being the most frequently reported alteration. This region
contains at least 30 genes, several of which have been associated to ASD, neurobehavioral
disorders, cognitive deficits, hypotonia, language delay and seizures [141, 154].This region,
known for its genetic instability, contains many low copy repeats and segmental duplications.
It is known as a critical region for Prader-Willi/Angelman syndrome and has a complex pattern
of paternal and maternal imprinting; it contains at least five paternally expressed genes
(MKRN3, MAGEL2, NDN, C15orf2, snoRNAs and SNRPN-SNURF) and two maternally
expressed genes (UBE3A and ATP10A). Furthermore, epigenetic factors regulating 15q11-13
have been implicated in the presence of autism [6].
The phenotype involving recurrent 600kb microdeletions and microduplications in the
16p11.2 region is characterized by a spectrum of neurodevelopmental impairments including
developmental delay and intellectual disability, epilepsy, autism and other psychiatric
disorders which are all subject to incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. This
deletion is observed in ~0.5% of autism patients, making this the second most common
abnormality in this disorder [48, 156]. Losses in candidate genes in this region, such as ALDOA,
DOC2A, HIRIP3, MAPK3, MAZ, PPP4C, SEZ6L2, and TAOK2, seem to contribute to the ASD
phenotype (Kumar et al., 2009).
The 22q11.2 deletion is one of the most commonly known interstitial deletions identified in
humans, and with a frequency of around 1:4,000 live births in the general population, it is
related to DiGeorge Sequence/Velocardiofacial syndrome [98, 132]. Recent studies suggest that
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316
the high prevalence of autistic behaviors in children with 22q11.2 deletions should not be
viewed only as ASD but as prodromal symptoms preceding the onset of schizophrenia [9, 132,
153]. Individuals with hemizygosity of the 22q11.2 deletion represent genetically identifiable
cases of ASD. However, the 22q11.2 gene(s) responsible for ASD have not been identified yet.
Tbx1 is one of the candidate genes, possibly through its role in diverse cell types, including
prenatally and postnatally generated neurons.
Several large chromosomal microarray studies have reported the prevalence of CNV variants
in people with particular features (e.g., autism, schizophrenia, and epilepsy) but few studies
have investigated the prevalence in the general population. In a screening of 6,813 consecutive
cord blood samples from a predominantly FrenchCanadian population to assess genomic
CNVs, 23 children were identified with alterations in 15q11-q13, 16p11.2 or 22q11.2. Longitu
dinal follow-up studies are needed to determine the clinical consequences of CNVs identified
at birth [146]. Anyway, considering the important implications for genetic counseling, these
regions must be evaluated in ASD patients.
3. Copy number variations (CNVs)

Dysregulation of gene expression of several genes/loci converging on the same networks
(overlay) and/or combinatorial effects of different deleterious genetic variations appear to
exceed a threshold and result in the autistic phenotype. In support of these ideas, strategies
based on bioinformatics have identified many candidate genes, showing that ASD can be
triggered by different types of genetic variations in many different genes, a phenomenon
known as non-allelic genetic heterogeneity [74, 138, 105]. This model is more accepted;
combines both common and rare variations posing risk for ASD, particularly those involving
synaptic genes and genes involved in neurogenesis [138]. Thus it is assumed that people with
ASD have a set of genetic variants that predispose them to abnormal development of brain
structures involved in processing social information (the "social brain"). But it is known that
there is no common pathophysiology in ASD. This may result from mutations in many
different genes involved in different functions [138]. The kinds of variants that incline to autism
and can involve several genes at the same time are the CNVs.
CNVs are microduplications or microdeletions resulting from insertions, deletions or trans
locations in the human genome that are observed in the general population and commonly
found in genic regions in individuals with neuropsychiatric disorders. They can be inherited
or de novo, frequent or rare with a frequency of less than 1% of the population. A substantial
portion of autism cases appears to result from rare CNVs with variations larger than 100kb;
they are more common in individuals with ASD than in the general population [33, 83, 118].
De novo CNVs have been reported in 5-10% of cases of idiopathic ASD. Many studies have
revealed that some CNVs occur at significantly higher frequencies than others and some are
exclusively observed subjects and not found in normal controls. This has allowed the identi
fication of new candidate genes which have not yet been described in the Autism Chromosome
Rearrangement Database, such as GABRA5, GABRA3, GABRG3, UBE3A, E2F1, PLCB1, PMP22,

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59109
AADAT, MAPK3, NRXN1, NRG3, DPP10, UQCRC2, USH2A, NECAB3, CNTN4, LINGO2,
IL1RAPL1, STXBP5, DOC2A, SNRPN, E2F1, AADAT, NECAB3, GPHN, dlg2, HPCAL1, BDNFOS and IL1RAPL1, (http://projects.tcag.ca/autism/). The new risk loci for ASD have functions
that suggest an important role in the function and architecture of the brain; one CNV could
interfere with normal biochemical pathways and predispose to the disorder [27, 46, 95). CNVs
associated with ASD and schizophrenia are also associated with cognitive problems in control
subjects showing a probable variable expressivity of these changes [134].
Although structural variations, such as CNVs, play an important etiologic role in the devel
opment of ASD as has been proposed by several authors since 2006, most of the results of
different studies are not considered in the clinical evaluation of children with ASD, probably
due to the rarity of individual variants, the lack of coverage of probes in clinical microarrays,
the lack of reproducibility of studies that present different findings and the difficulty to
understand the biology corresponding to some variants even when they are significantly
associated with ASD. Nevertheless, clinical guidelines suggest that microarray-based tests are
the first step in the genetic analysis of children with ASD (128, 68]; however this is not feasible
in most cases of low-income countries due to the high cost of these tests.
4. Cellular adhesion molecules (CAMs)

While the majority of genetic mutations currently linked to autism are rare variants that change
the protein-coding sequence of synaptic candidate genes, regulatory polymorphisms affecting
constitutive and alternative splicing have emerged as risk factors in other diseases, accounting
for an estimated 40-60% of general disease risk [131].
Neurons communicate via synapses, mainly mediated by precisely controlled intercellular
interactions. Interactions between presynaptic and postsynaptic cellular adhesion molecules
(CAMs) drive synapse maturation during development. CAMs provide "bridges", that is, cellto-cell connectivity between pre and postsynaptic sites. These transsynaptic interactions are
regulated by alternative splicing of CAMs RNAs, which ultimately determines neurotrans
mitter phenotype. Failure to generate the appropriate CAMs can result in loss of activitydependent neuronal plasticity, and risk for developmental disorders, including autism.
However, it remains unclear as to how many and which proteins are involved in the synap
togenesis process [161]. The postsynaptic proteome of excitatory synapses of a mammalian
brain contains over 1,000 proteins, indicating complex protein-protein interactions that occur
both within and between synapses [15, 30, 32, 47].
Typically, CAMs are located at the center of synapse and contain three domains: an intracel
lular domain that interacts with the intracellular scaffolding protein, a transmembrane domain
and an extracellular domain which interacts with other CAMs [101]. Intercellular interactions
in synapses mediated by protein-protein CAMs are involved in recognition and alignment of
pre and postsynaptic sites, transsynaptic signaling, the exact location of neurotransmitter
receptors and release of synaptic vesicles. There are several families of CAMs that have already
been recognized, including neurexins (Nrxs) and neuroligins (NLS), neuronal transmembrane
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proteins rich in leucine (LRRTMs), N-cadherin/-catenin, ephrins and Eph, SynCAM receptors
and integrins [161].
The Nrxs and NLS contain an extracellular domain that participates in the pre and postsynaptic
interaction and an intracellular domain that is involved in multiple functional interactions and
regulatory processes. They interact with high affinity via their extracellular regions [135, 136].
Nrxs create extracellular protein-protein interactions with the intracellular signaling cascade.
NLS binds to areas of postsynaptic density (PSD), proteins which are supported by glutama
tergic synapses. In postsynaptic sites, the NLS/Nrxs interactions cause an increase in the PSD
agglomeration recruitment of postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) and -amino-3hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA). Thus, the binding of Nrxs and NLS
helps to align presynaptic and postsynaptic receptor release (Budreck et al., 2013; Mondin,
Tessier, Thoumine, 2013).
LRRTM proteins are a group of type I transmembrane proteins containing extracellular leucinerich repeats and a short cytoplasmic tail. They play a key role in the development and matura
tion of synapses, but are also directly involved in synaptic transmission and more complex
behavior [87]. Contactins (CNTNs) provide a set of glycan phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI) IgCAM links containing six N-terminal Ig-like domains and four Fibronectin Type III domains.
CNTNs play an important role in the formation of axon connections in the developing nervous
system. For example, Cntn-1 and Cntn-2 are involved in axon growth and guidance, and Cntn-6
is expressed in the presynaptic region in the developing nervous system [169].
As most neurological diseases originate as a dysfunction of neural circuits whose function is
highly dependent on the accuracy of cell-cell adhesions, there is increasing evidence connect
ing several neurological disorders with mutations or altered expressions of CAMs. For
example, mutations in the NLS and Nrxs genes are found in patients with autism (Sudhof,
2008). Therefore, research on the role of CAMs will help provide a better understanding of the
underlying mechanisms of pathogenic neurological disorders (Frei & Stoeckli, 2013).
5. Synaptic vesicles
Alterations in neurotransmission and its components, such as synaptic vesicles seem to be one
of the keys in neurological disorders. Abnormalities in synaptic vesicle endocytosis and
recycling may contribute with this type of disorder. Exoendocytic cycling of synaptic vesicles,
which are organelles of 40 nm in diameter, is involved in neurotransmitter release. Hundreds
of synaptic vesicles, filled with neurotransmitters are found in each presynaptic nerve
terminal. When presynaptic plasma membranes depolarize, Ca2-channels open and calcium
flows into the nerve terminal, triggering the exocytosis of synaptic vesicles and releasing their
neurotransmitters into the synaptic cleft. Calcium binds to synaptotagmin, and after exocyto
sis, vesicles are re-endocytosed, recycled, and refilled with neurotransmitters. Recycling can
occur by multiple parallel pathways, either by fast recycling via local reuse of vesicles, or by
slower recycling through an intermediate endosomal (Sudhof & Ryzo, 2014). Also, a critical
step in presynaptic differentiation is the clustering of synaptic vesicles near neurotransmitter
release sites, the active zone, where vesicle fusion and exocytosis of neurotransmitters occur.

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Synaptic vesicles at presynaptic terminals store neurotransmitters from presynaptic neurons

such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate [133].
Many presynaptic molecules are involved in the regulation of synaptic vesicle release,
including CAMs. The family of adaptor protein (AP) complexes, AP-1, AP-2, AP-3 and AP-4
mediates various types of vesicle formation and selection of cargo molecules for inclusion in
these vesicles. The synaptic vesicle process involves AP-2/clathrin-mediated endocytosis [133].
The structural composition of synapses may be altered by mutations or deletions in other
scaffold proteins, such as those of the Shank family, neurexin and NLS. These changes may
result in an altered number of receptors such as mGluR receptors or changes in the composition
of NMDA and AMPA, and affect component signaling in PSD. Dysregulation in the synapse
morphology induced by structural alterations and disturbed signaling might converge and
lead to disrupted long-term potentiation (LTP) formation and plasticity, and a specific decrease
in excitatory signaling by various genetic mutations, environmental factors, or immune system
alterations, which would lead to an imbalance in inhibition and excitation as a likely cause of
autism [26].
The main excitatory neurotransmitter in the brain, glutamate, modulates the neuronal
formation and synaptic strength in the early phases of development due to its role in neuronal
plasticity and cognitive functioning [88]. Glutamate receptors are diffused throughout the
brain, in the cerebellum and hippocampus, regions implicated in ASD pathogenesis [25].
Genetic alterations in glutamate signaling have been found in association with ASD through
candidate gene screening and genetic association studies and an imbalance in excitation and
inhibition with glutamate signaling is proposed as a mechanism involved in ASD during the
early development stages, between one and three years of age [112].
There are two types of glutamate receptors, metabotropic and ionotropic. Metabotropic
glutamate receptors (mGluR) are G-protein coupled receptors involved in intracellular signal
transduction and can be divided into three groups: Groups I (mGluR1 and mGluR5), II
(mGluR2 and mGluR3) and III (mGluR4, mGluR6, mGluR7 and mGluR8). Group I receptors
activate phospholipase C. Groups II and III are negatively linked to cyclic adenosine 3,5monophosphate (AMP) production, but they differ in agonist selectivity. Two Group III
receptors, mGluR7 and mGluR8, are located within the presynaptic grid, whereas mGluR3
and mGluR2 are located on the preterminal axons. Ionotropic glutamate receptors form ligandgated ion channels (LGICs) and are labeled according to their prototypical agonists: NMDA,
AMPA and kainate [25].
Some studies have focused on the endocytosis, docking, priming, fusion and recycling
processes that may play a role in intellectual disability and ASD, but the functions of several
vesicle components remain unidentified and more studies are needed to understand these
processes [133].
6. Cytoskeletal dynamics
The cytoskeleton forms the backbone of neuronal architecture and is essential for axon growth
and synapse formation. The microtubule cytoskeleton has an active role during different
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phases of neuronal polarization; microtubules and their stability determine axon formation,
they maintain the identity of axons and they regulate the dynamics of dendritic spines. Once
the synapses have been formed, the neuronal cytoskeleton supports maturation and mainte
nance, and so the synaptic cytoskeleton is essential for the stabilization and remodeling of
synaptic connections [40]. Actin filaments are the predominant component of the cytoskeleton
in dendritic spines [20]. Changes in these key molecules mediating that bind to actin and
members of the Rho family of small GTPases, such as RhoA, Rac and Cdc42 can disrupt this
process [69]. These proteins play important roles in synaptic functions, dendritic branching,
the formation and maintenance of dendritic spines and the growth and differentiation of
neurites [133]. Their genes include OPHN1, MEGAP, OCRL1, ARHGEF6, ARHGEF9, FGD1,
LIMK1, PAK3, and IQSEC2 [133].
It is known that genetic alterations in the pathways controlling local protein synthesis in
neurons contribute to diverse intellectual disabilities and ASD. A set of cytoskeletal proteins
has been reported as mutated in these individuals. The resulting disorders are called synap
topathies with dysgenesis of dendritic spines being a recurrent anatomical feature. These
include factors that regulate the dynamics of the actin cytoskeleton, such as GAPs and
guanosine factors (Ba; van der Raadt, Nadif Kasri 2013). Mutations in the tumor suppressor
genes, TSC1 and TSC2, are also connected to the ASD mutant proteins that seem to disturb the
dynamics of the cytoskeleton and the structure of dendritic spines [61]. Moreover, the
microtubule-associated protein, KATNAL2, has emerged as a risk factor for ASD [105]. But the
best example of dendritic spine defects is Fragile X syndrome. This disease results from a loss
of function of the RNA-binding protein, the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP), which
regulates dendritic targeting of mRNAs and controls protein synthesis and mRNA decay in
neuronal soma and at synapses. High-throughput screenings have revealed that a wide array
of neuronal mRNAs is targeted by FMRP, suggesting that simultaneous dysregulation of many
proteins contributes to the syndrome, including cytoplasmic FMRP-interacting protein 1
(CYFIP1) [38].
New research has revealed many interactions associated with brain disorders, opening up new
perspectives to define regulatory pathways shared by neurological disabilities characterized
by dendritic spine dysmorphogenesis.
7. Translational regulation and the process of ubiquitination

It has been seen that many synaptic proteins are critical to the formation and maintenance of
proper synaptic function. The expression level of many of these proteins may be tightly
controlled by the balance between translation and turnover. The growing number of devel
opmental cognitive diseases, whose underlying cause is a defect in the regulation of either
translation or turnover, suggests that the equilibrium between these opposing processes is a
sensitive point in establishing normal cognition and behavior [36].
Ubiquitination, the covalent attachment of ubiquitin to a target protein, regulates most cellular
processes and is involved in several neurological disorders. Many genes in the ubiquitin

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pathway and neuronal proteins that are targeted by the ubiquitin-proteasome system have
been linked to cognitive deficits [57, 82].
Studies have highlighted an important role for protein degradation by the ubiquitin protea
some system (UPS) in synaptic plasticity [126, 91]. These observations suggest that changes in
synaptic transmission involve extensive regulation of the synaptic proteome. The synaptic
proteome is also affected by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) that provides a quality
control linked to translation. NMD has a role in degradation of aberrant mRNAs with a
premature termination codon and the regulation of the transcriptome [109]. CNVs and
mutations in several genes associated to NMD such as UPF3B, UPF3A, SMG6, EIF4A3,
RNPS1 and RBM8A have been identified as probable causes or predisposing factors for
neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism [5, 76, 108].
UPS consists of a group of enzymes, an ubiquitin activating enzyme (E1), an ubiquitin
conjugating enzyme (E2) and an ubiquitin ligase (E3), which are associated with ubiquitin
ligases and proteasomes to mediate protein degradation. The ubiquitinated target protein is
subsequently shuttled to a protease complex known as the 26S proteasome and subjected to
degradative proteolysis. They also play a role in the regulation of cell signaling and cell cycle
progression, and are associated with cytoskeletal elements. Thus, posttranslational ubiquiti
nation modifies protein function and triggers the subsequent degradation of ubiquitinated
proteins by the 26S proteasome. Several components of the UPS are required for proper brain
development, axon guidance, and the development and plasticity of synapses. It has been
shown that protein degradation via the UPS controls the appropriate synaptic balance,
maintaining optimum levels of the protein, thereby promoting functional balance [23].
Several studies have shown a crucial role of UPS in neuronal transmission. For example,
mutations in UBE3A have been associated with ASD. UBE3A encodes an ubiquitin E3 ligase
that contains a domain that catalyzes the ubiquitination of target proteins. A reduction in
density results in defects in synaptic plasticity [57]. UBE3A regulates the development of
excitatory synapses by controlling the degradation of activity-regulated cytoskeletal protein
(Arc or Arg3.1). Arc is critical for long-term memory formation and essentially every form of
plasticity, including LTP, long-term depression (LTD), and homeostatic scaling (Greer et al.,
2010). It has been shown that UBE3A-deficient mice, express high levels of Arc in response to
synaptic activity, which coincides with severely impaired hippocampal LTP [78, 133]. Also,
Arc regulates the ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluRs) expression and trafficking. Findings
from various experimental systems implicate iGluR dysfunction in ASD [148].
8. miRNAs
As previously reported, CNVs are recognized as important genetic factors in ASD, with a high
prevalence of de novo CNVs in sporadic and familial cases compared with control subjects.
However, studies conducted so far have highlighted a pathogenic role of CNVs in terms of
changes in dosage of encoding protein genes without bearing in mind the potential involve
ment of non-encoded RNAs, particularly miRNAs, even with the inherent difficulties of this
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type of study [120, 150]. Generally these two themes (CNV and miRNAs) are investigated
separately.
A few studies have investigated the transcriptome in ASD samples of postmortem brains and
some of them used mRNA from peripheral blood of patients [1, 54, 71, 110]. More recently,
disruption of miRNA expression has been repeatedly reported in microarray studies and it is
believed to be linked to the pathogenesis of autism (Sarachana et al., 2010; [28, 55]. However,
lymphoblastoid cells are not representative of neural tissue and very few miRNAs exhibit
consistent deregulation between studies.
According to [93], miRNA loci are underrepresented in highly polymorphic and wellvalidated CNV regions. One study investigated the pathogenic role of miRNAs in autism by
checking associations with de novo CNVs. Twenty-four miRNA genes likely to play a patho
genic role in autism were identified on chromosomes 1, 2 and 22. Two, mir-HSA-4436b-1 and
4436b-HSA-mir-2, appear to be strong candidates. Unfortunately, the targets of these miRNAs
were not identified [94]. The difference in penetrance of the deleted/duplicated genes may be
explained by a variety of factors including: (i) pre-natal exposure to environmental risk factors;
(ii) the presence/absence of functional SNPs in genes that encode proteins related to suscept
ibility for autism; (iii) epistasis; (iv) epigenetic factors and (v) the number and type of genes
encoding proteins co-existing in different CNVs and overlapping in the same miRNA.
The HEY1, SOX9, miR-486 and miR-181b are some candidate genes. All of these are involved
in the development and function of the nervous system, and some, such as HEY1, are involved
in Notch signaling networks [55]. However, a systematic analysis of CNV-miRNAs based on
their interactions with target genes identified other miRNAs such as hsa-miR-590-3p, hsamiR-944, miR-HSA-570, hsa-miR-34a, hsa-miR-124, hsa-miR-548f, hsa-miR-429, miRHSA-200b, hsa-miR-195 and miR-497-HSA. Moreover, the miRNAs related with CNVs can
explain the difference in levels of the important genes that are controlled by them. These CNVmiRNAs can also harm the overall biogenesis and processing of all miRNAs by targeting key
molecules in the miRNA pathway [150].
On the other hand, dysfunction of neuronal miRNAs can result in a number of neuropatho
logical conditions. It has been reported that neural miRNAs and their target mRNAs are coexpressed, suggesting their participation in feedback mechanisms to connect the
transcriptional activation with the control of local dendritic protein synthesis [145]. Interest
ingly, the functions attributed to miRNAs overlap with growth abnormalities, delays and the
disruption of neuronal maturation observed in the brains of autistic individuals. Aberrations
in the translational control of multiple mRNAs mediated by targets of each miRNA may lead
to the difference in phenotypes observed in ASD. Moreover, multiple miRNAs may target the
same mRNA leading to phenotypes resulting from the converging of several loci in CNVs.
Thus, a change in expression or level of miRNA will affect the expression of target genes and
might have a pleiotropic effect that would produce a more severe autistic phenotype. However,
one can not underestimate the clinical relevance of the deregulation of a single or a subset of
CNV-miRNAs. Based on this, it is clear that the characterization of this relationship may
illustrate the complexity of the underlying neuronal development, function and dysfunction
that will eventually help in the understanding and treatment of autism [150].

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9. Chromatin remodeling
Chromatin is defined simply and collectively as genomic DNA associated to proteins within
the nucleus. There is a vast assortment of chromatin factors dedicated to the DNA packaging
and the enzymatic functions involved in changing chromatin states. Nucleosomes are the
primary unit of chromatin organization with a histone core (H2A/B, H3, and H4) and linking
subunit H1. They keep DNA condensed and regulated by only releasing genes into the open
conformation when their accessibility is needed (Lasalle, 2014). Interestingly, disruptions in
chromatin regulator genes are frequently the cause of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychi
atric disorders. Chromatin regulators are widely expressed in the brain, yet symptoms suggest
that specific circuits are altered when they mutate [143]
Chromatin regulator genes are also altered by de novo mutations in a small proportion of
ASD cases. They are involved in various cellular processes such as transcriptional regula
tion, cell cycle regulation, genomic stability and DNA damage repair, but it is still unclear
how mutations in chromatin regulators lead to behavioral phenotypes. Following deletion
models, it is suggested that mutations that affect chromatin regulators can lead to ASD
because they are "global regulators" that are placed on top of a hierarchy of regulators. The
regulators interact with many genes and pathways, and thus disruption can simultaneous
ly affect multiple target genes. Furthermore, it is proposed that these genes may also act
as phenotypic capacitors, protecting processes of genetic development and environmental
perturbations [138].
Methylation of the genome in certain areas appears to remodel chromatin and consequently
the genes that are in this region. The regulation of each histone modification requires specific
enzymes that add or remove the methyl or acetyl group. Several mutated genes associated to
ASD encode histone demethylases, including KDM5C, a demethylase of histone H3K4
implicated in gene repression and JMJD1C, a demethylase of histone H3K9 implicated in
hormone-dependent transcriptional activation. Furthermore other genes involved in specific
chromatin remodeling, such as SMARCC1, SMARCC2, ARID1A, ARID1B, CHD8, CHD1,
CHD3, CHD75, and ATRX, have been described as mutated in rare cases [66, 77, 105, 114,
111]Lassalle, 2013).
10. Epigenetic: genomic imprinting, epimutations, histone and DNA

methylation
Epigenetic is a term used to refer to features of organisms, such as DNA and chromatin
modifications, that do not involve changes in DNA sequence. The effects of environment on
the phenotype are generally mediated through epigenetic mechanisms. These mechanisms,
such as DNA methylation, can become programmed (e.g. imprinted). Genomic imprinting is
a unique phenomenon wherein genes are expressed in a monoallelic way, and the choice of
which allele is expressed is determined by the parental origin of the allele. Disruptions of the
epigenome are called epimutations. Some of these appear to be corrected by normal germline-
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specific epigenetic reprogramming and are therefore not transmitted transgenerationally, but
others are not corrected and are transmitted over multiple subsequent generations [97].
Epigenetic mechanisms act on chromatin accessibility to transcriptional regulation. Then, they
regulate DNA structure and gene expression that can be influenced by exposure to environ
mental factors. The most studied are the methylation of genes and modification of histones.
Interestingly, epigenetic abnormalities are associated with several neurodevelopmental
diseases. The connection between ASD and epigenetic comes from the identification of genetic
mutations in imprinted regions and genes that control epigenetic processes. As cited before,
among the most common chromosomal alterations in ASD are duplications of the imprinted
region 15q1113, which is maternally inheritable [96].
There are several possible explanations for the involvement of imprinted genes in autism. The
imprinted brain theory of autism suggests that autism is a disorder of the extreme imprinted
brain and would be caused by imbalances that involve increased effects of the paternal brain
relative to the maternal brain. Imprinting has been hypothesized to explain the gender
difference through the proposed action of unknown paternally imprinted loci on the X
chromosome. Also, as mentioned, autism has been strongly associated with chromosomal
abnormalities in the imprinted region of chromosome 15q. This includes the Angelman and
Prader-Willi syndromes, as well the 15q duplication syndrome, which occurs in up to 5% of
individuals with ASD. Imprinted genes may also contribute to autism indirectly as targets of
other genes such a regulatory connection between MECP2 (the gene associated with Rett
syndrome) and the imprinted gene UBE3A (associated with Angelman syndrome). Besides
this, imprinted genes are candidates for association with autism because of their functional
haploid state. This feature may make them extremely vulnerable to rare mutations because the
gene may be inactivated. Moreover, a single epigenetic change may lead to loss of imprinting,
leading to biallelic expression and to gene dysregulation (Ben-David, Shohat, Shifman, 2014).
Both genetic and environmental factors can affect the imprinting process and alter the level of
expression of genes. But the full contribution of genomic imprinting to the risk for autism is
still unclear.
The imprinted genes are expressed in several types of tissues but are highly expressed in the
brain. Human neurons require extensive methyl modifications throughout development and
postnatal life. Several important posttranslational modifications of histone core subunits
within nucleosomes involve methylation, an epigenetic mechanism. Recent unbiased genomewide analyses have turned up a multitude of novel candidate genes that encode nuclear factors
implicated in chromatin remodeling, histone demethylation, histone variants, and the
recognition of DNA methylation. Both histone and DNA methylation patterns are highly
dynamic processes in the early development phase that correlate with dynamic changes in cell
lineage and differentiation events. Interestingly, mutations in autism have been found in
several genes encoding proteins involved in demethylase reactions, that is, reactions that
remove methyl groups from histones or DNA (Lasalle, 2014).
The mechanism of action of the SHANK3 gene (also known as ProSAP2) is an example of this
phenomenon in ASD. The three members of the SHANK family, SHANK1, SHANK2 and
SHANK3 are expressed in different regions of the brain. SHANK3 is strongly reported to be

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involved in the etiology of autism since several mutations have been identified in a particular
phenotypic group of patients. SHANK3 regulates the structural organization of dendritic
spines and is a binding partner of NLS. It codes a synaptic scaffolding protein enriched in PSD
of excitatory synapses and plays important roles in the formation, maturation and maintenance
of synapses. Haploinsufficiency of this gene is related to the 22q13.3 deletion syndrome
(known as Phelan-McDermid syndrome), a developmental disorder which is characterized by
severe language and speech delay, hypotonia, global developmental delay and autistic
behavior. It is possible that loss of one copy of this gene makes the nervous system more
vulnerable to degeneration in the long term and less able to recover after psychiatric and
somatic events. Five CpG-islands have been identified in this gene, and tissue-specific
expression is epigenetically regulated by DNA methylation. Much evidence in animal models
has shown that SHANK3 variants are expressed in the developing rodent brain with expression
being regulated by DNA methylation of intragenic promoters [39, 147].
[75] reported that mothers of autistic children show significantly lower levels of methylfolate
and methionine, two essential precursors for methylation in DNA compared to a control group,
but methylation-inhibiting protein levels and S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), adenosine, and
homocysteine were elevated. SAM has a role in the DNA methyltransferase reaction, which
produces S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) and methylated DNA. The SAM/SAH ratio is
considered to be an indicator of DNA methylation potential.
Additionally, oxidative stress in brain cells caused by environmental and genetic factors
leads to decreased activity of the methionine synthase enzyme which participates in DNA
methylation processes. When the activity of this enzyme is impaired, affected individuals
can exhibit attention deficits and other signs, including autistic behavior symptoms due to
defects in the expression of genes controlled by this epigenetic mechanism [42, 104].
Therefore, environmental factors may also activate intracellular pathways during embryon
ic development, causing epigenetic changes in neural function that would explain the
relationship between environmental signals and the genome in the regulation of individu
al differences in behavior [166].
A study in Sweden with 208 autistic children showed an association between advanced
paternal age and an increasing risk for ASD in offspring. Autistic-like traits in the normal
population are associated to both young and advancing paternal age and the autistic similarity
in twins seems to increase with advancing paternal age. Exposure to toxic agents during life,
de novo mutations in germ lines and epigenetic alterations are correlated factors [72, 90].
Advancing age in mothers has also been reported as a risk factor for ASD [116].
Thus, epigenetic alterations may be the biological targets through which environmental factors
can cause autism. Imprinted genes may be associated with autism because they are involved
in brain development and also because they may be more vulnerable to genetic or epigenetic
mutations. Some features of ASD are highly consistent with epigenetic dysregulation such as
the discordance between monozygotic twins, parental origin and the gender-dependent effects
of some alterations. The cause of autism is not just by congenital genetic defects but can also
be caused by environmental factors via epigenetic factors, with epigenetic modifications being
affected by environmental factors including fetal exposure to drugs.
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11. Environmental factors

11.1. Toxicity during neurodevelopment
Although the involvement of genetic alterations in ASD is clearly accepted, new studies point
to a similar or even greater contribution by environmental factors, particularly environmental
toxicants. Toxic chemicals cause dysregulation of the developing human brain by interacting
with the genome or through direct toxicity.
The developing human brain is exceptionally sensitive to injury caused by toxic chemical
exposure with several developmental processes being highly vulnerable. The dissemination
of chemical industrial agents in the environment is important contributor to the call global
silent pandemic of neurodevelopmental toxicity [63]. An estimative by U.S. National
Academy of Sciences (NAS) shows that 3% of all neurobehavioral disorders including ASD,
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia are caused directly by exposure to
environmental toxics and that another 25% are caused by interactions between environmental
factors and inherited susceptibility [103].
About 80,000 new synthetic chemicals have been developed in the past 50 years, but only about
20% was screened for potential toxicity in early neurodevelopment. The human fetus is
susceptible and not well protected against industrial chemicals, because the placenta does not
block the passage of all toxicants from the maternal to fetal circulation. The individuals brain
is unique and individual variability in genetic susceptibility can influence responses to
environmental toxicants [62, 79, 106].
Exposure to many environmental toxicants has been correlated to autism including pesticides,
polychlorinated biphenyls, solvents, toluene, toxic waste, and heavy metals such as mercury,
lead and arsenic, besides exposure to automotive air pollution [115, 132, 152]. On the other
hand, there was a false indicative association between these disorders and vaccines such as
the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine and thimerosal-containing vaccines against diphtheria,
tetanus and pertussis vaccine. One meta-analysis, combining the results of five previous
studies involving 1,256,407 children with five case-controlled studies with a further 9,920
children show that there was no relationship between vaccination and autism [144].
There is thus strong evidence that the relation between environmental and genetic factors may
converge to neurotoxic mechanisms that could lead to behavior disorders. But what kind of
biological mechanisms would be involved in the causation of autism due to toxic agents?
Epigenetic mechanisms are known to affect the subsequent gene expression in the brain as has
already been described in this chapter. Toxics can lead to a modification in epigenetic gene
expression, resulting in methylation, histone modification or changes in non-protein-coding
RNA [60]. However, possible individual susceptibilities to toxicants implicated in ASD,
including altered detoxification, genetic factors, oxidative stress, altered neuronal develop
ment, epigenetic mechanisms, synaptic function, hormonal factors, etc., may amplify the
effects of toxicants during the prenatal and early postnatal periods [123]. The susceptibility to
effects of environmental toxicants needs more attention and studies.

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11.2. Oxidative stress

ASD also can be characterized by some physiological abnormalities, such as oxidative stress
and immune dysregulation/inflammation. Many of the behavioral and cognitive features of
ASD appear to arise from dysfunctions of the brain but studies have documented physiological
abnormalities in organs other than the brain [122].
Many studies have reported genetic variations in glutathione-related pathways associated
with autism, such as lower concentrations of reduced glutathione (GSH), higher levels of
oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and a decrease in the GSH/GSSG redox ratio, along with a lower
mitochondrial GSH reserve in individuals with ASD compared to controls [19, 2952, 65, 75 ,
121]. Moreover, ASD severity has been correlated with lower GSH levels and markers of
increased oxidative stress [2, 56, 123]. Oxidative stress studied in postmortem brain samples
from individuals with ASD demonstrated low levels of GSH, the major cellular antioxidant,
oxidative damage to proteins, lipids and deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) as well as alterations
in the activity of enzymes important for redox metabolism [123, 142].
Adaptive responses to oxidative stress were shown by [102], when significantly lower
methionine synthase mRNA levels and lower homocysteine and cystathionine concentrations
were observed in the frontal cortex of the brains of ten individuals with autism compared to
ten controls.
Also it is possible that the reduced transportation of folate into the brain as a consequence of
the folate receptor alpha autoantibody or mitochondrial dysfunction could reduce the
methylation process and glutathione metabolism. Many findings reported for the brain
(oxidative damage to lipids, protein and DNA, glutathione abnormalities and reduced
function of enzymes essential in oxidative stress regulation) have been found in the blood,
immune cells and cell lines from individuals with ASD, raising the question of whether these
findings are specific to the brain or whether they represent a more general process (Frye et al.,
2013; [123].
11.3. Immune system
Dysfunctional immune activity, both innate and adaptive, can impact neurodevelopment,
cognitive function and behavior, suggesting a profound effect on neurodevelopment. Some
studies in individuals with ASD have reported evidence of immune dysregulation and
inflammation related to ASD, including disruption of genes of the immune system with
elevations of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-) in lymphocytes and amniotic fluid, altera
tions of immune proteins, and increased levels of cytokines, expression in genes related to
immunity and microglial cell activation in brain tissue [113]. The expression of inflammatory
genes in brain tissue was studied by [163], who reported that nuclear factor-kappa expression
in the orbitofrontal cortex was increased in individuals with autism compared to controls.
Microglias, a type of glial cell, are the resident macrophages of the brain and spinal cord. They
therefore act as the first and main line of active immune defense of the CNS and participate in
immune surveillance of the CNS and synaptic pruning in normal neurodevelopment. They
are activated to eliminate some agents and damaged cells via phagocytosis, but, they may
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increase inflammation if chronically activated by releasing proinflammatory cytokines and

free radicals [41]. Changes in microglial morphology and gene expression are seen in many
psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons,
Multiple Sclerosis and autism. [100] and [165] reported that microglias in the dorsolateral
prefrontal cortex were frequently located closer to neurons in ASD individuals compared to
controls. Another study with autism showed microglial activation in the cerebellum, brain
stem, corpus callosum, fusiform gyri, superior temporal gyri, anterior cingulate, orbitofrontal,
and parietal lobes [139].
Proteomic analysis indicates that the levels of many immune proteins in plasma, such as
cytokines, chemokines, complement proteins, adhesion molecules and growth factors are
altered in ASD [113]. Increases in plasma levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines [interleukin
(IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-12p40] as well as macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) and
platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), have been reported in ASD [11, 64].
Alterations in immune mediators can occur at an early stage of development and might alter
NMDA and NMD receptor-mediated excitatory synaptic transmission and plasticity, which
is relevant to ASD (Escobar et al., 2011). These immune mediators may be related in LTP which
is involved in synaptic plasticity in learning and memory processes. IL-1 influences many
molecular components of LTP, such as NMDA and AMPA receptor signaling and glutamate
release. IL-6 is involved in the generation of LTP and an increase in IL-6 leads to a reduction
of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein 3 and IGF1 [43, 117]. Furthermore, other
cytokines, such as IL-18, IL-1b, and TNF-, act on AMPA and NMDA receptors in different
ways [25].
Increases of pro-inflammatory cytokines (including TNF-, IL-6 and granulocyte-macrophage
colony-stimulating factor), a T helper cell type 1 cytokine (interferon gamma) and a chemokine
(IL-8) were reported in postmortem frontal cortex brain samples of autistic individuals, but no
significant differences in T helper cell type 2 cytokines were identified (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10)
[86]. The cytokines IL-2 and IL-4 have been shown to influence repetitive and cognitive
behaviors. Mice treated with IL-2 showed an increased climbing behavior that is thought to
denote repetitive behavior, a pattern of behavior that is characteristic of ASD.
There is evidence suggesting a role of immune dysfunction in ASD symptoms, but further
investigations should be carried out to clarify these findings because it is still unknown
whether these changes are a primary cause or a secondary consequence of neuronal deficits.
11.4. Microbiota and autism
Gastrointestinal (GI) disorders are a comorbidity of autism and interestingly have a strong
correlation with disease severity [7, 16]. Thus, a growing number of papers point to the
importance of the so-called "brain-gut axis", revealing the central role of the intestinal micro
biota (the new name of "microflora") in postnatal development and maturation of the immune
and endocrine systems for control signaling in the CNS, brain function, and behavior [51; 158].
Individuals with ASD often suffer from GI illnesses, e.g., diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and
gastroesophageal reflux [22, 3]. The composition of the microbiota is influenced primarily by

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genetic factors, age and diet [80, 168], although the interactions between these are multifactorial
and not well defined yet [21].
Thus, several studies have been conducted in an attempt to profile the microbiota in ASD
compared with healthy siblings and controls [4, 51, 59]. While some authors have reported
little or no differences in the composition of the intestinal flora between children with ASD
and their unaffected siblings, the imbalance in the intestinal microbial composition in samples
of ASD has been identified, especially when compared to controls [49, 50].
Analyses of the feces of patients with ASD have revealed that the microbiome of ASD is
significantly different to controls and consists in over 1,000 different species compared to
unaffected children. Of the phyla, patients with autism have underrepresented Firmicutes and
actinobacteria, especially bifidobacteria, and over-represented Bacteroidetes and proteobacteria
compared to control individuals [49, 51, 119].
Interestingly, non-autistic siblings often presented intermediate microbiota profiles between
ASD and controls [49, 155], possibly due to genetic factors, but also as a reflection of shared
environmental conditions. These studies are complicated by the fact that autistic individuals
often receive medications such as antibiotics and are often on special diets or have repetitive
eating habits, both of which can alter the composition of the microbiota [89].
Interestingly, although Bacteroidetes are over-represented in ASD feces, the presence of the
genus Prevotella and other fermenters, albeit in lesser amounts, has been described in the gut
of children with ASD. Prevotella do not only have the ability to synthesize vitamin B1, which
attenuates the ASD symptoms, but it is also considered a central niche to maintain the structure
of the intestinal microbial community of healthy humans [10, 13, 162]. Moreover, Propionibac
terium and Clostridium that are over-represented in the intestine of ASD, produce propionic
acid, a short-chain fatty acid capable of passing the gut-blood-brain barrier thereby changing
neurophysiological processes by binding to acetyl-CoA and acetyl-carnitine which are
involved in mitochondrial lipid transport. Recent experiments have shown that administration
of propionic acid in young mice causes mental retardation with cognitive disabilities, innate
neuroinflammatory response and restricted, repetitive behavioral, symptoms consistent with
autism [53, 92]. Propionic acid induces behavioral and functional alterations in the brain of
animals. Most likely, the presence of this acid alters mitochondrial function. Taken together,
these reports support a view that the metabolism of proteins and the host/pathogen relation
ship is altered in patients with autism [99].
Few studies have considered a deregulated metabolism of fecal levels free of amino acids
in autism. Certain amino acids, in particular glutamic acid (Glu), act as neurotransmitters
in the center of the CNS. An excess of Glu leads to neuronal cell death and plays an
important role in the pathophysiology of several neuropsychiatric disorders [127]. High
levels of Glu were found in fecal samples of autistic children [37]. As it has a role in brain
development, the findings support the hypothesis that glutamatergic neurotransmission is
involved in ASD [130].
The microbiota might also be involved in the etiology of the disease via interactions with
the immune system. Some of the possible mechanisms described above are likely to involve
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330
changes in the global balance of the entire microbial community, while others may be
exercised by certain bacteria. More studies are needed to clarify whether the gut microbio
ta in fact plays a role in ASD. These include prospective studies to address the issue of
cause and consequence, and intervention studies aimed at modulating the microbiota with
probiotics or dietary interventions. The right profile, the categorization of patients and
control groups, with the application of molecular techniques to verify the profile of fecal
microbiota and urinary metabolome will corroborate the underlying relationship between
gut microbes and the host [34].
Some authors believe that the action of microbiota may have much wider effects on the
physiology of the host than originally thought, and emerging evidence shows that it may
include modulation of brain activity and behavior. Differences in the composition of the
microbiota between individuals with ASD and healthy controls were identified in several
studies, both based on bacterial cultures and on molecular methods [18]. However, changes
in bacterial diversity that were reported in one study [51] were not confirmed by another [158].
The direct comparison between studies is complicated because different methodologies are
employed and study groups may not be directly comparable due to the heterogeneous nature
of ASD [89]. However, if the differences in gut microbiota between autistic children and
controls are one of the causes of the disorder or the result, could have implications on the
diagnosis, treatment and prevention [37].
Nevertheless, despite the substantial amount of data, it is not possible to clarify whether the
results represent the presence of a causative agent, or reflect a consequence of treatment, or
whether they are nothing more than confounders. This has to be considered and caution is
needed before recommending "miracle diets" to the child and family that may only increase
the anxiety in respect to symptom improvement.
12. Etiology and mechanisms of sexual differences

It is well known that ASD affects more males at a ratio of 4 boys:1 girl. Some studies suggest
that gender differences in phenotypic presentation, including less severe manifestations of
restricted and repetitive behaviors in girls, seem to affect this ratio. Genetic studies show that
girls seem to be more "protected" from the effects of inherited and de novo variants that cause
ASD than boys. This suggests that genes that participate in sexual development and/or sex
hormones, particularly testosterone, may modulate the effects of genetic variations in the
autistic phenotype [157].
Despite the fact that ASD is more prevalent in boys de novo mutations are also more frequent
in girls with ASD. The female protection theory fits in with the model of loss of robustness.
According to this model, besides the variations between individuals, there is a difference in
the average degree of robustness of the brain between males and females. According to this
hypothesis the development of the female brain is more robust, and this may explain the higher
rate of severity of behaviors when de novo mutations are present in girls with ASD. The brain
can also be more vulnerable compared to other organs because it is a complex organ that

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59109
develops later in life and is mainly composed of terminally differentiated cells. In the first year
of life, the brain may be particularly sensitive to reduced robustness because social develop
ment depends on signals from the environment [138].
Although neurodevelopmental systems evolved to be robust, they can be vulnerable to
disturbances in a specific subset of genes called phenotypic capacitors [85]. Phenotypic
capacitors are genes that act against disturbances and thus contribute to the robustness of the
phenotype. Thus, phenotypic capacitors, when operating normally, can prevent the develop
ment of diseases such as ASD, even in patients exposed to genetic and environmental risks.
This means that girls are less likely to develop ASD, but when they have, they tend to have a
more severe phenotype [138].
There seems to be unknown factors that "protect" females from ASD [157]. Recent genome
studies showed that, on average, women with ASD have more mutations than men, including
single nucleotide variants (SNVs) and CNVs [74, 84, 105]. Furthermore, de novo CNVs in
females were larger and included significantly more genes than males [84].
Moreover, not all genes in the inactive X chromosome are inactivated, and the genes that escape
X inactivation in females are revealing some interesting insights into gender differences related
to chromatin. KDM5C and JARID1C are genes that escape X chromosome inactivation (Xu,
Deng, Disteche, 2008). In addition, the gene encoding O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (OGlcNAc) transferase (OGT) which regulates chromatin remodeling factors is less expressed in
males than in females and the expression is reduced further by prenatal stress [70]. These sexual
and epigenetic differences must be investigated further in respect to the protective effect of
the female gender in autism [81].
Recently, gender-specific gene expression obtained from the transcriptome of normal human
brain development using a bioinformatics approach suggested that male-biased genes are
enriched for the processes of extracellular matrix formation/glycoproteins, immune response,
chromatin, and cell cytoskeleton. These pathways have been repeatedly implicated in autism
and demonstrate that autism candidate genes are also enriched for these pathways. Further
more, the development of the male brain may be naturally more susceptible to environmental
factors as its normal development is more strictly dependent on the immune system [167].
A gender-dependent difference in the incidence of neural tube defects has been described. It
was speculated that these defects are due to a synergistic effect between the gene expression
of SOX9 and Barx1. SOX9 is an essential transcription factor for skeletal development, but it
is also involved in the development of the male phenotype (Barriounuevo & Scherer, 2010),
thus contributing to the increased risk of autism in males. Interestingly, a study showed upregulation of SOX9 in autism [55].
On the other hand, altered behaviors in ASD are often related to a more masculine pattern
of behavior linked to testosterone. However, although current levels of steroid hormones
appear to be altered in patients with autism, the data indicate that prenatal testosterone by
itself does not seem to be sufficient for the disorder to develop [125].
Differences between individuals with an atypical karyotype (monosomy X or Y or X-polyso
my) and those with a typical karyotype are often interpreted as being significant for the
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332
difference in susceptibility between genders. However, it is likely that many of the differences
arise because of hyperexpression or hypoexpression of genes in pseudo autosomal regions that
escape X inactivation, thereby being similarly expressed in men and women with a typical
karyotype. The addition or loss of an X or Y chromosome, which leads to altered protein levels
that are atypical or typical for both men and women, cannot explain the gender difference in
ASD. However, some genes on the X chromosome are not in these regions and have no
corresponding functional alleles on the Y chromosome, and escape X inactivation in some
circumstances [125].
Moreover, the SRY gene is mapped in a region on the Y chromosome and can also directly
regulate the gene monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) that is located in the Xp11.3 region and
encodes a key enzyme in the breakdown of catecholamines and other monoamines. SRY can
directly affect transcription in the brain [159]. As individuals diagnosed with ASD are found
with changes in catecholamine and metabolite levels in the dependent activity MAO-A and
autism severity is associated with child and maternal MAO-A genotypes, the disruption of the
synthesis of catecholamines may be modulated by the gender-specific SRY gene associated
with ASD. Several genes on the Y chromosome are expressed in the brain. Since this leads to
a specific expression of gender in the brain, these genes, some of which play a role in catecho
laminergic functions, are candidate genes for the increased susceptibility to ASD in males. An
investigation of the role of these genes will possibly clarify the gender-specific mechanisms
underlying ASD and thus help in the understanding of the etiology of ASD [31, 125].
Another factor that may contribute to the skewed gender ratio in ASD is parental age. Increased
parental age is known to increase the risk of a child with ASD [45] and there are some
indications that parental age affects the gender ratio of children diagnosed with ASD [125].
The male-female ratio dropped from 6.2:1 in under 30-year-old parents to 1.2:1 in parents older
than 44 years old [8]. This finding may be related to the higher frequency of de novo mutations
which are more common in older men and seem to play a minor role in the gender bias in the
incidence of familial ASD. However, it is still not clear whether this effect is true for simplex
families, which are most representative of ASD in the general population [125].
13. Conclusion
Thus, considering all that has been studied about ASD, it is difficult to conduct a comprehen
sive analysis about the etiologic complexity, without running the risk of over or under
estimating some factors. On consulting the available literature on ASD, there is an impression
that all can cause autism. The truth is that everything that affects the CNS system can interfere
with mental health and this opens up a universe of possibilities. The gene expression, immune
susceptibility and environmental stressors, even those that affect men more than women, need
to be organized using a multidisciplinary approach in order to explain what actually happens
in normal CNS development within the first three years of life. From there, the goal is to have
a method of comprehensively analyzing each particular case to try to obtain specific treatment.
While this is not available, it is interesting to investigate the most common risk factors and
give support to the patients and families in order to improve their quality of life.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/59109
Acknowledgements
This study was supported by grant n2013/14919-6, So Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)
and Faculdade de Medicina de So Jos do Rio Preto (BAP-FAMERP)
Author details
Agnes Cristina Fett-Conte1*, Ana Luiza Bossolani-Martins2 and Dante Bruno Avanso Rosan3
*Address all correspondence to: genetica@famerp.br
1 Medical School-FAMERP/FUNFARME, So Jos do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
2 University of Mato Grosso do Sul-UFMS, Campus Paranaba, MS, Brazil
3 IBILCE/UNESP, So Jos do Rio Preto, SP, Brazil
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Chapter 17
Possible Endophenotypes in the Search for Genetic Risk

Factors in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Adriana Daz-Anzalda,
Rigoberto Rosendo Gutirrez,
Alejandro Daz-Anzalda and
Jos Octavio Hernndez Lagunas
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60039
1. Introduction
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are complex neuropsychiatric conditions characterized by
stereotypic behaviors and conspicuous deficits in social communication. It has been demon
strated that there is genetic and clinical heterogeneity in these disorders. Inherited and/or de
novo genetic factors, as well as environmental and epigenetic components have been shown
to be involved in the etiology of ASD. Among the common comorbity are epilepsy and seizures,
gastrointestinal problems, depression, anxiety, hyperactivity (including ADHD), Tourette
syndrome, phobias, dysmorphic features, and psychotic disorders [1-5].
The etiological role of genetic factors in ASD has been evaluated by twin studies; the concord
ance found in monozygotic pairs is higher than the concordance in dizygotic twins (36 to 91%
versus less than 32% [6]). Concordance estimates for both types of twins have been reported
to be higher if the analyzed phenotype is ASD as opposed to narrow phenotypes [7].
Heritability of ASD has been estimated to be as high as 90%, although a more recent report
suggests that it may be about 19-35% in males and 50-63% in females [8]. While some cases are
considered sporadic and have been associated with mutations, others are familial and may
tend to be associated with relatively common genetic variation [9].
Genes related with synaptic development, signaling, chromatin remodeling, transcrip
tion, methylation, neurotropism, and neuroptrotection are probably involved in ASD.
These genes may include some that code for neurexins, neuroligins, shanks, reelin,
350
integrins, cadherins, contactins, and neutrophins. Linkage and association with ASD
have been described in different regions of autosomes that harbor candidate genes
(Table 1, figure 1) [10-17]. In addition, as table 2 shows, the X chromosome has also
been implicated in ASD (Table 2, figure 1) [18-20].
Gene symbol
Product
SLC25A12
Solute carrier family 25 member 12
OXTR
Oxytocin receptor
GRIK2
Glutamate receptor ionotropic kainate 2
RELN
Reelin
MET
MET protooncogene
FOXP2
Forkhead box P2
CADPS2
Calcium dependent activator protein for secretion 2
EN2
Engrailed 2
CNTNAP2
Contactin-associated protein-like 2
BDNF
Brain derived neurotrophic factor
SLC6A4
Solute carrier family 25 member 4
Table 1. Genes frequently linked or associated with ASD in autosomes
Gene symbol
Product
NLGN4
Neuroligin 4
NLGN3
Neuroligin 3
FMR1
Fragile X mental retardation protein
MECP2
Methyl CpG binding protein 2
Table 2. Genes frequently linked or associated with ASD in the X chromosome
Besides Fragile-X syndrome, other single-gene disorders are sometimes associated with ASD.
Rett syndrome (MECP2 gene) is an autism-related condition. Tuberous sclerosis (TSC1 and
TSC2 genes) may account for 1 out of 10 cases of ASD. Furthermore, 50% of individuals with
Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (DHCR7 gene) and 10% of those with phenylketonuria (PAH
gene) may have ASD; in addition, adenylosuccinase deficiency, characterized by psychomotor
delay, is often comorbid with epilepsy and autistic features [17, 21-23]. As described earlier,
epilepsy is a common comorbidity in patients with ASD, and it has also been associated with
region 15q11.1q13.3 (ubiquitin-protein ligase E3A gene,UBE3A), TSC1 and TSC2 genes,
MeCP2, CNTNAP2, SYN1, Fragile X syndrome, 1q21.1, 7q11.23, 16p11.2, 18q12.1, 22q11.2, and
22q13.3 (SHANK 3 gene).
15
16
22
11q13.4 DHCR7
11
Xp22-p33
NLGN4
22q13.1
ADSL, SHANK3
22q11
PRODH, COMT
17
11p12-p13 BDNF
9q34.13 TSC1
7q31-q36
MET,FOXP2,CADPS2
7q22 RELN
16p13.3 TSC2
15q11-q13 UBE3A
12q23.2 PAH
12
17q11-21 SLC6A4
6q21 GRIK2
3p25-p26.2 OXTR
2q21-q33 SLC25A12
Possible Endophenotypes in the Search for Genetic Risk Factors in Autism Spectrum Disorders
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60039
Xq13 NLGN3
Xp27.3 FMR1
Xp28 MECP2
Figure 1. Chromosomal regions frequently linked or associated with ASD
Chromosomal anomalies such as deletions, duplications, inversions, balanced and unbalanced

translocations, and aneuploidies have been described in some children with ASD [24]. For
example, deletions on region 22q11-q13, which is associated with velo-cardiofacial syndrome,
have been identified in about 1% of children with ASD; besides SHANK3, this region harbors
two genes that have been associated with ASD, that code for proline dehydrogenase (PRODH)
and catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) [25]. According to a meta-analysis, copy-number
variants and truncating mutations in SHANK genes may be present in almost 1% of patients
with ASD (SHANK1 in 0.04%, SHANK2 in 0.17%, and SHANK3 mutations in 0.69%) [26].
De novo chromosomal deletions or duplications have been identified in about 7 to 10% of
patients. The 15q11-q13 chromosomal region, that includes a locus for the Prader-Willi/
Angelman syndrome, is affected in 1% to 4% of children with ASD. Moreover, the
phenotype of a supernumerary chromosome 15 includes autistic features such as develop
mental delay, mental retardation, neurological signs and behavioral disturbances. A 3.7
megabase deletion (Smith Magenis Syndrome) or duplication (Potocki-Lupski syndrome)
on the 17p11.2 region is also associated with ASD [27]. Likewise, deletions on the short arm
of chromosome X (NLGN4 gene) and an inversion on 7q (at common fragile sites) have
been implicated in ASD [28].
Specific environmental and epigenetic factors have also been associated with ASD. For
example, advanced paternal age at conception of the child, especially in non-familial cases,
could impact the vulnerability to these disorders with de novo mutations [29, 30]. In addition,
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errors in DNA methylation during spermatogenesis may affect the next generations. Recently,
it was found in a mouse model that older fathers had a significant decrease in methylation in
genomic regions associated with the control of transcription. Indeed, the expression of
developmental genes implicated in ASD was dysregulated in the offspring of old fathers [31].
Other non genetic factors that have been associated with ASD include maternal use of certain
substances during pregnancy, such as valproic acid, ethanol, thalidomide or misoprostol; low
birth weight (or intrauterine growth retardation), congenital rubella and other infections, as
well as cerebral palsy [32-38]. Environmental insults may increase the risk to ASD in genetically
sensitive individuals, possibly by promoting cellular oxidative stress, and adaptive responses
that could include reduced methylation activity, which is the most common epigenetic
mechanism. Interestingly, the 15q11-q13 chromosomal region is subject to methylationdependent genomic imprinting [39]; in addition, GABAergic genes in the same region,
GABRB3, GABRA5, and GABRG3, were found to be epigenetically dysregulated in a subset
of ASD patients [40].
2. Problem statement
Despite important advances in molecular genetics, the complete spectrum of the genetic
component of ASD is still largely unresolved. There are many possible reasons for this partial
lack of success. Among them, the complexity of the Central Nervous System, the relatively
unique set of risk factors in each patient, which includes the combined effect of genetic (long/
short, common, rare, and/or de novo sequences), and the interaction with environmental and
epigenetic components. Furthermore, the possibility of genetic loci affecting two or more
distinct traits or phenotypes (pleiotropy), and an incomplete penetrance (lack of clinical
symptoms in individuals who carry risk alleles) also complicate the genetic studies of ASD.
The core symptoms of ASD, differences in intellectual and language abilities, and comorbidity,
among other characteristics help highlight the presence of clinical heterogeneity in ASD.
Knowledge about variability of genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors in these
disorders, as well as the presence of clinical heterogeneity, has propelled the search for more
homogenous groups of patients through the study of potential endophenotypes. They may
contribute to facilitate the identification of genetic risk factors and basic molecular mechanisms
involved in ASD.
3. Application area
The concept of phenotype refers to the traits and features that are characteristic of a person.
Thus, the phenotype includes body structures, physiological processes, but also conducts that
result from the expression of the genotype in a given environment, and a specific epigenetic
profile. Each individual has a unique phenotype.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60039
Neuropsychiatric disorders tend to be classified as discrete diagnostic entities. This classifica

tion is limited to clinical symptoms and functioning. However, it has been suggested that these
phenotypes may be arbitrary and they may encompass a heterogeneous group of subjects [41].
The concept of endophenotype was adopted in Genetics in 1966 for the study of insects,
specifically grasshoppers, to indicate an internal phenotype, a behavior or conduct that did
not affect the external features of the animal. In 1967 this term was used in the field of human
behavior; the goal was to measure situations that were not perceptible without instruments.
In general, endophenotypes are not considered the diagnosis of the disorder per se, or the
clinical characteristics observed by the physician when interviewing the patient. They could
be defined by internal attributes associated with the disorder or hidden to the naked eye; they
could potentially be associated with more basic phenomena and be defined by inherited
quantitative traits associated with a genetic risk to a familiar disorder [42, 43].
An endophenotype would ideally have a precise biological meaning, and a more direct
relationship with the action of specific genes. Therefore, its study may facilitate the identifica
tion of complex behaviors that are associated with genetics in the population or in an impor
tant fraction of it. At the end, this is a strategy to try to understand the pathological role of certain
genetic variants and to facilitate the identification of the mechanisms involved in disorders.
Endophenotypes may be related with neurophysiological activities, neuroanatomy, neuropsy
chology, cognitive development (such as language and memory), or brain volume [44, 45].
Any biomarker should contribute to identify the presence of a given disorder, but it may be
influenced by the health status of the person or by the effects of environmental factors. In order
to be considered as an endophenotype, the biomarker is expected to be heritable, to cosegregate
with the disorder, and as such, to be influenced by the genetic component of the disorder [46].
Endophentoypes have sometimes been referred to as intermediate phenotypes, but some
authors do not agree on the indistinctive use of these two terms. An intermediate phenotype
could be considered as a subclinical picture of psychopathology [47].
Different endophenotypes may be associated with ASD. Ideally, each one should:
a.
Cosegregate with the disorder.
b.
Be involved in the etiology rather than the effects of the disorder.
c.
Be, at least partially, heritable.
d.
Be stable even if the symptoms of the disorder are not manifested.
e.
Be found in unaffected relatives of patients more frequently than in the general popula
tion.
f.
Be associated with alleles that contribute to quantitatively distinguish patients and

unaffected relatives from people with no ASD.
g.
Vary in a continuous way in the general population.
h.
Be objective and confirmed by different levels of analysis.
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354
i.
Be identified for genetically related disorders [48-51].
Thus far, the identification of endophenotypes has been successful in several fields of Medi
cine. Endophenotypes were useful in the identification of genes for QT syndrome, idiopatic
hemochromatosis, juvenile myoclonic epilepsy, and familial adenomatous intestinal polypo
sis. Biochemical assays, physiological measures and challenges contribute as primary evidence
of pathology in the detection of increased risk to diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, obesity,
hypertension, and osteoporosis [48, 52, 53]. Furthermore, different endophenotypes have been
proposed for neuropsychiatric disorders.
4. Research course
First degree relatives of patients are key elements in the study of endophenotypes. They are
considered at-risk individuals. Even so, only a relatively small percentage of siblings of an
individual with ASD will develop such disorders, but a larger proportion is expected to exhibit
phenotypes that may fulfill the requirements of endophenotypes.
It has been shown that siblings of patients with ASD as well as other first degree relatives
sometimes exhibit social, communication, and/or learning deficits, and ASD are more frequent
in them than in the general population. Several possible endophentoypes for ASD have been
proposed so far and are related with language and communication and/or with cognition,
anatomy, or neurophysiology.
5. Methods
Medline database was searched for articles related with autism and autism spectrum disorder
endophenotypes (query terms: autism spectrum disorders and endophenotypes, neuroanat
omy, neurophysiology, endocrinology, cognition, social communication, and language.
OMIM compendium was searched for disease and gene names. We will discuss potential
endophenotypes based on studies in which one or more of their characteristics were fulfilled.
6. Status
Potential endophenotypes related with language and social communication
A continuous distribution of social deficits has been described in the general population, being
more frequent in boys than in girls and more prevalent in brothers and fathers than in sisters
and mothers of patients with ASD [54]. The estimated frequency of such disorders in siblings
ranges from 2.6% to 61.7% [55-59].
It has been suggested that siblings later diagnosed with ASD may be distinguished from other
siblings and low-risk infants by unusual eye contact, visual tracking, disengagement of visual
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60039
attention, orienting to name, imitation, and delayed social expressive and receptive language
[60].
Moreover, there are reports of poor social and communicative performance in parents without
a diagnosis of ASD and siblings of children with such disorders [61]. Families with multiple
affected individuals were compared with single-incidence autism families, and Down
syndrome families as controls. In most cases with multiple affected relatives, both parents had
autism-related characteristics. This was not observed in single-incidence families [62].
Furthermore, children with ASD and their parents have been shown to have an impaired
performance in rapid automatized naming. Siblings of patients had intermediate performances
when compared with controls [62, 63].
Poor verbal imitation and reduced response to vocal approaches have also been described in
children with ASD or children who later developed ASD [64, 65]. In a study, 100% of the 12month-old infants with no risk for ASD responded on the first or second name call, but 14%
of at risk infants responded later. At two years of age developmental problems were identified
in many of the children who failed to respond [66].
Impairment in joint attention abilities at age 20 months was also associated with later social
and language symptoms [67]. At that same age, children with ASD failed to orient towards
biological motion [68]. In addition, affected children who were three to four years old per
formed worse not only in social orienting and joint attention, but also in attention to the distress
of someone else when compared with children without ASD [69].
There are genes that have been associated with language and social impairment in children
with ASD and their siblings. This may be illustrated by a familial mutation of the MET gene.
The mutation consists of a deletion of 4 exons that cause a frameshift and a premature stop
codon. On the homologous chromosome 7 the patient carried an allele that was associated with
a decrease in MET expression.
A sibling who was also a carrier of the deletion had language and social impairment [70].
MECP2 gene has been associated with difficulty in recognizing emotional expressions and less
time spent looking at facial features [71]; it has also been described as a regulator of the
expression of genes involved in social behavior [72]. In animal models, social deficits are
observed when the activity of specific genes is lacking, such as FMR1 and Mu-opiod recepetor
gene (OPRM1) [73].
Cognitive, anatomical and neurophysiological candidate endophenotypes
Atypical patterns of brain activation, for example, in the fusiform gyrus and the amygdala
have been identified in individuals with ASD during face processing [74, 75]. In adults, parents
and siblings of individuals with ASD were less able to discriminate subtle differences between
faces than control individuals, but performed better than adults with ASD. Relatives were
significantly worse at identifying expressions of fear and disgust than controls and did not
show the typical sensitivity to direct eye gaze direction as opposed to averted eye-gaze, a
characteristic observed in adults with ASD [76]. In a prospective study, 6 to 10 month-old
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infants were asked to view faces with eye gaze directed toward or away from the infant.
Characteristic components of event-related potentials were associated with ASD diagnosed
later, at 36 months [77]. In one study, functional magnetic resonance imaging and eye tracking
in unaffected siblings of individuals with ASD were performed. There were important
differences in gaze fixation and brain activity in response to images of human faces when
unaffected siblings were compared with typically developing controls. Siblings performed in
a similar way than the ASD patients. When amygdala volume was compared, individuals with
ASD and their siblings had similar volumes, which were significantly reduced when compared
with volumes in the control group [78]. Small differences were independently found in the left
amygdala when subjects with ASD or siblings were compared with controls [79]. Moreover,
boys with ASD and unaffected brothers of individuals with ASD showed deficits in a visual
attention task. Atypical fronto-cerebellar activation was identified in patients and unaffected
brothers when they were compared with controls [80, 81].
Differences in gray matter in the cerebellum, parietal lobe, and left occipital lobe have been
described between patients with ASD and controls. In some cases, differences between siblings
without ASD and controls have also been reported [79, 82]. Furthermore, deficits in frontal,
temporal, and occipital lobes have been identified in discordant monozygotic twins. Eight out
of nine of the unaffected twins showed a social or language delay [83]. The functional magnetic
resonance imaging response to happy facial expression was different between unaffected
siblings and healthy controls without a family history of ASD. Here there were no statistically
differences in response between unaffected siblings and patients with ASD [84].
The CNTNAP-2 gene (at 7q35 region) is mutated in individuals with intellectual disability,
seizures, autistic features, and language impairment. Connectivity in the frontal lobe has been
associated with CNTNAP-2 genetic variants [85].
White matter structure was analyzed in a voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging study.
Children with ASD and their unaffected siblings had significantly reduced white matter
fractional anisotropy values in the frontal parietal and temporal lobes when compared with
controls. There were no significant differences in white matter structure between the ASD and
sibling groups [86].
In other studies, children with ASD and their parents showed eye movement abnormalities
that suggested a poorer spatial accuracy with respect to controls. The authors proposed that
the spatial working memory may be affected in parents [87].
It has been suggested that ASD is characterized by a tendency towards local rather than global
information processing. This has been called weak central coherence, which has also been
reported in fathers of boys with ASD, as indicated by piecemeal processing in four tests [88].
In addition, some parents preferred nonsocial activities and ability in detail-focused process
ing, as is expected in subjects with ASD. A questionnaire completed by parents discriminated
between ASD individuals and controls, but did not differentiate siblings [89]. In addition,
atypical activation of temporal and frontal regions during the Embedded Figures Task was
found in subjects with ASD and in unaffected siblings. The reduced activation on the ASD
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60039
group when compared with controls was correlated with the severity of reciprocal social
interaction deficits [90].
Regarding body measurements, although there is a high degree of variability in head circum
ference of children with ASD, the rate of macrocephaly is increased in these patients, if
compared with the general population. Mean standardized head circumference and frequency
of macrocephaly were similar in patients with ASD and their parents. Increased head circum
ference was associated with ASD severity and with a late onset of language [91]. Macrocephaly
appearing in the first year of life has been described in subgroups of patients with ASD, mental
retardation, and/or language delay who carry mutations on the Phosphatase and tensin
homolog (PTEN) gene. Numerous relatives of individuals with a PTEN mutation also had
macrocephaly and mental retardation [92-94]. Mutations in the hepatocyte cell adhesion
molecule gene (HEPACAM) have also been associated with macrocephaly and ASD [95].
Other researchers have documented impairment in cortical sensory processing in ASD cases.
For example, it has been suggested that early auditory responses as well as transient memory
are impaired in some children with ASD; auditory stimuli produce messages that are sent from
the brainstem to the thalamus and into the auditory cortex. Event related potentials were found
to be delayed in affected children, and indicated a deficiency to achieve typical maturational
development of the auditory system in individuals with ASD [96, 97]. In addition, children
who were at risk for ASD showed atypical neural lateralization to speech in their first year of
life [98].
Impairment in cortical sensory processing has been found in patients with Rett syndrome. In
addition, auditory and visual evoked potentials in mice that were heterozygous for a loss of
function variant of the MeCP2 gene demonstrated impairments in sensory processing. For
example, increased N1 amplitude, latency of auditory P2 component, and suppression of betaband activity were identified. There was a decreased suppression of induced gamma-band
activity [99]. Gamma-band activity differences have been identified between parents of
children with ASD and control adults [100].
Another area of potential endophenotypes is related with movement. There have been reports
that suggest that specific motor developmental clues may be identified early in infants who
will develop ASD. These signs tend to be persistent, and may be associated with abnormalities
at the cerebellar, vestibular, cortical or fronto-striatal level [101]. Moreover, infants who were
18-month old and who had an older sibling with ASD were at higher risk for a delay in postural
change and stability, language production and comprehension if compared with infants with
no risk for ASD [56]. An association of motor anomalies and specific genes has been proposed.
MeCP2, SHANK3, 22q13.3, Neurexin 1 (NRXN1) deletion, 15q11.1-q13.3, and KIAA0442 gene
(known as Autism Susceptibility Candidate 2 or AUTS2) have been associated with hypotonia,
stereotypes and/or motor delay; RNA-binding protein FOX1 (RBFOX1) has been associated
with motor assymetry [102].
357
358
7. Results
According to the studies so far discussed, different techniques have proven to be useful in the
identification of endophenotypes or potentially promising biomarkers. Social deficits, as well
as cognitive, anatomical, and/or neurophysiological findings are encouraging and in some
cases are associated with candidate genes. Endophenotypes may help detect children who are
at higher risk for ASD. This could promote better and earlier diagnosis and treatment, as well
as the establishment of prevention strategies. It is also probable that new drug targets can be
identified and that personalized treatments can be available.
The precise genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors that increase susceptibility to ASD
may vary in several ways from one affected child to another. For this reason, it is very important
to continue the search for means that allow us to form less heterogenous groups of patients.
Endophenotypes, at least in some cases, could contribute to achieve this goal. They could help
recognize risk factors that participate or affect common pathways or processes, such as
chromatin remodeling and transcription that may affect neurodevelopment.
In some instances, de novo mutations associated with ASD may be highly penetrant, and in
absence of a family history of ASD, endophenotypes may not be observed in relatives, but
could still contribute to an earlier identification of symptoms in the carrier of the mutation; the
next generations could also benefit from early assessments and prevention strategies. On the
other hand, there will be families in which relatives will probably share enough risk factors
with the patient, as to exhibit one or more endophenotypes or ASD.
8. Future research
Further studies in patients and relatives, preferably of first and second degree, will help
determine if biomarkers fulfill the criteria of heritability and cosegregation.
Knowledge about the neuroetiology of ASD will be enriched by research in areas such as
neuroanatomy, physiology, and social behavior. Multiple investigations are underway, and
risk factors for ASD will continue to be identified, possibly in more homogenous groups of
patients.
Future research should ideally involve longitudinal research in large samples that include twin
pairs, nuclear families and/or extended pedigrees. These conditions may facilitate the identi
fication or confirmation of endophenotypes, in which the criteria of heritability and cosegre
gation are fulfilled. Whenever possible, it will be useful to obtain detailed information about
clinical and demographic aspects, not only regarding the individual with ASD, but about first
and second degree relatives. While the grouping of individuals in a dichotomous way, as
affected or unaffected will continue to be evaluated, and offers advantages, this approach can
be complemented with the evaluation of endophenotypes [46].
http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/60039
9. Conclusion
Several social, cognitive, anatomical, and neurophysiological biomarkers are under investi
gation and may be associated with candidate genes. Given that certain deficits have been
identified in first degree relatives, mainly in siblings and parents of individuals with ASD, it
is highly probable that at least some of them are indeed true endophenotypes. Longitudinal
studies with large samples of cases and controls, but also of nuclear and extended families are
needed in order to determine if all the requirement for endophenotypes are fulfilled. Once this
phenotypes are confirmed, they may help detect infants and first degree relatives with an
increased risk for ASD. This represents an excellent opportunity to initiate preventive meas
ures and/or an early treatment when necessary. An early identification of risk may facilitate a
better prognosis.
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatra Ramn de la Fuente Muiz.
Author details
Adriana Daz-Anzalda1, Rigoberto Rosendo Gutirrez2, Alejandro Daz-Anzalda3 and
Jos Octavio Hernndez Lagunas1
1 Department of Genetics, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramn de la Fuente Muiz,
Mexico City, Mexico
2 Periferic Unit of Research in Population Genomics Applied to Health, National Institute of
Genomics, Mexico City, Mexico
3 Outpatient Clinic, National Institute of Psychiatry Ramn de la Fuente Muiz, Mexico
City, Mexico
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Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder: Recent Advances

D3pZ4i & bhgvld, Dennixxx & rosea (for softarchive)

Published: 02 April, 2015

Chapter 1 Autism and School Shootings Overlap of Autism

Chapter 9 Occupational Therapy in Autism

Autism and School Shootings

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

2. Social relationship problems

2.4. Sensory issues and motor issues

3. Eric Harris: Columbine

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

3.3. Attitude to other people

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

4.4. Sense of self

5. Virginia tech shootings

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

[11] Ben-Ari Y, Woodin MA, Sernagor E, Cancedda L, Vinay L, Rivera C et al (2012) Re

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

[25] Lemonnier E, Ben-Ari Y. The diuretic bumetanide decreases autistic behaviour in

Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

[64] Horder J, Lavender T, Mendez MA, OGorman R. Reduced subcortical glutamate/

[71] Mercier F, Kwon YC, Douet V. Hippocampus/amygdalaalterations, loss of heparan

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

[78] DEufemia P, Finochiaro R, Celli M, Viozzi L, Montelenone D, Giardini O. Low se

Neurotransmitter Systems in Autism Spectrum Disorder

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Structural and Functional Brain Imaging

2. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorders

2.2. White and grey matter changes

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

2.3. Cerebral cortex

Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

3. MR Spectroscopy (MRS) studies

Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorders

4. PET and SPECT studies

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorders

5. Functional MRI (fMRI) studies

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Autism Spectrum Disorder - Recent Advances

Structural and Functional Brain Imaging in Autism Spectrum Disorders