Symptoms and development of anxiety in children with or without intellectual disability.

The purpose of this study was to examine group differences in presentation and trajectory of anxiety symptoms and disorders in children with moderate to borderline intellectual disability (ID) and children with typical cognitive development (TD). Examined anxiety disorders and symptoms in children with ID (n=74) or TD (n=116) annually from ages 5 through 9 using a parent structured interview and questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to examine odds of meeting anxiety criteria and hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine anxiety trajectory. Children with ID had significantly higher rates of clinical levels of anxiety on the Child Behavior Checklist at ages 8 and 9 and higher rates of separation anxiety disorder at age 5 compared to those with TD. Children with ID were also more likely to have externalizing problems co-occurring with anxiety. The rate of increase of anxiety symptoms over time was positive and similar in the two groups, and neither group showed sex differences in anxiety rates. Results suggest that children with ID have both higher rates of anxiety across time and are delayed in showing typical decreases in separation anxiety in early childhood. Implications for intervention are discussed in terms of the importance of screening for and treating anxiety in children with ID.

"I don't feel different. But then again, I wouldn't know what it feels like to be normal": Perspectives of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

There is minimal research regarding the personal experiences and perceptions of youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Yet, the positive and negative perceptions that youth internalize about their diagnoses are crucial, as they may have a strong impact on individuals' self-concept and well-being. This paper utilizes mixed methods to describe the perceptions of 38 adolescents with ASD about their diagnoses, as elicited via semi-structured interviews. Quantitative analyses explore links between youths' perceptions and other aspects of their social-emotional well-being. Implications are highlighted regarding the importance of shifting the narrative that individuals with ASD develop about themselves and their diagnoses.

Child abuse and neglect re-report rates for young children with developmental delays.

The study objective was to examine the likelihood and magnitude of child abuse and neglect (CAN) re-reports for young children (0-71 months) with delays in cognitive, language, and adaptive development, compared to typically developing children. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II), a nationally representative and longitudinal survey, was used to examine CAN re-reports at two follow-up waves, 18- and 36-months post baseline assessments. Logistic regression models were employed to determine the correlation between number of developmental delays and a CAN re-report at waves 2 and 3. Results indicate that children with three or more domains of delays had odds 4.73 times higher than children without developmental delays of re-report to CPS at wave 2 but not at wave 3. In this study, children with multiple developmental delays have elevated rates of CAN re-reports when compared to typically developing children. Allocation of child welfare resources should include strategies for preventing maltreatment risk among children with developmental delays.

Social robots as embedded reinforcers of social behavior in children with autism.

In this study we examined the social behaviors of 4- to 12-year-old children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; N = 24) during three tradic interactions with an adult confederate and an interaction partner, where the interaction partner varied randomly among (1) another adult human, (2) a touchscreen computer game, and (3) a social dinosaur robot. Children spoke more in general, and directed more speech to the adult confederate, when the interaction partner was a robot, as compared to a human or computer game interaction partner. Children spoke as much to the robot as to the adult interaction partner. This study provides the largest demonstration of social human-robot interaction in children with autism to date. Our findings suggest that social robots may be developed into useful tools for social skills and communication therapies, specifically by embedding social interaction into intrinsic reinforcers and motivators.