Motor, cognitive, and socio-cognitive mechanisms explaining social skills in autism and typical development.

Challenges in social functioning are considered a core criterion for diagnosing autism. Although motor skills, executive functioning (EF), and theory of mind (ToM) abilities independently affect social challenges and are interconnected, these abilities' shared contribution to the explanation of social functioning in autism remains under-investigated. To address this disparity, we examined the motor, EF, and ToM abilities of 148 autistic and non-autistic youth (ages 6-16 years), evaluating these variables' impact on social ability and their interconnections. Our mediation model exploring the contribution of motor, EF, and ToM skills explained 85% of the variance in social functioning (Social Responsiveness Scale-SRS-2). Analysis yielded a direct path from study group to SRS-2-social (typically developing-TD > autistic) and two main parallel indirect joint paths: (a) Group ➔ motor ➔ EF ➔ SRS-2-social; and (b) Group ➔ motor ➔ ToM ➔ SRS-2-social. In two secondary indirect paths, autistic children showed lower motor skills, which in turn explained their higher EF and/or ToM impairment, which in turn explained their higher social skills impairment. Put differently, our results suggest that better EF and TOM proficiency may compensate for poorer motor skills. Findings also indicated that the collective impact of motor, EF, and ToM skills on social functioning, along with the mediating role played by EF and ToM on the social-motor linkage, may contribute to understanding individual differences in the social functioning of autistic children. These conclusions call for the inclusion of motor, EF, and ToM activities into daily practices to facilitate social functioning.

The Role of Theory of Mind, Executive Functions, and Central Coherence in Reading Comprehension for Children with ASD and Typical Development.

Many children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) have challenges in reading comprehension, especially when implicit information in narrative texts is involved. Three interrelated factors influencing reading comprehension have been proposed to explain these challenges: Theory of Mind - ToM; executive functions - EF; and central coherence - CC. This study investigated the differential contribution of these cognitive abilities to reading comprehension among cognitively able children with ASD compared to matched peers with typical development (TD). 28 third-grade children with ASD and 28 third-grade children with TD participated in the study. Four measures were administered: ToM, CC, EF (working memory, planning, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility), and reading comprehension. One-way ANOVAs were computed to examine group differences in cognitive characteristics (ToM, CC, EF) and reading comprehension. Regressions were performed to examine the contribution of cognitive characteristics (ToM, CC, EF) to reading comprehension abilities (explicit, implicit, and general score) in ASD and TD. The TD group outperformed the ASD group in ToM and various EF measures but not in CC or reading comprehension. Positive main effects were found for ToM, and EF measures (planning - 3rd level, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility), demonstrating their contribution to reading comprehension abilities in both groups. Interactions revealed positive main effects for EF planning and CC for the ASD group only, showing the contribution of EF planning and CC for better reading comprehension. Our findings suggest different processing mechanisms regarding reading comprehension in each group.

Pathways to peer interaction in ASD and TD through individual and dyadic joint-action motor abilities.

Purpose: Any social engagement, especially with peers, requires children's effective activation of social and motor mechanisms. Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often display dysfunctions both in individual motor functioning (e.g., fine/gross) and in dyadic joint action (JA), where two partners coordinate movement toward a shared goal. Yet, these mechanisms' contribution to peer interaction has been underexplored. Method: This study examined the contribution of individual motor functioning and JA performance to peer interaction (cooperation, attentiveness, social engagement, and dyadic quality), while comparing children and adolescents' (youngsters) with ASD versus those with typical development (TD). Results: Results indicated more competent peer interaction in TD than in ASD. Interestingly, only the ASD group showed significant maturation with age for social engagement and dyadic interaction quality, calls for further examination of developmental trajectories. However, even the oldest participants with ASD continued to lag behind the youngest TD group. Also, findings indicated that better individual motor functioning and JA performance explained better peer interactive competence; yet, the contribution of individual motor functioning to social cooperation and dyadic quality was moderated by JA performance. Thus, youngsters' individual motor system was found to be an important contributor to peer interaction in those with low to moderate JA coordination capabilities, but not for those with high JA. Conclusion: Results emphasize possible distinct contributions of each motor mechanism and their interaction for facilitating social interaction, hence, encouraging incorporation of individual and dyadic motor skills explicitly into social interaction interventions for youngsters ASD.

Predictors of individual differences in minimally verbal peer communication exchanges following peer-oriented social intervention.

School-age children on the autism spectrum who are minimally verbal (MVAS) use a limited repertoire of spontaneous communicative spoken words and reveal large heterogeneity in cognitive functioning. Despite the challenges to form peer social engagement posed by their unique social-communicative profile, few interventions have targeted peer interactions in the MVAS population. This study explored predictors of individual differences in treatment response among 54 school-age minimally verbal autistic children (8-16 years) following an RCT "school-based peer social intervention" (S-PSI) that compared two peer-oriented intervention modalities (conversation versus collaboration) versus a waitlisted control group. We examined autistic-symptom severity, age, verbal and nonverbal IQ, executive functions, and sensory-processing profile for their contribution to children's ability to form relevant spontaneous communication exchanges with a peer partner. Main findings revealed that larger deficits in sensory-processing (sensory-avoidance and sensory low-registration) and in executive functions contributed to greater growth in "relevant" (i.e., adequately attuned, participatory, reciprocal) communication following both interventions, but not for the waitlisted controls. Additionally, older participants with lower verbal and nonverbal IQ improved communication's relevancy more after the conversation intervention, whereas the collaboration intervention was more beneficial for younger participants. Lower autistic-symptom severity contributed to larger growth in relevancy for all groups. By identifying individual-level predictors of spontaneous, attuned, participatory, and reciprocal (i.e., "relevant") communication exchanges with peers, we optimized S-PSI personalization for this uniquely nonverbal, heterogeneous MVAS population. These new channels for tailoring peer interventions to better meet individuals' needs may result in reduced social isolation and loneliness and enhanced well-being.

Social-Motor Coordination Between Peers: Joint Action Developmental Trajectories in ASD and TD.

Coordinating a physical movement in time and space with social and nonsocial partners to achieve a shared goal - "joint action" (JA) - characterizes many peer-engagement situations that pose challenges for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This cross-sectional study examined development of JA capabilities comparing ASD versus typically developing (TD) groups in early childhood, preadolescence, and adolescence while performing mirroring and complementing JA tasks with social (peer) and nonsocial (computer) partners. Results indicated better motor coordination abilities on computerized tasks than in peer dyads, with larger peer-dyad deficits shown by the ASD group. Developmental growth in JA abilities emerged, but the ASD group lagged behind same-age peers with TD. Socio-motor interventions may offer new channels to facilitate peer engagement in ASD.

Naturalistic evaluation of preschoolers' spontaneous interactions: The Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale.

LAY ABSTRACT: Peer interaction can be challenging in autism spectrum disorder, but naturalistic peer-observation scales for preschoolers are limited. This study examined the newly developed Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale, with 17 subcategories, which evaluate naturalistic peer interaction processes in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder and typical development. We tested the Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale to (a) characterize peer interactions of preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder who were cognitively able versus typical age-mates, (b) explore each group's hierarchical pattern of peer interaction behaviors, and (c) identify Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale's links with standard reports for assessing social-communication functioning (Vineland Behavior Scales, 2nd ed.), social impairment (Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd ed.), autism severity (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd ed.), and intelligence quotient (Mullen) in the cognitively able preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder group. Participants comprised 85 preschoolers (50 cognitively able preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder, intelligence quotient > 75; 35 typical). Groups were matched according to age, intelligence quotient, and maternal education. Significant group differences emerged on all Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale categories, with the typical group showing better social-communication functioning as compared to the cognitively able preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder group. Also, in cognitively able preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder that observed as demonstrating more typical peer relations on the Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale showed better adaptive and socialization skills on the Vineland (Vineland Behavior Scales, 2nd ed.) and fewer social atypicalities on the Social Responsiveness Scale, 2nd ed. Higher intelligence quotient scores were linked with better observed social-communication functioning (on Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale). Few Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale social-communicative categories significantly correlated with the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, 2nd ed. Findings highlight the Autism Peer Interaction Observation Scale as differentiating the two preschooler groups and providing additional knowledge about socially communicative peer interaction in natural settings. This new tool can help personalize social-communication programs and evaluations of early intervention outcomes, thereby leading to a fuller picture of these young children's functioning.

Communicating Without Words: School-Based RCT Social Intervention in Minimally Verbal Peer Dyads with ASD.

Despite their social withdrawal, school-age children with autism spectrum disorder who are minimally verbal (MVASD; i.e., use a limited repertoire of communicative spoken words) have received few interventions supporting peer engagement. This study examined efficacy of a novel ecological randomized controlled trial-school-based peer social intervention-designed to increase social engagement (via available communication channels) in school-age peer dyads with MVASD. Fifty-four children with MVASD (8-16 years) in 9 Israeli special education schools were randomly assigned to conversation intervention, collaboration intervention, or waitlisted treatment-as-usual (control) group (n = 18 per group). Manualized conversation and collaboration interventions each included 60 lessons (15 weeks × 4), implemented by teachers at school and supervised by researchers. Pretest-posttest improvement in spontaneous peer interaction was measured via 3 data sources/methods: teacher-reported social behavior (Vineland: Socialization domain) and direct observations of children's spontaneous free play (Modified-Classroom Observation Schedule to Measure Intentional Communication) and free conversation (Social Conversation Scale). Allocation group was masked from reporters/coders. As secondary outcomes, children's progress was measured in executive functions (BRIEF Inventory), and communication (Vineland). Significant pre-post improvement emerged for both intervention groups' spontaneous free conversation and for the collaboration group's spontaneous free play. Teacher reports, although mixed, indicated that the conversation group's socialization skills improved, but communication did not. Children in the conversation group also improved their metacognitive executive skills (e.g., planning, monitoring, organization). Strengthening this high-risk school-age population's ability to interact more spontaneously with peers through conversation and collaboration intervention holds promise for reducing social withdrawal in MVASD.

Preschool Peer Social Intervention (PPSI) to Enhance Social Play, Interaction, and Conversation: Study Outcomes.

This RCT study examined efficacy of a preschool peer social intervention (PPSI) in facilitating social engagement of preschoolers with high-functioning ASD (HFASD; N = 65). HFASD participants were randomly assigned by preschool to a 6-month intervention (play, interaction, or conversation) or a waitlisted-treatment-as-usual control group. Trained on-site therapists led the PPSI in preschools, in small (n = 3-4) mixed (HFASD/typical) groups. Results showed that all intervention groups improved over time, each mainly in its own targeted peer-engagement domain, but the control group even deteriorated on some measures. Intervention groups also showed generalization to untrained domains (adaptive skills) and settings (play complexity during preschool activities). It is advised that individualized needs-based holistic peer intervention, comprising all three domains, should be part of early ASD intervention.

Speech Acts During Friends' and Non-friends' Spontaneous Conversations in Preschool Dyads with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder versus Typical Development.

In this study, we videotaped two 10-min. free-play interactions and coded speech acts (SAs) in peer talk of 51 preschoolers (21 ASD, 30 typical), interacting with friend versus non-friend partners. Groups were matched for maternal education, IQ (verbal/nonverbal), and CA. We compared SAs by group (ASD/typical), by partner's friendship status (friend/non-friend), and by partner's disability status. Main results yielded a higher amount and diversity of SAs in the typical than the ASD group (mainly in assertive acts, organizational devices, object-dubbing, and pretend-play); yet, those categories, among others, showed better performance with friends versus non-friends. Overall, a more nuanced perception of the pragmatic deficit in ASD should be adopted, highlighting friendship as an important context for children's development of SAs.

Using Multitouch Collaboration Technology to Enhance Social Interaction of Children with High-Functioning Autism.

AIMS: Children with high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder (HFASD) have major difficulties in social communication skills, which may impact their performance and participation in everyday life. The goal of this study was to examine whether the StoryTable, an intervention paradigm based on a collaborative narrative, multitouch tabletop interface, enhanced social interaction for children with HFASD, and to determine whether the acquired abilities were transferred to behaviors during other tasks. METHODS: Fourteen boys with HFASD, aged 7-12 years, participated in a 3-week, 11-session intervention. Social interactions during two nonintervention tasks were videotaped at three points in time, one prior to the intervention (pre), a second immediately following the intervention (post) and a third three weeks after the intervention (follow-up). The video-recorded files were coded using the Friendship Observation Scale to ascertain the frequencies of positive and negative social interactions and collaborative play. Differences in these behaviors were tested for significance using nonparametric statistical tests. RESULTS: There were significantly higher rates of positive social interactions and collaborative play, and lower rates of negative social interactions following the intervention suggesting generalization of the social skills learned during the intervention. Improvement was maintained when tested three weeks later. CONCLUSION: These findings provide support for the use of collaborative technology-based interventions within educational settings to enhance social interaction of children with HFASD.

There is no joy like malicious joy: schadenfreude in young children.

Human emotions are strongly shaped by the tendency to compare the relative state of oneself to others. Although social comparison based emotions such as jealousy and schadenfreude (pleasure in the other misfortune) are important social emotions, little is known about their developmental origins. To examine if schadenfreude develops as a response to inequity aversion, we assessed the reactions of children to the termination of unequal and equal triadic situations. We demonstrate that children as early as 24 months show signs of schadenfreude following the termination of an unequal situation. Although both conditions involved the same amount of gains, the children displayed greater positive expressions following the disruption of the unequal as compared to the equal condition, indicating that inequity aversion can be observed earlier than reported before. These results support an early evolutionary origin of inequity aversion and indicate that schadenfreude has evolved as a response to unfairness.

Theory of mind and executive function in preschoolers with typical development versus intellectually able preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder.

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have difficulties in theory of mind (ToM) and executive function (EF), which may be linked because one domain (EF) affects the other (ToM). Group differences (ASD vs. typical development) were examined in both cognitive domains, as well as EF's associations and regressions with ToM. Participants included 29 intellectually able preschoolers with ASD and 30 typical preschoolers, aged 3-6 years. EF tasks included planning and cognitive shifting measures. ToM tasks included predicting and explaining affective and location false-belief tasks. The novelty of this study lies in its in-depth examination of ToM explanation abilities in ASD alongside the role of verbal abilities (VIQ). Significant group differences emerged on most EF and ToM measures, in favor of typically developing children. Overall in the study group, EF-planning skills, EF-cognitive shifting and VIQ significantly contributed to the explained variance of ToM measures. Implications are discussed regarding the social-cognitive deficit in ASD.

Young friendship in HFASD and typical development: friend versus non-friend comparisons.

This study conducted comparative assessment of friendship in preschoolers with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (HFASD, n = 29) versus preschoolers with typical development (n = 30), focusing on interactions with friends versus acquaintances. Groups were matched on SES, verbal/nonverbal MA, IQ, and CA. Multidimensional assessments included: mothers' and teachers' reports about friends' and friendship characteristics and observed individual and dyadic behaviors throughout interactions with friends versus non-friends during construction, drawing, and free-play situations. Findings revealed group differences in peer interaction favoring the typical development group, thus supporting the neuropsychological profile of HFASD. However, both groups' interactions with friends surpassed interactions with acquaintances on several key socio-communicative and intersubjective capabilities, thus suggesting that friendship may contribute to enhancement and practice of social interaction in HFASD.

Spontaneous peer conversation in preschoolers with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder versus typical development.

BACKGROUND: In typical development, early peer talk is crucial for pragmatic development. The pragmatic deficit, reflected in remarkably deficient conversational capabilities, is considered the hallmark of the language deficit in autism spectrum disorder (ASD); yet, spontaneous peer talk in preschoolers with ASD was rarely explored. METHOD: We conducted comparative assessment of spontaneous peer talk during 10-min free-play scenarios in preschoolers with high-functioning ASD (HFASD; n = 27) versus those with typical development (n = 30). Groups were matched on SES, verbal/nonverbal MA, IQ, and CA. Correlations with CA, IQ, VMA, and NVMA were examined. We compared the two groups' interactions with a friend-partner versus a nonfriend partner; in addition, in the HFASD group, we examined interactions with a typical partner (mixed dyads) versus a partner with HFASD (nonmixed dyads). Children's conversations were videotaped and coded to tap pragmatic capabilities and conversational quality. RESULTS: Findings revealed group differences in pragmatic abilities and conversational quality, with the typical group showing more intact capacities than the HFASD group. However, in the HFASD group, interactions with friends surpassed interactions with nonfriends on several key pragmatic capabilities and on all conversational quality measures (meshing, assertiveness, and responsiveness), thus suggesting that friendship may enable children to converse in a more socially complex and coregulated way. Also, children with higher cognitive capabilities, especially in the HFASD group, demonstrated more intact pragmatic capacities. CONCLUSION: Despite the robust pragmatic deficit in HFASD, reflected in conversational capabilities, involvement in friendship relationships and high cognitive capabilities were linked to more intact pragmatic capacities. Theoretical and therapeutic implications are discussed.

Increasing social engagement in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder using collaborative technologies in the school environment.

This study examined the effectiveness of a school-based, collaborative technology intervention combined with cognitive behavioral therapy to teach the concepts of social collaboration and social conversation to children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (n = 22) as well as to enhance their actual social engagement behaviors (collaboration and social conversation) with peers. Two computer programs were included in the intervention: "Join-In" to teach collaboration and "No-Problem" to teach conversation. Assessment in the socio-cognitive area included concept perception measures, problem solving, Theory of Mind, and a dyadic drawing collaborative task to examine change in children's social engagement. Results demonstrated improvement in the socio-cognitive area with children providing more active social solutions to social problems and revealing more appropriate understanding of collaboration and social conversation after intervention, with some improvement in Theory of Mind. Improvement in actual social engagement was more scattered.

Mother-stranger comparisons of social attention in jealousy context and attachment in HFASD and typical preschoolers.

Affective bonding, social attention, and intersubjective capabilities are all conditions for jealousy, and are deficient in autism. Thus, examining jealousy and attachment may elucidate the socioemotional deficit in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Jealousy was provoked in 30 high-functioning children with ASD (HFASD) and 30 typical children (ages 3-6 years) through two triadic social (storybook-reading) scenarios - mother-child-rival and stranger-child-rival. A control nonsocial scenario included mother/stranger-book. For both groups, higher jealousy expressions emerged for mother than stranger, and for social than nonsocial scenarios. Attachment security (using Attachment Q-Set) was lower for HFASD than typical groups, but attachment correlated negatively with jealous verbalizations for both groups and with jealous eye gazes for HFASD. Implications for understanding jealousy's developmental complexity and the socioemotional deficit in ASD are discussed.

Collaborative problem solving in young typical development and HFASD.

Collaborative problem solving (CPS) requires sharing goals/attention and coordinating actions-all deficient in HFASD. Group differences were examined in CPS (HFASD/typical), with a friend versus with a non-friend. Participants included 28 HFASD and 30 typical children aged 3-6 years and their 58 friends and 58 non-friends. Groups were matched on CA, MA, IQ, and maternal education. The CPS task was placing pairs of blocks to balance scales. HFASD preschoolers solved the problem slower, showed more irrelevant behaviors, shared less, and used fewer coordinative gestures than TYP. But they were more responsive and had more fun with friends versus non-friends. In addition, they solved the problem more efficiently during their second attempt. Implications are discussed, regarding the social deficit of HFASD.