Measuring Changes in Social Skills Throughout an Intervention Program for Children with ASD, Contributions from Polar Coordinate Analysis.

The demand of social skills interventions for people with ASD has grown in recent years. The main goal of this research was to study social skills: "responding to interaction" and "initiating interaction", and to capture whether there were differences between an initial and a final session in a program for children with ASD. Additionally, we aimed to compare social skills patterns according to the VIQ level. The sample (N = 20) was divided into 2 subgroups depending on whether the VIQ was > 90 or < 90. We employed a mixed methods approach based on a systematic observation of social behaviors. The observational design was nomothetic, follow-up, and multidimensional. Once we confirmed inter-observer reliability for the ad hoc observational instrument we performed descriptive statistics and polar coordinate analysis using LINCE software. The results show high intragroup and intergroup variability. In general, participants with VIQ < 90 showed a better improvement in responding to interaction, whereas participants with VIQ > 90 showed more complex patterns to initiate interactions. The polar coordinate technique was useful for detecting significant relationships between autism's social micro-behaviors. Results and information obtained through observational methodology could allow professionals to understand communication and interaction of participants.

Retrospective evaluation of refeeding syndrome in cats: 11 cases (2013-2019).

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to describe the clinicopathological findings, management and outcome of cats with refeeding syndrome (RS) following prolonged starvation. METHODS: Records from four referral hospitals were searched between May 2013 and November 2019 and retrospectively evaluated. Inclusion criteria were the presence of a risk factor for RS, such as severe weight loss or emaciation following a period of presumed starvation, hypophosphataemia or a delta phosphorous exceeding 30% reduction following refeeding, being treated on the basis of a clinical diagnosis of RS and one or more derangement of hypokalaemia, hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia. RESULTS: Eleven cats were identified, which had been missing for a median of 6 weeks (range 3-104 weeks). Mean ± SD percentage weight loss was 46% ± 7% (n = 8). Eight of 11 cats developed hypophosphataemia with a mean delta phosphorous of -47% ± 9%. All cats were documented to be hypokalaemic. During hospitalisation, 10/11 cats developed hyperglycaemia and 7/11 cats developed hypoglycaemia. Cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and neurological signs were common. Eight of 11 cats displayed new or progressive neurological deficits after refeeding, including mentation changes and cerebellar dysfunction. All cats became anaemic and seven cats required a blood transfusion. Eight cats survived to discharge after a mean of 14 ± 4 days of hospitalisation. Six cats developed acute kidney injury (AKI; International Renal Interest Society stage 1). The presence of AKI (P = 0.024) was associated with non-survival and maximum bilirubin concentration was significantly higher in non-survivors (P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Cats with RS in this cohort had been missing, presumed starved, for more than 3 weeks. In addition to hypophosphataemia and hypokalaemia, altered glucose homeostasis and organ damage involving the liver and kidneys were common. Cats with RS appear to have a good prognosis, but prolonged intensive care is required.

Mixed Methods Approach to Describe Social Interaction During a Group Intervention for Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Over the last 20 years, researchers have been mixing qualitative and quantitative approaches, but mixed methods research represents a new movement that arose in response to the currents of qualitative and quantitative research, considered separately. Little has been published on the use of polar coordinate analysis in psychotherapy. This type of analysis can provide detailed information and integrate the qualitative-quantitative analysis. Even less has been published on the analysis of ASD children's behavior. The main aim of this study was to implement this mixed methods methodology to analyze patterns of social behaviors in a group of adolescents with ASD during a group social competence intervention program. Moreover, we wanted to see whether an observational scale could be combined fruitfully with polar coordinate analysis and to investigate whether typical ASD behaviors show similar interrelations (prospective and retrospective sequentialities) as behaviors observed in psychotherapy. We used an adaptation from the Social Skills Training Program (UC Davis, California). We observed that each participant took a unique course, increasing or decreasing the number and quality of their social behaviors. In accordance with previous literature, results suggest some increment in the amount of appropriate social conduct. We did not detect a generalized progress pattern but agreed that there were changes between the beginning and end of the intervention. Therefore, we consider that observational methodology is useful in the field of psychotherapy and ASD, offering detailed information about changes and development that cannot be obtained with other traditional measures, such as questionnaires.