Spoken Language Change in Children on the Autism Spectrum Receiving Community-Based Interventions.

We assessed the spoken language of 73 preschool aged children on the autism spectrum receiving community-based early intervention at two time points, approximately 7 months apart. Using the Spoken Language Benchmarks, there was a small non-significant change in the proportion of children transitioning from below, to at or above, Phase 3 (word combinations). Using binomial regression, a model comprising seven of nine clinician-proposed child-related predictors explained 64% of the variance. None of the predictors were individually significant, although a large effect size (OR = 16.71) was observed for children's baseline rate of communicative acts. The findings point to substantial unmet clinical need in children with minimal verbal language, but also the relevance of clinician-proposed predictors of their spoken language outcomes.

Clinician Proposed Predictors of Spoken Language Outcomes for Minimally Verbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Our aim was to explore insights from clinical practice that may inform efforts to understand and account for factors that predict spoken language outcomes for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder who use minimal verbal language. We used a qualitative design involving three focus groups with 14 speech pathologists to explore their views and experiences. Using the Framework Method of analysis, we identified 9 themes accounting for 183 different participant references to potential factors. Participants highlighted the relevance of clusters of fine-grained social, communication, and learning behaviours, including novel insights into prelinguistic vocal behaviours. The participants suggested the potential value of dynamic assessment in predicting spoken language outcomes. The findings can inform efforts to developing clinically relevant methods for predicting children's communication outcomes.

Speech-Language Pathologists' Knowledge and Consideration of Factors That May Predict, Moderate, and Mediate AAC Outcomes.

The aims of this study were to examine speech-language pathologists' (SLPs) knowledge and consideration of factors found in research when making clinical decisions regarding AAC for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and to reveal additional factors identified based on SLPs' clinical practice. A 20-question mixed-methods survey was completed internationally by 187 certified SLPs. Overall, SLPs showed some familiarity with the research and considered factors found in research when making clinical decisions. SLPs also identified 20 factors that were not identified in the most recent systematic review that may predict, moderate, and/or mediate outcomes. This information may contribute to advancing clinical services regarding AAC as well as guide future research investigating the mechanisms by which children with ASD respond to AAC interventions.

A systematic review of predictors, moderators, and mediators of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) outcomes for children with autism spectrum disorder.

Documented variability in augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) intervention outcomes makes it difficult for clinicians to select systems most likely to be effective for individual children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The aim of this study was to identify child-related factors associated with AAC intervention outcomes through a systematic review of the research literature. A search was conducted of peer-reviewed research articles in which AAC intervention outcomes and associated factors were reported for children with ASD. The search yielded 965 titles and abstracts, of which seven articles relating to six studies met criteria for inclusion. In total, 18 factors were examined, of which nine were assessed as predictors (e.g., cognition, ASD severity, language use), three as moderators (e.g., joint attention, object exploration), and six as mediators (e.g., frequency of therapy, communication partner knowledge). Child characteristics associated with communication outcomes were pre-intervention cognition, severity of ASD, verbal imitation, vocabulary comprehension, object use, joint attention, language use, and two multi-dimensional measures of communication competence. This study suggests emerging evidence for predictors, but less is known about what factors moderate and mediate response to AAC interventions.

Social Attention, Joint Attention and Sustained Attention in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Williams Syndrome: Convergences and Divergences.

There is limited knowledge on shared and syndrome-specific attentional profiles in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Williams syndrome (WS). Using eye-tracking, we examined attentional profiles of 35 preschoolers with ASD, 22 preschoolers with WS and 20 typically developing children across social and non-social dimensions of attention. Children with ASD and those with WS presented with overlapping deficits in spontaneous visual engagement with the target of others' attention and in sustained attention. Children with ASD showed syndrome-specific abnormalities in monitoring and following a person's referential gaze, as well as a lack of preferential attention to social stimuli. Children with ASD and WS present with shared as well as syndrome-specific abnormalities across social and non-social dimensions of attention.

Uncoupling of the dynamics of host-pathogen interaction uncovers new mechanisms of viral interferon antagonism at the single-cell level.

Antiviral defence in mammals is mediated through type-I interferons (IFNs). Viruses antagonise this process through expression of IFN antagonist proteins (IAPs). Understanding and modelling of viral escape mechanisms and the dynamics of IAP action has the potential to facilitate the development of specific and safe drugs. Here, we describe the dynamics of interference by selected viral IAPs, NS1 from Influenza A virus and NS3/4A from Hepatitis C virus. We used Tet-inducible IAP gene expression to uncouple this process from virus-driven dynamics. Stochastic activation of the IFN-ß gene required the use of single-cell live imaging to define the efficacy of the inhibitors during the virus-induced signalling processes. We found significant correlation between the onset of IAP expression and halted IFN-ß expression in cells where IFN-ß induction had already occurred. These data indicate that IAPs not only prevent antiviral signalling prior to IFN-ß induction, but can also stop the antiviral response even after it has been activated. We found reduced NF-κB activation to be the underlying mechanism by which activated IFN expression can be blocked. This work demonstrates a new mechanism by which viruses can antagonise the IFN response.