RESUMO
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) reportedly suffer from sleep problems at a higher rate than typically developing (TD) children. Several previous studies have reported differences in sleep indices (e.g., sleep latency) in children with ASD. However, no previous studies have focused specifically on the time course of body movements. In the present study, we investigated the time course of body movements in young TD children and young children with ASD as well as the relationship between body movements during night and social ability. Seventeen TD children and 17 children with ASD participated in this study (5 to 8 years old). We used an accelerometer attached to the waist to record movements during night and measured the average time course of body movements for 3 nights. Our results demonstrated that the rate of body movement 2 to 3 hours after the onset of body stillness was higher in children with ASD than in TD children. In addition, the higher rate of body movement at 0.5 to 1 hour after the onset of body stillness was associated with a lower social ability in the children with ASD. Our results suggested that the time course of body movements is an objective behavioural index for young children with ASD.
Assuntos
Acelerometria/métodos , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/fisiopatologia , Transtorno de Movimento Estereotipado/fisiopatologia , Acelerometria/instrumentação , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/complicações , Transtorno do Espectro Autista/diagnóstico , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Projetos Piloto , Sono/fisiologia , Transtorno de Movimento Estereotipado/complicações , Transtorno de Movimento Estereotipado/diagnósticoRESUMO
The social interactions between caregivers and their children play a crucial role in childhood development; therefore, caregivers' feelings for children are critical for the development of social minds. Mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are known to experience higher levels of stress. However, knowledge regarding mothers' feelings for their children before receiving a clinical diagnosis is limited. This study retrospectively investigated the time course of mothers' feelings from the time of birth and the effect of protective factors. The participants were 5- to 8-year-old children with an ASD diagnosis and their mothers. The mothers of the children with ASD had less positive feelings toward their children than the mothers of the typically developed (TD) children before receiving a clinical diagnosis. Intriguingly, prior knowledge of ASD may relieve maternal mental distress during the child-rearing years and at the time of diagnosis.
