Autism Spectrum Disorders in the European Union (ASDEU)

The improving support services for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their families in Europe requires knowledge of their epidemiological status, as well as the identification of the most effective experiences and procedures for detection, diagnosis, treatment and support that are most valued by the recipients of these services. The project "Autism Spectrum Disorder in the European Union" (ASDEU) has promoted between 2014 and 2018 a set of research strategies that have allowed the application of a public health model to ASD focused on prevalence estimation methods, early detection programs and the improvement of diagnosis and early intervention. This article presents a summary of the results obtained, as well as the main conclusions. It highlights the need to set up a comprehensive system based on ASD population registries, which provides a systematic information about the ASD prevalence in Europe; likewise, the article proposes to strengthen detection strategies to make it more systematic at a population level; to improve diagnostic processes so that they are faster, include information on the support needs of the person and incorporate families; and to promote early intervention with greater participation of families and linkage to the child's regular setting.La mejora de los servicios de apoyo para las personas con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) y a sus familias en Europa requiere conocer su realidad epidemiológica, así como identificar las experiencias y procedimientos para la detección, diagnóstico, tratamiento y apoyo más eficaces y mejor valorados por los receptores de estos servicios. El proyecto "El Trastorno del Espectro Autista en la Unión Europea" (ASDEU) ha impulsado entre 2014 y 2018 un conjunto de estrategias de investigación que han permitido aplicar un modelo de salud pública sobre los TEA centrado en los métodos de estimación de la prevalencia, los programas de detección precoz y la mejora del diagnóstico y la intervención temprana. En este artículo se presenta un resumen de los resultados obtenidos, así como de las conclusiones principales. Se destaca la necesidad de contar con un sistema fiable de medición de la prevalencia de los TEA en la Unión Europea, siendo la versión metodológica más eficiente la basada en registros de TEA de base poblacional; así mismo se propone fortalecer las estrategias de detección para hacerla más sistemática a nivel poblacional; mejorar los procesos de diagnóstico para que sean más rápidos, incluyan información sobre las necesidades de apoyo de la persona e incorporen a las familias; y potenciar la intervención temprana con mayor participación de las familias y vinculación al entorno habitual del menor

International eLearning Approach on Teaching Strategies for Inclusion of Students with Autism.

The project International eLearning Approach on Teaching Strategies for Inclusion of Students with Autism (SUCCESS-TEASD) aiming at a multilateral transfer of knowledge can promote inclusive school development and inclusive teacher training in the light of the UN Convention and the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda. SUCCESS-TEASD promoted an action learning and sharing of challenges and good practices in the field of educational intervention programs for children with ASD. Through the cooperative work the participating Universities provided a support for all participating students considering their national contexts to plan and develop an action research in order to actively learn to understand the perspectives of different groups: Families and children’s with ASD; lecturers in the teachers training and teachers in service (schools). The results of the cooperative, action research and learning of the students, future teachers from both involved Universities are the be found in this publication

Differences in daily life executive functioning between people with autism and people with schizophrenia

[EN] This is a comparative analysis of everyday executive functioning between individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (SSD) and controls using Dysexecutive Questionnaire-Spanish (DEX-Sp), to identify patterns of difculties. Also we assessed the relationship between EF and adaptive behavior as measured by the Vineland Adaptive Behavioral Scale-II. Common areas of everyday executive functions were established as problematic in individuals with ASD and SSD related to Disinhibition and Apathy, while Disorganization and Impulsivity was gravely afected in ASD group only. The degree of Dysexecutive Syndrome was predictive of adaptive behavior in ASD group only. These suggest that DEX-Sp could be a useful tool in diferentiating areas of strength and weaknesses in clinical groups such as ASD and SDD.Publicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCLE

SCREENING INSTRUMENTS FOR EARLY DETECTION OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER IN SPANISH SPEAKING COMMUNITIES

Background: Since autism detection protocols rely primarily on parental accounts of early symptoms, the use by Spanish-speaking populations of screening tools developed in a different language and socio-cultural context (usually English) might hamper the success of early detection programs. Method: A systematic search in four databases was completed, identifying 59 tools used for ASD detection. Of these, only nine tools had been applied in Spanish-speaking populations, and of those, only five can be considered specific tools for the early detection of autism. Results: Sensitivity detecting autism was generally lower in the Spanish versions of the reviewed instruments, while specificity tended to be equal to or higher than that reported in the original screeners. Conclusions: Heterogeneity and poor methodological rigor of the studies conducted to date emphasize an urgent need for a concerted effort to develop reliable and valid instruments for the early detection of autism in Spanish-speaking populations worldwide

Neuropsychological profile of executive functions in autism spectrum disorder and schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a comparative group study in adults

[EN] As assessed by numerous neuropsychological tasks, individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs) have similar impairments related to executive functions (EFs). The neuropsychological profle of these two conditions was examined using the three-component EFs’ framework of Miyake and Friedman(Cogn Psychol 41(1):49-100, 2000). This approach assesses Inhibition (suppression of unwanted and irrelevant information/responses), Updating (use and control of contents of working memory), and Shifting (disengagement between activities or mental tasks) using nine diferent tasks. In line with previous research, we expected greater performance defcits in ASD in all three components compared to SSD, as well as faster responses for the SSD group. A self-paced task format allowed us to examine whether unlimited time given for a task would lead to better performance. The sample was constituted by the control group (N=25), ASD group (N=24), and SSD group (N=12). Groups did not difer on Inhibition performance. In Updating, individuals with SSD performed poorer than the other groups. As for Shifting, both groups demonstrated poorer performance compared to controls, with the SSD group presenting the greatest difculties. In terms of reaction time (RT), SSD participants’ RT were the slowest on Inhibition and Shifting tasks. There was a positive correlation between performance and time spent on Inhibition and Shifting only for the SSD group, which demonstrates that their performance improves when there are no time constraints. Our work provides a better understanding of spared and impaired EFs, which could be useful for designing strategies aimed at improving specifc EFs in each group.Publicación en abierto financiada por el Consorcio de Bibliotecas Universitarias de Castilla y León (BUCLE), con cargo al Programa Operativo 2014ES16RFOP009 FEDER 2014-2020 DE CASTILLA Y LEÓN, Actuación:20007-CL - Apoyo Consorcio BUCLE

Episodic future thinking-induced forgetting: Exploring memory inhibitory mechanism in adults with autism

[EN]Background: This study examined memory inhibitory control in adults with autism. Our interest stemmed from the idea that malfunctioning cognitive inhibition may contribute to symptoms such as thought perseverance and inflexibility of social interactions in this disorder. Method: We drew from work in retrieval-induced forgetting which shows that retrieving items from memory causes forgetting of other competing information. We tested individuals with ASD (n = 19) and without ASD (n = 20) using a task whereby engaging in episodic future thinking (EFT) reduces the subsequent retrievability of related autobiographical memories (AMs). We also looked at a sample of AM and EFT narratives using an overall-richness measure expressed by a quantitative experiential index. Results: Although adults with autism showed overall lower levels of richness in their AM and EFT productions, and contrary to our prediction, they demonstrated levels of memory inhibition that were comparable to controls. Conclusions: The results suggest that memory inhibition, as measured by EFT-induced forgetting, is relatively intact in ASD and are discussed in terms of how automatic and effortful inhibitory processes in autism might be differentially affected

Active learning and self-assessment through the implementation of the ahoot! Platform for teaching improvement and innovation in psychology and education

[EN] The use of gamification tools has improved the advance towards models of analysis of active assessment and learning in a natural, complex environment with contingent responses and student exchanges and, therefore, has improved the quality of the results obtained in the short and long term in relation to the subjects and areas of application of the proposal. The aim of this work was to promote the development of innovative teaching techniques, processes and strategies that encourage university student participation. To this end, a gamification methodology was used with the tool Kahoot! for evaluation, where participants created questionnaires and assessed the questionnaires of other participants. The results obtained through the different analyses provide strong evidence of the success of using the tool in the classroom. Both the survey and the statistical analyses have shown that the use of the Kahoot! Questionnaires linked with the use of multimedia materials has not only been useful for the teachers, but also for the students.[ES] El uso de herramientas de gamificación ha supuesto un avance hacia modelos de análisis de la evaluación y el aprendizaje activos en un entorno natural, complejo y con respuestas contingentes e intercambios de los alumnos y, por tanto, ha supuesto una mejora en la calidad de los resultados obtenidos a corto y largo plazo en relación con las materias y áreas de aplicación de la propuesta. El objetivo de este trabajo ha sido el de Potenciar el desarrollo de técnicas, procesos y estrategias docentes innovadoras que impulsen la participación del estudiante universitario. Para ello, se utilizó una metodología de gamificación con la herramienta Kahoot! Para la evaluación de contenidos, donde los participantes creaban cuestionarios y evaluaban los cuestionarios de otros participantes. Los resultados obtenidos mediante los diferentes análisis ofrecen una sólida evidencia del éxito del uso de la herramienta en el aula. Tanto la encuesta como los análisis estadísticos han puesto de manifiesto que el uso de los cuestionarios Kahoot! unidos a los métodos de explicación de las preguntas con materiales multimedia, no solo ha sido útil para el profesorado, sino que también lo ha sido para los alumnos.Bejarano Martín, A.; Magán Maganto, M.; Canal Bedia, R.; Jenaro Río, C.; Flores Robaina, N. (2022). Aprendizaje activo y autoevaluación a través de la implementación de la plataforma Kahoot! Para la mejora e innovación docente en psicología y educación. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 102-116. https://doi.org/10.4995/INRED2022.2022.1581810211

Early Detection and Intervention of ASD: A European Overview

Over the last several years there has been an increasing focus on early detection of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), not only from the scientific field but also from professional associations and public health systems all across Europe. Not surprisingly, in order to offer better services and quality of life for both children with ASD and their families, different screening procedures and tools have been developed for early assessment and intervention. However, current evidence is needed for healthcare providers and policy makers to be able to implement specific measures and increase autism awareness in European communities. The general aim of this review is to address the latest and most relevant issues related to early detection and treatments. The specific objectives are (1) analyse the impact, describing advantages and drawbacks, of screening procedures based on standardized tests, surveillance programmes, or other observational measures; and (2) provide a European framework of early intervention programmes and practices and what has been learnt from implementing them in public or private settings. This analysis is then discussed and best practices are suggested to help professionals, health systems and policy makers to improve their local procedures or to develop new proposals for early detection and intervention programmes.The authors were supported by a research grant awarded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Grant PSI2016-80575-R) and European Union. DGSANCO. Ref.: SANCO/2014/C2/035.S

Prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adults with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis

[EN]Some challenges faced by people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) when adapting to a neurotypical environment are related with the risk of suffering a psychiatric disorder. The aim of the present study is to conduct a systematic review on the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adults with ASD (PROSPERO’s reference number CRD42016041948). Four databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and CINAHL) were used for the electronic search, and six editorials (Science Direct, Wiley, Springer, Taylor & Francis, SAGE Publishing and BioMed Central) were manually searched for studies not previously identified. Study eligibility criteria were observational studies on psychiatric comorbidity in adults (18 years or older) with ASD, based on standard diagnostic classifications (DSM/ICD), reported in English peer-reviewed journals. A total of 1288 and 24 references were identified by electronic and manual searches, respectively. Results showed that attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder is the most prevalent psychiatric disorder in adults with ASD. Mood and anxiety disorders are also very frequent among this population. The lowest comorbidity prevalence rates of all diagnostic categories are the ones related to substance use and eating disorders. These results show a need for a greater production of studies in this field, especially follow-up studies that focus on risk and protective factors for the emergence of psychiatric problems in adults with ASD. For this reason, it is imperative to create specific diagnostic tools that allow the assessment of mental pathology, attending to the particularities of its manifestation in people with ASD