Atypical sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder, data from ELENA cohort : impact and specificity.

Etude du traitement atypique de l’information sensorielle dans le trouble du spectre de l’autisme à partir de la cohorte ELENA : impact et spécificité.L’objectif général de ce travail de doctorat en psychologie du développement est d’étudier le traitement atypique de l’information sensorielle dans le trouble du spectre de l’autisme. En partant du constat de l’apparition précoce de particularités sur le plan du traitement de l’information sensorielle chez les enfants avec un trouble du spectre de l’autisme, nous nous interrogeons sur leur impact au cours du développement. Ce travail de thèse a consisté dans un premier temps à mener une analyse des apports de la littérature sur cette question, avec la réalisation d’une revue systématique sur les liens entre le traitement sensoriel atypique et les capacités adaptatives d’une part et l’attention d’autre part. Dans un second temps, nous avons conduit deux études à partir des données issues d’une cohorte pédiatrique sur le trouble du spectre de l’autisme, la cohorte ELENA. La première étude avait pour objectif d’investiguer l’impact du traitement de l’information sensorielle sur les capacités adaptatives ainsi que sur la présence de comportements problèmes. Pour cela, un échantillon de 197 enfants ayant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme a été étudié. Par ailleurs, nous nous interrogeons sur le caractère spécifique du traitement de l’information sensorielle atypique dans la symptomatologie autistique. Dès lors, l’objectif de notre seconde étude était de comparer le traitement de l’information sensorielle dans quatre groupes d’enfants : 43 enfants présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme, 28 enfants présentant un trouble du déficit de l’attention avec ou sans hyperactivité, 18 enfants présentant les deux diagnostics, et 31 enfants typiques. Les résultats révèlent une forte prévalence du traitement sensoriel atypique chez les enfants présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme et chez ceux présentant un trouble de l’attention comparativement aux enfants typiques. Nous retrouvons une relation significative entre le traitement atypique et les capacités adaptatives, et avec l’attention, ainsi qu’un impact sur les comportements problèmes. Ainsi, l’évaluation de ces particularités sensorielles est essentielle pour le diagnostic clinique, mais également pour proposer des aménagements adaptés. Enfin, ce travail de thèse ouvre des perspectives de recherche sur le traitement sensoriel dans le trouble du spectre de l’autisme et dans les autres troubles neuro-développementaux.Mots clés : Trouble du spectre autistique, Traitement information sensorielle, Trouble de l’attention, Capacités adaptatives, Psychologie du développement, Attention.Atypical sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder, data from ELENA cohort: impact and specificity.The overall goal of this thesis in developmental psychology is to study atypical sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder. The observation of the early detection of atypical sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder raises questions about their impact on their development. This work consisted initially to conduct an analysis of the literature through a systematic review on the links between atypical sensory processing and adaptive functioning and attention. Then, we conducted two studies based on data from a pediatric cohort on autism spectrum disorder, the ELENA Cohort. The first study aimed to investigate the impact of atypical sensory processing on adaptive functioning as well as the presence of maladaptive behaviors. That is the reason why, we examine the specific character of atypical sensory processing in a sample of 197 children with autistic disorder. Therefore, the aim of our second study was to compare sensory processing in four groups of children: 43 children with autism spectrum disorder, 28 children with attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity, 18 children presenting both diagnosis, and 31 typically developing children. The results reveal a high prevalence of atypical sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder and in those with attention deficit compared to typical children. We find a significant relationship between atypical sensory processing and adaptive functioning and with attention, as well as an impact on maladaptive behaviors. Consequently, the assessment of sensory processing is essential for the clinical diagnosis but also to propose adapted interventions. Finally, this thesis opens up research perspectives on sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.Key words: Autism spectrum disorder, Sensory processing, Attention deficit disorder, Adaptive functioning, Developmental psychology, Attention

Etude du traitement atypique de l’information sensorielle dans le trouble du spectre de l’autisme à partir de la cohorte ELENA : impact et spécificité.

Atypical sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder, data from ELENA cohort: impact and specificity.The overall goal of this thesis in developmental psychology is to study atypical sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder. The observation of the early detection of atypical sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder raises questions about their impact on their development. This work consisted initially to conduct an analysis of the literature through a systematic review on the links between atypical sensory processing and adaptive functioning and attention. Then, we conducted two studies based on data from a pediatric cohort on autism spectrum disorder, the ELENA Cohort. The first study aimed to investigate the impact of atypical sensory processing on adaptive functioning as well as the presence of maladaptive behaviors. That is the reason why, we examine the specific character of atypical sensory processing in a sample of 197 children with autistic disorder. Therefore, the aim of our second study was to compare sensory processing in four groups of children: 43 children with autism spectrum disorder, 28 children with attention deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity, 18 children presenting both diagnosis, and 31 typically developing children. The results reveal a high prevalence of atypical sensory processing in children with autism spectrum disorder and in those with attention deficit compared to typical children. We find a significant relationship between atypical sensory processing and adaptive functioning and with attention, as well as an impact on maladaptive behaviors. Consequently, the assessment of sensory processing is essential for the clinical diagnosis but also to propose adapted interventions. Finally, this thesis opens up research perspectives on sensory processing in autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders.Key words: Autism spectrum disorder, Sensory processing, Attention deficit disorder, Adaptive functioning, Developmental psychology, Attention.Etude du traitement atypique de l’information sensorielle dans le trouble du spectre de l’autisme à partir de la cohorte ELENA : impact et spécificité.L’objectif général de ce travail de doctorat en psychologie du développement est d’étudier le traitement atypique de l’information sensorielle dans le trouble du spectre de l’autisme. En partant du constat de l’apparition précoce de particularités sur le plan du traitement de l’information sensorielle chez les enfants avec un trouble du spectre de l’autisme, nous nous interrogeons sur leur impact au cours du développement. Ce travail de thèse a consisté dans un premier temps à mener une analyse des apports de la littérature sur cette question, avec la réalisation d’une revue systématique sur les liens entre le traitement sensoriel atypique et les capacités adaptatives d’une part et l’attention d’autre part. Dans un second temps, nous avons conduit deux études à partir des données issues d’une cohorte pédiatrique sur le trouble du spectre de l’autisme, la cohorte ELENA. La première étude avait pour objectif d’investiguer l’impact du traitement de l’information sensorielle sur les capacités adaptatives ainsi que sur la présence de comportements problèmes. Pour cela, un échantillon de 197 enfants ayant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme a été étudié. Par ailleurs, nous nous interrogeons sur le caractère spécifique du traitement de l’information sensorielle atypique dans la symptomatologie autistique. Dès lors, l’objectif de notre seconde étude était de comparer le traitement de l’information sensorielle dans quatre groupes d’enfants : 43 enfants présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme, 28 enfants présentant un trouble du déficit de l’attention avec ou sans hyperactivité, 18 enfants présentant les deux diagnostics, et 31 enfants typiques. Les résultats révèlent une forte prévalence du traitement sensoriel atypique chez les enfants présentant un trouble du spectre de l’autisme et chez ceux présentant un trouble de l’attention comparativement aux enfants typiques. Nous retrouvons une relation significative entre le traitement atypique et les capacités adaptatives, et avec l’attention, ainsi qu’un impact sur les comportements problèmes. Ainsi, l’évaluation de ces particularités sensorielles est essentielle pour le diagnostic clinique, mais également pour proposer des aménagements adaptés. Enfin, ce travail de thèse ouvre des perspectives de recherche sur le traitement sensoriel dans le trouble du spectre de l’autisme et dans les autres troubles neuro-développementaux.Mots clés : Trouble du spectre autistique, Traitement information sensorielle, Trouble de l’attention, Capacités adaptatives, Psychologie du développement, Attention

Group-based educational interventions in adolescents and young adults with ASD without ID: a systematic review focusing on the transition to adulthood

International audienceThere is a growing number of young people, diagnosed with an autism-spectrum disorder (ASD), transitioning to adulthood. Among this number, individuals without an intellectual disability have significant adaptive deficits and need individualized care and support services to better target vocational, social, and educational prospects and outcomes. Group-based interventions, including patient education, social-skills training, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, are widely used in clinical settings to improve the daily life and prospects of ASD individuals facing the challenge of transitioning to adulthood. We performed a systematic review of studies concerning the efficiency of group-based educational interventions with a focus on the transition to adulthood for young, ASD individuals without intellectual disability (ID). As a result of this systematic search, 21 studies out of 163 were found to be eligible for inclusion. We observed considerable heterogeneity across the studies, in terms of effect sizes and intervention design, delivery, and the comparison of controls. Strong evidence was found in favor of social-skills training and cognitive-behavioral therapy interventions. Professionals should consider group-based psychoeducational intervention to be an appropriate and relevant service for young subjects with ASD without ID transitioning to adulthood. Further research is needed on larger samples using multicentric designs to validate efficacy before generalization

Clinical characteristics of children with ASD and comorbid ADHD: Association with social impairment and externalizing and internalizing behaviours

International audienceBackground: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are frequently occurring conditions that are often associated (ASD + ADHD). However, there are few comparative studies concerning the clinical presentation in patients formally diagnosed with both ASD and ADHD. Here, we aimed to 1) compare social impairment and externalizing/internalizing behavioural problems across four groups of children: ASD + ADHD, ASD alone, ADHD alone, and typical development and 2) examine their bidirectional relationship with ASD and/or ADHD symptoms.Methods: This study included 186 participants from 6 to 12 years of age: single ASD (n = 98), ASD + ADHD (n = 29), single ADHD (n = 28), and TD (n = 31).Results: The results showed that children in the ASD + ADHD and single ASD groups had a higher level of social impairment than those in the single ADHD group. In addition, children in the single ADHD group presented a greater attention deficit than those in the single ASD group. Externalizing /internalizing behaviours were more frequent in all groups with neuro-developmental disorders than in typical development. In addition, externalizing behavioural problems were related to ADHD severity in the ASD + ADHD and single ADHD groups, whereas internalizing behaviours were related to ASD severity.Conclusions: These findings highlight the specific needs of children who have both ASD and ADHD and underscore the necessity of individualizing their interventions

A longitudinal exploratory study of changes in sensory processing in children with ASD from the ELENA cohort

International audienceAtypical sensory processing (SP) is a diagnostic criterion of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known about its course during development. In this exploratory longitudinal study, we aimed to investigate the course of SP among children with ASD and identify clinical variables associated with changes. We used a subsample of 51 children with confirmed ASD, aged from 3 to 10 years, recruited from the ELENA cohort. SP was assessed using the Sensory Profile questionnaire at baseline and three years later. Our preliminary results highlight the heterogeneity of the evolution of SP during the children's development and the existence of three subgroups based on the course of SP (improvement, stable, and worsening). In addition, the children's adaptive skills and maladaptive behaviors were related to the course of SP. These results could be confirmed in future studies with a larger sample size using a longitudinal approach to capture individual variability in SP. In addition, our results highlight the importance of accounting for temporal changes in the sensory needs of individuals with ASD in clinical practice

Sex-related differences in clinical characteristics of children with ASD without ID: results from the ELENA cohort

Objective: the literature on sex related-clinical differences for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is highly contradictory, whereas this topic has major clinical implications. We aimed to investigate sex-related clinical differences in children with ASD without intellectual disability (ID). Materials and methods: we compared 319 boys and 65 girls with ASD without ID, aged from 2 to 12 years, recruited from a multiregional cohort on their clinical profiles based on the scores for the Vineland-II, the SRS-2, the ADOS calibrated severity score, sensory processing, aberrant behaviors, and comorbidity rates. Results: our results confirm a high sex ratio of 4.9 males/females. Many similarities were found in the clinical profiles. However, we found that girls had higher SRS-2 total scores. In addition, there was a negative correlation between the SRS-2 total score and the intellectual quotient level (IQ) for girls only. Conclusion: we confirm the higher rates of boys with ASD without ID. A comparison between the girls and boys showed them to have similar clinical profiles, except for the SRS-2 total scores, which were higher among girls, suggesting more severe social impairment perceived by parents. Our findings that the cognitive level is related to ASD severity in girls should be taken into account during the diagnostic procedure in the clinical interpretation of goldstandard measures of ASD, and additional clinical observations are necessary

Links between sensory processing, adaptive behaviours, and attention in children with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review

International audienceAtypical sensory processing has been described in autism spectrum disorder. The goal of this systematic review is to investigate the links between sensory processing, adaptive behaviours, and attention skills in children with autism spectrum disorder. The PRISMA guidelines were followed and a search was conducted using electronic databases: Medline, PsychInfo and Eric. Among the 11 studies about sensory processing that were selected, 7 investigated the association with adaptive behaviours and 5 with attention. Atypical sensory processing was reported in 82% to 97% of the participants with ASD, depending on the study. This review found a significant impact of sensory abnormalities on adaptive behaviour. In addition, we found interrelations between sensory processing and attention skills. However, the current literature is too limited to definitively conclude the direction of these interactions and the theories concerning perceptive functioning are conflicting

Sensory processing related to attention in children with ASD, ADHD, or typical development: results from the ELENA cohort

International audienceAutism-spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are early neurodevelopmental conditions that share clinical characteristics, raising important issues in clinical diagnosis. We aimed to compare (1) sensory processing in four groups of children: ASD alone, ASD + ADHD, ADHD alone, and typical development (TD) and (2) the association between sensory processing and attention in the three groups with neurodevelopmental disorders. Our sample included 120 children aged from 6 to 12 years divided into four groups: ASD alone (N = 43), ASD + ADHD (N = 18), ADHD alone (N = 28), and TD (N = 31). Atypical sensory processing was more frequent in ASD and/or ADHD than in TD, without a significant difference between ASD and ADHD. However, the variance analysis of attention problems revealed differences between the ADHD and ASD groups. Thus, the rate of atypical sensory processing was comparable between the ASD and ADHD groups, suggesting that further studies are needed to explore atypical SP in all neurodevelopmental disorders

Magnetic resonance and near infrared spectroscopy for investigation of perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury

To deal with stress, parents of children with ASD use coping strategies that help to tackle the challenging situations of raising their child. This systematic review examines parental coping strategy's questionnaires, factors which influence these coping strategies, interactions between these strategies and perceived stress and their impact on parental quality of life. According to PRISMA guidelines, an electronic search was conducted on Medline, PsycInfo and Eric: 156 articles were identified and 11 studies were selected. Many types of self-reported questionnaires were used to assess parental coping strategies. Studies highlighted that parents of a child with ASD used more avoidance strategies and less social support-seeking strategies than those of typical children. Furthermore, problem-focused coping protects parental stress and quality of life, that on the contrary, emotion-focused coping is a risk factor for alteration. Our systematic review illustrates the need to adapt psychoeducational interventions for parents of children with ASD

WISC‐V Profiles and Their Correlates in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder without Intellectual Developmental Disorder: Report from the ELENA Cohort

International audienceThe intellectual functioning of people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual developmental disorder (IDD) has not been widely studied. However, marked heterogeneity in assessment measures, samples, and results has been an obstacle for the generalization of findings. We aimed to (a) describe WISC-V intellectual functioning in a sample of children with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual developmental disorder, (b) identify WISC-V profiles, and (c) explore whether WISC-V intellectual functioning is related to ASD symptom severity and adaptive skills. Our sample consisted of 121 children from 6 to 16 years of age with ascertained ASD without an intellectual developmental disorder (IDD). The intellectual functioning of the participants was within the average range. Intra-individual analysis showed that children with ASD performed better on visual than auditory working-memory tasks. Moreover, the intellectual functioning of the participants correlated negatively with ASD symptom severity but positively with adaptive communication skills. Overall, we identified six intellectual profiles according to verbal and reasoning skills. These findings highlight the relevance of WISC-V assessment for children with ASD without an IDD to individualize intervention, especially remediation. LAY SUMMARY: This study examined WISC-V intellectual functioning in 121 children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without an intellectual developmental disorder (IDD). We found their intellectual functioning to be within the average, as was that of their peers with typical development (TD), and their verbal and reasoning skills were the most discriminant. In addition, the better their intellectual functioning was, the better their adaptive communication skills and the less severe their ASD symptoms. These findings highlight the relevance of WISC-V assessment in ASD to individualize early psychological remediation. Autism Res 2021, 14: 997-1006. © 2020 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, LLC