Self-Paced and Video-Based Learning: Parent Training and Language Skills in Japanese Children with ASD

While no exact information on the prevalence exists, it is assumed that the overall incidence of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has risen every year in Japan. However, given the lack of resources and services for families of children with ASD in Japan, there is a dearth of practical guidance for the support for those families. This study examined the effects of an asynchronous training package (i.e., self-paced and video-based learning manual) to teach two Japanese mothers to implement incidental teaching. Effectiveness of the instruction was determined using a multiple-baseline design across mother–child dyads. Results indicated that the mother participants were able to implement the intervention with high fidelity over time. However, mixed effects of the mother-delivered intervention on target language behaviours were found across the child participants’ behaviours. This study adds an evidence to support that parents can be essential and efficient intervention agents for children with ASD

Moderation of effects of AAC based on setting and types of aided AAC on outcome variables: An aggregate study of single-case research with individuals with ASD

Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the potential moderating effects of intervention setting and type of aided AAC on outcome variables for students with autism spectrum disorders. Methods: Improvement Rate Difference, an effect size measure, was used to calculate aggregate effects across 35 single case research studies. Results: Results indicated that the largest effects for aided AAC were observed in general education settings. With respect to communication outcomes, both speech generating devices and the Picture Exchange Communication System were associated with larger effects than other picture-based systems. With respect to challenging behaviour outcomes, SGDs produced larger effects than PECS. Conclusion: This aggregate study highlights the importance of considering intervention setting, choice of AAC system, and target outcomes when designing and planning an aided AAC intervention

Moderation of effects of AAC based on setting and types of aided AAC on outcome variables: An aggregate study of single-case research with individuals with ASD

Objective: The purpose of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the potential moderating effects of intervention setting and type of aided AAC on outcome variables for students with autism spectrum disorders. Methods: Improvement Rate Difference, an effect size measure, was used to calculate aggregate effects across 35 single case research studies. Results: Results indicated that the largest effects for aided AAC were observed in general education settings. With respect to communication outcomes, both speech generating devices and the Picture Exchange Communication System were associated with larger effects than other picture-based systems. With respect to challenging behaviour outcomes, SGDs produced larger effects than PECS. Conclusion: This aggregate study highlights the importance of considering intervention setting, choice of AAC system, and target outcomes when designing and planning an aided AAC intervention

Chimeric aptamers in cancer cell-targeted drug delivery

Aptamers are single-stranded structured oligonucleotides (DNA or RNA) that can bind to a wide range of targets ("apatopes") with high affinity and specificity. These nucleic acid ligands, generated from pools of random-sequence by an in vitro selection process referred to as systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), have now been identified as excellent tools for chemical biology, therapeutic delivery, diagnosis, research, and monitoring therapy in real-time imaging. Today, aptamers represent an interesting class of modern Pharmaceuticals which with their low immunogenic potential mimic extend many of the properties of monoclonal antibodies in diagnostics, research, and therapeutics. More recently, chimeric aptamer approach employing many different possible types of chimerization strategies has generated more stable and efficient chimeric aptamers with aptamer-aptamer, aptamer-nonaptamer biomacromolecules (siRNAs, proteins) and aptamer-nanoparticle chimeras. These chimeric aptamers when conjugated with various biomacromolecules like locked nucleic acid (LNA) to potentiate their stability, biodistribution, and targeting efficiency, have facilitated the accurate targeting in preclinical trials. We developed LNA-aptamer (anti-nucleolin and EpCAM) complexes which were loaded in iron-saturated bovine lactofeerin (Fe-blf)-coated dopamine modified surface of superparamagnetic iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (SPIONs). This complex was used to deliver the specific aptamers in tumor cells in a co-culture model of normal and cancer cells. This review focuses on the chimeric aptamers, currently in development that are likely to find future practical applications in concert with other therapeutic molecules and modalities

Parent-Implemented Interventions: Evaluation of Three Utility of Tau-U, Hedges’ g, R-IRD, and Visual Analysis

Recently, the field has seen an increase in the publication of meta-analyses and systematic reviews of treatments for people with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities, which are critical in providing practitioners and other stakeholders with information regarding for whom and in what contexts particular treatments are most effective. However, many controversies remain regarding these advances. To that end, this symposium will include conceptual and applied presentations and discussions by nationally/internationally-recognized researchers who publish cutting-edge work in meta-analysis and synthesis of single-case research and in autism spectrum and developmental disabilities. The four included presentations will cover current debates in the use of meta-analysis and research synthesis, effects of measurement methods on estimation of effect sizes, and two meta-analyses of studies on caregiver- and family member-implemented interventions. Single-case researchers will gain an understanding of the state of the science in regard to the use of meta-analyses and research syntheses to evaluate single-case experimental research in autism spectrum and developmental disabilities

Appendices: A Quality Review of Social-Communication Interventions for Adolescents and Adults with ASD

This quality review is an analysis of the methodological quality of social-communication intervention research identifying which social-communication interventions for this population could be considered evidence-based practices (EBPs). The purpose of the quality review was to apply the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) guidelines to the literature of social communication interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings of this study found important issues that need to be considered in this field of social communication interventions for adolescents and adults with ASD in relation to the quality of the single-case experimental design (SCED). In addition, video modeling interventions have been established as an EBP of social-communication intervention for this population

Appendices: A Quality Review of Social-Communication Interventions for Adolescents and Adults with ASD

This quality review is an analysis of the methodological quality of social-communication intervention research identifying which social-communication interventions for this population could be considered evidence-based practices (EBPs). The purpose of the quality review was to apply the What Works Clearinghouse (WWC) guidelines to the literature of social communication interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings of this study found important issues that need to be considered in this field of social communication interventions for adolescents and adults with ASD in relation to the quality of the single-case experimental design (SCED). In addition, video modeling interventions have been established as an EBP of social-communication intervention for this population

A Meta-Analytic Review of Family-Implemented Social and Communication Interventions for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities: References Included in the Analyses

This study presents a meta-analysis of single-case experimental research on family-implemented interventions for improving the social and other communicative behaviors of individuals with developmental disabilities (DD). A total of 40 studies were included in this meta-analysis. The Tau-U effect size with the Kruskal-Wallis and the Dunn post-hoc tests were calculated to analyze the following variables: age, communication and language characteristic, intervention type, and dependent variable. Overall, the results indicate that family-implemented interventions have a moderate effect on the social and other communicative behaviors of individuals with DD. Analyses for age wielded statistically significant findings for preschool-aged individuals compared to adolescents- and adult-aged individuals. Small to moderate effect sizes were noted across categories for communication and language characteristic, intervention type, and dependent variable. Limitations and implications for future research and for practitioners are discussed. Note: This document contains the references for the abovementioned articl

Functional Living Skills and Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis: References Included in the Analyses

*This document includes the references used to conduct the analyses for the following manuscript. Functional living skills are skills needed for being an independent individual in society. As individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) get older, the discrepancy between functional living skills of themselves and their peers increases. However, it is not known which type of intervention is more or less effective specifically for adolescent- and adult-aged persons with ASD. This systematic review and meta-analysis analyzed peer-reviewed research concerning functional living skills for individuals with ASD. Using the Tau-U effect size analysis, the following categories were analyzed: participant diagnoses, independent variables, and dependent variables. In addition, to identify statistically significant differences based on categories of the evaluated variables, we conducted the Kruskal-Wallis analysis and a Dunn post-hoc test. A total of 32 single-case studies were included in this analysis. Results indicated that interventions to improve functional living skills with adolescent- and adult-aged persons with ASD had overall strong effects. Moderate to strong effects were noted across categories for diagnosis. Findings indicated strong effects across categories for dependent and independent variables. This review contributes to the literature base by answering questions about which type of intervention is most effective for teaching functional living skills to adolescent- and adult-aged individuals with ASD. Limitations and implications for practice and future research were discussed.The contents of this manuscript were developed under the Preparation of Leaders in Autism Across the Lifespan grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (Grant No.: H325D110046). Support was also provided by the Center on Disability and Development, a federally-designated University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, at Texas A&M University. The views herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Department of Education or the Center on Disability and Development