Using diagnostic information to develop a machine learning application for the effective screening of autism spectrum disorders

A 2-Class Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification model was developed by means of machine learning techniques and text analysis of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) diagnostic reports. The ability of the 2-Class SVM application to screen for ASD is compared with other screening instruments: Gillian Autism Rating Scale—Second Edition [25], Social Communication Questionnaire [51] and Social Responsiveness Scale [11]. It was also cross-validated and refined based on a sample (n = 221). The classification performance of the SVM application was relatively better compared to the other instruments (accuracy = 83.7 %, precision = 98.8 %, sensitivity = 83.3 %, specificity = 88.9 %). A 1-Class SVM classification model was also described to highlight the usefulness of SVM with a skewed population

A health social network recommender system

People with chronic health conditions require support beyond normal health care systems. Social networking has shown great potential to provide the needed support. Because of the privacy and security issues of health information systems, it is often difficult to find patients who can support each other in the community. We propose a social-networking framework for patient care, in particular for parents of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In the framework, health service providers facilitate social links between parents using similarities of assessment reports without revealing sensitive information. A machine learning approach was developed to generate explanations of ASD assessments in order to assist clinicians in their assessment. The generated explanations are then used to measure similarities between assessments in order to recommend a community of related parents. For the first time, we report on the accuracy of social linking using an explanation-based similarity measure

Coping and well-being in parents of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD)

This study examined psychological well-being and coping in parents of children with ASD and parents of typically developing children. 73 parents of children with ASD and 63 parents of typically developing children completed a survey. Parents of children with ASD reported significantly more parenting stress symptoms (i.e., negative parental self-views, lower satisfaction with parent–child bond, and experiences of difficult child behaviors), more depression symptoms, and more frequent use of Active Avoidance coping, than parents of typically developing children. Parents of children with ASD did not differ significantly in psychological well-being and coping when compared as according to child's diagnosis. Study results reinforced the importance of addressing well-being and coping needs of parents of children with ASD

Prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems in children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders

The goal of the present study was to examine the prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems among children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD).; Archival data from a total of 71 children (Mage = 10.24, SD = 2.91) diagnosed by their clinicians to have high-functioning ASD were obtained. Information on demographics and behavioural and emotional problems from the Child Behavioural Checklist (CBCL) were entered.; We found that between 72% and 86% of children with high-functioning ASD had at least one behavioural or emotional problem of clinical concerns as indicated by the CBCL syndromes and DSM-oriented scales. The most commonly reported problems were social problems (60.6%), thought problems (50.7%), attention problems (49.3%), and withdrawn/depressed (40.8%). Using the DSM-oriented scales, the most commonly reported problems were attention deficit/hyperactivity problems (35.2%), anxiety problems (33.8%) and affective problems (31%).; Findings from the present study provide further evidence to support the high prevalence of behavioural and emotional problems, which could result in multiple psychiatric diagnoses among children with high-functioning ASD

Features of autism in a Singaporean child with Down syndrome

Annals of the Academy of Medicine Singapore425251-252AAMS

Mental resilience of medical practitioners in singapore during covid-19: Survey results from a webinar course on resilience

10.3390/ijerph18189801International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1818980

Supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder in medical settings during COVID-19

10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102441ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY5

Additional file 1 of Global child and adolescent mental health perspectives: bringing change locally, while thinking globally

Supplementary Material