Feasibility, Reproducibility, and Clinical Validity of the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale—Revised for Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common inherited cause of intellectual disability and the most common known genetic cause of autism. FXS is associated with psychiatric impairments, including anxiety disorders. There is a paucity of well-developed measures to characterize anxiety in FXS. However, such scales are needed to measure therapeutic responses to interventions. The Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale-Revised (PARS-R) was evaluated in 49 individuals with FXS. Feasibility, reproducibility, and clinical validity were assessed. High inter-rater, test-retest, and cross-site reliability were achieved. PARS-R scores were correlated with parent-report and physician ratings of anxiety, suggesting good clinical validity. Results were similar within gender and age subgroups. The PARS-R is a promising tool for measuring the efficacy of interventions targeting anxiety in FXS

Editorial: Emotion processing in autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by differences in social communication and restrictive and repetitive interests. Although progress has been made in understanding its phenomenology, underlying mechanisms for core and co-occurring difficulties remain elusive. Emerging evidence suggests that emotion processing and regulation play a critical role in the challenges experienced by autistic individuals. This special issue provides current thinking related to methods, research, and practice in the field of emotion processing and regulation in ASD, and to integrate study findings to elucidate underlying mechanisms. With a global perspective, article coverage includes (1) explorations of the neurological underpinnings of emotion processing differences in individuals with and without autism, (2) emotion recognition and related issues (i.e., theory of mind, temperament) in siblings of autistic children, (3) examinations of the interplay between emotion, anxiety, sensory sensitivities and internalizing and externalizing challenges, and (4) emotion processing in real-world applications, including driving and adjustment to college

Technology-based trainings on emotions: A web application on earthquake-related emotional prevention with children

In light of their potential for learning and engagement, using technology-based programs can be particularly relevant to enhance children\u2019s emotional compe-tence, also in relation to traumatic events such as disasters. Some studies investi-gated the efficacy of technology-based interventions fostering this ability, focus-ing on its different components, with different populations, and using different designs, but they did not relate specifically to disasters such as earthquakes. Nev-ertheless, in everyday life knowledge on earthquakes can be promoted through the use of mobile applications. We searched electronically all the applications pre-sent within the Google Play Store, identifying 20 applications on earthquake pre-vention. None of them was specifically focused on earthquake-related emotional contents, but some of them included some emotional elements. Therefore, to fill in the gaps in the current psychological literature, we developed a web application to promote earthquake-related emotional knowledge, to be tested in the future ac-cording to the standards of evidence-based research

Designing a Serious Game for Youth with ASD: Perspectives from End-Users and Professionals

© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Recent years have seen an emergence of social emotional computer games for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These games are heterogeneous in design with few underpinned by theoretically informed approaches to computer-based interventions. Guided by the serious game framework outlined by Whyte et al. (Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 45(12):1–12, 2014), this study aimed to identify the key motivating and learning features for serious games targeting emotion recognition skills from the perspectives of 11 youth with ASD and 11 experienced professionals. Results demonstrated that youth emphasised the motivating aspects of game design, while the professionals stressed embedding elements facilitating the generalisation of acquired skills. Both complementary and differing views provide suggestions for the application of serious game principles in a potential serious game