Developing a test battery for diagnosis of childhood apraxia of speech in Arabic speakers

Abstract Background Childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a speech sound disorder in which the precision and consistency of movements underlying speech are impaired in absence of neuromuscular deficits. It is important to differentiate between language disorders and CAS to avoid misdiagnosis. The objective of this study was to develop a test battery for CAS in order to identify its possible presence in Arabic-speaking children, thus allowing the planning of appropriate therapy programs. The constructed test battery for CAS was administered to 70 monolingual Arabic-speaking Egyptian children including 10 children with suspected CAS, 20 children with phonological disorders, and 40 typically developing children. Participants’ responses were statistically analyzed to assess the validity and reliability, and to evaluate sensitivity and specificity of the test battery. Results Statistically significant differences were found between the three groups as regard all subtotal and total scores of CAS test battery with good validity and reliability of the test. Conclusions The constructed test battery for diagnosis of CAS is a reliable, valid, and sensitive tool that can be used to detect the presence of CAS in Arabic-speaking children and differentiate between it and phonological disorders

Vitamin D profile in autism spectrum disorder children and its relation to the disease severity

Abstract Background The study aimed to investigate whether vitamin D deficiency is a common finding in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) children and whether such deficiency is related to ASD severity and language age or not. Methods A cross-sectional observational study was conducted on ASD children aged 2-6 years. The participants were 80 Egyptian children with ASD. All participants were assessed using DSM-V, the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), language assessment, and assessment of serum vitamin D using ADVIA Centaur Vit D assay. Results About 63.8% of ASD children have vitamin D insufficiency, 28.8 % have vitamin D deficiency, and 7.4% have normal serum levels. No correlation was found between serum vitamin D and language age (r = -0.085, P = 0.451), DSM 5 severity levels (r = 0.015, P= 0.894), and CARS scores (r= 0.075, P= 0.511). Conclusion ASD children have lower serum vitamin D levels, which may be one of the environmental factors contributing to ASD development in genetically susceptible individuals, and its correction may be helpful as adjuvant therapy for ASD

Can sleep profiles predict autistic traits in siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder?

Introduction: As the prevalence of ASD (autism spectrum disorder) continues to rise, so does the need to evaluate the impact of associated difficulties on both the diagnosed child and the immediate family. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess reports of sleep disturbance or abnormal sleep behaviours (sleep profiles) in the siblings of diagnosed autistic children (referred to throughout this study as high-risk siblings, or HR-sibs) and to determine if these sleep patterns correlated with evidence of disturbed sleep among their siblings who had full symptoms of autistic spectrum disorder. Material and Methods: This case control cross-sectional study investigated 64 autistic children, 80 HR-sibs, and 80 typically developing children. Each study subject was assessed for sleep problems and autistic traits through the use of a sleep-wake diary, a school sleep habit survey, and a childhood autism spectrum test. Results: Children with autism spectrum disorders and their HR-sibs showed no significant differences regarding their sleep profiles. Typically, developing children had more middle insomnia than HR-sibs and had more wake latency. Conclusion: Increased risks for sleep problems in children with autism and their HR-sibs emphasized the importance of early screening for sleep problems in children with autism and their siblings