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Children
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Children with Specific Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Assessment and Intervention
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Children with Specific Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Assessment and Intervention

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 December 2024 | Viewed by 9747

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Carla Sogos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neuroscience, Section of Child Neuropsychiatry, Sapienza University of Rome, Roma, Italy
Interests: autism spectrum disorder; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; neurodevelopmental disorders; child psychopathology; treatment in child psychiatry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

On behalf of the Editorial Team of the journal Children, I am pleased to announce the launch of this Special Issue “Children with Specific Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Assessment and Intervention” lead by Dr. Carla Sogos (Sapienza University of Rome). As Guest Editor, I am particularly pleased to launch this Special Issue because it focuses on a crucial topic in child neuropsychiatry, and it highlights the importance of increasing knowledge about neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) as serious chronic conditions with a prevalence of 10–15% in children and adolescents. It is important to take into consideration the high level of heterogeneity and overlap in NDDs, also considering developmental change across a person’s lifetime.

There is much evidence in the literature showing that an early diagnosis in neurodevelopmental disorders allows patients to start personalized and intensive treatment, leading to a better prognosis. Hence, it is a relevant issue to expand the evidence on new diagnostic protocols that can prevent missed diagnosis and can allow us to detect and to treat comorbidities. Moreover, this Special Issue could deepen the impact of several therapeutic protocols (individual and group therapy) on the emotional–behavioral profile of children affected by NDDs, also considering innovative and technological tools.

Researchers and authors are invited to submit original research and literature reviews that may have a significant impact on clinical presentation, diagnostic assessment, and novel therapeutic as well as intervention approaches in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Dr. Carla Sogos
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • autism
  • neurodevelopmental disorders
  • children
  • assessment
  • intervention

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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11 pages, 251 KiB  
Article
Assessment and Rehabilitation Intervention of Feeding and Swallowing Skills in Children with Down Syndrome Using the Global Intensive Feeding Therapy (GIFT)
by Silvia Franceschetti, Marco Tofani, Serena Mazzafoglia, Francesca Pizza, Eleonora Capuano, Massimiliano Raponi, Gessica Della Bella and Antonella Cerchiari
Children 2024, 11(7), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11070847 - 12 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1153
Abstract
Background: Children with Down syndrome (DS) experience more difficulties with oral motor skills, including chewing, drinking, and swallowing. The present study attempts to measure the preliminary effectiveness of Global Intensive Feeding Therapy (GIFT) in DS. GIFT is a new rehabilitation program addressing the [...] Read more.
Background: Children with Down syndrome (DS) experience more difficulties with oral motor skills, including chewing, drinking, and swallowing. The present study attempts to measure the preliminary effectiveness of Global Intensive Feeding Therapy (GIFT) in DS. GIFT is a new rehabilitation program addressing the specific difficulties and needs of each child, focusing on sensory and motor oral abilities. It follows an intensive schedule comprising 15 sessions over 5 consecutive days, with 3 sessions per day. The principles of GIFT are applied with specific objectives for DS. Methods: GIFT was preliminarily implemented among 20 children diagnosed with DS. To measure the efficacy of GIFT, the Karaduman Chewing Performance Scale (KCPS), the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI), and the Pediatric Screening–Priority Evaluation Dysphagia (PS–PED) were used. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test before (T0) and after intervention (T1) and at one-month follow-up (T2). The effect size was also measured for specific outcomes, using Kendall’s W. Results: Our findings revealed that children with DS showed no risk of dysphagia according to the PS–PED (mean score 2.80). Furthermore, statistically significant improvements in chewing performance were observed, as measured by the KCPS (p < 0.01), as well as in texture acceptance and modification, as measured by the IDDSI post-intervention (p < 0.01). For both the KCPS and IDDSI, a large effect size was found (Kendall’s W value > 0.8). Parents/caregivers continued using GIFT at home, and this allowed for a positive outcome at the one-month follow-up. Conclusions: GIFT proved to be effective in the rehabilitation of feeding and swallowing disorders in children with DS, as well as for food acceptance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Children with Specific Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Assessment and Intervention)
16 pages, 607 KiB  
Article
The Ripple Effect: Quality of Life and Mental Health of Parents of Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Shuliweeh Alenezi, Samah H. Alkhawashki, Muneera Alkhorayef, Sarah Alarifi, Shahad Alsahil, Renad Alhaqbani and Nouf Alhussaini
Children 2024, 11(6), 678; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11060678 - 3 Jun 2024
Viewed by 809
Abstract
Introduction: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition in children in Saudi Arabia. ADHD significantly impacts children and their families, particularly by increasing parental stress and diminishing quality of life. In Saudi Arabia, there is a research gap regarding the [...] Read more.
Introduction: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition in children in Saudi Arabia. ADHD significantly impacts children and their families, particularly by increasing parental stress and diminishing quality of life. In Saudi Arabia, there is a research gap regarding the quality of life and coping mechanisms of parents managing children with ADHD. This study assesses levels of depression and anxiety, quality of life, and coping strategies among parents of children diagnosed with ADHD. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with 151 parents of ADHD-diagnosed children, utilizing the WHOQOL-Brief for life quality, the Brief-COPE for coping strategies, and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ) for depression (PHQ9-9 items) and generalized anxiety (GAD7-7 items) modules. Results: Among the parents surveyed, 36% reported moderate to severe depression, while 39.1% experienced moderate to high anxiety levels. Quality of life was significantly positively correlated with higher household monthly income (HHI), employment status, sibling count, and effective coping strategies. Conversely, a parent’s age, educational level, and, in particular, maternal status were inversely related to anxiety levels, with fathers displaying higher maladaptive coping scores. Conclusion: This study sheds light on the considerable anxiety and depression experienced by parents of children with ADHD, significantly affecting their quality of life. Lower quality of life among parents is associated with high levels of depression, anxiety, and ineffective coping strategies. These insights highlight the critical need for interventions to aid parental mental health, thereby improving their overall quality of life amidst ADHD challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Children with Specific Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Assessment and Intervention)
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20 pages, 300 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Psychotic Risk in a Sample of Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared to a Group of “Clinical High Risk” Patients: A Preliminary Study
by Valeria Mammarella, Elena Monducci, Alessia Maffucci, Letizia Terenzi, Mauro Ferrara and Carla Sogos
Children 2024, 11(3), 372; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11030372 - 21 Mar 2024
Viewed by 1709
Abstract
1. Background: Autism spectrum disorder and psychotic risk show several overlapping symptoms, so differential diagnosis is often difficult. In addition, there is a high rate of comorbidity between the two conditions, which further complicates the work of clinicians. We evaluated the presence of [...] Read more.
1. Background: Autism spectrum disorder and psychotic risk show several overlapping symptoms, so differential diagnosis is often difficult. In addition, there is a high rate of comorbidity between the two conditions, which further complicates the work of clinicians. We evaluated the presence of subthreshold psychotic symptoms and/or defined psychotic risk syndromes in autistic children and adolescents; we compared the prevalence, type, and severity of psychotic risk symptoms with those of a group of non-autistic patients at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P). 2. Methods: In total, 23 autistic patients and 14 CHR-P patients without autism (aged 8–17) were enrolled in the study. The main assessment was made through clinical interviews for autism (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition—ADOS-2, Autism Diagnostic Interview, Revised—ADI-R) and psychotic risk (Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument, Child and Youth version—SPI-CY, Structured Interview for Psychosis Risk Syndromes—SIPS). 3. Results: No above-threshold psychotic risk symptoms were detected in our autistic patients, but subthreshold psychotic symptoms were identified in all areas. Specific items from all four dimensions of SIPS appear to be more specific for psychotic risk than autism without comorbidity. 4. Conclusions: An a priori screening of psychotic risk in neurodiverse populations is fundamental to prevent more severe conditions. Research should clarify the effective specificity of the available tools to modify them to improve their detection capability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Children with Specific Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Assessment and Intervention)
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13 pages, 555 KiB  
Article
Assessment of Sensory Processing Issues in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Experiences of Maltreatment
by Ayako Ide-Okochi, Mu He, Tomofumi Tokieda, Satsuki Nakamura and Nobutomo Matsunaga
Children 2024, 11(2), 216; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11020216 - 7 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1994
Abstract
This study aims to identify the sensory characteristics of children with both developmental disabilities such as ASD and ADHD and a history of child maltreatment (DM group), children with developmental disabilities (DD group), and typically developed children (TD group). The sensory characteristics of [...] Read more.
This study aims to identify the sensory characteristics of children with both developmental disabilities such as ASD and ADHD and a history of child maltreatment (DM group), children with developmental disabilities (DD group), and typically developed children (TD group). The sensory characteristics of 24 children were assessed through virtual reality and self-administered questionnaires. The results elucidated that the duration of gazing at the “teacher” (60–75 s) was significantly different with the DM group’s gaze being shorter than the DD group’s gaze (p = 0.042). The duration of the “others” gaze (45–60 s) was also significantly different with the DM group’s gaze being longer than the DD and TD groups’ gaze (p = 0.018; p = 0.030). Additionally, the scores for tactile sensitivity, taste/smell sensitivity, under-responsive/seeks sensation, and the total short-term sensory profile were significantly different between the DM-DD and DD-TD groups. The scores of the heart rate perception test and Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness were significantly lower in the DM and DD groups. In conclusion, children who have experienced trauma and developmental disabilities may have different sensory characteristics than children with only developmental disabilities or none, implying the need for further research and tailored care. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Children with Specific Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Assessment and Intervention)
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19 pages, 661 KiB  
Systematic Review
Comparing Executive Functions in Children and Adolescents with Autism and ADHD—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
by Claudia Ceruti, Alessandra Mingozzi, Nicoletta Scionti and Gian Marco Marzocchi
Children 2024, 11(4), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11040473 - 15 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3374
Abstract
Two neurodevelopmental conditions, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have been associated with executive function (EF) impairments but the specificity of their impairments is still controversial. The present meta-analysis aimed to identify the differences in EF profiles of ASD, [...] Read more.
Two neurodevelopmental conditions, autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), have been associated with executive function (EF) impairments but the specificity of their impairments is still controversial. The present meta-analysis aimed to identify the differences in EF profiles of ASD, ADHD, and ASD+ADHD in relation to a control group of individuals with typical development (TD) and to understand whether the EF performance could change depending upon the type of measure used to assess EF (performance tests vs. questionnaires). Results from 36 eligible studies revealed that ADHD and ASD showed more difficulties than the TD group in tests and, particularly, in questionnaires. No significant differences in the EF profile emerged between ASD and ADHD when assessed through neuropsychological tests (d = 0.02), while significant differences emerged when assessed through questionnaires, with ADHD having higher ratings than ASD (d = −0.34). EF questionnaires and neuropsychological tests may catch two different constructs of EF, with the former being more predictive of everyday life EF impairments. The comparison between the double diagnosis group (ADHD+ASD) and the clinical groups pointed out that the former has a more similar EF profile to the ADHD-alone one and that it shows more difficulties than ASD-alone. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Children with Specific Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Assessment and Intervention)
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