Despite encouraging evidence for the efficacy of comprehensive and intensive behavioral intervention (CIBI) programs, the majority of studies have focused on relatively narrow, deficit-focused outcomes. More specifically, although adaptive social com...
Background: Developmental delay and intellectual disability are two pivotal elements of the phenotype of Pallister–Killian Syndrome (PKS). Our study aims to define the cognitive, adaptive, behavioral, and sensory profile of these patients and t...
Background: Social Communication Disorder (SCD), introduced in the DSM-5, is distinguished from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) by the absence of restricted and repetitive behaviors or interests (RRBIs). Aim: To compare the adaptive, sensory, communic...
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is frequently associated with gastrointestinal symptoms, immune dysregulation, and altered microbiota-related signaling, supporting interest in microbiota-targeted interventions. This study evaluated adaptive functionin...
Background/Objectives: Level 1 autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterised by challenges in social and communication skills. Despite these difficulties, individuals with level 1 ASD often exhibit average intelligenc...
Background/Objectives: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition requiring personalised therapeutic approaches. This study evaluated the effectiveness of Equine-Assisted Activities and Therapies (EAATs) in 86 children w...
As adaptive skills (AS) are dynamic and may indicate the success of an intervention, they are a common domain measured in clinical trials. Typical interview tools for measuring AS are time-consuming, and questionnaire measures often lead to inconsist...
Background: In Down syndrome (DS), adaptive behaviour often shows a “surplus effect” (i.e., higher adaptive abilities than expected from cognitive skills). As inclusive schooling has become mandatory in Italy, we studied the impact of school inclusio...
Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can be conceptualized not as a static condition but as a dynamic disorder of developmental regulation, in which neuroplastic potential is translated into functional gains only through structured, experience-...
Adaptive behaviour has been viewed broadly as an individual’s ability to meet the standards of social responsibilities and independence; however, this definition has been a source of debate amongst researchers and clinicians. Based on the rich histor...
Intellectual disability (ID)—termed intellectual developmental disorder in DSM-5-TR and disorders of intellectual development in ICD-11—is a heterogeneous spectrum of neurodevelopmental conditions characterized by impairments in general i...
Primary care integration of Down syndrome (DS)-specific dementia screening is strongly advised. The current study employed principal components analysis (PCA) and classification and regression tree (CART) analyses to identify an abbreviated battery f...
30 April 2026
Sensory alterations affect 90% of individuals with autism and have been recognized in the DSM-5 as a diagnostic criterion. These alterations often exacerbate emotional stress and may increase levels of anxiety, impacting everyday life activities. The...
28 October 2022
A diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition (autism) provides limited information regarding an individual’s level of functioning, information key in determining support and funding needs. Using the framework introduced by Arksey and O’Mal...
Background/Objectives: Phelan–McDermid syndrome (PMS), caused by either chromosome 22q13.3 deletions or pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants in the SHANK3 gene, is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder. Behavioral issues greatly impair the qualit...
Background/Objective: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by lifelong impacts on functional social and daily living skills, and restricted, repetitive behaviors (RRBs). Applied behavior analysis (ABA), the g...
The study’s aim was to evaluate electroretinographic (ERG) alterations in Fragile X syndrome (FXS), FMR1 premutation carriers, and controls, and to explore correlations with peripheral blood FMRP expression levels and behavioral outcomes. ERG r...
18 February 2022
Parent training (PT) has been well established in younger children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but is less well studied in adolescents. This study examined the effects of attempting PT to enhance the daily living skills (DLSs) of adolescents...
Background: Folate receptor alpha autoantibodies (FRAAs) during pregnancy impair placental and cerebral folate transport, predisposing the developing brain to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) through cerebral folate deficiency (CFD). A previously publi...
Physical environmental factors affect the developmental process of children. Thus, the main purpose of the present study was to investigate the two intervention models of affordances on the motor proficiency and social maturity of children. A semi-ex...
11 August 2022
Individuals who are prelingually deaf and have intellectual disabilities experience great challenges in their language, cognitive and social development, leading to heterogeneous profiles of intellectual and adaptive functioning. The present study de...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a medically centered, interdisciplinary treatment model on adaptive behavior in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The Cortica model involves a comprehensive program includin...
Vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency (B12D) can have detrimental effects on early growth and development. The Austrian newborn screening (NBS) program targets inborn errors of cobalamin metabolism and also detects B12D. Of 59 included neonates with B12D susp...
This study aimed to analyze the adaptive skills of children with intellectual disabilities in institutional care. We focused on communication, socialization, daily living skills and their relationship with risk factors, and institutional care. Our sa...
The study’s aim was to determine the prevalence of depression and anxiety in children with Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) and their effects on social relationships and family acceptance. The Pediatric Symptom Checklist—35 items (...
20 September 2022
The main goal of our research was to monitor changes in the mental health of Slovak families with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared to families with neurotypical children during three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. We focused on...
Parents’ attitudes and practices may support the children’s reactions to treatments for leukaemia and their general adjustment. This study has two aims: to explore parenting depending on the child’s age and to develop and test a model on how family p...
19 July 2025
Approximately 18% of U.S. children experience cognitive and behavioral challenges, with both genetic and environmental contributors. We examined if household insecticides, particularly those used in and around the home and on pets, are associated wit...
In this study, a lumped parameter model, developed and extensively validated by the authors, is used to simulate the impact of three different dehumidification technologies (mechanical refrigeration dehumidifier, liquid desiccant dehumidifier, and a...
Cardiac arrest (CA) is associated with high mortality and poor life quality. Targeted temperature management (TTM) or therapeutic hypothermia is a therapy increasing the survival of adult patients after CA. The study aim was to assess the feasibility...
22 March 2022
Increasing evidence exists for an association between early life fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure and several neurodevelopmental outcomes, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD); however, the association between PM2.5 and adaptive and cogni...
Background: The last decade has seen a growing number of comparative studies on adaptive profiles between individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Williams–Beuren syndrome (WBS), showing shared and syndrome-specific adaptive trajecto...
The relationship between epilepsy, epileptiform discharges, cognitive, language and behavioral symptoms is not clearly understood. Since difficulties with socialization and maladaptive behaviors are found in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (AS...
Early childhood is considered to be a period of rapid development, with the acquisition of abilities predicting future positive school competences. Motor, cognitive, and social difficulties related to cancer therapies heavily impact the development o...
Poor knowledge is available on the effectiveness of reading to dogs in educational settings, particularly in children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). In this study, we test the hypothesis that reading to a dog improves propensity towards books...
Introduction: Adaptive behavior, defined as a critical set of skills learned and performed throughout daily life to cope with society’s age-appropriate expectations, is a central concept for people with disabilities in both clinical and researc...
Research on physical activity (PA) interventions for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown benefits in various domains, yet questions remain about how to implement such interventions in adolescents effectively. This study case-ser...
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by a complex, multifactorial etiology with a strong genetic contribution. Our study aimed to evaluate the link between the burden of rar...
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is frequently accompanied by gastrointestinal disturbances, dietary selectivity, and altered stress responses, with growing evidence pointing to gut–brain axis involvement. While intestinal microbiota has been ext...
Background/Objectives: This study examines the effectiveness of equine-assisted intervention (EAI) in improving adaptive behaviour and motor skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods: To that effect, a self-controlled experiment...
KBG syndrome (KBGS) is a rare Mendelian condition caused by heterozygous mutations in ANKRD11 or microdeletions in chromosome 16q24.3 encompassing the gene. KBGS is clinically variable, which makes its diagnosis difficult in a significant proportion...
This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the evolution of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnostics, tracing its progression from psychoanalytic origins to the integration of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. The study explo...
Although Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is recognized as being heavily influenced by genetic factors, the role of epigenetic and environmental factors is still being established. This study aimed to identify ASD vulnerability components based on fam...
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), a rare genetic disorder caused by the lack of expression of paternal genes from chromosome 15q11-13, has been investigated for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptomatology in various studies. However, previous findings h...
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication deficits, repetitive behaviors, and frequent gastrointestinal comorbidities. Emerging research suggests gut microbiota alterati...
Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is characterized by social communication deficits, restricted/repetitive behaviors, sensory processing atypicalities, and impaired adaptive functioning. Neuropsychomotor Therapy of Early Development (TNPEE)...
Somatosensory and haptic perception deficit was commonly found in developmental coordination disorder (DCD) and was closely related to fine motor functions, and the intervention strategies should thus emphasize improving the underlying haptic functio...
Background: Occupational therapists often provide sensory integration therapy (SIT) as part of interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, evidence supporting its effectiveness remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed...
Background: Multiple research teams have documented various abnormalities in erythrocyte properties in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) compared with neurotypical individuals. Reduced erythrocyte deformability, a crucial factor for microc...
Background and Objectives: This study aimed to determine the initial clinical characteristics of children diagnosed with intentional head trauma (IHT) to obtain information about the long-term developmental, psychological, and psychosocial status of...
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