Search Results (215)

Background/Objectives: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder frequently associated with other neuropsychiatric conditions, characterized by high clinical heterogeneity and a complex genetic background. Recent studies suggest that copy number variations (CNVs) may contribute to ADHD susceptibility, particularly when involving genes related to brain development, attention regulation, and impulse control. This study investigated the association between CNVs and ADHD phenotype by identifying patients with and without potential pathogenic CNVs. Methods: We evaluated 152 well-characterized ADHD pediatric patients through comprehensive clinical assessments, including dysmorphic features, brain MRI, EEG patterns, and cognitive testing. CNVs were identified using array Comparative Genomic Hybridization (array-CGH). Participants were classified as carrying potentially causative CNVs (PC-CNVs), non-causative CNVs (NC-CNVs), or without CNVs (W-CNVs) and statistically compared across clinical and neurodevelopmental measures. Results: CNVs were identified in 81 participants (53%), comprising 13 with PC-CNVs (8.5%) and 68 with NC-CNVs (44.7%). ADHD symptoms were pronounced across all groups, but PC-CNVs showed a higher burden of comorbidities, suggesting a stronger genetic contribution to ADHD complexity. Significant differences were observed in oppositional behavior, inattentive symptoms, brain MRI findings, and developmental language anomalies. Several CNVs involved genes previously implicated in neurodevelopmental disorders, supporting a potential genetic contribution to the clinical complexity of ADHD. Conclusions: This exploratory study supports the role of CNVs in ADHD susceptibility and highlights the value of genetic screening for understanding clinical variability. Larger studies are needed to clarify genotype–phenotype correlations in ADHD and to guide personalized clinical management. Full article

Background: Preterm birth is associated with increased risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. Although standardized tools such as the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development—Third Edition (BSID-III) are widely used for early developmental assessment, parent-report measures may offer complementary and cost-effective alternatives. The Developmental Profile 3 (DP-3) is a parent questionnaire with potential utility in preterm follow-up programs. Objective: To compare developmental outcomes of preterm infants at 12 months corrected age assessed using the BSID-III and the DP-3 questionnaires and to evaluate the agreement between these tools across cognitive, language-communication, motor, and social-emotional domains. Methods: Fifty-five preterm infants (mean GA = 30.3 weeks; mean BW = 1388 g) were assessed using both the BSID-III (administered by professionals) and the DP-3 (completed by parents) at 12 months corrected age. Mean scores were computed for each domain, and infants were assigned to the corresponding descriptive categories. The agreement between BSID-III and DP-3 scores was statistically evaluated. Results: Both instruments identified similar developmental trends, with motor development emerging as the most vulnerable domain for preterm infants. DP-3 scores were higher than BSID-III scores in virtually all domains, and absolute intraclass correlation coefficients showed a generally moderate agreement between measurements. The BSID-III identified significantly more infants at risk in the cognitive and social-emotional areas compared to the DP-3. Conclusions: The DP-3 showed fair convergence with the BSID-III, supporting its use as a complementary tool in preterm follow-up. Extending follow-up assessments into later developmental stages will be essential to more accurately determine the predictive validity of the DP-3. Full article

Background: While attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is characterized by neurodevelopmental heterogeneity, the influence of familial structural factors—particularly parental age and skipped-generation caregiving—on comorbidity patterns remains insufficiently studied. This study examined the associations between parent–child age gaps, skipped-generation family structures, and psychiatric comorbidities in children with ADHD. Methods: Data came from Taiwan’s NHIRD (2009–2013), including 79,163 ADHD cases and 395,815 matched controls. Key variables included maternal and paternal age at childbirth and grandparent-paid insurance premiums as a proxy for skipped-generation caregiving. Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) for 20 psychiatric and developmental comorbidities. Results: Children with ADHD exhibited significantly higher odds of various comorbidities, including oppositional defiant disorder (OR = 147.05, 95% CI = 101.0–214.1), somatoform disorder (OR = 25.78, 95% CI = 7.96–83.46), anxiety disorder (OR = 24.49, 95% CI = 17.9–33.5), emotional disturbances during childhood and adolescence (OR = 13.99, 95% CI = 9.15–21.4), and autism spectrum disorder (OR = 8.07, 95% CI = 6.63–9.82). Advanced maternal age (>35 years) was associated with increased odds of autism spectrum disorder (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.29–1.67) and speech/language delay (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.17–1.52), whereas younger maternal age (≤25 years) was linked to higher odds of anxiety disorder (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.13–1.33) and adjustment reaction (OR = 1.41, 95% CI: 0.95–2.11). Maternal age under 20 years showed the highest odds for bipolar disorder (OR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.04–3.88). For paternal age, older age (>35 years) was associated with increased odds of autism (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04–1.26) and speech/language delay (OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.04–1.27), whereas paternal age ≤20 years was strongly linked to bipolar disorder (OR = 3.58, 95% CI: 1.54–8.32) and anxiety (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.01–1.93). Children from skipped-generation families—defined as grandparent-paid insurance premiums without parental cohabitation—had significantly higher odds of bipolar disorder (OR = 2.88, 95% CI: 1.36–6.11), personality disorder (OR = 9.23, 95% CI: 2.23–38.20), adjustment reaction (OR = 2.23, 95% CI: 1.39–3.59), and emotional disturbances during childhood/adolescence (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.13–2.54). Conclusions: Both extremes of parental age and skipped-generation caregiving are linked to specific associations with certain psychiatric comorbidity patterns in children with ADHD. These findings highlight the importance of integrating family structure into diagnostic assessments and treatment planning and support the development of targeted early interventions. Full article

Background: Neurodivergent students, including those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), frequently encounter challenges in several areas of foreign language (FL) learning, including vocabulary acquisition. This exploratory study aimed to investigate real-time English as a Foreign Language (EFL) word recognition using eye tracking within the Visual World Paradigm (VWP). Specifically, it examined whether gaze patterns could serve as indicators of successful word recognition, how these patterns varied across three distractor types (semantic, phonological, unrelated), and whether age and vocabulary knowledge influenced visual attention during word processing. Methods: Eye-tracking data were collected from 17 children aged 6–10 years with ADHD or ASD while they completed EFL word recognition tasks. Analyses focused on gaze metrics across target and distractor images to identify percentile-based thresholds as potential data-driven markers of recognition. Group differences (ADHD vs. ASD) and the roles of age and vocabulary knowledge were also examined. Results: Children with ADHD exhibited increased fixations on phonological distractors, indicating higher susceptibility to interference, whereas children with ASD demonstrated more distributed attention, often attracted by semantic cues. Older participants and those with higher vocabulary scores showed more efficient gaze behavior, characterized by increased fixations on target images, greater attention to relevant stimuli, and reduced attention to distractors. Conclusions: Percentile-based thresholds in gaze metrics may provide useful markers of word recognition in neurodivergent learners. Findings underscore the importance of differentiated instructional strategies in EFL education for children with ADHD and ASD. The study further supports the integration of eye tracking with behavioral assessments to advance understanding of language processing in atypical developmental contexts. Full article

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) deals with several symptoms, including language and speech impairment and developmental delays. The main brain regions affected could be the prefrontal cortex (PFC) or the temporal lobe. The detrimental features could include oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. Most often, these phenomena are interrelated and can lead to one another, creating a vicious cycle. They also influence the regulation of certain genes involved in the pathogenesis of ASD or related behavior. In the brain regions prone to these detrimental features, a cascade of free radicals, inflammatory cytokines, and mitochondrial energy disruptions is initiated. These actions during the prenatal or developmental stage of the child potentially lead to ASD symptomatic features, such as social isolation, communication difficulty, speech and language impairment, cognitive dysfunction, and intellectual disability. The more recent theories, including genetics, epigenetics, and the gut–brain axis, have been demonstrated to play a greater role in ASD pathology, often being associated with the more common ones as mentioned above. We also introduced some of the neurological disorders possessing shared genetic and behavioral traits with ASD. Many genes playing a role in ASD-like features and their potential targeted drugs were explained briefly. However, there are limited therapeutic options, and molecular pathways related to this disorder are less explored. Currently, researchers and therapists are racing to uncover a concrete remedy. This review also provides a brief outline of potential antioxidant, mitochondrial, and anti-inflammatory therapies. We finally included some novel strategies to diagnose and manage autistic pathology and symptoms. Full article

Background: Eating disorders (EDs) and self-harm (SH) are both associated with distress, poor psychosocial functioning, and increased risk of mortality. Much of the literature discusses the complex interplay between SH and ED behaviours where co-occurrence is common. The onset of both is typically seen during teenage years into early adulthood. A better understanding of the functions of these behaviours is needed to guide effective prevention and treatment, particularly during the crucial developmental years. An earlier review has explored the functions of self-harm, but an equivalent review for eating disorder behaviours does not appear to have been completed. Objectives: This evidence synthesis had two objectives. First, to identify and synthesise published first-hand accounts of the reasons why people engage in eating disorder behaviours with the view to develop a broad theoretical framework of functions. Second, to draw comparisons between the functions of eating disorder behaviours and self-harm. Methods: A qualitative evidence synthesis reporting first-hand accounts of the reasons for engaging in eating disorder behaviours. A ‘best fit’ framework synthesis, using the a priori framework from the review of self-harm functions, was undertaken with thematic analysis to categorise responses. Results: Following a systematic search and rigorous screening process, 144 studies were included in the final review. The most commonly reported functions of eating disorder behaviours were distress management (affect regulation) and interpersonal influence. This review identified significant overlap in functions between self-harm and eating disorder behaviours. Gender identity, responding to food insecurity, to delay growing up and responding to weight, shape, and body ideals were identified as functions more salient to eating disorder behaviours. Similarly, some self-harm functions were not identified in the eating disorder literature. These were experimenting, averting suicide, personal language, and exploring/maintaining boundaries. Conclusions: This evidence synthesis identified a prominent overlap between psychological functions of eating disorder behaviours and self-harm, specifically in relation to distress management (affect regulation). Despite clear overlap in certain areas, some functions were found to be distinct to each behaviour. The implications for delivering and adapting targeted interventions are discussed. Full article

Background: Understanding the origin and natural organization of early infant vocalizations is important for predicting communication and language abilities in later years. The very frequent production of speech-like vocalizations (hereafter “protophones”), occurring largely independently of interaction, is part of this developmental process. Objectives: This study aims to investigate the gap durations (time intervals) between protophones, comparing typically developing (TD) infants and infants later diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in a naturalistic setting where endogenous protophones occur frequently. Additionally, we explore potential age-related variations and sex differences in gap durations. Methods: We analyzed ~1500 five min recording segments from longitudinal all-day home recordings of 147 infants (103 TD infants and 44 autistic infants) during their first year of life. The data included over 90,000 infant protophones. Human coding was employed to ensure maximally accurate timing data. This method included the human judgment of gap durations specified based on time-domain and spectrographic displays. Results and Conclusions: Short gap durations occurred between protophones produced by infants, with a mode between 301 and 400 ms, roughly the length of an infant syllable, across all diagnoses, sex, and age groups. However, we found significant differences in the gap duration distributions between ASD and TD groups when infant-directed speech (IDS) was relatively frequent, as well as across age groups and sexes. The Generalized Linear Modeling (GLM) results confirmed these findings and revealed longer gap durations associated with higher IDS, female sex, older age, and TD diagnosis. Age-related differences and sex differences were highly significant for both diagnosis groups. Full article

Background/Objectives: Communication disorders in childhood, including expressive, receptive, pragmatic, and fluency impairments, have been consistently linked to mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and behavioural difficulties. However, existing research remains fragmented across diagnostic categories and developmental stages. This scoping review aimed to synthesise empirical evidence on the relationship between communication disorders and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents and to identify key patterns and implications for practice and policy. Methods: Following the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) and Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, this review included empirical studies published in English between 2000 and 2024. Five databases were searched, and ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were charted and thematically analysed to explore associations across communication profiles and emotional–behavioural outcomes. Results: Four interconnected themes were identified: (1) emotional and behavioural manifestations of communication disorders; (2) social burden linked to pragmatic and expressive difficulties; (3) family and environmental stressors exacerbating child-level challenges; and (4) a lack of integrated care models addressing both communication and mental health needs. The findings highlight that communication disorders frequently co-occur with emotional difficulties, often embedded within broader social and systemic contexts. Conclusions: This review underscores the need for developmentally informed, culturally responsive, and interdisciplinary service models that address both communication and mental health in children. Early identification, family-centred care, and policy reforms are critical to reducing inequities and improving outcomes for this underserved population. Full article

Background/Objectives: Atypical sensory processing is increasingly recognized as a transdiagnostic dimension of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), with critical implications for emotional and behavioral regulation. This study aimed to identify distinct sensory profiles in preschool children with NDDs and to examine their associations with emotional–behavioral and cognitive/developmental functioning. Methods: A total of 263 children (aged 21–71 months) diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), language disorder (LD), or other NDDs (ONDD) were recruited. Sensory processing was assessed using the SPM-P, emotional–behavioral functioning was assessed via the CBCL 1½–5, and cognitive/developmental levels were assessed through standardized instruments. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was conducted to identify sensory subtypes. Group comparisons and multinomial logistic regression were used to examine profile characteristics and predictors of profile membership. Results: Three sensory profiles emerged: (1) Multisystemic Sensory Dysfunction (20.1%), characterized by pervasive sensory and emotional difficulties, primarily observed in ASD; (2) Typical Sensory Processing (44.9%), showing normative sensory and emotional functioning, predominantly LD; and (3) Mixed Subclinical Sensory Processing (35%), with subclinical-range scores across multiple sensory and emotional domains, spanning all diagnoses. Higher cognitive functioning and fewer internalizing symptoms significantly predicted membership in the typical profile. A gradient of symptom severity was observed across profiles, with the Multisystemic group showing the most pronounced emotional–behavioral impairments. Conclusions: Distinct sensory–emotional phenotypes were identified across diagnostic categories, supporting a dimensional model of neurodevelopment. Sensory profiles were strongly associated with emotional functioning, independently of diagnostic status. Early sensory assessment may therefore offer clinically meaningful insights into emotional vulnerability and inform targeted interventions in preschool populations with NDDs. Full article

Background/Objectives: Developmental disabilities substantially affect the daily lives of children and their families. Although interest in examining the developmental profiles of children with various disabilities has grown, few studies have systematically compared them. This study aimed to characterize the developmental profiles of preschool-aged children with different disabilities. It was hypothesized that developmental profiles would differ depending on the type of developmental disability. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Scores on the Battelle^® Developmental Inventory, 2nd Edition (BDI−2) were retrieved for a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 46 children diagnosed with Down syndrome (DS) (n = 22), global developmental delay (GDD) (n = 17), and developmental language disorder (DLD) (n = 7) upon completion of an early intervention program. Developmental quotients (DQs) for the overall BDI−2 and for each domain were determined. Results: The children’s mean age was 42.39 ± 5.23 months (range: 30–57). Significant differences were observed among groups with regard to global DQ and all domain-specific DQs (p ≤ 0.01). The GDD group demonstrated the highest DQs across all domains and globally, in comparison to the other groups. Conversely, children with DS had substantially lower DQs across all domains and globally compared to those with GDD, and in the motor and communication domains compared to children with DLD. Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of early intervention strategies to improve communication in children with DS and highlight the need for regular assessments to monitor progress and identify potential limitations, particularly during the preschool-to-school transition. Additionally, specialists should advise parents of children with DLD to adopt specific behaviors that support the development of their children’s social, adaptive, and language skills. Full article

Background: Several studies document the importance of communicative abilities for children’s development. Especially in recent years verbal communication in preschool children with developmental language disorder (DLD) has been studied, relying heavily on statistical analysis, outcome measures, or/and parents’ reports. Purpose: This explorative study investigates the effects of speech therapy on the development of language and verbal communication skills in preschool children with DLD within their peer group in a day-to-day setting using objective video-documentation. Hypothesis: Speech therapy leads to improvement of language, communication, and possibly to concurrent development of both language and verbal communication skills in preschool children. Methods: Preliminary prospective study to assess language and verbal communications skills of nine preschool children (seven boys, two girls, 4–6 y) with DLD in a speech therapy kindergarten using video recordings over a one-year therapy period. The communicative participation of the members of the peer group was assessed and included the verbal address (Av) and the ratio of “verbal address/verbal reaction” (Av/Rv). Results: The investigation results in evidence for two outcome groups: One group with suspected preferential verbal communication disorders (n = 4) was characterised by a high Av/Rv value, meaning they were scored to have a normal or high verbal address (Av) and a low verbal response (Rv) (predominantly interpersonal communication related disorder). This group showed minimal changes in the short term but demonstrated improvement after 5 years of schooling; thus, pedagogical activities seemed to be particularly effective for these children. The second group showed a balanced Av/Rv ratio (predominantly language related disorder) (n = 5); but after five years they demonstrated a partial need for special school support measures. This group may therefore particularly benefit from speech therapy. Conclusions: The present study clearly shows that even with speech-language therapy, the linguistic ability of DLD-disturbed children does not necessarily develop simultaneously with their communication ability. Rather, the investigations provide evidence for two groups of preschool children with DLD and communication disorder: One group demonstrated a predominantly verbal communication related disorder, where pedagogical intervention might be the more important treatment. The second group showed predominantly DLD, therefore making speech therapy the more effective intervention. In this study, all children expressed their desire to communicate with their peers. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study determining the ability to communicate in a preschool cohort with DLD using characterisation with video documentation in a follow-up for 1 year. Full article

Background/Objectives: Emotional interactions between mothers and children are essential for later developmental outcomes such as children’s health, social competence, and language skills. However, an observational assessment of such interactions cannot reveal how mothers perceive their relationships with their children. Therefore, in this study, we translated and validated the Japanese version of the Emotional Availability Self-Report (EA-SR-J) and examined its factor structure, reliability, and validity. Methods: The participants were 739 Japanese mothers with children aged from 1 month to 5 years and 11 months. Results: Exploratory factor analysis revealed 19 items and four factors (Affect Quality, Hostility, Mutual Attunement, and Child Involvement with Parent) for the EA-SR-J. However, Intrusiveness was removed, and some items were assigned to different factors compared with the original scale. Cronbach’s alpha of each subscale ranged from 0.81 to 0.88, indicating sufficient internal consistency. The convergent validity of the scale was confirmed with expected correlations with variables related to attachment and child-rearing style. Discriminant validity was confirmed by group differences in variables related to children’s autism spectrum disorder symptoms and mothers’ depression symptoms. Conclusions: Although the EA-SR-J contains fewer items than the original scale, with the Intrusiveness item removed, it remains a reliable and valid tool. Further studies using the Emotional Availability Scale based on observation are needed in the future. Full article

This quasi-experimental study investigates the impact of an embodied intervention on the semantics of transitive verbs in children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD), grounded in the “TIME IS SPACE” conceptual metaphor—where the future is mapped as forward and the past as backward. The intervention involved a pretest and a posttest design, using the induced plasticity technique to saturate motor areas through repetitive arm movements (either forward or backward). Then, we determined the influence of this saturation on the auditory comprehension of past- and future-tense sentences. Fifty-seven children (ages 5 years and 6 months to 6 years and 9 months) participated in the experiment. Participants were divided into four groups: two groups of children with DLD—14 Chilean students from speech therapy institutions who received the intervention and 15 who did not—and two groups of chronologically matched typically developing (TD) peers, with 14 children in each intervention condition. The hypothesis proposed that a psychoeducational intervention would enhance the comprehension of time–space conceptual metaphors in children with DLD, reflected by greater interference effects (higher RTs and lower ARs in matching vs. mismatching conditions). A 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 mixed ANOVA was used to identify significant differences in reaction times and accuracy rates. Results showed significant differences in the posttest for the DLD group with intervention versus the same group without intervention, particularly in the semantics of future tense with forward motion. Furthermore, the study found that the impact of the intervention depended on the level of narrative discourse comprehension. These findings suggest that embodied interventions leveraging metaphorical mappings of time and space can enhance verb tense comprehension, particularly in preschoolers with narrative comprehension challenges. Full article

Background/Objectives: Early identification and intervention in speech and language therapy (SLT) are essential for children’s academic, social, and emotional development. In Cyprus, barriers such as long waiting lists, financial constraints, and limited public awareness restrict access to SLT services. University-led clinics offer a promising alternative by providing affordable, accessible care while training future clinicians. This study aimed to examine the demographic profiles, referral pathways, and diagnostic patterns of children accessing services at a university-led SLT clinic. By documenting referral trends and diagnostic outcomes, this study offers preliminary insights into patterns of service use and potential access disparities in the Cypriot context. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using records from 235 children, aged 0;7 to 15 years, assessed at the University Rehabilitation Clinic between 2015 and 2024. Data included age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), bilingualism, referral source, and diagnostic outcomes. Diagnoses were classified using Bishop et al.’s (2016) framework. Results: Significant associations were identified between age, parental education, referral source, and diagnostic category. Older children (9;1–12 years) demonstrated a markedly increased likelihood of receiving a developmental language disorder (DLD) diagnosis. Higher parental education levels and referrals from teachers or parents were also predictive of DLD and other communication impairments. Bilingualism was not a significant predictor of diagnostic category. Conclusions: The findings suggest that university-led clinics may serve as an important access point for underserved populations in Cyprus. This study provides preliminary evidence concerning demographic and referral factors that can inform outreach strategies and future service planning. Full article

Focus on form (FonF) teaching interventions have been widely employed to help second language learners notice a target grammatical form while their attention is on meaning, i.e., establishing new form–meaning connections. These interventions can be input-based, focusing on the processing of input (i.e., Processing Instruction), or output-based, focusing on production within communicative activities (i.e., Dictogloss). The current pilot study explored whether such teaching interventions would be beneficial for children with DLD. The study employed Processing Instruction and Dictogloss for the teaching of passives in two groups of Greek school-aged children with DLD. The study applied pre-tests and (delayed) post-tests to explore (a) the potential (long-term) effectiveness of the interventions, and (b) potential differences in their effectiveness within this population. The findings indicate that both Processing Instruction and Dictogloss can be promising interventions for Greek children with DLD since they both led to learning gains and retention two weeks after the interventions across all tasks (comprehension, production, and sentence repetition). However, Dictogloss was more effective in production, while Processing Instruction in sentence repetition (when accuracy scores are measured). Full article