Papers by Esther Ben-itzchak
INSAR 2019 Annual Meeting, May 2, 2019
INSAR 2019 Annual Meeting, May 2, 2019
INSAR 2018 Annual Meeting, May 10, 2018
Children
Concerns raised by parents regarding their child’s development are compatible with the child’s fi... more Concerns raised by parents regarding their child’s development are compatible with the child’s final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. A better understanding of the relationship between parental concerns and a final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder is therefore critical. In the current study, we compared the frequencies of parental concerns related to DSM-5 criteria for autism spectrum disorder between pair-matched groups with and without a final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and determined which parental concerns predicted a final diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. The cohort included 80 participants (48–154 months of age, IQ > 70) assessed for a possible autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. Parental concerns were retrieved from the free-description portion of the introductory questions of the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised and analyzed to assess whether they corresponded to any of the seven DSM-5 criteria for ASD. The two groups only differed in the fr...
Autism Research, Jul 19, 2013
Acta Paediatrica, Aug 19, 2021
BACKGROUND Studies of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report a high prevalence of ea... more BACKGROUND Studies of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) report a high prevalence of eating abnormalities (46-92%) compared to typically developed (TD) toddlers (25-50%), and food selectivity is considered the most frequent eating problem in ASD.1,2 Notwithstanding, there is no consensus regarding the meaning of the term "food selectivity". Children with ASD and food selectivity are at a greater risk for having inadequate intake of various minerals and vitamins that might affect development. Previous research reported that food selectivity was positively related to parent-reported autism symptoms but unrelated to autism severity or linguistic and cognitive abilities as measured by professionals.3 Two possible mechanisms4 may underlie co-morbid food selectivity in ASD: sensory over-responsivity and inflexible adherence to routines or rituals that are part of the restricted and repetitive behaviors (RRB) criterion for ASD. In addition, as meals often have social facets, food selectivity might also be related to deficits in the social-communication domain.
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Oct 1, 2007
Autism Research, May 25, 2020
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Oct 1, 2011
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Jun 25, 2013
Unusual responses to sensory stimuli have been described in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The st... more Unusual responses to sensory stimuli have been described in autism spectrum disorder (ASD).The study examined the frequencies of 'unusual sensory interests' and 'negative sensory responses' and their relation to functioning in a large ASD population (n = 679). Having 'unusual sensory interests' was reported in 70.4 % and 'negative sensory responses' in 66.0 % of the ASD group. Having 'unusual sensory interests' was associated with more severe reported and observed autism symptoms, lower cognitive ability and lower adaptive skills. In contrast, having 'negative sensory responses' was only associated with more severe reported stereotyped behaviors. It is suggested that having 'unusual sensory interests' is a part of a primary more severe type of ASD involving numerous developmental domains that might have a unique neurobiological origin.
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders, Nov 1, 2013
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, Aug 1, 2020
Autism, Mar 22, 2021
Controlled studies examining canine therapy in autism spectrum disorder are scarce. This study ex... more Controlled studies examining canine therapy in autism spectrum disorder are scarce. This study examined the effectiveness of a “Dog Training Intervention” on adaptive skills, autism severity, and anxiety using a controlled crossover design. Seventy-three participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder ( Mage = 4:10 ± 1:0) were divided into two groups that received the dog training intervention during half of the school year in addition to standard-of-care interventions. The dog training intervention, in which the children were taught how to interact with and train dogs, was given twice weekly for 4 months within autism spectrum disorder–specific special education school. Those receiving the dog training intervention first showed significantly increased adaptive social and communication skills compared to the controls, and the gains were maintained after the dog training intervention. Belonging to the first dog training intervention group, higher pre-intervention adaptive skills, higher baseline cognitive ability, and less severe autism severity predicted better adaptive social and communication skills. The controls improved in adaptive skills only during their receipt of dog training intervention after crossover. The positive impact on social communication skills suggests that dog training may serve as an effective model for establishing social interaction. Dog training intervention appears to be an effective adjunct treatment to interventions provided in special education schools for children with autism spectrum disorder. Lay abstract There is some evidence that using therapy dogs for children with autism spectrum disorder generally results in improved social communication skills and reduced behavioral problems. However, well-controlled studies that examine its effectiveness are scarce. This study examined the effectiveness of a “Dog Training Intervention.” The study included 73 participants diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (61 males, 12 females) with age range of 2:10–7:6 years ( M = 4:10 ± 1:0) who attend autism spectrum disorder–specific special education schools. The study population was divided into two groups. Each group received the dog training intervention during one part of the school year (first half or second half) in addition to the standard interventions provided by the special education school settings. The dog training intervention was given twice weekly for 4 months within the school setting. The group that received the dog training intervention first showed a significant increase in adaptive social and communication skills in comparison to the second group that did not receive the intervention in this period. This improvement was maintained after the dog training intervention. The second group, which received intervention at the second half of the year, showed improvement in communication and socialization adaptive skills only during the period in which they received the dog training intervention. The positive impact on social communication adaptive skills of the dog training intervention among young children with autism spectrum disorder suggests that dogs may serve as an effective model for establishing social interaction. Dog training intervention appears to be an effective adjunct treatment to the interventions provided in special education schools for young children with autism spectrum disorder.
Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Abstract Background Food selectivity is a frequent eating problem identified among children with ... more Abstract Background Food selectivity is a frequent eating problem identified among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Previous studies identified a positive association between parental reports of atypical eating habits and ASD symptom severity, and a simultaneous absence of this association among the professionals’ reports. However, the professionals in these studies had only short acquaintances with the children. Method We examined parental and day care professional (DCP) assessments of ASD symptom severity among children at school year start and end, in relation to selective eating. We included 62 children aged 19–45 months diagnosed with ASD attending government-funded Early Intervention Day Care Centers (EIDCCs). EIDCCs, designated for children diagnosed with ASD, provide standard comprehensive multidisciplinary ASD-specific treatments. Results Results showed parental reports of children’s ASD symptoms were positively associated with selective eating consistently over time. In contrast, DCP reports were not associated with selective eating, despite long acquaintance with the children. When comparing ASD symptoms of selective eaters vs. non-selective eaters, the gap between parental and DCP assessments was smaller among selective eaters. Generally, parents reported less severe ASD symptoms compared to DCPs, yet, over time, both parents and DCPs reported improvement. A decrease in food diversity was also found associated with age, originating as early as toddlerhood. Conclusion Differences between parents and day care professionals on assessments of ASD symptom severity, in relation to parent reports of selective eating behavior, were maintained over time. Our findings emphasize the importance of early interventions that address atypical eating habits at young ages.
Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders
International journal of child health and human development, 2013
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Papers by Esther Ben-itzchak