Journal articles on the topic 'Pervasive developmental delay'

This study was performed to evaluate the cerebral protein synthesis rate of language brain regions in children with developmental delay with and without pervasive developmental disorder. The authors performed L-[1-11C]-leucine positron emission tomography (PET) on 8 developmental delay children with pervasive developmental disorder (mean age, 76.25 months) and 8 developmental delay children without pervasive developmental disorder (mean age, 77.63 months). They found a higher protein synthesis rate in developmental delay children with pervasive developmental disorder in the left posterior middle temporal region ( P = .014). There was a significant correlation of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale autism index score with the protein synthesis rate of the left posterior middle temporal region ( r = .496, P = .05). In addition, significant asymmetric protein synthesis (right > left) was observed in developmental delay children without pervasive developmental disorder in the middle frontal and posterior middle temporal regions ( P = .03 and P = .04, respectively). In conclusion, abnormal language area protein synthesis in developmentally delayed children may be related to pervasive symptoms.

This is a case study of a group run over ten sessions with a class of children, aged between ten and twelve, in a special school. All of the children had a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder, which included Rett's disorder, Autism, and Asperger's Syndrome. In addition two children had a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), one had some loss of vision, two had dyspraxia on fine motor skills, one had Tourette's disorder, and one had Goldenhar Syndrome with an associated disorder of expressive speech. The children were from diverse ethnic backgrounds. The factors they had in common were cognitive delay and low skill levels with the kind of communication skills needed to initiate and develop friendships. The therapy focussed on social skills involved in making and maintaining friendships. The aim of the programme was to improve key skills, and to encourage the group members to telephone peers to have a conversation or to invite them to come and play. All of the children had previous experience of dramatherapy.

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to extend the literature on the ontogeny of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by examining early attainment and loss of specific sociocommunicative skills in children with autism (AUT; n = 125), pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS; n = 42), nonspectrum developmental delays (n = 46), and typical development (n = 31). The ages of skill attainment and loss were obtained from a caregiver interview. The findings indicated that children with AUT, PDD-NOS, and developmental delays diverged from typically developing children in attainment of sociocommunicative skills early in the first year of life. Loss of at least one skill was reported in a majority of children with AUT and PDD-NOS. Significant delays in attainment of skills were also reported in children who lost skills. The wide variation in skill attainment and loss reported across children indicates that symptom onset and regression may be best represented continuously, with at least some early delay and loss present for a great majority of children with ASD.

Background Impairments in language and related socialcommunication skills can be found in children with pervasivedevelopmental disorders (POD) and other developmentallanguage disorders (non-POD). These conditions lead to decisionof enrolling children with language disorders to speech therapydespite that it is not the therapy of choice for POD.Objectives To explore the differences in receptive language, verbal expressive language, and non-verbal expressive language between PDD and non-POD childrenMethods A cross sectional study was performed in October2008 to January 2009. Questionnaire using the MacArthurcommunicative development inventory (CDI) was filled byparents whose children were PDD and non-PDD patients aged 1to 3 years old. The diagnosis ofPDD was based on the diagnosticand statistical manual IV.Results A total of 42 PDD and 42 non-POD subjects wereevaluated. There was significant difference between PDD and nonPOD in receptive language [P= 0.01 (95% CI -170.63 to -24.33)in 12 to 24 month-old subjects and P< 0.01 (95% CI -158.28to -92.99) in > 24 to 36 month-old subjects] and non-verbalexpressive language [P= 0.01 (95% CI -20.96 to -1.96) in 12 to24 month-old subjects and P< 0.01 (95% CI -22.65 to -10.5) in> 24 to 36 month-old subjects]. Verbal expressive language wasnot significantly different between POD and non-POD childrenage 1 to 3 year-old.Conclusions PDD children are more likely to have a delay inreceptive language and non-verbal expressive language compare to non-POD children. Verbal expressive language can not be used to differentiate POD and non-POD children.

Abstract Background Early intervention (EI) and special education (SE) are beneficial for children with developmental disabilities and/or delays and their families, yet there are disparities in service use. We sought to identify the birth characteristics that predict EI/SE service use patterns. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using linked administrative data from five sources for all children born in 1998 to New York City resident mothers. Multinomial regression was used to identify birth characteristics that predicted predominant patterns of service use. Results Children with service use patterns characterized by late or limited/no EI use were more likely to be first-born children and have Black or Latina mothers. Children born with a gestational age ≤31 weeks were more likely to enter services early. Early term gestational age was associated with patterns of service use common to children with pervasive developmental delay, and maternal obesity was associated with the initiation of speech therapy at the time of entry into school. Conclusions Maternal racial disparities existed for patterns of EI/SE service use. Specific birth characteristics, such as parity and gestational age, may be useful to better identify children who are at risk for suboptimal EI use.

Integrated Movement Therapy™ is an individual and group therapy approach that combines speech-language pathology, behavioral and mental health counseling,and Yoga. It is taught by master-degreed therapists who are also certified Yoga instructors. Although this approach has been successfully implemented with children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD), Learning Disabilities, Pervasive Developmental Delay, Sensory Integration Dysfunction, Dyspraxia,and other specific motor-based disorders, it has had especially consistent and remarkable results with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Integrated Movement Therapy has six core principles:structure and continuity, social interaction, language stimulation, self-calming, physical stimulation, and direct self-esteem building. The following article will describe Autism Spectrum Disorders in depth and will show how each of the six core principles of Integrated Movement Therapy specifically addresses the characteristics associated with Autism. It will also note specific, documented improvements in all areas addressed based on qualitative ratings scales and parent feedback.

Background: Rett syndrome-RS comes under Autism spectrum disorder-ASD which is a neurodevelopmental syndrome. It is diagnosed by the main differentiating features of lack of interpersonal and communication skills, poor eye contact, delayed speech with pervasive abnormal body movements. Aim and Objectives: This case report is aimed at dissemination of comprehensive role of Ayurveda in management of ASD, Rett syndrome. Material and Methods: RS is the severe form of ASD. This case study of 2.3 year’s girl presented with RS and global delay, being treated with wholistic approach. It comprises Ayurveda chikitsa and other therapies like Yoga, hydrotherapy, occupational, music, physiotherapy and many more. Observation and Result: Patient has shown promising results in all developmental milestones such as gross motor, fine motor and personal social in 6 months duration except language. Different varieties of massage therapy, diet and Basti, Nasya (Panchkarma) procedures, Omkar mantra chanting, passive Yogasana were done. Conclusion: In this case report, mainly Ayurveda interventions were implemented with wholistic approach as an adjuvant, received good result in gross motor development which is very difficult in RS, hence it is a unique case. It also opened the door of wholistic approach with the hope to deliver the good result in similar disorders.

Introduction. Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of complex pervasive developmental disorders characterized by impairments in communication, social interaction and behavior. In most cases autism is caused by a combination of genetic factors and environmental risk factors. In 10% to 20% of cases it has been shown that the cause of ASD is genetic. Case Outline. We are describing a 2-year-old boy who was referred to genetic counseling because of speech delay and certain autism-like behavior. By cytogenetic analysis the karyotype 46, inv(X),Y was obtained. The boy was a carrier of a paracentric inversion of the short arm of the chromosome X. After cytogenetic analysis of parental blood, it was detected that mother was a carrier of identical aberration, but had no clinical signs. The method of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) yielded the precise breakpoint in the region (p21.2p11.23). Mother and son were carriers of identical X chromosome. Conclusion. Breakpoints are located in the regions that have already been linked to autism, which indicates that the positional effect of the gene could have been a possible cause of the patient?s genotype. In addition to positional effects, in order to better understand the etiology of autism other genetic and environmental factors should be always taken into consideration.

Biological mothers of children, diagnosed with autism or pervasive developmental disorder, and biological mothers of children without developmental delays and matched on age and sex, were surveyed about a number of possible pre- and postnatal correlates of autism or pervasive developmental disorder. A regression analysis for boys showed the mother not vomiting in the first trimester, not having smell aversions, not craving sweets, the mother reporting fewer food aversions during the pregnancy, and having an infection while pregnant significantly predicted a later diagnosis of autism or pervasive developmental disorder. Not vomiting in the first trimester was the only significant predictor of a diagnosis of autism or a pervasive developmental disorder in girls.

Severe degrees of inattentive and restless behaviour in childhood are a risk factor for later psychological disorders. They have many causes, but a pattern of severe and pervasive hyperactivity with poor concentration in the absence of affective or psychotic disorders should be recognised as a hyperkinetic syndrome. The syndrome is often associated with developmental delays in abilities such as language and motor control. Powerful short-term treatments are available, but long-term ways of promoting normal personality development need more research.

Research on children with autism and pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) has identified deficits and differences in social-communicative and related symbolic abilities. This includes a limited range of communicative functions, limited ability to use conventional preverbal and verbal means of communicating, lack of pretend play, and limited use of shared positive affect and eye gaze to regulate communicative interactions. However, most previous research has studied older preschool and school-age children and has measured one aspect of social skills. This study examined developmental profiles of two groups of young children with atypical language development using the Communication and Symbolic Behavior Scales (CSBS; Wetherby & Prizant, 1993). One group had been diagnosed with PDD (APA, 1994) and the second group had developmental language delays where the diagnosis of PDD had been ruled out. The results indicated that CSBS profiles of the group with PDD reflected a distinct pattern of relative strengths and weaknesses that was substantially different from the other group on 15 of the 22 CSBS scales. Significant differences were found in the clusters of communicative functions, gestural communicative means, reciprocity, social/affective signaling, and symbolic behavior. The younger children in the PDD group showed results similar to the older children, with more pronounced deficits in vocal and verbal means. Correlational findings indicate three clusters of impairments involving joint attention, symbolic play, and social/affective signaling. The implications of these findings are discussed in regard to earlier identification and intervention planning.

Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has focused on differentiating children with ASD from neurotypical children. However, many children presenting with concern for ASD are ultimately diagnosed with language disorder (LD). This study aimed to identify differences in parent-rated development and behavior among children ages 2 to 5 years presenting with concern for ASD who were diagnosed with either ASD or LD. Children with ASD were rated as more socially withdrawn and more delayed in social development and self-help skills than those with LD. Parent-rated developmental delays were positively correlated with scores on an autism screening measure and with social withdrawal and pervasive developmental problems among children with ASD. Among those with LD, parent-rated social and self-help development were positively correlated with social withdrawal and attention problems. Thus, parent ratings of social withdrawal and development of social and self-help skills may facilitate differential diagnosis of ASD and LD in children ages 2 to 5 years.

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a long life formative dysfunction characterized by symptomatic criteria that begins early in infants and continues throughout life. ASD is a condition that influences a child's sensory system that includes touch, smell, taste, hearing, and visual abilities. Typical forms of ASD in the pre-2013 DSM-5 manual also include Asperger's Syndrome; and Pervasive Developmental Disorder. The characteristics of these disorders are similar but may differ significantly. Children with ASD show difficulties or delays with social communication and necessary daily activities. Still, on the other hand, some may present themselves with the average ability to communicate both verbally and non-verbally. These disorders affect social interaction, behavior, interests, and other norms in life. Understanding the method of early intervention may include therapy and mediation that will assist in connecting natural and pharmacological approaches to deal with the treatment of ASD and distinguish standard or fundamental dynamic elements for advancing positive outcomes.

Although quite a few third-wave democracies in Southern and Central Europe became consolidated within a decade of their origin, all of those in East Asia are still fragile and fledgling. Ever since South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, and the Philippines embarked on democratic transition or restoration more than a decade ago, elections have been regularly held, and democratic competition is widely considered the only path to power. Rough edges remain, however. Rules are stretched, even bent. Political stalemate tends to delay, if not prevent, timely policy action. And public cynicism toward underperforming, if not malfunctioning, democracy in these four polities is so pervasive and unnerving that pundits warn against a crisis of governance in East Asia's new democracies.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) was for many years considered to be one of five pervasive developmental disorders (PDD) as defined in the 4th edition of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA, 2000). These disorders included Autism, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, PDD-NOS (not otherwise specified), and Asperger&rsquo;s syndrome. The 2013, fifth revision of the manual (DSM-5) presented a modification in the diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorder. It is now being diagnosed as an inclusive disorder of a range of symptoms or autism related symptoms from mild to severe (APA, 2013). It has dropped four of the previous diagnoses and is now only one encompassing disability called Autism Spectrum Disorder. Using the new DSM-5 diagnostic criteria some students who were previously diagnosed as having Asperger&rsquo;s Syndrome do not fit the new Autism Spectrum Disorder criteria. These students might now be diagnosed with Social Communication Disorder (SCD). This diagnosis meets the symptoms presented by these individuals more appropriately. SCD describes the social difficulties and pragmatic language differences that impact comprehension, production, and awareness in conversation that are not caused by delayed cognition or other language delays.

Introduction: Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder in children that is characterized by the disruption and delays in cognitive, language, behavior, communication and social interaction. One of the ways for children with autism is the visual schedule. Visual schedule is a learning method in the form of information in a visual form that communicates a series of activities. This study aimed to determine the effects of a visual schedule to decrease problem behaviors when feeding activity and defecation in children with autism in the Foundation Board of Christian Education Wetan Jawi (YBPK) Kediri. Method: Research design was One Group Pre Post Test Design, with a population of 30 respondents, used the purposive sampling technique obtained a sample of 16 respondents. When the reseachon April 16 Until Mei 17, 2014. Results: The results showed obtained Asymp significant p = 0.011 <0.05 with Wilcoxon statistical test, which means that HO was rejected and H1 accepted schedule. It means there were visual effects on reducing behavioral problems in feeding activity and defecation in children with autism in the Foundation Board of Christian Education Wetan Jawi (YBPK) Kediri in 2014. Discussion: The Visual schedules can be applied in the treatment of autistic children who have behavior problems, because these techniques can provide influence on autistic children to be able to decrease behavior problems. Keywords: Visual Schedule, decline in behavior problems, children with autism

Pervasive developmental disorders are a series of illnesses characterized by delays in the development of some basic functions, such as the ability to communicate and socialize, but also through a small number of interests or activities, and according to ICD-10 (1996), in this category can include childhood autism, where deficiencies at these levels are identified, being identified until the age of three years or atypical autism - common in people with mental retardation or with responsive language disorders. A form of alternative therapy focused on these dimensions is horse-therapy therapy, a rapidly expanding approach in recent years, both with the aim of empirical substantiation and implementation of its different application centers to alleviate psychomotor deficiencies and emotional. This study aims to analyze the results obtained from horse-assisted therapy on psychomotor disorders in children with autistic spectrum disorders, epilepsy, ADHD or cerebral palsy. A group of 64 children aged between 2 and 14 years, biological age, participated in the study. 41 children were part of the study group, 23 constituting the control group. A controlled research model with pretest-posttest measurements was used. The effect of horse therapy on adaptive skills was evaluated. The ABAS II Adaptive Behavior Assessment System was used to measure these skills. The results indicate that hypothyroid therapy is effective in increasing the adaptability of children with psychomotor disorders.

Pervasive developmental disorders are a series of illnesses characterized by delays in the development of some basic functions, such as the ability to communicate and socialize, but also through a small number of interests or activities, and according to ICD-10 (1996), in this category can include childhood autism, where deficiencies at these levels are identified, being identified until the age of three years or atypical autism - common in people with mental retardation or with responsive language disorders. A form of alternative therapy focused on these dimensions is horse-therapy therapy, a rapidly expanding approach in recent years, both with the aim of empirical substantiation and implementation of its different application centers to alleviate psychomotor deficiencies and emotional. This study aims to analyze the results obtained from horse-assisted therapy on psychomotor disorders in children with autistic spectrum disorders, epilepsy, ADHD or cerebral palsy. A group of 64 children aged between 2 and 14 years, biological age, participated in the study. 41 children were part of the study group, 23 constituting the control group. A controlled research model with pretest-posttest measurements was used. The effect of horse therapy on adaptive skills was evaluated. The ABAS II Adaptive Behavior Assessment System was used to measure these skills. The results indicate that hypothyroid therapy is effective in increasing the adaptability of children with psychomotor disorders.

Abstract Background Motor impairments are pervasive in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); however, children with ASD rarely receive a dual diagnosis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). The Simons Foundation SPARK study engaged families affected by ASD through an online study. Objectives The DCD parent questionnaire (DCDQ) was used to assess the prevalence of a risk for motor impairment or DCD in children with ASD between 5 and 15 years of age. Design This study utilizes parent reports from a large database of children with ASD. Methods A total of 16,705 parents of children with ASD completed the DCDQ. We obtained our final SPARK dataset (n = 11,814) after filtering out invalid data, using stronger cut-offs to confirm ASD traits, and excluding children with general neuromotor impairments/intellectual delays. We compared DCDQ total and subscale scores from the SPARK dataset with published norms for each age between 5 and 15 years. Results The proportion of children with ASD at risk for a motor impairment was very high at 86.9%. Children with ASD did not outgrow their motor impairments and continued to present with a risk for DCD even into adolescence. Yet, only 31.6% of children were receiving physical therapy services. Limitations Our analysis of a large database of parent-reported outcomes using the DCDQ did not involve follow-up clinical assessments. Conclusions Using a large sample of children with ASD, this study shows that a risk for motor impairment or DCD was present in most children with ASD and persists into adolescence; however, only a small proportion of children with ASD were receiving physical therapist interventions. A diagnosis of ASD must trigger motor screening, evaluations, and appropriate interventions by physical and occupational therapists to address the functional impairments of children with ASD while also positively impacting their social communication, cognition, and behavior. Using valid motor measures, future research must determine if motor impairment is a fundamental feature of ASD.

Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) is a mental disorders development that resulted towards its sufferers’ syntoms differences from other normal adolacents. The increasement numbers of ASD in Malaysia has resulting to the need to identify the ordinary syntoms of the ASD in order to educate society with the existence of this special groups that needs due attention. The objective of this article is to analyse on the common syntoms of the ASD’s adolescent that is claimed to be different from the normal adolescents. The research methodology used is content analysis that refers to books, journals and previous researches related to the common syntoms of the autism’s adolescents. The data gathered was analysed descriptively. The analysis done discovered that there are four types of development of syndrome of disorder that causes a person to be considered as ASD adolescents such as Sindrom of Asperger, Sindrom of Rett, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder (CDD) dan Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD). The previous research had proven that that syndrome has created common syntoms that is considered as synonym with the autism. They are incapability to have an interpersonal and social interaction, delays in speaking and suffering from impulsive phenomenon such as repeatation of sterotype activities and difficulties in adapting any changes. This has shown that there are several consistent bases that can be considered as a set of signs to diagnose the ASD’s disorders. Keywords: common behavior, Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), syndrom, social relation and communication.

ABSTRACTThis study examined the effects of being born very preterm on children's early language development using prospective longitudinal data from a representative regional cohort of 90 children born very preterm (gestational age <33 weeks and/or birth weight <1,500 grams) and a comparison sample of 102 children born full term (gestational age 38–41 weeks). The MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventory: Words and Sentences (CDI-WS) was used to assess children's language development at age 2 ; 0 (corrected for gestational age at birth). Clear linear relationships were found between gestational age at birth and later language outcomes, with decreasing gestational age being associated with poorer parent-reported language skills. Specifically, children born extremely preterm (<28 weeks' gestation) tended to perform less well than those born very preterm (28–32 weeks' gestation), who in turn performed worse than children born full term (38–41 weeks' gestation). This pattern of findings was evident across a range of outcomes spanning vocabulary size and quality of word use, as well as morphological and syntactic complexity. Importantly, associations between gestational age at birth and language outcomes persisted after statistical control for child and family factors correlated with both preterm birth and language development. These findings demonstrate the presence of pervasive delays in the early language development of children born very preterm. They also highlight the importance of gestational age in predicting later language risk in this population of infants.

AimsThis literature review sought to identify and highlight any sex specific factors in the diagnosis of autism spectrum conditions during the pre-referral period which might affect diagnosis rates in ASD in girls. The null hypothesis was that there are no sex specific factors that affect referral and diagnosis of ASD in girls.BackgroundHistorically, boys are diagnosed with ASD more than girls but rates vary depending on clinical population characteristics. Diagnosis trends continue to demonstrate a large male excess. The concept of autism as a predominantly male condition has been challenged and there is increased focus on females with high functioning autism who are not being detected as easily.Various theories exist as to why this is the case.There are high rates of suicidality in ASD and risk of death by suicide is higher in ASD women (the reciprocal of the suicide rates in general population where more men complete suicide). Women with high functioning autism represent an at risk group. Undetected autism in females may be complicated by ‘camouflaging’ or masking of symptoms which puts a large strain on individuals functioning and mental health. Costs to society and the individual are large.However, early identification and intervention improves outcomes such as activities of daily living and social behaviours.MethodAn electronic literature search was completed using MEDLINE, PsycINFO and EMBASE in November 2018. Key terms were: (‘child*’ OR ‘adolescent’ OR ‘young pe*’) AND (‘ASD’ OR ‘autism’ OR ‘asperger*’ OR ‘high functioning*’ OR ‘PDD’ OR ‘Pervasive developmental*’) AND (‘girl*’ OR ‘sex’ OR ‘gender’). Papers were excluded on a number of grounds.Result11 papers were included in the review from an initial 2823 abstracts.ConclusionA number of papers highlighted important learning points. Some of the more original conclusions included that we require more studies comparing populations of girls with ASD to high risk, high functioning girls and female controls to clarify features particular to the ‘female phenotype’. Delays in diagnosis in girls appears to pre-date assessment so further thought on how to educate and support referral sources (caregivers and schools) on how to identify girls with autism is recommended and would be informed by further research focus on the previous point. Active case ascertainment should be considered in future research and follow-up of girls who do not receive a diagnosis at initial assessment were additional learning points that came from the review.

El Síndrome de Asperger es una enfermedad del neurodesarrollo caracterizado por deficiencias en la interacción social y la comunicación,sin retraso en el desarrollo cognitivo y del lenguaje, considerado dentro de los Trastornos Generalizados del Desarrollo y de las Condiciones del Espectro Autista. Debido a las características de este síndrome estos pacientes requieren atención y técnicas conductuales específicas, parapoder realizar el tratamiento dental. El objetivo de este reporte es dar a conocer los cuidados y el manejo de conducta para el tratamiento dental en pacientes con Síndrome de Asperger. Palabras clave: Síndrome de Asperger, desensibilización sistemática, cuidado dental, salud bucal, prevención primaria, comportamiento. AbstractAsperger syndrome is a disease of the neurodevelopmental characterized by deficiencies in social interaction and communication, without delay in cognitive development and language, and is considered within pervasive developmental disorders and the autism spectrumconditions. Due to the characteristics these patients require care and specific behavioral techniques, to perform dental treatment. The objective of this report is to present the care and behaviour management for dental treatment in patients with Asperger syndrome. Key words: Asperger syndrome, systematic desensitization, dental care, oral health, primary prevention, behaviour.

Abstract Background Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including intellectual disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are pervasive, lifelong disorders for which pharmacological interventions are not readily available. Substantial increases in the prevalence of NDDs over a relatively short period may not be attributed solely to genetic factors and/or improved diagnostic criteria. There is now a consensus that multiple genetic loci combined with environmental risk factors during critical periods of neurodevelopment influence NDD susceptibility and symptom severity. Organophosphorus (OP) pesticides have been identified as potential environmental risk factors. Epidemiological studies suggest that children exposed prenatally to the OP pesticide chlorpyrifos (CPF) have significant mental and motor delays and strong positive associations for the development of a clinical diagnosis of intellectual delay or disability, ADHD, or ASD. Methods We tested the hypothesis that developmental CPF exposure impairs behavior relevant to NDD phenotypes (i.e., deficits in social communication and repetitive, restricted behavior). Male and female rat pups were exposed to CPF at 0.1, 0.3, or 1.0 mg/kg (s.c.) from postnatal days 1-4. Results These CPF doses did not significantly inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity in the blood or brain but significantly impaired pup ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) in both sexes. Social communication in juveniles via positive affiliative 50-kHz USV playback was absent in females exposed to CPF at 0.3 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg. In contrast, this CPF exposure paradigm had no significant effect on gross locomotor abilities or contextual and cued fear memory. Ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging largely found no differences between the CPF-exposed rats and the corresponding vehicle controls using strict false discovery correction; however, there were interesting trends in females in the 0.3 mg/kg dose group. Conclusions This work generated and characterized a rat model of developmental CPF exposure that exhibits adverse behavioral phenotypes resulting from perinatal exposures at levels that did not significantly inhibit acetylcholinesterase activity in the brain or blood. These data suggest that current regulations regarding safe levels of CPF need to be reconsidered.

Mutations of the SHANK3 gene are found in some autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients, and animal models harboring SHANK3 mutations exhibit a variety of ASD-like behaviors, presenting a unique opportunity to explore the underlying neuropathological mechanisms and potential pharmacological treatments. The histone deacetylase (HDAC) valproic acid (VPA) has demonstrated neuroprotective and neuroregenerative properties, suggesting possible therapeutic utility for ASD. Therefore, SHANK3-associated ASD-like symptoms present a convenient model to evaluate the potential benefits, therapeutic window, and optimal dose of VPA. We constructed a novel shank3-deficient (shank3ab–/–) zebrafish model through CRISPR/Cas9 editing and conducted comprehensive morphological and neurobehavioral evaluations, including of core ASD-like behaviors, as well as molecular analyses of synaptic proteins expression levels. Furthermore, different VPA doses and treatment durations were examined for effects on ASD-like phenotypes. Compared to wild types (WTs), shank3ab–/– zebrafish exhibited greater developmental mortality, more frequent abnormal tail bending, pervasive developmental delay, impaired social preference, repetitive swimming behaviors, and generally reduced locomotor activity. The expression levels of synaptic proteins were also dramatically reduced in shank3ab–/– zebrafish. These ASD-like behaviors were attenuated by low-dose (5 μM) VPA administered from 4 to 8 days post-fertilization (dpf), and the effects persisted to adulthood. In addition, the observed underexpression of grm5, encoding glutamate metabotropic receptor 5, was significantly improved in VPA-treated shank3ab–/– zebrafish. We report for the first time that low-dose VPA administered after neural tube closure has lasting beneficial effects on the social deficits and repetitive behavioral patterns in shank3-deficient ASD model zebrafish. These findings provide a promising strategy for ASD clinical drug development.

Autism spectrum disorder is a pervasive developmental disorder that affects the behavioral and communication function of the children. It shows poor performance in communication, social and cognitive abilities, which are generally characterized by developmental delays and abnormal activities in their regular work. Early intervention can reduce the autism spectrum disorders. Machine learning techniques are used to detect autistic features in childhood. The prediction models are implemented as classification problem in which model is constructed by using real-time autism dataset. The proposed work is use Backpropagation and learning vector quantization with different distance measures like Euclidean Distance, Manhattan Distance, and City Block Distance to predict whether a child has autism spectrum disorder and also defines the grade of the autism. So that it can be supported for the clinical decision making. It enables automated clinical autism spectrum disorder diagnostic process using machine learning models.

Abstract Background The concentrations of distinct types of RNA in cells result from a dynamic equilibrium between RNA synthesis and decay. Despite the critical importance of RNA decay rates, current approaches for measuring them are generally labor-intensive, limited in sensitivity, and/or disruptive to normal cellular processes. Here, we introduce a simple method for estimating relative RNA half-lives that is based on two standard and widely available high-throughput assays: Precision Run-On sequencing (PRO-seq) and RNA sequencing (RNA-seq). Results Our method treats PRO-seq as a measure of transcription rate and RNA-seq as a measure of RNA concentration, and estimates the rate of RNA decay required for a steady-state equilibrium. We show that this approach can be used to assay relative RNA half-lives genome-wide, with good accuracy and sensitivity for both coding and noncoding transcription units. Using a structural equation model (SEM), we test several features of transcription units, nearby DNA sequences, and nearby epigenomic marks for associations with RNA stability after controlling for their effects on transcription. We find that RNA splicing-related features are positively correlated with RNA stability, whereas features related to miRNA binding and DNA methylation are negatively correlated with RNA stability. Furthermore, we find that a measure based on U1 binding and polyadenylation sites distinguishes between unstable noncoding and stable coding transcripts but is not predictive of relative stability within the mRNA or lincRNA classes. We also identify several histone modifications that are associated with RNA stability. Conclusion We introduce an approach for estimating the relative half-lives of individual RNAs. Together, our estimation method and systematic analysis shed light on the pervasive impacts of RNA stability on cellular RNA concentrations.

Who Are Carers? A carer is any individual who provides unpaid care and support to a family member or friend who has a disability, mental illness, drug and/or alcohol dependency, chronic condition, terminal illness or who is frail. Carers come from all walks of life, cultural backgrounds and age groups. For many, caring is a 24 hour-a-day job with emotional, physical and financial impacts, with implications for their participation in employment, education and community activities. Carers exist in all communities, including amongst Aboriginal communities, those of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, amongst Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex communities, and throughout metropolitan, regional and rural areas (Carers NSW). These broad characteristics mean that caring occurs across a wide variety of situations and care responsibilities can impact an even wider group of people. The ubiquitous nature of informal care warrants its consideration as a major social issue, as well as the potential impacts that these roles can have on carers in both short and long term contexts. Caring for a loved one is often an unseen component of people’s domestic lives. As will be outlined below, the potentially burdensome nature of care can have negative influences on carers’ wellbeing. As such, factors that can enhance the resilience of carers in the face of such adversity have been widely investigated. This being said, individual differences exist in carers’ responses to their caring responsibilities. The caring experience can therefore be argued to exist on a continuum, from the adversity in relation to stressful challenges through to prosperity in light of their caring responsibilities. By considering the experience of care as existing along this continuum, the place of resilience within people’s domestic spaces can be viewed as a mechanism towards identifying and developing supportive practices. Negative Impacts of Care A significant body of research has identified potential negative impacts of caring. Many of the most commonly cited outcomes relate to negative effects on mental health and/or psychological functioning, including stress, anxiety and depression (e.g. Baker et al.; Barlow, Cullen-Powell and Cheshire; Cheshire, Barlow and Powell; Dunn et al.; Gallagher et al.; Hastings et al.; Lach et al.; Singer; Sörensen et al.; Vitaliano, Zhang and Scanlan; Whittingham et al.; Yamada et al.). These feelings can be exacerbated when caring responsibilities become relentlessly time consuming, as demonstrated by this comment from a carer of a person with dementia: “I can’t get away from it” (O'Dwyer, Moyle and van Wyk 758). Similarly, emotional responses such as sorrow, grief, anger, frustration, and guilt can result from caring for a loved one (Heiman; Whittingham et al.). Negative emotional responses are not necessarily a direct result of caring responsibilities as such, but an understanding of the challenges faced by the person requiring their care. The following quote from the carer of a child with autism exemplifies the experience of sorrow: “It was actually the worst day of our lives, that was the day we came to terms with the fact that we had this problem” (Midence and O’Neill 280). Alongside these psychological and emotional outcomes, physical health may also be negatively impacted due to certain demands of the caring role (Lach et al.; Sörensen et al.; Vitaliano, Zhang and Scanlan). Outcomes such as these are likely to vary across individual caring circumstances, dictated by variables such as the specific tasks required of the carer, and individual personality characteristics of both the carer and the person for whom they care. Nevertheless, an awareness of these potential outcomes is particularly important when considering the place of resilience in the domestic space of individuals caring for a loved one. This conceptualisation of caring as being a burdensome task reflects many publicly held perceptions. If caring is widely viewed as compromising carers’ wellbeing, then there is likely to be an increased likelihood of carers viewing themselves as victims. This is particularly true amongst children and adolescents with caring responsibilities, since young people are most susceptible to having their personal identities shaped by others’ perceptions (Andreouli, Skovdal and Campbell). Resilience in Caring Adversity Despite the widely acknowledged potential for caring to have negative consequences for carers, it must be noted that the occurrence of these outcomes are not inevitable. In fact, much of the research that has identified increased stress amongst carers also finds that the majority cope well with the demands of their role (Barnett et al.). These carers have been considered by many researchers to demonstrate resilience (e.g. Barnett et al.; O'Dwyer, Moyle and van Wyk). The ability to respond positively despite exposure to risk or adversity is a key feature of most definitions of resilience (Luthar, Cicchetti and Becker; Masten and Obradović; Zauszniewski, Bekhet and Suresky). Resilience in this context can thus be defined as a psychological process that facilitates healthy functioning in response to intense life stressors (Johnson et al.). Since caring experiences are likely to continue for an extended period of time, resilience is likely to be necessary on an ongoing basis, rather than in response to a single traumatic event. A resilient carer is therefore one who is able to effectively and adaptively cope with extenuating pressures of caring for a loved one. This involves the presence of personal, social, familial, or institutional protective factors that enable carers to resist stress (Kaplan et al.). For example, support from health professionals, family, or community has been found to effectively support carers in coping with their role (Bekhet, Johnson and Zauszniewski; Gardiner and Iarocci; Heiman; Whittingham et al.). The benefit of support networks in assisting carers to cope in their role is widely reported in the associated research, reinforced by many examples such as the following from a carer of a person with dementia: “It’s a social thing, like, I’ve got friends on there… I find that is my escape” (O'Dwyer, Moyle and van Wyk 758). At an individual level, those who demonstrate resilient in the face of adversity demonstrate optimistic or hopeful outlooks (Ekas, Lickenbrock and Whitman; Lloyd and Hastings; Whittingham et al.), while simultaneously holding realistic expectations of the future (Rasmussen et al.; Wrosch, Miller, et al.; Wrosch, Scheier, et al.). Such attitudes are particularly significant amongst people caring for family members or friends with disabilities or illnesses. The following attitude held by a carer of a child with cerebral palsy exemplifies this optimistic outlook: “I look at the glass half full and say that “well, it’s only his walking, everything else is fine”. “So, get over [it] and deal with it” (Whittingham et al. 1451). Those who cognitively process information, rather than reacting in a highly emotion way have also been found to cope better (Bekhet, Johnson and Zauszniewski; Heiman; Monin et al.; Pennebaker, Mayne and Francis), as have those with a greater sense of self-efficacy or an internal locus of control (Bekhet, Johnson and Zauszniewski; Kuhn and Carter). However effective these coping strategies prove to be, this is unlikely to provide the full picture of caring experiences, or the place of resilience within that space. Associating resilience with adversity presumes a consensus on what constitutes adversity. Taking the typical approach to investigating resilience amongst carers risks making undue assumptions of the nature of individual carers’ experiences – namely, that caring equates to adversity. The following paragraphs will outline how this is not necessarily the case. And furthermore, that the concept of resilience still has a place in considering informal caring, regardless of whether adversity is considered to be present. Benefits of Care While a great deal of evidence suggests that caring for a loved one can be a stressful experience, research has also demonstrated the existence of positive impacts of care. In many instances, carers not only cope, but also thrive in their caring roles (Turnbull et al.). Elements such as positive relationships within caring relationships can both challenge and strengthen individuals – factors that only exist due to the specific nature of the individual caring role (Bayat; Heiman). Such positive elements of the caring experience have been reflected in the literature, illustrated by quotes such as: “In some sense, this makes our family closer” (Bayat 709). Rather than viewing carers from a perspective of victimisation (which is particularly prominent in relation to children and young people with caring responsibilities), recognising the prevalence of positive wellbeing within this population provides a more nuanced understanding of the lived experiences of all carers (Aldridge). Reported benefits of caring tend to revolve around personal relationships, particularly in reference to parents caring for their children with special needs. Reflective of the parental relationship, carers of children with disabilities or chronic illnesses generally report feelings of love, joy, optimism, strength, enjoyment, and satisfaction with their role (Barnett et al.; Heiman). The views of such carers do not reflect an attitude of coping with adversity, but rather a perspective that considers their children to be positive contributors to carers’ quality of life and the wellbeing of the wider family (King et al.). This point of view suggests an additional dimension to resilience; in particular, that resilience in the relative absence of risk factors, can cause carers to flourish within their caring role and relationships. In addition to benefits in relationships, carers may also prosper through their own personal growth and development in the course of their caring (Knight). This includes factors such as the development of life skills, maturity, purpose, social skills, a sense of responsibility, and recognition – particularly amongst young people in caring roles (Earley, Cushway and Cassidy; Early, Cushway and Cassidy; Jurkovic, Thirkield and Morrell; Skovdal and Andreouli; Stein, Rotheram-Borus and Lester; Tompkins). Recognition of the potential personal benefits of caring for a loved one is not intended to suggest that the view of carers coping with adversity is universally applicable. While it is likely that individual caring situations will have an impact on the extent to which a carer faces adversity (e.g. intensity of caring responsibilities, severity of loved one’s impairment, etc.), it is important to recognise the benefits that carers can experience alongside any challenges they may face. Circumstances that appear adversarial may not be thought of as such by those within that context. Defining resilience as an ability to cope with adversity therefore will not apply to such contexts. Rather, the concept of resilience needs to incorporate those who not only cope, but also prosper. Carers who do not perceive their role as burdensome, but identify positive outcomes, can therefore be said to demonstrate resilience though contextually different from those coping with adversity. This is not to suggest that resilience is the sole contributing factor in terms of prospering in the caring role. We must also consider individual circumstances and nuances differ between carers, those they care for, interpersonal relationships, and wider caring situations. Continuum of Care Awareness of the range of impacts that caring can have on carers leads to a recognition of the broad spectrum of experience that this role entails. Not only do caring experiences exhibit large variations in terms of practical issues (such as functional capacities, or type and severity of illness, disability, or condition), they include carers’ diverse personal responses to caring responsibilities. These responses can reflect either positive or negative dimensions, or a combination of both (Faso, Neal-Beevers and Carlson). In this way, caring experiences can be conceptualised as existing along a continuum. At one end of the spectrum, experiences align with the traditional view of caring as a struggle with and over adversity. More specifically, carers experience burdens as a result of their additional caring responsibilities, with negative outcomes likely to occur. At the other end of the spectrum, however, carers prosper in the role, experiencing significant personal benefits that would not have been possible without the caring role. This continuum makes a case for an expanded approach to stress and coping models of resilience to include positive concepts and a benefit-orientated perspective (Cassidy and Giles). In contrast to research that has argued for a progression from stress and coping models to strengths-based approaches (e.g. Glidden, Billings and Jobe; Knight), the continuum of care acknowledges the benefits of each of these theoretical positions, and thus may prove more comprehensive in attempting to understand the everyday lived experiences of carers. The framework provided by a representation of a continuum allows for the individual differences in caring situations and carers’ personal responses to be acknowledged, as well as accounting for any changes in these circumstances. Further, the experience and benefits of resilience in different contextual spheres can be identified. The flexibility afforded by such an approach is particularly important in light of individual differences in the ways carers respond to their situations, their changing caring contexts, and their subsequent individual needs (Monin et al.; Walsh; Whittingham et al.). As the caring experience can be dynamic and fluctuate in both directions along the continuum, resilience may be seen as the mechanism by which such movement occurs. In line with stress and coping models, resilience can assist carers to cope with adversarial circumstances at that end of the continuum. Similarly, it may be argued that those who prosper in their caring role exhibit characteristics of resilience. In other words, it is resilience that enables carers to cope with adversity at one end of the continuum and also to prosper at the other. Furthermore, by supporting the development of resilient characteristics, carers may be assisted in shifting their experiences along the continuum, from adversity to prosperity. This view extends upon traditional approaches reported in the stress and coping literature by contending that caring experiences may progress beyond positions of coping with adversity, to a position where caring is not understood in terms of adversity at all, but rather in terms of benefits. The individual circumstances of any carer must be taken into consideration with this framework of resilience and the continuum of care. It is unrealistic to assume that all caring situations will allow for the possibility of reaching the end point of this continuum. Carers with particularly high demands in terms of time, resources, effort, or energy may not reach a stage where they no longer consider their caring role to involve any personal burden. However, the combination of a coping and strengths-based approach suggests that there is always the possibility of moving away from perceptions of adversity and further towards an attitude of prosperity. Implications for Supportive Practice From the perspective of this continuum of care, the protective factors and coping strategies identified in previous literature provide a valuable starting point for the facilitation of resilience amongst carers. Enhancing factors such as these can assist carers to move from situations of adversity towards experiences of prosperity (Benzies and Mychasiuk). Research has suggested that carers who are less analytical in their thinking and less optimistic about their personal situations may find particular benefit from support systems that assist them in redirecting their attention towards positive aspects of their daily lives, such as the benefits of caring outlined earlier (Monin et al.). The principle of focusing on positive experiences and reframing negative thoughts is thought to benefit carers across all levels of functioning and adaptive experience (Monin et al.). While those entrenched in more burdensome mindsets are likely to experience the greatest benefit from supportive interventions, there is still merit in providing similar supports to carers who do not appear to experience the similar experiences of burden, or demonstrate greater resilience or adaptation to their situation. The dynamic view of caring situations and resilience suggested by a continuum of care incorporates benefits of stress and coping models as well as strengths-based approaches. This has implications for supportive practice in that the focus is not on determining whether or not a carer is resilient, but identifying the ways in which they already are resilient (Simon, Murphy and Smith). For carers who experience their role through a lens of adversity, resilience may need to be purposefully fostered in order to better enable them to cope and develop through the ongoing stresses of their role. For carers at the other end of the spectrum, resilience is likely to take on a substantially different meaning. Under these circumstances, caring for a loved one is not considered a burdensome task; rather, the positive impact of the role is pre-eminent. This point of view suggests that carers are resilient, not only in terms of an ability to thrive despite adversity, but in prospering to the extent that adversity is not considered to exist. The attitudes and approaches of services, support networks, and governments towards carers should remain flexible enough to acknowledge the wide variety of caring circumstances that exist. The continuum of care provides a framework through which certain aspects of caring and variations in resilience can be interpreted, as well as the type of support required by individual carers. Furthermore, it must be noted that caring circumstances can change – either gradually or suddenly – with the extent to which carers experience adversity, coping or prosperity also changing. Any attempts to provide support to carers or acknowledge their resilience should demonstrate an awareness of the potential for such fluctuation. 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