Whether altered white matter microstructural property of autistic people also exists in non-autistic siblings is uncertain. The microstructures of a neural tract may not be consistent throughout the whole track. We assessed 38 cognitive-able autistic males (aged 15.8 ± 4.4 years), 39 non-autistic siblings (16.5 ± 5.7 years), and 78 age- and…

Encephalitis is a clinical syndrome which can include altered mental status, motor and sensory deficits, altered behavior including personality changes, speech and movement disorders and seizures. While the overall incidence of encephalitis is not known, it is common enough that most pediatric and adolescent medicine physicians will have seen at…

The etiological significance of neurological disorders in autism is debated, but it is clear that they complicate support provision and clinical management, and can have negative impact on outcomes. This systematic review and meta-analysis explored the full range of co-occurring neurological disorders in autism. We estimated the odds of having…

The author argues for a functionalist understanding of autism. Instead of explaining autism as an inborn or otherwise neurological deficit, autism may be understood as a functional disturbance: the impairment of the abstract attitude. The abstract attitude is a concept developed by German neuropsychiatrist Kurt Goldstein (1987-1965) to describe…

Transition planning is an important part of special education. It is a process that helps to individualize instructions and assists students in maximizing their fullest potential. Transition planning for students with traumatic brain injury (TBI) should mirror the regular transition process. The purpose of this chapter is to (1) describe causes,…

Conduct disorder (CD) is a pattern of repeated aggression toward others, disregard for the rights of others, and behaviors that violate major social norms at home, in school, and even in society at large (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013). Falling under the umbrella of "conduct problems" along with oppositional defiant…

We directly assessed the broader aspects of sociability (social enjoyment, social motivation, social interaction skills and social discomfort) in individuals with Cornelia de Lange (CdLS), fragile X (FXS) and Rubinstein-Taybi syndromes (RTS), and their association with autism characteristics and chronological age in these groups. Individuals with…

Purpose: This study is part of the first systematic program in the Republic of Cyprus examining the prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in children, teenagers, and university students. The study incorporated the Greek Version of the Brain Injury Screening Questionnaire (BISQ-G) as the primary tool to identify students with TBI. Methods: The…

Young children under the age of five are particularly overrepresented in traumatic brain injury (TBI) due to accidents and falls. To remediate the problems, confronting young children with TBI, is critical that they are introduced to opportunities to be placed in general education classrooms at the earliest possible point. The purposes of this…

Spina bifida (SB) refers to a subgroup of congenital defects where the neural tube fails to fuse, often resulting in a protruding spinal cord. This is often due to a defect or absence of vertebral arches resulting from a failure of the mesoderm to organize over the region of the defect. SB occurs during gestation between the third and sixth week…

Purpose: Relative lengths of the index (2D) and ring (4D) fingers in humans represent a retrospective biomarker of prenatal hormonal exposures. For this reason, the 2D:4D digit ratio can be used to investigate potential hormonal contributions to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. This study tested potential group differences in 2D:4D…

Aims: Developmental stuttering is now generally considered to arise from genetic determinants interacting with neurologic function. Changes within speech-motor white matter (WM) connections may also be implicated. These connections can now be studied in great detail by high-angular-resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. Therefore,…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a heterogeneous group of neurodevelopmental conditions that vary in both etiology and phenotypic expression. Expressions of ASD characterized by a more severe phenotype, including autism with intellectual disability (ASD + ID), autism with a history of developmental regression (ASD + R), and minimally verbal…

Autism spectrum disorder is a grouping of neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by deficits in social communication and language, as well as by repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. While the environment is believed to play a role in the development of autism spectrum disorder, there is now strong evidence for a genetic link to autism.…

A recent project entitled CATALISE used the Delphi method to reach a consensus on terminology for unexplained language problems in children. "Developmental language disorder" (DLD) was the term agreed by a panel of 57 experts. Here I reflect on points of difficulty that arose when attempting to reach a consensus, using qualitative…