Roberta Igliozzi

Executive functions and self-regulation, which are the control processes relevant for learning and adaptation, are frequently impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Research on the role of early executive functions and self-regulation in the diagnosis and developmental trajectories of NDDs has grown rapidly in recent years, necessitating a synthesis of the evidence strength and the methodologies used to investigate the relationship between executive functions/self-regulation and the functional profiles of NDDs. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined 32 studies that used longitudinal designs to investigate the relationship between executive functions and self-regulation in the first 6 years of life and NDDs symptoms from ages 3 to 18. Separate meta-analyses were conducted for the statistical methods used, as well as for ADHD and ASD diagnoses, types of executive function and self-regulation measures, and the developmental periods during which they were assessed. The results highlight a significant longitudinal association between early executive and self-regulation difficulties and later impairments in attention, socio-communication, and adaptive functioning in NDDs. The findings also support the predictive value of these early difficulties and the need to consider the methodological characteristics of the studies. Although these findings predominantly concern specific diagnostic categories, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder, they could have important implications for several conditions of atypical neurodevelopment, especially for the prevention of symptoms and associated psychopathological exacerbation. Given the methodological variability of the studies, the results of this review can also help in defining more appropriate tools and statistical methodologies for future research.

Objective: To describe the relationship between executive functions (EF) and symptom's severity, behavioral problems, and adaptive functioning in autistic preschoolers. Method: Seventy-six autistic preschoolers (age-range: 37-72 months; SD: 8.67 months) without intellectual disability were assessed. Executive functions were measured by both performance-based (Battery for Assessment of Executive Functions-BAFE-) and indirect measures (Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function- Preschool Version-BRIEF-P); adaptive skills were assessed using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Second Edition (VABS-II); ASD severity was evaluated through the ADOS-2 and the SCQ; the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL 'V2-5) questionnaire was used to describe the emotionallbehavioral profile. Results: A considerable rate of autistic preschoolers showed weaknesses in one or more measures of EF, in particular in inhibition and working memory at both performance-based and parent report measures. EF measures explained a significant proportion of variance in the emotionallbehavioral profile, and in the adaptive skills, particularly in the socialization domain. Specifically, the most relevant EF predictors are Inhibition, Emotional Control and Cognitive Flexibility subscales of the BRIEF-P. Conclusions: Assessment of EF in autistic preschoolers may identify those children at higher risk for emotionallbehavioral problems and adaptive difficulties. EF are a crucial target for early intervention in preschoolers with autism with the potential to improve child outcomes.

We studied episodic memory and future thinking for self-relevant and other-relevant events at different levels of retrieval support, theory of mind, and delay discounting in ASD children and adolescents (ASDs). Compared to typically developing controls, ASDs produced fewer internal (episodic) but a similar number of external (semantic) details while remembering past events, imagining future events, and imagining future events happening to others, indicating a general impairment of event construction. This deficit was driven by group differences under high retrieval support, and therefore unlikely to depend on self-initiated retrieval/construction deficits. ASDs’ event construction impairment related to the severity of ASD symptoms, and to theory of mind deficits. ASDs, however, showed normal delay discounting, highlighting preserved forms of future-based decision-making in ASD.

This study investigated the prevalence and type of gastrointestinal (GI) and food selectivity (FS) symptoms in 163 preschoolers with ASD, and their possible links with core ASD features and emotional/behavioural problems. 40.5% of children with ASD had at least one severe GI symptom or FS. Preschoolers with and without GI symptoms and with and without FS were significantly different on several emotional/behavioural problems and restrictive/repetitive behaviours, whereas they did not differ significantly on performance IQ and autistic severity. The GI plus FS group presented with Sleep Problems, Self-injurious Behaviors and Anxiety Problems. Results indicated the need for early identification of GI disturbances and FS in order to design tailored intervention for these symptoms frequently associated to challenging behaviours in ASD.

Quiz Ref ID Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and interaction and restricted, repetitive behaviors and interests.¹ ASD affects about 1% of the general population and is associated with substantial disability and economic loss.^2,3 A variety of approaches to improve the core deficits and lives of people with ASD have been developed, including behavioral, developmental, educational, and medical interventions,^4,5 but the strength of evidence for reducing autism severity is low for most interventions.⁴

Sensory issues are of great interest in ASD diagnosis. However, their investigation is mainly based on external observation (parent reports), with methodological limitations. Unobtrusive olfactory assessment allows studying autism neurosensoriality. Here, 20 male children with high-functioning ASD and 20 matched controls were administered a complete olfactory test battery, assessing olfactory threshold, identification and discrimination. ASD children show lower sensitivity (p = 0.041), lower identification (p = 0.014), and intact odor discrimination (p = 0.199) than controls. Comparing olfactory and clinical scores, a significant correlation was found in ASD between olfactory threshold and the CBCL social problems (p = 0.011) and aggressive behavior (p = 0.012) sub-scales. The pattern featuring peripheral hyposensitivity, high-order difficulties in odor identification and regular subcortical odor discrimination is discussed in light of hypo-priors hypothesis for autism.