It is widely recognized that robot-based interventions for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) hold promise, but the question remains as to whether social humanoid robots could facilitate joint attention performance in children with ASD. In this study, responsive joint attention was measured under two conditions in which different agents, a human and a robot, initiated joint attention via video. The participants were 15 children with ASD (mean age: 4.96 ± 1.10 years) and 15 typically developing (TD) children (mean age: 4.53 ± 0.90 years). In addition to analyses of fixation time and gaze transitions, a longest common subsequence approach (LCS) was employed to compare participants’ eye movements to a predefined logical reference sequence. The fixation of TD toward agent’s face was earlier and longer than children with ASD. Moreover, TD showed a greater number of gaze transitions between agent’s face and target, and higher LCS scores than children with ASD. Both groups showed more interests in the robot’s face, but the robot induced a lower proportion of fixation time on the target. Meanwhile participants showed similar gaze transitions and LCS results in both conditions, suggesting that they could follow the logic of the joint attention task induced by the robot as well as human. We have discussed the implications for the effects and applications of social humanoid robots in joint attention interventions.

The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is increasing, with a tendency for co-occurrence. Some studies indicate a connection between atypical sensory processing and executive function. This study aims to explore the distinctive etiology of executive function deficits in children with ASD+ADHD by investigating the relationship between sensory processing and executive function, comparing children with ASD, ASD+ADHD, ADHD, and typically developing children (TD). Method: Sensory Profile 2 (SP-2) and Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function 2 (BRIEF-2) were measured in 120 school-aged children. The results of the above scales were compared across these four groups, and correlation and regression analyses between BRIEF2 and SP2 were conducted. Results: Our research revealed varying levels of atypical sensory processing and executive function anomalies across the three neurodevelopmental disorder groups compared to the TD group. The ASD+ADHD group showed particularly significant differences. The heightened emotional problems observed in ASD+ADHD children may be associated with more prominent atypical sensory processing. Variance analysis of inhibitory function revealed differences between ASD+ADHD and ADHD children, suggesting distinct etiological mechanisms for attention issues between ASD+ADHD and ADHD. Conclusions: ASD+ADHD represents a phenotype distinct from both ASD and ADHD. Special consideration should be given to interventions for children with ASD+ADHD. The results of this study may offer a new perspective on understanding the occurrence of ASD+ADHD and potential individualized intervention methods.

In the current study, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to collect resting-state signals from 77 males with autism spectrum disorders (ASD, age: 6~16.25) and 40 typically developing (TD) males (age: 6~16.58) in the theory-of-mind (ToM) network. The graph theory analysis was used to obtain the brain network properties in ToM network, and the multiple regression analysis demonstrated that males with ASD showed a comparable global network topology, and a similar age-related decrease in the medial prefrontal cortex area (mPFC) compared to TD individuals. Nevertheless, participants with ASD showed U-shaped trajectories of nodal metrics of right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ), and an age-related decrease in the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), while trajectories of TD participants were opposite. The nodal metrics of the right TPJ was negatively associated with the social deficits of ASD, while the nodal metrics of the left MFG was negatively associated with the communication deficits of ASD. Current findings suggested a distinct developmental trajectory of the ToM network in males with ASD from childhood to adolescence.

Background: Recently, the discussion surrounding autism-related language has gained prominence within Western autism communities, but studies about how people perceive Chinese autism-related language are notably scarce. Methods: : We conducted an online survey between June 23 and July 29, 2023, targeting Chinese language users (mostly from the Chinese mainland) using convenience sampling. Utilizing 7-point scales, our study aimed to assess preferences, perceptions of offensiveness, and familiarity with 13 autism-related terms categorized into formal terminologies, functioning labels, and community terms. A diverse sample of 1,016 individuals, aged 14.75 to 72.49 years, participated. We employed analysis of variance models to analyze distinctions and similarities across identity groups, including autism stakeholders and the general public. To further explore the underlying attitudes, we employed cluster analysis to group individuals based on their endorsements of the terms. Results: : Among the respondents, the Chinese translations of Neurodiversity (神经多样性), Spectrum (谱系), and Autism1 spectrum disorder (孤独症谱系障碍) emerged as highly favored and low offensive terms, particularly among autistic individuals and parents of autistic children. In contrast, the respondents generally considered Closed-off kid (闭娃), High/low function (高/低功能), Autism2 (自闭症), and Autism2 spectrum disorder (自闭症谱系障碍) less favored and more offensive. Cluster analysis identified variable attitude clusters, revealing no uniform perception across and within different identity groups. Conclusions: : While different identity groups demonstrated some similarities in their perception of autism-related terms, our findings highlight the lack of a universally accepted approach to discussing Chinese autism-related terms. This research extends the discourse on autism-related terminology beyond Western contexts and highlights the social identity and cultural aspects in the translation and construction of autism-related terminologies.