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Biomedical subjects

P Howlin

Publications and source records attributed to P Howlin.

48 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

Changing approaches to communication training with autistic children.

The characteristic language deficit of autism affects many aspects of the child's functioning. Because of its pervasive nature and the implications for outcome, numerous attempts have been made to remediate problems in this area. However, the results of communication training with this group of children have not always been particularly encouraging. This review traces changes in approaches to language training over the last 25 years and recommends ways in which procedures might be improved to bring about more generalised benefits to autistic children.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1988

Selective subcortical abnormalities in autism.

Nine physically healthy, adult autistic men, with normal or near normal intelligence, and 13 healthy male controls were examined in a CT brain scan study. CT scans were analysed with a fully automated computer-assisted program, and regional brain radiodensities were measured with careful attention to artefacts. Autistic patients revealed significantly larger third, but not lateral, ventricular size and significantly lower mean caudate, but equivalent mean frontal and thalamic, radiodensities compared to controls. The sizes of the Sylvian fissures and interhemispheric fissure were equivalent between groups. The findings are consistent with selective subcortical abnormalities in autism.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Cerebral blood flow and metabolism of oxygen and glucose in young autistic adults.

Regional cerebral blood flow, oxygen consumption and glucose consumption were measured by positron emission tomography in six young autistic men. No significant differences were found between patients and normal controls for any of the physiological variables. The results do not substantiate the previous finding of glucose hypermetabolism in autism; the likely reasons for the variance in findings are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

The acquisition of grammatical morphemes in autistic children: a critique and replication of the findings of Bartolucci, Pierce, and Streiner, 1980.

The correct use of 13 morpheme rules by a group of 16 autistic children was investigated. The percentages of different morphemes used correctly correlated significantly with the results reported in an earlier study of Bartolucci, Pierce, and Streiner (1980), and internal consistency among the autistic children suggested some evidence of rule learning. As in the Bartolucci study, there were no significant correlations with the data presented by DeVilliers and DeVilliers (1973) for younger children. However, the conclusions drawn by Bartolucci et al. regarding the deviant nature of syntax acquisition by autistic children are questioned on various methodological grounds. More satisfactory ways of comparing language development in different groups of children are discussed.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMed1982

Echolalic and spontaneous phrase speech in autistic children.

The study investigated the syntactical level of spontaneous and echolalic utterances of 26 autistic children at different stages of phrase-speech development. In children using very brief utterances, echolalic phrases were significantly longer than their spontaneous speech. At higher levels of language development there were no significant differences between the lengths of echoed and spontaneous utterances. The frequency of echolalic phrases in children's speech was also found to be significantly less than the frequency of their spontaneous remarks, and the frequency of echolalic utterances declined as children advanced in linguistic competence.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Living with impairment: the effects on children of having an autistic sibling.

Although children of impaired siblings are generally believed to be at risk of suffering from a variety of problems themselves, research studies indicate that living with impairment is not necessarily a harmful experience. This report reviews studies in this area, with particular emphasis on those involving autistic sibships. Although often lacking adequate experimental controls, the current literature suggests various factors that are likely to influence the risks on siblings. Possible ways of minimizing such risk factors are discussed.

Autistic Disorder↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Assessing and diagnosing developmental disorders that are not evident at birth: parental evaluations of intake procedures.

Studies of parental satisfaction with the way in which diagnostic information is imparted have generally focused on conditions that are evident from birth. Diagnostic disclosure for disorders in which the onset is later, and less readily identifiable, has received less attention. The present study investigated parents' views of diagnostic procedures for children whose developmental delays only became apparent as they grew older. The degree of satisfaction was related to the type of diagnosis given but 2 weeks after the assessment 87% of parents described themselves as being very or fairly satisfied. However, levels of satisfaction were lower at a later follow-up than they had been initially. Moreover, several specific aspects of the assessment fell short of the ideal model and parents offered a number of practical and cost-effective suggestions as to how these could be remedied. These ranged from ways in which pre-assessment procedures could be made more useful, how diagnostic information should be presented and how the physical setting could be improved.

Adolescent↗