A5014484396- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Child Development and Digital Technology
- Family and Disability Support Research
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Language Development and Disorders
- Child and Animal Learning Development
- Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Gender and Technology in Education
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Visual perception and processing mechanisms
- Multisensory perception and integration
- Deception detection and forensic psychology
- Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Sleep and Wakefulness Research
- Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Spatial Cognition and Navigation
- Early Childhood Education and Development
- Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Technology Adoption and User Behaviour
Queen Mary University of London
2024-2025
King's College London
2015-2024
University of Bath
2018-2024
University of Cambridge
2019
Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Psychology
2017
University of London
2010-2015
Karolinska Institutet
2015
King's College - North Carolina
2014
Birkbeck, University of London
2010-2013
McGill University
2013
Background There has been increasing interest in the potential for pre‐emptive interventions prodrome of autism, but little investigation as to their effect. Methods A two‐site, two‐arm assessor‐blinded randomised controlled trial ( RCT ) a 12‐session parent‐mediated social communication intervention delivered between 9 and 14 months age (Intervention British Autism Study Infant Siblings‐Video Interaction Promoting Positive Parenting), against no intervention. Fifty‐four infants (28...
Risk markers for later autism identified in the first year of life present plausible intervention targets during early development. We aimed to assess effect a parent-mediated infants at high risk on these markers. did two-site, two-arm assessor-blinded randomised controlled trial families with an infant familial aged 7–10 months, testing adapted Video Interaction Promote Positive Parenting (iBASIS-VIPP) versus no intervention. Families were randomly assigned or groups using permuted block...
Abstract Traditional screen time (e.g. TV and videogaming) has been linked to sleep problems poorer developmental outcomes in children. With the advent of portable touchscreen devices, this association may be extending down age disrupt infants toddlers, an when is essential for cognitive development. However, not demonstrated empirically. This study aims examine whether frequency use associated with toddlers between 6 36 months age. An online survey was administered 715 parents reporting on...
Human adults can go beyond the limits of individual sensory systems’ resolutions by integrating multiple estimates (e.g., vision and touch) to reduce uncertainty. Little is known about how this ability develops. Although some multisensory abilities are present from early infancy, it not until age ≥8 y that children use modalities Here we show uncertainty reduction integration does emerge 12 even within single modality vision, in judgments surface slant based on stereoscopic texture...
Background : Motor milestones such as the onset of walking are important developmental markers, not only for later motor skills but also more widespread social‐cognitive development. The aim current study was to test whether gross abilities, specifically walking, predicted subsequent rate language development in a large cohort children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods We ran growth curve models expressive and receptive measured at 2, 3, 5 9 years 209 autistic children. Measures...
Touchscreen technologies provide an intuitive and attractive source of sensory/cognitive stimulation for young children. Despite fears that usage may have a negative impact on toddlers' cognitive development, empirical evidence is lacking. The current study presents results from the UK Toddler Attentional Behaviours LEarning with Touchscreens (TABLET) project, examining association between touchscreen use attainment developmental milestones. Data were gathered in online survey 715 parents 6-...
In addition to core symptoms, i.e., social interaction and communication difficulties restricted repetitive behaviors, autism is also characterized by aspects of superior perception [1Mottron L. Dawson M. Soulières I. Hubert B. Burack J. Enhanced perceptual functioning in autism: an update, eight principles autistic perception.J. Autism Dev. Disord. 2006; 36: 27-43Crossref PubMed Scopus (1176) Google Scholar]. One well-replicated finding that performance visual search tasks, which...
Infants' visual scanning of social scenes is influenced by both exogenously and endogenously driven shifts attention. We manipulate these factors contrasting individual infants' distribution attention to the eyes relative mouth when viewing complex dynamic with multiple communicative signals (e.g. peek-a-boo), same infant simpler where only single features move (moving eyes, hands). explore relationship between context-dependent patterns later communication outcomes in two groups infants,...
Background Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have co‐occurring symptoms of attention‐deficit/hyperactivity (ADHD) and/or anxiety. It is unclear whether these disorders arise from shared or distinct developmental pathways. We explored this question by testing the specificity early‐life (infant and toddler) predictors mid‐childhood ADHD anxiety compared to ASD symptoms. Methods Infants ( n = 104) at high low familial risk for took part in research assessments 7, 14, 24 38...
Abstract Little is known about how spontaneous attentional deployment differs on a millisecond-level scale in the early development of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). We measured fine-grained eye movement patterns 6-to 9-month-old infants at high or low familial risk (HR/LR) ASD while they viewed static images. observed shorter fixation durations (i.e. time interval between saccades) HR than LR infants. Preliminary analyses indicate that these results were replicated second cohort Fixation...
We investigated early behavioural markers of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) using the Autism Observational Scale for Infants (AOSI) in a prospective familial high-risk (HR) sample infant siblings (N = 54) and low-risk (LR) controls 50). The AOSI was completed at 7 14 month visits children were seen again age 24 36 months. Diagnostic outcome ASD (HR-ASD) versus no (HR-No ASD) determined HR latter timepoint. group scored higher than LR months marginally but non-significantly months, although...
Difficulties with executive functioning (EF) are common in individuals a range of developmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Interventions that target underlying mechanisms EF early development could be broadly beneficial, but require infant markers such order to feasible. Prospective studies infants at high familial risk (HR) for ASD have revealed surprising tendency HR toddlers show longer epochs attention faces than low-risk (LR) controls. In typical development,...
Abstract We conducted a replication study of our prior report that increased alpha EEG connectivity at 14-months associates with later autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis, and dimensional variation in restricted interests/repetitive behaviours. 143 infants high low familial risk for ASD watched dynamic videos spinning toys women singing nursery rhymes while high-density was recorded. Alpha functional (7–8 Hz) calculated using the debiased weighted phase lag index. The final sample clean...
Abstract Co-occurring autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have been associated with poorer social skills. Most studies examining the association of ADHD symptoms skills in employ categorical cross-sectional designs, which provide a narrow view development symptoms. Using group-based trajectory modeling, we identified five trajectories caregiver-reported attention problems an inception cohort autistic children ( N = 393) followed from age 2–5 years (T1) to 10.5–11 (T8):...
BackgroundChildren with callous-unemotional (CU) traits, a proposed precursor to adult psychopathy, are characterized by impaired emotion recognition, reduced responsiveness others' distress, and lack of guilt or empathy. Reduced attention faces, more specifically the eye region, has been underlie these difficulties, although this never tested longitudinally from infancy. Attention faces occurs within context dyadic caregiver interactions, early environment including parenting...
Recently, evidence of poor or atypical motor skills in autism spectrum disorder has led some to argue that impairment is a core feature the condition. The current study uses longitudinal prospective design assess development 20 children at increased risk developing disorder, who were recruited and tested 9 40 months age, on basis having an older sibling diagnosed with All completed range motor, face processing, IQ diagnostic assessments follow-up visit (aged 5–7 years), providing detailed...
Although it is well established that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) higher in males than females, there relatively little understanding underlying mechanisms and their developmental time course. Sex-specific protective or risk factors have often been invoked to explain these differences, but such are yet be identified. We take a approach, using prospective sample 104 infants at high low familial for ASD, characterise sex differences infant markers known predict emerging...
Abstract Emerging findings from studies with infants at familial high risk for autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ), owing to an older sibling a diagnosis, suggest that those who go on develop show early impairments in the processing of stimuli both social and non‐social content. Although is defined by social‐communication restricted repetitive behaviours, majority cognitive theories posit single underlying factor, which over development has secondary effects across domains. This first high‐risk...
An enhanced ability to detect visual targets amongst distractors, known as search (VS), has often been documented in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Yet, it is unclear when this behaviour emerges development and if specific ASD. We followed up infants at high low familial risk for ASD investigate how early VS abilities links later diagnosis, the potential underlying mechanisms of association specificity superior Clinical diagnosis well dimensional measures ASD,...