deficits in social communication

  • Autism Acceptance Week 2024

    Breaking Down Barriers and Improving Understanding – Autism Acceptance Week 2024

    This World Autism Acceptance Week (2 April to 8 April 2024), we encourage you to explore the FREE learning opportunities available on our website, and to share with your networks.

    Together we can work towards ‘sharing best evidence, improving practice’ to help create a society that works for autistic children and young people.

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  • rd-bridge-autistic-girls-better-comms-skills

    Do autistic girls have better communication and interaction skills than autistic boys?

    There is ongoing debate as to whether autism spectrum disorder (ASD) differentially affects males and females. Several meta-analyses have found little difference between males and females with ASD in terms of social communication and interaction skills. However, such analyses have often relied on diagnostic instruments such as the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, Second Edition 2 that may not be sensitive to how autism presents in females. What’s more, many have been based on global scores, that reflect overall social communication and interaction skills, which could miss subtler differences in specific domains.

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  • Early deprivation is linked to long-term social communication difficulties

    Maltreatment affects a staggering 1 billion children worldwide. Most of these maltreated children, but particularly those raised in institutions that are characterized by deprivation, experience some form of neglect. These children seem to be at risk of developing social, cognitive and psychiatric difficulties later in life.

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  • Early social communication intervention reduces autism severity in young infants

    The first, very early social communication intervention for infants at high risk of autism shows promise to reduce the overall severity of early symptoms and a capacity to positively enhance parent–child social interactions.

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  • young boy in super hero costume

    ASD – Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental disorder that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. People on the autism spectrum may have difficulties with social communication, social interaction and restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviours, activities or interests.

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