The Childhood Asperger Syndrome Test (CAST) is a parental questionnaire to screen for autism spectrum conditions. In this validation study, the CAST was distributed to 1925 children aged 5-11 in mainstream Cambridgeshire schools. A sample of participants received a full diagnostic assessment, conducted blind to screen status. The sensitivity of…

The present study investigated the influence of developmental level on interaction and imitation in infants and young children with autism on the basis of family videos and filmed consultation. The sample comprised 18 children with autism divided into groups according to their developmental quotient (DQ > 50 and DQ < 50). A quantitative evaluation…

Sleep problems are commonly reported in children with autistic disorders. Most studies are based on sleep questionnaires and sleep diaries, but polysomnographic and actigraphic data have also been used. In this study we investigated sleep in older individuals (aged 15-25 years) with autism and Asperger syndrome, using sleep questionnaires, sleep…

The potential for using virtual environments (VEs) in educational contexts for people with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs) has been recognized. However, very little is known about how people with ASDs interpret and understand VEs. This study aimed to investigate this directly with a group of 12 adolescents with ASDs, each individually matched…

The age of detection of autism varies and may be linked to differences in the severity of disturbance and any associated retardation. Symptom intensity, overall language level, age of recognition of first disturbances and level of psychological development were examined in 222 children with pervasive developmental disorder with a mean age of 5…

The present study examined the applicability of the double ABCX model of family adjustment in explaining maternal adjustment to caring for a child diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Forty-seven mothers completed questionnaires at a university clinic while their children were participating in an anxiety intervention. The children were aged between…

This longitudinal study investigated the developmental trajectory of discourse skills and theory of mind in 57 children with autism. Children were tested at two time points spaced 1 year apart. Each year they provided a natural language sample while interacting with one parent, and were given standardized vocabulary measures and a developmentally…

The authors conclude from a range of literature relevant to the autistic condition that atypical strategies for the allocation of attention are central to the condition. This assertion is examined in the context of recent research, the diagnostic criteria for autism in DSMIV and ICD-10, and the personal experiences of individuals with autism…

A survey of parents/caregivers of a child with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was conducted to examine the relationship between ASD characteristics, family functioning and coping strategies. Having a child with ASD places considerable stress on the family. Primary caregivers of a child with ASD from a regional and rural area in Victoria,…

Two studies examine the influence of the Standards for Effective Pedagogy on student achievement gains. Participants were 15 teachers and 266 students (grades 3 to 5) in a public elementary school serving predominantly low-income Latino English Language Learners (ELLs). Implications for teaching practice and research are discussed. (Author/VWL)

Examined the Instructional Conversation (IC) as a socioculturally based professional development tool and how it encouraged knowledge construction as it was assisted through dynamic participation among mainstream and bilingual teachers of English language learners. Found that the IC could be instrumental in training teachers about theoretical…

Describes factors that helped students succeed in a minority bilingual teacher training project. Results showed that structural factors, such as centralized advising, caring staff, and cohorts, and ancillary factors, such as increase in self-esteem helped students succeed. (Author/VWL)

Describes language and early literacy skills in Spanish and English for a sample of bilingual children in Massachusetts and Maryland and a comparative group of monolingual Spanish-speaking children in Puerto Rico. Children were 4-year-olds entering pre-kindergarten programs. Results are discussed. (Author/VWL)

Describes student outcomes following the first year of implementation of an early reading intervention project designed to improve the first language literacy in first grade English language learners (ELLs). Results indicate steady improvement in reading levels and support providing ELLs with interventions that use an intensive, systematic,…

Provides brief case studies of middle and high school English language learners representing the diversity of these students in terms of their educational and language backgrounds. Presents four research-based keys for working successfully with struggling learners and describes how one teacher implements the four keys with her ELLs. (Author/VWL)