Visuo-attentional correlates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children with Down syndrome: A comparative study with children with idiopathic ASD.
Jennifer M Glennon, Hana D'Souza, Luke Mason and 2 others
PMID 32505966WHAT IT FOUND
Children with Down syndrome and autism searched for visual targets faster than those with Down syndrome alone, matching the profile seen in idiopathic autism.
However, their ability to shift attention away from a central object did not differ from peers without autism.
Key findings
01Children with Down syndrome and comorbid autism showed superior visual search performance compared to those with Down syndrome without autism.
02There was no significant difference in attentional disengagement difficulties between children with idiopathic autism, Down syndrome with autism, and Down syndrome without autism.
03In children with idiopathic autism, lower scores on a measure of attentional facilitation were associated with higher autistic trait severity, but this link was not present in children with Down syndrome.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample sizes were small, with only seven children in the Down syndrome plus autism group and eight in the Down syndrome without autism group. The groups differed significantly in non-verbal intellectual ability, although the visual search finding persisted when this was controlled for. The study is cross-sectional and does not determine whether these visuo-attentional profiles predict the later emergence of autistic traits.
Declared interests
The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that attentional disengagement difficulties are a reliable marker for autism in children with Down syndrome. The study found no significant difference in disengagement between children with Down syndrome and autism and those without, suggesting this specific attentional trait may not distinguish the two groups in this population.