Predicting and Otimizing Language Outcomes in Minimally Verbal Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

项目摘要/摘要 即使在接受了高质量的干预后，相当数量的自闭症儿童仍然保持着最低限度的语言能力。 以前的文献已经强调了这一群体的异质性，证实了虽然没有单一的机制 能够解释他们严重沟通障碍的根本原因，创新有针对性的行为 干预可以改善一些老年人的言语和社交沟通 孩子们。马球项目是一项多学科的努力，旨在确定潜在的运动和神经机制 患有自闭症的儿童严重的口语障碍，并促进我们的 了解如何优化这一年轻群体的语言效果。马球的目标2打算 研究语言障碍和神经功能之间的联系，包括神经振荡模式， 少言少语儿童的长距离连接和听觉处理障碍。这份副刊将 采取互补的观点来解决语言障碍和神经功能的关键目标，方法是 使用fNIRS代替脑电(项目2)。虽然EEG提供了有关时间的信息，但fNIR是一种用户友好的 和(与功能磁共振不同的)运动耐受模式，它告诉我们大脑活动的局部化。因此，我们 将项目2的S重点放在基本的声音和言语上，扩展到对自然语言刺激的研究，探索 自闭症MV儿童接受性语言的神经基础我们将包括一份标准化的读物 大声朗读故事，并根据加布里埃利博士的工作，添加一个关于每个孩子最喜欢的亲和力的故事。这 补编涉及以下目标。目的1研究阅读过程中语言的神经激活模式 MV ASD儿童、年龄和性别匹配的言语ASD儿童(ASD-VF)和典型对照组的有声故事 (Td)选自马球。这一目标的主要关注点是ASD-MV儿童--没有先前的研究 调查这群人。然而，我们预计，对非亲和力故事的激活程度会降低， 尤其是在左额叶皮质，与VF和TD同龄人相比，这可能表明靶向 在最重要的时候，语言干预可以用来提高语言理解能力：在年轻人中， 学龄前语言能力最弱的儿童。目标2：将神经激活模式与接受性和表现性联系起来 MV组的POLO语言测量(PLS5、Mullen/DAS、Natural Language Sample/ELSA)。 有大量证据表明ASD以非典型的结构和功能神经为特征。 连通性。这项研究将解决马球的主要目标，即最低限度地与杨格进行研究 对患有自闭症的儿童进行言语测试，并将神经发现与行为联系起来。本副刊将马球的目标扩展到 应用fNIRS识别多发性硬化ASD患儿语言刺激所激活的脑区。

PROJECT ABSTRACT/SUMMARY A significant number of children with ASD remain minimally verbal even after receiving quality interventions. Previous literature has highlighted the heterogeneity of this group, confirming that while no single mechanism can explain the underlying causes of their severe communication deficits, innovative targeted behavioral interventions can lead to improvements in speech and social communication in some older minimally verbal children. The POLO project is a multidisciplinary effort to identify the motor and neural mechanisms underlying the profound spoken language impairments in young, minimally verbal children with ASD and to advance our understanding of how to optimize language outcomes in this younger population. Aim 2 of POLO intends to investigate links between language impairments and neural functioning including neural oscillatory patterns, long-range connectivity and auditory processing impairments in minimally verbal children. This supplement will take a complementary perspective to address the key aim of language impairment and neural functioning by using fNIRS instead of EEG (Project 2). While EEG provides information about timing, fNIRS is a user-friendly and (unlike fMRI) movement-tolerant modality which tells us about the localization of brain activity. Thus, we will extend Project 2’s focus on basic sound and speech to a study of naturalistic language stimuli, exploring the neural foundations of receptive language in MV children with ASD. We will include one standardized read aloud story and add one read aloud story on each child’s favored affinity based on Dr. Gabrieli’s work. This supplement addresses the following aims. AIM 1 Investigate neural activation patterns to language in read aloud stories in MV ASD children, age and sex-matched verbal ASD children (ASD-VF) and typical controls (TD) drawn from POLO. The key focus of this aim is on ASD-MV children – there is no prior research investigating this population. However, we expect a pattern of reduced activation to non-affinity stories, especially in the left frontal cortex, in comparison with VF and TD peers, which may indicate that targeted language interventions can be used to improve language comprehension when it is most important: in young, pre-school aged minimally verbal children. AIM 2: Link neural activation patterns to receptive and expressive language measures (PLS-5, Mullen/DAS, Natural Language Sample/ELSA) from POLO for the MV group. There is considerable evidence that ASD is characterized by atypical structural and functional neural connectivity. This research will address the key aims of POLO to conduct research with younger minimally verbal children with ASD and link the neural findings to behavior. This supplement extends POLO’s aims by using fNIRS to identify the brain regions activated by language stimuli in MV children with ASD.