University of Pittsburgh, USA.
Autism. 2019 May;23(4):1018-1027. doi: 10.1177/1362361318797264. Epub 2018 Aug 30.
Children with autism spectrum disorder often demonstrate difficulties with self-regulation, although studies of this construct in young children with autism spectrum disorder are limited. In this study, developmental changes were examined using a measure of self-regulation appropriate for young children, resistance to temptation. At 22, 28, and 34 months, toddlers with an older sibling with autism spectrum disorder (high risk) and toddlers with typically developing older siblings (low risk) were presented with an appealing toy and instructed not to touch it. Observers coded whether or not children touched the toy and the strategies they used to resist touching it. At 36 months, children were assessed for autism spectrum disorder, yielding three groups: high risk children with autism spectrum disorder, high risk children without autism spectrum disorder, and low risk children. At 22 months, most children, regardless of group, touched the forbidden toy; at 28 and 34 months, many high risk children without autism spectrum disorder and low risk children resisted the temptation to touch the toy, whereas most of the children with autism spectrum disorder did not. Differences in delay strategies were also evident. Some, but not all group differences, were accounted for by differences in language ability. Results highlight one early index of impulse control that differentiates children with emerging autism spectrum disorder from age-mates prior to the third birthday.
自闭症谱系障碍儿童通常表现出自制困难，但对自闭症谱系障碍幼儿这一结构的研究有限。在这项研究中，使用一种适合幼儿的自我调节测量方法——抵制诱惑，来研究发展变化。在 22、28 和 34 个月时，有自闭症谱系障碍（高风险）哥哥或姐姐的幼儿和有正常发育哥哥或姐姐的幼儿（低风险）被呈现一个吸引人的玩具，并被指示不要触摸它。观察者记录孩子们是否触摸了玩具以及他们用来抵制触摸的策略。在 36 个月时，对儿童进行自闭症谱系障碍评估，得出三组：有自闭症谱系障碍的高风险儿童、没有自闭症谱系障碍的高风险儿童和低风险儿童。在 22 个月时，大多数孩子，无论组别如何，都触摸了禁止触摸的玩具；在 28 个月和 34 个月时，许多没有自闭症谱系障碍的高风险儿童和低风险儿童抵制了触摸玩具的诱惑，而大多数自闭症谱系障碍儿童没有。延迟策略也存在差异。一些（但不是所有）组间差异可以用语言能力的差异来解释。研究结果突出了一个在第三个生日之前区分出现自闭症谱系障碍的儿童和同龄儿童的冲动控制的早期指标。
