TOPIC

Autism spectrum research

Everything we have read on autism spectrum. Each paper is summarised from the full article rather than its abstract, so the limitations are in there too, and the funding wherever the paper declares it.

2,764 PAPERS · PAGE 17 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCohort2020The relative influence of intellectual disabilities and autism on sensory impairments and physical disability: A whole-country cohort of 5.3 million children and adults.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDIntellectual disabilities were associated with much higher odds of sight loss, hearing loss and physical disability than autism alone. Autism was also independently linked to these impairments, but to a lesser extent. Both conditions require heightened vigilance for sensory and physical health issues.
• SLPPilot2020Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers Revised (MCHAT-R/F) in an Urban Metropolitan Sample of Young Children in Turkey.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe Turkish M-CHAT-R/F identified 9.8% of toddlers as screen-positive, but only 3.3% remained positive after follow-up interviews. High-risk children (score 8-20) rarely needed follow-up, suggesting they could be referred directly for evaluation to save resources.
• SLPCohort2020A Comparative Study of Suicidality and Its Association with Emotion Regulation Impairment in Large ASD and US Census-Matched Samples.Journal of autism and developmental disordersYouth with autism were three times more likely than general US youth to have parent-reported suicidal ideation. Impaired emotion regulation, especially low positive affect, was linked to suicidality in autism samples but not the general population.
• SLPSurvey2020Brief Report: Gender Differences in Experiences of Peer Victimization Among Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescent girls with autism reported peer victimization at similar rates to boys, but for girls it was linked to anxiety and depression. For boys, social communication difficulties were the main link to mental health symptoms.
• SLPCase-Control2020Perinatal Factors Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Jamaican Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAfter adjustment, cesarean delivery, low birth weight, and preterm birth did not show a clear link with ASD in Jamaican children. Only exploratory subgroup patterns appeared, and they need replication.
• SLPRCT2020Attunement in Music Therapy for Young Children with Autism: Revisiting Qualities of Relationship as Mechanisms of Change.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMusical attunement did not predict changes in autism symptoms over five months. Therapists matched the child's relational level in about half of observed sequences, typically when the child was using vocal or instrumental play rather than bodily expression.
• SLPOther2020Prevalence and Risk-Markers of Self-Harm in Autistic Children and Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn autistic children and adults without intellectual disability, 24% self-harmed in the past month. Those who self-harmed had significantly lower mood and higher impulsivity and overactivity than those who did not.
• SLPSurvey2020Is Camouflaging Autistic Traits Associated with Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours? Expanding the Interpersonal Psychological Theory of Suicide in an Undergraduate Student Sample.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHigher autistic traits and camouflaging were linked to lifetime suicidal thoughts or behaviours in 160 undergraduates. Assimilation, pretending to fit in, was most tied to feeling of not belonging; the total camouflaging score did not add after other factors. This does not prove cause.
• SLPPilot2020Brief Report: Preliminary Feasibility of the TEDI: A Novel Parent-Administered Telehealth Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder Symptoms in the First Year of Life.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA telehealth protocol where parents coached to play with their infants successfully captured video data for autism screening. All 22 planned sessions were completed, and parents rated the process as highly acceptable. This proves the method is feasible, not that it accurately diagnoses autism.
• SLPSurvey2020Parent Perspectives Towards Genetic and Epigenetic Testing for Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with and without developmental delays overwhelmingly want a molecular test for autism, preferring saliva samples and early results. However, only 19% accurately understood the difference between genetics and epigenetics, highlighting the need for professional interpretation.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Age of First Walking and Associations with Symptom Severity in Children with Suspected or Diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism walked independently later than peers, and later walking linked to more severe autistic symptoms. This association held after adjusting for IQ and other factors. Delayed walking is not specific to autism, but warrants considering autism as a possible diagnosis, especially in girls.
• SLPCohort2021Longitudinal Differences in Response to Name Among Infants Developing ASD and Risk for ADHD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFailing to orient to name at 24 months predicted later ASD, not ADHD concerns. At 12 to 18 months it was less clear which outcome it meant. Passing was a better sign of no ASD or ADHD concerns than failing was of having them.
• SLPCohort2021Comparison of Parent Questionnaires, Examiner-Led Assessment and Parents' Concerns at 14 Months of Age as Indicators of Later Diagnosis of Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAt 14 months, parent questionnaires and examiner assessments flagged later autism, but parents' concerns were vague, mostly about general behaviour. No single source was decisive. Clinicians should combine all three signals rather than relying on one, as they often disagree.
• SLPCohort2020Comparing the Pragmatic Speech Profiles of Minimally Verbal and Verbally Fluent Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMinimally verbal individuals with autism use fewer speech functions than fluent peers, relying heavily on agreement and requests. They rarely comment, but still show intent to connect. Therapy should target expanding functions beyond requesting to include commenting.
• SLPOther2020Interactional Synchrony and Its Association with Social and Communication Ability in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism were rated as less coordinated in movement and conversation with both mothers and unfamiliar adults. Movement timing tracked mothers' ratings of social and communication skills in the combined sample. This is an observational comparison, not a treatment study.
• SLPCohort2020Sensory Reactivity at 1 and 2 Years Old is Associated with ASD Severity During the Preschool Years.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAt 14 months, less observed reaction to sounds, sights or touch, and stronger parent-reported reaction to sounds, sights or touch, were each linked to more severe autism symptoms at ages 3 to 5. These links were associations, not proof of cause.
• SLPOther2020Metacognitive Monitoring and Control of Eyewitness Memory Reports in Autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults and non-autistic adults gave similarly detailed and accurate eyewitness reports on this structured task. Accuracy instructions helped both. Social questioning improved accuracy, but autistic adults were less able to choose what to report.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Multi-stage Screening in Early Intervention: A Critical Strategy for Improving ASD Identification and Addressing Disparities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEmbedding two-stage autism screening in Early Intervention caught 83.7% of diagnosed cases. Follow-through was high, and gaps in diagnosis for children of color or those with limited English vanished after Stage 1. This model helps therapists identify risk without relying on pediatric referrals.
• SLPCohort2021Comparison of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) Positive Predictive Value by Race.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe M-CHAT-R/F screening tool works equally well for Black and White toddlers. While Black children were more likely to fail specific items before the follow-up interview, the overall accuracy in predicting autism or other developmental delays did not differ by race.
• SLPOther2020California Autism Prevalence by County and Race/Ethnicity: Declining Trends Among Wealthy Whites.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism prevalence in wealthy California counties dropped for white children after birth year 2000, while rising in poorer areas. This suggests high-income families may be opting out of state services or accessing private care, rather than a true decrease in autism rates.
• SLPSurvey2020Early Interventionists' Appraisals of Intervention Strategies for Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Peers in Inclusive Childcare Classrooms.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEarly interventionists rated 31 autism strategies as more effective for typical toddlers than for autistic toddlers, yet eight of the top ten strategies overlapped for both groups. Most top-rated strategies for autistic children are already standard practice in accredited childcare.
• OTSLPQualitative2020"For Me, the Anorexia is Just a Symptom, and the Cause is the Autism": Investigating Restrictive Eating Disorders in Autistic Women.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic women with anorexia described their eating disorder as a coping mechanism for autism-related distress, not primarily driven by weight concerns. Restriction served to numb sensory overload, regulate confusion, and create predictability. This suggests standard anorexia treatments may fail if they ignore the underlying autism.
• SLPOther2020Scaling of Early Social Cognitive Skills in Typically Developing Infants and Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTypically developing infants and children with autism passed early social cognitive tasks in the same order, but children with autism had lower pass rates on gaze and cooperation tasks. This was an assessment sequence, not a treatment test.
• OTSLPOther2020Measurement Properties of the Suicidal Behaviour Questionnaire-Revised in Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe SBQ-R suicide questionnaire does not measure suicidality the same way in autistic adults as in the general population. Items about telling others and future intent work differently, so comparing total scores between these groups is invalid without adaptation.
• SLPCohort2021Brief Report: Use of the Infant-Toddler Checklist in Infant Siblings of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe Infant-Toddler Checklist missed many cases in high-risk siblings, with sensitivity below accepted levels. Accuracy improved by 24 months, but positive predictive value remained low. Clinicians should interpret early screening results cautiously in this population.
• SLPQualitative2021Supporting Newly Identified or Diagnosed Autistic Adults: An Initial Evaluation of an Autistic-Led Programme.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNewly diagnosed or self-identified autistic adults described an autistic-led peer group as a safe, less judged space. They valued hearing peers' experiences, understanding autism positively, and discussing practical ways to handle anxiety, disclosure, and daily life.
• OTSLPCase-Control2020Brief Report: Reduced Heart Rate Variability in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had lower heart rate variability than typically developing peers, but variability did not differ in response to or recovery from a task. In the autism group, lower variability was linked to caregiver-reported attentional responses to sensory input, not social communication scores.
• SLPRCT2020A Pilot Randomised Control Trial of Digitally-Mediated Social Stories for Children on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPersonalised digital social stories read daily for two weeks improved goal attainment, behaviour frequency and intensity in children with autism. Effects held at six-week follow-up, but anxiety did not change. This pilot suggests promise, not proof.
• SLPRCT2020A Randomized Controlled Trial of Functional Communication Training via Telehealth for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent-delivered functional communication training via telehealth reduced problem behavior in young children with autism over 12 weeks compared with treatment as usual. Ongoing supports varied, so other treatments cannot be separated.
• SLPRCT2020SOLACE: A Psychosocial Stigma Protection Intervention to Improve the Mental Health of Parents of Autistic Children-A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of newly diagnosed autistic children who joined SOLACE, a stigma-focused group, reported better mental health and less stigma than controls. However, the study was underpowered, and the primary goal was testing feasibility, not proving effectiveness.
• OTSLPOther2020The Development and Feasibility Study of a Multimodal 'Talking Wall' to Facilitate the Voice of Young People with Autism and Complex Needs: A Case Study in a Specialist Residential School.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTen minimally verbal or complex-needs students used a multimodal 'Talking Wall' to express preferences. While staff found it promising for capturing immediate likes, spontaneous use was absent, and students often matched images rather than expressing true feelings, especially regarding negative emotions.
• SLPSurvey2020An Exploratory Study of a Dimensional Assessment of the Diagnostic Criteria for Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTwo self-report questions about autism social and restricted/repetitive behaviours differed between adults who identified as autistic and those who did not, and related to an existing autism screen. They are not diagnostic and need validation before use.
• SLPOther2020Small Semantic Networks in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder Without Intellectual Impairment: A Verbal Fluency Approach.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism spectrum disorder without intellectual impairment did not show a reliable difference from non-ASD adults on verbal fluency after the study applied a strict threshold. Small differences in semantic clusters did not hold up.
• SLPOther2021Development of the Observation Schedule for Children with Autism-Anxiety, Behaviour and Parenting (OSCA-ABP): A New Measure of Child and Parenting Behavior for Use with Young Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA new observation schedule reliably captured challenging behaviors and parenting responses in young autistic children, including those with minimal speech. It showed that minimally verbal children displayed significantly more challenging behaviors per minute than verbal children, providing a standardized way to assess these difficulties directly.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Strategies for Research, Practice, and Policy for Autism in Later Life: A Report from a Think Tank on Aging and Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA think tank of 27 people, including autistic adults, identified gaps in care for aging autistic individuals. They recommended adapting existing community programs and training long-term care staff, rather than creating new silos, to address sensory and social needs.
• SLPQualitative2021Understanding How Parents Make Meaning of Their Child's Behaviors During Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Longitudinal Qualitative Investigation.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents changed how they read their child's behavior during autism screening. They noticed new signs, compared them with speech or other conditions, and searched for causes, moving toward or away from an autism explanation.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2020The Prevalence of Self-injurious Behaviour in Autism: A Meta-analytic Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSelf-injury affects 42% of autistic people. It is not more common in those with intellectual disability, contrary to assumption. Female gender is linked to higher prevalence. Hand hitting, skin picking and hitting objects are the most common forms.
• OTSLPOther2020Brief Report: Performance-Based Executive Functioning Abilities are Associated with Caregiver Report of Adaptive Functioning in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism who scored lower on spatial working memory tasks also had lower caregiver ratings of daily living skills. Verbal working memory was linked to communication scores. Neither type of executive function was associated with socialization skills.
• OTSLPCohort2020Work, living, and the pursuit of happiness: Vocational and psychosocial outcomes for young adults with autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceYoung adults with autism and lower verbal IQ had worse work, living, friendships, and daily living skills than higher-IQ autistic and never-ASD adults. Higher-IQ autistic adults were similar to never-ASD adults, except poorer daily living skills and quality of life.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Prevalence of intellectual disability among eight-year-old children from selected communities in the United States, 2014.Disability and health journalIntellectual disability affected 11.8 of every 1,000 eight-year-olds in nine US states. Prevalence was twice as high in boys as girls and highest in Black children. Rates dropped as neighborhood income and education rose. Children in lower-income areas were tested later.
• SLPOther2021Exploring Key Physiological System Profiles at Rest and the Association with Depressive Symptoms in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism had more parent-reported depressive symptoms than typical peers, but resting cortisol and autonomic measures did not differ. In autism, higher parasympathetic and lower sympathetic activity was linked to fewer symptoms.
• SLPOther2021Strategic Deception in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with ASD used deceptive moves at similar rates to adults without ASD when deception was needed to win, avoided traps at similar rates, but learned more across trials and were slower when avoiding traps.
• OTSLPOther2021Brief Report: Social Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder is Based on Deficits in Social Competence.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHigh-functioning adults with autism reported social anxiety levels comparable to those with social anxiety disorder, but showed significantly greater deficits in social competence and information processing. This suggests autistic social anxiety stems from fundamental social skill deficits rather than fear of negative evaluation alone.
• SLPQualitative2021"The Real Thing I Struggle with is Other People's Perceptions": The Experiences of Autistic Performing Arts Professionals and Attitudes of Performing Arts Employers in the UK.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic performing arts professionals reported significant workplace barriers, including sensory overload, anxiety around auditions, and fear of negative judgment if they disclosed their autism. They often lacked support because employers had low knowledge of autism and few resources. Employers were open to learning but lacked confidence.
• OTSLPCohort2021Trajectories of Autism Symptom Severity Change During Early Childhood.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism symptom severity changed during early childhood. Most children stayed stable, some decreased, and some increased. Baseline severity did not predict direction, so watch for both improvement and worsening.
• SLPOther2021Staff Perceptions and Implementation Fidelity of an Autism Spectrum Disorder Care Pathway on a Child/Adolescent General Psychiatric Inpatient Service.Journal of autism and developmental disordersStaff found visual schedules and first-then cards helpful, but autism care pathway documentation was inconsistent. Early reward identification was linked to fewer later crisis interventions; no link to length of stay. This is observational, not proof the pathway works.
• SLPQualitative2021Parental Perceptions and Decisions Regarding Maintaining Bilingualism in Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of bilingual children on the autism spectrum were split between keeping two languages and using mainly English. Choices depended on family ties, advice, child's needs and English. Some were told one language was more appropriate; others received no language advice.
• SLPOther2020National and State Estimates of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disorders2.21% of U.S. adults aged 18-84, or 1 in 45, were estimated to be living with autism in 2017. State estimates ranged 1.97% to 2.42%. This is planning data, not treatment evidence.
• SLPSurvey2020Types and correlates of school non-attendance in students with autism spectrum disorders.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceSchool non-attendance is common in children with autism, with 43% showing persistent absence. School refusal was the most frequent reason, accounting for 43% of missed days. Factors linked to higher absence included older age, mainstream school attendance, and parental unemployment.
• SLPRCT2021Parent Perceptions of Caregiver-Mediated Telemedicine Tools for Assessing Autism Risk in Toddlers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents found a parent-led video autism screening acceptable and comfortable. They liked guiding play with their child, but some worried the short visit could miss the behaviors they were most concerned about.