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 18 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPOther2020Visuo-attentional correlates of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children with Down syndrome: A comparative study with children with idiopathic ASD.Research in developmental disabilitiesChildren 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.
• SLPRCT2020Does implementing a new intervention disrupt use of existing evidence-based autism interventions?Autism : the international journal of research and practiceGiving teachers a computer-assisted autism program caused them to use existing one-to-one behavioral therapies less. Teachers who received the software showed almost no growth in using these therapies over the year, while control teachers increased their use significantly.
• SLPOther2020Autistic peer-to-peer information transfer is highly effective.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic people shared information and built rapport just as effectively as non-autistic people when paired with same-neurotype peers. However, mixed groups struggled significantly with both information transfer and rapport, suggesting communication breakdowns arise from diagnostic mismatch rather than inherent social deficits.
• SLPOther2020Prediction of social behavior in autism spectrum disorders: Explicit versus implicit social cognition.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic youth who took longer to infer others’ thoughts, generated less creative social responses, and processed faces and voices slowly showed more social communication difficulties. This was not a treatment study.
• SLPCohort2020Impact of a digital Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers-Revised on likelihood and age of autism diagnosis and referral for developmental evaluation.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceToddlers who screened positive for autism using a digital M-CHAT-R were five times more likely to receive a developmental referral by age 4 than those screened with paper. The digital tool improved referral rates but did not significantly change the age at which children were referred.
• SLPOther2020Reliability and validity of the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale modified for autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe modified Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS-ASD) reliably measures anxiety severity in autistic youth, including those with lower IQs. It takes under 20 minutes, requires brief training, and correlates strongly with parent-reported anxiety scales while distinguishing anxiety from core autism symptoms.
• SLPSurvey2021What Contributes to Stigma Towards Autistic University Students and Students with Other Diagnoses?Journal of autism and developmental disordersDiagnostic labels were less stigmatized than behavior descriptions. For autism and depression, labeled vignettes elicited less stigma than unlabeled vignettes, but disruptive autism behaviors were more stigmatized than withdrawn autism behaviors.
• SLPOther2021Professional Development for Enhancing Autism Spectrum Disorder Awareness in Preschool Professionals.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNine preschool professionals reported feeling more able to understand autism, adjust the classroom and prevent difficult situations after a 6-week programme. Their reported preparation time and need for further training did not show a clear change.
• SLPCohort2021The Association Between Maternal Prenatal Fish Intake and Child Autism-Related Traits in the EARLI and HOME Studies.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHigher fish intake in late pregnancy linked to more autism traits, not fewer. Salmon showed the opposite pattern. Results varied by fish type and cohort, with no strong overall evidence that prenatal diet changes child development.
• SLPPilot2021Digitally-Mediated Social Stories Support Children on the Autism Spectrum Adapting to a Change in a 'Real-World' Context.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn ten autistic children, a one-week digital social story intervention significantly improved teacher-rated understanding, closeness to goals, and reduced anxiety before a school camp. These pre-camp ratings correlated with fewer problems during the camp, but the study had no control group.
• SLPQualitative2020Dropping out and moving on: A qualitative study of autistic people's experiences of university.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults who dropped out of university described late diagnosis, sensory overload, and a lack of proactive support as key drivers. Many felt disengagement became inevitable due to unmet expectations and outsider status, leading to long-lasting shame.
• SLPCohort2020Screening for Autism Spectrum Disorder in High-Risk Younger Siblings.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPThe M-CHAT-R identified autism in high-risk siblings with much higher accuracy than in the general population. Because parents of high-risk children reported concerns consistently, the follow-up interview added little value. High-risk toddlers who screen positive should be referred for evaluation immediately.
• PTOTSLPOther2020Service deserts and service oases: Utilizing geographic information systems to evaluate service availability for individuals with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceService deserts exist for autism care in Michigan. Rural areas and low-income urban neighborhoods, particularly Detroit, have significantly fewer providers and longer travel distances than wealthier suburbs. This geographic gap limits access to essential behavioral and educational services.
• SLPSystematic Review2020Measuring change in facial emotion recognition in individuals with autism spectrum disorder: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceOnly six of 36 tests used in ASD intervention studies had been used by more than one research team. The most common test found change in only 7 of 21 studies, so no single measure reliably detects change.
• SLPSurvey2021Mind-Mindedness and Stress in Parents of Children with Developmental Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with developmental disorders were not less focused on their child's mental life. Parents of children with ADHD or ASD reported highest stress, and negative child descriptions were linked to higher stress.
• SLPCohort2021Is It Fear? Similar Brain Responses to Fearful and Neutral Faces in Infants with a Heightened Likelihood for Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersInfants with a family history of autism showed no difference from controls in general visual processing. However, unlike controls, they did not distinguish fearful from neutral faces when shown detailed images, suggesting early differences in how they process facial expressions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021A High Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Preschool Children in an Immigrant, Multiethnic Population in Sweden: Challenges for Health Care.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn a high-immigrant Swedish district, 3.66% of preschoolers were diagnosed with autism, rising to 4.32% with later cases. Most had intellectual disability and multiple risk factors, including maternal migration and family history, challenging standard care models.
• OTSLPMeta-Analysis2020The relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety in autism: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIntolerance of uncertainty is strongly linked to anxiety in autistic children and young adults. This association is as strong as in neurotypical people. Targeting uncertainty tolerance may help treat anxiety in this group, though current evidence is correlational.
• SLPQualitative2020The face validity of an initial sub-typology of people with autism spectrum disorders detained in psychiatric hospitals.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceClinicians and service users agreed this typology for autism in secure hospitals makes sense but is too complex for patients. Psychosis and psychopathy were seen as key drivers of risk, while behavioural problems were often viewed as secondary to these conditions.
• OTSLPCohort2020Factors associated with enrollment into a clinical trial of caregiver-implemented intervention for infants at risk for autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFamilies invited to a clinic-based caregiver intervention trial for 12-month-olds were less likely to enroll when mothers worked full time, household income was $60,000-$100,000, or they lived more than 30 miles away. Infants with higher communication scores were also less likely to enroll.
• SLPCohort2021Dynamic Eye Tracking as a Predictor and Outcome Measure of Social Skills Intervention in Adolescents and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEye tracking metrics predicted who improved in social skills therapy, but did not change over time to show treatment effects. Higher attention to faces and background objects predicted better outcomes, while attention to hands predicted poorer outcomes.
• SLPOther2021"I'm Proud to be a Little Bit Different": The Effects of Autistic Individuals' Perceptions of Autism and Autism Social Identity on Their Collective Self-esteem.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults who associated autism with more positive attributes reported stronger autism identity and greater self-worth from being autistic. The link between positive views and self-worth ran through feeling connected to other autistic people.
• SLPCohort2021Association between pica and gastrointestinal symptoms in preschoolers with and without autism spectrum disorder: Study to Explore Early Development.Disability and health journalPreschoolers who ate non-food items had significantly more vomiting, diarrhea, and loose stools than those who did not, regardless of whether they had autism or other developmental disabilities. However, pica did not explain the higher rate of gut symptoms seen in children with autism compared to typical peers.
• OTSLPOther2020The role of staffing and classroom characteristics on preschool teachers' use of one-to-one intervention with children with autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn autism preschools, therapists and teachers did more planned one-to-one teaching than aides. Classrooms with more aides were linked to less planned teaching. Classrooms with more children were linked to less spontaneous teaching.
• SLPCohort2021Delay to Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention and Educational Outcomes for a Medicaid-Enrolled Cohort of Children with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersLonger delays to start intensive behavioral intervention were linked to fewer general education placements and lower math scores, but not reading scores. Speech therapy receipt was also associated with lower odds of general education placement, suggesting service mix matters alongside timing.
• SLPCohort2021An Assessment of the Psychometric Properties of the GHQ-12 in an English Population of Autistic Adults Without Learning Difficulties.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe GHQ-12 is an acceptable and reliable measure of distress for autistic adults without learning disabilities. It works best when scored using the 'Chronic' method, which accounts for long-standing symptoms and provides the clearest picture of severity in this population.
• OTSLPSurvey2020Short report: Social communication difficulties and restricted repetitive behaviors as predictors of anxiety in adults with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAmong 742 autistic adults, self-reported repetitive sensory-motor and routine or insistence-on-sameness behaviors were linked to anxiety symptoms. Social communication difficulties were not once these behaviors were considered.
• OTSLPCase-Control2020Computer Vision Analysis of Reduced Interpersonal Affect Coordination in Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYouth with autism smiled less and coordinated their smiles less with conversation partners than typically developing peers. This reduced coordination was associated with lower parent-rated social skills and empathy, suggesting a link between facial synchrony and daily social functioning.
• SLPRCT2020Peer engagement in toddlers with autism: Community implementation of dyadic and individual Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation intervention.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceToddlers with autism improved joint engagement with adults and peers during supported play in a dyadic JASPER adaptation. However, they did not show significant gains in independent peer interaction without adult support. Individual JASPER remains effective for core skills, while peer engagement requires scaffolding.
• SLPOther2020Integrating the Early Start Denver Model into Israeli community autism spectrum disorder preschools: Effectiveness and treatment response predictors.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceChildren in Israeli autism preschools using the Early Start Denver Model made larger gains in language and overall development than children in usual multidisciplinary preschools. Gains were not seen in every adaptive area, and the study did not show which programme parts caused them.
• OTSLPOther2020Autism spectrum disorder/Takiwātanga: An Integrated Data Infrastructure-based approach to autism spectrum disorder research in New Zealand.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceNew Zealand linked data identified 9555 children and young people with autism. The identified group had much higher co-occurring intellectual disability and disruptive behaviours than non-autistic children, but the method likely undercounts cases.
• OTSLPCohort2021Using phecode analysis to characterize co-occurring medical conditions in autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practicePeople with ASD had more constipation, dental problems, hearing loss, convulsions, sleep disorders, anxiety, conduct disorders and developmental delay than matched controls, with more frequent and longer visits. Later first ASD code was linked to more respiratory, gut and psychiatric conditions.
• SLPCohort2020Alexithymic and autistic traits: Relevance for comorbid depression and social phobia in adults with and without autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn adults with autism, difficulty identifying emotions predicted depression, but autistic traits did not. Conversely, autistic traits predicted social anxiety, while difficulty identifying emotions did not. Assessing emotional awareness is crucial for spotting depression risk in this population.
• SLPOther2021Explaining Variance in Social Symptoms of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAmong 49 verbal autistic children, parent-reported emotional contagion tracked ADOS social symptoms more closely than theory of mind, biological motion, social reward, or anxiety. Theory of mind was not the main predictor, so social difficulties may not all stem from mindreading deficits.
• SLPOther2021Sex/Gender Differences in Camouflaging in Children and Adolescents with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 84 children, girls with autism or high autistic traits took turns and built on drawings more like neurotypical girls than boys with autism or high traits did, despite similar parent-reported traits. Theory of mind and full-scale IQ were similar across groups.
• SLPQualitative2020Parent perceptions of participation in a parent-mediated communication-focussed intervention with their young child with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents valued the therapist's non-judgmental support and video feedback, which helped them read their child's cues. However, daily home practice and clinic travel were burdensome. Some parents felt distressed when their child did not quickly start speaking, despite the therapy's benefits.
• SLPCohort2020The effect of school exposure and personal contact on attitudes towards bullying and autism in schools: A cohort study with a control group.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAttending a school with a specialist autism centre increased pupils' prosocial emotions towards bullying but did not change their judgements, intended behaviours, or attitudes towards autism. Increased personal contact with autistic people was associated with more positive attitudes towards them.
• OTSLPSurvey2020Bilingualism in autism: Language learning profiles and social experiences.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults who know more languages rate their social life as more satisfying than monolingual peers. Proficiency in a third language also linked to higher social quality. This is a self-report correlation, not proof that learning languages improves social outcomes.
• OTSLPCase-Control2020Service use by youth with autism within a system-driven implementation of evidence-based practices in children's mental health services.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceYouth with autism in public mental health services received more total claims and longer care than matched peers. They received less psychotherapy but more case management, medication, and crisis services. Behavioral parent training was their most common primary evidence-based practice.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021The Emergence of Autism Symptoms Prior to 18 Months of Age: A Systematic Literature Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersInfants later diagnosed with autism showed subtle deficits in gaze, smiling, gestures and motor skills from 6 to 12 months, before full symptoms appeared. These early signs were often less frequent typical behaviors rather than unusual excesses, making them hard to spot without careful monitoring.
• OTSLPOther2021Assessing Irritability in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using the Affective Reactivity Index.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe ARI effectively measures irritability in children with autism. Noncompliance was a stronger predictor of irritability than anxiety. Anxiety only increased irritability in children who did not have high levels of noncompliance.
• SLPOther2020Facial emotion recognition in autistic adult females correlates with alexithymia, not autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn autistic women, difficulty recognising their own emotions and an outward focus were associated with poorer ability to identify others' emotions. Autism severity was not associated with accuracy, and neither was associated with speed.
• SLPOther2020The Dutch Sensory Perception Quotient-Short in adults with and without autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAdults with autism reported higher sensory sensitivity than neurotypical adults. Women with autism reported higher sensitivity than men with autism, a gender difference not seen in the control group. The Dutch SPQ-Short reliably measures these self-reported sensory experiences.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2020Parents' perceptions and concerns about physical activity participation among adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents describe promoting physical activity as an overwhelming burden. They struggle to find activities that are predictable, meaningful and adaptable, often relying on rigorous planning and advocacy to manage their adolescent's anxiety and social difficulties.
• SLPCohort2021Autism Adversely Affects Auditory Joint Engagement During Parent-toddler Interactions.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchToddlers with autism were significantly less likely than typically developing peers to share sounds with their parents, even when parents actively tried to include them. They often noticed the sounds but failed to turn that attention into a shared social experience.
• SLPCohort2021Therapeutic Alliance Formation for Adolescents and Young Adults with Autism: Relation to Treatment Outcomes and Client Characteristics.Journal of autism and developmental disordersStronger therapeutic alliance predicted better outcomes for low mood and motivation, but not for emotional reactivity. Alliance was weaker in clients with higher depression or autism severity. Early alliance quality specifically predicted later mood improvements.
• SLPOther2020Identifying and measuring the common elements of naturalistic developmental behavioral interventions for autism spectrum disorder: Development of the NDBI-Fi.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceA new 8-item video rating tool reliably measures how well caregivers use common autism intervention strategies. It distinguishes trained from untrained parents and detects improvement after training. The tool measures implementation quality, not child outcomes, so high scores do not prove the child improved.
• SLPOther2021Structural and Contextual Cues in Third-Person Pronoun Interpretation by Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Their Neurotypical Peers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn simple stories, older children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder answered pronoun questions like neurotypical peers. They used context to override the usual subject preference. Eye-tracking showed different timing, but the comprehension answers did not differ.
• SLPOther2021Caution When Screening for Autism among Socially Anxious Youth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe SRS-2 parent questionnaire fails to distinguish autism from social anxiety in youth. It misclassified many children, with socially anxious youth scoring as high as those with autism. Clinicians should not rely on SRS-2 scores alone to rule in autism.
• SLPSurvey2021What Happens at a Dental Surgery When the Patient is a Child with Autism Spectrum Disorder? An Italian Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism were far likelier to fail their first dental visit when they feared the dentist. Parental fear strongly predicted child fear, and communication difficulties predicted aggression, suggesting anxiety and communication barriers drive poor dental access.