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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 19 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPCohort2021Timing of diagnosis, depression and self-harm in adolescents with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAdolescents whose autism was first reported at age 11 or 14 had higher rates of depression and self-harm at age 14 than those diagnosed before age 5. Later diagnosis was associated with worse mental health, not with more severe autism traits.
• OTSLPCase-Control2020Developmental-behavioral profiles in children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring gastrointestinal symptoms.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPreschoolers with autism and gastrointestinal symptoms showed more self-injury, sensory sensitivities, sleep issues, and aggression than those without GI symptoms. These behavioral changes occurred regardless of cognitive level or sex, suggesting problem behaviors may signal physical discomfort in young children.
• OTSLPOther2020Assessing the convergence of self-report and informant measures for adults with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregivers reported more daily living skill deficits and unmet service needs than adults with autism did themselves. Both groups agreed closely on symptom severity. Combining self-report and caregiver views predicted employment status better than either alone.
• SLPSurvey2021I Have a Fear of Negative Evaluation, Get Me Out of Here! Examining Latent Constructs of Social Anxiety and Autistic Traits in Neurotypical and Autistic Young People.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFear of negative evaluation stood out as a distinct part of social anxiety in autistic and neurotypical young people. Some social difficulty questions overlapped with broader anxiety and wellbeing.
• SLPRCT2021Sibling Configuration as a Moderator of the Effectiveness of a Theory of Mind Training in Children with Autism: a Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAfter an eight-week theory-of-mind training, sibling number and having an older sibling did not predict gains in theory-of-mind knowledge or overall autistic traits. They did predict better parent-reported everyday theory-of-mind behavior and fewer social-cognition problems.
• SLPRCT2021Parent utilization of ImPACT intervention strategies is a mediator of proximal then distal social communication outcomes in younger siblings of children with ASD.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe training did not directly improve children's social communication or expressive language. It was associated with later improvement through parents using ImPACT strategies after training, then better motor imitation or intentional communication.
• SLPQualitative2021'I Felt Like I was Floating in Space': Autistic Adults' Experiences of Low Mood and Depression.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults described low mood as linked to feeling different, hiding emotions to fit in, and finding it hard to ask for support. Several said visual aids helped them identify emotions.
• PTSLPCohort2021Mortality in 787,666 school pupils with and without autism: A cohort study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceSchool-aged pupils with autism in Scotland did not have a higher overall risk of death than their peers. The mortality rate was similar between groups, though neurological conditions like epilepsy were the most common cause of death in the autism group.
• SLPRCT2021For which younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder does parent-mediated intervention work?Autism : the international journal of research and practiceImPACT parent teaching was associated with better later expressive language only in younger siblings who had no extra risk factors. It did not affect parenting stress or parenting efficacy.
• OTSLPSurvey2021The Association Between Autistic Traits and Disordered Eating is Moderated by Sex/Gender and Independent of Anxiety and Depression.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHigher autistic traits correlate with more disordered eating symptoms, but this link is significantly stronger in females than males. The association persists even after accounting for anxiety and depression, suggesting autistic traits are an independent factor in eating disorder risk.
• SLPCohort2020Environment-Wide Association Study (En WAS) of Prenatal and Perinatal Factors Associated With Autistic Traits: A Population-Based Study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPrenatal parental mental health symptoms, not specific environmental exposures, were the strongest predictors of later autistic traits. No single factor stood out, suggesting a complex interplay. Clinicians should note that maternal reporting bias and genetic confounding may drive these associations rather than modifiable environmental causes.
• SLPRCT2021Application of Latent Class Analysis to Identify Subgroups of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders who Benefit from Social Skills Training.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent-reported difficulty interacting predicted which children with autism improved in social skills training. Those with low or average difficulty improved significantly. Those with high difficulty did not, regardless of their starting skill level. Parent and teacher involvement helped the most impaired group.
• SLPOther2021Effects of being watched on eye gaze and facial displays of typical and autistic individuals during conversation.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic and typical adults looked less at the confederate's eyes when they believed they were being watched, and both groups changed gaze and facial movement similarly when speaking. At the start of face-to-face conversation, autistic adults looked more at the confederate's eyes.
• OTSLPCohort2020Sex Differences in Social Participation of High School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchHigh school students with autism had very low social participation regardless of sex. On average, they had 8 interactions in two weeks with only two peers. Females did not have more friends or interactions than males, though they texted and called friends more often.
• SLPCase-Control2020Individuals With Autism Have No Detectable Deficit in Neural Markers of Prediction Error When Presented With Auditory Rhythms of Varied Temporal Complexity.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchWhen hearing simple and complex auditory rhythms, autistic participants and non-autistic participants showed the same brain response to unexpected timing changes. This gives no evidence that basic auditory timing prediction is impaired in autism.
• SLPNarrative Review2020Approaches to Understanding Multisensory Dysfunction in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIndividuals with autism often process sight and sound less effectively together, especially with complex speech. This may hinder social communication. However, therapies targeting these sensory links are still in early research stages and not yet proven to improve core symptoms.
• SLPPilot2021Digital Behavioral Phenotyping Detects Atypical Pattern of Facial Expression in Toddlers with Autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchThe Rhymes video on a tablet best predicted whether toddlers had autism, but the tool is preliminary and not ready for clinic use.
• SLPCase-Control2021Autistic Traits Mediate Reductions in Social Attention in Adults with Anorexia Nervosa.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with current anorexia nervosa looked less at faces in a social video than recovered adults or controls. The difference was associated with higher autistic-trait scores, not with anorexia alone.
• SLPCohort2021Specialized primary care medical home: A positive impact on continuity of care among autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults in a specialized medical home had better continuity of care than those on Medicare, but similar to privately insured adults. This suggests the model helps under-resourced groups reach consistent primary care, matching the access seen in private insurance.
• SLPPilot2021Brief Report: What Diagnostic Observation Can Teach Us About Disruptive Behavior in Young Children with Autism.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAn adapted observation tool elicited significantly more disruptive behavior in young autistic children than standard autism diagnostic testing. Most children showed high disruptive behavior scores during this specific observation, even when standard tests reported none.
• SLPRCT2021Mutual Gaze: An Active Ingredient for Social Development in Toddlers with ASD: A Randomized Control Trial.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent coaching that targets mutual gaze improved social engagement more than coaching that targets communication or usual community services. Neither active coaching method improved total communication scores compared to each other, though both showed benefits over usual care.
• SLPCase-Control2020Atypical Emotional Electrodermal Activity in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchToddlers with autism showed typical physiological arousal to frustration but significantly lower arousal to threatening objects than typically developing peers. Their skin conductance decreased in response to fear probes, suggesting they may not perceive these nonsocial threats as dangerous.
• OTSLPCohort2021Brief Report: Socioeconomic Factors Associated with Minimally Verbal Status in Individuals with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 404 adolescents/adults with ASD, 155 who were minimally verbal at age four to five were verbal later. Always minimally verbal status was associated with lower daily living skills and lower parent college completion and family income.
• SLPCohort2021Cross-lagged model of bullying victimization and mental health problems in children with autism in middle to older childhood.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFor children with autism, being bullied led to higher anxiety and withdrawal a year later. However, bullying did not predict later aggression or hyperactivity. The reverse was also not true: mental health problems did not predict future bullying.
• SLPCohort2021The role of early social motivation in explaining variability in functional language in toddlers with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEarly social motivation predicts expressive language two years later in toddlers with autism, but only through a specific chain: social motivation leads to intentional communication, which leads to receptive language, which finally leads to expressive language. Targeting word production alone may miss the mechanism.
• SLPCase-Control2021"Reading the Mind in the Eyes" in Autistic Adults is Modulated by Valence and Difficulty: An InFoR Study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults and controls did not differ overall on the Eyes Test. Group differences emerged only for easy items and positive items, so a total score alone may hide these patterns.
• SLPOther2021Improving autism and developmental screening and referral in US primary care practices serving Latinos.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceA low-intensity training program in primary care clinics significantly increased autism and developmental screening rates and billing. However, the proportion of children with positive screens referred to early intervention did not change, meaning more children were screened but not necessarily referred at higher rates.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Examining Environmental Predictors of Community Participation for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder Using Geographic Information Systems (GIS).Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor adults with autism, access to bus stops and religious organizations predicted better social participation and service use. Population density did not. Daily living skills remained the strongest predictor, suggesting interventions should target both skills and local transport access.
• SLPRCT2021Employing Evidence-Based Practices for Children with Autism in Elementary Schools.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn schools receiving coaching and feedback, teachers used autism evidence-based practices more consistently, and children made greater progress on individualized IEP goals, especially communication and academic goals. Overall school quality and test scores did not differ.
• SLPRCT2021Visual Preference for Biological Motion in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: An Eye-Tracking Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPeople with autism looked less at biological motion than controls but still preferred it over random dots. They also took longer to start looking at anything. This reflects reduced attention to social cues, not a lack of interest.
• SLPOther2021Quantity and quality of empathic responding by autistic and non-autistic adolescent girls and boys.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn a lab task, autistic adolescents showed less visible upset when an adult pretended to hurt a finger, but comforted as often as non-autistic peers. Girls, especially autistic girls, more often asked about feelings; boys more often suggested practical fixes.
• OTSLPPilot2020Social Capital and Autism in Young Adulthood: Applying Social Network Methods to Measure the Social Capital of Autistic Young Adults.Autism in adulthoodA social network survey was feasible for autistic young adults, showing their networks are mostly family and rarely include service providers. Employment support was the least accessed resource. This pilot method needs a larger sample to link network types to adult outcomes.
• SLPCase-Control2021A Preliminary Epidemiologic Study of Social (Pragmatic) Communication Disorder Relative to Autism Spectrum Disorder and Developmental Disability Without Social Communication Deficits.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren without autism but with likely social communication problems had more social and repetitive behavior symptoms than children without those problems, yet fewer than children with autism. Parent report showed the social difference; the observation-based social affect score did not.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Characteristics of toddlers with early versus later diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceToddlers diagnosed with autism at 25 to 41 months showed more severe delays and symptoms than those diagnosed at 12 to 24 months, especially in motor, daily living, socialization, and restricted behaviors. Expressive language was delayed in all groups.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2021Anxiety in autistic individuals who speak few or no words: A qualitative study of parental experience and anxiety management.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParents of autistic people who speak few or no words struggle to distinguish anxiety from autism traits or other distress. They rely on deep knowledge of the child's baseline and behavioural cues. While they use sensory and distraction strategies, avoidance and reassurance may inadvertently maintain anxiety.
• SLPOther2021The Predictive Value of the AQ and the SRS-A in the Diagnosis of ASD in Adults in Clinical Practice.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn adults referred for autism assessment, the AQ predicted the final diagnosis better than the SRS-A. The AQ missed 42% and the SRS-A missed 52% of people later diagnosed with autism, so neither can rule out ASD.
• SLPOther2020Grammatical judgment and production in male participants with idiopathic autism spectrum disorder.Clinical linguistics & phoneticsIn 22 boys with ASD, tense markers, especially irregular past tense, were hardest to judge and produce. Nonverbal IQ scores did not track these grammar skills, so their grammar should be assessed directly.
• SLPCohort2021Visual Traces of Language Acquisition in Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder During the Second Year of Life.Journal of autism and developmental disordersLooking at a speaker's mouth predicted better expressive language in typically developing toddlers and in autistic toddlers who had already acquired first words. It showed no such link in nonverbal autistic toddlers. This suggests mouth-looking supports word production only after speech has begun.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2021Peripheral Blood S100B Levels in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPeople with autism had higher peripheral blood S100B levels than controls across 10 studies of 822 people, but the link was not seen in plasma samples or in Chinese and Turkish studies.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021How do core autism traits and associated symptoms relate to quality of life? Findings from the Longitudinal European Autism Project.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceDepression symptoms, not core autism traits, were the strongest predictor of reduced quality of life in autistic adults. In children, anxiety and social difficulties also lowered satisfaction. Many autistic individuals reported good quality of life, so screen for subthreshold mental health issues rather than assuming poor well-being based on diagnosis alone.
• SLPCohort2020The Autism Impact Measure (AIM): Examination of Sensitivity to Change.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchThe Autism Impact Measure detects short-term symptom changes in children with autism. Scores improved in domains targeted by specific treatments, such as social skills, while repetitive behaviors showed general improvement. It offers a practical parent-report tool for tracking progress over weeks.
• SLPCohort2021Developmental Paths to Anxiety in an Autism-Enriched Infant Cohort: The Role of Temperamental Reactivity and Regulation.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn infants with older siblings with ASD, more fearful and shy behaviour at 24 months was linked to more anxiety traits at 36 months. Better self-regulation at 15 months was linked to less fearful behaviour at 24 months. This is a link, not tested cause.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2021Differences in Body Mass Index (BMI) in Early Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared to Youth with Typical Development.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEarly adolescents with autism had higher body mass index percentiles than typically developing peers, driven mainly by males. This difference persisted after excluding participants on weight-gain medications, suggesting autism itself, rather than medication side effects, is associated with increased weight in this age group.
• SLPRCT2021Utility of an Observational Social Skill Assessment as a Measure of Social Cognition in Autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYouth with autism could tell when a conversation partner was interested, but rated bored partners as significantly less disengaged than trained coders did. The assessment captures social behavior well, but the bored-condition score does not align with other social measures.
• SLPCohortSocioeconomic Factors Account for Variability in Language Skills in Preschoolers with Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPMaternal education predicted language skills in young children with autism, independent of their diagnosis. Children of mothers with less education had lower expressive and receptive language scores. This suggests home environment factors linked to education may influence early language development in autism.
• SLPOther2021Development and Psychometric Properties of a New Questionnaire to Assess Mental Health and Concerning Behaviors in Children and Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): The Assessment of Concerning Behavior (ACB) Scale.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe new Assessment of Concerning Behavior scale is a 35-item parent-report tool that reliably screens autistic children for both internalizing and externalizing mental health issues. It correlates strongly with established measures but is tailored to autism, making it a valid alternative for clinical assessment.
• SLPOther2020Pharmacological intervention to restore connectivity deficits of neuronal networks derived from ASD patient iPSC with a TSC2 mutation.Molecular autismNeurons from one TSC2 patient showed high excitability but poor network synchronisation. Rapamycin lowered excitability but did not fix the network. A ULK1 activator restored synchronisation in the dish, suggesting a new target for TSC-related brain issues.
• PTOTSLPCohort2020Pubertal Timing During Early Adolescence: Advanced Pubertal Onset in Females with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchFemales with autism showed earlier breast development and menarche than typically developing females, with menarche occurring 9.5 months earlier on average. No such difference was found in males. This suggests girls with autism may need puberty education and support sooner than peers.
• SLPOther2021Explicit and implicit self-esteem in youth with autism spectrum disorders.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceYouth with ASD had lower conscious self-esteem than peers, by themselves and parents, but automatic self-esteem was similar. In ASD, lower conscious self-esteem was associated with more depressive symptoms; lower automatic self-esteem with more externalizing symptoms.
• SLPCohort2020Social attention to activities in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder: effects of context and age.Molecular autismChildren and adults with autism looked less at actors' heads and more at the shared activity than typically developing controls. Unlike toddlers with autism, they did not look more at background distractors, and their attention did not shift based on the actors' gaze direction.