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 22 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• OTSLPSurvey2021Social identities and mental well-being in autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults who feel a stronger sense of belonging to their autistic identity, their family, or multiple social groups report lower depression and higher positive mental health. However, autistic traits were a much stronger predictor of well-being than social identity, and having fewer groups was common.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Prospective and detailed behavioral phenotyping in DDX3X syndrome.Molecular autismChildren with DDX3X syndrome show severe delays in walking, talking, and self-care, often with low muscle tone and unusual gait. They frequently meet criteria for autism and ADHD, and seek intense sensory input rather than avoiding it. Expect profound developmental support needs.
• SLPPilot2021Preliminary reliability of South African adaptation and Northern Sotho translation of the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsThe two versions of an autism screen gave almost the same answers from 21 caregivers in a small pilot. Two toddlers needed follow-up questions, then screened low risk. Most preferred English.
• SLPOther2021Gauging facial feature viewing preference as a stable individual trait in autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchViewing preferences for eyes, nose and mouth become stable when enough movie clips are analyzed. High-functioning autistic males were less consistent and more variable than typical peers, looked less at faces and the nose, but not less at eyes or mouths.
• OTSLPRCT2021Randomized controlled trial of sulforaphane and metabolite discovery in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Molecular autismSulforaphane did not significantly improve the primary measure of autism severity compared to placebo. However, caregivers reported significant improvements in behavior problems at 15 weeks. Blood markers showed the compound reached the body and altered inflammation and mitochondrial function.
• SLPOther2021Autism symptoms in anorexia nervosa: a comparative study with females with autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismWomen with anorexia nervosa showed intermediate autism symptoms compared to those with autism spectrum disorder. Recovered women scored similarly to acute patients, suggesting these traits persist beyond starvation. However, only quality of social response clearly distinguished the two conditions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Autistic traits are associated with faster pace of aging: Evidence from the Dunedin study at age 45.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMiddle-aged adults with more autistic traits showed faster biological aging, older facial appearance, and poorer health ratings. This association persisted after controlling for childhood IQ and socioeconomic status, suggesting autistic traits may be an independent risk marker for accelerated aging.
• SLPOther2021Using the big data approach to clarify the structure of restricted and repetitive behaviors across the most commonly used autism spectrum disorder measures.Molecular autismThe SRS-2, SCQ and ADI-R each separated repetitive motor behaviors, insistence on sameness and interests, but they did not all capture the same interest domains. The ADOS did not.
• SLPSurvey2021Perceived community disability stigma in multicultural, low-income populations: Measure development and validation.Research in developmental disabilitiesParents of children with autism reported significantly higher perceived community stigma than parents of low-income children without known disabilities. Stigma perceptions varied by language and familiarity, suggesting clinicians should assess these factors when addressing family concerns about community attitudes.
• SLPOther2021Development and validation of the suicidal behaviours questionnaire - autism spectrum conditions in a community sample of autistic, possibly autistic and non-autistic adults.Molecular autismA new questionnaire, the SBQ-ASC, accurately captures lifetime and past-year suicidal thoughts in autistic adults. It helps clinicians start safety conversations but must never be used to predict future suicide attempts or to compare risk scores against non-autistic people.
• SLPOther2021Neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging reveals white matter microstructural alterations in adults with autism.Molecular autismBrain scans showed lower nerve fiber density and higher fluid levels in adults with autism. These changes appeared in tracts handling language and social skills, and were linked to communication difficulties, though the link did not survive strict statistical correction.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021The intersection of gross motor abilities and participation in children with autism spectrum disorder.Infants and young childrenChildren with autism who had better gross motor skills participated more in self-care, active play, and social interaction. Many children lacked opportunities for team sports or bike riding due to parent or environmental factors, not just their own ability.
• SLPOther2021Heritability of quantitative autism spectrum traits in adults: A family-based study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutism-related behaviors in adults and their families show moderate genetic influence, but the strength varies by trait and how it is measured. Self-reports and informant reports capture different genetic signals, so using both provides a more complete picture than either alone.
• SLPCohort2021Maternal steroid levels and the autistic traits of the mother and infant.Molecular autismHigher maternal estradiol during pregnancy linked to more autistic traits in sons, but not daughters. Conversely, higher placental marker hCG linked to fewer traits in daughters, but not sons. These are correlational findings from a small cohort, not evidence that hormones cause autism.
• SLPCase-Control2021Abnormal sleep physiology in children with 15q11.2-13.1 duplication (Dup15q) syndrome.Molecular autismChildren with Dup15q syndrome had abnormal overnight sleep brain waves. They showed more beta activity, a fast brain-wave pattern, fewer spindles, and less deep slow-wave sleep than matched controls. Some had no detectable slow-wave sleep. This was a small study, not a treatment trial.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2021Initial action output and feedback-guided motor behaviors in autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismAdults and children with autism showed weaker grip strength and less stable force control. Their eye movements became less accurate with age, unlike controls. Initial force output and reaction times were normal. These motor differences correlated with symptom severity.
• SLPCohort2021Non-verbal IQ and change in restricted and repetitive behavior throughout childhood in autism: a longitudinal study using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised.Molecular autismIn autistic children followed from diagnosis to age 11, the overall presence of restricted and repetitive behaviors decreased, but some specific behaviors increased. Change also depended on non-verbal IQ.
• SLPSurvey2021Improving the measurement of alexithymia in autistic adults: a psychometric investigation of the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale and generation of a general alexithymia factor score using item response theory.Molecular autismMany Toronto Alexithymia Scale items do not measure one clear alexithymia trait in autistic adults. An 8-item score made from it was more consistent, easier to read, and related similarly to autism traits, mood, and anxiety. It is a scoring change, not a therapy.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2021Systematic Review: Recommendations for Rehabilitation in ASD and ID From Clinical Practice Guidelines.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translationMost rehabilitation recommendations for autism and intellectual disability are based on expert opinion, not trials. Guidelines rarely address core symptoms, focusing instead on medication and co-occurring issues like sleep or behavior. Clinicians should treat these as suggestions rather than proven interventions.
• SLPOther2021Family-Centered Care: How Close Do We Get When Talking to Parents of Children Undergoing Diagnosis for Autism Spectrum Disorders?Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children diagnosed with ASD often found the diagnostic process stressful, even when providers listened, respected them, and gave information. SLPs should expect parental stress and check whether families received clear next steps.
• SLPNarrative Review2021Genetic Advances in Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTwin studies show autism runs strongly in families, but there is no single genetic cause or treatment target. For speech-language pathologists, language and communication features are part of a broad, variable genetic spectrum, not a separate subtype.
• SLPOther2021Are Children With Autism More Likely to Retain Object Names When Learning From Colour Photographs or Black-and-White Cartoons?Journal of autism and developmental disordersOverall retention after five minutes did not differ by group or picture type. Children with autism remembered more object names from colour photographs than black-and-white cartoons.
• SLPPilot2021Use of the TELE-ASD-PEDS for Autism Evaluations in Response to COVID-19: Preliminary Outcomes and Clinician Acceptability.Journal of autism and developmental disordersClinicians diagnosed autism via video in 204 toddlers' homes. Scores were highest for confirmed cases, but confidence dropped when ruling out autism or for complex presentations. All providers faced tech issues. This is a feasibility report, not proof the method works.
• SLPCohort2021Identifying Areas of Overlap and Distinction in Early Lexical Profiles of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Late Talkers, and Typical Talkers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism and late talkers show a weaker noun bias and learn fewer highly social verbs than typical talkers. Most other lexical differences are small and appear driven by age and language delay rather than distinct autism mechanisms.
• SLPCohort2021A Combined Study on the Use of the Child Behavior Checklist 1½-5 for Identifying Autism Spectrum Disorders at 18 Months.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent report scores on the Child Behavior Checklist distinguished clinically referred toddlers with autism from typical peers at 18 months, but failed to identify autism in siblings of autistic children, whose scores remained in the normal range.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2021A Meta-analysis of Outcome Studies of Autistic Adults: Quantifying Effect Size, Quality, and Meta-regression.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAbout half of autistic adults have poor outcomes in employment, independence, and relationships. Higher adult IQ predicted fewer poor outcomes, but did not significantly predict good or fair outcomes. Samples were often unrepresentative, and outcome definitions varied widely.
• SLPCohort2021Risk for Premature Mortality and Intentional Self-harm in Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism was linked to higher premature death, mainly from natural causes. Once other psychiatric conditions were accounted for, suicide and self-harm were not independently increased.
• OTSLPCohort2021Individual and Environmental Factors Affecting Adaptive Behavior of Toddlers with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Role of Parents' Socio-cultural Level.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers' education linked to better communication, and parents' community engagement linked to better daily living skills in toddlers with autism. These environmental factors mattered alongside the child's age and general development, suggesting family context is relevant for early intervention planning.
• PTOTSLPOther2021Understanding Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Autism-Related Service Use Among Medicaid-Enrolled Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersBlack, Asian, and Native American children with autism received fewer outpatient services than white children, but more school-based services. This suggests families may be substituting school therapy for medical care, potentially hiding access barriers in the outpatient setting.
• OTSLPMeta-Analysis2021IQ and Internalising Symptoms in Adolescents with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescents with ASD and lower IQs reported significantly more anxiety, but parents did not. Higher IQs were linked to more depression. Clinicians must ask adolescents directly about anxiety rather than relying on parent reports, especially for those with lower cognitive abilities.
• SLPCohort2021Brief Report: Associations Between Self-injurious Behaviors and Abdominal Pain Among Individuals with ASD-Associated Disruptive Mutations.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAcross mutation groups, self-injury and severe abdominal pain rates did not differ. History of severe abdominal pain was associated with greater likelihood of current self-injury and greater severity, after accounting for age and adaptive behavior.
• SLPOther2021Predictors of Caregiver Strain for Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersDifferent child behaviors predict different types of parent strain in autism. Disruptive behaviors like irritability and hyperactivity predict strain on daily routines and work. Core autism symptoms like poor communication predict parents' internal sadness and worry. Oppositional defiance predicts anger and resentment.
• SLPSurvey2021Less Illusion of a Just World in People with Formally Diagnosed Autism and Higher Autistic Traits.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFormally diagnosed autistic people and people with higher autistic traits reported a weaker belief that the world is generally just. They also felt less personally treated fairly, more controlled by outside forces, and less prone to self-deception.
• SLPOther2021Distance from Typical Scan Path When Viewing Complex Stimuli in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and its Association with Behavior.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism whose gaze deviated from typical patterns during social scenes showed lower communication skills and higher autism severity. However, these links depended heavily on the specific video context and did not hold consistently when age-matched.
• SLPRCT2021Randomized Controlled Trial of a Video Gaming-Based Social Skills Program for Children on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren on the autism spectrum whose parents supported a coached online social-skills program improved parent-reported social skills more than children doing active online cognitive games, and gains held at follow-up.
• SLPCase-Control2021Gastrointestinal Symptoms in 2- to 5-Year-Old Children in the Study to Explore Early Development.Journal of autism and developmental disordersYoung children with autism had more parent-reported current and past gut symptoms than children with other developmental delays or general-population children. Gut symptoms also occurred with more sleep, anxiety, aggression and attention concerns in all groups.
• SLPCase Series2021Classroom Based Intensive Toilet Training for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFour children with autism and severe communication delays became continent during school hours using a multi-component toilet training package. Three required intensive intervention including scheduled sits and reinforcement; the fourth became continent simply when diapers were removed.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Shared Features or Co-occurrence? Evaluating Symptoms of Developmental Coordination Disorder in Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMost children with autism in this study showed motor difficulties severe enough to meet the criteria for Developmental Coordination Disorder. Their performance on standardized movement tests was no different from children diagnosed with DCD. This suggests motor issues are common in autism and may be overlooked if clinicians only look for social or communication deficits.
• SLPOther2021Toward Novel Tools for Autism Identification: Fusing Computational and Clinical Expertise.Journal of autism and developmental disordersResearchers built a brief play-based observation tool for toddlers using machine learning to find the most predictive behaviors. The tool focuses on seven areas like eye contact and vocalization. It is not yet validated for clinical diagnosis but shows promise for identifying symptoms quickly.
• SLPCase-Control2021Does Autism Affect Children's Identification of Ownership and Defence of Ownership Rights?Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism identified their own belongings as accurately as peers but struggled to track others' property. They were less likely to defend ownership rights against theft. Pronouns caused more confusion than proper nouns, suggesting language choice affects comprehension of ownership.
• SLPOther2021Rigorous Translation and Cultural Adaptation of an Autism Screening Tool: First Years Inventory as a Case Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTranslating an autism screening tool for Latin American Spanish-speaking caregivers required major edits to 57 of 69 items. Most problems surfaced during caregiver pre-testing, not back translation, because items about atypical behavior and response options were often misunderstood.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Brief Report: Impact of COVID-19 on Individuals with ASD and Their Caregivers: A Perspective from the SPARK Cohort.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers reported severe disruptions to speech, OT, and ABA therapy, with 64% saying their child's symptoms worsened. Remote services were rarely used and perceived as beneficial by fewer than half, except for mental health care. Parents of preschoolers reported the highest stress levels.
• SLPOther2021Improving Early Identification and Access to Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Toddlers in a Culturally Diverse Community with the Rapid Interactive screening Test for Autism in Toddlers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 81 toddlers, RITA-T scores were higher in those diagnosed with autism than in those with other developmental delay. Toddlers with scores above 16 in this sample were all diagnosed with autism, and diagnosis took 6 weeks on average.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Autism in Australia: Community Knowledge and Autistic People's Experiences.Journal of autism and developmental disordersGeneral knowledge of autism is high, but understanding of specific impacts is low. Families report community awareness does not extend to sensory needs or communication differences. Support services drop significantly as autistic people age, leaving adults largely unsupported.
• PTOTSLPOther2021A Distinct Three-Factor Structure of Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors in an Epidemiologically Sound Sample of Preschool-Age Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPreschoolers with autism showed three distinct behavior clusters: repetitive sensorimotor, insistence on sameness, and stereotyped speech. Speech patterns linked to higher language skills, while sensorimotor behaviors linked to lower adaptive functioning. This structure was unclear in non-autism children.
• OTSLPOther2021Detecting Feeding Problems in Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe Dutch Montreal Children’s Hospital Feeding Scale reliably detects feeding problems in children with autism, who score higher than typical peers on almost all items. The exception is mealtime duration, where children with autism often eat faster, so this item should be excluded from the total score.
• SLPSystematic Review2021Evidence-Based Practices for Children, Youth, and Young Adults with Autism: Third Generation Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTwenty-eight focused intervention practices, including AAC, prompting, reinforcement, and sensory integration, had enough evidence to be called evidence-based for autistic children and youth. It did not report how large the benefits were.
• SLPCohort2021Dysfunctions in Infants' Statistical Learning are Related to Parental Autistic Traits.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSeven-month-old infants whose parents had high autistic traits showed no ability to distinguish structured visual patterns from random ones, unlike infants of parents with low traits. This suggests early statistical learning difficulties may track with parental autism characteristics before any diagnosis.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2021Real-World Experiences in Autistic Adult Diagnostic Services and Post-diagnostic Support and Alignment with Services Guidelines: Results from the ASDEU Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMost autistic adults experienced recommended diagnostic assessments, but very few received post-diagnostic support. Information on how to get a diagnosis was hard to find or understand for many. A large gap exists between what professionals believe they provide and what patients actually receive.
• SLPPilot2021Investigating Gaze Behaviour of Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders in a Classroom Setting.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTen children with autism in this pilot looked at faces less often during direct talk than two-adult talk. After brief reward-based face-looking training, children who completed it looked longer at faces at re-test; controls did not show this change.