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 24 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPQualitative2021"Camouflaging" by adolescent autistic girls who attend both mainstream and specialist resource classes: Perspectives of girls, their mothers and their educators.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAdolescent autistic girls in mixed school settings described camouflaging their traits and learning needs to fit in. They often failed to belong to either mainstream or specialist groups, leading to exhaustion, anxiety and isolation rather than social success.
• SLPCase-Control2021Reduced engagement of visual attention in children with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceChildren with autism showed reduced engagement of visual attention across both social and nonsocial stimuli. This difference was driven by slower re-engagement with new targets. The finding was unrelated to social symptom severity but linked to cognitive ability.
• SLPOther2022Translation, Cross-Cultural Adaptation, and Validation of a Dutch Version of the Actions and Feelings Questionnaire in Autistic and Neurotypical Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe Dutch Actions and Feelings Questionnaire is valid for total scores but not subscales. The total score correlates with autism traits in neurotypical adults but not autistic adults. Clinicians can use the total score, but should avoid interpreting the imagery and animation subscales due to poor reliability.
• OTSLPMeta-Analysis2022Autism Spectrum Disorder and Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism is found in 11.6% of people at clinical high risk for psychosis, though estimates vary widely. These individuals have poorer social functioning than those without autism, but their risk of converting to psychosis is not higher. Clinicians must distinguish new-onset symptoms from lifelong autistic traits.
• SLPOther2021Gender and racial/ethnic differences in food selectivity in children with intellectual disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDBoys with intellectual disabilities refused more foods than girls. Children with a Hispanic parent refused more vegetables. In this small sample, clinicians may see more food refusal in boys and children with a Hispanic parent.
• SLPCase-Control2022Auditory Attention Deployment in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersYoung adults with autism performed worse than peers on a listening task with competing speakers. They did not show the typical drop in accuracy when switching attention, likely because maintaining attention was already difficult for them.
• PTSLPOther2022"I was Confused … and Still am" Barriers Impacting the Help-Seeking Pathway for an Autism Diagnosis in Urban North India: A Mixed Methods Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents and teachers first noticed concerns when children were about 2 years old, but diagnosis often did not come until age 4. Health professionals and family frequently advised waiting for the child to catch up, delaying referral.
• OTSLPOther2021Parental relationship status and age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis of their child.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceChildren whose biological parents were not together received an autism diagnosis 1.4 years later on average than children whose parents were together. This delay persisted after adjusting for income, race, insurance, and symptom severity. Families with separated parents may need extra navigation support.
• SLPOther2021Measuring parent strategy use in early intervention: Reliability and validity of the Naturalistic Developmental Behavioral Intervention Fidelity Rating Scale across strategy types.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe NDBI-Fi scale reliably measures parent fidelity after intervention, matching gold-standard micro-coding. It is less accurate at baseline for responsive strategies and has poor item-level reliability, so use it for progress monitoring, not for analyzing specific teaching techniques.
• SLPOther2022The Feedback Session of an Autism Assessment: A Scoping Review of Clinical Practice Guideline Recommendations.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism diagnosis feedback guidelines vary widely and often lack detail. Most recommendations rest on expert opinion, not evidence, so no single guideline defines best practice for telling families results.
• SLPCohort2022Brief Report: Impact of COVID-19 in Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Analysis of a National Private Claims Insurance Database.Journal of autism and developmental disordersDuring early pandemic, people with autism had lower recorded COVID-19 rates than many other groups, but if infected they were much more likely to be hospitalized and stay longer, especially when autism co-occurred with intellectual or developmental disability.
• SLPOther2022Differences Between Autistic and Non-Autistic Adults in the Recognition of Anger from Facial Motion Remain after Controlling for Alexithymia.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults struggled to recognize anger from normal-speed facial motion compared to controls. This difference remained after matching for alexithymia. Alexithymia did not affect accuracy scores but led to higher intensity ratings for all emotions.
• SLPCase-Control2021Assessing Ease of Delivering Emergency Care for Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorders.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren with autism had significantly more difficulty completing routine emergency care tasks than matched peers. They faced more interruptions in their plan of care and required more staff assistance for blood draws. This suggests specific gaps in how emergency departments handle this population.
• SLPRCT2022Utilizing the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) as an Autism Spectrum Disorder Preliminary Screener and Outcome Measure for the PEERS® Intervention for Autistic Adolescents.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe Child Behavior Checklist accurately distinguished Autistic adolescents from typically developing peers, with Thought Problems showing the highest elevation. After PEERS® intervention, Withdrawn/Depressed and Social Problems scores improved, but Anxious/Depressed scores did not.
• OTSLPOther2022Are Autistic and Alexithymic Traits Distinct? A Factor-Analytic and Network Approach.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic and alexithymic traits are distinct, not the same thing. This means a patient's difficulty identifying emotions is not automatically a core symptom of their autism. Assess both separately to understand their specific needs.
• SLPOther2022Empathic Accuracy and Cognitive and Affective Empathy in Young Adults With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersYoung adults with autism tracked the intensity of anger in video clips less accurately than controls, but showed no deficits in tracking happiness, sadness, or fear. They also self-reported lower perspective-taking, though experimental tests of recognizing emotions and feeling empathy matched controls.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2022College as a Developmental Context for Emerging Adulthood in Autism: A Systematic Review of What We Know and Where We Go from Here.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic college students report feeling academically prepared but struggle with time management, sensory overload, and social isolation. Interventions exist but are multi-component and often lack control groups, making it hard to know which specific supports actually help students stay enrolled.
• OTSLPCohort2022Impact of School Closures due to COVID-19 on Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Japan.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSchool closures increased aggressive behavior and externalizing problems in children with neurodevelopmental disorders, with anxiety and depression rising only in those with intellectual disability. Most children showed small changes, but some deteriorated markedly.
• SLPSurvey2022Transitioning to Telemedicine During COVID-19: Impact on Perceptions and Use of Telemedicine Procedures for the Diagnosis of Autism in Toddlers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersProviders who used the TELE-ASD-PEDS tool during the pandemic reported it was helpful for guiding decisions. It was most useful for ruling out autism, with high certainty and few referrals for further testing. However, technology glitches and home distractions remained major barriers.
• SLPCohort2022Evaluating Teacher Language Within General and Special Education Classrooms Serving Elementary Students with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTeachers in special education used more language overall than those in general education, but mostly directives and close-ended questions. Students with limited vocabulary received less language in general education settings, but not in special education.
• SLPCohort2022Cognitive profiles of children with autism spectrum disorder with parent-reported extraordinary talents and personal strengths.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceNearly half of autistic children with average or above-average IQ have a parent-reported extraordinary talent, and many more have personal strengths. These talents map onto specific cognitive profiles, so clinicians should assess strengths explicitly rather than assuming they are rare.
• OTSLPCohort2021What are the odds? Predicting the likelihood of a negative episode in a sample of toddlers with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIgnoring a toddler's request for help or jumping in before they ask made a negative episode more likely. Specific comforting actions did not change the odds. Watch for the child's cues and wait for them to ask before stepping in.
• SLPOther2022Pragmatic adaptations of telehealth-delivered caregiver coaching for children with autism in the context of COVID-19: Perspectives from the United States and South Africa.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceNo child outcomes were reported. Telehealth caregiver coaching for children with autism was adapted differently in two trials. The US added a 6-minute video and phone option; South Africa used WhatsApp, text materials, and extra coach training.
• SLPCohort2022Relations Between the McGurk Effect, Social and Communication Skill, and Autistic Features in Children with and without Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism who perceived the McGurk illusion more strongly had better expressive communication skills. This link was not found in children without autism. The study did not show that training this perception improves speech.
• SLPSystematic Review2022Assessment of the Autism Spectrum Disorder Based on Machine Learning and Social Visual Attention: A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersEye-tracking combined with machine learning correctly separated autistic children from typical peers in 11 studies, with accuracies ranging from 60% to 98%. These tools are not yet validated for clinical use, so they cannot replace current diagnostic assessments.
• SLPOther2022Autistic children's language imitation shows reduced sensitivity to ostracism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersOstracism did not make autistic children copy a partner's disfavored word choices more. They copied them overall, but ostracised and included children showed the same amount of alignment (51%). This is laboratory language imitation, not therapy evidence.
• SLPCohort2022The Association of Prenatal Vitamins and Folic Acid Supplement Intake with Odds of Autism Spectrum Disorder in a High-Risk Sibling Cohort, the Early Autism Risk Longitudinal Investigation (EARLI).Journal of autism and developmental disordersTaking prenatal vitamins in the first month of pregnancy did not significantly lower the odds of autism in high-risk siblings. The study was too small to rule out a benefit, so clinicians should continue recommending standard prenatal care.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022A national profile of substance use disorder among Medicaid enrollees on the autism spectrum or with intellectual disability.Disability and health journalSubstance use disorder prevalence rose fastest among Medicaid enrollees with autism between 2008 and 2012. Depression doubled the risk of substance use disorder across all groups. Cannabis was the most common substance for those with autism, while alcohol dominated for those with intellectual disability.
• SLPQualitative2022Motherhood: Female Perspectives and Experiences of Being a Parent with ASC.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers with autism described routine and structure as a parenting strength, but found social interactions and sensory overload exhausting. They reported that generic parenting advice often failed them, highlighting a need for support that accommodates their specific sensory and social needs.
• SLPCohort2021Early concerns in parents of infants at risk for autism.Developmental medicine and child neurologyParents of infants with older autistic siblings reported significantly more developmental concerns than low-risk parents starting at 6 months. By 12 months, high-risk parents whose infants were later classified as atypically developing reported more speech, social, and repetitive behavior concerns than those whose infants developed typically. This suggests parent reports at 12 months may flag risk earlier than standard screening ages.
• SLPQualitative2022Using formative research to develop HEARTS: A curriculum-based healthy relationships promoting intervention for individuals on the autism spectrum.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic young adults described struggling to stay motivated to maintain friendships, overcome anxiety from past rejections, take emotional risks, ensure reciprocity, and set boundaries. These five themes directly shaped the content of the new HEARTS curriculum.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Influence of siblings on adaptive behavior trajectories in autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIndividuals with autism who grew up with siblings showed faster gains in adaptive skills from age 9 to 26 than those without siblings. Having a male closest-age sibling or a same-gender sibling was linked to steeper growth, though these findings are preliminary.
• SLPRCT2022Therapeutic Riding or Mindfulness: Comparative Effectiveness of Two Recreational Therapy Interventions for Adolescents with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersOver 10 weeks, neither therapeutic riding nor mindfulness produced a clear overall stress reduction on self-report or parent-report. Both lowered cortisol right after sessions, and mindfulness raised some perceived stress.
• SLPOther2022Verbal Ability, Behavior Problems, and Mother-Child Relationship Quality in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers of minimally verbal adults with autism reported similar relationship quality and behavior problem severity as mothers of verbal adults. However, verbal children showed more disruptive and socially inappropriate behaviors, which were strongly linked to higher maternal criticism and burden.
• SLPCase-Control2021The association of in utero tobacco smoke exposure, quantified by serum cotinine, and Autism Spectrum Disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPrenatal serum cotinine, a blood marker of tobacco smoke exposure, was not associated with ASD in 498 cases and 499 controls. Self-reported smoking also showed no association.
• SLPOther2021The Toddler Autism Symptom Inventory: Use in diagnostic evaluations of toddlers.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceA caregiver interview for toddlers aged 12-36 months can flag elevated autism likelihood. A score of 7 or more out of 40 identified 88.68% and 89.47% of children with autism across two samples, but false positives often had other developmental disorders.
• SLPOther2021Parent responsiveness mediates the association between hyporeactivity at age 1 year and communication at age 2 years in children at elevated likelihood of ASD.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 83 at-risk toddlers, lower response to sensory stimuli at 14 months was linked to less parent talk during play, and to weaker communication at 23 months. Parent talk during play may be a practical focus.
• SLPNarrative Review2022Concerns About ABA-Based Intervention: An Evaluation and Recommendations.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThis paper argues that while historical ABA used aversive procedures, modern practice is largely reinforcement-based. It acknowledges valid concerns about goal selection and social validity, but claims evidence for abuse or trauma is weak. It recommends collaborative goal-setting and avoiding rigid protocols.
• OTSLPQualitative2022Self-reported camouflaging behaviours used by autistic adults during everyday social interactions.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults described four ways they manage social interactions: hiding personal or autistic traits, keeping engagement passive and safe, mimicking neurotypical communication, and actively building rapport. They used scripts, limited self-disclosure, and focused on their partner's interests to control how they were perceived.
• SLPOther2022Face memory and face perception in autism.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults scored lower than non-autistic adults on tests of face memory and face perception, and reported more difficulty recognizing faces. Performance varied widely, so these results do not show that every autistic person struggles with faces.
• SLPQualitative2021Implementation of school-based services for students with autism: Barriers and facilitators across urban and rural districts and phases of implementation.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceSchool staff supporting students with autism described implementation as shaped by buy-in, workload, turnover, leadership, time, resources, and district location. Rural staff described distance, staffing, training time, and materials as more impactful barriers.
• PTOTSLPCohort2021Social and non-social sensory responsivity in toddlers at high-risk for autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchToddlers who later developed autism showed higher sensory responsivity to both social and non-social stimuli at 12 months. These differences widened by 24 months, suggesting early sensory irregularities are generalized rather than limited to social contexts.
• OTSLPNarrative Review2021Using the Ecological Validity Model to adapt parent-involved interventions for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the Latinx community: A conceptual review.Research in developmental disabilitiesAdapting parent-led autism interventions for Latinx families requires addressing language, family roles, and cultural values. Using bilingual materials and involving extended family improves engagement. This framework guides clinical practice but does not prove these adaptations increase child outcomes.
• SLPCohort2022Parental Language Input Predicts Neuroscillatory Patterns Associated with Language Development in Toddlers at Risk of Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn the whole sample, input did not predict resting gamma brain activity, and resting gamma brain activity did not predict language scores. In high-risk toddlers, more words and richer caregiver language were linked to better expressive language, especially if autism was later diagnosed.
• PTOTSLPCohort2022Objective and subjective psychosocial outcomes in adults with autism spectrum disorder: A 6-year longitudinal study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceOver six years, autistic adults showed a small increase in objective functioning and subjective well-being. Higher intellectual ability predicted better objective outcomes, while co-occurring psychiatric conditions and more autism traits predicted lower initial levels. No gender differences were found in outcomes or change over time.
• OTSLPCohort2022Gaming Disorder in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism showed more gaming disorder symptoms than controls, with 9.1% meeting the screening cut-off versus 2.9%. Introversion, feeling alienated from peers, and difficulty changing thoughts to manage emotions predicted higher gaming disorder symptoms.
• SLPCase Report2022Providing a parent-administered outcome measure in a bilingual family of a father and a mother of two adolescents with ASD: brief report.Developmental neurorehabilitationTwo bilingual parents learned to administer a language sampling task in English after training in Spanish via telehealth. Both reached high fidelity scores, but they preferred a clinician perform the actual assessment rather than serving as the examiner themselves.
• OTSLPCohort2022Diagnostic- and sex-based differences in depression symptoms in autistic and neurotypical early adolescents.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic early adolescents reported more severe depressive symptoms than neurotypical peers, with females reporting higher severity than males. These effects were additive, meaning autistic females had the highest scores. Autistic youth specifically endorsed more interpersonal problems and negative self-esteem, including beliefs of worthlessness.
• OTSLPCohort2021Peer preferences and characteristics of same-group and cross-group social interactions among autistic and non-autistic adolescents.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic students strongly preferred interacting with other autistic peers, while non-autistic students showed no significant preference for either group. Over five months, both groups increasingly sought out same-neurotype partners. Social interactions between autistic peers were more reciprocal and relational than those across neurotypes.
• OTSLPCohort2022Brief Report: The Influence of Autism Severity and Depression on Self-Determination Among Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism symptom severity, not depression, predicted lower self-determination in 59 young adults. While more severe autism correlated with higher depression, only autism severity uniquely explained reduced self-determination. Clinical focus should target autism-related barriers to goal-setting rather than mood alone.