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 38 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPQualitative2024'It wasn't the strategies on their own': Exploring caregivers' experiences of accessing services in the development of interventions for autistic people with intellectual disability.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregivers of autistic children with severe intellectual disability described accessing support as a constant battle. They highlighted that effective help required individualised assessment, consistency, and collaboration, rather than generic strategies or medication alone. Families felt unsupported when services lacked connection and flexibility.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Associations between early language, motor abilities, and later autism traits in infants with typical and elevated likelihood of autism.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn infants with a family history of autism, fine motor and expressive language skills influenced each other bidirectionally from 10 to 24 months. Lower receptive language at 24 months and lower gross motor at 36 months predicted higher autistic traits at age 3.
• SLPSurvey2024Social self-efficacy and mental well-being in autistic adults: Exploring the role of social identity.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn 512 autistic adults, confidence socialising with groups they felt they belonged to was higher than with other groups and related to better mental well-being. The number of social identities did not explain this link.
• SLPPilot2023The Selective Social Attention task in children with autism spectrum disorder: Results from the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials (ABC-CT) feasibility study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchThe task was feasible in 23 of 25 children with autism and 25 of 26 controls. School-age children with autism looked less at scenes during direct speech and eye contact, and less at faces during direct speech and joint attention.
• OTSLPOther2023Characterizing subdomains of insistence on sameness in autistic youth.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchInsistence on sameness splits into three distinct types: arranging things 'just right', following routines for a goal, and imposing rituals on other people. Anxiety was the strongest predictor for all three types.
• SLPOther2023Auditory evoked potentials in adolescents with autism: An investigation of brain development, intellectual impairment, and neural encoding.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adolescents' early brain responses to repeated tones were smaller and less similar to same-age peers' average responses, especially with lower nonverbal intelligence. The pattern looked different, not simply younger.
• SLPCohort2023Frontal EEG alpha asymmetry in youth with autism: Sex differences and social-emotional correlates.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYouth with autism showed no difference in frontal brain asymmetry compared to peers. However, specific brain activity patterns correlated with social difficulties in females and externalizing behaviors in males, suggesting sex-specific biological markers for behavioral challenges.
• OTSLPQualitative2024Understanding the post-diagnostic support priorities of autistic adults in the United Kingdom: A co-produced modified Delphi study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults prioritise support that is accessible regardless of location and delivered by autism-trained professionals. They want individualised plans that respect their communication preferences, address the impact of late diagnosis and masking, and offer flexible, 'step-on step-off' access to services.
• SLPCohort2024Social Communication and Parent Verbal Responsiveness Across Interaction Contexts in Toddlers on the Autism Spectrum.American journal of speech-language pathologyToddlers communicated most during book sharing and play with people. Parents followed in with verbal comments during these activities, but used more directives during chores and transitions. Communication occurred in all contexts, supporting the use of everyday routines for intervention.
• SLPQualitative2024Experiences of interpersonal victimization and abuse among autistic people.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults described abuse patterns similar to non-autistic people, but said being autistic made them easier to target, harder to recognize abuse, and gave abusers ways to use their autism against them. Better relationships and sex education was their main request.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Barriers to healthcare and a 'triple empathy problem' may lead to adverse outcomes for autistic adults: A qualitative study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults described a 'triple empathy problem' where communication breaks down due to autism-specific differences, general doctor-patient mismatches, and medical culture. Barriers like sensory overload and phone-only appointments led to healthcare avoidance and severe, self-reported adverse outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Prevalence and nature of prior developmental and medical concerns in toddlers who screen positive for autism in primary care.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceNearly 80% of toddlers who screened positive for autism already had documented developmental concerns. Motor delays appeared earliest, often before one year. Clinicians should view a positive screen as confirmation of existing concerns rather than a sudden new finding.
• SLPOther2024Emotion recognition in autism spectrum condition during the COVID-19 pandemic.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe expected extra difficulty recognizing emotions from masked faces in autistic adults was not found. Autistic adults were less accurate than non-autistic adults across uncovered, masked, and sunglasses faces, but eye tracking did not show different looking patterns.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Elucidating the Perspectives of Autistic Youth About Their Health Care Experiences: A Qualitative Study.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPAutistic youth prioritized sensory accommodations, clear communication, and patient involvement in care decisions. They valued clinicians who offered choices, used visual prompts, and built trust over time. Waiting rooms and unexpected procedures were common barriers to comfort.
• PTOTSLPNarrative Review2024The use of noninvasive brain stimulation techniques in autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchNoninvasive brain stimulation shows mixed results for autism, with some studies reporting improvements in social symptoms and others finding no benefit. Safety data are limited for children. Current evidence is insufficient to support routine clinical use.
• SLPCohort2024Validity and feasibility of using the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-Up (M-CHAT-R/F) in primary care clinics in Singapore.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe M-CHAT-R/F accurately identified autism in Singapore primary care, with high sensitivity and positive predictive value. Nurses and physicians found it feasible to use routinely, even without research staff support, suggesting it can be integrated into standard well-child visits.
• SLPQualitative2024Contributing to an autism biobank: Diverse perspectives from autistic participants, family members and researchers.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFamilies and researchers contributing to an autism biobank were motivated by a search for causes to alleviate guilt and a desire to help science, but they expressed deep anxiety about data misuse and the trauma of blood draws for autistic children.
• OTSLPOther2024Cognitive emotion regulation difficulties increase affective reactivity to daily-life stress in autistic adolescents and young adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic youth reported higher daily negative affect and more activity-related stress than non-autistic peers. They also used fewer adaptive and more non-adaptive emotion regulation strategies. These difficulties may increase vulnerability to mental health symptoms.
• SLPQualitative2024Autistic adults' views on the design and processes within randomised controlled trials: The APRiCoT study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults valued RCT fairness but feared uncertainty and past healthcare mistreatment. They prioritized co-production, precise language, and flexible communication to build trust. These are participant preferences for trial design, not evidence of treatment efficacy.
• SLPOther2024Exploring Motor Speech Disorders in Low and Minimally Verbal Autistic Individuals: An Auditory-Perceptual Analysis.American journal of speech-language pathologyMost low and minimally verbal autistic individuals showed speech motor impairments, primarily in articulation. These speech difficulties were strongly linked to lower expressive and receptive language scores. This suggests motor speech issues may contribute to language limitations in this population.
• SLPOther2024Disclosing an autism diagnosis improves ratings of candidate performance in employment interviews.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceExperienced interviewers rated autistic mock candidates more favourably when told the candidate had autism. Generic autism information added to the label did not improve ratings further. The study measured impressions of videos, not real hiring decisions.
• PTOTSLPCohort2023Sex differences in the age of childhood autism diagnosis and the impact of co-occurring conditions.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 1438 children diagnosed with autism, boys were diagnosed earlier than girls, but that sex difference did not remain after other diagnoses were included. Speech, audiology, and physical or occupational therapy visits were linked to earlier diagnosis.
• OTSLPSurvey2024Mindreading beliefs in same- and cross-neurotype interactions.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic and non-autistic people both believe they read their own group better than the other. They also believe others from their own group understand them better. Contact with autistic people did not improve non-autistic participants' belief in their ability to read them.
• SLPSurvey2024Short report: Evaluation of wider community support for a neurodiversity teaching programme designed using participatory methods.Autism : the international journal of research and practice91% of adults consulted about a planned neurodiversity school programme supported its goals and content. The neurodiversity definition received 73% support, and 23% wanted changes.
• OTSLPOther2023Cognition, academic achievement, and adaptive behavior in school-aged girls with fragile X syndrome.Research in developmental disabilitiesParent-reported adaptive behavior did not differ between school-aged girls with fragile X syndrome and verbal IQ-matched peers. They had weaker attention, working memory, nonverbal reasoning, spatial skills, and math.
• SLPQualitative2024'I'm not just being difficult . . . I'm finding it difficult': A qualitative approach to understanding experiences of autistic parents when interacting with statutory services regarding their autistic child.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic parents described statutory services as an unjust system that forced them to fight for support, damaging their mental health. They felt dismissed by professionals who used stigmatising language or lacked autism training, making disclosure of their own diagnosis risky.
• OTSLPCohort2024Social motivation by self- and caregiver-report: Reporter concordance and social correlates among autistic and neurotypical youth.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic children’s self-reports of social motivation matched their actual social skills better than caregiver reports did. Caregivers and children disagreed specifically about motivation with peers, suggesting clinicians should ask the child directly rather than relying solely on parent observation.
• OTSLPCohort2023Distinct neurocognitive profiles and clinical phenotypes associated with copy number variation at the 22q11.2 locus.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPeople with a 22q11.2 deletion made more cognitive errors but responded faster than those with a duplication. The duplication group was slower across all tasks. Speed, not accuracy, best distinguished the two genetic groups and correlated with social functioning in the duplication carriers.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2024Social motor synchrony in autism spectrum conditions: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic people showed lower movement synchrony than non-autistic pairs in most tasks. Differences were largest when tasks required intentional coordination or unfamiliar partners. Synchrony increased over time in rhythmic therapy when the same therapist and child worked together.
• PTOTSLPCohort2024Slower pace in early walking onset is related to communication, motor skills, and adaptive function in autistic toddlers.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic toddlers walked slower than peers even when matched for age and ability. Slower walking speed was linked to lower scores in communication, daily living skills, and motor function. Clinicians should assess gait quality, not just the age walking started, as delayed onset is not required for motor differences.
• SLPOther2023Development and validation of an Arabic language eye-tracking paradigm for the early screening and diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders in Qatar.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 240 Qatari children, an Arabic eye-tracking risk index showed good differentiation of ASD from controls. It was related to parent-reported symptoms but not to observed severity, so it may support screening, not replace diagnosis.
• OTSLPQualitative2024Evaluating a new supported employment internship programme for autistic young adults without intellectual disability.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic interns and employers valued a supported internship for building confidence and breaking down workplace barriers. However, mismatches in skills and expectations occurred, and parents questioned if the high level of support reflected real-world work conditions.
• SLPCohort2023Is the association between mothers' autistic traits and childhood autistic traits moderated by maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index?Molecular autismMaternal pre-pregnancy BMI did not change the association between mothers' and children's autistic traits. Mothers with higher autistic traits had children with higher autistic traits in both cohorts. Higher maternal BMI was associated with child autistic traits in Generation R only.
• PTSLPQualitative2024Parents' views of benefits and limitations of receiving genetic diagnoses for their offspring.Child: care, health and developmentParents described genetic diagnoses as double-edged: they felt relief and validation, but also grief over the lack of a cure. They valued the knowledge and ability to plan for the future, yet experienced heightened anxiety about uncertain health outcomes and life expectancy.
• SLPQualitative2024Provider perspectives on equity in use of mobile health autism screening tools.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceProviders worry families confuse mobile screening results with a diagnosis. They need tools that are short, work on slow internet, and clearly state they are not diagnostic to avoid alarming parents or wasting clinic time.
• SLPSystematic Review2024Studies assessing domains pertaining to structural language in autism vary in reporting practices and approaches to assessment: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceResearch on language in autism is too inconsistent to guide practice. Studies use different definitions and tests, so findings cannot be compared. Clinicians should not assume a single assessment result reflects a patient's full language profile.
• SLPCohort2024Increased anticholinergic medication use in middle-aged and older autistic adults and its associations with self-reported memory difficulties and cognitive decline.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMany middle-aged and older autistic adults took medications that block acetylcholine, and those taking more reported more everyday memory failures. Higher medication load was also associated with self-reported decline over follow-up, but not consistently.
• SLPSurvey2024Evaluating measures to assess loneliness in autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults said widely used loneliness questionnaires were not fully suitable. Items assumed non-autistic norms, missed online, pet or professional relationships, and unclear wording made absolute scores potentially misleading.
• SLPOther2023Self-Report Measurement of Well-Being in Autistic Adults: Psychometric Properties of the PERMA Profiler.Autism in adulthoodThe PERMA Profiler reliably measures overall well-being in autistic adults, but its five separate subscales are not distinct. Clinicians should use the total score rather than individual domain scores. The measure works well for this group, though the Engagement subscale is weaker.
• SLPOther2023The biosocial correlates and predictors of emotion dysregulation in autistic adults compared to borderline personality disorder and nonclinical controls.Molecular autismAutistic adults reported higher emotion dysregulation than nonclinical controls, but lower than those with borderline personality disorder. Across all groups, borderline traits, emotional vulnerability and difficulty identifying feelings were the strongest predictors of dysregulation, not autism-specific traits.
• OTSLPCohort2024Impact of the Great Recession on Adults With Autism and Their Mothers.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesThe Great Recession caused an immediate spike in problem behaviors for autistic adults and depressive symptoms for their mothers. While employment and physical health remained stable, the recession halted the gradual improvement in behavior that had been occurring prior to 2007.
• SLPOther2024Language Skills Influence Transition Planning in Adolescents With Fragile X Syndrome.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesHigher language scores were linked to mothers reporting future work or education plans. Autism traits were not linked to these plans. 38.3% of mothers did not discuss work or education plans.
• PTOTSLPOther2024Receptive language and receptive-expressive discrepancy in minimally verbal autistic children and adolescents.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMost minimally verbal autistic children understood more than they could say. Social skills predicted comprehension, while better motor skills linked to a wider gap between understanding and speech. Assess receptive language with parent report, as direct tests often fail to capture ability.
• OTSLPCohort2024A longitudinal study of loneliness in autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities: Coping with loneliness from childhood through adulthood.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceLoneliness in autistic people and those with other neurodevelopmental disabilities increased significantly from adolescence into early adulthood. Participants who felt lonely as children were likely to remain lonely. Coping strategies shifted toward distraction and seeking social contact as people aged.
• OTSLPCohort2024Is parent education a factor in identifying autism/takiwātanga in an ethnic cohort of Pacific children in Aotearoa, New Zealand? A national cross-sectional study using linked administrative data.Autism : the international journal of research and practicePacific children whose parents had more years of formal education were more likely to be diagnosed with autism. Each additional year of parental education increased the odds of diagnosis by 10%. This suggests barriers to accessing the health system, not just biology, shape who gets identified.
• SLPOther2024Measuring autism-associated traits in the general population: Factor structure and measurement invariance across sex and diagnosis status of the Social Communication Questionnaire.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe Social Communication Questionnaire measures five distinct traits in the general population, not just two or three. Total scores mix these traits and should not be used as a single measure of autism-associated traits, as they lack coherent meaning.
• SLPOther2024Scene construction ability in neurotypical and autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults generated less coherent imagined scenes than neurotypical adults, but they used sensory details and self-reference just as often. The difference in scene quality was linked more to difficulty identifying emotions and understanding others' minds than to autism diagnosis itself.
• SLPOther2024Non-autistic observers both detect and demonstrate the double empathy problem when evaluating interactions between autistic and non-autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceNon-autistic observers rated mixed conversations less smooth and enjoyable than non-autistic conversations, but not autistic conversations. They still judged autistic participants more negatively. The pattern points to a relational mismatch rather than a one-sided deficit.
• OTSLPSurvey2024Inclusion of autistic students in schools: Knowledge, self-efficacy, and attitude of teachers in Germany.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceGerman teachers have moderate autism knowledge but low self-efficacy, especially in understanding behavior causes. Attitudes are positive. Experience with autistic students slightly improves knowledge and confidence, but gaps remain in practical intervention skills.
• SLPPilot2024First things first: An exploration of the effects of psychoeducation for older autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceOlder autistic adults reported increased knowledge and coping after psychoeducation, but self-esteem dropped significantly. Proxies noted better social motivation, though overall psychological distress did not change. This suggests the program helps with understanding the diagnosis but may trigger negative life reviews.