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 44 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPQualitative2024Social Determinants in COVID-19 Experiences of Children With Disabilities Receiving School-Based Services in Chicago: Mixed-Methods Study of Parent/Guardian Perspectives.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPParents of children with disabilities reported that remote learning and virtual therapy were less effective than in-person services. Key barriers included lack of hands-on interaction, insufficient accommodations, and family financial or housing constraints that limited access to private support.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2024A Comparison of Parent-Reported Severe Autism With Mild/Moderate Autism Among US Children.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPChildren with parent-reported severe autism had higher rates of intellectual disability, language delays, and emergency visits, but were no more likely to receive behavioral therapy or see specialists than those with mild/moderate autism. Caregivers faced significantly higher stress and financial burden.
• SLPCohort2025Conversational topic maintenance and related cognitive abilities in autistic versus neurotypical children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceVerbally fluent autistic children showed relative difficulties with conversation, but also striking similarities to neurotypical peers. Theory of mind and working memory predicted conversational skill in both groups, suggesting these cognitive abilities support conversation regardless of diagnosis.
• SLPOther2025Differing relationships between parenting stress, parenting practices and externalising behaviours in autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceParenting stress was linked to child externalising behaviours, but specific parenting practices did not mediate this relationship. High stress levels were associated with lower mindful parenting and higher permissive parenting, yet these practices were not directly linked to child behaviour outcomes in this cross-sectional sample.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025'It's designed for someone who is not me': A reflexive thematic analysis of the unmet healthcare support needs in UK autistic adults aged 65 years and over.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic older adults describe healthcare as 'designed for someone who is not me.' They report high anxiety, sensory overload, and a lack of trust due to past misunderstandings. Key needs include continuity of care, text/email contact options, and staff who offer explicit reassurance and extra processing time.
• SLPSystematic Review2025The use of Language ENvironment Analysis in autism research: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceLENA daylong recordings provide child vocalization counts, but they do not provide all information needed to judge language ability or communication intent in autism research. Use them with human transcription and formal language tests, especially outside ages 2 to 48 months.
• SLPOther2025Seeing it in others versus doing it yourself: Social desirability judgements and conversation production data from autistic and non-autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic and non-autistic children did not differ in how much they disliked off-topic or delayed speakers. Both groups rated them less favourably. Autistic children produced fewer topic-relevant replies, but not longer pauses.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Accuracy of the Screening Tool for Autism in Toddlers and Young Children in the primary care setting.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn a statewide primary care model, the STAT screening tool agreed with expert diagnosis in 78% of cases. It missed autism in children with higher developmental skills and lower symptom severity, so a low score does not rule out autism in these children.
• OTSLPOther2024Multilingualism impacts children's executive function and core autism symptoms.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMultilingual children with autism showed better parent-reported inhibition and perspective-taking than monolingual peers. These skills were linked to fewer social and repetitive symptoms. The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that speaking multiple languages causes these improvements.
• OTSLPSurvey2024Inner experiences, mental health, and well-being in autistic and non-autistic adults.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults reported significantly more frequent self-talk for social assessment, self-criticism, and self-management than non-autistic adults. This self-talk correlated with higher anxiety and depression. Inner experience patterns were otherwise similar between groups.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2025Quantifying neurobehavioral profiles across neurodevelopmental genetic syndromes and idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorders.Developmental medicine and child neurologyCaregiver ratings showed people with PHTS, NFIX and SYNGAP1 had very low motor, daily living and processing speed scores. Each syndrome also had distinct symptoms, such as panic anxiety in NFIX and self-injury in SYNGAP1.
• SLPOther2025Investigating visual perspective taking and belief reasoning in autistic adults: A pre-registered online study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults were not slower or less accurate than non-autistic adults when reasoning about others' beliefs. They showed a steeper slowdown when switching visual perspectives but made fewer errors when ignoring irrelevant beliefs. This points to differences in self-other control, not mentalizing deficits.
• SLPQualitative2025An 'explosion in the mouth': The oral health experiences of autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic children described toothpaste as an 'explosion in the mouth' and dental tools as 'weird' due to sensory overload. They preferred non-foaming, flavourless options and consistent dentists who explained procedures. Parents and familiar adults were key to establishing routines and managing anxiety.
• SLPOther2024Emotion dysregulation in autism: Severity and correlates in early childhood.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism Research58% of autistic preschoolers exceeded a cutoff for fast, intense emotional reactions, and 46% for low positive affect. Sleep problems, speaking ability, autism traits, and parent depression were associated. No treatment was tested.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Disability barriers autistic girls face in secondary education: A systematic review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic girls often mask difficulties to fit in, leading teachers to miss their need for support. They face barriers like sensory overload, exclusion, and gendered assumptions. Clinicians should advocate for quiet spaces, explicit social coaching, and recognizing that quiet compliance may hide significant struggle.
• SLPOther2024Investigating frank autism: clinician initial impressions and autism characteristics.Molecular autismFive-minute clinician reviews of autism evaluations matched the final diagnosis 79% of the time. Clinicians were better at identifying non-autistic people, and roughly 33% of autistic participants did not receive an initial impression of autism.
• SLPCohort2025Narrative abilities of autistic and non-autistic adolescents: The role of mentalising and executive function.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAdolescents with weaker mentalising skills produced less structured and coherent narratives, regardless of autism diagnosis. Autistic adolescents scored lower on narrative structure, but diagnostic status did not predict narrative coherence once mentalising and language skills were accounted for.
• SLPOther2025"You should smile more": Population-level sex differences in smiling also exist in autistic people.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic girls and women smiled more than autistic boys and men, looking more like neurotypical boys than neurotypical girls. This sex-based difference persisted in autism, meaning autistic females may present with fewer obvious social traits and risk being missed by standard male-referenced assessments.
• SLPCohort2024Child and family characteristics associated with verbal communication difficulties in adolescents with autism and other developmental disabilities.Research in developmental disabilitiesAdolescents with autism had verbal communication difficulty more often than adolescents with other developmental disabilities (47.4% vs 14.6%). Lower early expressive language was associated with later difficulty. Maternal education, race, insurance, and sex showed mixed links.
• SLPCohort2024Exploring cross-linguistic differences in parental input and their associations with child expressive language in ASD: Bulgarian versus English comparison.International journal of language & communication disordersBulgarian parents of children with ASD used fewer words but more verbs and statements than English parents, who used twice as many questions. However, parental question use predicted child expressive vocabulary equally well in both language groups.
• OTSLPNarrative Review2024How auditory processing influences the autistic profile: A review.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic people’s auditory challenges are heterogeneous and linked to reduced filtering, adaptation, and increased distress in noisy settings. Noise-canceling headphones may increase participation. Music and repetitive behaviors can be pleasurable, so avoid assuming all sensory reactivity is negative.
• SLPSurvey2025Speech and Language Therapists' Perspectives of Virtual Reality as a Clinical Tool for Autism: Cross-Sectional Survey.JMIR rehabilitation and assistive technologiesMost surveyed speech and language therapists had not used VR. They named workplace support, guidelines and speech therapy VR software as barriers, and many wanted training.
• SLPOther2025Adapting measures of motor imitation for use by caregivers in virtual contexts: Reliability, validity, and sensitivity to change.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchCaregivers could reliably administer two imitation assessments at home over Zoom while a virtual assessor coached them for children with early signs of autism. Scores tracked with parent-reported imitation and language, and predicted expressive language growth over 9 months.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Elevated parkinsonism symptoms in autism during middle and older adulthood are linked with psychosocial, physical health, and mental health outcomes.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic adults aged 40-83 who screened positive for parkinsonism reported lower physical, environmental, and autism-specific quality of life, plus more memory, sleep, and depression issues. These links persisted when excluding those on antipsychotics, but daily living skills findings did not.
• SLPQualitative2025'I'm sick of being the problem': Autistic mothers' experiences of interacting with schools for their autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic mothers described schools treating them as the problem and the enemy, and advocacy as traumatic and stressful, with mental health, family, and financial strain. Positive experiences were described when teachers were flexible, valued parent expertise, and created safe, connected classrooms.
• SLPCohort2025Longitudinal associations between autistic children's anxiety and social communication differences: The moderating role of executive function behaviours.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic preadolescents' anxiety and social communication differences did not predict each other over time. Among children with clinically elevated behavioural regulation difficulties, higher anxiety was associated with fewer teacher-reported social communication differences one year later.
• OTSLPCohort2025Children's social preference for teachers versus peers in autism inclusion classrooms: An objective perspective.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with autism moved faster toward teachers and were approached faster by teachers than peers were. They also spent less time in social contact with peers. Teachers did not replace peer interaction, but peer engagement remained lower for children with autism.
• SLPOther2024Harmonizing two measures of adaptive functioning using computational approaches: prediction of vineland adaptive behavior scales II (VABS-II) from the adaptive behavior assessment system II (ABAS-II) scores.Molecular autismABAS scores can predict VABS scores with an error of about 5 points, but this exceeds the 2–3.75 point clinical significance threshold. The conversion is most accurate when using age, diagnosis, and ABAS raw scores alongside the composite.
• SLPOther2024Understanding cognitive flexibility in emotional evaluation in autistic males and females: the social context matters.Molecular autismAutistic adults were slower when revising emotion judgements about social scenes whose context contradicted their first impression. For non-social scenes, the difference was smaller. This points to difficulty with unpredictable social context, not a general flexibility deficit.
• PTOTSLPCase Report2024Complex Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in a 4-Year-Old With Repaired Critical Congenital Heart Disease and Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of developmental and behavioral pediatrics : JDBPIn a 4-year-old with repaired heart disease and autism, guanfacine worsened aggression, but clonidine plus stimulant medication reduced elopement and meltdowns. Cardiac monitoring was essential. This single case shows how to manage complex symptoms, not that these drugs work for everyone.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Health service utilization among autistic youth in Aotearoa New Zealand: A nationwide cross-sectional study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic youth in New Zealand used mental health services, psychotropic medication and hospital care at much higher rates than matched non-autistic peers, but used accident compensation services less. Those with intellectual disability had even higher non-psychiatric hospital use.
• OTSLPQualitative2025'It depends entirely on the nature of those supports': Community perceptions of the appropriateness of early support services for autistic children.Autism : the international journal of research and practice50.2% said early supports are okay, and 48.2% said it depends. Participants said supports should respect childhood, affirm autism and fit families.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2024Effectiveness of Distance Educational Programs for parents of children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: an integrative review.CoDASParent education programs using distance delivery reported gains in communication, routines, and behavior for children with autism, but evidence came from six small, mixed studies. Treat this as promising, not proven.
• OTSLPOther2025Structure and dynamics of anxiety in people with ASD and ID: A network analysis.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn adults with autism and intellectual disability, anxiety and autism symptoms formed a single mixed network rather than separate clusters. Fear of being touched or pushed acted as a central bridge, linking social behaviors like smiling or being friendly to anxiety symptoms.
• SLPCase-Control2025Associations of maternal peripregnancy cannabis use with behavioral and developmental outcomes in children with and without symptoms of autism spectrum disorder: Study to Explore Early Development.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMaternal cannabis use around pregnancy was linked to higher aggressive behavior, attention problems and sleep problems in children with ASD symptoms, but not in children without ASD symptoms. Cognitive scores did not differ.
• SLPCohort2025Longitudinal stability and Autism Diagnostic Observation Scale-2 predictors of the Childhood Joint Attention Rating Scale.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe Childhood Joint Attention Rating Scale (C-JARS) scores remained stable over 15 months in autistic, ADHD, and non-autistic children. Parent reports aligned with direct observation and other autism measures, supporting C-JARS as a reliable tool for tracking joint attention and social sharing.
• SLPQualitative2025Adapting an early autism caregiver coaching intervention for telehealth delivery in low-resource settings: A South African study of the 'what' and the 'why'.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceA South African autism caregiver coaching programme was adapted to WhatsApp voice or video calls for low-resource settings. The team made 10 planned changes, including simple images instead of video and home-recorded clips, because data costs, phones and pandemic rules constrained delivery.
• SLPOther2025Lifetime stressor exposure is related to suicidality in autistic adults: A multinational study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceTreatment and health stressors linked to suicidality in both autistic men and women. Men’s risk tracked with chronic interpersonal loss, while women’s tracked with acute danger. Counter-intuitively, women reporting less chronic entrapment had higher suicidality scores.
• OTSLPCohort2025Remote monitoring of social attention in neurogenetic syndromes and idiopathic neurodevelopmental disability.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAt-home webcam eye-tracking reliably measured social attention in people with rare genetic syndromes, including those with intellectual disability. Global social attention scores correlated with autism symptoms and helped distinguish autism cases from non-cases, offering a scalable tool for remote assessment and trial monitoring.
• SLPSystematic Review2025A systematic review of ecological momentary assessment in autism research.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceEcological momentary assessment is feasible for autistic adults with average intelligence, with a mean response rate of 72%. Evidence for children, older adults, and those with intellectual disability is limited. Adapting questionnaires and sampling schedules is essential for accessibility.
• SLPQualitative2025Policing Black autistic children: A qualitative approach to understanding Black caregivers' concerns.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAmong 43 Black caregivers, most feared police would misunderstand, mishandle, or harm or kill their autistic child. Hopes centered on patient, understanding officers. This reports concerns, not tested interventions.
• SLPSurvey2025Health care transition for autistic adolescents and young adults: A pilot rural and urban comparison survey study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceRural and urban autistic teens reported similar health care transition experiences. Both groups felt unprepared for adult care, and few had discussed the transition with their doctors. Location did not change these outcomes.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Psychometric evaluation of the Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire.Developmental medicine and child neurologyThe Autism Symptom Dimensions Questionnaire reliably tracks social and repetitive behaviors across ages and backgrounds. It screens well in general populations but poorly distinguishes autism from other disabilities in clinical settings. Use it to map symptom profiles, not to diagnose.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Material hardship and sources of support for autistic adolescents and their families.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFamilies of autistic teens face high material hardship, but income alone misses the problem. Many middle-income families struggle with costs and lack safety net access. Therapists should screen for financial strain and asset loss, not just poverty, as these families often have insurance but still face food insecurity and bankruptcy risks.
• SLPOther2025Suitability of the DSM-5 social anxiety disorder severity scale for autistic adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe DSM-5 social anxiety severity scale does not work as intended for autistic adults. Autistic respondents often endorsed items due to fatigue, sensory overload, or masking rather than social fear. Scores dropped when these reasons were accounted for, but the measure still failed to confirm a single underlying construct.
• SLPPilot2025Pre-trained artificial intelligence language model represents pragmatic language variability central to autism and genetically related phenotypes.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe model did not separate fragile X or parent groups from controls, but its score was lower in autistic than non-autistic conversations and tracked hand-coded pragmatic errors. It is not a clinical test yet.
• SLPQualitative2025Identifying the unique determinants influencing rural families' engagement with an existing tele-assessment approach for autism identification: A qualitative study.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceCaregivers and providers described four core attitudes influencing tele-assessment uptake: doubts about validity, trust in the provider's judgment, logistical feasibility, and privacy concerns about revealing their home life. Barriers included poor internet, lack of devices, and child behavior. Facilitators included avoiding travel and having a support person present.
• OTSLPQualitative2024Caregivers' expectations of their non-verbal autistic children in rural KwaZulu-Natal.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsCaregivers of non-verbal autistic children in rural KwaZulu-Natal expected communication, education and support, but inadequate explanation of diagnosis, language barriers and unclear therapy purpose shaped those expectations.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Childhood and Adulthood Predictors of Community Participation by Autistic Adults With and Without Intellectual Disability.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDAutistic adults participated most in shopping and family outings, but half always needed a carer present. Living in supported accommodation was the strongest predictor of lower community participation frequency. Childhood autism symptoms predicted reduced adult participation, but only weakly.
• SLPOther2025Examining the Relationship Between Parental Broader Autism Phenotype Traits, Offspring Autism, and Parental Mental Health.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchFathers of autistic children showed higher broader autism phenotype traits than fathers of non-autistic children. Mothers' mental health difficulties linked to their child's emotional dysregulation, while fathers' difficulties linked to their own autistic traits.