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 47 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPSurvey2025Caregiver perceptions and use of the Early Communication Indicator - Autism: Examining differences among demographic groups.Perspectives of the ASHA special interest groupsCaregivers of young autistic children found the ECI-A easy to use and reported high fidelity, with no significant differences between Black and White or Latino and non-Latino families. However, researchers rated Black caregivers as less easy to use the tool than White caregivers, and Latino families had lower fidelity on general procedures.
• OTSLPCohort2025Inpatient Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Youth with Autism and/or Intellectual Disabilities: Clinical Characteristics and Considerations.Journal of autism and developmental disordersYouth with autism or intellectual disability admitted to general psychiatric units were more likely to receive emergency injections for agitation, stay longer, and leave with more medications than peers without these diagnoses, suggesting care gaps in non-specialized settings.
• OTSLPOther2025Cognitive Flexibility Mediates the Associations Between Perceived Stress, Social Camouflaging and Mental Health Challenges in Autistic Adults.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn 806 autistic adults, lower self-reported cognitive flexibility significantly mediated the link between perceived stress, social camouflaging, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. This suggests targeting flexible thinking may help buffer mental health risks, though the cross-sectional design cannot prove causation.
• SLPCohort2025Mapping autism in Egypt: population-based insights into prevalence, risk determinants, and severity among children aged 1-12 years.Molecular autismThis national survey of Egyptian children found an autism prevalence of 1.1%. Boys were four times more likely to be diagnosed than girls. Key risk factors included neonatal complications like convulsions and low birth weight, as well as urban residency and lower parental education.
• OTSLPOther2025Consensus on high-priority outcomes to be used in the evaluation of services for autistic adults: Results from a "CBPR-Nested Delphi Process".Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults, service providers, and researchers agreed on 15 self-reported outcomes for evaluating adult autism services. They also found most existing questionnaires were too hard, too vague, or unable to capture access to communication.
• SLPOther2025Investigating the Impact of Embedded Learning Opportunities on the Engagement of Children With Autism and Intellectual Disability.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDEmbedding brief prompts and praise into preschool play increased engagement in four children with autism and intellectual disability, with gains maintained eight weeks later and generalising to mealtimes or small groups. The small, single-setting sample means this is a promising classroom strategy, not proven treatment.
• SLPCohort2025Positive Autism Screening in Children Born Preterm.Journal of autism and developmental disorders41 of 337 very preterm children screened positive for autism at 18 to 30 months. Earlier gestational age was linked to positive screens. Positive-screen children who were language tested all scored low, but 37 negative-screen children also scored low.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025Access to services for autistic people across Europe.Molecular autismAutistic people in Europe reported failed attempts to access therapy, mental health and autism diagnostic services, and most formally diagnosed participants had waited at least a month for diagnosis. Children and female participants faced more barriers for some services.
• OTSLPOther2025The influence of interpersonal synchrony and autism on impressions of dyadic interactions: a preregistered study.Molecular autismObservers rated mixed autistic/non-autistic interactions as less pleasant than non-autistic pairs, regardless of their own diagnosis. Better movement synchrony improved ratings slightly. Autistic observers looked at heads less but reached similar conclusions about pleasantness.
• SLPQualitative2025Speech-Language Pathologists' Experiences on Telepractice in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in India-A Qualitative Study.International journal of language & communication disordersSixteen Indian speech therapists described telepractice for children with autism as heavily reliant on parents acting as the therapist in the home. They prioritized technical stability, sensory breaks, and parent training, while preferring in-person care for complex behavioral needs.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Early symptoms of autism spectrum disorders and association with Brazilian children's development and behavior.CoDASIn 221 Brazilian toddlers, 33% screened positive for autism risk. These children showed lower communication and social scores and higher behavioral problems. Screening should trigger holistic developmental assessment, not just an autism referral.
• SLPOther2025Distinct Empathy Profiles in Autism and Social Anxiety: A Comparative Study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchEmotion recognition from eye pictures did not separate autistic students, students with social anxiety, and controls. Self-reported empathy did: autistic students reported lower perspective-taking and concern for others than controls, and higher personal distress relative to concern for others than both other groups.
• SLPCase-Control2025The Role of the Brain's Pragmatic Language Network in Reading Comprehension in Autistic Children.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic children had higher overall brain activity than neurotypical children in areas for meaning and social context while reading, but the strict brain-map analysis found no group differences. Reading comprehension scores did not explain the activity.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Male and Female Healthcare Trajectories in Autism: Are There Any Differences Considering Age at Diagnosis and Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities Status?Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAutistic females were diagnosed later than males, averaging 22.2 versus 13.9 years. Adults relied heavily on hospital and emergency care, while children used outpatient clinics. Sex differences in healthcare use varied significantly depending on age at diagnosis and intellectual disability status.
• SLPPilot2025Early speech therapy intervention in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.CoDASChildren with autism who completed 24 weeks of DIR/Floortime speech therapy showed significant gains in communicative acts and socio-emotional skills. However, all participants remained in the deficient range for emotional and functional development, meaning the intervention improved scores but did not resolve the underlying deficits.
• SLPCohort2025Maternal Mediterranean-Style Diet During Pregnancy and Child Social Impairment as Measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMothers with higher Mediterranean-style diet scores during pregnancy had children with lower social impairment scores. The association held for social communication and cognition subdomains after adjusting for demographics. No single food group drove the effect, suggesting overall diet quality matters more than specific items.
• SLPOther2025Caregiver Peer Support for Families of Autistic Children in France.Child: care, health and developmentOnly 16 caregiver peer support programs for autistic children were found in France, mostly local and informal. Most lack clear details on training or payment. Families often cannot find out what kind of support they are getting before joining.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Obstetric Care and Pregnancy Health in Autistic Individuals and Those with Other Developmental Disabilities in an Integrated Healthcare Setting in California.Autism in adulthoodAutistic and developmentally disabled patients in an integrated system had higher rates of therapeutic abortion, severe vomiting, preterm birth, and perinatal depression than general population peers. They also used emergency departments more often and had lower odds of live birth.
• SLPCase-Control2025Accuracy of a 2-minute eye-tracking assessment to differentiate young children with and without autism.Molecular autismA 2-minute eye-tracking test correctly identified 79 of 96 autistic children and 70 of 100 non-autistic controls. It missed 17 autistic children and falsely flagged 30 controls. The test supports screening but cannot replace clinical diagnosis.
• OTSLPQualitative2025"Everyone Uses Different Skills and Resources to Live Independently": A Brief Report on Autistic Young Adults' Perspectives on Independence and Daily Living Skills.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic young adults described independence as making their own choices with desired supports, not doing everything alone. They identified barriers like inaccessible transportation and executive functioning challenges. Clinicians should align support plans with the patient's specific goals rather than normative standards.
• SLPCase-Control2025A transdiagnostic study of theory of mind in children and youth with neurodevelopmental conditions.Molecular autismAcross 555 children and youth, a moving-shapes task did not show group differences in making social stories. Autistic participants gave less relevant descriptions, but intelligence and social communication predicted performance better than diagnosis.
• SLPOther2025Associations Between Audiovisual Integration and Reading Comprehension in Autistic and Non-autistic School-Aged Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren who combined sight and sound information more readily had better reading comprehension. This was linked to their decoding and language comprehension, and it was the same in autistic and non-autistic school-age children.
• OTSLPQualitative2025'It's Really Who They Are and What They Want': Staff Perspectives on Supporting Autonomy for Autistic Adults With Intellectual Disabilities.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDStaff at an autism transition program said autonomy support depends on knowing each person deeply, creating a safe environment, and teaching skills like self-advocacy and recognizing internal body signals. They noted that low pay and high turnover make it hard to build the relationships needed for this work.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Early Employment Outcomes in Autistic and Non-autistic Youth: Challenges and Opportunities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic youth secured fewer first jobs, especially paid ones, and were concentrated in entry-level retail roles. They rarely received workplace support despite high need. Executive functioning difficulties predicted poorer employment outcomes, while personal networks helped both groups find work.
• SLPCase-Control2025Associations of Characteristics of Parental Country of Birth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Early Learning Delay Among Immigrant Populations in the US: Findings from the Study to Explore Early Development.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAmong 1088 children with at least one non-US-born parent, autism plus early learning delay was linked to parents from countries with lower human development or greater gender inequality. No clear link was found for autism alone or delay alone.
• SLPOther2025Prediction efficiency and incremental processing strategy during spoken language comprehension in autistic children: an eye-tracking study.Molecular autismAutistic children predicted upcoming spoken words, but less efficiently than matched neurotypical children. They looked later and less strongly toward the expected object. Speech therapists may consider extra processing time and clearer cues.
• SLPOther2025The neural bases of language processing during social and non-social contexts: a fNIRS study of autistic and neurotypical preschool-aged children.Molecular autismNeurotypical preschoolers showed stronger brain response to live language than recorded language in the right TPJ. Autistic children showed no group-level difference. However, within the autistic group, children with higher language skills showed a greater neural difference between live and recorded language.
• SLPCase-Control2025Social orienting in prematurely born preschoolers: a case control study showing altered neural tuning towards voices, not faces.Molecular autism5.5-year-old preterm children showed weaker brain responses to voices than full-term children. Their responses to faces were similar. Voice responses were related to verbal comprehension across groups.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025Transportation Access in the Transition to Adulthood: Navigating a Neurotypical World on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers and providers describe autistic youth hitting barriers in transit, driving tests, and school travel training. Sensory overload, stigma, and poor coordination with schools block independence. Low-income families face higher costs and fewer options, deepening inequities in adult outcomes.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025The Caregiver Concerns Questionnaire: A Tool to Target Care for Children on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers of autistic children rated moderate or severe problems in 7 of 19 areas on average. Language and attention concerns dropped with age, while anxiety and social interaction concerns rose. Sleep and gut issues tracked with behavioral problems.
• PTOTSLPCohort2025Application of Sensory Subtypes: Understanding Core Autism Features, Adaptive Behaviors, and Motor Skills in Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children classified as having extreme-mixed sensory differences showed significantly lower motor skills, adaptive behavior, and higher repetitive behaviors compared to those with mild sensory differences. Children with attenuated-preoccupied sensory profiles demonstrated notably higher motor skills than the extreme-mixed and sensitive-distressed groups.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2025Using photovoice to engage underserved children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their caregivers in health research: a mixed methods systematic review.Frontiers in rehabilitation sciencesPhotovoice is a feasible research method for engaging children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their caregivers, but it requires significant adaptation. Clinicians should expect to modify consent, group sizes, and discussion formats to accommodate communication and sensory needs, as standard protocols often fail.
• PTOTSLPCase-Control2025Associations of Adaptive Behavior and Wandering with Serious Injuries in Young Children with Autism: Study to Explore Early Development.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor preschoolers with autism and significant early learning delays, wandering is associated with higher rates of serious injury. Conversely, those with learning delays but normal adaptive behavior skills had higher injury rates than those with delays in both areas, possibly due to caregiver overestimation of safety awareness.
• OTSLPOther2025Psychometric Properties of the Questionnaire Epistemic Trust in People With Mild to Moderate Intellectual Disabilities or Borderline Intellectual Functioning.Journal of applied research in intellectual disabilities : JARIDThe adapted Questionnaire Epistemic Trust shows promise for assessing curiosity and openness to help, but the hypervigilance subscale is unreliable and the test does not measure one single ability. Use only the three stable subscales for now.
• OTSLPOther2025Elevated Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury in Autistic Youth and Adults: A Multinational Study.Autism in adulthoodIn this suicide-enriched sample of autistic people, many reported lifetime suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or attempts, and ideation increased through adolescence and early adulthood. The youngest reported attempt was at age 7.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Mental Health as a Key Mediator for Outcomes in Postsecondary Education, Employment, and Everyday Living in Autistic Adults.Autism in adulthoodIn 140 autistic adults, higher anxiety and depression scores predicted better employment and education outcomes. This contradicts general population trends where better mental health predicts success. The authors suggest that maintaining this level of functioning requires intense masking, which exhausts the individual and worsens mental health.
• PTOTSLPPilot2026Service Acquisition for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Rural Southwest Virginia: The Role of Caregiver Psychoeducation.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers who attended live clinician-led psychoeducation sessions reported their children obtained significantly more new services over six months than those given paper materials only. The live sessions involved interactive discussion and personalized guidance on navigating systems like IEPs and insurance.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Sex Differences in Autistic Youth Born Extremely Preterm.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn autistic children born extremely preterm, boys showed more restricted and repetitive behaviors and greater social affect difficulties than girls. However, parent-reported screeners and cognitive scores did not differ by sex. Screening tools alone may miss sex-specific traits in this group.
• PTOTSLPRCT2025Measuring Developmental Delays: Comparison of Parent Report and Direct Testing.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParent-reported developmental scores matched direct testing results closely in toddlers evaluated for autism. Misclassification rates were low, meaning most children flagged for speech or motor delays by direct testing were also flagged by parent report, supporting telehealth assessment.
• SLPOther2025Psychometric Properties of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for Ages 6-18 to Identify Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in a Turkish Parent Sample.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn Turkish parents rating children with ASD, the CBCL/6-18 gave usable behavior-problem scores after a few items were dropped. Guilt and suicidality were hardest for parents to report, so low scores there may reflect recognition, not absence.
• SLPOther2026Supporting the Conversational Behavior of Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders with Self-Monitoring and a Video-Based Supplement.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThree adolescents with autism increased appropriate conversation during self-monitoring with a video model. Gains appeared quickly but faded when the support was withdrawn, and were measured only in a clinic room with an adult partner.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Investigating Parental Observations of Early Autism Development in Simplex and Multiplex Families.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHaving an older autistic sibling did not increase parents' reports of early developmental concerns in younger children. Only the younger child's own later autism diagnosis predicted these reports. Parents' recall was not skewed by hypervigilance toward siblings.
• OTSLPRCT2025Brief Report: Virtual Reality to Raise Awareness About Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA 6-minute virtual reality simulation improved knowledge, openness, and attitudes toward autistic people compared to questionnaires alone. The effect persisted after adjusting for prior contact with autistic individuals. No long-term follow-up was conducted.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Do you feel me? Autism, empathic accuracy and the double empathy problem.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceGeneral population participants were less accurate at tracking emotions of autistic narrators, especially for sadness and happiness. However, they felt anger and fear from autistic narrators more intensely in their own bodies. This supports the double empathy problem: non-autistic people struggle to interpret autistic emotional expressions.
• SLPProtocol2025Applying a User-Centered Design Framework to Develop a Remote Research Assessment Protocol for a Randomized Clinical Trial for Toddlers with Early Autism Characteristics.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe redesigned remote assessment was rated as usable by 88% of staff assessors. Families showed high retention, with 89.2% completing the 4-month follow-up and 83.8% completing the 9-month follow-up. Staff maintained high fidelity to the protocol.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2025'We have so much to offer': Community members' perspectives on autism research.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic participants and allies rejected deficit-focused research narratives that frame autism as a disorder to be fixed. They prioritized co-production, demanding that Autistic people lead research design and interpretation. They argued that support services often worsen problems by ignoring environmental fit and relational context.
• SLPCohort2025Brief Report: Convergence and Discrepancy Between Self- and Informant-Reported Depressive Symptoms in Young Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults and their informants agreed on depression levels more closely than non-autistic adults did. However, autistic participants reported fewer symptoms than their informants, while non-autistic participants reported more. This suggests informants may detect depression that autistic individuals underreport.
• SLPOther2025Autism Detection in Early Childhood (ADEC) in a Low-Income Spanish-Speaking Population in Guayaquil (Ecuador).Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe adapted ADEC flagged 19 autism cases in 613 low-income Guayaquil toddlers, and all 19 were confirmed. It missed 4 of 23 diagnosed children, so it may need to complement parent questionnaires.
• SLPSurvey2025It is More Anxiousness than Role-playing: Social Camouflaging Conceptualization Among Adults on the Autism Spectrum Compared to Persons with Social Anxiety Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism and those with social anxiety reported similar overall levels of camouflaging. Compensation was higher in autism, while masking and assimilation were higher in social anxiety. Burnout and stigma predicted camouflaging more strongly than autistic traits did.
• PTOTSLPOther2025Utilising Behavioural and Sensory Profiles and Associated Perinatal Factors to Identify Meaningful Subgroups in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAnalysis of 1168 autistic children identified four distinct subgroups based on behavioural, sensory, and perinatal profiles. One group had the most adaptive skill concerns with natal complications, while another showed the highest sensory impairment linked to maternal health factors, suggesting different support needs.