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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 50 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPPilot2026Validating the RISE Communication Play Protocol as a Diagnostic Tool for Autism in Early Childhood: A Pilot Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAn at-home parent-led play assessment plus caregiver interview found 97% of children diagnosed with autism on the in-person ADOS-2 in 38 toddlers with social communication concerns. It missed one child, and the sample was small and mostly autistic.
• OTSLPOther2026Operationalizing the ICF Core Sets for Autism and ADHD: A Multiple-Methods Feasibility Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic people, relatives, professionals and general population users rated the ICF CoreSets platform as generally usable, but found it lengthy and wanted clearer scale wording, accessibility, and a result summary.
• SLPOther2026A Concurrent Validity Study of the Mullen Scales of Early Learning (MSEL) and the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Developmental Inventory (CDI) in Infants with an Elevated Likelihood or Diagnosis of Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersFor 14-month-olds, scores from the Mullen Scales (MSEL) and the MacArthur-Bates CDI only moderately match each other. This agreement holds whether the infant is autistic, at risk, or typical. Do not assume a child’s language profile is fully captured by one measure alone.
• SLPSurvey2026Relationship Satisfaction Among Autistic Populations: How Partner Neurotype Influences Relationship Satisfaction Factors for Autistic Adults.Autism in adulthoodOverall relationship satisfaction did not differ by whether the partner was autistic, neurodivergent, or neurotypical. Autistic adults still described different relationship strengths and challenges depending on the partner's neurotype.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Learning from the Experiences of Autistic Professionals Working in Health and Education.Autism in adulthoodAutistic health and education professionals in Scotland described disclosure as risky, interviews as confusing, and unpredictable environments as stressful. Support came from trusted colleagues, advance information, sensory adjustments, and teams that valued neurodivergence.
• OTSLPOther2026Teacher-Student Interactions of Autistic Adolescents: Relationships between Teacher Autonomy Support, Structure, Involvement and Student Engagement.Journal of autism and developmental disordersTeachers rarely offered autistic students choices, spending most time neutral. Structure helped engagement, but only when clear. Involvement showed no consistent link to engagement. Autonomy support was the rarest positive interaction.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026"Shutdowns Are Like You're Stuck on the Blue Screen of Death": A Metaphor Analysis of Autistic Shutdowns.Autism in adulthoodAutistic adults described shutdowns using six metaphors: being frozen, a computer crash, going inside myself, can't keep up, survival mode, and playing a role. These terms highlight the internal, physical, and protective nature of the experience, offering a shared language for clinicians to understand patient distress.
• OTSLPOther2026The Relationship Between Interoception, Alexithymia, Autistic Traits and Eating Pathology in Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAtypical eating, distinct from weight concerns, predicts eating disorder pathology in autistic adults. However, body image dissatisfaction remains a strong predictor in both autistic and non-autistic groups. Assessments must screen for sensory or routine-based eating issues alongside traditional weight and shape concerns.
• SLPOther2026The Association Between Classroom Quality and the Social Competence of Autistic Preschool-Age Boys.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic preschool boys showed higher social competence and more engagement with unfamiliar adults when their classrooms had high emotional support and organization. This association held even after controlling for autism severity, suggesting classroom climate matters for social development.
• OTSLPOther2026Social Functioning in Autistic Children with Below-Average vs. Average IQ: Limited Behavioral and Neural Evidence of Group Differences.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children with below-average IQ scored worse on direct face-memory, theory-of-mind, and role-play tasks, but caregivers reported similar everyday social functioning. Brain responses showed limited differences.
• SLPRCT2026Can a Short-Term Intervention Promote Growth Among Parents of Children with ASD?Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents who watched two 20-minute videos on growth mindsets reported less stress and more personal growth six months later. The comparison group, which received no intervention, showed no change. The effect was seen in both mothers and fathers.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Examining Virtual Reality Interventions for Social Skills in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersVR social skills training shows promise for children with autism, but results are inconsistent. Many studies lacked control groups or failed to show skills transferring to real life. It is not yet proven superior to standard therapy.
• SLPRCT2026Using Artificial Intelligence to Improve Empathetic Statements in Autistic Adolescents and Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adolescents and adults with low empathy scores used an AI chatbot for about four weeks. Their ability to respond empathetically in conversation with a human improved significantly compared to a waitlist group, and they found the program acceptable.
• OTSLPOther2026Chronic Parenting Stress in Parents of Children with Autism: Associations with Chronic Stress in Their Child and Parental Mental and Physical Health.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with autism showed high reported stress linked to poor mental health and emotional eating. Hair cortisol, a biological stress marker, correlated between parents and children but did not match reported stress levels. Higher biological stress in mothers linked to higher glucose.
• SLPCohort2026Primary Care Autism Screening with the Parent's Observations of Social Interactions.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn toddlers at primary care visits, a positive parent-report autism screen was linked to later autism diagnosis and earlier diagnosis. It also produced false positives, so it is a flag for follow-up, not proof.
• PTOTSLPCohort2026Disorder Type and Severity as Predictors of Mental Health in Siblings of Children with Chronic Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHow severe the child's condition is predicts sibling mental health problems. The specific diagnosis itself does not. Fathers' ratings of severity matched siblings' own reports better than mothers' did. Screen for risk based on functional impairment and daily life disruption, not just the diagnostic label.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026Exploring the Human-Animal Interaction (HAI) for Children with ASD Across Countries: A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersDogs and horses dominated human-animal interaction for children with ASD, and animal-assisted interventions were more common than pet ownership. Country patterns differed, with US home-based pet ownership and Europe/Asia therapy-animal use.
• OTSLPCohort2026Adaptive Functioning Across Contexts: A Comparison of Parent and Self-Reported Ratings in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic teens and young adults rated their social adaptive skills higher than their parents did. Parent and self-ratings disagreed across all areas, and autistic youths' self-ratings aligned with an independent social functioning rating.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2026Early Identification of Autism Using Cry Analysis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Retrospective and Prospective Studies.Journal of autism and developmental disordersPooled data from six studies found no significant difference in infant cry pitch between those later diagnosed with autism and typically developing infants. While some individual studies noted higher pitch, the overall evidence does not support using cry analysis to identify autism early.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Autistic Burnout on Reddit: A Sisyphean Struggle with Daily Tasks.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults on Reddit describe burnout as a chronic state of exhaustion, sensory overload, and skill loss, often lasting years. They prioritise reducing external stimuli and masking over causal analysis. Community validation was a key theme, with 13% of posts expressing shared experience.
• OTSLPQualitative2026Theory of Change of Caregiver Coaching for an Early Parent-Mediated Autism Intervention.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCoaches described how joint goal setting, modeling, and feedback build caregiver confidence and skill. Embedding strategies in daily routines helped families maintain them. Caregivers valued improved connection and reduced stress over specific developmental milestones.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Harmonizing Identities: A Scoping Review on Voice and Communication Supports and Challenges for Autistic Trans and Gender Diverse Individuals.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic trans and gender diverse people face communication barriers that delay care and harm wellbeing, yet most existing supports focus on general communication rather than voice. Speech pathologists lack specific guidance to address these unique needs, creating a significant gap in effective, affirming clinical practice.
• OTSLPCohort2025Deep developmental phenotyping in children with tuberous sclerosis complex, with and without autism.Developmental medicine and child neurologyIn children with tuberous sclerosis, autism was common, and autistic children had more intellectual disability, language deficits, executive dysfunction and externalizing behaviour. ADHD symptoms were frequent in both groups. Formal language screening is warranted even without autism or intellectual disability.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026The Meaning of Autism Friendly in Hospital Settings: A Scoping Review of the Autism Community's Perspectives.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic patients and families identified three key areas for hospital care: people, place, and time. Staff communication and autism-specific training were critical. Flexible environments that reduce sensory overload and shorter wait times helped. Rigid systems and lack of preparation created barriers.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2026Minimal Differences in Auditory and Visual Oddball Tasks in Autism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAuditory and visual oddball tasks showed minimal group differences between autistic and non-autistic people. The pooled differences were small and not consistent. These tasks alone are unlikely to reveal sensory prediction differences.
• SLPCase Series2026Effects of I-Connect to Increase Communication Initiations of Elementary Students on the Autism Spectrum.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThree non-verbal or minimally verbal students with autism increased unprompted communication initiations when using the I-Connect app for self-monitoring. The effect held in the classroom but decreased in other school settings. This pilot suggests a possible role for tablet-based self-monitoring.
• SLPSurvey2026Resilience Within Families of Young Children with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn families with young children with ASD, both parents often reported high parenting stress; satisfaction with social relationships was the factor most consistently associated with lower family stress.
• SLPCohort2026Quality of Life and Societal Cost in Autistic Children: An Exploratory Comparative Study Pre- and Post-Diagnosis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children's total annual health-related costs and quality-of-life scores did not change significantly after diagnosis, although usual-activity problems, behavioural scores, general practitioner, physiotherapy and hospital outpatient costs fell.
• SLPCohort2025Sleep Disorders and Constipation in Autistic Children and Youth: Who Receives Standard of Care Drug Treatments?Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic girls with sleep disorders were more likely to receive treatment than boys, but no sex difference appeared for constipation. Older age predicted treatment for both. Claims data cannot distinguish if girls had more severe symptoms or if care was unequal.
• SLPOther2026How Educators' Self-Construal Shapes Teacher Training: Navigating from Autism Awareness to Stigma.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutism awareness alone did not reduce stigma in Turkish pre-service teachers. Instead, their cultural self-view mediated this link: higher awareness increased individualism, which lowered stigma, but also increased collectivism, which raised it.
• OTSLPCohort2026Developmental Profiles of Young Children Referred for Concern for Autism Spectrum Disorder: DBPNet Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCognitive function did not differ between children referred for autism concern who were later diagnosed with autism and those not diagnosed, but language and adaptive skills were lower in the diagnosed group.
• SLPOther2026Intact but Protracted Facial and Prosodic Emotion Recognition Among Autistic Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults recognized emotions as accurately as non-autistic adults but took significantly longer to respond. This delay appeared in facial and voice tasks, suggesting the issue is processing speed rather than an inability to identify emotions.
• SLPOther2026Empathy and Interest Towards an Autistic Person and the Effect of Disclosing the Diagnosis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersWhen an autistic person disclosed their diagnosis, non-autistic listeners understood their emotions more accurately and reported more empathy. This effect held across students and working adults, though interest in meeting them varied by background.
• SLPCase-Control2026The Behavioral Presentation of Autistic Adults in a Forensic Interview.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults used longer speech hesitations and interpreted figurative language more literally than non-autistic adults, but showed no significant differences in eye contact, gestures, or repetitive movements. These specific verbal behaviors may unfairly bias credibility judgments in forensic interviews.
• OTSLPQualitative2026What Factors Have Been the Most Helpful and Harmful and When? Identifying Key Impacts on Psychosocial Development According to Autistic Adults and Caregivers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults and caregivers said relationships mattered most. Speech therapy, daily living supports, jobs, hobbies and education were helpful at different ages, but the study reports experiences, not proof that they work.
• PTOTSLPCase Series2026Novel CTNNB1 Gene Variants in Spanish CTNNB1 Syndrome Patients: Clinical and Psychological Manifestations.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 25 Spanish patients with CTNNB1 syndrome, delayed speech, motor milestones, sleep problems, ASD symptoms and maladaptive behaviours were common. Early motor and language milestones were associated with better current function.
• OTSLPQualitative2025The design of the "autistics in (educational) space: building our own futures" doctoral project.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceFour autistic university students described teachers who did not seem prepared to support them, and one contrasted strict classroom rules with more freedom to move and stim at home. They also used masking and rehearsing words before speaking to fit in.
• PTOTSLPQualitative2026Parent Perspectives on Water Safety for Children with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of autistic children described constant vigilance and avoidance of water due to elopement risks and poor danger awareness. They reported that standard swim lessons often fail because instructors lack autism-specific training, sensory-friendly environments, and adaptive communication strategies.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Autism Early Intervention Providers: Their Priorities, Use of Empirically Supported Practices, and Professional Development Needs.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAustralian early intervention providers mostly used evidence-based practices but often mixed them with unsupported ones, especially for sensory needs. Confidence in addressing sensory and motor domains was low, while priority and training interest focused on communication, behavior, and social skills.
• OTSLPOther2026A Cross-National Reliability Study of Catatonia in Individuals with Neurodevelopmental Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersExperienced psychiatrists initially disagreed on the catatonia diagnosis in five of twenty patients with neurodevelopmental disorders. Agreement required extensive discussion and additional data. Clinicians should suspect catatonia when behavior changes from baseline, especially if agitation is present alongside intellectual disability.
• SLPSystematic Review2026The Inclusion of Fathers in Parent Coaching Interventions for Young Autistic Children: A Systematic Review.Journal of autism and developmental disordersOnly 2 of 94 parent-child dyads in these home-based coaching studies were fathers. The 5 studies all reported positive outcomes, but with so few fathers and only single-subject or medium-quality designs, this tells us almost nothing about how coaching works for dads.
• SLPQualitative2026Experiences and Needs of Leaders Supporting Multilingual ABA Staff: A Qualitative Exploration.Journal of autism and developmental disordersABA leaders supporting multilingual staff said language access depended on employer choices, not goodwill. Translation, hiring, culture matching, and pay helped, but training gaps, tokenization, and staff shortages left multilingual autistic families underserved.
• SLPSystematic Review2026Digital Horizons: Enhancing Autism Support with Augmented Reality.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMost augmented reality studies in autism rely on subjective reports and lack control groups, so evidence for effectiveness is weak. While some interventions target social skills and communication, the overall quality of evidence remains low due to small samples and varied methods.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2025'I shouldn't have to educate their school about what autism is': Community attitudes and parent reports of autistic primary and secondary school experiences in Australia.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceMost Australians support school adjustments for autistic students, but parents report these are rarely provided. While 90% back staff training and peer education, fewer than 1 in 8 schools deliver them. This gap forces parents to constantly advocate, often resulting in school changes and distress.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2025Scoping Review of Socio-Ecological Factors Contributing to Sleep Health Disparities in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSleep problems in children with autism are linked to anxiety, ADHD, and low family income, not just autism itself. Most research ignores race and poverty, so current guidelines may not fit diverse or underserved families.
• OTSLPCohort2025Comparing Emotional Development in Persons With Intellectual Disability With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRPeople with intellectual disability and autism showed lower emotional development scores than those with intellectual disability only. This pattern held across all eight domains of the assessment tool, suggesting autism adds specific challenges to emotional growth.
• PTOTSLPOther2026Autism Spectrum Disorder and Health-Determining Behaviors: Assessing Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Sleep with the National Survey of Children's Health.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children rarely meet health guidelines, especially for screen time and sleep. Physical activity rates matched peers when measured as daily activity, but autistic children were less likely to be active four or more days a week. Irregular bedtime linked to poorer outcomes.
• SLPSurvey2026The Relationship Between Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder in Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Orthorexia Nervosa in Their Mothers.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAmong 104 children with autism, more maternal orthorexia symptoms were linked to more child avoidant/restrictive eating symptoms, especially fear about eating. Taste, smell, and touch reactions were also linked. It did not show a cause.
• SLPCase-Control2026Some (but not all) Pragmatic Inferences are Difficult for Autistic Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic children with typical language skills struggled with spontaneous pragmatic inferences but understood metaphors as well as peers. This suggests they may need explicit scaffolding to access pragmatic skills they already possess, rather than lacking the ability.
• PTOTSLPSurvey2026Aligning Perspectives: Autism Identity, Independence, Participation, and Quality of Life in Autistic Adolescents Through Self and Parental Reports.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents underestimate their autistic teen's independence and quality of life compared to the teen's own report. Teens who feel overwhelmed by their diagnosis report lower emotional and social well-being. Assess both perspectives to target support for identity acceptance and daily autonomy.