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 56 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPSystematic Review2026Extent and Rigor of Cultural Adaptations in Social Communication Interventions for Autistic Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceOnly 16 studies adapting social communication interventions for autistic young people were found, and on average researchers documented 66% of the quality steps for cultural adaptation. The same programme (PEERS) was adapted to very different degrees depending on the country.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2026The Views of Autistic Adults on Early Autism Interventions: A Mixed-Methods Systematic Literature Review.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAcross 19 studies, autistic adults consistently said early support should respect the child's autonomy, be play-based and enjoyable, accept autism rather than target traits, and change the environment rather than the child. They also reported significant harm from compliance-focused behavioural interventions.
• SLPOther2026Development and Psychometric Validation of the Questionnaire for Social Communication in Young Autistic Learners (Q-SoCiAL)-Verbal Version.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA new 46-item parent questionnaire for autistic children ages 2–6 (using more than 10 words) showed strong reliability and reasonable validity. It is not yet proven to detect treatment change, so do not use it as a sole outcome measure in intervention studies.
• SLPOther2026Examining the Roles of Retrieval Practice and Post-Retrieval Feedback in Learning Among Autistic Adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceRetrieval practice and post-retrieval feedback improve word-pair memory in autistic adults to the same degree as in non-autistic adults. Feedback is most helpful after an incorrect attempt. This is the first study to confirm these strategies work for autistic adults.
• OTSLPCohort2026Executive Functioning Is Linked to Internalizing Symptoms in Autistic Adults With Higher Support Needs.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAmong 486 autistic adults with higher support needs, caregiver-reported emotion regulation and flexibility difficulties were each linked to more severe anxiety and depression, while inhibitory control was not. These two domains are the most relevant EF targets for mental health in this group.
• PTOTSLPMeta-Analysis2026Predicting early intervention outcomes in autism via individual participant data mega-analysis.Molecular autismESDM and other evidence-based early interventions produce similar gains in language, cognition, and adaptive skills in autistic toddlers. The difference appears in symptom severity, where ESDM improves over time, particularly for children with higher starting ability. Starting earlier matters more than which programme you choose.
• SLPSurvey2026Navigating Mixed-Neurotype Dialogue: Environmental and Affective Influences on Autistic Speakers.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAutistic adults report that negative emotions most often shut down their speech, while positive emotions open it up, and this effect was the same whether they were talking to autistic or allistic partners. Environment and familiarity also shaped communication.
• SLPPilot2026Clinical impact of the Development of Communication Skills in Autism (DHACA) on the development of social skills in children with autism.CoDASTwenty-three young children with autism showed clear gains in eye contact, shared attention, and responding to name after 20 weekly sessions of a picture-based communication programme. With no control group, these gains cannot be separated from natural development or the attention of therapists.
• OTSLPOther2026Parenting Stress in Families of Children With ASD and DD: A Multidimensional Perspective.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesParents of 3-to-5-year-olds with autism and with other developmental delays reported similar stress levels across three measures. What predicted stress was not the diagnosis but a mix of the child's behavior, adaptive skills, and family circumstances like income and siblings with problems.
• SLPOther2026Expressive Language Sample Concordance With ADOS-2 Scores: Autism, Down Syndrome, Fragile X Syndrome.American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesThe ADOS-2 EL score (1–8) reflects a person's spoken syntax and vocabulary, but it did not change over a year while traditional language-sample measures did. Use it as a snapshot, not a progress tracker.
• OTSLPCohort2026Addressing Common Problems in Autism Research: Cohort Development and Sample Description for a Participatory, Real-World, Longitudinal Study of Outcomes in Autistic Adults.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThree ways of recruiting autistic adults (health systems, disability services, community) produced very different groups in age, support needs, health, and independence. Free, accessible outcome measures for autistic adults are now available for clinicians to use.
• PTOTSLPSystematic Review2026Inclusion of Participants With Limited English Proficiency in Autism Research.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA systematic review of 1,007 autism studies found that only 19% included participants with limited English proficiency, and just 18% of randomized trials did, meaning most intervention evidence may not apply to your LEP patients.
• SLPOther2026Social enhancement of associative learning in neurotypical, speaking autistic, and minimally speaking autistic preschoolers.Molecular autismMinimally speaking autistic preschoolers showed no evidence of learning the association, while neurotypical and speaking autistic peers did, with a social boost. A child who doesn't learn from social cues may need a different approach, not more of the same.
• SLPOther2026Clinical characteristics and outcomes of referrals for speech and language delay to the Speech Therapy and Audiology department at a district hospital in Gauteng, South Africa.The South African journal of communication disorders = Die Suid-Afrikaanse tydskrif vir KommunikasieafwykingsOf 150 children referred for speech and language delay at a South African district hospital, 49.2% never returned for follow-up. Autism was the most common specialist diagnosis (52%). Bilingualism and maternal pregnancy complications showed no link to greater delay.