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 7 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• PTOTSLPCase Report2017Early development of infants with neurofibromatosis type 1: a case series.Molecular autismAt 10 months, ten infants with NF1 showed motor and communication delays; social engagement and temperament appeared typical. This small series cannot guide treatment.
• OTSLPSystematic Review2018How do Parents Manage Irritability, Challenging Behaviour, Non-Compliance and Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders? A Meta-Synthesis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents of children with autism often manage challenging behaviour by changing the environment and routine rather than the child. Strategies included avoiding triggers, giving in to demands to prevent meltdowns, and constant supervision. This reflects high family burden, not proven efficacy.
• OTSLPOther2018What About the Girls? Sex-Based Differences in Autistic Traits and Adaptive Skills.Journal of autism and developmental disordersBoys and girls with autism and no intellectual disability scored similarly on observed diagnostic tests, but parents rated girls as having stronger autistic traits and lower daily living skills.
• SLPCase-Control2018Abilities to Explicitly and Implicitly Infer Intentions from Actions in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism and IQ scores above 100 showed no clear group difference when choosing partners without being asked to infer intentions, but were worse at explicitly naming whether hand actions were deliberate or accidental. Eye gaze was typical.
• SLPCohort2017Cytokine levels and associations with symptom severity in male and female children with autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismLower blood levels of several cytokines were linked to more severe autism symptoms in girls, and a growth factor was linked to severity in boys. Sleep and gut symptoms did not show the same pattern.
• OTSLPRCT2018A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of the ACCESS Program: A Group Intervention to Improve Social, Adaptive Functioning, Stress Coping, and Self-Determination Outcomes in Young Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers reported adaptive scores changed 4.1 points more after ACCESS than waitlist, but participants did not report less anxiety or better overall coping. Attendance was high.
• SLPOther2018Examining the Links Between Challenging Behaviors in Youth with ASD and Parental Stress, Mental Health, and Involvement: Applying an Adaptation of the Family Stress Model to Families of Youth with ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdolescents' challenging behaviors tracked with higher parenting stress, and stress related to more depressive symptoms and lower parent involvement. Anxiety showed a weaker link. Parents' anxiety and depression did not improve overall after a parent-assisted social skills program.
• SLPCohort2018Parental Broad Autism Phenotype and the Language Skills of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers who were less socially interested or more inflexible had children who showed less engagement with objects or people and lower language skills. The finding came from 16 families of children with autism and does not prove parent traits caused language problems.
• OTSLPNarrative Review2018Loss of skills and onset patterns in neurodevelopmental disorders: Understanding the neurobiological mechanisms.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchSome children with autism lose previously gained language and social communication skills, at an average age of 1.78 years. Parent reports alone may miss these losses, and regressive onset does not consistently predict greater impairment.
• OTSLPQualitative2018An international qualitative study of functioning in autism spectrum disorder using the World Health Organization international classification of functioning, disability and health framework.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPeople with ASD, families and professionals described functioning across communication, daily routines, work, school, sensory issues and environment. These categories may guide OT and SLP assessment of whole life participation, not just diagnosis.
• OTSLPSurvey2018Parents' Use of Complementary Health Approaches for Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disorders44.9% of surveyed children with autism used complementary health approaches. Parents were more likely to use them for younger children, when they believed autism had major life consequences, in Denver or Portland, and when medication was also used.
• OTSLPCohort2018Mid-life social outcomes for a population-based sample of adults with ASD.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchMost adults identified with autism in childhood and followed into mid-life had low cognitive ability and limited independence. 77% were at IQ 70 or below, 20% were unemployed, and 62% relied on others for transport.
• SLPOther2018Child and family characteristics moderate agreement between caregiver and clinician report of autism symptoms.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchCaregiver and clinician autism symptom reports were related, but not strongly. Agreement was strongest for lower IQ, lower adaptive behavior, fewer behavior problems, younger non-African American children, and older higher-income children.
• SLPOther2017Sparsifying machine learning models identify stable subsets of predictive features for behavioral detection of autism.Molecular autismA small set of behavioral items from the standard autism observation test, including unanswered items, separated children with autism from children without autism in these datasets. This was model testing only, not a clinic-ready triage tool.
• SLPCohort2018Acceptance or Despair? Maternal Adjustment to Having a Child Diagnosed with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers whose acceptance of their child's autism diagnosis increased over 18 months reported fewer depressive symptoms. Reductions in self-blame and despair were linked to higher life satisfaction and lower caregiving burden. This observational study cannot prove these mindset shifts caused the improvements.
• OTSLPOther2018Sensory Behaviors in Minimally Verbal Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: How and When Do Caregivers Respond?American journal on intellectual and developmental disabilitiesCaregivers of minimally verbal children with autism most often prompted or changed their own behavior in response to sensory behaviors. They reported responding less to movement and more to social behaviors than non-social behaviors.
• OTSLPOther2018Autism Spectrum Symptomatology Among Children with Duplication 7q11.23 Syndrome.Journal of autism and developmental disorders12 participants (19.0%) met clinical criteria for ASD. Parent interview alone classified 25 participants (39.7%) as autism. Use direct observation and consider language level and anxiety before diagnosing.
• PTSLPCohort2017Identification of mutations in the PI3K-AKT-mTOR signalling pathway in patients with macrocephaly and developmental delay and/or autism.Molecular autismTen of 21 children with macrocephaly and developmental delay or autism had PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway mutations. Children with a mutation had lower developmental quotient scores, and two mutations were mosaic and found at higher levels in mouth or saliva samples.
• PTSLPCohort2018Effect of epilepsy on autism symptoms in Angelman syndrome.Molecular autismIn Angelman syndrome, earlier onset of seizures is strongly linked to more autism symptoms, even when accounting for the specific genetic cause. This suggests the seizures themselves, rather than just the underlying genetic deletion, contribute to the severity of autistic behaviours.
• SLPCohort2018Relationships between autism spectrum disorder and intolerance of uncertainty.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYouth with autism showed higher intolerance of uncertainty than typical peers. Emotional dysregulation was the only autism feature that predicted this trait after accounting for anxiety. This suggests targeting emotion regulation may help manage distress in uncertain situations.
• SLPOther2018High Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders in Adults: Consequences for Primary Caregivers Compared to Schizophrenia and Depression.Journal of autism and developmental disordersCaregivers of adults with high-functioning autism reported similar overall burden to caregivers of people with depression or schizophrenia, but more relationship tension and more distress than schizophrenia caregivers.
• SLPOther2018An Initial Psychometric Evaluation of the Joint Attention Protocol.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThe JA Protocol produces pass/fail scores for children's joint attention responses and initiations. It appears consistent across coders and repeat testing, but it is not a diagnostic tool and has not been tested for tracking therapy progress.
• SLPCohort2018Reversed gender ratio of autism spectrum disorder in Smith-Magenis syndrome.Molecular autismIn Smith-Magenis syndrome, more females than males had high autism symptom scores. 73% of females and 25% of males scored above the autism screening threshold. The female difference remained after adaptive level and behavioural problems were included.
• OTSLPRCT2018Enhancing interactions during daily routines: A randomized controlled trial of a web-based tutorial for parents of young children with ASD.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchParents who used a web tutorial reported using more evidence-based strategies during routines, and their children showed better engagement and social communication at follow-up. Gains came from parent reports only, and children also received other community services.
• SLPOther2018Sensitivity to audio-visual synchrony and its relation to language abilities in children with and without ASD.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchTypically developing children looked more at the video matching the sound when the other video was off by 0.6 or 1.0 seconds. Children with ASD did not show this preference. More looking at the matching video was associated with better language scores.
• SLPCohort2018Bidirectional influences of caregiver utterances and supported joint engagement in children with and without autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn play, caregiver talk about what the child was doing, especially suggestions for how to play, was more likely to be followed by higher-level joint engagement than caregiver-focused talk. This held for children with and without autism, but cannot prove intervention effects.
• SLPNarrative Review2018Integrating a Parent-Implemented Blend of Developmental and Behavioral Intervention Strategies into Speech-Language Treatment for Toddlers at Risk for Autism Spectrum Disorder.Seminars in speech and languageThis review outlines a parent-mediated intervention model for toddlers at risk for autism. It describes training components and anecdotal implementation data but reports no controlled trial results or efficacy findings.
• SLPCohort2018Is Older Age Associated with Higher Self- and Other-Rated ASD Characteristics?Journal of autism and developmental disordersSelf-reported autism traits and sensory sensitivity peak in middle adulthood and drop in old age, but partners and family do not see this change. Do not assume symptoms resolve with age; they may just be less visible to others or less self-reported.
• SLPCohort2018Local and Global Visual Processing in 3-Year-Olds With and Without Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersThree-year-olds with autism found more hidden pictures than high-risk siblings without autism and low-risk children. They were not faster or better on the other local tasks, and global visual processing did not differ.
• SLPOther2018Gaze avoidance and perseverative language in fragile X syndrome and autism spectrum disorder: brief report.Developmental neurorehabilitationBoys with fragile X syndrome plus autism and boys with autism showed similarly high gaze avoidance, but the fragile X group repeated single utterances more often. Gaze avoidance and language perseverations were not related in either group.
• OTSLPPilot2018Defining behavioral components of social functioning in adults with autism spectrum disorder as targets for treatment.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchIn adults with autism, measures of social motivation, anxiety, and skills moved together. Measures of social cognition and community functioning did not. Motivation also moved with anxiety, skills, community, and autism symptoms, but not cognition.
• SLPCohort2018A prospective study of fetal head growth, autistic traits and autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchPrenatal head growth trajectories were not associated with later autistic traits. Smaller head circumference in late pregnancy was linked to higher traits, but it did not predict an autism diagnosis.
• SLPSystematic Review2018Measurement properties of tools used to assess depression in adults with and without autism spectrum conditions: A systematic review.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchNo depression tool has been developed or validated for adults with autism spectrum conditions. Only the BDI-II had measurement properties examined in this group, with weak or indeterminate evidence. The review does not show that standard tools accurately identify depression in this group.
• SLPCase Series2018EHMT1 mosaicism in apparently unaffected parents is associated with autism spectrum disorder and neurocognitive dysfunction.Molecular autismThree adults with EHMT1 mosaicism, previously thought unaffected, were diagnosed with autism and mood disorders. Despite high adaptive scores, they showed social isolation and cognitive inflexibility. Genetic testing should be considered in parents with psychiatric symptoms and children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
• SLPRCT2018Randomised controlled trial of simvastatin treatment for autism in young children with neurofibromatosis type 1 (SANTA).Molecular autismNo significant behavioural differences were seen between simvastatin and placebo in young children with NF1-autism; the trial was not powered, safety and acceptability were good, and imaging signals were preliminary.
• SLPOther2018Goal prediction in 2-year-old children with and without autism spectrum disorder: An eye-tracking study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchWhen a person’s hand moved toward an object, 2-year-old children with ASD anticipated the goal as well as typically developing peers. When the hand paused without movement cues, children with ASD tended to look at the prior location, not the prior goal.
• SLPCase-Control2018Oscillatory rhythm of reward: anticipation and processing of rewards in children with and without autism.Molecular autismNo clear difference appeared between children with ASD and typically developing children while they waited for social feedback. After feedback, children with ASD showed more brain activity thought to reflect engagement and less activity thought to reflect reward than typically developing children.
• SLPCase-Control2018Facial expression recognition as a candidate marker for autism spectrum disorder: how frequent and severe are deficits?Molecular autismOn a brief film-based emotion task, 63% of high-functioning people with ASD showed severe deficits, but 15.3% performed within the control range.
• OTSLPCohort2018From Using Tools to Using Language in Infant Siblings of Children with Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersHigh-risk infants who used a spoon functionally at 10 months had better word comprehension at 12 months and word production at 24 and 36 months. Infants later diagnosed with autism showed delayed emergence of these functional actions compared to those without diagnosis.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2018A Systematic Review of Group Social Skills Interventions, and Meta-analysis of Outcomes, for Children with High Functioning ASD.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren and young people with high-functioning autism who joined group social skills programmes had fewer parent-rated social difficulties than delayed controls. Gains were largest for social communication and repetitive behaviour, but problem behaviour did not improve.
• SLPCase-Control2018Altered reward system reactivity for personalized circumscribed interests in autism.Molecular autismAcross the whole brain, youth with autism did not differ from controls in response to personal interests versus social approval. A focused analysis of a reward-related brain region found greater interest response in autism, and it was related to social impairment.
• PTOTSLPCohort2018Prediction of Autism at 3 Years from Behavioural and Developmental Measures in High-Risk Infants: A Longitudinal Cross-Domain Classifier Analysis.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAt the second visit, daily living scores gave a modest signal for later autism in high-risk infants, but early measures did not predict individual outcome. The prediction model was much better at saying an infant would not develop autism than at identifying who would.
• PTOTSLPOther2018An International Clinical Study of Ability and Disability in Autism Spectrum Disorder Using the WHO-ICF Framework.Journal of autism and developmental disordersClinician ratings of 122 people with ASD using WHO function categories found frequent difficulties in complex social interaction, attention, stress, communication, and daily tasks. Family, family attitudes, and health-professional support were the most common environmental factors.
• OTSLPCohort2018Autism Spectrum Disorder in an Unselected Cohort of Children with Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1).Journal of autism and developmental disorders10.9% of children with NF1 were clinically diagnosed with autism, much higher than the general population. Screening tools often missed cases or flagged non-autistic children. Clinicians should combine parent questionnaires and direct observation to accurately identify autism in this group.
• SLPOther2018Brief Report: Social Functioning Predicts Externalizing Problem Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 29 children and adolescents with autism, lower parent-rated social functioning was linked to higher parent-reported externalizing behavior. This link was not seen in 29 matched typical peers. It suggests behavior problems may relate to social difficulties.
• OTSLPCohort2018The Prevalence and Psychopathological Correlates of Sibling Bullying in Children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism are more likely to be involved in two-way sibling bullying than their peers. This involvement is linked to higher anxiety, depression, and behavioural problems, regardless of whether the child has autism.
• SLPCase-Control2018Influence of family demographic factors on social communication questionnaire scores.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAt SCQ score 11, 88% of autistic children in clinical samples were identified, but only 74% of non-autistic children were correctly cleared. False positives were more common in lower-income, lower-education, and Black families.
• SLPCase-Control2018Brief Report: Self-Injurious Behaviors in Preschool Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Compared to Other Developmental Delays and Disorders.Journal of autism and developmental disordersSelf-injury was reported more often in preschool children with autism than in children with other developmental delays, even after accounting for child and family factors. Among children with developmental delays, parents reported more self-injury in those with autism symptoms than in those without.
• SLPOther2018Evaluating Sex and Age Differences in ADI-R and ADOS Scores in a Large European Multi-site Sample of Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 2684 people with autism, females had fewer early repetitive interests than males on parent report, but current social communication and observed scores were similar; age differences were not shown to be long-term change.
• SLPOther2018Investigating Mirror System (MS) Activity in Adults with ASD When Inferring Others' Intentions Using Both TMS and EEG.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMagnetic pulse measures found no difference between judging intentions and judging action success. Brain wave measures linked more autistic traits to lower right-hemisphere activity during intention judging, and left-hemisphere activity to better intention judging. This is lab evidence, not a therapy target.