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 8 OF 56 · NEWEST FIRST

• SLPOther2018Objective measurement of head movement differences in children with and without autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismChildren with autism turned and tilted their heads more quickly and widely than peers without autism, but only while watching social videos. This suggests head movement differences are tied to social processing, not general motor control.
• SLPSurvey2018Practice patterns and determinants of wait time for autism spectrum disorder diagnosis in Canada.Molecular autismPediatricians in Canada reported wide variation in autism diagnostic practices and long, variable waits. Longer assessment time was associated with longer wait, while diagnostic tool use was not.
• SLPOther2018Genetic testing and autism: Tutorial for communication sciences and disorders.Journal of communication disordersNo new study results are reported. This tutorial explains genetic testing and autism and suggests families consult a genetic counselor.
• SLPOther2018Implementation of a Practice Development Model to Reduce the Wait for Autism Spectrum Diagnosis in Adults.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults referred for autism assessment waited less after a bundled program with new pathways, documentation, mentorship, peer forums, practice changes and validation roles: average wait for diagnosis fell from 149.4 days to 119.5 days. No control group means the program's effect cannot be proven.
• OTSLPCase-Control2018Processing Speed is Impaired in Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Relates to Social Communication Abilities.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAdults with autism and no intellectual disability completed symbol coding, number connecting, and animal naming more slowly than controls matched for intelligence. Slower processing speed was linked to worse communication and reciprocal social interaction, not broader social adjustment.
• SLPOther2018A new measure of child vocal reciprocity in children with autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchDaylong recordings of young children with autism produced a new vocal back-and-forth score that rose with their consonant variety. It is a research measure, not a treatment result, and was tested in 21 children.
• SLPOther2018The Association Between Sequence Learning on the Serial Reaction Time Task and Social Impairments in Autism.Journal of autism and developmental disordersAutistic adults who got faster on a predictable button-press sequence reported more social difficulties. Learning on a less predictable sequence showed no link to social difficulties. The task may not reflect everyday social learning.
• SLPOther2018Do Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Share Fairly and Reciprocally?Journal of autism and developmental disordersChildren with autism offered similar sticker numbers to typical peers, but reciprocated a puppet's offers less often and accepted unfair offers more often.
• PTSLPOther2018Prevalence of Co-occurring Medical and Behavioral Conditions/Symptoms Among 4- and 8-Year-Old Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Selected Areas of the United States in 2010.Journal of autism and developmental disordersNearly all children with autism had at least one documented co-occurring condition. Older children had more conditions, and several behavioral and developmental problems were more common in the older group than in the younger group.
• SLPPilot2018Early Identification of ASD Through Telemedicine: Potential Value for Underserved Populations.Journal of autism and developmental disordersRemote psychologists classified 15 children as having ASD, and all 15 were confirmed in person, but 4 children later diagnosed were missed. Rural families were highly satisfied. This is not a replacement for full evaluation.
• SLPPilot2018Neural mechanisms of behavioral change in young adults with high-functioning autism receiving virtual reality social cognition training: A pilot study.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchYoung adults with high-functioning autism showed higher emotion recognition scores after 10 hours of virtual reality social cognition training over 5 weeks; theory-of-mind gains were less certain.
• SLPCohort2018Onset patterns in autism: Variation across informants, methods, and timing.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchInfants later diagnosed with autism had early social behaviors that decreased over time. Parents captured this when rating current behavior, but often did not label it as skill loss in yes-or-no questions.
• SLPCase-Control2018Maternal Exposures Associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Jamaican Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMothers of autistic children in Jamaica reported significantly higher rates of fever, physical trauma, and oil-based paint exposure than mothers of typically developing children. These retrospective associations require confirmation in larger studies before guiding clinical practice.
• PTOTSLPPilot2017Analyzing State Autism Private Insurance Mandates for Allied Health Services: A Pilot Study.OTJR : occupation, participation and healthState autism insurance laws vary widely in age caps and service limits, often restricting coverage for occupational therapy and other allied health services. Therapists must check specific state mandates for treatment caps and provider licensure requirements to understand what services private insurance will actually pay for.
• SLPPilot2018Understanding Performance and Verbal-Communication of Children with ASD in a Collaborative Virtual Environment.Journal of autism and developmental disordersA 60-minute collaborative virtual puzzle session was feasible for children with and without autism: all completed it and reported high enjoyment. Some performance and communication measures improved pre-to-post. The authors did not test it as treatment.
• SLPOther2018Face Identity Recognition and the Social Difficulties Component of the Autism-Like Phenotype: Evidence for Phenotypic and Genetic Links.Journal of autism and developmental disordersWeaker face memory tracked more parent-reported social interaction difficulties in adolescent twins, and the link held when car memory was considered. The association appeared genetic, but this was not a clinical autism diagnosis.
• SLPCase-Control2018Plasma anandamide concentrations are lower in children with autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismChildren with autism had lower plasma anandamide levels than controls. This was a blood biomarker difference, not a tested treatment, and medication use differed between groups.
• SLPSurvey2018Imaginary Companions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersParents reported imaginary companions in 16.2% of children with autism and 45.2% of typically developing children. When present in autism, companions were often a toy or stuffed animal, started later, and served social or comfort roles.
• SLPCohort2018The geometric preference subtype in ASD: identifying a consistent, early-emerging phenomenon through eye tracking.Molecular autismToddlers with ASD looked more at geometric patterns than at social scenes. Those who strongly preferred patterns had more severe autism scores and lower receptive language. Eye tracking identified 18% of toddlers with ASD in this sample.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2018Association between maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder: an updated meta-analysis.Molecular autismPooled cohort results found no significant association between maternal antidepressant use during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder. Case-control results looked positive, but after adjusting for possible publication bias they were not significant.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2018Click-evoked auditory brainstem responses and autism spectrum disorder: A meta-analytic review.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with autism showed longer auditory brainstem response latencies than typically developing peers. The effect varied widely depending on age, hearing status, and testing speed. These results suggest ABRs are not yet a reliable standalone biomarker for diagnosis.
• SLPOther2018The emotion dysregulation inventory: Psychometric properties and item response theory calibration in an autism spectrum disorder sample.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchA caregiver report called the Emotion Dysregulation Inventory captures observable emotion dysregulation in youth with ASD across verbal abilities. The reactivity short form uses seven items, and dysphoria uses six. Scores were stable over four weeks and lower at inpatient discharge.
• SLPOther2018Operationalizing atypical gaze in toddlers with autism spectrum disorders: a cohesion-based approach.Molecular autismToddlers with autism looked less like typical toddlers on a research gaze measure during face-to-face speech and sandwich making, but not moving toys. Within autism, gaze clustered most on toys and sandwich making and least on speech.
• PTOTSLPCase Series2018Delineation of the genetic and clinical spectrum of Phelan-McDermid syndrome caused by SHANK3 point mutations.Molecular autismIn 17 people with SHANK3 gene changes, language was severely delayed, and 11 of them lost speech, movement, or behavioral abilities later in childhood or adolescence. This describes a rare condition, not a tested treatment.
• SLPOther2018Implicit learning seems to come naturally for children with autism, but not for children with specific language impairment: Evidence from behavioral and ERP data.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchChildren with autism learned hidden sequences as quickly as typical children. Children with specific language impairment responded as quickly, but brain responses suggested effortful, controlled learning instead.
• SLPOther2018Can you spot a liar? Deception, mindreading, and the case of autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAdults with ASD were less accurate at spotting lies, even when speakers gave clear cues. In adults without an ASD diagnosis, more autistic traits were linked to poorer lie detection, but mindreading tests did not explain this.
• SLPCohort2018Language development in deaf or hard-of-hearing children with additional disabilities: type matters!Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRFrom 3 to 5 years, overall average language scores were steady, but children with autism, cerebral palsy, or developmental delay had score drops while children with other disabilities improved. Oral-only early communication was linked to better vocabulary.
• SLPRCT2018Identification of urinary metabolites that correlate with clinical improvements in children with autism treated with sulforaphane from broccoli.Molecular autismAfter 12 weeks of a broccoli-derived supplement, 15 children with autism had parent-rated social functioning scores that improved, while general behavior scores did not change clearly. Without a control group, this cannot prove the supplement helped.
• SLPCase-Control2018Abnormal coherence and sleep composition in children with Angelman syndrome: a retrospective EEG study.Molecular autismChildren with Angelman syndrome had stronger brain-wave links between distant electrodes during wakefulness and sleep, plus fewer and shorter sleep spindles, brief brain bursts in non-REM sleep. These exploratory markers may guide future trials, not Monday therapy.
• SLPCohort2018Prenatal mercury exposure and features of autism: a prospective population study.Molecular autismPrenatal mercury exposure was not associated with autism diagnosis or autistic traits in children. A possible adverse link appeared only among mothers who ate no fish.
• SLPCohort2018Early gesture use in fragile X syndrome.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRAfter nonverbal skills were considered, infants with fragile X syndrome did not show a clear difference in gesture count from high-risk siblings or low-risk infants. Before that, they used fewer gestures at 24 months; growth rates were similar.
• SLPCohort2018Challenging behaviours at early adulthood in autism spectrum disorders: topography, risk factors and evolution.Journal of intellectual disability research : JIDRIn young adults with autism spectrum disorder, challenging behaviours mostly persisted from adolescence to early adulthood, except hyperactivity decreased. Greater autism severity and limited language were linked to more behaviours and self-injury; gastrointestinal problems were linked to stereotypy.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2018Joint attention in Down syndrome: A meta-analysis.Research in developmental disabilitiesChildren with Down syndrome showed joint attention similar to typically developing peers matched on developmental level, and better than peers with other developmental disabilities or autism. This points to using joint attention as a platform for intervention, not evidence it improves language.
• SLPRCT2018Robot-based intervention may reduce delay in the production of intransitive gestures in Chinese-speaking preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder.Molecular autismAfter a training package using a robot, stories, pictures, prompts, teacher and researcher support, and rewards, preschoolers with autism produced symbolic hand gestures more accurately than wait-list peers and matched typical development in new stories at 2 weeks.
• SLPMeta-Analysis2018Self-reported sex differences in high-functioning adults with autism: a meta-analysis.Molecular autismAutistic adults self-reported similar social, language and special-interest symptoms regardless of sex, but autistic women self-reported more sensory and motor symptoms than autistic men. Screening tools may miss these differences in women.
• SLPSurvey2018Risk markers for suicidality in autistic adults.Molecular autismAutistic adults had higher suicide risk scores than general population adults. Masking autism traits, unmet support needs, and non-suicidal self-injury were associated with higher risk after controlling for depression and anxiety.
• SLPCase-Control2018Symptom severity in autism spectrum disorder is related to the frequency and severity of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: a retrospective case-control study.Molecular autismIn children with autism, more severe maternal nausea and vomiting during pregnancy was associated with more severe social and communication difficulties. Children of mothers who reported daily nausea and vomiting had the most severe symptoms. This retrospective report cannot show cause.
• SLPOther2018Dissociations in the neural substrates of language and social functioning in autism spectrum disorder.Autism research : official journal of the International Society for Autism ResearchAdults and adolescents with autism self-rated lower language and social communication than controls, especially social engagement, while self-rated language scores were within normal range. In autism, lower pragmatic language and social engagement were linked to thinner cortex in separate left frontal regions.
• SLPCase-Control2018Event-related potential (ERP) correlates of face processing in verbal children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their first-degree relatives: a family study.Molecular autismBrain responses to faces did not reliably separate verbal children with autism from controls or their unaffected siblings. Differences appeared only with certain EEG setups, so this does not change assessment or therapy.
• SLPOther2018Sustainability of an early detection program for autism spectrum disorder over the course of 8 years.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceThe early detection program's effect on referral before age 3 was not sustained after support ended; children with ASD were more likely to be referred early only while the program was active.
• OTSLPOther2019Factor Analysis of the Childhood Autism Rating Scale in a Sample of Two Year Olds with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 282 toddlers with autism diagnoses, CARS items grouped into three domains: social communication, repetitive behaviors and sensory sensitivities, and emotional reactivity. Total scores alone may hide uneven symptom profiles.
• PTOTSLPCohort2018Risk Factors for Self-injurious Behavior in an Inpatient Psychiatric Sample of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Naturalistic Observation Study.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 302 psychiatric inpatients with autism, 67.5% had self-injury at home, but only 24.8% showed daily self-injury in the hospital. Lower cognitive ability and high parent-rated self-injury predicted hospital risk. Most children with home self-injury did not display it in the hospital.
• SLPCase-Control2019Impaired Recognition of Basic Emotions from Facial Expressions in Young People with Autism Spectrum Disorder: Assessing the Importance of Expression Intensity.Journal of autism and developmental disordersYoung people with autism were less accurate than controls at recognising emotions from faces, but this difference disappeared once verbal and non-verbal reasoning abilities were accounted for. Low-intensity expressions were too ambiguous for both groups to identify reliably.
• SLPCase-Control2019Associations between parental broader autism phenotype and child autism spectrum disorder phenotype in the Study to Explore Early Development.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceAt least one parent with broader autism phenotype was linked to children with confirmed autism being in a mild language and motor delay class with anxiety, depression, attention and sleep problems. This does not show that therapy works.
• SLPSurvey2019Race influences parent report of concerns about symptoms of autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceBlack parents of toddlers diagnosed with ASD reported fewer ASD-specific concerns than White parents, especially social and repetitive behavior concerns, even though Black children had more severe social symptoms. Speech concerns were common in both groups.
• OTSLPCase-Control2019Brief Report: The ADOS Calibrated Severity Score Best Measures Autism Diagnostic Symptom Severity in Pre-School Children.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn preschool children with autism, the ADOS calibrated severity score was less tied to expressive language abilities, adaptive behavior, and background factors than the ADOS total score or clinician ratings.
• SLPOther2018Emotion awareness and cognitive behavioural therapy in young people with autism spectrum disorder.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceYoung people with autism scored lower than matched controls on telling, describing, and analysing emotions. In the autism groups, overall scores did not differ between CBT and no CBT, but the CBT group scored lower on telling emotions apart and higher on attending to others.
• SLPSurvey2018Hooked on a feeling: Repetitive cognition and internalizing symptomatology in relation to autism spectrum symptomatology.Autism : the international journal of research and practiceIn adults with varying autism traits, repetitive thinking predicted depression and rejection sensitivity. This suggests that internalizing symptoms may stem from a general tendency to dwell on thoughts, rather than just social difficulties. Clinicians should assess for perseverative cognitive styles when evaluating mood in this population.
• OTSLPOther2018Problem Behaviors in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Association with Verbal Ability and Adapting/Coping Skills.Journal of autism and developmental disordersIn 346 psychiatric inpatients with autism, minimally verbal people did not have more problem behaviors than verbal people. Verbal people had more aggression and oppositional behavior. Lower coping skills were associated with more problem behaviors.
• OTSLPCase-Control2018Predictors of Inpatient Psychiatric Hospitalization for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder.Journal of autism and developmental disordersMood disorders, sleep problems, and higher social communication severity were associated with psychiatric hospitalization in children and adolescents with ASD. Higher adaptive functioning and married caregiver status were associated with lower likelihood.