Autism spectrum disorder is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by social communication difficulties and restricted, repetitive behaviors. Autism spectrum disorder is highly co-morbid with other neuro-psychiatric disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression. However, research on post-traumatic stress…

Despite increasing attention on suicidality in autistic people, we know little about suicidal presentations when autistic individuals present to hospital emergency departments (ED). We conducted an exploratory retrospective chart review of suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STB) of autistic adults who presented to a psychiatric ED. The analysis…

The COVID-19 infectious disease pandemic has caused significant fear and uncertainty around the world and had significant adverse psychological impact. Children, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a particularly vulnerable population, impacted by stay-at-home orders, closures at nonessential services, and social…

The cognitive representation of "oneself" is central to other sociocognitive processes, including relations with others. It is reflected in faster, more accurate processing of self-relevant information, a "self-prioritisation effect" (SPE) which is inconsistent across studies in autism. Across two tasks with autistic and…

This paper reported the quality of life (QoL) of 260 Malaysian parents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and factors which influencing it. About half of these parents reported to having good QoL. The factors identified in the double ABCX model showed that perceived social support and sense of coherence (SOC) were mediated by coping strategies…

White and Remington (2019) found that autistic people may have increased anthropomorphic tendencies to ascribe human-like attributes to non-human agents. However, it was unclear from their study whether this relationship holds after accounting for socio-demographic variables known to be associated with anthropomorphism. The psychometric properties…

This study investigated whether young adults with ASD (n = 29) had impairments in Cognitive Empathy (CE), Affective Empathy (AE) or Empathic Accuracy (EA; the ability to track changes in others' thoughts and feelings) compared to typically-developing individuals (n = 31) using the Empathic Accuracy Task (EAT), which involves watching narrators…

This study tested the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a six-session online class on healthy relationships for autistic individuals ages 18-44 years old (N = 55). The content of the Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum class was informed by formative research with 25 autistic individuals, and developed collaboratively by two…

Animal-assisted Interventions (AAIs) have been used as therapeutic interventions aimed at improving psychological well-being, often for young people with mental health and educational difficulties. This qualitative study explored how three students (male and female), aged 12-15 and with ASD and/or ADHD diagnoses experienced AAI at an alternative…

Prevalence rates of depression are higher in autistic youth than neurotypical peers, yet the effects of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and sex on depressive symptom severity remain incompletely understood, particularly in specific age groups. Using the Children's Depression Inventory, Second Edition, this study explored diagnostic- and…

Cross-sectional research has demonstrated the overrepresentation of gender dysphoria in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. However, the predictors and underlying mechanisms of this co-occurrence remain unclear. This follow-up study aimed to explore baseline (childhood/adolescence) predictors for the follow-up (adulthood)…

Autistic postsecondary students reportedly experience significant social anxiety and loneliness, which has become a growing concern for colleges and practitioners alike. The social-emotional experiences of autistic students entering postsecondary education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at 4-year institutions are not…