Comorbidity, the simultaneous or successive co-occurrence of two or more disorders in one individual, is common among individuals with learning disabilities (LDs). The topic has garnered much attention in the field of LD, with advances over the past three decades in describing, predicting, and explaining comorbid LDs. However, efforts to design,…

There is a higher incidence of diagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children with visual impairment and blindness (VIB) than in typically sighted children. However, we currently lack appropriate assessment measures to fully understand the neurodevelopment of children with VIB. Numerous factors, such as common characteristics between…

Introduction: Hypothyroidism is a chronic health condition which causes physical, cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in adults with intellectual disabilities is under researched. Method: Hypothyroidism was examined among 463 patients within an outpatient intellectual disability psychiatric team. Clinic records…

Background: Gender dysphoria (GD) appears disproportionately common in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Concurrent intellectual disability (ID) may limit assessment of these individuals and their access to gender-affirming healthcare. This study aims to summarise knowledge on the presentation of GD in those with co-occurring ASD and…

Diabetes mellitus is a challenging chronic health condition at the forefront of attention of the healthcare system. Important estimates quantifying how diabetes prevalence varies by age are available for the general population, but these estimates are poorly characterized among autistic adults. Improved diabetes prevalence and likelihood estimates…

The study of Hebrew, a non-European language written in a non-alphabetic (abjadic) script offers valuable insights into the science of reading beyond the well-studied alphabetic scripts. Because reading development in Hebrew is shaped by the uniquely Semitic root-and-pattern morphology and the abjadic (predominantly consonantal) orthography, our…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID) are heterogenous and prevalent conditions which may occur in isolation or as a co-morbidity. Psychiatric co-morbidity is common with limited treatment options. Preliminary research into electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) for these conditions has been encouraging. Thus, further research…

Background: Engagement of individuals with an intellectual disability and their caregivers in health care has been highlighted as an essential factor in developing services that better meet client needs; however, few studies have focused on the engagement of individuals with a dual diagnosis (intellectual disability co-occurring with a mental…

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and autism are characterized by the presence of repetitive behaviors. Differentiating between repetitive behaviors attributable to a diagnosis of autism, and those attributable to OCD, poses challenges for differential and co-occurring diagnosis. Differentiation is important to inform appropriate supports and…

Background: ADHD often overlaps with pediatric asthma, leading to difficulties in treatment and management in clinical work. Previous research has explored their correlations but gained different conclusions. Thus, this work aims to fill this evidence gap. Methods: Initially, we conducted a cross-sectional study based on data from the National…

The adult population in the United States is more physically active and are living longer than prior generations. Due to the advancement in surgical techniques and the increased number of active people, there has been a rise in the number of hip and knee replacement surgeries. This rise in the number of surgeries is expected to continue.…

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), also known as chronic diseases, now constitute a major proportion of ill-health across most adult and older populations including in people with intellectual disability. The current paper is a comparative analysis of prevalence of NCDs across mid-aged and older-aged people with mild intellectual…

Purpose: Little is known about the relationship between sentence production and phonological working memory in school-age children. To fill this gap, we examined how strongly these constructs correlate. We also compared diagnostic groups' working memory abilities to see if differences co-occurred with qualitative differences in their sentences.…

Autism has been associated with increased mortality risk among adult populations, but little is known about the mortality risk among children and young people (0-24 years). We used a 15-year nationwide birth cohort study using linked health and non-health administrative data to estimate the mortality risk among Autistic children and young people…

Background: Research examining the potential effects of stimulant exposure in childhood on subsequent development of substance use disorder (SUD) have focused on differences in the brain reward system as a function of risk. Methods: 18 drug naïve children ages 7 to 12 years (11 High Risk [ADHD + ODD/CD]; 7 Low Risk [ADHD only]), underwent fMRI…