This study tests a handwriting model for children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) that displays the relationships between handwriting process and product characteristics, and the predictors of these characteristics. Structural Equation Modelling was used to test the model for children and youth with ASD (n = 50) and typically…

The aim of this research was to study the effect of a horseback-riding programme on postural control in a group of autistic children (ASD). Nine children aged 9 to 12 years participated in this study through a multiple baseline across subjects design. The whole programme took place over nine months. Participants followed a previously developed…

Coordinating a physical movement in time and space with social and nonsocial partners to achieve a shared goal -- "joint action" (JA) -- characterizes many peer-engagement situations that pose challenges for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This cross-sectional study examined development of JA capabilities comparing ASD…

Exercise intervention has been proven helpful to ameliorate core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, we carried out a 12-week mini-basketball training program (MBTP) on ASD children and examined the changes of brain functional and structural networks before and…

Recent evidence suggests that, contrary to traditional views, empathy difficulties may not be a core feature of autism; but are rather due to co-occurring alexithymia. Empathy, alexithymia and autistic traits have yet to be examined concurrently in children. Therefore, we examined the co-occurrence of empathy difficulties and alexithymia in 59…

The aim of this study was to determine whether serum VEGF, IGF-1, and HIF-1[alpha] levels differed between Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) patients and healthy controls. A total of 40 children with ASD and 40 healthy controls aged 4-12 years were included. Serum levels of VEGF, IGF-1, and HIF-1[alpha] were measured using commercial enzyme-linked…

Given that camouflaging has been suggested to contribute to delayed diagnosis and mental health problems among autistic people, validated measures of the construct are needed. This study describes the psychometric evaluation of the Swedish adaptation of the self-reported Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q) in autistic (n = 100) and…

Some children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) demonstrate unusual islets of abilities or "splinter skills" that represent relative strengths in their development. In this paper we present a clinical case of an 11-year-old Russian boy with ASD who spontaneously acquired the English language. While the child demonstrated language…

This case-control study compared dietary sugar exposure and oral health status between children with and without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), aged 5-12 years (n = 136, each). Data regarding socio-demographics, child's oral hygiene practices and behavior, diet-related behavior, oral habits and dental trauma were obtained. Child's diet on the…

This study examined the effect of Pivotal response treatment (PRT) to improve verbal initiations in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, age 6-12 years old, using a Randomized Clinical Trial design. Intervention was conducted three times a week for 2 months, for a total of 24 one-hour sessions. The PRT intervention taught a variety of questions…

This study examined the agreement of perceived health-related quality of life (HRQOL) between caregivers and autistic children and adolescents (n = 133, 5-12 years) using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Generic Core Scales, Fourth Edition (PedsQL 4.0). Results reveal good to excellent agreement over this age range across the total,…

We examined the relationship between weight status, appetite regulating hormones, and mealtime behaviors among children, (5-12 years old), diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in a cross-sectional study. All (N = 21) completed anthropometry measurements and (n = 18) provided blood samples for hormone analysis. Mealtime behavior, dietary,…

In light of the known visuoperceptual strengths and altered language skills in autism, we investigated the impact of problem content (semantic/visuospatial) combined with complexity and presence of lures on fluid reasoning in 43 autistic and 41 typical children (6-13 years old). Increased complexity and presence of lures diminished performance,…

Previous studies have suggested that girls with Turner syndrome (TS) exhibit symptoms of social anxiety during interactions with others. However, few studies have quantified these behaviors during naturalistic face-to-face social encounters. In this study, we coded observational markers of social anxiety in prepubertal girls with TS and…

This study investigates associations between initial levels and change in the quality of the relationships youth with intellectual disabilities (ID) share with their parents and teachers, and changes in their levels of depression over time. A sample of 395 youth with mild (48.3%) and moderate (51.7%) ID, aged between 11 and 22 (M = 15.69), were…