During Laura Kerbey's time teaching autistic children, she had a sudden realisation that those with Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) are children like no other! None of her tried and tested autism strategies would work to help them focus or learn and most of her time was spent wondering, "what am I doing wrong?" If you feel the same,…

Autistic-like features and functional somatic symptoms (FSS) frequently co-occur. It remains unknown how autistic-like features and FSS affect each other and develop throughout adolescence. This study examined reciprocal relations between autistic-like features and FSS in adolescence. Participants were 2772 adolescents (52.5% male) from the…

Background: With around 200,000 autistic students set to enter universities and the workforce in the next decade, inclusive programs are receiving increased attention to helping educational systems carefully integrate these students' needs. Moreover, educational programs recognize that problem-solving is critical for school success and optimal…

The school-age outcomes of autistic children who received early interventions (EI) remains limited. Adaptive functioning, social, peer play skills, problem behaviours, and attitudes towards school of 31 autistic children who received community-based group early start Denver model (G-ESDM) were compared to 28 age matched autistic children who…

Moderating the intensity and expression of our emotions is necessary for successful engagement in learning. This systematic review explored, "what are schools doing to support autistic children and young people to develop their emotion regulation skills?" Critical analyses considered the inclusiveness of interventions and whether/how…

The ESCAPE curriculum model was developed to enhance emotional awareness and behavioral support for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to help with stressful events and escape from emotional distress. The instructional phases represent an emotion regulatory process: starting with emotional and behavioral awareness, followed by…

The social validity of behavior intervention is rooted in consumer perception. This information is typically garnered through questionnaires and interviews conducted with relevant consumers such as teachers or caregivers. Often, the participants (i.e., the individuals with disabilities receiving the intervention) play less of a role in the…

Developing second/foreign language (L2) comprehension skills can represent a challenging endeavor for learners with autism spectrum condition (ASC) because their social and verbal cognition may be impaired in terms of abstract reasoning, organizing, and retelling events, inferring intentions, and identifying emotions contained in a text. Thus, it…

Background: Academic challenges such as losing/not turning in assignments, misplacing materials, and inefficient studying are common in middle-school students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) without intellectual disability. Deficits in organization, planning, prioritizing, memory/materials management, and studying skills [i.e. academic…

Children excluded from school often have a range of unidentified needs that may directly contribute to their behaviour. Research and policy highlight the absence of screening for difficulties in children at risk of exclusion. This study aimed to assess and explore the feasibility and acceptability of neurodevelopmental and mental health screening…

Education has undergone profound transformations with the addition of digital learning and educational technologies. Technology reshapes how knowledge is delivered, accessed, and engaged with, breaking down traditional barriers of time, location, and resource limitations. Innovations like online learning platforms, immersive simulations,…