Atypical connectivity patterns have been observed for individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), particularly across the triple-network model. The current study investigated brain-behavior relationships in the context of social skills and executive function profiles for ASD youth. We calculated connectivity measures from diffusion tensor…

Friendships are vital to mental health and well-being. Understanding autistic individuals' lived experiences of friendship is necessary to support friendship development. A scoping review exploring autistic individuals' experiences of friendship was undertaken to understand their perspectives of friendship. Electronic database and manual reference…

Purpose: Disorders on the autism spectrum have characteristics that can manifest as difficulties with communication, executive functioning, daily living, and more. These challenges can be mitigated with early identification. However, diagnostic criteria has changed from DSM-IV to DSM-5, which can make diagnosing a disorder on the autism spectrum…

The reported prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has more than tripled in the past two decades in the United States, due in part to improved screening and diagnostic techniques. Epidemiologic data on ASD, however, are largely limited to population-based surveillance systems. We examined epidemiologic patterns in ASD diagnoses among…

Autism is increasingly viewed as an expression of neurodiversity deserving accommodation, rather than merely as a disorder in need of remediation or even prevention. This reconceptualization has inspired calls to broaden the ethical debate on early autism care beyond matters of efficient screenings and effective interventions. We conducted 14…

The relationships between neurotypical (NT) children and their sibling with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can be complex and lead to stress and strained relationships. Existing theories help us understand the relationships of children with ASD and their caregivers, but we have limited knowledge about the experiences of NT siblings. To fill this…

Autobiographical memory (ABM) and social cognition are mutually constituted, and both are affected in autism. Meanwhile, very little is known about the heterogeneity of ABM in autism, how ABM differences are present in real-world contexts, and how to best respond to autistic children's ABM differences. The goals of this qualitative study were to…

Background: Neurodiversity is increasingly discussed in relation to autism research and practice. However, there is a lack of scholarship concerning the neurodevelopmental condition of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and the neurodiversity movement. While this movement may hold opportunities for the DLD community, the application of the…

This study compared the use of delivering a single instruction (e.g., Who is it?) versus varied instructions (e.g., What's their name? Who is this? What about this one?) when teaching three children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) novel expressive label targets via direct telehealth. The present investigation utilized an adapted…

According to relational frame theory (RFT), temporal relational responding is key to important repertoires, including sequencing, ordering, planning, and time understanding. Previous studies have taught several other varieties of relational responding (e.g., comparison, deictics) but relatively little work has been done in the case of temporal…

Some researchers suggest difficulties synchronising with a partner could underpin the social differences associated with Autism Spectrum Condition, potentially acting as a marker for autism. Social Motor Synchrony (SMS) is one aspect of synchrony that could augment observational diagnostic procedures. However, the full breadth of literature…

Sandplay therapy helps the person develop social skills and acts as a therapy method where they can reflect and repair their inner world. This study aims to test the feasibility of sandplay therapy method in an open area for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and investigate its effect on the development of social skills. In addition,…

This study explored the influence of the dynamic assessment of human--computer interactive games on children's language potential. Thirty-seven special children aged 3--7 years were selected to participate in the study. They were divided into three groups according to their scores on the Autism Behaviour Checklist: (1) a non-autism group, (2) a…

Sleep disturbances have been found to increase severity of core autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms such as social and communication difficulties and repetitive behaviours. However, very little is known about the impact of sleep on cognitive functioning in ASD. A systematic literature search identified fifteen original studies meeting…

Only one in every five children with autism is diagnosed before the age of 3 years. As a result, tens of thousands of children every year in the United States miss benefiting from early interventions and supports that could potentially optimize their lifetime outcomes. A major obstacle is the extremely limited access to high quality diagnosis. To…