Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is thought to have a variety of effects on people with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to look into the perspectives and experiences of people with ASD and their mothers regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: The current study employs a qualitative research…

Background: Circumscribed interests (CIs) are regarded as one of the common symptoms for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Although some studies have found attentional bias toward CI-related stimuli for individuals with ASD, few studies have directly explored the reasons for these findings. Method: Children with ASD (n = 15) and…

The present study investigated the relation between autistic traits and gender minority stress and the relative importance of autistic traits and gender minority stress in predicting mental health outcomes in gender minority adults. An online survey was completed by 90 transgender women, 72 transgender men, 48 non-binary individuals assigned male…

The experience of family members of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not uniform. This study focused on mothers of a child with ASD (Study 1) and typically developing siblings (TDSs) during their emerging adulthood (Study 2). Similarities and differences were explored regarding a proposed model examining the paths of perceived…

Autistic people's perceptions of their interactions with criminal justice professionals are predominantly negative; however, little is known about the state of interactions on a global scale. To further understanding, a comprehensive stakeholder questionnaire was created. Aspects of reliability and validity including evidence for test content and…

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience elevated levels of caregiver strain (CGS). Few studies have examined the relationship between core ASD symptoms and each facet of CGS: objective, subjective internalized, and subjective externalized strain. The predictive effect of core and associated features of ASD on CGS…

Infants at elevated likelihood of developing autism display differences in sensory reactivity, especially hyporeactivity, as early as 7 months of age, potentially contributing to a developmental cascade of autism symptoms. Caregiver responsiveness, which has been linked to positive social communication outcomes, has not been adequately examined…

Age at autism diagnosis is associated with sex assigned at birth (hereafter, "sex"), such that girls/women are more likely to be delayed or "missed" entirely in the diagnostic process compared to boys/men. Later diagnosed individuals, especially girls/women, demonstrate increased anxious/depressive symptoms. Data on autistic…

Mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and inattention are common in autistic youth and are challenging to treat by community providers. We aim to parse the heterogeneity of autism based on dimensions of executive function and determine whether specific executive function profiles are differentially related to…

Naturalistic instruction strategies support increased opportunities for young children to practice attainment of communication and social emotional skills. This is critically important for young children with autism spectrum disorder, which is characterized by challenges in communication and social emotional development. Specifically, children…

Purpose: Dyadic synchrony is positively associated with social competence. Although children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and children diagnosed with Down Syndrome (DS) both have trouble with dyadic synchrony, the origin of their difficulties is fundamentally different. In this mixed method study, we investigated differences in…

Children with autistic symptoms experience challenges in school settings, yet little is known about their academic profiles and the mechanisms underlying the association between autistic symptoms and academic achievement. This study examined the association between autistic symptoms and academic achievement in a population-based sample of children…

Purpose: Previous cross-sectional research suggests self-compassion may mediate associations between autistic traits and mental health in autistic and non-autistic adults. However, no research to date has examined these relationships longitudinally. In this study, we used a cross-lagged panel analysis to examine correlations over time between…

Objective: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common co-occurring condition in autistic individuals. ADHD is sometimes first recognised in young adulthood because ADHD symptoms may be misattributed to autism due to superficial overlap in presentation and diagnostic overshadowing. It should be investigated whether ADHD…

Introduction: The Dominican Republic, due to its nature as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS), faces several challenges in the face of extreme weather phenomena such as hurricanes. Therefore, integrating technologies such as Augmented Reality (AR) in teaching these topics in class can influence student motivation and improve learning. Aim:…