Autism Research最新文献

{"title":"Benign External Hydrocephalus in a Subgroup of Autistic Children Prior to Autism Diagnosis","authors":"Gal Ben-Arie,&nbsp;Ilan Shelef,&nbsp;Gal Meiri,&nbsp;Idan Menashe,&nbsp;Ilan Dinstein,&nbsp;Ayelet Arazi","doi":"10.1002/aur.70104","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70104","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Benign external hydrocephalus (BEH) is evident in &lt; 0.6% of births. It is defined by abnormally large cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) volumes in the subarachnoid space (SAS) and otherwise normal neuroimaging findings before 2 years of age. BEH has not been associated with specific developmental disorders and is not treated because it usually resolves spontaneously. However, quantitative MRI studies have reported that some toddlers with autism exhibit enlarged extra-axial CSF (EA-CSF) volumes. Our objective was to determine whether a subgroup of children with autism exhibits both qualitative BEH and quantitative EA-CSF volume enlargements. We analyzed clinical brain MRI scans in a retrospective sample of 136 children, 5–99 months old, 83 with autism, who were assessed for BEH by neuroradiologists. EA-CSF volume and total cerebral volume (TCV) were quantified in T2-weighted scans by manual labeling. Measures were compared across groups while stratifying participants by age. Neuroradiologists reported BEH findings in 33% of autistic children scanned before the age of 2 years old (i.e., before autism diagnosis). Quantitative MRI analyses demonstrated that autistic children in this age group exhibited significantly larger EA-CSF volumes relative to controls (<i>t</i>\u0000 ₍₄₉₎ = 2.89, <i>p</i> = 0.006, Cohen's <i>d</i> = 0.82) with 30% of autistic children and 9.5% of the controls exhibiting EA-CSF/TCV ratios &gt; 0.14, a previously suggested threshold of potential clinical relevance. EA-CSF differences were not apparent in older children. The prevalence of BEH associated with quantifiable EA-CSF enlargements was remarkably high in toddlers who later developed autism, suggesting a specific autism etiology involving early transient CSF circulation problems with potentially long-lasting neurodevelopmental impact.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1796-1804"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442519/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144801074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Social Anxiety Does Not Increase Reports of Camouflaging Behavior in Autistic Adults: Results From an Exploratory Study","authors":"Bruna B. Roisenberg,&nbsp;Kelsie A. Boulton,&nbsp;Emma E. Thomas,&nbsp;Adam J. Guastella","doi":"10.1002/aur.70103","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70103","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Camouflaging has been defined as the masking or compensation of autistic traits during social interactions, often as a response to the stigma associated with autism and social expectations. Social anxiety has been closely linked to camouflaging, as autistic individuals may adopt camouflaging strategies to navigate social expectations and to reduce the risk of being negatively evaluated. Understanding the relationship between social anxiety and camouflaging in autism is essential for developing effective clinical interventions. This study investigated the effects of a modified Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) group intervention, the Engage Program, on camouflaging and social anxiety. Specifically, the objective was to determine whether the CBT program would reduce social anxiety symptoms and if this reduction would also be associated with improvements in camouflaging behaviours. Seventy-one autistic adults participated in an 8-week modified CBT group intervention for social anxiety. Camouflaging behaviors were assessed using the CAT-Q scale, and social anxiety levels were measured using three established and validated self-report measures. Pre- and post-intervention scores were analyzed to determine change following treatment, and correlations between social anxiety and camouflaging measures were explored. As expected, the CBT intervention program significantly reduced social anxiety symptoms across all measures, showing moderate effect sizes from pre- to post-treatment. However, no significant changes in camouflaging behaviors were observed from pre- to post-treatment. Despite this, reductions in social anxiety symptoms were correlated with decreases in camouflaging behaviours, particularly for the compensation and assimilation subscales. Autistic participants who showed the most benefit from therapy on social anxiety measures also showed the greatest reduction in their camouflaging scores from pre- to post-treatment. These findings suggest that improvements in social anxiety symptoms from CBT are also associated with reductions in camouflaging. Importantly, CBT did not lead to an increase in camouflaging behaviors in autistic adults. This study supports the overall benefits of CBT for autistic adults and suggests a need for more randomized controlled studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1896-1909"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442530/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144796272","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Causal Network Analysis Reveals Key Brain Regions Associated With Severity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder","authors":"Xiaofen Sun,&nbsp;Haibo Wang,&nbsp;Jingbo Deng,&nbsp;Shitong Cheng,&nbsp;Xiaocheng Wang,&nbsp;Chenghui Fu,&nbsp;Ling Li,&nbsp;Yuefu Zhan,&nbsp;Jianqiang Chen","doi":"10.1002/aur.70098","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70098","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study aims to investigate the relationship between gray matter (GM) changes and severity in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We examined 113 ASD children aged 2–8 years (17 mild cases, 56 moderate cases, and 40 severe cases), as well as 110 age and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was used to compare GM density (GMD) changes between ASD and HC groups. Additionally, structural covariance network analysis quantified the cross-regional synchronous changes in GM among ASD children, and causal analysis described the pattern of changes in the GM network related to symptom severity in ASD children. The results indicated that ASD children exhibiting mild symptoms have an enlarged parahippocampal gyrus, and as the severity of ASD increases, the range of GMD changes expands (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05, FDR correction). Granger causality (GC) analysis revealed that the parahippocampal gyrus may function as a central hub within ASD-related directional networks, exerting causal effects on other brain regions (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05). These findings were validated by external datasets. Our results provide preliminary insights into the role of the parahippocampal gyrus in ASD and promote the application of dimensional models.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1746-1763"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144765854","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Executive Function and Social Cognition Performance Predicts Social Difficulty for Autistic Adults","authors":"T. R. Wong,&nbsp;K. A. Boulton,&nbsp;E. A. Demetriou,&nbsp;E. E. Thomas,&nbsp;N. L. Phillips,&nbsp;L. Hankin,&nbsp;S. H. Park,&nbsp;I. B. Hickie,&nbsp;A. J. Guastella","doi":"10.1002/aur.70090","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70090","url":null,"abstract":"<p>There has been limited research aimed at understanding the cognitive features that predict outcomes in autistic adults. Difficulties in social cognition and executive function (EF) processes have been proposed as important cognitive components underlying social functioning outcomes. In this study, 305 autistic adults were administered a battery of social cognition, EF, and social functioning assessments to determine the degree to which social cognition and EF factors predicted outcomes. For social cognition, hierarchical regressions showed that EF explained neither theory of mind scores nor emotion recognition scores. We then ran several mediation models to determine whether EF explained social functioning independently of social cognition. These exploratory analyses show that poorer performance-based EF and social cognition both predicted more clinician-observed social challenges, while poorer self-reported EF and social cognition predicted more self-reported social challenges. Effects on outcomes were independent of each other. Our results highlight the potential of bot EF and social cognition measures to provide clinically meaningful markers for social functioning, but via separate pathways. This study supports the utility of targeting EF and social cognition processes in autistic adults in assessment and support pathways.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1734-1745"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442527/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144762470","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fundus Peripapillary Vascular Changes in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Cross-Sectional Study","authors":"Yuexuan Wang,&nbsp;Yonglu Wang,&nbsp;Zhaoqi Zhu,&nbsp;Zhengwang Xia,&nbsp;Ningyu Wang,&nbsp;Mingchao Li,&nbsp;Ziyun Jiao,&nbsp;Nairong Pan,&nbsp;Youqiang Zhang,&nbsp;Qiang Chen,&nbsp;Xiaoyan Ke,&nbsp;Weiwei Zhang","doi":"10.1002/aur.70094","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70094","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>In this cross-sectional study, participants were recruited through convenience sampling from the Children's Mental Health Research Center at The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University and the Department of Ophthalmology at The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China, between December 2019 and October 2024. A total of 200 eyes were ultimately enrolled in this study, sourced from 53 individuals with ASD, aged between 7 and 13 years, and an equal number of age- and sex-matched neurotypical (NT) controls. The aim of this research is to explore the changes in retinal and choroidal vasculature in children with ASD, evaluated through optical coherence tomography and its angiography, and to further investigate the potential value of retinal vascular characteristics in the auxiliary screening and diagnosis of ASD. We analyzed intergroup differences in perfusion density (PD), vessel density, flux index (FI), fractal dimension (FD), and vessel diameter (Dm) in the peripapillary region, further stratified by subquadrants and vessel types. The results show that ASD children exhibited significant differences compared to neurotypical controls, including increased PD and Dm in the supero-nasal quadrant (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.01), changes in capillary FI in the nasal quadrant (<i>p</i> = 0.008), increased venous FD (<i>p</i> = 0.009), and abnormal choroidal FI in the temporal quadrant (<i>p</i> = 0.008). A random forest classification model constructed based on these key features demonstrated promising performance (AUC = 0.7853) in distinguishing ASD from NT individuals, highlighting the potential of retinal vascular characteristics for auxiliary ASD screening. Moreover, retinal vascular parameters were significantly correlated (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.01) with blood oxygen level-dependent signals from functional magnetic resonance imaging in several brain regions, such as the amygdala (<i>p</i> = 0.004–0.009) and temporal lobe (<i>p</i> = 0.000–0.009). Further stepwise regression analysis indicates that key retinal vascular characteristics could partially predict core clinical features of ASD, such as social functioning (adjusted <i>R</i>\u0000 ^{\u0000 <i>2</i>\u0000} = 0.091–0.104, quantified by total and subscale scores of Social Responsiveness Scale) and cognitive ability (adjusted <i>R</i>\u0000 ^{\u0000 <i>2</i>\u0000} = 0.2785, quantified by total intelligence quotient scores). This study underscores the potential of retinal vascular features as biomarkers for ASD and provides a basis for future research on non-invasive retinal imaging-based approaches for ASD screening and diagnosis, while offering new perspectives for understanding the pathological mechanisms and clinical applications of ASD.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1775-1795"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144735824","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"“Being Integrated Does Not Mean Being Included”: What Factors Contribute to School Exclusion for Autistic Children?","authors":"Margaret Schneider,&nbsp;Vanessa C. Fong,&nbsp;Janet McLaughlin","doi":"10.1002/aur.70088","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70088","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Autistic students face a heightened risk of exclusion from school and related activities, yet the factors contributing to this issue remain poorly understood. To address this gap, the current study took place in Ontario, Canada's largest province, where diverse populations and varied inclusive education policies create unique challenges. The study had two primary objectives: (1) to examine the relationship between parent satisfaction with the individual education plan (IEP) process and school exclusion, and (2) to identify key factors parents perceive as predictors of school exclusion in their autistic children. A total of 412 caregivers from Ontario completed an online survey, available in English and French, between April and July 2018. Quantitative analysis revealed that greater satisfaction with the IEP process was associated with a lower likelihood of school exclusion (<i>b</i> = −0.297, OR = 0.743, <i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses identified two primary contributors to exclusion: bullying by peers and inadequate training and support for school staff. These findings highlight the need for improved supports in educational settings, including comprehensive anti-bullying initiatives, stronger collaboration with parents in the development of IEPs, greater accountability in ensuring that IEPs are properly implemented, a more inclusive approach to meeting student needs, and increased funding for support staff. Addressing these areas could help reduce the risk of exclusion and foster a more equitable learning environment for autistic students.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1851-1860"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442517/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Misophonia Through Puberphonia: Window Toward Gender Dysphoria in Autism?","authors":"Gualberto Ruaño,&nbsp;Lavinia Carmen Uscătescu","doi":"10.1002/aur.70092","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70092","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Autism is characterized by distinct patterns of social communication, interests, and behaviors. Gender incongruence involves a mismatch between one's experienced and assigned gender, often accompanied by significant distress (i.e., gender dysphoria). Recent studies revealed that autistic individuals report gender dysphoria more frequently than the general population and are overrepresented in gender clinic settings. Autistic individuals also report hypersensitivity to certain sensory stimuli, which can elicit distress. When this distress is triggered by certain auditory stimuli (e.g., one's or others' biological sounds such as chewing or swallowing) it is categorized as misophonia. Misophonia appears to be highly prevalent in autism. We propose that a lesser-studied phenomenon, puberphonia, could exemplify an attempt to reduce the distress elicited by misophonia in a certain category of individuals. Puberphonia is characterized by an unusually high-pitched voice, predominantly in teenage boys and men, that can occur in the absence of identifiable physical causes. The psychogenic aspects of puberphonia are just beginning to be explored. We hereby propose an exploratory direction, suggesting that puberphonia may be an individual's attempt at diminishing a distressing auditory stimulus (misophonia) due to their deepening voice. This, in turn, may be an indicator of unrecognized gender dysphoria. Given that voice pitch has also been reported to be higher in autistic males compared to controls, we further ask whether autism is more prevalent among cases of psychogenic puberphonia. Finally, we wish to draw attention to the need for research on the epidemiology and overlap of puberphonia, gender dysphoria, misophonia, and autism.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1730-1733"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sleep Spindle Abnormalities in Preschool Children With Autism Spectrum Disability: Insights From Nap Polysomnography","authors":"Sasha D’Ambrosio,&nbsp;Daniele Gualandris,&nbsp;Davide Caputo,&nbsp;Francesco Donati,&nbsp;Ahmad Mayeli,&nbsp;Renata del Giudice,&nbsp;Fabio Ferrarelli,&nbsp;Alessia Mingarelli,&nbsp;Federico Raviglione,&nbsp;Maria Paola Canevini,&nbsp;Armando D’Agostino","doi":"10.1002/aur.70087","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70087","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Sigma power and sleep spindles are key elements of Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM) sleep. They reflect anatomical and physiological properties of brain circuits, are linked with various behavioral outcomes in typically development (TD) children, and undergo significant modifications during development. Furthermore, recent studies have highlighted the potential of NREM sigma power and sleep spindles as early neurophysiological markers for autism spectrum disability (ASD). Here, we conducted polysomnography (PSG)/EEG recordings during afternoon naps on 50 children aged between 2 and 6 years, diagnosed with ASD or TD. EEG recordings from 19 scalp leads were analyzed, focusing on sigma power and sleep spindle parameters. EEG analyses revealed significant differences in power spectral density between ASD and TD children, particularly in the sigma band and adjacent alpha and beta bands, with increased power localized to anterior EEG leads in ASD children. Higher spindle amplitude and integrated spindle activity (ISA) were found in the ASD group, especially in frontal regions. Additional frequency-specific analyses (10–12 Hz, 12–14 Hz, 14–16 Hz) confirmed significant differences in spindle amplitude and distribution patterns, emphasizing the role of brain regions that are detectable from anterior EEG leads in ASD-related sleep abnormalities. No significant differences were found in spindle density, duration, or frequency outside specific clusters. These findings indicate that some sleep spindle parameters, particularly in frontal areas, are altered in ASD. The study highlights the feasibility of using afternoon nap PSG as a practical and effective method to detect these abnormalities in clinical settings. Future research should investigate the developmental trajectory of spindles in ASD and their potential role as neurophysiological biomarkers, offering valuable insights for diagnosis and prognosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1764-1774"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442524/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144692562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ameliorating Gastrointestinal Symptoms in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder by Modulating the Gut Microbiota: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis","authors":"Hsuan-Hsuan Lu,&nbsp;Ngan Thi Kim Nguyen,&nbsp;Roma Panwar,&nbsp;Ching-I Lin,&nbsp;Tzu-Wen L. Cross,&nbsp;Shyh-Hsiang Lin","doi":"10.1002/aur.70091","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70091","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) exhibit a high prevalence (55%) of gastrointestinal symptoms (GISs) and gut dysbiosis. Most studies involving children with ASD have focused on behavioral symptoms but not GISs. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of gut microbiota–modulating interventions (GMMIs) on GISs and gut microbial composition in children with ASD. Five databases were searched for relevant domestic and international articles published from database inception until July 15, 2024. The meta-analysis included human trials wherein children with ASD received prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, or fecal microbiota transplantation. Intervention effects were measured on the basis of α-diversity, and genus- and phylum-level data were analyzed using a random-effects model and forest plots. This study included 19 trials (<i>n</i> = 1154). The results indicated that GMMIs significantly ameliorated GISs (<i>p</i> = 0.0017), reduced six-item Gastrointestinal Symptom Index scores by 1.86 points (<i>p</i> = 0.0187), and significantly increased the relative abundance of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> spp. (<i>p</i> = 0.0205). Longer interventions (≥ 8 weeks) were more effective in ameliorating GISs. Limitations in this investigation include the fact that the included studies neither incorporated any dietary control groups nor collected relevant dietary data, and the relatively small sample size (19 studies) may have hindered the identification of sources of heterogeneity in the pooled results. Overall, our findings suggest that GMMIs, especially probiotics, ameliorate GISs in children with ASD by modulating gut microbial composition, particularly by increasing the relative abundance of <i>Bifidobacterium</i> spp. These interventions may alleviate symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, abnormal stool consistency and smell, flatulence, and abdominal pain. Our evidence supports that treatments involving GMMIs can be considered for children with ASD.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1877-1895"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144683716","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Psychometric Evaluation of Two Adult Autism Screening Tools in Brazil","authors":"Louise do Nascimento Marques,&nbsp;Christopher Murray,&nbsp;Lucas Fortaleza,&nbsp;J. Landeira-Fernandez,&nbsp;Luis Anunciação","doi":"10.1002/aur.70089","DOIUrl":"10.1002/aur.70089","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Despite increasing rates of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in many countries, substantial evidence suggests persistent underdiagnosis of ASD in many low and middle-income countries, such as Brazil. Underdiagnosis or misdiagnosis may be particularly prevalent among women who often present subtler social and behavioral characteristics, engage in camouflaging strategies, and exhibit different symptom expressions compared to men. This study evaluates two new instruments to improve screening for ASD among adults in Brazil: the Screening for Autism in Adults (SfA-A) and the Screening for Autism in Females (SfA-F). A sample of 3302 Brazilian adults (mean age = 37.55 ± 11.34 years) completed the SfA-A, while 7738 Brazilian adult women (mean age = 38.77 ± 10.28 years) completed the SfA-F. Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling was conducted. Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha, McDonald's omega, and test–retest. Criterion validity was determined by the AQ-10 and two autism-related questions. Norms were established based on percentiles. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the SfA-A and SfA-F exhibited strong model fit, high internal consistency (<i>α</i> &gt; 0.8), and initial evidence of criterion-related validity. The SfA-A and SfA-F were developed to address critical gaps in ASD screening among adults in Brazil. These tools hold promise for identifying ASD symptoms and can be used to initiate formal ASD evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":131,"journal":{"name":"Autism Research","volume":"18 9","pages":"1840-1850"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12442521/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144676690","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}