Autism and Developmental Language Impairments最新文献

{"title":"Autism-ness Does Not Exist, but Autism Does, Part 2: The Perception-Language Chimera Model Accounts for the Nature, Chronology, and Interrelation of Autistic Signs.","authors":"Laurent Mottron, Jade Desrosiers, Olivier Lafrance Mcguire, Gabrielle Lestage, Anne-Laure Krikorian, Alexia Ostrolenk, David Gagnon","doi":"10.1177/23969415261454212","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261454212","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>One of the most influential attempts to characterize and explain the perceptual atypicalities of autism, as well as their relationship to the linguistic and social features of the condition, is the \"enhanced perceptual functioning\" (EPF) model. This model proposes stronger performance, an increased role, and greater autonomy of perception relative to other cognitive functions, and explains early language delay in autism as a temporary reliance on non-linguistic, perceptual processing of language. This paper presents an updated and reconceptualized version of the EPF framework, informed by accumulated knowledge of early language development and perceptual trajectories in autistic toddlers over the past two decades. The language-perception chimera model proposes that, due to a loss of the bias that typically prioritizes social information, the parental voice loses its unique status in triggering first-language acquisition. Consequently, the innate human drive to recognize, acquire, and master language becomes redirected toward its structural, non-communicative components. The selection, search, inspection, and manipulation of structural redundancies-characteristic of repetitive autistic behaviours-may therefore arise from the extension, to non-linguistic domains, of a mechanism through which children identify the language they will acquire. Seven arguments, based on cross-sectional and longitudinal observations of the early manifestations of prototypical autism, support this model. (1) Bayonet-shaped language trajectory: prototypical autism is preceded by reduced social interest and increased attention to non-social material. A plateau without communicative language follows the absence or regression of the few oral words typically acquired by 18 months. Later, language recovery, often including syntax, is delayed but common. (2) During this plateau, early interest in letters and occasional unexpected bilingualism indicate a spontaneous yet diverted orientation toward language. (3) Contemporaneous complex perception-based signs are highly specific to prototypical autism and contribute significantly to diagnostic certainty. (4) Early perception-based behaviours focus strongly on structural patterns. (5) Non-social language entry and complex perceptual behaviours arise when typically developing children experience a lexical and syntactic surge. (6) Veridical mapping phenomena and neuroimaging findings reveal enhanced pattern-language relationships. (7) The perception-language chimera can also account for certain savant abilities. When combined with a reconceptualization of autism as an asymmetric developmental bifurcation, the language-perception chimera model is the first to explain the occurrence, nature, idiosyncrasies, combinations, and developmental trajectories of the majority of social, language, and repetitive features observed in prototypical autism. This framework also clarifies the extent to which the innate mechanisms underlying lang","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261454212"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13254434/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148253596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effective Whole Class Oral Language Interventions and Strategies for Students with Developmental Language Disorder: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Rebecca Armstrong, Emma Schimke, Shaun Ziegenfusz, Rhonda Faragher, Nerina Scarinci","doi":"10.1177/23969415261457433","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261457433","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting an estimated two students in every class of 30. Due to the importance of language for learning, students with DLD are at heightened risk for difficulties in the classroom and require high quality teaching and support. Despite this need, there is a lack of systematic evidence for whole class interventions and strategies targeting this population. Further, teachers and other professionals frequently rely on internet searches to identify ways to support students with DLD in the classroom, yet the quality and evidence of these online sources remain unclear.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>The aims of this study were to: (1) systematically review peer-reviewed research on the effectiveness of whole class oral language interventions and strategies to support students with DLD, and (2) compare this evidence with recommendations from nonpeer-reviewed online sources.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review was conducted involving comprehensive searches of eight databases for relevant peer-reviewed studies, followed by a narrative synthesis of findings. A parallel search of internet sources (via Google) was conducted to identify nonpeer-reviewed online sources. Identified strategies from internet sources were coded, categorized using content analysis and compared with the peer-reviewed evidence.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven peer-reviewed studies met criteria for inclusion and provided evidence of improvements in oral language, vocabulary, grammar, and idiom comprehension, with most interventions delivered at set intervals and across tiers of support. Internet sources (<i>n</i> = 32) included strategies across seven key categories; however, many commonly recommended strategies have not been examined for their effectiveness in peer-reviewed research at the whole-class level or when embedded across the school day.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This review highlights evidence-based strategies to support students with DLD in whole-class settings. However, notable gaps remain between online recommendations and the peer-reviewed evidence base, particularly regarding the effectiveness of commonly recommended strategies when implemented by teachers across the school day. Addressing these gaps is critical to ensuring that classroom practices for students with DLD are supportive and evidence-informed.</p>","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261457433"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13247385/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148220006","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Attitudes and Knowledge Regarding Autism in Israeli Society.","authors":"Sara Ferman, Osnat Segal","doi":"10.1177/23969415261454218","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261454218","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study examined societal attitudes and knowledge regarding autism within Israel's culturally and socioeconomically diverse population. A total of 2,377 respondents completed the <i>Societal Attitudes Towards Autism</i> (SATA) questionnaire, translated into Hebrew and Arabic. The survey examined the effect of socio-demographic variables, including gender, age, education, income, ethnicity, and familiarity with autism or knowledge about and attitudes towards autism. Overall, respondents demonstrated positive attitudes (<i>M</i> = 69.5%) and relatively high levels of knowledge (<i>M</i> = 64.6%) about autism. Most respondents reported positive (56%) or very positive (35%) attitudes towards autism, and 91% of the participants expressed openness and acceptance towards autistic individuals. A substantial proportion of the respondents reported a high (56%) or very high (24%) level of knowledge about autism, suggesting that 80% the Israeli public is relatively well-informed. Women, midlife (30s to 50s) adults, respondents with higher education and high income, and respondents who were acquainted with an autistic individual reported more positive attitudes and had significantly greater knowledge about autism. Levels of autism acceptance and knowledge varied across ethnic groups, with Jewish respondents reporting more positive attitudes and greater autism-related knowledge than Muslim, Druze, and Christian respondents. Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that the level of knowledge was the strongest and most consistent predictor of positive attitudes. The findings underscore the importance of educational, socioeconomic, and cultural influences on public perceptions of autism. Promoting autism acceptance in multicultural societies such as Israel requires knowledge-based and culturally responsive educational programs, alongside opportunities for meaningful social contact between autistic and non-autistic individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261454218"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-06-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13247368/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148219966","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feasibility and Relevance of an Eye-Tracking-Based Assessment of Morphosyntactic Comprehension in Young Autistic Children.","authors":"Lisa Michel, Camille Bataillon, Frédérique Bonnet-Brilhault, Joëlle Malvy, Aude Rambault, Laurice Tuller, Marianne Latinus","doi":"10.1177/23969415261451402","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261451402","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background and aims: &lt;/strong&gt;Autism spectrum disorder is an early-onset neurodevelopmental condition, characterized by wide heterogeneity, including in language skills. Existing morphosyntactic comprehension assessment tasks are inadequate for many autistic children, leading to low task completion rates. Challenges in the assessment of morphosyntactic comprehension in these children may result in under-informed clinical profiles and hamper in-depth exploration of language profiles in research. Our aim was to develop a passive task (requiring no overt behavior) to assess syntactic comprehension in young French-speaking autistic children. We present the creation of MOSYCAT, a linguistically meaningful intermodal preferential looking task with eye-tracking, and then focus on its feasibility, acceptability, and potential clinical relevance.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;MOSYCAT tests four structures of varying syntactic complexity, simple intransitive sentences, simple subject-verb-object sentences, composite past tense sentences, and sentences with direct object pronominal clitics. Children viewed two videos while they listened to a sentence that matched only one of the videos. Four eye-tracking parameters were measured during their exploration of the videos: Exploration proportion (the proportion of time spent exploring the matching video), exploration accuracy (the proportion of trials in which children explored significantly more of the matching video), orientation latency (the latency of the first saccade toward the matching video), and orientation accuracy (the accuracy of the first saccade). A first version was administered to 56 non-autistic children, and then a reduced version to 23 additional non-autistic children and 21 autistic children of varying clinical profiles. All children were aged 2;6 to 5;11, a period when syntactic performance skills typically mature, but when many autistic children are not (yet) producing sentences.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Feasibility and acceptability were high, including in the autistic group, and more than 85% of autistic children provided usable data. A principal component analysis on MOSYCAT parameters demonstrated that two dimensions, mainly related to accuracy (exploration proportion, exploration accuracy) and speed of response (orientation latency), captured 86% of performance variability in non-autistic children. These dimensions correlated with standardized receptive morphosyntactic measures. The eye-tracking parameters yielded normal distributions, suggesting that MOSYCAT can be used to assess morphosyntactic abilities in all children, demonstrating its clinical relevance. These parameters improved with age in the non-autistic children, suggesting that MOSYCAT is sensitive to the maturation of morphosyntactic comprehension skills. As expected, autistic children performed below the non-autistic children, yet nearly all completed the task, contrary to other tasks, suggesting that ","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261451402"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13219938/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148139183","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing to a Neurotypical Norm Is Normal in Autistic Language and Communication Research: A Cross-Sectional Systematic Review and Critical Analysis of Recent Literature.","authors":"Harrie Reynolds, Titia Benders, Josje Verhagen","doi":"10.1177/23969415261441522","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261441522","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Autism research has traditionally been shaped by the idea that autistic people have \"deficits\" compared to neurotypical people. This approach often involves directly comparing the two groups, with the expectation that autistic people will perform worse. However, neurodiversity advocates argue that autism should be seen as a valid way of being, and should not be defined in contrast to norm-centred ideals. This review aimed to assess to what extent autism research in the field of language and communication is structured around such norm comparisons.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Following PRISMA protocols, a cross-sectional systematic review methodology was used to gather a sample of 249 relevant articles published in 2023. Articles were assessed as to whether they included a neurotypical comparison group and how the autistic group was expected to perform in contrast to neurotypicals. Additionally, we coded whether the study was an intervention, and whether non/minimally speaking (NMS) participants or those with intellectual disability (ID) were included, as we expected patterns to differ in these cases.</p><p><strong>Main contribution: </strong>We found that almost half (49%) of the studies compared autistic and neurotypical participants, and this rose to 75% when interventions and studies involving ID or NMS participants were excluded. When predictions were made about which group would perform better, 60% of studies expected autistic people to do worse, while only 4% expected them to do better. Intervention studies were less likely to make direct comparisons, and studies involving ID or NMS participants also tended not to use neurotypical comparison groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, our findings show that autism research is still largely built on comparisons with neurotypical norms, reflecting an assumption of deficit.</p><p><strong>Implications: </strong>For research to align with the neurodiversity perspective, future studies will need to move away from these deficit-based traditions. Suggestions for alternative, less norm-based approaches are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261441522"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13199701/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148036024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fit-for-purpose Psychological Interventions to Support the Well-Being of Autistic Adults: A Systematic Review.","authors":"Michele Deakin, Lorna G Hamilton, Brett Heasman, Stephanie Petty","doi":"10.1177/23969415261436238","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261436238","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background and aims: &lt;/strong&gt;There are high levels of co-occurring mental health diagnoses reported for autistic adults, yet research into psychological interventions that support wellbeing is only just emerging. This mixed-methods systematic review characterized all available psychological interventions for autistic adults, the measures used to evaluate their effectiveness, the extent to which the interventions have been designed or adapted for autistic people, and the elements theorized to contribute to wellbeing.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;A protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023385232) before commencement. The review used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A Patient and Public Involvement process sought input from an expert panel of autistic counselors who work with autistic people to develop the search strategy. All study designs were included in the review to meet the objective of summarizing the available evidence since 2012, the point at which National Institute for Health and Care Excellence introduced Clinical Guidelines for working with autistic adults in the United Kingdom. Screening was performed on 100% of the records by two independent reviewers. Risks of bias that can occur in autism research specifically were assessed. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the &lt;i&gt;Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs&lt;/i&gt;. Mixed-methods and qualitative syntheses were used to summarize the findings.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Main contribution: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 4,186 papers were identified from the literature search, resulting in 69 papers meeting the criteria for inclusion. The majority (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 42) were pilot or exploratory designs. Few studies identified how adaptations to existing therapeutic interventions affected wellbeing outcomes. Similarly, few studies described the theorized mechanisms of change in reported wellbeing or designed interventions specifically for autistic people.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;There are few empirical studies of psychological interventions for autistic adults, and imprecise definitions of what wellbeing means for autistic people demonstrate conceptual and methodological ambiguity. Further discussion to agree community-based prioritization of the relevance of mental health outcomes is required. A minority of studies (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 29) used outcome measures designed for, or standardized with, autistic people. The most common therapeutic interventions were based on mindfulness or cognitive-behavioral therapies, suggesting limited choice of evidence-based psychological interventions for autistic people and practitioners.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implications: &lt;/strong&gt;Research into improving the wellbeing of autistic adults is still at an early stage of development, principally focused on assessing the feasibility of interventions. Current intervention studies are reliant on outcome measures with unknown suitability to evaluate meaningful ch","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261436238"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13180214/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147976146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Word Learning Ability Varies Across Contexts and Time: A Longitudinal Study of Primary School Children with Developmental Language Disorder.","authors":"Karla K McGregor, Nichole Eden, Timothy Arbisi-Kelm, Jacob Oleson","doi":"10.1177/23969415261448861","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261448861","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background and aims: &lt;/strong&gt;Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) have difficulty learning new words, but we know little about whether and to what extent their word-learning ability improves over time. Our primary goal was to compare the rate of development of word learning abilities, specifically the encoding of new lexical-semantic information, in children with DLD and their age-mates with typical language development (TLD). Secondary goals were to examine variation in outcomes according to the aspect of word knowledge under consideration, the word-learning context, and the cognitive abilities of the learners.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Children with DLD (n= 38) and TLD (n = 45) participated in two experiments each year from Grades 1 to 4. In each, they were taught a new set of 12 novel words and their referents. The experiments involved a cross-situational word learning context (Study 1) and ostensive naming and mutual exclusivity contexts (Study 2). Post-training probes measured knowledge of the phonological form of the word and the link between the word and its referent. In Year 1, we measured various aspects of cognition. Linear mixed models with fixed effects for diagnostic group, year, and context yielded main outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Children with DLD were less able than peers with TLD to learn form- and link information in all three contexts and in all four years, but their relative rate of growth across the years was similar. Neither form- nor link-learning was consistently harder than the other for the DLD group; however, the size of the TLD-DLD performance gap was especially large for form learning in the ostensive naming (most direct) training context. The lower cognitive abilities of children with DLD, especially phonological short-term memory and receptive vocabulary knowledge, accounted for variance in form and link learning. With cognitive scores in the statistical models, the TLD-DLD gap in link learning was no longer significant.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;As a group, primary school children with DLD present with weaknesses in word learning abilities but age-appropriate rates of improvement in those abilities over time. The problem reflects their lower verbal cognition. The extent of the problem varies with the context in which the word is learned and the aspect of word knowledge that is measured as an outcome.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Implications: &lt;/strong&gt;The implication for scientists is that a diversity of contexts and outcome measures must be included in future research. The implication for clinicians is two-fold. First, brief opportunities to learn word forms in ostensive naming contexts may be leveraged for dynamic assessments, as it is this learning goal and this learning context that most effectively distinguished DLD from TLD. Second, when treating a child with DLD, the common practice of direct teaching is unlikely to be effective unless active engagement, sufficiently","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261448861"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13167387/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147943106","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spanish-Language Autism Early Intervention Workshops: Evaluating Outcomes of a Translated Pivotal Response Treatment Program.","authors":"Sarely J Licona, Martha E Garcia, Maria Jiménez-Muñoz, Anthuanet Espinel, Ty W Vernon","doi":"10.1177/23969415261440820","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261440820","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background & aims: </strong>Early intervention efforts can be transformative for young children with autism, and parent involvement is an increasingly common component of many contemporary treatment models linked to enhanced long-term social communication and developmental outcomes. However, Spanish-speaking families face language barriers that limit opportunities to be trained in these strategies, directly contributing to disparities in their children's developmental outcomes. This study aims to address this barrier by exploring the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a Spanish-translated and adapted pivotal response treatment (PRT) early intervention model.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using a multiple baseline across participant experimental design, the primary objective of this investigation was to evaluate the impact of ongoing participation in a Spanish PRT workshop on parent fidelity (mastery) of treatment implementation and child verbal responses using behavioral coding and parent-report measures. The study included three children with autism aged 18-60 months and their caregiver(s). Parents completed questionnaires, four PRT instructional lessons, and six in-person coaching sessions. Parent-child interaction videos were recorded at intake and after each in-person session to monitor participant process.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>All participants met fidelity of implementation criteria (>80%) for the PRT strategies, demonstrating the ability to successfully implement the core intervention components. Parents also reported improvements in their self-perceived (a) comprehension of the PRT principles and (b) confidence in applying them effectively. Lastly, children demonstrated improvements in the frequency of their verbal responses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions & implications: </strong>These results suggest that the Spanish adaptation of PRT can effectively teach parents to understand and implement basic PRT components and facilitate language development in their autistic children.</p>","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261440820"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13084016/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147724120","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Systematic Review of Play-Integrated AAC Interventions for Minimally Verbal and Nonspeaking Children.","authors":"Matthew J Klein, Anindita Banerjee, Naima Bhana-Lopez, J B Ganz, Shanna Bodenhamer, Wualú Altamira","doi":"10.1177/23969415261441185","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261441185","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This systematic review explored past experimental research on augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions for minimally and nonspeaking autistic and intellectually/developmentally disabled children, with a focus on interventions which integrated play. Databases were searched between 2021 and 2025; included studies (<i>n</i> = 14) implemented AAC interventions for children ages 3-8 years old with a primary outcome of social communication. Studies were coded for AAC outcomes and play variables. Results indicate a temporal shift in intervention frameworks and level of play integration. Limitations include an expanded and broad definition of what constituted play-integrated interventions and restrictions on descriptions of the participants included. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. The primary meta-analysis was preregistered on PROSPERO (CRD42021292027).</p>","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261441185"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13084014/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147724059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring the Relationship of Autism Spectrum Disorder Characteristics and Sleep Disturbances.","authors":"Stacy Miner, Molly McVoy","doi":"10.1177/23969415261419740","DOIUrl":"10.1177/23969415261419740","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Co-occurring conditions like sleep disturbances are prevalent in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and have been linked to greater variability in clinical presentation, including social communication and behavioral challenges. This study examined the relationship between sleep disturbances and ASD characteristics in school-aged children.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In this descriptive, observational study, 24 children with ASD (ages 6-12) wore actigraphy monitors for up to seven nights to provide objective data on sleep onset latency, total nighttime sleep, and nighttime awakenings. Parents completed sleep diaries and the Autism Spectrum Rating Scale to assess impairments in social and communication, behaviors associated with ASD, and self-regulation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the 24 participants, 23 wore actigraphy monitors. Twenty-two children experienced at least one sleep disturbance, and of these, 21 had usable actigraphy data, with an average of 6.43 nights analyzed. A greater number of sleep disturbances was associated with increased parent-reported social-communication difficulties but lower parent-reported behavioral dysregulation scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Findings suggest that sleep disturbances may differentially influence the expression of ASD characteristics across social-communication and behavior. Considering sleep patterns in ASD research and clinical care may enhance understanding of variability in ASD and support the development of targeted interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":36716,"journal":{"name":"Autism and Developmental Language Impairments","volume":"11 ","pages":"23969415261419740"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2026-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12891406/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146182571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}