Research in autismPub Date : 2026-05-01Epub Date: 2026-03-23DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2026.202881
Jason K Baker, Rachel M Fenning, Elliot Hess, Abigail Thompson, Abigail Lim, Luke Ha, Eden Sweet, Daksh Khanna
{"title":"Development and testing of the Autism Brief Criticism Coding System for families of autistic youth.","authors":"Jason K Baker, Rachel M Fenning, Elliot Hess, Abigail Thompson, Abigail Lim, Luke Ha, Eden Sweet, Daksh Khanna","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202881","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.reia.2026.202881","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The study of parental criticism has informed understanding of family processes across populations. Historically, criticism has been measured as a component of the larger construct of parental <i>expressed emotion</i>. However, existing measurement systems are limited by complexity, cost, and potentially questionable reliability and validity for use with families of autistic children.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The current study describes the development and testing of a streamlined, freely accessible, and population-specific system for coding critical comments from language samples of parents of autistic youth. Rather than adapting existing systems for use with this population, an emic approach was prioritized, involving contributions from a team with diverse lived experience. The resultant system, the Autism Brief Criticism (ABC) Coding System was then applied to an existing dataset of speech samples from 73 families for whom codes from two existing systems were available.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The ABC demonstrated good inter-rater reliability and high convergent validity with existing systems. Evidence supporting concurrent and discriminant validity was obtained through examination of associations with various child and parenting constructs, and the ABC was the only system to identify associations with children's internalizing symptoms.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>With strong psychometrics and differential predictive utility, the ABC holds promise as a community-informed, population-specific measure of parental criticism. Implications for future research and applications to intervention are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"133 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13632673/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149122908","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-23DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2026.202830
Meredith Cola, Rachael A Muscatello, Xinyu Zhang, Simon Vandekar, Trey McGonigle, Blythe A Corbett
{"title":"Exploring Trajectories of Anxiety Symptoms in Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth over Adolescence Using Parent- and Self-Report Measures.","authors":"Meredith Cola, Rachael A Muscatello, Xinyu Zhang, Simon Vandekar, Trey McGonigle, Blythe A Corbett","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202830","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202830","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Autistic youth frequently experience co-occurring anxiety. In non-autistic populations, females are more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and demonstrate distinct symptom trajectories across adolescence. Prior research has demonstrated diagnostic group differences in parent- and self-reported anxiety symptoms; however, it is largely unknown if and how symptoms change over puberty. We examine trajectories of anxiety symptoms for autistic and non-autistic youth over a four-year (Y1-Y4) longitudinal study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Autistic (N=140) and non-autistic (N=104) youth (ages 10-13 years at Y1) completed the parent- and self-report versions of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children, 2<sup>nd</sup> Edition (MASC-2). Linear mixed effects models were used to examine the impact of age, sex, and diagnosis on anxiety symptoms.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There was a significant diagnosis-sex interaction (<i>p</i> <sub><i>FDR</i></sub> =0.005) on the parent-report of anxiety and a main effect of age (<i>p</i><0.001). Autistic and non-autistic females showed an increase in anxiety symptoms over time; autistic males showed a slight decrease. There was a main effect of diagnosis (<i>p</i> <sub><i>FDR</i></sub> =0.003) on the child-report measure of anxiety symptoms; the effects of age (<i>p</i> <sub><i>FDR</i></sub> =0.117) and sex were not significant (<i>p</i> <sub><i>FDR</i></sub> =0.305). The relationship between pubertal development and anxiety symptoms differed between the subgroups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our main findings - that autistic youth demonstrate greater anxiety symptoms than non-autistic youth, with distinct symptom trajectories emerging in females versus males - add to the growing literature aimed at understanding the biopsychosocial factors impacting puberty and emotional functioning across adolescence.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"132 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12916141/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146230507","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2026-04-01Epub Date: 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2026.202831
Michael Davidovitch, Limor Adler, Mervatte Shukha, Sonia Hernandez-Diaz, Marc G Weisskopf, Ran S Rotem
{"title":"Congenital Muscular Torticollis as a Potential Neonatal Marker of Autism Spectrum Disorder and Other Neurodevelopmental Conditions.","authors":"Michael Davidovitch, Limor Adler, Mervatte Shukha, Sonia Hernandez-Diaz, Marc G Weisskopf, Ran S Rotem","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202831","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202831","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Early intervention consistently improves developmental outcomes in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and related conditions, underscoring the importance for timely recognition. Identifying early markers of atypical neurodevelopment is therefore critical. Congenital muscular torticollis (CMT), unilateral shortening of the sternocleidomastoid muscle causing infant head tilt, shares prenatal and perinatal risk factors with ASD and other developmental abnormalities. This overlap suggests that CMT may signal early disruption in neural development, potentially enabling earlier surveillance and intervention. However, large-scale evidence is scarce.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used electronic records (live births 2005-2018; follow-up through 2024) from a large Israeli Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) to match 14,150 infants diagnosed with CMT by six months of age with unexposed peers. ASD and related conditions were ascertained via validated algorithms. Upper-respiratory and gastroenteritis infections served as negative control outcomes. Early physical therapy was examined as a potential effect modifier.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Children with CMT had increased odds of ASD (odds ratio [OR]=1.25, 95% CI: 1.08-1.45) and developmental language disorder (1.25, 1.16-1.34), relative to unexposed peers. These associations persisted after accounting for maternal and perinatal factors, were absent for the negative control outcomes, and were stronger, though less precise, in infants who received physical therapy.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CMT is associated with elevated risks for later atypical neurodevelopment. The results suggest a possible etiological link between abnormal neural circuit maturation and musculoskeletal development. Although CMT is often considered benign in infancy, it may represent an early clinical marker of neurodevelopmental vulnerability, highlighting an opportunity for earlier recognition and intervention.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"132 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13600344/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149043127","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-14DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2026.202803
Carolina R Caliman, Colleen M Berryessa
{"title":"Brief report: A survey of California state court judges on a case vignette involving a defendant with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).","authors":"Carolina R Caliman, Colleen M Berryessa","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202803","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This brief report examines the impact of a defendant's Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, as well as the influence of expert testimony and genetic evidence, on the perceptions, knowledge, and sentencing views of a sample of state court judges in the U.S.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were collected from sixty-one California Superior Court judges who responded to a survey featuring a structured case study about a defendant diagnosed with ASD. The survey assessed judges' views on the influence of the defendant's ASD diagnosis and its genetic etiological influences on sentencing, responsibility, and perceptions of the defendant's behavior.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Findings indicate that most judges believe that an ASD diagnosis and its genetic influences would influence their sentencing decisions, with almost all considering it a mitigating factor to sentencing, but that it did not substantially affect a defendant's legal responsibility. Survey responses revealed significant gaps in judges' knowledge about ASD, underscoring the need for enhanced judicial training.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Findings highlight the influence of ASD and behavioral genetic evidence on judicial views and potential decision-making in cases involving defendants with ASD, indicating a clear need for improved access to education and resources on the disorder. Addressing these educational gaps can help the criminal justice system better accommodate the complexities associated with scientific and ASD evidence, which may promote more equitable treatment for defendants with ASD.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"131 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13313596/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148355503","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-10DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2026.202790
Amie Duncan, Lori J Stark, Lisa Ruble, Carrie Fassler, Jareen Meinzen-Derr
{"title":"Maintenance of Gains in Autistic Teens Receiving a Daily Living Skills Intervention at a 6-Month Follow-Up.","authors":"Amie Duncan, Lori J Stark, Lisa Ruble, Carrie Fassler, Jareen Meinzen-Derr","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202790","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202790","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Autistic adolescents without an intellectual disability have daily living skills (DLS) that are often 6-8 years behind same-aged peers. The Surviving and Thriving in the Real World (STRW) intervention has demonstrated gains in age-appropriate DLS from baseline to post-treatment compared to a comparison group.</p><p><strong>Aims: </strong>Evaluate maintenance of DLS gains from post-treatment to 6-month follow-up from two randomized clinical trials of the STRW intervention.</p><p><strong>Methods and procedures: </strong>112 autistic teens were randomized to receive the STRW intervention (n = 60) or an active comparison group (n = 52). Adolescents were assessed at 6-month follow-up on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, 3<sup>rd</sup> Edition (VABS-3) and the DLS goal attainment scale (DLS-GAS).</p><p><strong>Outcomes and results: </strong>Results revealed that the majority of teens in STRW maintained or improved their DLS on the VABS-3 and DLS-GAS. On the VABS-3, adolescents in STRW were not significantly different from the comparison group from post-treatment to 6-month follow-up. On the DLS-GAS, teens in both STRW and the comparison group maintained gains in cooking and self-care, but the comparison group made significant gains in laundry and money skills compared to STRW.</p><p><strong>Conclusions and implications: </strong>The STRW intervention may lead to sustained and clinically meaningful gains, but autistic teens may benefit from continued support. Future studies should examine if these DLS gains are maintained into adulthood and whether they impact outcomes in employment and independent living.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"131 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13505973/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820850","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2026-03-01Epub Date: 2026-01-08DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2026.202789
Kathryn E Prescott, Caroline Larson, Mackenzie J Stabile, Inge-Marie Eigsti
{"title":"Sound-symbol correspondence in autism: The <i>Bouba</i>-<i>Kiki</i> effect.","authors":"Kathryn E Prescott, Caroline Larson, Mackenzie J Stabile, Inge-Marie Eigsti","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2026.202789","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autistic and non-autistic adolescents and adults with cognitive and language skills in the average range completed a brief task assessing their susceptibility to the effects of image-sound associations, known as the Bouba-Kiki effect. Results indicated significant group differences such that the autism group was less likely to respond in accordance with the Bouba-Kiki effect. Further, nonverbal IQ and self-reported sensory-motor processing each influenced Bouba-Kiki responding. In contrast, language abilities (grammaticality judgment) did not. While findings based on a brief measure are not conclusive, results suggest that multisensory integration is less robust in autism and lend support to \"embodied cognition\" accounts of autism.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"131 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13456518/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709396","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2026-02-01Epub Date: 2025-12-09DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2025.202767
Hannah M Rea, Anika Lindley, Waylon Howard, Emily Neuhaus, Susan Faja, Raphael Bernier, Katarzyna Chawarska, Geraldine Dawson, James Dziura, Shafali Jeste, Natalia Kleinhans, Adam J Naples, Charles A Nelson, Maura Sabatos-Devito, Helen Seow, Frederick Shic, Catherine A Sugar, James C McPartland, Sara Jane Webb
{"title":"A longitudinal investigation of aggression and social skills in autistic youth.","authors":"Hannah M Rea, Anika Lindley, Waylon Howard, Emily Neuhaus, Susan Faja, Raphael Bernier, Katarzyna Chawarska, Geraldine Dawson, James Dziura, Shafali Jeste, Natalia Kleinhans, Adam J Naples, Charles A Nelson, Maura Sabatos-Devito, Helen Seow, Frederick Shic, Catherine A Sugar, James C McPartland, Sara Jane Webb","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2025.202767","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2025.202767","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Autism is characterized by differences in social functioning and many autistic individuals exhibit co-occurring features, such as aggression. While previous research has examined correlations between aggression and social skills cross sectionally, research is needed to better understand the interrelations between these behaviors over time.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>In a sample of 280 autistic children (ages 6-11 years), parallel process growth modeling and regression were used to examine changes in social skills and aggression across three time points, as well as the interrelations between social skills and aggression. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was also conducted on the measure of aggression (the Aberrant Behavior Checklist), which yielded separate factors for aggression towards others and self-injurious behaviors (SIB).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Over time, aggression towards others decreased and social skills improved, but SIB did not change. While initial levels of social skills, aggression towards others, and SIB were inter-related, there were no significant relations between initial scores and subsequent changes in any domain.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Interventions for aggression in school-aged autistic children should consider aggression towards others, SIB, and social skills as separate targets, as changes in one domain did not appear to be related to changes in other domains.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"130 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13251598/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148230488","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-09-29DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2025.202716
Antonio F Pagán, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno
{"title":"Tracking change: A follow-up on the culturally adapted <i>¡Iniciando!</i> La Adultez program.","authors":"Antonio F Pagán, Katherine A Loveland, Ron Acierno","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2025.202716","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2025.202716","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Research on interventions for Latino young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their families often faces challenges in long-term engagement. This study aimed to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of the culturally adapted ¡Iniciando! La Adultez program through a long-term follow-up.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cohort of Latino young adults with ASD and their families who participated in the ¡Iniciando! La Adultez program were followed for six months post-intervention. Participants were assessed at three and six months to evaluate continued engagement and outcomes. Retention rates at each follow-up point were calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study demonstrated high retention rates, with 48 out of 50 participants (96 %) completing the three-month follow-up and 40 out of 43 participants (93 %) completing the six-month follow-up. Beyond engagement, participants and parents reported significant and sustained improvements in multiple domains, including adaptive behavior, executive functioning, and quality of life for young adults. Parents also reported gains in their young adults adaptive functioning, executive functioning, and transition readiness.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>The high retention rates suggest that culturally adapted interventions like ¡Iniciando! La Adultez can effectively maintain long-term engagement within Latino families, a population often underrepresented in research. However, limitations including a small sample size, the potential for bias due to non-blinded data collection, and challenges with missing data that limited more complex analyses should be considered. Future research should prioritize larger, more diverse samples, employ independent raters, and implement robust strategies for managing missing data to strengthen the generalizability and rigor of findings in this area.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"128 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13029018/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147577610","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-09-04DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2025.202695
Tuyen Huynh, Jessica L Greenlee, Milton Dasoo, Melissa Jenkins, Brianna Piro-Gambetti, Sigan L Hartley
{"title":"Parent Dyadic Coping and Parent-Child Relationship Quality in Families of Autistic Children.","authors":"Tuyen Huynh, Jessica L Greenlee, Milton Dasoo, Melissa Jenkins, Brianna Piro-Gambetti, Sigan L Hartley","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2025.202695","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2025.202695","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Within two-parent households, the extent to which parents are satisfied in their couple relationship is theorized to influence the parent-child relationship. Parents in a satisfying couple relationship are thought to be better able to jointly manage and cope with everyday child-related problems and stressors than parents dissatisfied with their couple relationship.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The current study conducted a within-couple cross-sectional examination of the associations between couple relationship satisfaction (actor and partner), parent-child relationship quality, and dyadic coping. Data was obtained on 186 families of autistic children aged 5-12 years.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>An actor-partner mediation interdependence model (APIMeM) was conducted, yielding a significant actor association between the level of couple relationship satisfaction and parent-child relationship, which was mediated by positive dyadic coping. In addition, mothers' level of couple relationship satisfaction was correlated with father-child relationship quality, and this association was also mediated by positive dyadic coping.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our findings can inform programs to strengthen parent-child relationship quality in families with an autistic child.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"128 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13441416/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148682105","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}
Research in autismPub Date : 2025-10-01Epub Date: 2025-10-03DOI: 10.1016/j.reia.2025.202719
Jonathan Safer-Lichtenstein, Laura Campos, Jessica V Smith, Tennyson Dahlman, Susan Mikulich-Gilbertson, Jessica Holmes, Alyssa Verbalis, Allison Ratto, Kristi Hardy, Anna C Armour, Bruno J Anthony, Lauren Kenworthy, Laura Anthony
{"title":"\"In our language\": Acceptability and impact of executive function videos for Spanish-speaking families.","authors":"Jonathan Safer-Lichtenstein, Laura Campos, Jessica V Smith, Tennyson Dahlman, Susan Mikulich-Gilbertson, Jessica Holmes, Alyssa Verbalis, Allison Ratto, Kristi Hardy, Anna C Armour, Bruno J Anthony, Lauren Kenworthy, Laura Anthony","doi":"10.1016/j.reia.2025.202719","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.reia.2025.202719","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Predominantly Spanish-speaking Hispanic/Latine families of children with neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g., autism, ADHD) in the U.S. face barriers accessing intervention services. This study evaluated the acceptability and effectiveness of executive function (EF) support videos translated into Spanish for caregivers in this community.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this pragmatic trial, 37 caregivers of neurodivergent children aged 8-11 reviewed 12 brief EF-focused videos addressing skills like flexible thinking, planning, and self-regulation, with strategies for home use. The original English-language videos were developed with input from a Community Advisory Board (CAB) to ensure broad applicability across socioeconomic and racial/ethnic backgrounds, then directly translated and dubbed by a bilingual team. Caregivers completed pre/post measures assessing EF knowledge, caregiver strain, child EF difficulties, and video acceptability and feasibility. Focus groups were used to contextualize and expand on quantitative findings. An exploratory comparison was made to a prior English-language video cohort.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Caregivers in the Spanish video cohort reported high acceptability and feasibility and demonstrated improvements in EF knowledge, reduced strain, and improved child EF outcomes. These outcomes were greater than those in the English video cohort. Focus group participants emphasized the relevance of the content, the practicality of the format, and the importance of receiving resources in their native language.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings highlight the potential of pragmatic, scalable, and linguistically accessible intervention resources for underserved communities. The EF videos, though directly translated with limited culturally specific adaptation, were well-received and effective in improving outcomes for Spanish-speaking caregivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":520959,"journal":{"name":"Research in autism","volume":"128 ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12945377/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147329148","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}