Autism最新文献

{"title":"'I live with my emotions much better now': A qualitative study of autistic adults' subjective experience of dialectical behaviour therapy.","authors":"Luisa Weiner, Doha Bemmouna","doi":"10.1177/13623613251348271","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251348271","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many Autistic adults without intellectual disability experience emotion dysregulation, which is associated with non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behaviour. Dialectical behaviour therapy has been shown to be feasible, acceptable and potentially effective is supporting Autistic adults without intellectual disability with improved emotion regulation. Since dialectical behaviour therapy research is in its early stages in the field of autism, it is crucial to better understand the subjective experience of Autistic adults who received dialectical behaviour therapy to improve its pertinence for this population. Twenty-two Autistic adults presenting with emotion dysregulation with non-suicidal self-injury and/or suicidal behaviour/ideation who received a comprehensive dialectical behaviour therapy were interviewed using a semi-structured approach. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Three superordinate themes were identified from the thematic analysis: (1) dialectical behaviour therapy is highly useful, structured and demanding; (2) dialectical behaviour therapy leads to changes in emotion labelling, emotion regulation and relationships; and (3) self-acceptance and feeling empowered to handle life's challenges. Ideas to foster the pertinence of dialectical behaviour therapy for Autistic adults were also collected. Our findings indicate that dialectical behaviour therapy was experienced as highly helpful despite the effort it requires. Participants reported changes in emotion experience, social relationships, self-concept and quality of life, probably due to increased emotion awareness, emotion control and self-regulation. Suggestions include the increased use of modelling to foster skills acquisition.Lay AbstractMany Autistic adults struggle with their emotion regulation. Dialectical behaviour therapy is the main therapy available to teach emotion regulation skills to people with this kind of struggle. Prior work has shown that dialectical behaviour therapy might be effective for Autistic people. Yet interest in dialectical behaviour therapy is new in the field of autism, so it is important to understand whether and how the therapy may help Autistic adults better live with their emotions. This article uses interviews conducted with 22 Autistic people following dialectical behaviour therapy. We outline several factors that might make dialectical behaviour therapy effective for Autistic people. For instance, dialectical behaviour therapy seems to help Autistic people better label and understand their emotions, but also accept and respect themselves. Nevertheless, dialectical behaviour therapy is demanding and some changes are suggested to improve the effects of dialectical behaviour therapy, such as providing a less intensive format to diminish fatigue. Our article provides evidence for the usefulness of dialectical behaviour therapy to help Autistic adults better deal with their emotions and improve their quality of life. Building from","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2741-2755"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144324417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hypothalamic volume is associated with dysregulated sleep in autistic and non-autistic young children.","authors":"Burt Hatch, Derek Sayre Andrews, Brett Dufour, Shayan M Alavynejad, Joshua K Lee, Sally Rogers, Marjorie Solomon, Meghan Miller, Christine Wu Nordahl","doi":"10.1177/13623613251352249","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251352249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep is common among autistic individuals and co-occurs with internalizing and externalizing symptoms. This study tested associations between subcortical regions implicated in sleep processes and measures of dysregulated sleep initiation/maintenance in autistic and non-autistic 2- to 4-year-olds. The role of co-occurring externalizing and internalizing symptoms in these associations was also evaluated. Participants included 203 autistic (131 males, 72 females) and 92 non-autistic (49 males, 43 females) 2- to 4-year-olds who completed magnetic resonance imaging. A subscale of items from the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire, previously shown to be reliable across both autistic and non-autistic children, was used to measure dysregulated sleep initiation/maintenance. Externalizing and internalizing symptoms were evaluated using the Child Behavior Checklist-Preschool. Associations between volumes for nine subcortical structures known to be implicated in sleep were separately modeled. Mediation analyses explored whether such associations could be accounted for by externalizing or internalizing symptoms. Smaller right hypothalamus volume was associated with dysregulated sleep initiation/maintenance in both autistic and non-autistic children. Externalizing (but not internalizing) problems partially mediated this association. Findings implicate the right hypothalamus in sleep initiation and maintenance issues for both autistic and non-autistic young children, supporting prior evidence of its central role in sleep regulation.Lay AbstractDifficulty initiating or maintaining sleep is common among autistic individuals and often goes alongside difficulties regulating emotions and behavior during the day. Although there is a body of research suggesting that subcortical brain regions, including a brain region known as the hypothalamus, play important roles regulating sleep, few studies have examined whether this extends to young autistic children. Using data from a sample of 203 autistic (131 males, 72 females) and 92 non-autistic (49 males, 43 females) 2- to 4-year-olds, we examined whether size of subcortical brain regions implicated in sleep processes is associated with difficulties initiating and/or maintaining sleep. In addition, we examined whether daytime behaviors and emotions were also implicated in these associations. We found that smaller right hypothalamus volume was associated with dysregulated sleep initiation/maintenance in both autistic and non-autistic children. This relationship remained evident even after accounting for externalizing behaviors and emotions like anger that were also associated with both the hypothalamus and dysregulated sleep initiation/maintenance. The strength of association between right hypothalamus volumes and dysregulated sleep initiation/maintenance was similar for autistic and non-autistic children. These findings suggest that for both young autistic and non-autistic chil","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2885-2897"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12531386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590366","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"\"It fostered a greater appreciation for my little corner of the world\": A feasibility study of a therapeutic photography intervention for the well-being of autistic youth.","authors":"Marina Charalampopoulou, Alaa Ibrahim, Heather Prime, Nicole Eddy, Larissa Panetta, Heather Brown, Shital Desai, Kylie Gray, Meng-Chuan Lai, Peter E Langdon, Yona Lunsky, Carly McMorris, Paul Ritvo, Kate Tilleczek, Ami Tint, Jonathan A Weiss","doi":"10.1177/13623613251359196","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251359196","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Research and intervention efforts for autistic people have disproportionately focused on negative mental health. This has resulted in a shortage of interventions addressing the promotion of positive emotional (hedonic) and psychological (eudaimonic) states. Therapeutic photography, which refers to self-initiated photo-taking paired with mindful reflections of the photographs, has the potential to provide an accessible and scalable approach to promote positive mental health for autistic people. This study employed a mixed-methods design to investigate the development and feasibility of a novel therapeutic photography intervention intended to promote hedonic and eudaimonic well-being among autistic youth. Forty-one autistic youth between 16 and 25 years of age were recruited. Findings indicated that therapeutic photography was a feasible intervention in terms of demand, implementation, acceptability, and practicality. There was also preliminary evidence suggesting that therapeutic photography may be a promising intervention for the promotion of different aspects of hedonic and eudaimonic well-being. Suggestions for future intervention adaptations to better address the needs of autistic youth are also featured.Lay Abstract<b>Using Photography to Increase the Well-Being in Autistic Youth</b>Past research has mostly focused on the challenges and negative mental health experiences of autistic young people, leading to a lack of strategies aimed at increasing positive emotions and experiences. To address this gap in the literature, we developed a therapeutic photography intervention that aimed to increase positive aspects of well-being for autistic youth. With the help of two autistic advisors, we recruited 41 autistic people, between the ages of 16 and 25 years, and asked them to take photos of positive experiences and write short reflections about their photos, for the duration of 4 weeks. We then asked participants about the benefits and challenges of the intervention. We also asked participants about any challenges they had in engaging with therapeutic photography and any changes and additional supports they would recommend for the intervention. Our results showed that autistic young people found the intervention to be interesting, doable, acceptable, and practical. We also found some evidence for the potential benefits of the intervention for the well-being of autistic youth. Participants had different ideas for adapting the design of the intervention to better meet the needs of autistic youth in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2774-2790"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12531397/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144783370","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"'I feel trapped in my safe clothes': The impact of tactile hyper-sensitivity on autistic adults.","authors":"Amanda Ferrer Knight, Deirdre Birtles","doi":"10.1177/13623613251366882","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251366882","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Clothing-related tactile hyper-sensitivity has been frequently reported among autistic people, but research investigating how this affects autistic adults is limited. This mixed-methods study investigated the impact of clothing-related tactile hyper-sensitivity on autistic adults' lives, focusing on appearance dissatisfaction, appearance awareness, self-esteem and self-expression through clothing. An online survey was completed by 86 autistic adults in the United Kingdom. Regression analysis revealed a significant predictive relationship between tactile hyper-sensitivity and appearance dissatisfaction. Moderation analysis revealed a significant negative relationship between tactile hyper-sensitivity and self-esteem, moderated by appearance dissatisfaction. Moderation of the relationship between appearance dissatisfaction and self-esteem by appearance awareness was not significant, but both appearance constructs were independent negative predictors of self-esteem. Three themes relating to the impacts of clothing-related tactile sensitivity were generated through thematic analysis of open-ended questions: 'Negative consequences', 'Managing clothing-related tactile sensitivity' and 'The emotional value of clothing'. Altogether, the findings indicate that clothing-related tactile sensitivity is prevalent and can impact autistic adults' appearance satisfaction, self-esteem, clothing options and choices, and self-expression through clothing. This highlights the need for a wider choice and availability of sensory-friendly clothing and further research exploring the diverse effects of tactile hyper-sensitivity on autistic people's lives, including mental health outcomes and employment opportunities.Lay abstractMany autistic people experience strong reactions to sensory information, such as certain sounds or smells. Tactile hyper-sensitivity is the strong, negative reaction to touch. Previous research suggests autistic children experience tactile hyper-sensitivity towards clothing, such as disliking labels or seams touching them. However, little is known about tactile hyper-sensitivity towards clothing in autistic adults and how this affects how they see themselves, feel about their appearance and express themselves through clothing. This study explored this by asking 86 autistic adults in the United Kingdom to complete an online survey. The results showed that autistic adults with a higher level of tactile hypersensitivity are more likely to be dissatisfied with their appearance, and that higher tactile hyper-sensitivity is also linked to lower self-esteem among autistic adults who are unhappy with how they look. Autistic adults with greater awareness and dissatisfaction with their appearance were also found to have lower self-esteem. In addition, autistic adults shared with us that sensory sensitivity towards clothing can negatively affect how they feel physically and emotionally, and their ability to take part in activities such as formal social ","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2727-2740"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12531387/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145237828","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A scoping review of current approaches to strengths-based transition practices for autistic adolescents.","authors":"Sophie Rumsa, Bahareh Afsharnejad, Elinda Ai Lim Lee, Sven Bölte, Tele Tan, Sonya Girdler","doi":"10.1177/13623613251346336","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251346336","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review aimed to map the literature surrounding strengths-based approaches in studies with autistic adolescents focusing on adult transition outcomes, by describing the active ingredients of interventions and the properties of assessment tools. Relevant databases were searched for articles surrounding strengths-based practices, which met the following criteria: (a) written in English, (b) published since 1990, and (c) involving adolescent participants with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder. Data extraction included sample, aim, intervention description, outcome measures, and results. Data were synthesised using a descriptive approach and thematic analysis was conducted to identify active ingredients, practice strategies, outcomes, and assessment properties. Overall, 35 articles met the inclusion criteria, including 26 studies evaluating strengths-based interventions and 9 articles relating to general transition outcomes. Five types of interventions were classified according to their active components: transition planning, employment preparation and training, technology programmes, peer mentoring, and cognitive skills training. The best practice themes highlighted the importance of leveraging each individual's interests and skills, developing individualised processes, and accommodating participant's needs through a holistic approach. Analysis of the outcome measures highlighted a gap in standardised strengths-based assessments, but uncovered primary outcome themes of self-determination, social skills, confidence, and work-related skills.Lay abstractThis review explores research on strengths-based approaches for autistic adolescents, particularly focusing on outcomes related to transitioning into adulthood. The goal was to identify and describe the key components of strengths-based interventions and assessment tools. The review looked at studies published since 1990 that involved adolescents with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and included a variety of approaches aimed at promoting positive adult outcomes. After analysing 35 relevant articles, the review categorised five types of interventions based on their key components: transition planning, employment preparation, technology programmes, peer mentoring, and cognitive skills training. The review also identified fewer strengths-based measures than expected, with many studies employing custom measures. This points to a gap in reliable strengths assessments for autistic adolescents, which would be useful in transition planning and improving self-image. Despite the lack of standardised tools, the review highlighted several common strengths-based outcomes, such as improvements in self-determination, social skills, confidence, and work-related skills.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2644-2661"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12531391/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482930","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"'You feel part of something bigger': Stakeholders' experiences of a long-term community-academic participatory research partnership.","authors":"Elizabeth Pellicano, Catherine A Bent, Teresa Iacono, Kristy Capes, Shannon Upson, Kristelle Hudry","doi":"10.1177/13623613251348485","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251348485","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Many community-academic partnerships are established to conduct meaningful research and practice. Yet, little is written about their sustainability and what does exist suggests that effective partnerships are hard to sustain. In this study, we sought insights into what might support successful, enduring community-academic partnerships focused on early childhood autism service provision. We conducted semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 30 staff connected to a university-based early childhood service in education, allied health, management, and research roles, who had been involved in a decade-long community-academic partnership. We analysed the data using reflexive thematic analysis adopting an inductive approach. We identified three key themes. Staff shared strong values and commitments towards inclusive practice and evidence-based practice, which were embedded in the ethos of the partnership (Theme 1). They reported tangible, mutual benefits from working in partnership, with gains in learning and confidence supporting autistic children and families (Theme 2). Interviewees also highlighted the importance of strong equitable relationships, open communication, and fair processes, even if these were not always straightforward to achieve (Theme 3). These insights illustrate the value of ongoing monitoring of community-academic partnerships seeking to inform autism research programmes, policies and practices, while also building sustained community capacity.Lay AbstractWhen academic researchers work in partnership with community members, the research that gets done is usually more meaningful to people's everyday lives. But these 'community-academic partnerships' can be difficult to set up, and even more difficult to keep going. In this project, we wanted to know what factors help to support the success of long-term community-academic partnerships, specifically for early childhood autism services. We spoke in depth to 30 staff connected to a university-based early childhood service, including early childhood educators, allied health professionals (psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists), people managing the service and researchers. All had been involved in a community-research partnership that had been going on for a decade. Two researchers independent of the service led the interviews and analysis, looking for patterns in participants' responses. We identified three main ideas or 'themes'. Staff spoke of their strong values and commitments towards inclusive practice and evidence-based practice, which were shared among those within the partnership (Theme 1). They felt they had learned a lot from being involved in the partnership and had gained confidence supporting autistic children and families (Theme 2). Above all, though, they spoke of how the relationships within the partnership really mattered to making it a success. They emphasised the importance of trust, good communication and fair processes - but also no","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2818-2831"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12531394/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144324419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A longitudinal evaluation of gastrointestinal symptoms in children with autism spectrum disorder.","authors":"Bibiana Restrepo, Sandra L Taylor, Matthew Dominic Ponzini, Kathleen Angkustsiri, Marjorie Solomon, Sally J Rogers, Paul Ashwood, Daphne S Say, Sonny Caceres, Shayan Alavynejad, Brianna Heath, David G Amaral, Christine Wu Nordahl","doi":"10.1177/13623613251362349","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251362349","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gastrointestinal symptoms are frequently reported in children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. This study sought to determine the longitudinal trajectory of gastrointestinal symptoms without a medical etiology in children with autism compared to similar aged participants with typical development. A total of 475 children enrolled in this longitudinal study (322 autism spectrum disorder and 153 typical development groups) were evaluated at up to three time points between 2 and 12 years of age. Nine common gastrointestinal symptoms and formal medical gastrointestinal diagnosis were assessed using a physician-administered parent interview. A rigorous symptom classification was performed by physicians via clinical consensus. The frequency and persistence of gastrointestinal symptoms across childhood were compared between groups. Associations between gastrointestinal symptoms and measures of internalizing and externalizing behaviors, sleep problems, sensory problems, restricted and repetitive behaviors, and social communication were also evaluated. Children with autism presented with more gastrointestinal symptoms at each time point, and they were also more likely to experience multiple and persistent gastrointestinal symptoms. The presence and number of gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with greater impairment in internalizing behaviors, sleep, communication, sensory processing, and repetitive behaviors. Participants in the autism spectrum disorder group reported more gastrointestinal symptoms without known etiology throughout childhood in this longitudinal well-characterized sample.Lay AbstractChildren with autism have been found to experience more medical issues including gastrointestinal symptoms. In this study, participants in the autism group were more likely to experience gastrointestinal symptoms than their typically developing peers. They were also more likely to experience multiple gastrointestinal symptoms at the same time and more likely to have persistent gastrointestinal symptoms throughout their childhood. Increased gastrointestinal symptoms were associated with more challenges with sleep, communication, sensory processing, and repetitive behaviors. Clinicians and parents should become more aware of the high occurrence of gastrointestinal problems in children with autism. If identified, these symptoms are often treatable which may improve their well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2832-2845"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12404668/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144940643","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"'I don't think they understand the reality of autism': The lived experiences of autistic adults in Japan.","authors":"Nanami Harada, Elizabeth Pellicano, Shinichiro Kumagaya, Satsuki Ayaya, Kosuke Asada, Atsushi Senju","doi":"10.1177/13623613251355303","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251355303","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Most autism research has been conducted in Western settings, which means that we know little about the lived experiences of autistic adults across a wide range of sociocultural contexts and countries. This study is, to our knowledge, the first to examine the lived experiences of autistic Japanese adults, eliciting their experiences of growing up autistic from their time at elementary school to the time of interview. We used semi-structured interviews with seven autistic Japanese adults, who had been clinically diagnosed in their 20s and 30s. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we identified four themes, including (1) people feeling different and misunderstood, (2) the books, doctors or other autistic people enabling the journey towards diagnosis, (3) the many and mixed emotions that emanated from the diagnosis and (4) a strong desire to be accepted. All interviewees experienced significant hardship throughout their lives, including a lack of acceptance of their diagnosis from their families. While this took its toll on the interviewees' mental health, they desired to be understood by others and to address stigma. More efforts are needed to increase the knowledge, understanding and acceptance of autism in Japan through the lens of neurodiversity and with the input of the autistic community.Lay AbstractWe know more and more about what it's like to be autistic and autistic people's experiences at school and at work. But most studies are from Western cultures, especially the United Kingdom and the United States, which means we know little about what it's like to be autistic in other cultures, including East Asian cultures. In this study, for the first time, we investigated the life experiences from school to employment of Japanese autistic adults. We asked seven Japanese autistic adults, who had received their clinical diagnosis in their 20s and 30s, about their experiences from their own perspective. We found four major ideas or 'themes': (1) people feeling different and misunderstood, (2) the books, doctors or other autistic people enabling the journey towards diagnosis, (3) the many, mixed emotions that came from getting an autism diagnosis and (4) a strong desire to be accepted. All participants experienced bullying and felt different from others around them from an early age. Some participants were happy to receive their autism diagnosis, which made them understand themselves better, while others had mixed feelings - such as feeling hopeless because autism has no cure. Our findings are consistent with previous Western research. We also found some distinctive experiences from Japanese participants, who faced a significant amount of stigma, potentially because of negative attitudes towards autism/disability and Japanese social expectations and rules. Future research should focus on the needs of autistic people in Japan and work with them to increase understanding, awareness and acceptance of autism.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2715-2726"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12531388/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144666977","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Autism epidemiology in Hong Kong children and youths aged 6-17: Implications on autism screening and sex differences in the community.","authors":"Oscar Wh Wong, Sandra Sm Chan, Steven Wh Chau, Winnie Cw Chu, Carol Sw Ho, Stephy Ws Ho, Se Fong Hung, Samara Hussain, Kelly Yc Lai, Angela Mw Lam, Holly Hl Lo, Karen Ky Ma, Suk Ling Ma, Flora Ym Mo, Pak Chung Sham, Caroline Ks Shea, Suzanne Hw So, Kelvin Kf Tsoi, Patrick Wl Leung","doi":"10.1177/13623613251360269","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251360269","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Epidemiological studies on autism lack representation from Asia. We estimated the prevalence of autism among children and youths in Hong Kong using a two-stage approach. In addition, we evaluated the psychometric properties of the screening instrument and explored sex differences within an epidemiological context. A random school-based sample of 5,865 children and youths were screened with the Autism Spectrum Quotient-10 (AQ-10). Then, a subsample of 317 participants underwent the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised assessment. Prevalence was estimated by applying positive and negative predictive values (PPV/NPV) of AQ-10 derived from the subsample to the entire cohort. None of the screened negative participants had autism, resulting in an NPV of 100%. Discrepant PPVs were noted for males (20.4%) and females (5.20%). The estimated prevalence was 2.57% using sex-specific PPVs. Explorative analysis on AQ-10 Positive participants without the diagnosis (i.e. 'false positives') showed significantly elevated autistic symptoms. The prevalence of autism in Hong Kong is comparable to the recent estimates in Western countries, which poses a significant public health challenge. Despite the high false-positive rates, AQ-10 remains valuable for excluding autism and identifying those with autistic symptoms. Furthermore, community-based studies are crucial to address sex differences in autism expression.Lay abstractAlthough studies have found that autism is becoming more common, little is known whether this is true in Asian countries. This study looked into how many children and teenagers in Hong Kong might have autism. We first screened 5,865 school-aged children and youths with the Autism Spectrum Quotient-10 (AQ-10). Then, we conducted in-depth interviews with 317 of them to assess for autism. We found that around 2.57% of children and youths aged 6-17 years in Hong Kong might have autism. This number is similar to that of the Western countries. Furthermore, we also discovered that boys who were screened positive on the AQ-10 were more likely to have autism than girls. This could be because autism is more common in boys, and the AQ-10 might be better at spotting autism in boys than in girls. In the future, studies will need to find an optimal way of detecting autism in the community, considering how autism may present differently in boys and girls.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2872-2884"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144726983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Autism diagnostic impressions in young children formed by primary care clinicians and through telemedicine expert assessments.","authors":"Andrea Trubanova Wieckowski, Ashley de Marchena, Alexia F Dickerson, Erika Frick, Georgina Perez Liz, Ashley Dubin, Diana L Robins","doi":"10.1177/13623613251355257","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251355257","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Formal autism diagnosis is often critical for children to access early, autism-specific services and supports. However, barriers to traditional in-person evaluations, including long waitlists, delay diagnosis. The goal of the current study was to compare diagnostic impressions (i.e. clinical judgments) made by primary care clinicians and autism experts conducting brief telehealth sessions, with expert diagnosis from in-person gold-standard evaluations. Participants were toddlers (<i>n</i> = 32, age 12-36 months) referred for any developmental concerns by four primary care clinicians from one pediatric practice in the United States. Primary care clinicians indicated their diagnostic classification and families then completed telehealth evaluations and in-person evaluations with one of five autism diagnostic expert clinicians. When primary care clinicians classified a child as having definite autism (<i>n</i> = 11), they were 100% accurate, but only 57% accurate when they indicated a child definitely did not have autism. Experts providing classification after a telehealth evaluation accurately classified 72% of children and were confident in the diagnosis for 55% of cases. In high-confidence cases, telehealth diagnosis matched final diagnosis 88% of the time. These findings indicate that when primary care clinicians believe a toddler is autistic, or when autism experts indicate autism telehealth classification with confidence, the child should begin receiving autism-specific services and supports right away.Lay abstractThere are long waitlists for autism evaluations, which greatly delay the start of interventions that are known to improve children's outcomes. We tested the accuracy of primary care clinicians' impressions of autism versus other developmental delays during well-child visits, and of experts during brief telemedicine visits, and found that more than half of the children were accurately identified through these streamlined methods. These findings support a tiered approach in which children identified through these more efficient methods begin autism intervention immediately; this approach also benefits children with more complex differentials by shortening waitlists for comprehensive evaluations for those who require them prior to treatment entry.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"2898-2905"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590367","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}