Autism最新文献

{"title":"Trajectories of autism symptom severity for boys and girls across childhood.","authors":"Einat Waizbard, Emilio Ferrer, Meghan Miller, Brianna Heath, Derek S Andrews, Sally J Rogers, Christine Wu Nordahl, Marjorie Solomon, David G Amaral","doi":"10.1177/13623613251325317","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251325317","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Girls, more than boys, experience a decrease in the severity of autism symptoms during childhood. It is unclear, however, which specific autistic behaviors change more for girls than for boys. Trajectories of autism symptoms were evaluated using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-calibrated severity scores (ADOS-CSS). Change in the specific behavioral characteristics of autism was assessed by studying individual ADOS items for 183 children (55 girls) from age 3-to-11 years. Girls decreased in total autism symptom severity (ADOS-CSS) and restricted/repetitive behavior severity (RRB-CSS) across childhood, while boys remained stable in both. Girls showed decreasing-severity trajectories for seven ADOS items and an increasing-trajectory for one item. Boys showed decreasing-severity trajectories for six items and increasing-severity trajectories for three items. Girls with higher ADOS-CSS at age 3 were more likely to decrease in total symptom severity than other girls. Girls in our study mostly improved or remained stable in autism symptom severity and its specific behaviors during childhood, especially behaviors related to being socially engaged and responsive. Boys' symptom change was variable over time and included both improvement and worsening, especially in social behaviors that are key to interaction. Girls with high early severity levels can potentially decrease substantially in severity during childhood.Lay AbstractThe severity of overall autism symptoms tend to decrease more in autistic girls than in autistic boys during childhood, but we do not know which specific behaviors drive this difference. We studied how specific behaviors characteristic of autism change for girls and boys across childhood. We found that girls mostly improve or remain stable in the severity level of their autism symptoms and its specific behaviors during childhood. They improved mostly in behaviors related to being socially engaged and responsive to others. Furthermore, we found that it is possible for girls with high early autism symptoms to show major improvement during childhood. Boys improved in some specific behaviors but worsened in others. Boys worsened in some behaviors that are key to engaging in social interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251325317"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143750910","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":"Pilot randomized controlled trial of MINDful TIME, a novel telehealth mindfulness-based intervention for autistic adolescents and their caregivers.","authors":"Nicole L Matthews, Melissa M Mitchell, Hannah Honda, Amanda Malligo, Summer Boyd, Broc A Pagni, B Blair Braden","doi":"10.1177/13623613251328484","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251328484","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;A growing body of research suggests that mindfulness-based interventions may be a valuable method for reducing internalizing symptoms in autistic individuals. The current study extends this work using an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type 1 study. In this parallel randomized controlled trial, we examined a novel telehealth intervention for autistic adolescents and their caregivers. MINDful TIME includes eight weekly group meetings and regular use of a commercially available mindfulness meditation app. Participants were 42 adolescent-parent dyads randomized to the treatment or delayed treatment control (DTC) group. The program was implemented with fidelity (91.24%-94.78%), and 90% of treatment group dyads completed the program. On average, participants attended &gt;90% of sessions and reported high acceptability. Treatment group adolescents demonstrated statistically and clinically significant reductions in parent-reported depression symptoms relative to DTC (&lt;i&gt;F&lt;/i&gt;(1, 34) = 7.31, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.01, &lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;msubsup&gt;&lt;mi&gt;η&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mi&gt;p&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mn&gt;2&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/msubsup&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt; = 0.18). Female adolescents in the treatment group showed significant reductions in parent-reported anxiety symptoms (&lt;i&gt;F&lt;/i&gt;(1, 34) = 4.22, &lt;i&gt;p&lt;/i&gt; = 0.05, &lt;math&gt;&lt;mrow&gt;&lt;msubsup&gt;&lt;mi&gt;η&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mi&gt;p&lt;/mi&gt;&lt;mn&gt;2&lt;/mn&gt;&lt;/msubsup&gt;&lt;/mrow&gt;&lt;/math&gt; = 0.11). Exploratory analyses indicated treatment-related improvements in adolescent executive functioning, parent mindfulness and well-being, and adolescent-parent relationship dysfunction. Findings warrant future examination of MINDful TIME to address well-documented challenges with mental health in this population. This trial was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05685589).Lay abstractPrevious research studies have found that mindfulness (i.e. focused attention on, and acceptance of, the present moment) training programs can reduce stress, depression, and anxiety. However, more research is needed to understand whether mindfulness strategies are helpful for autistic teens. We examined a new telehealth intervention for autistic teens and their caregivers. MINDful TIME is an 8-week group program that meets weekly through Zoom meetings. Participants learn mindfulness strategies through didactic lessons and using a commercially available mindfulness meditation mobile app. We randomly assigned 42 teens (ages 13-18 years) with an autism diagnosis and their parents to complete MINDful TIME or an 8-week wait period before beginning the program. Ninety percent of teens and parents assigned to MINDful TIME completed the program and reported that they found the program to be acceptable. Teens who completed MINDful TIME showed large reductions in depression symptoms, whereas teens in the wait period group did not. Females who completed MINDful TIME also showed reductions in anxiety symptoms, whereas males who completed MINDful TIME and females and males in the wait period group did not. Parents who completed MINDful TIME with their teens showed ","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251328484"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143750908","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":"Comparing the prevalence of substance use disorders between persons with and without autism spectrum disorders.","authors":"Victor Lushin, Steven Marcus, Sha Tao, Malitta Engstrom, Anne Roux, Lindsay Shea","doi":"10.1177/13623613251325282","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251325282","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Recent research has suggested that people with autism spectrum disorder may be disproportionately at risk of substance use disorders. This study analyzed national-level Medicaid Claims data to compare substance use disorder prevalence among Medicaid enrollees with autism spectrum disorder (&lt;i&gt;N&lt;/i&gt; = 388,426) and a random sample of enrollees without autism spectrum disorder (&lt;i&gt;n&lt;/i&gt; = 745,699) and to examine whether this association differs across sex and age groups and changes after adjusting for co-occurring mental health conditions. We also examined how the association between autism spectrum disorder and substance use disorder is moderated by co-occurring non-autism spectrum disorder mental health conditions and by community-level social determinants of health by merging Medicaid Claims data with zip code-level US Census data on socioeconomic deprivation. By 2016, 7% of Medicaid beneficiaries with autism spectrum disorder and no intellectual disability had at least one substance use disorder diagnosis, up from 1.75% USD prevalence among enrollees with autism spectrum disorder (no intellectual disability) in 2012 Medicaid data. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder aged 30-64 years were at an elevated risk of cannabis and hallucinogen disorders; this risk is likely compounded by co-occurring mental health conditions, which affect a half of all individuals with autism spectrum disorder and only 23% of individuals without autism spectrum disorder. Research and policy implications are discussed in turn.Lay abstractRecent research has suggested that people with autism spectrum disorder may be disproportionately at risk of substance use disorders. The present study analyzed national-level Medicaid Claims data to compare substance use disorder prevalence among Medicaid beneficiaries with autism spectrum disorder and without autism spectrum disorder and to examine whether this association differs across sex and age groups and depends on mental health conditions besides autism. We also examined how the association between autism spectrum disorder and substance use disorder is moderated by co-occurring non-autism spectrum disorder mental health conditions and by community-level social determinants of health. For the latter purpose, Medicaid Claims data were merged with zip code-level US Census data on socioeconomic deprivation. Our analyses demonstrated that, by 2016, 7% of Medicaid enrollees with autism spectrum disorder and no intellectual disability had at least one substance use disorder diagnosis, up from 1.75% USD prevalence among enrollees with autism spectrum disorder (no intellectual disability) in 2012 Medicaid data. Individuals with autism spectrum disorder aged 30-64 years are at an elevated risk of cannabis and hallucinogen use disorders, while this risk is likely compounded by co-occurring mental health conditions, which affect a half of all individuals with autism spectrum disorder and only 23% of individuals without autism sp","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251325282"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143742087","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":"The design of the \"autistics in (educational) space: building our own futures\" doctoral project.","authors":"Ryan B Collis","doi":"10.1177/13623613251328495","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251328495","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As an autistic researcher and doctoral candidate, I have designed my dissertation research in a way that values the lived experience of my four autistic participants. Using their responses to a series of material objects and a science fiction novel by, and about, an autistic person, I hope to find new and innovative ways to reconceptualize inclusive education in high school. This article explains my theoretical framework and methodology, as well as some preliminary results and discussion.Lay AbstractI am autistic and a PhD student and I look for ways to learn from other autistic people. I gave a group of 4 autistic participants 14 items and asked them to do something with each of them, then send me pictures of what they did. We also all read a science fiction novel written by an autistic author and talked about what we thought was interesting or that felt familiar to us. By using what they shared with me, I want to find ways to make high school more comfortable for autistic students. In this article, I describe how I came up with this plan, what I did, and some of the first things I discovered.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251328495"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143742088","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":"Caregiver-identified strengths in children attending their first neurodevelopmental assessment: Findings from the Sydney child development research registry and development of a child strengths checklist.","authors":"Kelsie A Boulton, Lorna Hankin, Marie-Antoinette Hodge, Natalie Ong, Natalie Silove, Adam J Guastella","doi":"10.1177/13623613251325287","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251325287","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>There has been a growing focus on the importance of understanding strengths in children with neurodevelopmental conditions and how such knowledge can support clinical practices. However, limited research has explored systematic reports of strengths from caregivers of children with neurodevelopmental conditions, most commonly autism. In this study, we explored caregiver-identified strengths in children attending their first neurodevelopmental assessment. Caregivers of 686 children attending a tertiary assessment service answered a survey question about their children's strengths. Content analysis identified 61 unique categories of strengths, which were grouped into six themes: cognitive and intellectual, social and interpersonal, hobbies and passions, character and personality, physical, and behavioural. The most frequently reported specific strengths were kind caring, and compassionate, social and friendly, loving and affectionate, music singing and dancing, and good memory recall. The breadth of positive strengths identified here may reflect the larger population sampled or the diversity of presentations in this cohort. We then present a caregiver checklist, the Child Autism and Neurodevelopment Strengths (CANS) Checklist, that was developed with community representatives, to inform assessment and feedback of child strengths. We discuss what is required to use this knowledge to inform strengths-based practices that can support clinical practice and inform on child development and family well-being.Lay AbstractThere has been a growing focus on the importance of understanding strengths in children with neurodevelopmental conditions, but there is little research exploring caregiver-reported strengths at the time of diagnostic assessment. In this study, we explored caregiver-identified strengths in 686 children who were attending a neurodevelopmental assessment. Content analysis identified 61 unique categories of strengths, which we grouped into six main themes. These six themes were cognitive and intellectual, social and interpersonal, hobbies and passions, character and personality, physical, and behavioural. The most common strengths identified by caregivers were 'kind, caring, and compassionate', 'social and friendly', 'loving and affectionate', 'music, singing, and dancing', and 'good memory recall'. Based on these strengths, we present a checklist that was developed with community representatives, to make sure a strengths-based framework can be used during the diagnostic process. We discuss how we can use this knowledge to develop strengths-based practices that can support clinical practice and inform on child development and family well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251325287"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717756","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 in the context of joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders, and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes: A systematic review and prevalence meta-analyses.","authors":"Carolina Baeza-Velasco, Judith Vergne, Marianna Poli, Larissa Kalisch, Raffaella Calati","doi":"10.1177/13623613251328059","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251328059","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Increasing research suggests a link between autism spectrum disorders and joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders, and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes. However, no study systematically examined the available literature about the relationship between these conditions. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify studies (a) examining the link between autism, joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and (b) reporting the frequency of autism spectrum disorders in people with joint hypermobility, hypermobility spectrum disorders or Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, or vice versa. Prevalence meta-analyses were performed. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Twelve studies explored joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in autistic people. Six explored autism spectrum disorders/autistic traits in people with hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Two studies examined autism spectrum disorders in relatives of patients with hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, and two explored autistic traits and joint hypermobility in non-clinical samples. Out of 15 studies examining the association between autism spectrum disorders/autistic traits and joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, 12 reported significant results. The overall prevalence of joint hypermobility in autistic individuals was 22.3%, but it was higher (31%) when only studies assessing joint hypermobility clinically (excluding self-reports) were considered. The overall prevalence of hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome in autistic samples was 27.9%, but 39% if hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome were assessed clinically. Despite the heterogeneity of studies, these results suggest an association between autism and joint hypermobility/hypermobility spectrum disorders/Ehlers-Danlos syndrome that should be confirmed in further research.Lay abstractIncreasing research suggests a link between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and joint hypermobility (JH), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS). However, no study systematically examined the available literature about the relationship between these conditions. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic literature search to identify studies: (a) examining the link between autism, JH, HSD, or EDS, and (b) reporting the frequency of ASD in people with JH, HSD, or EDS, or vice versa. Prevalence meta-analyses were performed. Twenty articles met the inclusion criteria. Twelve studies explored JH/HSD/EDS in autistic people. Six explored ASD/autistic traits in people with HSD/EDS. Two studies examined ASD in relatives of patients with HSD/EDS, and two explored autistic traits and JH in non-clinical samples. Out of 15 studies examining the association between ASD/autistic traits and JH/HSD/EDS, 12 reported significant results.","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251328059"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717789","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":"Effects of micronutrients on neurodevelopmental disorders through the mediation of brain structure and function: A two-step Mendelian randomization analysis.","authors":"Chanhua Li, Jiatong Deng, Weiyan Huang, Wanling Chen, Lijuan Wei, Guanghui Ran, Lili Liu, Zhongyi Li, Meiliang Liu, Dongping Huang, Shun Liu, Xiaoyun Zeng, Lijun Wang","doi":"10.1177/13623613251326702","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251326702","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The physiological functions of micronutrients in neurodevelopment are well documented, but their protective effects on neurodevelopmental disorders remain controversial. We assessed the associations between micronutrients and three main neurodevelopmental disorders, that is, autism spectrum disorder (18,381 cases), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (38,691 cases), and Tourette's syndrome (4,819 cases), using two-sample Mendelian randomization analyses. In addition, we estimated the mediation role of brain imaging-derived phenotypes (<i>n</i> = 33,224) in these associations. Each 1 <i>SD</i> (0.08 mmol/L) increase in serum magnesium concentration was associated with a 16% reduced risk of autism spectrum disorder (odds ratio 0.84, 95% confidence interval 0.72-0.98). Each 1 <i>SD</i> (65 μmol/L) increase in blood erythrocyte zinc concentration was associated with an 8% reduced risk of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (0.92, 0.86-0.98). Each 1 <i>SD</i> (173 pmol/L) increase in serum vitamin B12 concentration was associated with a 19% reduced risk of Tourette's syndrome (0.81, 0.68-0.97). These effects were partly mediated by alterations in multiple brain imaging-derived phenotypes, with mediated proportions ranging from 5.84% to 32.66%. Our results suggested that interventions targeting micronutrient deficiencies could be a practical and effective strategy for preventing neurodevelopmental disorders, especially in populations at high risk of malnutrition.Lay abstractIncreasing evidence highlights the critical role of micronutrients in neurodevelopment. However, the causal relationship between micronutrients and neurodevelopmental disorders remains unclear. Using genetic variants associated with micronutrient levels and neurodevelopmental disorders, our study revealed the protective effects of magnesium on autism spectrum disorders, zinc on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and vitamin B12 on Tourette's syndrome. These protective effects were partially mediated through alterations in brain structure, function, and connectivity. Our findings emphasize the importance of adequate micronutrient intake for healthy neurodevelopment and may support the development of intervention strategies aimed at preventing neurodevelopmental disorders by addressing micronutrient deficiencies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251326702"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143717887","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":"Motor and socio-cognitive mechanisms explaining peers' synchronization of joint action across development in autistic and non-autistic children.","authors":"Roni Poyas Naharan, Yael Estrugo, Shahar Bar Yehuda, Nirit Bauminger-Zviely","doi":"10.1177/13623613251328437","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251328437","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When partners coordinate their movement in time and space to reach a goal, they perform joint action, an important part of every interaction. Joint action involves motor abilities and socio-cognitive skills like theory of mind. Autistic children's lower joint motor coordination (joint action) abilities as well as their motor functioning and theory of mind difficulties may interfere with efficient peer interaction. However, the shared contribution of motor and theory of mind to partners' joint action was not yet explored. This study investigated those contributors (motor and theory of mind) along with group and age differences in 84 autistic children ages 6-16 years and 64 non-autistic children matched by age, sex, and IQ across three age-groups: early-childhood, preadolescence, and adolescence. Basic and advanced theory of mind skills and most motor tasks were higher among adolescents versus early-childhood. However, the autistic group consistently underperformed the non-autistic group in basic and advanced theory of mind levels and in all gross- and fine-motor tasks across all age-groups, revealing unique motor development characteristics in autism. A significant joint full mediation effect emerged for motor and theory of mind skills on joint action performance in both study groups. Understanding that motor and theory of mind skills together underlie joint action opens up a new channel of intervention to facilitate peer interaction.Lay abstractWhen two or more people move together in a coordinated way at the same time and in the same place, they perform \"joint action,\" which is an important part of everyday social interaction. Joint action involves the activation of both motor skills and the social-cognitive understanding of others' thoughts, feelings, and desires-their ability to hold \"Theory of Mind.\" Motor functioning and Theory of Mind may be challenging for autistic individuals. We wanted to investigate how motor skills and the ability to understand others' minds develop in autistic and non-autistic children and adolescents and to explore how these skills contribute to joint action performance. We compared 84 autistic children with 64 non-autistic children matched by age, sex, and IQ. Among these 6- to 16-year-olds, we examined three age-groups: early-childhood, preadolescence, and adolescence. We found that older participants, both in the autistic and non-autistic groups, showed better abilities than younger participants in basic and advanced Theory of Mind skills and in most motor tasks. However, non-autistic children outperformed autistic children in Theory of Mind (at basic and advanced levels) and also in all gross-motor and fine-motor tasks, across all age-groups. The autistic group's motor patterns were characterized by greater variability in tasks' rated difficulty levels compared to their non-autistic peers, who showed more intact, uniform patterns. Both motor and Theory of Mind skills were found to significantly impact joint","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251328437"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143727639","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":"Mindfulness and parenting stress among parents of autistic children: The mediation of resilience and psychological flexibility.","authors":"Yongshen Feng, Dali Lu, Tsz Ying Christine Ng, Pui Hing Chau, Lily Man Lee Chan, Jojo Yan Yan Kwok","doi":"10.1177/13623613251328465","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251328465","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;High parenting stress is associated with diminished quality of life in parents and more problem behaviors in autistic children. Mindfulness-based interventions have demonstrated efficacy in mitigating parenting stress. Psychological flexibility and resilience have been recognized as protective factors against psychological distress. However, the extent to which psychological flexibility and resilience mediate the effect of mindfulness on parenting stress among parents of autistic children remains unclear. This cross-sectional study examined the mediating roles of psychological flexibility and resilience in the relationship between mindfulness and parenting stress. We recruited a convenience sample of 181 Chinese parents of autistic children from Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital in Shenzhen, China. This study assessed characteristics, parents' mindfulness, psychological flexibility, resilience, and parenting stress. Results indicated that parents experienced considerable parenting stress. Correlation analysis found that higher mindfulness, psychological flexibility, and resilience were associated with lower parenting stress. After controlling for children's age, gender, core symptom severity, parents' age, gender, marital status, and education levels, psychological flexibility and resilience completely mediated the relationship between mindfulness and parenting stress. These findings suggest that multicomponent psychological interventions may enhance the mental health of parents of children with autism, warranting further investigation.Lay AbstractRaising a child with autism spectrum disorder can be very stressful for parents, and this stress can lead to serious problems, like diminished quality of life in parents and more challenging behaviors in autistic children. But there's something called mindfulness that can help parents feel less stressed. Mindfulness is like training your mind to stay calm and focused. It's like learning to take a deep breath and find calm in a busy day. Our study in China investigated 181 parents of children with autism from Shenzhen Longhua Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital in Shenzhen, China. We wanted to see if two things-being able to bounce back from hard times (resilience) and being flexible in how you think and act (psychological flexibility)-help mindfulness work its magic in easing stress. We found that more mindful parents also felt less stressed. Moreover, having psychological flexibility and resilience seemed to be the reason why mindfulness was so helpful. After controlling for covariates including children's age, gender, core symptom severity, parents' age, gender, marital status, occupational status, and education levels, the effects of mindfulness on stress still existed. This tells us that programs that teach mindfulness, along with how to build resilience and be more flexible in thinking, could make a difference for parents of children with autism. It could help them ","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251328465"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143699590","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":"Correlates of self-reported life satisfaction among autistic youth with and without intellectual disability.","authors":"Carly Moser, Leann Smith DaWalt, Meghan M Burke, Julie Lounds Taylor","doi":"10.1177/13623613251327347","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251327347","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Compared to their nonautistic peers, lower levels of life satisfaction have been reported by autistic individuals. It is unclear, however, whether autistic individuals with intellectual disability report similar levels of life satisfaction as autistic individuals without intellectual disability or which characteristics are associated with life satisfaction. This study sought to examine differences in levels of self-reported life satisfaction across those with and without intellectual disability and explore correlates of life satisfaction in a sample of 35 autistic youth with intellectual disability and 99 autistic youth without intellectual disability. No difference in self-reported life satisfaction was detected between autistic youth with and without intellectual disability. Greater self-reported life satisfaction was associated with higher self-determination for autistic youth without intellectual disability. For autistic youth with intellectual disability, greater self-reported life satisfaction was related to more frequent social participation, lower parent stress, and fewer unmet service needs. Unmet service needs and parent stress were significantly stronger correlates of life satisfaction for youth with intellectual disability compared to youth without intellectual disability. Although the sample size of autistic youth with intellectual disability was small, these findings suggest the importance of considering heterogeneity among individuals on the autism spectrum when seeking to understand their well-being.Lay abstractAutistic people report lower life satisfaction compared to people without autism. It is unclear whether autistic people with intellectual disability report similar levels of life satisfaction to autistic people without intellectual disability. In this study, we did not find a difference in levels of life satisfaction for autistic youth with intellectual disability compared to autistic youth without intellectual disability. We also identified factors that might promote better life satisfaction. Higher self-determination was related to higher life satisfaction for autistic youth without intellectual disability. For autistic youth with intellectual disability, more frequent social participation, lower parent stress, and fewer unmet service needs were associated with higher life satisfaction. Unmet service needs and parent stress were more strongly related to life satisfaction for youth with intellectual disability compared to youth without intellectual disability. Our findings suggest that taking a more individualized approach to support the well-being of autistic youth is important.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251327347"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-03-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143699587","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}