AutismPub Date : 2025-06-01DOI: 10.1177/13623613251338650
Laura Albantakis, Leonie Weindel, Marie-Luise Brandi, Imme C Zillekens, Lara Henco, Hanna Thaler, Lena Schliephake, Leonhard Schilbach
{"title":"Alexithymic and autistic traits differentially predict personality disorder dimensions.","authors":"Laura Albantakis, Leonie Weindel, Marie-Luise Brandi, Imme C Zillekens, Lara Henco, Hanna Thaler, Lena Schliephake, Leonhard Schilbach","doi":"10.1177/13623613251338650","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251338650","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Alexithymia and autism are variably characterized by social cognitive and perceptual deficits, which can lead to profound social interaction difficulties. Such difficulties are also the hallmark of personality disorders (PDs), but the potential link between alexithymia, autism, and PDs remains unclear. Here, we investigated whether autistic and/or alexithymic traits are associated with specific PD dimensions as measured by the Assessment of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (<i>DSM</i>-IV) Personality Disorders Questionnaire (ADP-IV). We included individuals with a formal autism diagnosis (AP, <i>n</i> = 89), individuals with a psychiatric diagnosis other than autism (NAP, <i>n</i> = 51), and neurotypical participants (NPs, <i>n</i> = 84). We applied linear regression analyses with autistic and alexithymic traits as predictors and PD dimensions as outcome variables, while controlling for age, depressive, and socially anxious symptoms. While autistic traits predicted the obsessive-compulsive PD dimension, alexithymic traits predicted the borderline PD dimension. Autistic and alexithymic traits were both significant predictors of the schizoid PD dimension. Taken together, our results point toward overlaps between autistic traits and specific PD dimensions that are well recognized as differential diagnoses of autism, while alexithymia was differentially linked to the borderline PD dimension.Lay abstractAutistic people have trouble identifying their own emotions and others' emotions. They also struggle to describe their emotions. People with alexithymia have similar difficulties. This can make it hard for autistic and alexithymic people to react appropriately to situations. Some may avoid places, while others may start overthinking. This can lead to patterns of behavior and thinking that limit us in our daily lives. If these patterns become a part of our personality, we may develop a personality disorder (PD). In our study, we looked at whether autistic and alexithymic people have certain PD dimensions. We included autistic participants, non-autistic participants with social-interactive difficulties, and non-autistic participants without social-interactive difficulties. We found that autistic features were linked to obsessive-compulsive PD dimension. Alexithymic features were linked to borderline PD dimension. Autistic and alexithymic features were linked to schizoid PD dimension. Our results point toward overlaps between autistic traits and PD dimensions that are well recognized as differential diagnoses of autism. The exception was borderline PD dimension, which was linked to alexithymic traits.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"13623613251338650"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144198212","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2024-12-18DOI: 10.1177/13623613241304513
Iris Selten, Tim Ziermans, Iris Rapoport, Kim Jonkman, Hilde M Geurts
{"title":"Mental health care use of autistic adults: Identifying longitudinal patterns using sequence analysis.","authors":"Iris Selten, Tim Ziermans, Iris Rapoport, Kim Jonkman, Hilde M Geurts","doi":"10.1177/13623613241304513","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241304513","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>To improve mental health care for autistic adults, a better understanding of their real-world intervention use is required. The aim of this study is to investigate individual differences in the intervention trajectories of autistic adults, by examining longitudinal patterns of therapy, counseling, and medication use. Self-reported intervention use of 445 autistic adults (18-87 years) across at least five consecutive measurements (2015-2021) was collected to identify clusters using sequence analysis and hierarchical clustering. Sensitivity analyses and cross-method validation (group-based multivariate trajectory modeling) were used to verify the obtained clusters. Four out of five obtained clusters had sufficient internal consistency and were replicated. These four clusters had distinct intervention trajectories (least intervention, mostly counseling, mostly medication, mixed use) and differed on several demographic variables. Most notably, the \"mixed cluster\" contained relatively more females and individuals with self-reported co-occurring psychiatric conditions. Many autistic adults used interventions, although they varied in type and duration of intervention use. This reflects the clinical complexity of tailoring intervention approaches and highlights that accessible and multidisciplinary care is essential to adequately support autistic adults. An important next step is to investigate whether available interventions sufficiently support autistic females and those with co-occurring psychiatric conditions.Lay abstractMany autistic adults experience co-occurring mental health problems, which have a negative effect on their well-being and result in increased use of mental health services. To improve mental healthcare for autistic adults, a better understanding is needed of what type of support they use in real life. Clinical guidelines recommend three kinds of mental health interventions: therapy, counseling, and medication. We investigated the use of these types of interventions in a sample of 445 autistic adults (aged 18-87 years) across a 5-to-7-year period. We found evidence for four different patterns of intervention use, or so-called subgroups: (1) <i>least intervention use</i>, (2) <i>mostly counseling</i>, (3) <i>mostly medication</i>, and (4) <i>mixed intervention use</i>. The group with mixed intervention use consisted of relatively more females and individuals with co-occurring psychiatric conditions, especially compared to the subgroup with the least intervention use. It appeared that many, but not all, autistic individuals used mental health services for an extended period. However, there was considerable variability in the type, combination, and duration of intervention use. This means that determining the optimal support for autistic adults is often a complex task, which requires collaboration of clinical experts and autistic individuals themselves, to make informed decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1431-1445"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089683/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142845664","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-01-04DOI: 10.1177/13623613241310295
Mati Zakai-Mashiach
{"title":"I was hanging in the air and holding on tight. It's exhausting: An autistic perspective on their journey through the general school system.","authors":"Mati Zakai-Mashiach","doi":"10.1177/13623613241310295","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241310295","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Enrollment of autistic children in general schools has increased significantly in the past decade. However, having access to school does not mean being included in school. Autistic individuals' perspectives regarding their general school experience are limited, with most research focusing on the middle-school stage. This study examines the retrospective experiences of 10 autistic individuals, aged 19-25 years, who attended general schools from elementary through high school. Using semi-structured interviews and the pictorial 'Blob Tree' technique as a visual method to elicit self-narratives, the research revealed recurring themes associated with each educational level. Elementary school was marked by feelings of difference and ambiguity. Middle school was characterised by the impact of the autism diagnosis and emotions of instability. It was found, however, that high school represented a turning point, marked by increased self-assurance, acceptance of their autism and a sense of fulfilment. These findings underscore the importance of offering autistic individuals opportunities to share their narratives and to provide insights into their longitudinal experience in general schools. This emphasises the developmental journey of these students, highlighting the challenges they face at each stage and the growing need for increased inclusivity in general schools to better support autistic students.Lay abstractIn the past decade, autistic children have increasingly enrolled in general schools worldwide. However, most insights into their educational experiences come from educators and parents. There is a gap in understanding autistic children's perspectives on their educational experiences. The limited evidence from autistic children primarily focuses on middle school and reveals complex feelings of loneliness, anxiety and being misunderstood by teachers and peers. Moreover, research to date has not examined the full-time period of general education, which is needed to understand the cumulative developmental trajectory from elementary through high school. To address these gaps, this study investigated the lived experiences of 10 autistic individuals (ages 19-25 years) who had completed their entire school journey in general education settings. This study utilised in-depth interviews and a visual technique called the 'Blob Tree' to elicit their stories. The findings indicated that during primary school, participants felt overwhelmed and confused by the school environment. The transition to middle school, where they received an autism diagnosis, marked a period of significant instability, social insecurity and loneliness. Interestingly, the participants gained confidence during high school, accepted their autism and developed a more positive self-image. These findings emphasise the importance of learning the longitudinal self-perspective of autistic individuals through creative methods like the 'Blob Tree' technique. Furthermore, the study highlights ","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1483-1496"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142926347","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-02-08DOI: 10.1177/13623613251316014
Monique Seymour, Grace McMahon, Ali Fogarty, Bridget O'Connor, Mark Feinberg, Rob Hock, Rebecca Giallo
{"title":"Psychosocial factors associated with the trajectories of interparental conflict for Australian fathers of autistic children: A longitudinal study across 10 years of child development.","authors":"Monique Seymour, Grace McMahon, Ali Fogarty, Bridget O'Connor, Mark Feinberg, Rob Hock, Rebecca Giallo","doi":"10.1177/13623613251316014","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251316014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Limited research exists on fathers' experiences of interparental conflict (IPC) in families with autistic children. We aimed to identify: (1) the extent to which these fathers report IPC across 10 years of child development (4-14 years) and how this compares to fathers of non-autistic children; (2) distinct trajectories of IPC for fathers of autistic children and (3) factors associated with trajectories of IPC among fathers of autistic children. This is a retrospective study using a national dataset. Participants were 281 fathers of autistic children and 7046 fathers of non-autistic children. Although small effect sizes, fathers of autistic children, on average, reported significantly higher IPC when their child was 4-5, 6-7, 8-9 and 10-12 years of age, compared to fathers of non-autistic children. For fathers of autistic children, longitudinal latent class analysis revealed three profiles reflecting '<i>low and stable</i>', '<i>moderate and stable</i>' and '<i>persistently elevated</i>' levels of IPC over time. Regression analysis revealed a range of predictors (e.g. co-parenting support, father age) for fathers of autistic children experiencing '<i>moderate and stable</i>' and '<i>persistently elevated</i>' IPC as compared to fathers who experienced low levels of IPC. There is a significant portion of fathers of autistic children who experience ongoing and heightened IPC, highlighting the need for targeted support.Lay AbstractNot much is known about how fathers experience conflict with their partners (either verbal or physical) while raising an autistic child. This study focused on understanding these experiences over 10 years, following children from the age of 4 to 14 years. The study had two main goals: (1) to track how fathers experience conflict with their partners over this time and identify different patterns to these experiences; and (2) to find psychosocial factors in early childhood that might impact these patterns. The study included 281 fathers of autistic children and 7046 fathers of non-autistic children who took part in '<i>Growing Up in Australia: Longitudinal Study of Australian Children</i>'. Using a statistical method to group fathers based on the partner conflict they reported over the 10 years, results showed that there were three groups: (1) '<i>low and stable</i>', (2) '<i>moderate and stable</i>' and (3) '<i>persistently elevated</i>' experiences of partner conflict. Additional analysis showed that fathers' confidence in their parenting, perceived support from their partners and concerns about their child's language skills were associated with ongoing moderate levels of partner conflict. On the other hand, fathers who were older, had lower perceived support from their partners, partners experiencing psychological distress and higher parent-reported child social functioning were more likely to experience consistently high levels of conflict over time. In our study, we described different levels of conflict with thei","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1554-1568"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089675/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143373470","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2024-12-21DOI: 10.1177/13623613241305723
Hassan Shahrokhi, Ayyoub Malek, Sanaz Norouzi, Shahrokh Amiri, Seyed Gholamreza Noorazar, Seifollah Heidarabadi, Ali Bahari Gharehgoz, Saeed Dastgiri, Mahsa Zali, Kamal Gholipour, Mohammad Barzegar, Raha Shahrokhi, Sahand Broumand, Shabnam Iezadi
{"title":"Design, methodology, and early findings of an autism registry program: ABBILAR project.","authors":"Hassan Shahrokhi, Ayyoub Malek, Sanaz Norouzi, Shahrokh Amiri, Seyed Gholamreza Noorazar, Seifollah Heidarabadi, Ali Bahari Gharehgoz, Saeed Dastgiri, Mahsa Zali, Kamal Gholipour, Mohammad Barzegar, Raha Shahrokhi, Sahand Broumand, Shabnam Iezadi","doi":"10.1177/13623613241305723","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241305723","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study aims to outline the establishment of an autism registry program in the East Azerbaijan province of Iran, delineate its components, present the initial descriptive analysis results of the registered cases, and outline potential opportunities for further utilization of registry data. The children and adolescents of age ⩽18 years, who met the Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for autism spectrum disorder, were eligible for inclusion in the autism spectrum disorder registry program. A total of 1120 cases were registered from January 2015 to December 2023. The majority of the participants were male (81.60%), diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder between the ages of 3 and 7 years (41.90%), born through cesarean delivery (73.56%), and received their primary diagnosis from a psychiatrist (85.49%). According to the Fourth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria, approximately 83% of the cases were diagnosed with autistic disorder, 3% with Asperger's disorder, and 13% with pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified. The autism spectrum disorder registry has the potential to contribute significantly to the development of effective policies for diagnosis and treatment services. By linking children's clinical and treatment data, it can help shape healthcare policies and services on a broader scale.Lay abstractThe autism spectrum disorder (ASD) registry program presents a unique opportunity to facilitate advanced research in various aspects of ASD, particularly in low-resource countries like Iran. Given the international significance of autism research, registry programs play a critical role in data sharing. ASD registry programs have been effectively established in high-income countries over a few decades; however, there are limited examples from low- and middle-income countries. This study presents a firsthand description of the design and primary findings of a 9-year established ASD registry program from the northwest of Iran. It elucidates the program's feasibility for other low-income settings, providing valuable insights for researchers and policymakers.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1446-1457"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142870706","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-02-14DOI: 10.1177/13623613251315985
Christina O'Keeffe, Sinead McNally
{"title":"'Like it's making my heart run': A strengths-based understanding of the play of autistic children.","authors":"Christina O'Keeffe, Sinead McNally","doi":"10.1177/13623613251315985","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251315985","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Play is a central feature of childhood and a fundamental right of all children. Currently, our understanding of autistic play is based on a deficit perspective, most often framed in comparison to neurotypical 'norms' and assumptions where the views of the players themselves have been overlooked. In moving towards a strengths-based neuroaffirmative understanding of autistic play, this study consulted with 19 autistic children (aged 5 to 13 years) using a series of semi-structured interviews and a range of creative and participatory methods. Reflexive thematic analysis generated three themes where children conceptualised: (1) enjoyment and pleasure as central to the definition of play, (2) social connections as fundamental to play and (3) play as engagement with meaningful materials and activities. Children's autonomy and agency in play was important to all themes. These findings challenge long-standing deficit-oriented assumptions that have persisted throughout the literature for decades and have implications for future programmes of research, theory and practice, in particular on the importance of providing and facilitating authentic play experiences for autistic children in education and care contexts.Lay abstractAutistic play is generally described from a deficit perspective where the players themselves have been overlooked. It is important to consult with autistic children themselves about their understanding of play. We asked autistic children about their views on play using many different creative ways that were chosen by the children themselves. We analysed findings using reflexive thematic analysis. Autistic children in this research described play as involving feelings and emotions of pleasure and joy, autonomy and agency, playing by themselves and with others and engagement with materials and activities as meaningful. It is very important that we ask the players themselves what they think about play rather than relying on deficit framed, non-autistic definitions of autistic play. In this article, we will discuss how these findings will help develop future research, theory and practice in respecting children's right to authentic play experiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1469-1482"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089676/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143424918","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-03-14DOI: 10.1177/13623613251323493
Farah Ghosn, Manuel Perea, Marta Lizarán, Melanie Labusch, Alba Moreno-Giménez, Rosa Sahuquillo-Leal, Belén Almansa, Julia Buesa, Laura Campos, Juan A Pérez, Ana García-Blanco
{"title":"Understanding decision-making in autistic children and adolescents: Insights from deliberative processes and behavioral economic paradigms.","authors":"Farah Ghosn, Manuel Perea, Marta Lizarán, Melanie Labusch, Alba Moreno-Giménez, Rosa Sahuquillo-Leal, Belén Almansa, Julia Buesa, Laura Campos, Juan A Pérez, Ana García-Blanco","doi":"10.1177/13623613251323493","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613251323493","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Prior research has shown conflicting findings on decision-making differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals. To address this issue, we applied the Ultimatum and Dictator Games to examine explicit measures (probability of endorsing monetary offers) and implicit measures (response times) associated with decision-making behaviors. By analyzing response times, we aimed to determine whether decisions were intuitive (rapid) or deliberative (slower) reasoning processes. In addition, we administered an executive functions questionnaire to explore how cognitive skills correlate with implicit and explicit decision-making behaviors. The study included 24 autistic and 24 non-autistic children and adolescents aged 8-18 years. Results showed that autistic participants were less likely to propose selfish offers in the Dictator Game than their non-autistic peers. Among autistic participants, this lower tendency to propose selfish offers correlated with better executive function skills. Regarding response times, autistic participants exhibited slower responses than non-autistic participants when accepting and proposing selfish offers in both games. These findings reveal differences in selfish offer tendencies and deliberative reasoning among participants, suggesting that slower decision-making in autistic participants reflects a focus on fairness and sociomoral reasoning. Future research can explore how this reasoning style influences social interactions in various scenarios.Lay AbstractAutistic kids and teens often have unique ways of communicating and socializing with others. Making decisions is important in how we behave daily and how we socialize. To study if autistic participants tend to make more cooperative or selfish choices, we used two games where participants had to share money between themselves and another player. Previous results were not consistent and that is why general assumptions could not be established. Also, previous results focused on the final decisions and did not consider the process that leads to making decisions. To fill the gap in what we know, this study dug deeper by evaluating how quickly or slowly participants made decisions and explored executive functions needed for daily decisions. The study found that autistic participants, with better executive functions, made less selfish offers (where they could keep more money than their peers) than non-autistic participants. Also, autistic participants took more time to decide than non-autistic participants, only when they could earn more money than the other player. Interestingly, these results are consistent with studies indicating that autistic children distribute resources without a primary focus on personal gains. These findings reshape how we view social exchanges and recognize that slow, deliberate thinking can lead to less selfish decisions in autistic children and adolescents. Future research could explore how this reasoning style influences social interactio","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1597-1611"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143633322","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":"Health care transition for autistic adolescents and young adults: A pilot rural and urban comparison survey study.","authors":"E Zhang, Makenna Snyder, Wafaa Alduraidi, Ezra Kaiser, Spencer Hunley, Lacy Wright, Rebecca Swinburne Romine, Eve-Lynn Nelson, Nancy Cheak-Zamora","doi":"10.1177/13623613241304495","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241304495","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Autistic adolescents and young adults in rural areas often experience more unmet medical needs than their urban peers, particularly during the health care transition, the process of moving from pediatric to adult health care. This study aimed to understand the health care transition experiences of autistic adolescents and young adults (14-25 years old) across rural and urban settings through a structured survey assessing demographics, health care transition experiences, and future health care decision-making planning. Of 180 participants (urban: 96; rural: 84), the average age was 19.67 years. Slightly over half (53.3%) reported completing health care transition at an average age of 18.02 years. Only 40 participants had health care transition discussions with their doctors, typically starting at 17.78 years. Regarding future medical decision-making, autistic adolescents and young adults who completed the survey independently had significantly higher odds of anticipating future independent medical decision-making compared to those who had parental assistance in survey completion (odds ratio = 6.601, 95% confidence interval: 2.857-15.250, p < .001). These results emphasize the need for enhanced health care transition support for autistic adolescents and young adults, suggesting that health care transition should be integrated into broader transition planning, and tailored interventions should be developed to improve health care transition outcomes for adolescents and young adults, their caregivers, and providers.Lay abstractAutistic adolescents and young adults in rural areas face significant challenges in health care transition compared to their urban counterparts. Health care transition, the process of moving from pediatric to adult health care, is crucial for the long-term health outcomes of adolescents and young adults. Previous research indicates rural adolescents and young adults often have greater unmet medical and financial needs, affecting their transition experiences, but there was no study focusing on rural autistic adolescents and young adults' health care transition experiences. This pilot study provides a comparative analysis of the health care transition experiences of rural and urban autistic adolescents and young adults. Ninety-six urban and 84 rural participants (14-25 years old) participated in the study. Their average age was 19.67 years. Just over half of the participants had completed the transition to adult care, typically reporting finishing this process at around 18 years old. A majority had limited discussions with their doctors about transitioning, and those who had discussions often started these conversations late. It also reveals that the responses completed by or with parents of autistic adolescents and young adults tend to indicate that the adolescents and young adults would not make future medical decisions or are uncertain about it. The findings underscore the necessity for targeted support for autistic adole","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1403-1414"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12103289/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142823737","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}
AutismPub Date : 2025-06-01Epub Date: 2025-01-06DOI: 10.1177/13623613241311333
Anna Bäckström, Anna-Maria Johansson, Thomas Rudolfsson, Louise Rönnqvist, Claes von Hofsten, Kerstin Rosander, Erik Domellöf
{"title":"Atypical development of sequential manual motor planning and visuomotor integration in children with autism at early school-age: A longitudinal kinematic study.","authors":"Anna Bäckström, Anna-Maria Johansson, Thomas Rudolfsson, Louise Rönnqvist, Claes von Hofsten, Kerstin Rosander, Erik Domellöf","doi":"10.1177/13623613241311333","DOIUrl":"10.1177/13623613241311333","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sensorimotor difficulties are common in children with autism spectrum disorder, and it has been suggested that motor planning problems underlie their atypical movements. At early school-age, motor planning development typically involves changes in visuomotor integration, a function known to be affected in autism spectrum disorder. However, there is a lack of detailed characterization of typical motor planning development during this stage, and how motor planning develops in children with autism spectrum disorder is largely unknown. This longitudinal kinematic study examined goal-directed sequential manual movements in children with autism spectrum disorder and in typically developing children across ages 7, 8, and 9 years. We manipulated goal-difficulty and availability of initial visual information to investigate visuomotor integration and chaining of subparts during movement performance. The results revealed emerging group differences at older age, suggesting atypical motor planning development in children with autism spectrum disorder. Notably, unlike the typically developing group, availability of initial visual information did not facilitate motor planning for the autism spectrum disorder group. The results show that motor planning differences in autism spectrum disorder appear related to atypical visuomotor integration and global processing of sensorimotor information. The findings also emphasize the importance of considering developmental aspects in research and practice related to motor problems in children with autism spectrum disorder.Lay abstractMany children with autism struggle with movement difficulties, yet the causes of these difficulties remain unclear. One possible explanation is atypical motor planning and integration of visual and motoric information. Before performing a goal-directed movement, the brain creates a prediction of the movement based on visual and sensory information and previous experience, forming a \"blueprint\" of the motor steps needed to achieve the goal. This process is called motor planning. During movement, adjustments to the plan can be made through feedback mechanisms. This longitudinal study aimed to examine the development of motor planning in children with autism and typically developing children over early school-age (7-9 years). The children performed a sequential manual peg-rotation task, which involved grasping, rotating, and placing a peg, while detailed measures of movement were collected. Task end-goal difficulty varied, and the goal was either initially occluded or fully visible. The results revealed that children with autism showed atypical motor planning development compared with typically developing peers, and these differences became more pronounced as the children grew older. As the typically developing children matured, they appeared to rely more on initial visual information, which assisted them in motor planning. However, this facilitation did not occur for children with autism. T","PeriodicalId":8724,"journal":{"name":"Autism","volume":" ","pages":"1510-1523"},"PeriodicalIF":5.2,"publicationDate":"2025-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12089664/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142930548","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}