Purpose: An official autism diagnosis is required to access timely intervention and is associated with better long-term wellbeing and mental health. Certain demographic characteristics, such as being female or a racially or ethnically minoritized youth, have been associated with significant diagnostic lag. However, it remains unclear how assigned…

Purpose: Almost all epidemiologic studies estimating autism spectrum disorder (ASD) prevalence have focused on school-age children. This study provides the first population-based data on the prevalence and expression of ASD among adolescents in a large US metropolitan region. Methods: Active multiple source ASD surveillance of adolescents aged…

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) prevalence has risen globally, with regional variation and sociodemographic disparities affecting diagnosis and intervention. This study examines ASD trends from 1990 to 2018 in California (CA), focusing on sociodemographic factors that may inform policy/interventions. Using CA Department of Public Health birth…

Children with complex behavioral profiles (e.g., ASD + ADHD) may experience delays in obtaining a final diagnosis. Low-resource or underrepresented groups may be at even greater risk for delayed diagnosis. We assessed the effect of sociodemographic factors, symptom complexity and co-occurring conditions, and identifier of first symptoms on…

Caregivers of children with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience more stress than caregivers of typically developing children but there is limited research evaluating caregivers' quality of life (QoL). This study aimed to describe the association of caregiver QoL in children with ASD and/or…

Our purpose in this study was to further examine the psychometric properties of the Quality of Life for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (QOLASD-C) scale. We first investigated the factor structure and the internal consistency of the scale. The bifactor model showed good fit and strong reliability. Second, we used multiple-indicators…

This study examined hospitalizations in a large, all-payer, nationally representative sample of inpatient hospitalizations in the US and identified differences in rates of hospitalization for conditions by race and ethnicity in autistic adults. Conditions examined included mood disorders, epilepsy, schizophrenia, and ambulatory care sensitive…

Although poor health has been reported in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), most studies excluded fathers and focused on mental health. We combined 2016-2019 data from the National Surveys of Children's Health to determine child and parent characteristics that predict poor mental and physical health in fathers (n = 818) and…

Autistic children have a high prevalence of co-occurring mental health, developmental/behavioral, and medical conditions, but research on sex/gender differences has been mixed. We used Florida healthcare claims data to characterize sex differences (female/male) in co-occurring conditions among autistic children ages 1-21 (N = 83,500). After…

We reviewed the demographic reporting practices and diversity of participants in published randomized controlled trial studies of group-based social skills interventions (GSSIs) for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A total of 17 studies met inclusionary criteria. Results of this review suggest that the majority of published RCTs…

The Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) is widely used to assess symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Given well-documented differences in social behaviors across cultures, this study examined whether item-level biases exist in ADOS scores across sociodemographic groups (race, ethnicity, and gender). We examined a subset of ten…

Funding for early intensive behavioral intervention (EIBI) for children with autism spectrum disorder is rapidly expanding. Yet we know little about children's utilization, and research on inequities in utilization is lacking. We examined the relationship between utilization during the first year of EIBI and (a) child race-ethnicity and (b)…

We examined the relationship between family resilience and parenting stress among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder, with a specific focus on race/ethnicity as a moderator. Multivariate models indicated that family resilience was associated with parenting stress. Race/ethnicity significantly moderated the relationship between…

Early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children enables earlier access to services and better ability to predict subsequent development. A vast body of literature consistently shows discrepancies in the age of diagnosis between children from varying socio-economic levels, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. The present study examines…

The presence of multiple dysmorphic features in some children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) might identify distinct ASD phenotypes and serve as potential markers for understanding causes and prognoses. To evaluate dysmorphology in ASD, children aged 3-6 years with ASD and non-ASD population controls (POP) from the Study to Explore Early…