Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) frequently occur in young autistic children. Discrepancies between parents and other informants are common but can lead to uncertainty in formulation, diagnosis and care planning. This study aimed to explore child and informant characteristics are associated with reported child EBPs across settings.…

People on the autism spectrum may have difficulty inferring others' emotions (cognitive empathy), but may share another's emotions (affective empathy) and exhibit heightened personal distress. The present study examined independent autistic trait dimensions (social difficulties and restricted/repetitive behaviours) and the roles alexithymia and…

There is currently limited research and a lack of consensus on emotional processing impairments among adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present pilot study sought to characterize the extent to which adults with ASD are impaired in processing emotions in both words and pictures. Ten adults with ASD rated word and picture stimuli on…

Despite the heterogeneity in autism, socioemotional difficulties are often framed as universal. Increasing evidence, however, suggests that socioemotional difficulties may be explained by alexithymia, a distinct yet frequently co-occurring condition. If, as some propose, autistic traits are responsible for socioemotional impairments, then…

We used real world data to summarize comorbidities and interventions among patients newly diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were derived from two claims-based US healthcare databases; Medicaid and Optum to construct a retrospective cohort of 36,000 patients. Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity-Disorder (ADHD) was the most common…

Insomnia is one of the most common co-occurring disorders in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this cross-sectional cohort study of 270 children with ASD was to assess the prevalence of insomnia using the Pediatric Sleep Clinical Global Impression Scale and to correlate sleep problems with cognitive level, adaptive…

Appreciating autistic neurodiversity is important when supporting autistic people who experience distress. Specifically, use of a profiling model can reveal less visible autistic differences, including strengths and abilities. Binary logistic regressions showed that the likelihood of extreme distress responses could be interpreted based on…

Emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs), such as anxiety, overactivity, and aggression, can influence the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The gold standard diagnostic tool for ASD, the "Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule--Second Edition," includes three items ("E-codes") for EBPs that are frequently associated…

Studies have shown that Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) screening and diagnostic instruments may be affected by the presence of emotional and behavior problems (EBPs). This study assessed the impact of EBPs on the Modified Checklist for Autism in Toddlers, Revised with Follow-up (M-CHAT-R/F). Participants included 290 children, 18-48 months of age,…

Parents of children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities in the UK (n = 241) were asked to describe the impact of COVID-19 on their own mental health and that of their child. An inductive content analysis of the data was undertaken. Both parents and children appear to be experiencing loss, worry and changes in mood and behaviour as a…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have co-morbid anxiety and depression. Alexithymia and emotion regulation difficulties are commonly seen in individuals with ASD and in mood disorders. We hypothesized that alexithymia and emotional regulation would mediate the relationship between autistic features and anxiety/depression…

This study aimed to investigate factors associated with a delayed autism spectrum (ASD) diagnosis when compared to children with either no or early ASD diagnosis. Among 893 children assessed for ASD before age 8, 39% had no ASD at baseline, of which 21% received a later ASD diagnosis. Autism symptoms, diagnostic history of other developmental…

Background: The autism-spectrum quotient scale was developed to study autism as a spectrum. Few studies have examined the psychometric properties of the 10 item AQ (AQ-10). We examine the AQ-10 measurement ability and convergent validity in a population health survey (n = 44,722). Methods: The item severity and item discrimination was assessed…

Increasing numbers of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are attending mainstream schools. Nonetheless, concerns about their emotional well-being and mental health in these settings have also been raised. This study sought to compare caregiver-reported anxiety and other emotional and behavioural problems in youth with ASD attending…

Pathological ("extreme") demand avoidance (PDA) involves obsessively avoiding routine demands and extreme emotional variability. It is clinically linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The observer-rated EDA Questionnaire (EDA-Q) for children was adapted as an adult self-report (EDA-QA), and tested in relation to personality and the…