Background: Gender dysphoria (GD) appears disproportionately common in people with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). Concurrent intellectual disability (ID) may limit assessment of these individuals and their access to gender-affirming healthcare. This study aims to summarise knowledge on the presentation of GD in those with co-occurring ASD and…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a constellation of social communication problems in addition to unusual and repetitive behaviors. In this review, we aimed to investigate the effects of probiotics, prebiotics or synbiotics on gastrointestinal (GI) and behavioral symptoms of ASD. We searched the relevant literature in several electronic databases.…

Analysing language characteristics and understanding their dynamics is the key for a successful intervention by speech and language therapists (SLT). Thus, this review aims to investigate a possible overlap in language development shared by autism spectrum disorders (ASD), specific language impairment (SLI) and social (pragmatic) communication…

In order to update the status of the research on quality of life (QoL) of adults with ASD, a systematic review was carried out following the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses' (PRISMA) protocol. Eleven articles were selected from different databases. Results show lower levels of QoL in people with ASD than in the…

Gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction is a common comorbidity of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and is associated with increased severity of characteristic autism-associated symptoms. However, the underlying biological mechanisms for GI dysfunction symptoms in children with ASD are unknown. This review explores potential explanations for these…

The aim of this study was to review the existing literature on abdominal pain in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Systematic search of four databases (PsycINFO, ERIC, PubMed, MEDLINE) identified 13 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Articles were analyzed for common themes, including the prevalence of abdominal pain…

Depression has long been a clinical concern in youth with autism, yet systematic research examining its prevalence, presentation, and treatment has only begun to emerge more recently. Using the search terms "autism", "asd", or "autistic" and "depression", "depressive", "dysthymia", or…

Autism spectrum disorder has often been assumed to be a protective factor against substance use, yet the extent of substance use in this population has been difficult to determine as limited research has been done on these interacting variables. This systematic literature review examined 26 studies published between 2009 and 2019 to uncover the…

Individual differences are known to influence the risk of trauma exposure and development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It has been suggested that features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may confer such risk. This article provides a systematic review of the assessment and treatment of PTSD in individuals with ASD, in addition to…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder affecting approximately 1 in 59 children (Baio et al. "MMWR Surveillance Summaries," "67"(6), 1, 2018). A commonly experienced psychiatric comorbidity in ASD is anxiety. Although this is known, little research has been done on the specific issues concerning…

Genetic syndrome groups at high risk of autism comorbidity, like Down syndrome and fragile X syndrome, have been presented as useful models for understanding risk and protective factors involved in the emergence of autistic traits. Yet despite reaching clinical thresholds, these 'syndromic' forms of autism appear to differ in significant ways from…

This article offers a systematic review of studies of personality and the dimensions of temperament and character, personality pathology, and personality disorders (PDs) in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Fifteen studies met the inclusion criteria for the review, from which seven studies were meta-analyzed. Results indicate that ASD is…

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases, so has the escalation of the diagnosis of ASD individuals with deafblindness (DB). This literature review examines the characteristics of individuals with DB and those with ASD, overlapping characteristics of the two disorders, intervention practices used in each field, evidence-based…

Employment is fundamental to the well-being of individuals including those with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purposes of this review are to provide an overview of employment-related research in individuals with ASD and increase our understanding of the factors that affect the employment situation of this population. Topics explored are…

The purpose of this literature review was to provide an overview of the research on gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in autism spectrum disorder. Topics explored include the prevalence of GI symptoms, the importance of studying GI symptoms, the difficulties in diagnosis, as well as the questionnaire measures used to assess gastrointestinal symptoms.…