Homeless service users were screened for autism spectrum disorder through one of Ireland's leading not for profit service providers. Keyworkers acted as proxy informants; their caseloads were screened using the DSM-5--Autistic Traits in the Homeless Interview (DATHI). Client current and historical health and behaviour data was collated. A…

Those experiencing high rapport or strong social connection are more likely to copy each other, or emulate each other's ideas, either consciously or sub-consciously. In this study, we use this phenomenon to examine whether neurotype match or mismatch impacts degree of imitation in a creative task. We asked 71 participants in neurodiverse pairs…

This study investigated the extent and nature of violence experiences reported by autistic adults. Autistic (n = 118) and non-autistic (n = 110) adults completed a questionnaire about their experiences of sexual harassment, stalking and harassment, sexual violence and physical violence since the age of 15. Autistic adults reported higher rates of…

Autistic people have different preferences for friendship than non-autistic people. The aims of the current project were to determine how autistic people prefer to behave in their friendships and how this compares to the friendship practices reported by non-autistic participants. Autistic (n = 102) and non-autistic (n = 107) young adults between…

Purpose: Neurodiversity-affirming practices for people with autism need to be backed by rigorous evidence of effectiveness. We discuss aspects of research design and reporting in autism intervention research that should be considered by intervention providers when providing evidence-based practices to support people with autism. We describe risks…

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate what is currently known about autistic adults' participation in physical activity and sedentary behaviour and explore any associated correlates of these behaviours. The databases EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus were searched for relevant literature. The review was registered…

Executive function is an area of challenge for both children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Parent ratings of everyday executive function relate to a range of outcomes, including social functioning in ASD. Comparisons between FASD and ASD have revealed both overlapping and distinct…

Although autistic adults may establish better dyadic rapport with autistic relative to non-autistic partners, it is unclear whether this extends to group settings. The current study examined whether rapport differs between autistic groups, non-autistic groups, and mixed groups of autistic and non-autistic adults, and whether differing…

Play, in particular sex-typical play, is important for affective, cognitive, and social development. There is limited research on sex-typical play in autistic children. The few prior studies on this topic relied heavily on reports or involvement of caregivers/parents, did not assess cognitive abilities, and examined a limited number of sex-typical…

This narrative review analyzes the visual and auditory advantages that autistic people with speech divergence (A-SD) may have compared with autistic people without speech divergence (A-NoSD) or non-autistic people. Importantly, A-SDs' intelligence and communication skills are often underestimated in research and practice. Further, this paper…

Sibling relationships may be strained when one sibling is diagnosed with autism and the other is not. The way that siblings interact during play is one indicator of the quality of this relationship. Non-autistic siblings have been taught to encourage play in their autistic siblings, but there is limited literature examining the impact of…

People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) show deficits in the processing of visual stimuli. This systematic review summarized the differences in visual event-related potential (ERP) components among ASD and typically developing individuals. Major databases were searched for finding eligible studies that investigated differences in visual ERP…

Multiple contemporary theories emphasize the quantity and quality of child vocalizations for promoting spoken language acquisition. Yet, empirical evidence for facilitating vocal development is strikingly lacking including for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who have difficulty developing language. We evaluate use of contingent…

Vocal imitation in English-speaking autistic individuals has been shown to be atypical. Speaking a tone language such as Mandarin facilitates vocal imitation skills among non-autistic individuals, yet no studies have examined whether this effect holds for autistic individuals. To address this question, we compared vocal imitation of speech and…

Autistic people are more likely to experience physical and mental health difficulties across the lifespan, leading to an increased risk of premature mortality likely due to health disparities. At present, little is known about the healthcare experiences of autistic older adults. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 autistic adults…