Purpose: The purpose of this research is to investigate the acceptance and support of neurodiverse people in society, with a focus on autism, and to use this to propose a framework to enhance inclusivity that can inform pedagogy within the education sectors. Design/methodology/approach: Three case studies from higher education have been presented…

Autistic children have the right to be included in early childhood educational (ECE) settings. Motivated by the need for knowledge of how such education can be developed, this study examined the perspectives of ECE staff (i.e. teachers, child carers, and principals) on interprofessional collaboration regarding identifying and working with autistic…

Deception is a multi-faceted social behaviour that is pervasive in human communication. Due to differences in social communication and experiences, autistic and non-autistic adults may contrast in how they respond to situations that elicit deceptive decision-making. This study examined whether autistic and non-autistic adults differed in their…

Purpose: Speech, language, and hearing professionals are mandated to provide culturally responsive services for individuals who hold multiple identities and may face unique challenges resulting from multiple discrimination and cumulative disadvantage. This study presents a thematic analysis of ethnographic interviews with an Indigenous Mayan…

Culturally and linguistically diverse families experience greater challenges accessing timely, autism-specialized care relative to non-culturally and linguistically diverse families, and ultimately experience less optimal health outcomes. Alternative pathways to access autism care for culturally and linguistically diverse families are needed;…

Background/purpose: This study aimed to evaluate teachers' self-perceived instructional competencies in educating students with disabilities. Recognizing the pivotal role of educators in inclusive education, the research sought to determine the extent to which teachers believe they possess the necessary teaching skills for this student population.…

This paper reflects on my experiential learning journey using the Kolb Experiential Learning Cycle to explore pragmatic therapy for young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). As a participant observer in the Level Up program, I engaged in twice-weekly social communication sessions,…

Background: Fetal life and infancy might be critical periods for brain development leading to increased risks of neurocognitive disorders and psychopathology later in life. We examined the associations of fetal and infant weight growth patterns and birth characteristics with behavior and cognitive outcomes at the age of 13 years. Methods:…

This article presents a review of the literature on the current policies and practices in the Arabian Gulf region related to the provision of education to students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the context of the movement toward inclusive education (IE). The six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)--Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman,…

Research examining the impact of gender on educational outcomes in autistic students has been sparse. To address this gap, this study investigated the educational journeys of students with autism spectrum disorder in British Columbia, Canada. We examined (1) the time it takes for students to receive an initial autism spectrum disorder designation;…

The popularity of online multiplayer gaming among primary-school students, including autistic students, has rapidly increased over the past decade. Social characteristics and interactions of autistic students have been a focus of research, but less attention has been given to the relationship between online multiplayer gaming and social…

Many Autistic adults without intellectual disability experience emotion dysregulation, which is associated with non-suicidal self-injury and suicidal behaviour. Dialectical behaviour therapy has been shown to be feasible, acceptable and potentially effective is supporting Autistic adults without intellectual disability with improved emotion…

Machine-learning models can assist in diagnosing autism but have biases. We examines the correlates of misclassifications and how training data affect model generalizability. The Social Responsive Scale data were collected from two cohorts in Taiwan: the clinical cohort comprised 1203 autistic participants and 1182 non-autistic comparisons, and…

Tacts facilitate social interaction, and a strong tact repertoire can lead to the development of other verbal operants. For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the development of a tact repertoire can reduce stereotypical and repetitive language and increase social communication, as functional language may reduce the amount of…

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly prevalent neurodevelopmental disorder. ASD community-based organizations (ASD-CBOs) underutilize or inconsistently utilize evidence-based practices (ASD-EBPs) despite numerous available EBPs to treat ASD. Nonetheless, ASD-CBOs implement changes to practices regularly. Understanding ASD-CBO's…