Play is a central feature of childhood and a fundamental right of all children. Currently, our understanding of autistic play is based on a deficit perspective, most often framed in comparison to neurotypical 'norms' and assumptions where the views of the players themselves have been overlooked. In moving towards a strengths-based neuroaffirmative…

Background: The job interview can be challenging for autistic adolescents considering the required social communication skills. Further, having decreased awareness of personal strengths may make it difficult to advocate for oneself to a future employer. The purpose of the current pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) is to examine the…

Autistic mothers remain under-represented in parental and autism research despite the associated physical and psychosocial challenges that accompany the transition to motherhood. Extant literature suggests autistic mothers experience sensory difficulties, communication challenges, stigma, and comorbidities as difficulties, but these studies have…

Recent research suggests there may be differences in the social presentations of autistic males and females. Camouflaging is believed to account for some of these differences and executive function (EF) may support compensatory social behaviors. As few studies have explored the role of sex and everyday EF when evaluating specific social…

This article discusses the methodological approach of a collaborative research project situated at the intersection of autism and cinema. The Autism through Cinema project stages an encounter between the titular terms in order to challenge the neurotypical assumptions that underpin cinema as an apparatus, and to mobilise new cinematic…

Purpose: To compare the utility of single versus repeated autism screening in a sample at higher likelihood (HL) for ASD, following both screen positives and all screen negatives to diagnostic outcome. Methods: Using a prospective infant sibling design, the current study followed 135 toddlers at HL for ASD and conducted diagnostic evaluations on…

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of motor intervention program (MIP) on autistic index, pre-academic skills, motor skills and social skills of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The research group consisted of a total of 34 participants between the ages of 3-6, 17 in the control group (CG) and 17 in the experimental group…

Purpose: Our objective was to test the labeling effect in autistic children. The effect has been robustly tested in typically developing (TD) individuals. TD children expect that any two objects that receive the same linguistic label will have similar properties, which suggests that they generate concepts based on acts of labeling. The labeling…

A positive caregiver-teacher relationship has the potential to promote student progress. Yet, little is understood about factors contributing to effective caregiver-teacher alliance and team building on behalf of students with autism. Data from randomized controlled trials of a home-school collaborative planning and teacher coaching intervention…

As an autistic researcher and doctoral candidate, I have designed my dissertation research in a way that values the lived experience of my four autistic participants. Using their responses to a series of material objects and a science fiction novel by, and about, an autistic person, I hope to find new and innovative ways to reconceptualize…

Camouflaging involves various strategies employed by autistic individuals to modulate the visibility of their autistic characteristics in social situations and is thought to be primarily motivated by psychosocial factors. Most studies to date have examined a limited number of psychosocial factors related to camouflaging. This study tested an…

Autistic young people often struggle to cope with the daily demands of school and are likelier to experience poorer wellbeing and educational outcomes than their non-autistic peers. Among other factors, this may be because mainstream settings are unsuitable for individuals' sensory needs. Evidence suggests the unpredictable multi-sensory nature of…

There is an increasing focus on research exploring autistic communication and community. In this review, we systematically collate and analyse how autistic adults describe their experiences of other autistic people and the relationship this has with their Quality of Life (QoL). Fifty two qualitative papers were analysed using thematic…

This study investigated the effectiveness of a music and dance program in relation to the inclusion of young autistic pupils in mainstream schools. Then, the study explored, through a qualitative methodology, pupils' perspectives toward their autistic peers. A story was used to support peer collaboration and inclusion in the group, music was used…

This paper aims to inform other practitioners working with students with autism spectrum disorder about how to create and implement activity schedules for use in schools. This paper includes a review of research regarding the effectiveness of activity schedules on on-task behavior and the ability to transition. Creating these schedules has been…