Autistic people are at greater risk of self-harm than non-autistic people, yet no tools exist specifically for assessing self-harm in this population. We therefore conducted two focus groups with autistic adults (n = 5) and professionals (n = 4) to examine their perspectives on three existing self-harm assessment tools (Non-Suicidal Self-Injury --…

This study examined how autistic adults conceptualize health and whether their conceptualizations differed substantively from those of their emergency contacts (people who helped with health or healthcare management). We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 dyads of autistic adults and emergency contacts. A thematic analysis with deductive…

Mobile health (mHealth; online phone or tablet-based) screening tools for autism are being increasingly used by parents, health care, and educational providers. However, it is unclear whether mHealth autism screening will improve the inequalities in autism or further help individuals already advantaged in autism care. To try to improve equity in…

The study describes the development and preliminary psychometric validation of the Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale-Modified (SIDAS-M), a five-item assessment of suicidal ideation for use with autistic adults. Participants (n = 102 autistic adults; 58% women, 34% men, 8% nonbinary; M[subscript age] = 41.75, SD = 12.89) completed an online survey…

Individuals with Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are prone to stress and anxiety affecting their mental health. Although developing coping and resilience are key to cope with stressors of life, limited research exists. We aimed to explore stakeholders' experiences related to the coping and resilience of adults with ASD. We interviewed 22…

Using a mixed methods design, this study aimed to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic and non-autistic adults. We conducted an online survey with 196 autistic and 228 non-autistic adults from Belgium, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom focusing on their experiences during the first period of the pandemic. Our results…

There is a growing trend of adult diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Research has found that diagnosis can prompt a process of sense-making which may be disrupted by lack of post-diagnostic support. Given the continued involvement of many parents in supporting their adult son or daughter with ASD, it is vital to understand their…

Multimodal imaging studies targeting preschoolers and low-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients are scarce. We applied machine learning classifiers to parameters from T1-weighted MRI and DTI data of 58 children with ASD (age 3-6 years) and 48 typically developing controls (TDC). Classification performance reached an accuracy,…

Autistic adults are inadequately supported in the workplace. This study sought a definition of 'reasonable' and explored facilitators and barriers to employers making reasonable adjustments. 98 employers and employees across a UK city completed a survey; 15% identified as being autistic. Qualitative data were analysed using framework analysis.…

Studies of the general population suggest that the risk for mental health difficulties conferred by dispositional behavioural inhibition (BI) may be modified by self-regulation; however, this possibility has not been explored in the context of autism. This study investigated the moderating effects of attentional-, activation-, and inhibitory…

The purpose of the current study was to conduct a qualitative and experimental analysis of a culturally informed police safety skills training for adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The current study focused primarily on meeting the unique training needs of Black adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A single case design…

While there is wide consensus regarding the importance of early intervention, health is rarely considered within priorities. Twenty-five children on the autism spectrum (M[subscript age] = 4.67, SD = 0.82) participated in a 12-week physical activity intervention. Primary objective was to examine impact of a physical activity intervention on…

Research has found 96% of autistic individuals experience sensory processing difficulties, and being a parent presents many sensory demands that may be especially challenging for autistic mothers. Despite the high prevalence, no research exists exploring the sensory experiences of autistic mothers, highlighting the gap in current knowledge.…

We examined how sharing autism research articles via social and news media was associated with citations and downloads. We included articles published in 2019 from three autism-focused journals. Every 10 Twitter shares yielded a 4.4% increase in article downloads and 5.2% increase in citations. Articles with at least one Facebook post had 23.3%…

Background: Teachers' level of knowledge regarding autism and their attitudes towards inclusion are major levers for the successful schooling of autistic students. However, there are currently insufficient validated tools for evaluating these two concepts among teachers that are adapted to the French context and to the constraints of the classroom…