Sensory features are part of the diagnostic criteria for autism and include sensory hypo/hyper reactivity and unusual sensory interest; however, additional sensory differences, namely differences in sensory integration, have not been routinely explored. This study characterized sensory integration differences in a cohort of children (n = 93) with…

The efficacy of the Australian Disability Employment Services (DES) for autistic jobseekers has not been examined and is currently undergoing Government reform. To help inform the new DES strategy, we sought the views of: 24 autistic individuals; seven family members of autistic individuals, and; 46 DES employees. Data were collected using surveys…

Background and aims: Guidelines regarding social cognitive interventions for autistic children suggest incorporating a holistic approach. This includes increasing the family's understanding of difficulties associated with autism, integrations of natural environments, and parents as active agents in the intervention while being supported for their…

Social Stories (SS) serve as a catalyst to increase social engagement for children with autism. While numerous studies have examined the impact of SS on behavior, the research has mostly focused on static, paper-based stories. This study breaks new ground by examining Interactive Social Stories (ISS), which offer a more inclusive and dynamic…

Recognising emotions, facial expressions and tone of voice and body language, expressing and managing their own emotions, and understanding and responding to other people's emotions are often difficult for children with autism spectrum disorder. Since the emotional codes of individuals with autism spectrum disorder are different, those people will…

This study explored how best to implement Music Therapy (MT) in any hospital setting when working with autistic children, teenagers, and adults. Baldrige's theory and concepts were used as a benchmark to facilitate all findings through the research conducted. Multiple factors affect the workforce and the existing staff at a large medical facility…

The purpose of this case study was to explore the transitional process and support systems for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) matriculating at institutions of higher education without formalized ASD-support programs. Students with ASD experience increased transitional challenges as they begin their college careers due to their…

Background: Weak theory of mind (ToM) ability is a core deficit in children with autism. A growing body of work has found that there is a close relation between complement syntax and ToM in autistic children. However, researchers have not yet investigated whether other linguistic components may explain the difficulties in ToM reasoning in autistic…

Intervention and education programs for autistic individuals have been greatly informed by the medical model of disease/disability. Under this model, autism is seen as something to be fixed or remediated, and interventions have often focused on reducing autistic traits in an effort to get the autistic person to appear more "typical."…

This applied dissertation was designed to evaluate alternative and effective forms of instruction for young students with autism spectrum disorder. The researcher examined and compared the difference in the instructional formats of 1:1 discrete trial teaching and small-group discrete trial teaching. Targets were chosen in receptive language and…

Background: Nutrition is important in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Because nutritional problems of children with ASD can lead to nutritional deficiencies and this can also directly or indirectly affect symptoms related to autism. We investigated the effect of diet and supplementation treatments on gastrointestinal, behavioral or sleep problems…

Individuals with autism spectrum disorders and other developmental disabilities (ASD/DD) often need to be explicitly taught personal hygiene skills (e.g., menstrual care, penile care and washing and cleaning of intimate body parts). The taboo and private nature of intimate care skills has often led practitioners to avoid teaching these skills…

This study systematically reviewed the sexual violence literature among autistic individuals by identifying prevalence rates, assessment approaches, and outcomes of sexual violence exposure, as well as risk and protective factors. Overall, 22 articles met inclusion criteria. Nine studies reported elevated rates of sexual violence in autistic…

Children with mucopolysaccharidosis IIIA (MPS-IIIA) may receive a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) due to MPS-IIIA's initial symptom similarities with ASD. This may lead to professionals receiving referrals to work with these children but unaware of how these children may respond differently to treatment. To appropriately work with…

It remains unclear if participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) differs between children with ASD and typically developing children (TDC). We compared daily MVPA, time spent in MVPA during physical education (PE) and recess, and odds of not meeting MVPA recommendation (60 min/day) between children with ASD and TDC. Nine…