Autistic adults are underemployed. This means that workplaces are not meeting expectations of support for autistic employees and are not benefitting from a diverse workforce. This brief study investigated the current understanding in UK workplaces of adjustments and confidence with regard to supporting autistic employees. An online questionnaire…

The impact of autism on the family is an area of study that merits further research attention. Much of the existing literature has focused on the parent perspective, with less emphasis on the experiences of other family members, particularly non-autistic siblings. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of a sample of nine 8- to…

Autistic meltdowns have been explored from the perspectives of parents, but there is a paucity of research on the experience of meltdowns from the autistic perspective. Little is known about how adults experience these events. In this descriptive phenomenological study, we conducted online interviews with 32 autistic adults on the experience of…

Social engagement is critical to the personal and social development of children. Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often exhibit low levels of social engagement with peers and adults, with clearly fewer instances of eye contact, initiation, joint attention, and empathy. Given the pivotal role of social engagement, procedures that…

Background: The term "weaponized autism" is frequently used on extremist platforms. To better understand this, we conducted a discourse analysis of posts on Gab, an alt-right social media platform. Methods: We analyzed 711 posts spanning 2018--2019 and filtered for variations on the term "weaponized autism". Results: This term…

Law enforcement officers are the primary individuals called and who respond to situations of heightened concern. They make split-second observations and decisions based on how best to react to given safety situations and those involved. Characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), if not properly understood and reacted to, may quickly…

We aimed to screen children aged 18-48 months in the general population of nine Russian regions for risk of mental, behavioral and developmental disorders (MBDDs) including autism spectrum disorders (ASD) using an original screening tool. The prevalence of the risk for MBDDs is 1307:10,000 (13.07%), the prevalence of clinically verified cases of…

Though autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits are associated with depression, it is unclear if school social capital mediates their association. We examined whether school social capital mediates the association between ASD traits and depression, and moderation effect of sex on the mediation effect among adolescents in a general population sample…

While research on the understanding of physics concepts in individuals with autism remains scarce, the ever-increasing number of these students in inclusive education nowadays makes their systematic education in all fields of learning necessary. For this purpose, an experimental investigation was conducted to compare 19 autistic adolescents with a…

To explore associations between autism traits and family functioning over time, we studied longitudinal data of a mixed group of 168 clinically referred autistic and non-autistic children. Cross-lagged models showed a significant association between fewer autism traits at the diagnostic assessment and better family functioning 1 year later for the…

Research shows significant rates of depressive symptoms in people with autistic spectrum disorder and intellectual disabilities. Finding factors related to the development of depression in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability is necessary. Emotion regulation is associated with depression in autism spectrum disorder and intellectual…

With technological developments in the 21st century, robot applications have proven to be beneficial in providing some opportunities to help with teaching numerous skills such as joint attention and social skills to children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). However, in the studies investigating the effects of robots on joint attention (JA) in…

Autistic people face many challenges entering the workforce, for example, during job interviews where performance is reliant on particular social skills. To be competitive during job interviews, autistic people may experience pressure to conceal or 'camouflage' their autistic traits and behaviour. This qualitative study used semi-structured…

Stigma concepts among families of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities have received increased attention from researchers in the past decade. With a growing number of studies published, there are also notable discrepancies in conceptualizations and uses of stigma terms among scholars. These variations may result in inadequate…

The purpose of this article is to explore the intersectionality of autism and sociocultural factors as well as discuss the complexities associated with appropriate assessment, diagnosis, and intervention. Based on a review of the literature, the authors present a brief history of the emergence of the term autism and highlight factors that have…