Purpose: Elementary-aged peers often need support for them to have positive interactions with classmates with autism who are minimally speaking (i.e., fewer than 30 functional spoken words). This study examined whether peers could learn to use responsive interaction strategies to support inclusive play and communication within a peer network…

Interventions utilizing human-computer interaction (HCI) in autism rehabilitation have gained popularity, yet their efficacy has not been fully elucidated. This meta-analysis assessed 30 international studies from the past decade that employed HCIs for autism intervention. The findings revealed a moderate positive effect (g = 0.484) on improving…

Each year, increasingly more children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are being served in schools. Many children with ASD are included in elementary music classrooms, but little is known about the experiences of these students and their teachers. For this study, we purposefully selected two elementary music teachers from participants in a…

There is a great demand for quality early intervention services for autistic children and their families. Caregiver-mediated interventions are critical components of evidence-based early intervention. However, their implementation in publicly funded systems is often done with poor fidelity. Qualitative evidence suggests that family characteristics…

Assessing functioning of children on the autism spectrum is necessary to determine the level of support they require to participate in everyday activities across contexts. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) is a comprehensive biopsychosocial framework recommended for classifying health-related functioning…

Children with autism spectrum disorder often demonstrate self-regulation challenges and academic difficulties. Although self-regulation has been well documented as an important factor for academic achievement in neurotypical children, little is known about how it is related to academic learning in autistic children, especially during preschool, a…

Genetic tests, such as Fragile X and Chromosomal Microarray, are recommended as a standard of care during the evaluation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders. However, previous research demonstrates low rates of genetic testing. This study aimed to identify the rates of genetic testing and patient demographic…

There is increasing interest in the use of games to scaffold social skills training for autistic children and youth. However, there is no consensus on how to best approach their design, so that learning opportunities are maximised. This article presents a systematic scoping review of empirical studies that use games as social skills training for…

This study explores the experiences and outcomes associated with the use of an autism alert card, developed to assist with the complexities of autism disclosure. A mixed-methods approach was employed, surveying 272 Australian participants, including 136 Autistic adults, 128 parents or caregivers of Autistic children and eight Autistic children.…

Autism can make menstruation and menopause and other aspects of reproductive and sexual health (RSH) more difficult. However, healthcare professionals (HCPs) often fail to provide autism-aware care, and often lack the skills or confidence to discuss RSH with patients. This study explored whether autistic people experience particular difficulties…

There are fewer females than males diagnosed with autism, but autistic females are said to be under-identified and underrepresented in the existing diagnostic and service systems. The gender discrepancy may potentially be attributed to the lack of accurate understanding of autistic females and their needs. Emerging research has begun to document…

Prelinguistic children with autism often struggle with social communication and language skills. Therefore, fostering these abilities is crucial, especially during early childhood. Teaching parents how to assist their children in these areas can be quite beneficial. 'Kids in the Kitchen'(KiK) is an intervention programme designed to instruct…

Culturally responsive interventions for autistic children and their families have been developed and implemented to address issues related to limited representation, inequities, and disparities in access to care of minoritized families in research. Currently available reviews are relatively limited in scope or do not synthesize interventions…

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a prevalent neurodevelopmental condition for which no prenatal or early life screening tests exist. Early life recognition of ASD is key to accessing behavioral intervention when brain plasticity is at its peak. The purpose of our study was to systematically review the literature researching parental perspectives…

This article offers a comparative thematic analysis of two datasets: the online writings of Autistic self-advocates on navigating neurotypical programs (emic dataset), and discussions on autism within the most widely circulated undergraduate Adapted Physical Activity (etic dataset). Our 3 themes describe some of the most significant ways that APA…