1. Dillenburger K. Letter to editor. Advances in Autism. 2025; 11(1): 1-4.

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2. İnci R, Sağlam M. Investigation of the effect of interactive art activity program on repetitive behaviors, social skills and parents’ emotions in children with autism spectrum disorder. Advances in Autism. 2025; 11(1): 5-18.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an interactive art activity program on repetitive behaviors, social skills and parents’ emotions in children with autism spectrum disorder. Design/methodology/approach The research was carried out in autism classes and special education and rehabilitation centers of children diagnosed with autism in Batman city center between September 2021 and March 2022. The study was concluded with 28 children with Autism spectrum disorder (5–17 years old) and their mothers (13 experiments, 15 controls). Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the ASSP-T Form, the Quality of Life in Autism Questionnaire-Parent Edition and the Social Impact Form of the Repetitive Behaviors in Children with Autism Scale. In the analysis, in the comparison of the pretest, posttest and retention data in the application group, repeated measures ANOVA was used if the data were suitable for normal distribution, and Friedman analysis was used if not. In the comparison of the data in the control group, the Paired T test was used if the data were suitable for normal distribution, and the Wilcoxon test was used if it was not. Findings After the training, it was concluded that there was a significant difference p < 0.05 on social skills, repetitive behaviors and quality of life of the children and mothers in the experimental group, and there was no significant difference in the control group in general. Research limitations/implications It was determined that the interactive art activity program of children with autism had a positive effect on repetitive behaviors, social skills and parents’ emotions. Originality/value Considering the positive effect of art activities on children’s social skills and repetitive behaviors, educational programs for children with autism can be integrated with art and sports activities, and the use of different areas of art and sports can be expanded, taking into account the interests and readiness of the children.

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3. Orel M, Licardo M. Systematic review of telepractice for early intervention with families of children with autism spectrum disorder. Advances in Autism. 2025; 11(1): 19-37.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyse recent empirical research that has explored the field of telepractice in early intervention for families of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Design/methodology/approach The systematic review included 16 studies from 2012 and 2022 that examined the field of telepractice in early intervention for families of children with ASD. Analyses focused on the accessibility of telepractice and comparison with traditional treatment, the effectiveness of telepractice for parents in learning strategies in the home environment and the effectiveness of telepractice for children with ASD. What are the differences related to formats of telepractice and whether telepractice presents some technical challenges for families? Findings The results indicate that telepractice can make an important contribution to more intensive and better quality treatment. The review of studies shows positive effects in terms of parental satisfaction and the effectiveness of telecare interventions for children. Some early intervention telepractice programmes also report improvements in parents’ use of strategies, communication skills, imitation skills and interaction with children. Research limitations/implications The studies reviewed were conducted on relatively small samples. Many of them did not include a control group. Only three studies compared traditional formats with distance treatments. Some studies did not include professional support for parents. Some studies had shorter time periods of distance treatment. Some studies had a high lack of feedback from parents on the use of telepractice. In the future, more randomized controlled trials should be conducted in the field of telepractice in early intervention, based on larger samples and including a control group. It would be advisable to compare the different types of distance treatments with each other and with the traditional face-to-face format. Further research should examine the impact of participant characteristics, socioeconomic status and participant demographics, together with individual needs, perceptions and treatment responses to telepractice. Given the mixed results regarding the impact of early distance treatment in reducing stress in parents, further research in this area is recommended. Practical implications From this systematic review, the authors can conclude that the optimal early intervention would be a hybrid training, i.e. the implementation of both approaches so that the family has the opportunity to have a traditional contact with a specialist and the use of telepractice, which can increase the number of treatments and reduce costs. The authors suggest that parents and telepractice providers be educated about the safe and appropriate use of telepractice. Professionals should also have coaching skills to conduct telepractice and adapt some strategies (such as prompting and modelling) taking into account the specific needs of parents and children and be frequently available to the family. There should also be higher levels of support for parents’ well-being. Social implications Policy proposals include raising the level of early intervention for children with ASD, as this can have more lasting effects for families of children with ASD. This may have an impact by reducing the costs of support for families later on. Funding is recommended for developers of online platforms that create a safe and effective basis for telecoaching practice, for appropriate technical equipment for professionals and families and for education for professionals in the use of telepractice. Originality/value Based on the analysis of the recent research, suggestions and guidelines for the effective use of telepractice in early intervention for children with ASD and their families are presented.

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4. Ranjbar F, Dadgar H, Azizi M, Dalvand H. The impact of parental stress, executive function and communication skills on challenging behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder. Advances in Autism. 2025; 11(1): 38-51.

Purpose This study aims to examine the concurrent influence of parental stress, executive functions and communication skills on challenging behaviors in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These behaviors are frequently exhibited by children with ASD and can be attributed to a variety of factors, including the child’s environment and their own level of development. Design/methodology/approach The current investigation was cross-sectional. Based on the inclusion criteria, 74 children with ASD were chosen, including those aged 4–7 years and 11 months, those with a moderate level of ASD and those without medical conditions or accompanying issues. Convenience sampling was implemented. Findings In children with ASD, challenging behaviors were observed to be significantly correlated with all three factors of parental stress, executive functions and communication skills (p < 0.05). Additionally, the executive functions were the most effective predictor of the frequency of challenging behaviors in these children. Furthermore, parental stress was the most effective predictor of the severity of challenging behaviors. Originality/value In previous research, the examination of the concurrent impact of factors that influence challenging behaviors demonstrated by children with ASD was restricted to the child’s level (executive functions and communication skills), whereas environmental factors such as parental stress were disregarded. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research to look at the concurrent influence of three crucial factors: parental stress, executive functioning and communication abilities on challenging behaviors in children with ASD. The findings suggest that interventions targeting challenging behaviors in children with ASD may benefit from addressing the child’s executive function difficulties and parental stress.

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5. Brighenti S, Cena F, Keller R. Personalized interactive urban maps for autism: an innovative approach involving persons with Level 1 autism spectrum disorder to user-centered design. Advances in Autism. 2025; 11(1): 52-66.

Purpose Because of social interaction difficulties, cognitive characteristics and sensory sensitivity, people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may struggle with independence and active participation in urban contexts. Through understanding how people with ASDs experience and perceive urban spaces, the Personalized Interactive Urban Maps for Autism (PIUMA) project’s purpose is to create a useful platform to support persons with ASD in their movements in the city, helping them in managing their daily lives, promoting their autonomy and active participation in urban contexts, taking in to account their direct point of view. This paper aim to present a user-centered approach involving autistic people. Design/methodology/approach The authors involved researchers with different backgrounds applying mixed research techniques such as semi-structured qualitative interviews, participatory design, exploiting user-adapted systems techniques, human–computer interaction techniques and interviews. The authors involved people with autism (PWA) from the beginning of the project to gain user requirements, as well as to assess the acceptability and effectiveness of our solution in the final stage. In specific phases of the project, the authors involved a group of parents of PWA and a group of neurotypical individuals as a control group. Findings The authors collected various data and created an App taking into account PWA needs, suggestions and points of view. Research limitations/implications Choosing different methodologies to allow participants to express their point of view, their needs and suggestions, the authors limited the quantitative data collected. The male-to-female ratio in the study, along with the sample size and participants’ age, can also be considered limitations. Practical implications The authors collected information about how autistic people move in urban contexts, represent the space of their cities, move independently and use technological devices. The data the author collected also provides suggestions about how to improve computer systems designed for them. Social implications The results suggest how to improve computer systems designed for autistic people and how to encourage their full participation in community life according to their cognitive and sensory characteristics. Originality/value The PIUMA project takes into account the direct input of PWA in all the different stages from conception and design to deployment of the device in a human-centered design approach.

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6. Vural B, Gürhan N, Geniş B, Özaslan A. Turkish adaptation of the behavioral flexibility scale for children with autism spectrum disorder: cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric evaluation. Advances in Autism. 2025; 11(1): 67-81.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to adapt the “Behavioral Flexibility Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” to Turkish culture and evaluate its psychometric properties. Design/methodology/approach The Behavioral Inflexibility Scale (BIS), developed by Luc Lecavalier and her colleagues, is used in diagnostic tests for autistic children. The research used a methodological design. Data were collected between March and September 2021. The study included 254 parents of children with autism. Content validity, construct validity and criterion validity were assessed. Reliability was examined using adjusted item-total correlation, Cronbach’s coefficient, composite reliability and split-second reliability. Findings The Turkish version of the “Behavioral Flexibility Scale for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” was found to have good content and criterion validity. The single-factor structure of the scale was confirmed for the Turkish version as a result of confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach alpha coefficient of the scale was determined as 0.97, and the item/total correlation coefficients were found to be between 0.544 and 0.807. In the first factor analysis conducted for BIS, the KMO value was 0.958, and in the BTS test results, it was determined that the scales were suitable for factor analysis (X2 = 7,296.05; df = 705; p < 0.001). As a result of the explanatory factor analysis, it was found that the items forming the scale were gathered under a single factor, and the factor loadings varied between 0.564 and 0.822. It was found that the items constituting the scale explained 52% of the variance, and the Pearson correlation coefficient was r = 0.775, p < 0.001. Research limitations/implications In this study, there are some limitations that need to be acknowledged. First, the sample that the study is based on was collected from parents from a single city in our country, and therefore, in future studies, it is recommended to use a stratified sampling method to include participants from all regions of the country. Another limitation is that the behavioral flexibility of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was assessed only based on the information provided by their parents. This leads to a one-sided evaluation of the results. Therefore, in future studies, it is recommended to include various sources such as special education teachers and attending physicians to assess the behavioral flexibility of children and adolescents with ASD. Practical implications The Behavioral Flexibility Scale was found to be a valid and reliable tool that can be used in diagnostic testing in children with ASD. Social implications It is aimed to early identify and intervene in the behavioral problems experienced by autistic children. Originality/value The Behavioral Flexibility Scale was found to be a valid and reliable tool that can be used in diagnostic testing in children with ASD.

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