Advances in Autism – 11-2
1. Chown NP. Letter to the editor: Dillenburger on Kupferstein: applied behaviour analysis, autism, and post-traumatic stress symptoms. Advances in Autism;2025;11(2):85-88.
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2. Steiner-Hofbauer V, Dorczok MC, Mittmann G. Attitudes towards autistic characters in mainstream series and connections with viewers’ own characteristics: an exploratory study. Advances in Autism;2025;11(2):89-99.
Purpose This exploratory study aims to investigate viewers’ attitudes towards series with autistic characters. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in the depiction of autistic characters or characters displaying autistic symptoms in mainstream series. While research calls for a more realistic portrayal of these characters, little is known about viewers’ attitudes towards the portrayal of autistic characters. Design/methodology/approach Using an online questionnaire, the authors collected data from 348 young adults regarding their media consumption habits related to 15 different series featuring autistic characters. Additionally, the authors used an emotion recognition task (ERT). Findings The results show that participants expressed a stronger preference for series depicting characters with savant abilities compared to more “realistic” portrayals of autism. However, participants with lower scores in the ERT tended to watch series without savantism significantly more often. The findings revealed no significant differences based on sex in terms of viewership or preference for these series. These results suggest that biased or stigmatising portrayals may in part be influenced by viewers’ inclination towards savant characters. This study sheds light on viewers’ perceptions of television series featuring autistic characters, revealing potential preferences and the influence of certain character traits. Research limitations/implications Because of the exploratory nature of this study, further research is needed to enhance our understanding of the impact of media portrayals on attitudes towards autism. Originality/value The results suggest that biased or stigmatising portrayals may in part be influenced by viewers’ inclination towards savant characters. This study sheds light on viewers’ perceptions of television series featuring autistic characters, revealing potential preferences and the influence of certain character traits.
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3. Trundle G, Alexander Z, Chester V. Put autistic women and girls at the heart: exploring the experiences of autistic women during diagnostic assessments in the UK. Advances in Autism;2025;11(2):100-113.
Purpose It is suggested that autism assessments are not sensitive to the female autism presentation. Autistic women are often misdiagnosed or delayed in receiving their diagnosis. More guidance for assessing clinicians is required to improve the validity and effectiveness of autism diagnostic assessments of women. This study aims to explore the experiences of autistic women during their diagnostic assessments and understand what they considered important for diagnostic assessments of females. Design/methodology/approach A focus group with four adult autistic women was conducted, exploring their experiences and recommendations. Thematic analysis was used to identify overarching themes. Findings The main themes were 1) experience of the assessment; 2) gender-sensitive assessment content; and 3) clinician characteristics and skills. Participants made specific recommendations within these themes for how diagnostic assessments of females should be conducted. Originality/value This study differs from previous research by focusing on the experiences of autistic women specifically during diagnostic assessments and what they recommend for future assessments.
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4. Boy C, Truijens FL, Louwerse A, Visser K, Bastiaansen D, Ester WA, Van Rijen EHM, Van der Hallen R, Dekker LP. Stability of emotional and behavioral problems in autistic children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Advances in Autism;2025;11(2):114-129.
Purpose The lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on autistic children and adolescents remains uncertain. Disruptions to routines, social communication and support systems presented unique challenges. The existing body of research has produced inconclusive results, necessitating further investigation to elucidate this ambiguity. This study aims to provide clarity regarding the emotional and behavioral functioning of autistic youth in response to COVID-19 related lockdowns. We further explore distinct subgroups of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), investigating the socially inflexible and demand avoidant profile. Design/methodology/approach To surpass short-term outcomes, this study examined emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs) by means of the Brief Problem Monitor in 69 autistic youth before, during and after a national lockdown in the Netherlands. Using individualized measurement (Reliable Change Indices), group-level changes were discerned. An exploratory analysis compared individuals from the socially inflexible and demand avoidant profile. Findings Both on a group and individual level, this findings suggest stability of EBPs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its corresponding measures. However, while the demand avoidant profile showed significantly more EBPs compared to the socially inflexible profile prior to the pandemic, the two profiles showed similar EBPs levels during and post-pandemic. Taken together, autistic youth and their families may have exhibited unique adaption strategies toward challenges caused by the pandemic and managed them better than initially expected. Originality/value The findings urge to look beyond group level functioning, and rather into nuances in ASD profiles to tailor interventions and support to the needs of autistic youth and families. A novelty of the study consists in having identified two different autism profiles to explain differences among subgroups of ASD.
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5. Leow YJ, Chen M, Ho M-HR. Effects of episodic versus thematic framings on the public’s stigma towards autism. Advances in Autism;2025;11(2):130-143.
Purpose This study aims to investigate how framing a news article differently could affect the public’s stigma towards autism. Design/methodology/approach A total of 117 adult participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions where they read a news article framed: (1) episodically; or (2) thematically. The news articles as experimental stimuli were derived from a real news article on Channel NewsAsia that had received the most views on the topic about autism over the period 2022 to 2023. Participants filled out the pre- and post-test questionnaires including the Bogardus Social Distance scale as the measure of stigma towards autism. Findings Results indicated that reading the news article, either thematically or episodically framed, significantly increased the public’s stigma towards autism, reflected on the social distance measure. Reading a news article framed episodically increased public’s stigma towards autism more than reading a news article framed thematically. Qualitative feedback suggests that participants thought the news articles were generally negatively written, which could have contributed to the increased stigma. Originality/value This study was an initial attempt to experimentally examine how news articles written in different ways could influence the public’s stigma towards autism. The findings highlight that the issue regarding media coverage of autism deserves more attention.
