1. Aponte EA, Tillmann J, Gleissl T, Del Valle Rubido M, Murtagh L, Sanders K, Chatham CH, Wiese T, Suter EE. Anxiety, repetitive and restricted behaviors and interests, and social communication in autistic adults: an exploratory analysis of a phase 3, randomized clinical trial. Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1): 38912.

Autistic adults are highly vulnerable to mental health problems and yet, our understanding of co-occurring psychiatric disorders in this population is limited. Anxiety is one of the most pervasive psychiatric disorders that affects autistic adults. Here, we investigated the association between anxiety, restricted and repeated behaviors and interests (RRB), and challenges in social communication and interaction (CSCI) as a post-hoc analysis of a large Phase 3 clinical trial (NCT03504917). The study enrolled 322 adults (64 females, age 27 ± 10) assessed at baseline and weeks 12, 24, 36, and 52, with the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, the Repetitive Behaviors Scale – Revised, and the Vineland-II for CSCI. All analyses were blind to treatment assignment as the primary study analysis had found no treatment effects. Anxiety levels were significantly correlated with RRB and CSCI at baseline (RRB: r = 0.19, P < 10(-3); CSCI=-0.13, P = 0.02) and across the entire study (RRB: r = 0.22, P < 10(-3); CSCI=-0.16, P < 0.01). However, a mediation analysis revealed that the effect of CSCI on anxiety was fully explained by RRB (P = 0.17). While no causal relationship between both symptom domains has been established yet, our findings suggest that anxiety symptoms are associated with increased RRB, warranting further exploration of a potential causal association and implications for treatment.Clinical trial registration: The research presented is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with the code NCT03504917.

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2. Dalton E, Calarge C, Reece J, Nibras S, Ayoub-Rodriguez L, Banerjee A, Gao X, Bobbitt D, August E, Rudder C, Doupnik S, Klinepeter E. Psychiatric Boarding Hospitalizations for Children With Autism in a Children’s Hospital System. Hosp Pediatr. 2025.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to be hospitalized for psychiatric disorders than their neurotypical peers. Hospitalized children with ASD are at higher risk of experiencing agitation and physical restraint use. We aimed to compare the demographics and outcomes of psychiatric boarding hospitalizations for children with ASD between 1 main campus with enhanced psychiatric resources and 2 community campuses with limited psychiatric resources in the same children’s hospital system. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of children with ASD hospitalized for psychiatric boarding and referred to psychiatry and psychology services across a children’s hospital system between October 2020 and September 2024. Patients’ ASD diagnosis and medical clearance were verified during psychology evaluation. RESULTS: During the 4-year period, 174 children with ASD experienced 347 psychiatric boarding hospitalizations across the hospital system, of which 77% were at the main campus and 23% at community campuses. The patients’ median age was 13 years (IQR, 11-16) and 72% were male. The median length of stay was 6 days (IQR, 4-11), with 80% discharged to an outpatient setting. Staff injury incidence was significantly lower at the main campus than at community campuses (22% vs 42%; P = .02), but physical restraint incidence did not differ significantly between campuses. CONCLUSIONS: Staff injuries were significantly less frequent during psychiatric boarding hospitalizations for children with ASD at the main campus with enhanced resources, but physical restraint use was not. Future research should further examine the relationship between ASD care models and safety outcomes across diverse pediatric inpatient settings.

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3. Fithriyah I, Irwanto I, Setiawati Y, Widjiati W. Effect of valproic acid administration on motor coordination and sensory function in Mus musculus as an autism animal model. Open Vet J. 2025; 15(9): 4242-7.

BACKGROUND: The cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is currently still unclear. Research on the etiology and biomolecular aspects of autism is needed to develop further prevention and therapy strategies. Animal models of autism are needed for further research. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the effect of valproic acid administration on motor coordination and sensory function in Mus musculus as an animal model of autism. METHODS: This study used M. musculus that were ready to be mated and waited until they were pregnant. Randomization was carried out using the website random.org, and the participants were divided into two groups: the control and experimental groups. On embryo day 12.5, the control group was injected intraperitoneally with normal saline, and the experimental group was injected intraperitoneally with 600 mg/kg body weight of valproic acid. The offspring of the mice underwent autism symptom behavior test, motor coordination, and pain response. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the negative geotropism test and hot plate test between the control and experimental groups (p < 0.05). The experimental group that was intraperitoneally injected with valproic acid takes longer to reorient on an inclined plane as part of motor coordination skills. The experimental group also provided a longer response time to heat stimuli on a hot plate, indicating an abnormal response to pain stimuli. CONCLUSION: Intraperitoneally injected M. musculus with valproic acid showed symptoms of autism, especially disorders in motor coordination and response to pain stimuli.

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4. Jiao Y, Wei X, He L, Zhang Y. A functional system-informed graph neural network framework to quantify interpretable brain dysfunction in ASD. Neural Netw. 2025; 195: 108295.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders affecting patients from childhood to adulthood. Yet, its pathological mechanism has not been conclusively established, and its diagnosis mainly depends on subjective assessments of clinical or behavioral measures. In the human brain, connectivity is ubiquitous between brain regions that share functional properties, and groups of brain regions spontaneously assemble into large-scale systems as per their functions. In this study, we propose functional system-informed graph neural network (FS-GNN), a framework using functional magnetic resonance images (fMRI) to diagnose ASD and unveil new perceptions of ASD-related dysfunctions by fully leveraging the topological and functional information underlying the brain connectome. Specifically, we introduce a learnable positional encoding approach for brain regions of interest (ROIs) concerning their natural locations and functional interactions. The large-scale brain systems are integrated as prior knowledge into the graph representation learning to aid the model in identifying clusters of functionality. A graph readout with system-driven regularization is also developed to automatically weigh the ROIs in respect of their contribution to the classification. Experimental results on a multi-site database known as Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) validate the efficacy of FS-GNN by outperforming prevalent machine learning and GNN approaches, reaching 75.02 % accuracy, 73.22 % precision, and 71.64 % recall in ASD diagnosis. The brain dysfunctions detected by our model from both ROI and system levels achieve high agreement with previous fMRI-derived evidence of ASD biomarkers. The results demonstrate the strength of our proposed FS-GNN in discovering interpretable and trustworthy neural patterns for a more precise diagnosis of ASD.

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5. Kang J, Li Y, Wu J, Mao W, Li X, Li X, Su R. Multiscale static and dynamic brain functional network analysis reveals aberrant connectivity patterns in preschool children with autism spectrum disorder. Behav Brain Res. 2025; 498: 115931.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with altered brain functional connectivity, but findings regarding the nature of these abnormalities remain inconsistent, partly due to methodological limitations and the disorder’s intrinsic heterogeneity. This study aims to provide a comprehensive characterization of functional network alterations in preschool children with ASD by integrating low- and high-order functional connectivity (LOFC/HOFC), static and dynamic network analysis, and entropy-based state transition assessment. METHODS: EEG data were collected from 32 children with ASD and 32 typically developing (TD) children during resting state. Static and dynamic LOFC and HOFC networks were constructed across four frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta). Graph theoretical measures (clustering coefficient, characteristic path length, global and local efficiency) and state entropy were computed to assess network organization and dynamic integration-segregation transitions. RESULTS: Compared to TD children, those with ASD exhibited decreased LOFC strength in theta, alpha, and beta bands but increased strength in the delta band. In contrast, HOFC analysis revealed higher connectivity in ASD across delta, theta, and alpha bands. Graph metrics showed significantly lower clustering, efficiency, and higher path lengths in the ASD group, indicating reduced integrative capacity. Dynamic network analysis further revealed altered state entropy in ASD, suggesting impaired flexibility in transitioning between network integration and segregation. These alterations varied across frequency bands and time scales, with distinct patterns between LOFC and HOFC. CONCLUSION: This multiscale approach demonstrates that ASD in early childhood is characterized by both hypo- and hyper-connectivity, disrupted topological organization, and abnormal temporal dynamics in brain networks. The integration of hierarchical connectivity analysis with dynamic measures provides novel insights into the neurophysiological underpinnings of ASD and may inform future biomarker development.

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6. Kiykim E. Can Folinic Acid Be a Treatment Option for Autism?. Turk Arch Pediatr. 2025.

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7. Lawson W. Research by autistic researchers: an « insider’s view » into autism. The autistic way of being. Front Psychiatry. 2025; 16: 1664507.

This paper introduces us to an increasingly popular understanding of autism, but as understood and experienced by Autistic people: the descriptive theory of Monotropism. Initially this paper sets out the background to monotropism as the author briefly mentions various autism theories and highlights some reasons why such theories didn’t resonate with Autistic people. Uncovering how monotropism explains autism and Autistic experience takes the reader into the very heart of Autistic experience in ways not previously shown. As well as discussing attention, interest and connections to the Autistic sensory experiences (external and internal) the author highlights the experience of Object Permanence (OP) and its impact upon Autistic lives. Current research is beginning to demonstrate that OP is experienced differently in Autistic lives to non-autistic lives. Initially though Autistic people were thought to relate to OP in similar ways to non-autistic people (e.g.), although there were hints that aspects of OP in Autistic people were experienced differently. The reasons for why monotropism has grown in popularity and how this theory explains the Autistic experience are set out below.

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8. Li Y, Guan S, Yang D, Li D, Xu Q, Zhang Y, Li R. Inter-brain synchrony to delineate the social impairment in autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review on hyperscanning studies. Psychoradiology. 2025; 5: kkaf025.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder marked by significant deficits in social interaction and restricted repetitive behaviors. Despite rigorous research efforts, the early and effective diagnosis and intervention of ASD remain challenging, due primarily to its considerable heterogeneity and complex neurobiological underpinnings. Traditional neuroimaging techniques have largely focused on individual brain responses to social stimuli, often overlooking the critical interactive dynamics that contribute to social impairments in individuals with ASD. This review explored hyperscanning, an innovative neuroimaging approach that features simultaneous recording of brain activity across multiple individuals, to enhance our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social difficulties in ASD. By searching published articles conducted between 2000 and 2024, we found eight empirical studies conducted between 2012 and 2024, which employed various brain imaging techniques. We analyzed and summarized participant demographics, experimental designs, and key outcomes, with a particular focus on inter-brain synchrony (IBS) as a measure of social engagement and the quality of interpersonal interactions. Our review identified specific patterns of neural synchrony that correlate with the severity of ASD symptoms. Furthermore, we critically evaluated the limitations of current studies and proposed future research directions, highlighting the need for more nuanced hyperscanning methodologies. Such advancements could significantly deepen our understanding of social impairments in ASD and inform targeted intervention strategies. This comprehensive review aimed to assess the potential of hyperscanning techniques to propel progress in ASD research and intervention, ultimately contributing to more effective clinical practices.

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9. Liu H, Liu G, Zhang Y, Suo W, Hao Y, Wang Y, Ding H. Bifidobacterium adolescentis DM8504 Alleviates Autistic-Like Behaviors in Valproic Acid-Exposed Rats Through Gut Microbiota Modulation and SCFA Restoration. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2025; 21: 2449-63.

OBJECTIVE: Compelling evidence has confirmed that gut microbiota dysbiosis is involved in the development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Microbial-based therapies, including probiotics, may provide novel options for ASD management. This study aimed to investigate the alleviative effect of a probiotic strain, Bifidobacterium adolescentis (B. adolescentis) DM8504, on autistic-like behaviors in rats exposed to valproic acid (VPA). METHODS: Male offspring of VPA-exposed pregnant Sprague-Dawley rats treated with B. adolescentis DM8504 were subjected to behavioral tests. Fecal short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) and microbiota composition were determined by targeted metabolomics and 16S rRNA gene sequencing, respectively. Microbial functional profiles were analyzed using the KEGG and COG pathway analyses. RESULTS: B. adolescentis DM8504 alleviated autistic-like behaviors in VPA-exposed rats, as evidenced by enhanced locomotor activity, exploratory behavior, sociability, spatial working memory, and depression relief. B. adolescentis DM8504 treatment significantly enhanced the fecal levels of acetic acid, butyric acid, isobutyric acid, propionic acid, and hexanoic acid, and restored the diversity of gut microbiota composition in VPA-exposed rats. Specifically, B. adolescentis DM8504 increased the abundance of gut bacterial species capable of producing SCFAs in VPA-exposed rats, including Bifidobacterium, Faecalibacterium, Eubacterium, and Lachnospiraceae_ NK4A136_group. In addition, microbial functional profile analysis showed that B. adolescentis DM8504 administration reversed the alterations in COG and KEGG pathways induced by VPA exposure. CONCLUSION: These findings reveal that B. adolescentis DM8504 alleviates autistic-like behaviors in VPA-exposed rats through restoration of SCFA levels and enrichment of SCFA-producing bacteria, which indicate that well-defined B. adolescentis strains may have potential for the management of children with ASD in the future.

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10. Ma Y, Bauer HF, Bockmann J, Schön M, Boeckers TM, Lutz AK. Shank3 related oligodendrocyte alterations in autism are restored by Erk pathway inhibition. Mol Psychiatry. 2025.

White matter abnormalities are consistently observed in Shank3-related autism spectrum disorders (ASD), yet the mechanisms underlying oligodendrocyte dysfunction and myelination deficits remain poorly characterized. Here, we demonstrate that Shank3 deficiency disrupts oligodendrocyte development by promoting oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) proliferation while impairing functional maturation and myelination. Mechanistically, Shank3 deficiency induced hyperactivation of the Erk signalling pathway, which compromised oligodendrocyte maturation and contributes to hypomyelination. Pharmacological inhibition of the Erk pathway effectively restored oligodendrocyte maturation in vitro, rescued myelination deficits in vivo, and partially improved autism-related behaviors and motor function in Shank3-deficient mice. Transcriptomic analyses furtherly revealed dysregulation of Wnt signalling, particularly the upregulation of Wnt5a, a key ligand of the non-canonical Wnt pathway, in Shank3-deficient oligodendrocytes. Consistently, Wnt5a treatment was found to activate Erk signalling in primary oligodendrocytes and replicate the observed myelination deficits. These findings uncover the Wnt5a-Erk axis as a critical regulator of oligodendrocyte dysfunction in Shank3-related ASD and highlight its therapeutic potential for addressing associated white matter deficits.

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11. Martínez-de Castro S, Bermúdez-Saiz A, Cobo-Sánchez JL. Case report: Autism spectrum disorder as the basis of a feeding problem. A view from nursing care. Enferm Clin (Engl Ed). 2025: 502360.

This case report presents the nursing approach to a 38-year-old woman diagnosed with restrictive-type anorexia nervosa (AN) since the age of 15 and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at 35. The patient was admitted due to structured suicidal ideation with a high risk of acting on it, triggered by the experience of significant personal losses. A comprehensive assessment was conducted using Gordon’s functional health patterns, identifying the following nursing diagnoses: ineffective health self-management, impaired social interaction, imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements, and constipation. Additionally, collaborative problems such as insomnia, chronic pain, and suicidal behaviour risk were identified. The care plan was designed following the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) and the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), incorporating individualised interventions that included adapting the environment to the sensory and communicative needs associated with ASD, as well as implementing a personalized educational strategy to promote health self-management. After three months of hospitalization, notable improvements were observed in emotional regulation, coping mechanisms, and the resolution of suicidal ideation. Furthermore, a weight gain of 7 kg was achieved, placing the patient within the normal BMI range. This case highlights the importance of specialised mental health nursing care and the need to tailor interventions to comprehensively address the needs resulting from the coexistence of ASD and AN.

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12. McCormick CEB, Osnaya RA, Borosh AM, Collins H, Kelleher BL, DeMaria AL. Delivered Right to Your Own Home: Community Perspectives on Home-Based Kits for Studying Genetic and Environmental Factors Related to Later Autism Diagnosis. J Autism Dev Disord. 2025.

PURPOSE: Autism Spectrum Disorder (autism) has a complex and multifaceted causal pathway involving both biological and environmental variables. Despite growing interest in early identification, opportunities to collect and integrate diverse presymptomatic data remain limited. This study aimed to inform the design of an at-home assessment kit for collecting genetic and environmental data related to later autism diagnosis by interviewing interestholders about the acceptability and feasibility of such a kit. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 22 mothers or future mothers of children from groups associated with varying genetic and environmental factors related to later autism diagnosis. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis, including second cycle and axial coding. RESULTS: Seven primary themes emerged from the analysis: (a) willingness; (b) concerns; (c) supports; (d) research participation; (e) goals of research; and (f) impediments to research engagement. Participants expressed general willingness to collect samples at home, especially when research goals were aligned with their own values. Subthemes highlighted key considerations such as the importance of child consent, potential burden of collection, and adherence to ethical research standards. CONCLUSION: Interestholders are open to participating in at-home data collection of genetic and environmental markers associated with future autism diagnosis, provided the procedures are ethical and practical. These findings offer critical guidance for designing accessible and acceptable home-based tools for presymptomatic data collection of biological and environmental variables related to future autism diagnosis.

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13. Morin M, Yin W, MacLean H, Devlin B, Reichenberg A, Swan SH, Buxbaum JD, Schendel D, Persson M, Laursen TM, Kolevzon A, Grove J, Klei L, Roeder K, Sandin S. Maternal body mass index in early pregnancy and autism in offspring: a population-based cohort study in Sweden and Denmark. BMC Med. 2025; 23(1): 620.

BACKGROUND: Elevated maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) has been suggested to increase risk of offspring autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but evidence is mixed across heterogeneous studies and robust estimates spanning the full BMI range are lacking. This study examined the association between maternal BMI and offspring ASD in a harmonized, two-nation study and across the full BMI range. METHODS: We included all singleton children born in Denmark 2004-2018 and Sweden 1998-2019 to parents of Nordic origin (n = 2,072,445), with follow-up from age 2 until 31 December 2021, or 2022, respectively. Maternal BMI recorded at the first antenatal visit was obtained from the Swedish and Danish Medical Birth Registers and was analyzed as a continuous variable and in World Health Organization-defined categories of underweight (BMI < 18.5), normal weight (18.5-24.9), overweight (25-29.9), obese class I (30-34.9), and obese class II-III (≥ 35). The relative risk of ASD was estimated as hazard ratios (HR) from Cox regression models, adjusted for birth year and parental age, educational level, income, and psychiatric history at time of childbirth, using data from national health and population registers. Both country-specific and pooled analyses were conducted. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses, including a sibling comparison, were performed to address the specificity and robustness of findings. RESULTS: A total of 58,416 (2.8%) children were diagnosed with ASD during follow-up. The risk of ASD exhibited a J-shaped association with BMI, which gradually increased for mothers with both lower and higher BMI compared to BMI 22 (mid-normal range) (HR = 1.16 [95% CI 1.06-1.27] for BMI 15, and HR = 1.50 [95% CI 1.46-1.53] for BMI 30 in the fully adjusted model). Adjustment for familial factors in a sibling comparison attenuated associations. CONCLUSIONS: Both high and low maternal BMI are associated with an increased risk of ASD in the offspring. Familial factors, including genetic and environmental components consistent between siblings, may explain part of the association.

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14. Ndou-Chikwena NN, Sefotho MM, Ameen N. Resilient narratives of a single mother raising a child with autism spectrum disorder: A neurodiversity perspective. Afr J Disabil. 2025; 14: 1727.

BACKGROUND: Research on experiences of mothers with children living with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has predominantly focused on psychological distress and caregiving burdens, presenting deficit-centred narratives which inadequately capture other complex narratives of single mothers. OBJECTIVES: This study explored the experiences of a South African single mother, Buhle, in raising a daughter with ASD, focusing on resilience development and acceptance within cultural contexts where ASD and her social status are misunderstood. The study adopts neurodiversity theory and the concept of resilience as its conceptual framework. METHOD: Employing an interpretivism paradigm and a single case study research design, data were collected through semi-structured and unstructured interviews. Ethics approval was obtained from the University of Johannesburg. Buhle provided informed consent, allowing her information to be used for research. RESULTS: Narrative analysis was used to delve deeply into Buhle’s personal and emotional experiences. These narrative themes emerged: navigating the initial trauma of prognosis and diagnosis, building a network of understanding, managing resources without shared responsibilities and transforming challenges to empowerment through social networking, education and advocacy. CONCLUSION: The findings challenge deficit narratives by revealing how some single mothers can foster resilience despite significant challenges in raising neurodivergent children in an African cultural context. The South African government’s provision of social and economic support also partly enables resilience. CONTRIBUTION: Community-based initiatives should boost public awareness and alleviate the cultural stigma surrounding neurodevelopmental conditions; prioritise resilience, strategy sharing, and advocacy to empower single mothers from survival to empowerment. Public healthcare support services must be improved.

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15. Paolizzi E, Cavalli G, Lee NR, Vivanti G. Visual statistical learning and social attention in neurotypical, minimally speaking and speaking autistic preschoolers. Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1): 38952.

Autistic children experience atypical patterns of spoken language acquisition, yet the mechanisms underlying these differences remain poorly understood. In typical development, spoken language acquisition is gated by statistical learning abilities (the ability to detect patterns) and social attention (preferential engagement with social vs. non-social stimuli). The potential role of these mechanisms in the spoken language atypicalities seen in autism are under-researched, partly due to the methodological barriers when assessing children with minimal spoken language in this population. Here we examined statistical learning and social attention in 13 autistic preschoolers who use spoken language (mean chronological age = 34.38, SD = 8.16), 15 autistic preschoolers with minimal or no spoken language (mean chronological age = 30.20, SD = 7.07), and 15 neurotypical peers (mean chronological age = 36.73, SD = 6.51) using novel eye-tracking paradigms. Participants across groups showed evidence of statistical learning (anticipation of future events based on previous events) and showed preferential attention for social over non-social stimuli, with no between-groups differences. Within-group analyses revealed no association between spoken language skills, measured via the Mullen Scales of Early Learning Expressive Language and the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales Expressive Communication subscales, and total fixation duration indexes of statistical learning and social attention in the eye-tracking paradigms. Our findings point to previously unknown strengths in autistic children who are minimally speaking across statistical learning and social attention, suggesting that spoken language differences in this population might be unrelated to these domains.

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16. Park SK, Cho JH, Lee H, Kim SH. Patterns of social participation among people with developmental disabilities and associated factors in South Korea. Res Dev Disabil. 2025; 167: 105138.

BACKGROUND: Despite growing interest in expanding the scope of social participation from passive to active, few studies have empirically examined participation patterns among people with developmental disabilities (DD), particularly in South Korea. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to (1) identify latent classes of social participation among individuals with DD and (2) examine demographic, physiological, and psychosocial characteristics associated with each class. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2020 Survey of Work and Life with Developmental Disabilities in South Korea (N = 3000). Latent Class Analysis (LCA), using 14 indicators of social participation, identified subgroups. Subsequently, multinomial logistic regression examined the associations between class membership and demographic, physiological, and psychosocial characteristics. RESULTS: The LCA identified four social participation classes: (1) active involvement (21.8 %), characterized by high functioning and diverse social engagement; (2) moderately active involvement (11.6 %), with relatively high engagement in cultural and leisure activities despite lower ADL/IADL functioning and self-determination; (3) passive involvement (40.1 %), with low social participation despite fewer daily functioning difficulties; and (4) social exclusion (26.5 %), marked by major difficulties in both daily and social activities. Multinomial regression analysis showed that the active or moderately active involvement classes were more likely to report individuals aged 10-30, with a college education, high smartphone proficiency, good health, mild disabilities, and high family support than the social exclusion class. Interestingly, the moderately active involvement class was more likely to be teens and at risk of discrimination compared to the social exclusion class, while the passive involvement class was more likely to be over 40 compared to the other three classes. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the importance of considering the unique characteristics of each class in effectively promoting active social participation among individuals with DD.

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17. Rivard M, Boulé M, Morin M, Abouzeid N, Chatenoud C, Morin D, Mello C, Gore N, Bradshaw J, Hastings R. Early positive approaches to support for family carers of young children with developmental disabilities: adaptation and piloting in Quebec public services. Front Rehabil Sci. 2025; 6: 1627502.

BACKGROUND: This paper presents the participative research undertaken to adapt and pilot the Early Positive Approaches to Support (E-PAtS) program, originally developed and evaluated in English for use in the United-Kingdom, for implementation within Québec’s public health and social services. E-PAtS supports family carers of young children with developmental disabilities by promoting their well-being and adjustment early in their services trajectory. METHOD: The program was translated into French and iteratively adapted based on feedback from six pilot cohorts conducted across four diverse clinical settings: a rural service center, an urban center, a specialized pediatric hospital, and a diagnostic clinic. These sites were selected to ensure demographic and geographic representativity of Québec’s population, and participating families also reflected a range of backgrounds. The adaptation process was grounded in community-based participatory research principles, actively involving parents, practitioners, managers, and researchers. Changes to the program’s content and delivery were made according to partner recommendations. Evaluation focused on social validity, effectiveness, feasibility, and fidelity of implementation. RESULTS: Participating parents completed questionnaires and interviews, reporting improved well-being and greater confidence in self-care, indicating the program’s relevance and positive impact. Fidelity of implementation was assessed using the E-PAtS fidelity checklist, and feasibility was evaluated through session attendance logs. Both indicators were considered strong, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Findings support the adapted E-PAtS program’s suitability for Québec’s public services, with further refinements recommended for broader dissemination. This study highlights the value of participatory approaches in adapting evidence-based interventions across cultural and service delivery contexts.

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18. Sollis LJ, Wall DP, Washington PY. Compact subsets of autism screening items predict clinical diagnoses with a machine learning analysis of the QCHAT-10. Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1): 39091.

Early identification improves life outcomes for individuals with autism. This study addresses a central question: do compact subsets of the most predictive QCHAT-10 items, when fed into machine learning (ML) models trained to reproduce the full questionnaire’s screening result, generalize to predicting clinician-established autism diagnoses in independent clinical settings? We applied ML to the 10-question QCHAT-10, training models on New Zealand (n = 1054) and Saudi Arabian (n = 506) datasets with QCHAT-derived labels and testing on Polish data with clinical diagnoses (n = 252). Recursive Feature Elimination identified four-item models retaining three common features: eye contact, following gaze direction, and pretend play. When tested on clinically-diagnosed Polish cases at the 0.3 prediction threshold, the New Zealand model achieved an AUROC of 85% ± 13 (sensitivity 91%, specificity 50%), while the Saudi model reached 87% ± 11 (sensitivity 84%, specificity 80%), compared to the Polish four-item model’s cross-validation AUROC of 91% ± 5. These findings demonstrate partial transfer from the prediction of assessment scores to clinical diagnosis. The convergence on eye contact, gaze following, and pretend play suggests these behaviors represent robust autism risk markers. Compact assessment tools offer advantages, including reduced burden, shortened administration, and simplified deployment, with direct applications for targeted digital phenotyping.

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19. Song Y, Shi J, Fu X, Fu D, Xu L, Liu W, Cao J, Ding Y, Huang S, Zhou L, Qian K. Effects of Lactobacillus Acidophilus Mediated Improvement of Intestinal Barrier in Mice with Autism. Probiotics Antimicrob Proteins. 2025.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) involves complex neurodevelopmental interactions between the gastrointestinal tract, gut microbiota, and brain function. Growing evidences implicated that bidirectional microbiota-gut-brain axis signaling in ASD pathophysiology. This study examines how Lactobacillus acidophilus (ATCC-4356) alters behavioral phenotypes in a valproic acid-induced maternal immune activation (MIA) mouse model of autism. The MIA model was intraperitoneally injected with valproic acid, while controls were intraperitoneally injected with saline. Behavioral testing showed that repetitive, stereotyped, anxiety-like, and social behaviors were significantly improved (P < 0.05) after L. acidophilus (ATCC-4356) intragastric administration for seven weeks. Western blot analysis demonstrated that tight junction proteins (Claudin 1, Claudin 3, Occludin, and ZO) were highly expressed in the L. acidophilus (ATCC-4356) group versus the autism model (P < 0.05), suggesting enhanced intestinal barrier integrity. Inflammatory factor concentrations in both colon and hippocampus were markedly reduced in the L. acidophilus (ATCC-4356) group (P < 0.05). Gut microbiota sequencing showed significant increases of microbial diversity and richness in the L. acidophilus (ATCC-4356) group (P < 0.05). Hippocampal immunofluorescence revealed higher NeuN-, Ki67-, and BrdU-positive cell counts in the L. acidophilus (ATCC-4356) group (P < 0.05). Results suggest that L. acidophilus (ATCC-4356) ameliorates autistic-like behaviors, potentially through modulation of intestinal barrier function. Furthermore, results showed that therapeutic efficacy was reduced by L. acidophilus (ATCC-4356) in autism after antibiotic-induced dysbiosis of the intestinal microbiota In this paper, the results showed that L. acidophilus (ATCC-4356) improves autism-like behaviors by modulating gut barrier function.

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20. Tsuji R, Watanabe K, Egawa M, Ito Y, Kanamori Y, Iida M, Nishi D, Sasaki N. Association of ADHD/ASD traits with premenstrual dysphoric disorder among full-time employed women in Japan: A cross-sectional study. J Psychiatr Res. 2026; 192: 371-7.

OBJECTIVES: Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) has a substantial impact on adult female workers. This study investigates the relationship between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits and PMDD among female employees with no history of pregnancy and not using contraceptives. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from an online survey conducted in October 2023 among Japanese full-time female employees aged 20-44 who have not used contraceptives and who have not experienced pregnancy. ADHD/ASD traits were assessed using the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale and the 10-item Autism Spectrum Quotient, respectively. We used the PMDD scale, which was developed in Japanese based on the research criteria described in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder-IV-text revision. Multiple logistic regression was conducted by adjusting age, educational attainment, and occupation. RESULTS: A total of 2000 participants were included in the analysis, of which 8.6 % exhibited ADHD traits, and 12.8 % exhibited ASD traits. The prevalence of PMDD was 5.1 %. Participants with ADHD traits had a significantly higher risk of PMDD, which remained significant after adjusting for covariates (adjusted OR = 6.49, 95 % CI: 4.10-10.2, p < 0.001). No significant association was found between ASD traits and PMDD. CONCLUSION: Among full-time female employees, ADHD traits were significantly associated with suffering from PMDD, while no significant association was observed between ASD traits and PMDD. These present epidemiological results may contribute to improving workplace and clinical interventions to address PMDD.

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21. Wang HT, Fu XT, Wang YF, Liu LY, Liu ZZ, Xu HA. Chd8 Deficiency in Zebrafish Causes Autism-Like Behavioral Deficits. J Integr Neurosci. 2025; 24(10): 44414.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with strong genetic and environmental components. Despite progress made over the past decades, no effective therapies targeting the core symptoms of ASD are currently available. More research is required to explore the underlying mechanisms of ASD and discover potential therapeutic targets. Chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 8 (CHD8) is one of the most significant high-confidence ASD risk genes identified to date. However, the precise roles and mechanisms of CHD8 in neurodevelopment and behaviors remain incompletely understood. Zebrafish represent an emerging model organism for ASD research. While several zebrafish models with Chd8 disruption have been established, behavioral consequences have not been thoroughly characterized. METHODS: Leveraging the high survival rate of homozygous Chd8 mutant males, we comprehensively assessed their behaviors. RESULTS: The mutants exhibited social deficits across multiple assays, including shoaling, social interaction and three-chamber social preference test. Additionally, anxiety-like behavior, locomotor coordination deficits, and macrocephaly were observed. These phenotypes closely resemble the symptoms in patients carrying disruptive CHD8 mutations. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings establish this Chd8 mutant zebrafish line as a robust model for investigating ASD pathological mechanisms and screening for potential therapies.

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22. Yuan G, Suresh V, Wigdor E, Hao Y, Leonard R, Steyert M, Griffiths M, Evans C, Rohani N, Weiss J, Lassen FH, Schafer N, Dong S, Palmer DS, Sanders SJ, Nowakowski TJ. Disruption of Cell-Type-Specific Molecular Programs of Medium Spiny Neurons in Autism. bioRxiv. 2025.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are highly heritable neurodevelopmental conditions with major contributions from rare genetic variants. Most studies have focused on cortical mechanisms; even growing evidence implicates subcortical circuits in ASD etiology. To systematically map developmental and molecular alterations beyond the cortex, we profiled lineage relationships across five brain regions in an ASD mouse model. Most prominent changes emerged in the striatum, a hub for learning and motor control. Furthermore, we performed single-nucleus multiomic profiling of human putamen from ASD and neurotypical donors revealed cell-type-specific transcriptomic and regulatory alterations. Differential expression converged on synaptic and energy metabolic dysfunctions in D1 striosome medium spiny neurons (MSNs), coupled with astrocytic remodeling of synaptic support. Gene regulatory network analysis identified EGR3 and EGR1 as key transcriptional regulators of ASD-associated programs of D1 MSNs. Together, these results establish the striatum as a central node of ASD convergence and provide a multiomic resource for dissecting its subcortical mechanisms.

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