1. Al-Beltagi M, Saeed NK, Bediwy AS, Alhawamdeh R, Elbeltagi R. Management of critical care emergencies in children with autism spectrum disorder. World J Crit Care Med;2025 (Jun 9);14(2):99975.

BACKGROUND: Managing critical care emergencies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) presents unique challenges due to their distinct sensory sensitivities, communication difficulties, and behavioral issues. Effective strategies and protocols are essential for optimal care in these high-stress situations. AIM: To systematically evaluate and synthesize current evidence on best practices for managing critical care emergencies in children with ASD. The review focuses on key areas, including sensory-friendly environments, communication strategies, behavioral management, and the role of multidisciplinary approaches. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted across major medical databases, including PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, for studies published between 2000 and 2023. Studies were selected based on their relevance to critical care management in children with ASD, encompassing randomized controlled trials, observational studies, qualitative research, and case studies. Data were extracted and analyzed to identify common themes, successful strategies, and areas for improvement. RESULTS: The review identified 50 studies that met the inclusion criteria. Findings highlighted the importance of creating sensory-friendly environments, utilizing effective communication strategies, and implementing individualized behavioral management plans. These findings, derived from a comprehensive review of current evidence, provide valuable insights into the best practices for managing critical care emergencies in children with ASD. Sensory modifications, such as reduced lighting and noise, visual aids, and augmentative and alternative communication tools, enhanced patient comfort and cooperation. The involvement of multidisciplinary teams was crucial in delivering holistic care. Case studies provided practical insights and underscored the need for continuous refinement of protocols. CONCLUSION: The review emphasizes the need for a tailored approach to managing critical care emergencies for children with ASD. Sensory-friendly adjustments, effective communication, and behavioral strategies supported by a multidisciplinary team are integral to improving outcomes. Despite progress, ongoing refinement of care practices and protocols is necessary. This ongoing process addresses remaining challenges and engages healthcare professionals in continuous improvement of care for children with ASD in critical settings.

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2. Boice M, Bryant S, Klein M, Meyer M, Bangerter A, Vairavan S, Pandina G. Assessment of feasibility of actigraphy as a measure of clinical change in response to an experimental interventional treatment in adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychiatry;2025;16:1570611.

OBJECTIVE: The use of actigraphy as a continuous experimental measure of clinical change was explored through a comparison of two clinical studies in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The data quality, implementation ease, wear compliance, and clinical outcome correlation of actigraphy as a measure were assessed. METHODS: Two clinical studies were conducted and used as a basis of comparison: (1) AUT2001, a Phase 2A interventional study in ASD (N=63), and (2) AUT0002, a Phase 0 non-interventional study in typically-developing (TD) participants (N=53). Participants in both studies wore a wrist-based actigraph throughout enrollment. Actigraphy features were identified based on potential clinical relevance and calculated as weekly averages for each participant’s study timepoints. Expert review was used to confirm validity of automated sleep/wake period detection. Feature differences were then assessed using t tests/ANCOVA. Spearman rank correlations between actigraphy features and caregiver reported outcome measures were also examined. RESULTS: Results from both clinical studies were combined during analysis. Actigraphy was shown to be feasible as a measure of longitudinal change in ASD, but with notable challenges in adherence: participant exclusions due to poor wear compliance substantially reduced the size of the final dataset. Despite this limitation, several findings were noted. Significant differences in sleep disturbance were observed at baseline between the ASD and TD populations as measured by physical activity occurring within the defined sleep period. No significant between-group differences were noted in changes from baseline to endpoint in key sleep variables. Caregiver reported sleep quality significantly correlated with actigraphy measures of sleep disturbance. Additional significant correlations were observed between caregiver reported outcomes of self-regulation and actigraphy features measuring daytime physical activity. Finally, potentially relevant correlations with anxiety, social responsiveness, and restricted and repetitive behaviors are reported. CONCLUSIONS: The observed correlations suggest there may be alignment between some generalized features of actigraphy and core and associated domains of ASD. The clinical utility of actigraphy as a biomarker of clinically relevant outcomes in ASD requires further study. Actigraphy may provide supportive evidence of treatment outcome, providing clinical context, or as a objective behavioral measure (e.g., of sleep or activity level) when combined with more traditional clinical outcome measures.

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3. Bouchard I, Martinez K, Gomez-Patino P, Navarro F, Brookman-Frazee L, Holmquist KJ, Negriff S, Barnett M, Broder-Fingert S, Stadnick NA. Multi-Method, Partner-Engaged Process to Document Adaptations for ATTAIN NAV: Family Navigation for Autism and Mental Health. Adm Policy Ment Health;2025 (Jun 9)

Autistic youth often experience co-occurring mental health needs, yet they have multi-level barriers to accessing needed care. To address these barriers, the ATTAIN NAV (Access to Tailored Autism Integrated Care through Family Navigation) intervention was co-designed with caregiver and healthcare partners and delivered by lay health navigators to facilitate access to and engagement with mental health services for school-age autistic youth. This manuscript describes the multi-method, partner-engaged, longitudinal adaptation process to (1) identify intervention content and implementation refinements prior to the hybrid trial and (2) track ongoing research, intervention, and implementation adaptations during the trial and their impacts on study outcomes. The adaptation processes used the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications to Evidence-based Implementation Strategies (Miller et al., 2021) to guide data collection and evaluation approaches. From the qualitative co-design activities with caregivers (n = 5), primary care providers (n = 6), developmental care clinicians (n = 4), and health informatics staff (n = 3), several intervention content and implementation adaptations were identified and integrated prior to the trial. From the longitudinal adaptation tracking process during the trial, a total of 19 adaptations were documented throughout the implementation trial. The adaptations were related to maintaining the feasibility and acceptability of the study procedures (32%), increasing family recruitment/engagement (26%), increasing the acceptability of the intervention components (16%), increasing physician recruitment/engagement (11%), expanding mental health resources (5%), complying with partnered healthcare organization policy (5%), and increasing navigator workflow efficiency (5%). Findings offer a structured and replicable approach adoptable by non-traditional mental health intervention and implementation research.

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4. Cameranesi M, Kostal K, Dufault B, Matlabi M, Baranowski M, McCombe L, Jiang D, Shooshtari S. Quality of life trajectories in persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities undergoing community transition in Central Canada: A longitudinal repeated measures study. Res Dev Disabil;2025 (Jun 9);164:105060.

BACKGROUND: Strong evidence suggests that, compared to congregate care, dispersed community living offers significant quality of life (QoL) benefits for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. However, it is still unclear whether these improvements apply to all domains of QoL or if they remain stable long term. AIMS: This study investigated QoL trajectories across four time points over a 4-year period (2019-2022) in a cohort of Canadian adults with severe-to-profound intellectual and developmental disabilities and extensive support needs who transitioned from an institutional setting to dispersed community group homes in Central Canada. METHODS: A repeated measures quasi-experimental time-series study, without control group was used to address the stated research objective. Four waves of QoL data on 59 study participants was collected using the proxy-report standardized assessment tool San Martin Scale and analyzed at both the individual and aggregate levels using linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS: The mean QoL scores of the study cohort across eight QoL domains changed significantly across timepoints, with the highest scores at the first post-transition assessment and a general decline towards pre-transition levels by the last assessment. Global QoL followed a similar pattern. Notably, some QoL domains showed unique patterns of change. Individual QoL trajectories were highly variable, with some participants experiencing transient improvements and others maintaining sustained gains. IMPLICATIONS: Continued efforts to promote the QoL of persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities should be rooted in a transformative social justice framework emphasizing equity, inclusion, and health and well-being as universal human rights.

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5. Chen Y, Young L, Kim M, Watson S, Kaufman V, Beal B, Tuomi I, Wang B, McDonald-McGinn DM, Edgar JC, Kuschner ES, Roberts TPL. Auditory evoked neuromagnetic response latency is associated with language ability in preschoolers with an elevated likelihood of intellectual or developmental disability. Front Integr Neurosci;2025;19:1585567.

INTRODUCTION: We have shown that a delayed auditory cortex neural response is associated with language ability in school-age children with autism spectrum disorder and related syndromes, with this delay exacerbated in the context of co-occurring intellectual disability (ID). As a clinical diagnosis of ID is generally not made until school age, identification of neural measures that precede a behaviorally assessed ID diagnosis would help identify young children likely to benefit from early treatment. The present study evaluated if the speed of auditory cortex neural activity (M50 latency) would predict language ability in 3-year-old children who have an existing diagnosis that is a risk factor associated with a range of later functional outcomes, including ID or developmental delay (DD), irrespective of autism spectrum disorder diagnosis. METHODS: Thirty 3-year-old children with elevated likelihood for ID or DD (ID/DD-EL) were enrolled. Evaluable magnetoencephalography (MEG) data as well as language and cognitive ability measures were obtained from 23 participants. RESULTS: A longer time to encode auditory stimuli (i.e., a delayed M50 cortical evoked response) in the left hemisphere predicted lower language ability. Left M50 latency was not associated with cognitive ability. Right hemisphere M50 latency was not associated with language or cognitive ability. DISCUSSION: Present observations demonstrate that non-invasive brain imaging in conjunction with a passive auditory task (with early primary/secondary auditory cortex neural responses) can identify paths for variable language outcome in preschool children with ID/DD-EL. This lays the foundation for further investigation of these neural mechanisms as early indications for treatment as well as early signals of response to treatment.

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6. Cobzeanu A, Merlici IA, Ionescu DE, Roca IC. A closer look into maternal psychological distress and the associated factors: the case of autism and chronic conditions. Front Psychiatry;2025;16:1461040.

INTRODUCTION: Mothers caring for children with autism or chronic illnesses may experience heightened psychological distress due to the ongoing demands associated with caregiving. This study aimed to examine levels of psychological distress among Romanian mothers of children with autism, chronic illness, or typical development, and to explore the role of health-related quality of life and emotion regulation strategies. METHODS: A total of 211 Romanian mothers aged 20 to 67 years (M = 38, SD = 8.07) participated in this study. The sample included mothers of children with autism (30.8%), chronic illness (29.4%), and typical development (39.8%). Participants completed self-report questionnaires assessing psychological distress, emotion regulation strategies (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression), and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Health-related quality of life was found to be a significant predictor of psychological distress across all participant groups. Additionally, mothers of children with autism reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress compared to mothers of typically developing children. DISCUSSION: The findings underscore the psychological burden experienced by mothers of children with autism and highlight the importance of targeted support interventions. Addressing psychological distress and its contributing factors may improve the well-being of these caregivers. The results carry important implications for mental health practitioners, researchers, and policymakers aiming to support families managing childhood disability or chronic illness.

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7. Dörtkardeşler BE, Akçay P, Gökçe S, Korkmaz I, Kurugöl NZ, Barut Selver O. Diagnosis of vitamin A deficiency in autism spectrum disorder based on ocular symptoms and findings. Clin Exp Optom;2025 (Jun 9):1-5.

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8. English MCW, Raiter IM, Chen NTM, Tan DW, Parmentier FBR, Visser TAW, Maybery MT. Figure disembedding facility and reduced left visual field bias are linked to the social dimension of autistic traits. Atten Percept Psychophys;2025 (Jun 9)

In separate lines of work, facility in detail-focused local processing and reduced left visual field (LVF) bias have been associated with autism. Plausibly, local-processing facility and reduced LVF bias could reflect a common neurocognitive mechanism – most likely reduced right-hemisphere dominance in visual attention. To test this possibility, undergraduate students selected to differ systematically in social and non-social autistic traits completed tasks assessing local-processing facility (Leuven Embedded Figures) and LVF bias (greyscales task). Participants with more pronounced social difficulties showed greater local-processing ability and reduced LVF bias compared to participants with less pronounced social difficulties. Local-processing ability also correlated negatively with LVF bias. This is the first study to examine both LVF bias and local-processing preference in the context of autism. The finding of relationship between these two cognitive features is behavioural evidence supporting the notion of a common underlying neurocognitive mechanism and of potential alterations in right hemisphere activation as a function of autism.

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9. Ferreira LFB, Leite HR, de Sousa Júnior RR, Clutterbuck GL, Fernandes AC, Souto DO, Cardoso AA. The Feasibility and Preliminary Effects of Sports Stars Brazil in Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Quasi-Experimental Study. Phys Occup Ther Pediatr;2025 (Jun 9):1-20.

AIMS: To investigate the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the Sports Stars Brazil intervention in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). METHODS: This was a feasibility study, quasi-experimental in nature, involving 18 adolescents with ASD. All participants received a modified sports intervention (Sports Stars Brazil), which encompassed eight weekly group sessions. Each session included one hour of gross motor activity focused on sports and social skill development, centered around popular sports in Brazil, such as soccer, handball, basketball, and athletics. The primary outcomes included the following feasibility measures: recruitment rate, adherence rate, satisfaction/acceptability, and adverse effects. RESULTS: Seventeen adolescents (94.4%) completed the intervention program. High adherence and participant satisfaction were observed. The study also showed improvements in anaerobic capacity (p < 0.001), physical literacy (p = 0.001), object control (p = 0.004), and locomotion (p = 0.005), as well as preliminary favorable effects on the achievement of activity and participation goals (p < 0.001). However, no statistically significant differences were found in the other analyzed outcomes (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Sports Stars Brazil is feasible, and preliminary evidence exists for its positive effect on participation, fitness, and physical literacy in adolescents with ASD. A future clinical trial is warranted to confirm these results.

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10. Gengoux GW, Paszek K, Millan ME, Gong J, Goodman R, Guillory S, Baldi G, Libove R, Phillips JM, Hardan AY. Randomized Controlled Trial of Developmental Reciprocity Treatment in Young Children with Autism. J Autism Dev Disord;2025 (Jun 9)

Developmental social pragmatic interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) focus on development of strong interpersonal relationships by encouraging social communication during joint play routines. The goal of the current investigation was to conduct a randomized controlled 24-week pilot trial to examine the efficacy of a Developmental Reciprocity Treatment package (DRT-P), a developmentally-based intervention that includes both parent training and direct treatment with the child, compared to a delayed treatment group (DTG). Thirty-seven children aged 2-5 years with ASD and language delay were randomized. 83% of parents in DRT-P met fidelity of implementation criteria by 24 weeks. Controlling for fidelity, participants in DRT-P showed significantly greater improvement on the Social Responsiveness Scale Total Score (F = 5.00; p = 0.034) and the Clinical Global Impressions Improvement scale; however no significant group differences were observed on the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, or the MacArthur-Bates Communicative Development Inventories. Findings suggest DRT is a promising intervention for improving some aspects of social functioning in young children with ASD. Future research exploring how behavioral and developmental interventions can be optimally combined to target core social difficulties along with adaptive and functional communication skills is expected to be beneficial.

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11. Grahame V, Kernohan A, Kharati E, Mathias A, Butcher C, Dixon L, Fletcher-Watson S, Garland D, Glod M, Goodwin J, Heron S, Honey E, Le Couteur A, Mackie L, Maxwell J, Montgomery L, Ogundimu E, Probert H, Riby D, Rob P, Rogan L, Tavernor L, Vale L, Webb EI, Weetman C, Rodgers J. Understanding Repetitive Behaviours: A clinical and cost-effectiveness, multi-site randomised controlled trial of a group for parents and carers of young autistic children. Autism;2025 (Jun 9):13623613251333175.

Restricted and repetitive behaviours vary greatly between autistic people. Some are a source of pleasure or create opportunities for learning; others may be detrimental in day-to-day life or cause harm. We have developed, in close collaboration with parents/carers, the Understanding Repetitive Behaviours programme, designed for families of young autistic children, to help them recognise, understand and respond sensitively to their child’s impactful restricted and repetitive behaviours. This study is a clinical and cost-effectiveness, multi-site randomised controlled trial of the Understanding Repetitive Behaviours parent programme versus a psychoeducation programme (equivalent to current best practice), learning about autism. Participants were parents/carers, with an autistic child aged between 3-9 years and 11 months. The study was delivered across three sites in England and Scotland. Analyses were completed using intention-to-treat principles. Two hundred and twenty seven families were randomised (113 in LAA; 114 in Understanding Repetitive Behaviours arm). No differences were found between the arms on the primary outcome measure (The Clinical Global Impression – Improvement scale). Analysis of secondary outcomes indicated that children in the Understanding Repetitive Behaviours arm were more likely to be rated as responders in target impactful restricted and repetitive behaviours at 24 weeks but that this effect was not maintained at 52 weeks. Improvements in parent and family functioning were apparent, with no evidence of differences between the arms. The study reconfirms that it is important that clinicians consider both restricted and repetitive behaviours and social communication needs of autistic children with parents when planning appropriate support.Lay abstractAutistic children, frequently repeat the same behaviours over and over, have specific interests or like things to stay the same. These behaviours and interests are often fun and helpful. However, sometimes they can impact negatively on day-to-day life or put the child at risk of harm. Working closely with parents of autistic children, we developed an 8-week programme (Understanding Repetitive Behaviours) to help them recognise and understand these behaviours. This study aimed to find out whether the understanding repetitive behaviour programme was helpful and good value for money. Two hundred and twenty seven families were allocated by chance to receive either Understanding Repetitive Behaviours or a learning about autism programme. When experts made judgements about whether children showed positive changes across various measures, and these were analysed, there were no differences between the programmes. However, parents who attended the Understanding Repetitive Behaviours programme reported improvement in one of their child’s specific repetitive behaviour (selected to be the main focus of the Understanding Repetitive Behaviours programme) at 24 weeks after the end of the programme. Parents who attended either programme reported more confidence, greater wellbeing and less stress up to 1 year after the end of the study.

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12. Harriman E. Bsc RD, Kerr EB, O’Bertos T. Bsc RD, Fotheringham M. Bsc RD, Richmond M. Msc RD, Lieffers J.R.L. PhD RD. Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Canadian Dietitians Regarding Supporting Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Can J Diet Pract Res;2025 (Jun 9):1-9.

Purpose: To investigate the knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceptions of Canadian dietitians regarding supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDDs) in their practice. Methods: A 25-question cross-sectional online survey was developed by the research team, reviewed by experts, mounted on Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap), and advertised to dietitians across Canada. Recruitment took place via email, social media, and e-newsletters. The survey was open in January-February 2024. Closed-ended responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and open-ended responses were analyzed using conventional content analysis. Results: In total, 136 respondents met inclusion criteria; 80% reported they have supported patients/clients with IDD in their role as a dietitian, and 96% agreed dietitians can positively influence the health outcomes of people with IDD. Over 50% of respondents did not feel they had access to appropriate client/caregiver resources, nearly 75% of respondents denied receiving dietetic training in the nutrition care of patients/clients with IDD. Most respondents (∼70%) were interested in learning more about supporting people with IDD as dietitians. Conclusions: Many respondents reported a gap in education, skills, and resources in this area. These findings can be used to improve dietetic training and inform future strategies to help reduce the shortcomings in health care experienced by people with IDD.

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13. Khademi M, Shafaee S, Hosseinzadeh M, Davari Ashtiani R, Arabgol F, Razjouyan K. Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parenting in Families with Autistic and ADHD Children Compared with Families with Neurotypical Children. Med J Islam Repub Iran;2025;39:8.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to compare the parenting frequencies from the perspective of mothers in the three groups of children with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and without disease. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 241 families consisting of 81 families in the autism group, 81 families in the ADHD group, and 79 families in the normal group. The interview consisted of questions asking about the rates of reward and punishment used before and after the lockdown. We further questioned the relationship between parents in these families and also used the general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) to assess mothers’ mental health. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. RESULTS: Analyzing the data revealed that the rate of reward has decreased significantly during the pandemic in all study groups (P=0.002). The rate of punishment was also increased in most ADHD families but did not show any change in autism and normal families after the quarantine. We also reported that in the ASD group, most parents had experienced a decline in their relationship (P=0.011). Mothers of ADHD children had a significantly lower mental health score (mean score of 13.15±6.32) compared with mothers with ASD children (mean score of 13.94±4.72) and mothers of neurotypical children (mean score of 14.05±4.66) (P=0.036). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, quarantine and semi-quarantine situations could cause changes among families, such as changes in parenting styles (including the rate of using physical punishment), relationships between parents, or even parents’ mental health.

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14. Kumar A. Unique models of embodied cognition and eco-social niches proposed to validate hypothesis of social attunement and mis-attunement with a focus on autism. Front Psychiatry;2025;16:1562061.

This paper uses basic concepts of embodied cognition based on the idea that the biology of the brain is impacted by the physics of movement and the interacting physical objects as well as biological markets or competition. These concepts are leveraged to explain the emergence of autism features and characteristics through multiple hypotheses using hidden states and eco-social niche. I begin by defining cognitive granularity, which forms the basis of my embodied cognition hypotheses. These hypotheses leverage cognitive psychology concepts to distinguish three dyads-resource proxy, executor, and evaluator-each with different sensorimotor skills for action control and action perception. Each of these dyads interacts with the environment in physically distinct and beneficial ways leading to iterative honing of the dyads’ individual skills: dialects of internalization and externalization. Collectively, these interacting dyads further form the basis of social attunement and mis-attunement-dialects of individual and collective. The social attunement hypotheses apply economic concepts of supply/demand curve and Nash equilibrium or game theory to the evolving human (hominin) biological market to derive eco-social niches for modeling the underlying neurotypical dyads: executor and evaluator. I hypothesize that insufficient sensorimotor integration within a dyad impedes proper participation in the eco-social niche, leading to psychiatric issues. In my model, this mis-attunement is reflected in the characteristics of the resource proxy and extreme evaluator dyads.

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15. Li JJ, He Q, Dorn S, Wang Z, Lu Q. Enhancing the discriminatory power of polygenic scores for ADHD and autism in clinical and non-clinical samples. J Neurodev Disord;2025 (Jun 9);17(1):32.

BACKGROUND: Polygenic scores (PGS) are widely used in psychiatric genetic associations studies due to their predictive power for focal outcomes. However, they lack discriminatory power, in part due to the high degree of genetic overlap between psychiatric disorders. The lack of prediction specificity limits the clinical utility of psychiatric PGS, particularly for diagnostic applications. The goal of the study was to enhance the discriminatory power of psychiatric PGS for two highly comorbid and genetically correlated neurodevelopmental disorders in ADHD and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Genomic structural equation modeling (GenomicSEM) was used to generate novel PGS for ADHD and ASD by accounting for the genetic overlap between these disorders (and eight others) to achieve greater discriminatory power in non-focal outcome predictions. PGS associations were tested in two large independent samples – the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (N = 4,789) and the Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research for Knowledge (SPARK) ASD and sibling controls (N = 5,045) cohort. RESULTS: PGS from GenomicSEM achieved superior discriminatory power in terms of showing significantly attenuated associations with non-focal outcomes relative to traditionally computed PGS for these disorders. Additionally, genetic correlations between GenomicSEM PGS for ASD and ADHD were significantly attenuated in cross-trait associations with other psychiatric disorders and outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Psychiatric PGS associations are likely inflated by the high degree of genetic overlap between the psychiatric disorders. Methods such as GenomicSEM can be used to refine PGS signals to be more disorder-specific, thereby enhancing their discriminatory power for future diagnostic applications.

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16. Nie C, Su YE, Durrleman S, He X. Differences in Language Impairment Between Developmental Language Disorder and Autism: Insights From Mandarin ba and bei Constructions. Autism Dev Lang Impair;2025 (Jan-Dec);10:23969415251341248.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Both developmental language disorder (DLD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are characterized by language and communication deficits, and the extent to which commonalities in syntactic difficulties are shared between DLD and autism plus language impairment (ALI), a subtype of ASD, is a matter of debate. Thus, this study aims to further explore the extent of overlapping vulnerabilities in the syntactic profiles of children with DLD and ALI. METHOD: We investigated the comprehension and production of two complex syntactic structures, ba constructions and bei constructions in Mandarin by 18 children with DLD (mean age = 5;03) and 17 children with ALI (mean age = 5;05), compared to their 24 typically developing peers matched on chronological age. RESULTS: The results show that children with DLD and children with ALI differ in the errors committed when producing these two constructions. Specifically, children with DLD are prone to produce ungrammatical responses, use simple sentences, and misuse ba/bei constructions, while children with ALI produce pragmatically inappropriate responses which are scarce in the productions of children with DLD. In addition, the comprehension and production of bei constructions by children with DLD were significantly correlated with their nonverbal working memory (NVWM), while no such correlation was found in the ALI group. Finally, while ba and bei constructions yield higher comprehension than production in the DLD group, only ba constructions showed this pattern in the ALI group. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that children with DLD and children with ALI do not constitute a continuum of the same language disorder despite their superficial resemblance on performance accuracy. IMPLICATIONS: This study highlights the need for tailored interventions to enhance mastery of ba and bei constructions: for children with DLD, focus on explicit instruction in complex syntax and NVWM training; for children with ALI, emphasize syntactic and pragmatic language development through context-rich activities integrating complex syntax and contextual cues.

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17. Özel F, White RA, Clark KD, Indremo M, Zejlon I, Rüegg J, Papadopoulos FC. Associations between autism, gender dysphoria and gender incongruence: insights from the Swedish Gender Dysphoria Study (SKDS). Psychiatry Res;2025 (Jun 9);351:116591.

BACKGROUND: A higher prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autistic traits among transgender and gender diverse individuals compared to the general population has been reported. However, inconsistent findings and methodological limitations have been noted in the literature. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of ASD diagnoses and autistic traits among individuals with gender dysphoria compared to a cisgender group and to explore associations between autism and self-reported levels of gender incongruence in individuals with gender dysphoria. METHODS: This study is part of the Swedish Gender Dysphoria Study. ASD diagnoses were retrieved from the national patient registers. Autistic traits were assessed using the Ritvo Autism and Asperger Diagnostic Scale-14 (RAADS-14) and Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ). Gender incongruence was evaluated with the Transgender Congruence Scale. Associations with gender incongruence were examined with linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Participants with gender dysphoria, regardless of birth-assigned sex, had a higher prevalence of ASD compared with cisgender participants (RR = 7.8; 95 % CI = 3.9, 15.3). The gender dysphoria group also scored higher on both the RAADS-14 (MD = 8.0; 95 % CI = 6.6, 9.6) and AQ (MD = 5.3; 95 % CI = 4.0, 6.6). When stratified by birth-assigned sex, the prevalence of ASD did not differ among participants with gender dysphoria. No association was found between ASD and gender incongruence among individuals with gender dysphoria. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings confirm the high co-occurrence of ASD and gender dysphoria and suggest no difference in gender incongruence between autistic and non-autistic people with gender dysphoria.

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18. Patwardhan A, Choe KY. The social salience network hypothesis of autism: Disrupted network activity, oxytocin signaling, and implications for social symptoms. Prog Neurobiol;2025 (Jun 6);251:102787.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex condition characterized by its heterogeneity, with significant variability in symptoms across subtypes and associated comorbidities. Despite the urgent need to develop mechanism-based therapies for the core social symptoms of ASD, progress has been hindered by the heterogeneous etiology of this neurodevelopmental disorder and our still limited understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social behavior. The evaluation of sociosensory cues and the modulation of motivation to engage socially are fundamental components of social interaction, thought to be coordinated by a network of interconnected brain regions called the social salience network (SSN). This network is strongly modulated by the neurohormone oxytocin (OXT) to facilitate appropriate social responses. It is increasingly recognized that disruptions within the SSN contribute to the atypical social perception and engagement observed in autistic individuals. This review will summarize evidence from current clinical and preclinical literature that provides compelling evidence for SSN disruptions as a possible mechanism that underlies the social symptoms of ASD. Furthermore, we discuss OXT-mediated correction of SSN disruptions at the regional and circuit levels that rescues social phenotypes in preclinical models of ASD-risk factors. These molecular, cellular, and circuit mechanisms within the SSN could serve as promising treatment targets which may propel the development of novel and effective options for alleviating the social difficulties of autistic individuals.

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19. Rajendra R, Bratton MB, Leonardi C, Clement RC. Adolescent scoliosis in autism spectrum disorder: is it idiopathic or syndromic??. J Orthop Surg Res;2025 (Jun 9);20(1):577.

PURPOSE: Minimal data exists on whether adolescents with both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and scoliosis exhibit distinct curve types or require varying surgical management compared to neurotypical adolescents. Our study at a high-volume scoliosis center compares patterns of scoliosis in ASD patients with those of neurotypical patients. We hypothesized adolescents with ASD would present with atypical scoliosis curve characteristics compared to neurotypical adolescents. METHODS: Using ICD-10 codes, we constructed an electronic database of adolescents aged 10 to 18 with diagnoses of both scoliosis and ASD. To avoid confounding with syndromic conditions, adolescents with a syndrome independently associated with scoliosis were excluded. Additionally, a 1:2 matched cohort analysis was performed to compare adolescents with ASD and scoliosis (ASD-S) to neurotypical individuals diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). RESULTS: In our study, we describe demographics, radiographic characteristics, and complications experienced by 37 patients with both scoliosis and ASD. Almost half of ASD-S patients (18/37 patients; 48.6%) exhibited sagittal plane abnormalities. In comparison to the matched cohort of neurotypical patients, ASD-S patients had increased T5-12 thoracic kyphosis (31.6 vs. 24.4 degrees, p = 0.005), maximum thoracic kyphosis (36.8 vs. 30.9 degrees, p = 0.040) and lumbar lordosis (50.9 vs. 46.1 degrees, p = 0.043). Sagittal vertical axis ≥ 5 cm was more prevalent in ASD-S patients than patients with AIS (p = 0.015). Furthermore, ASD-S patients were more likely to demonstrate an abnormal trunk shift (46% versus 19%) compared to the neurotypical cohort. Social and behavioral barriers prevented three ASD-S patients (8%) and no patients with AIS who were indicated for posterior spinal fusion from undergoing the procedure. CONCLUSION: ASD-S patients had increased thoracic kyphosis compared to both controls and published AIS norms, suggesting scoliosis in ASD could potentially be considered a form of syndromic scoliosis rather than truly idiopathic. Additionally, the impact of social and behavioral barriers must be considered when treating this patient population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

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20. St John B, Chen HT, Woolley A, Ausderau K. Convergent Validity of the Feeding and Eating in AutiSm Together Assessment (FEAST). Am J Occup Ther;2025 (Jul 1);79(4)

IMPORTANCE: Comprehensive and validated assessments for use in clinical and research settings are needed to identify and address the complexities of feeding challenges for autistic children. OBJECTIVE: To establish the convergent validity of the Feeding and Eating in AutiSm Together (FEAST) questionnaire compared with two other validated parent-reported feeding assessments with similar constructs, the Behavior and Mealtime Behavior Index of Children (BAMBIC) and Screening Tool of Feeding Problems applied to Children (STEP-CHILD). METHOD: Data from the Survey for Characterization of Feeding Challenges in Autistic Children-US (N = 349) were used to determine the convergence between the FEAST, BAMBIC, and STEP-CHILD using Pearson’s correlation tests. DESIGN: Cross-sectional validation study. RESULTS: The FEAST total score and FEAST Behavior subscale were found to have moderate, positive correlations with comparison measures, supporting the convergent validity of the FEAST. Relationships between the remaining FEAST subscales and BAMBIC and STEP-CHILD subscales were primarily weak or nonsignificant, demonstrating that their respective scores are capturing distinct factors related to feeding. One expected exception was a moderate positive correlation between the FEAST Oral Motor subscale and the STEP-CHILD Chewing Problems subscale. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The FEAST demonstrates adequate convergent validity the BAMBIC and STEP-CHILD. The weak correlations of the FEAST Gastrointestinal Health, Sensory Processing, and Oral Motor Skills subscales provide evidence that FEAST may capture additional information about the factors that influence feeding challenges. The FEAST provides clinicians and researchers with a new comprehensive assessment of feeding challenges for autistic children. Plain Language Summary: This study tested how well the Feeding and Eating in AutiSm Together (FEAST) questionnaire, used to assess feeding and eating challenges among autistic children, matches up with two established feeding assessments, the Behavior and Mealtime Behavior Index of Children (BAMBIC) and the Screening Tool of Feeding Problems applied to Children (STEP-CHILD). Researchers used data from a survey about feeding challenges in autistic kids to compare these feeding assessment tools. They found that the FEAST questionnaire’s total score and Behavior subscale scores showed good agreement with the other assessments. Other FEAST subscales (Sensory, Oral-Motor, and Gastrointestinal) were not as related to the BAMBIC or STEP-CHILD scores. This suggests that although FEAST aligns well with general feeding and behavioral concerns, it may offer extra insights into more specific feeding issues. Overall, the FEAST questionnaire could give a more detailed view of feeding challenges among autistic children compared with the other tools. Positionality Statement: Identity-first language is used throughout this article to align with the preferences of our research laboratory’s autistic collaborators as well as the majority of autistic adults and parents of autistic children in a recent U.S. sample (Taboas et al., 2023).

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21. Wachspress B, Maeir A, Tsafrir S, Mazor-Karsenty T. OT-Parentship Effectiveness on Parental Resilience, Self-Determination, and Occupational Performance of Parents and Their Autistic Adolescents: Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Occup Ther;2025 (Jul 1);79(4)

IMPORTANCE: Parents of autistic adolescents often experience unique caregiving responsibilities and significant stress, leading to challenges in navigating the complexities of their role and affecting their quality of life. Enhancing parental resilience is crucial for supporting autistic adolescents’ needs and fostering positive family outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of the OT-Parentship intervention in enhancing parental resilience, self-determination, and occupational performance of parents and their autistic adolescents. DESIGN: A two-group, pragmatic randomized controlled trial with pretest-posttest and 3-mo follow-up assessments. SETTING: A research laboratory or virtually via computer at participants’ home. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six parents (individuals or couples) of autistic adolescents ages 12 to 18 yr were recruited. INTERVENTION: The experimental group (n = 20) received the OT-Parentship intervention, and the control group (n = 16) received a psychoeducational video-based intervention. OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The study evaluated parental resilience (Autism: Parenting Questionnaire [APQ]), self-determination (Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction in Relationships [BPNSR]), and occupational performance (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure [COPM]). Adolescents’ occupational performance was identified by their parents (COPM). RESULTS: The experimental group demonstrated greater gains in outcomes compared with the control group. Significant Group × Time interactions were found for the APQ, BPNSR competence, and parent and adolescent COPM. The experimental group also showed significant improvement in BPNSR autonomy and relatedness over time. These improvements were sustained at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: OT-Parentship effectively enhanced parental resilience, self-determination, and parent and adolescent occupational performance, highlighting the potential of parent-centered interventions to improve family outcomes. Plain-Language Summary: Raising an adolescent with autism can bring distinct challenges for parents as they manage the specific demands and complexities that frequently arise in their daily lives. This study explored a new occupational therapy program, OT-Parentship, to help parents of autistic adolescents feel more capable and confident. OT-Parentship combines a structured approach based on integrated theoretical models to empower parents to address their needs and support their adolescent’s functional independence through a collaborative process. We compared the OT-Parentship program with a program that used educational videos. Results showed that parents who participated in OT-Parentship experienced significant improvements in their parental resilience, sense of self-determination, and both their own occupational performance and that of their adolescent. These positive changes were seen both immediately after the program and three months later. Our findings highlight the importance of supporting parents of autistic adolescents and suggest that OT-Parentship may be a valuable tool for enhancing parenting abilities and supporting autistic adolescents in their everyday lives.

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22. Wang F, Liu Z, Hu J, Cheng Z, Liu S, Tian W, Zhang Y, Yang L, Liu T, Sun C, Zou M. Activation of CB1R alleviates autism spectrum disorder-like behavior and synaptic impairments. Life Sci;2025 (Jun 6);377:123797.

We previously found that enhancing the levels of 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) and anandamide (AEA) could improve autism spectrum disorder (ASD) symptoms. This study investigated the effect of cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1R) in ASD with pharmacological, genetic and brain-targeted intervention and the underlying mechanisms. Results showed that blocking CB1R counteracted the beneficial effects of boosting 2-AG or AEA on ASD-like behaviors in valproic acid (VPA)-exposed mice. Besides, CB1R knockout mice exhibited ASD-like behaviors and synaptic deficits. In CB1R-specific brain-targeted regulation, activating CB1R ameliorated synaptic dysfunction, including neuronal complexity, spine density, dendritic integrity, synaptic protein expression, and neuronal damage. Moreover, activating CB1R enhanced the expression and current density of Kir4.1, indicating that CB1R may influence synaptic activity by modulating Kir4.1. Collectively, our findings indicated a critical role for CB1R in the improvement of ASD-like behavior and synaptic dysfunction, which may offer promising avenues for developing effective treatments for ASD.

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23. Yang J, Li R. Systematic review and randomized controlled trial meta-analysis of the effects of physical activity interventions and their components on repetitive stereotyped behaviors in patients with autism spectrum disorder. Front Psychol;2025;16:1579345.

OBJECTIVE: To systematically evaluate the effect of exercise intervention and its components on repetitive stereotyped behaviors in patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: A computer-based search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, The Cochrane Library, and EMbase databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to exercise interventions for repetitive stereotyped behaviors in patients with ASD. The search covered all available data from the inception of each database until January 2025. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software, methodological quality was assessed using the ROB scale, and publication bias was evaluated using Stata 17.0 software. RESULTS: A total of 20 RCTs were included, comprising 671 patients with ASD. The meta-analysis results showed that exercise intervention had a positive effect on repetitive stereotyped behaviors in patients with ASD (SMD = -0.37, 95% CI: -0.52, -0.21, p < 0.05). Subgroup analysis results indicated that ball sports (SMD = -0.72, 95% CI: -1.09, -0.36, p < 0.001), longer duration (SMD = -0.55, 95% CI: -0.98, -0.12, p < 0.05), moderate to high frequency (SMD = -0.74, 95% CI: -1.05, -0.44, p < 0.001), longer time (SMD = -0.84, 95% CI: -1.26, -0.42, p < 0.001), and group participation (SMD = -0.48, 95% CI: -0.74, -0.21, p < 0.001) might show optimal dose-response relationships. CONCLUSION: Exercise intervention can effectively improve repetitive stereotyped behaviors in patients with ASD. The components of exercise intervention show a dose-response effect, with the best results likely occurring from ball sports, medium to long durations, moderate to high frequency, longer time, and group participation. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: The protocol for this meta-analysis has been registered in INPLASY, with the registration number INPLASY202520074.

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