1. Almarzooqi SA, Efstratopoulou M, Habeeb H, Opoku M. Exploring the usefulness of companion pet ownership in the everyday functioning of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United Arab Emirates: A qualitative focus-group study. Res Dev Disabil. 2025; 167: 105154.

PURPOSE: Despite the global recognition of the benefits of companion pet ownership, there is a lack of research exploring this phenomenon in an Arabic-speaking context such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study fills the knowledge gap by exploring the usefulness of pet ownership on the social skills, communication, emotional and physical well-being of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the UAE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study employs a phenomenological research design, utilizing focus-group discussions with 12 mothers of children diagnosed with ASD who own pets. The parents participated in the focus group discussions to understand the usefulness of pet ownership to their children with ASD. RESULTS: Findings are categorized into three primary themes: enhancement of social interaction and communication skills, improvement in emotional well-being, and encouragement of physical activity. For instance, the presence of pets, especially dogs, significantly boosts social engagement and non-verbal communication, reduces anxiety and stress, and increases physical activity among children with ASD. CONCLUSION: Companion pet ownership may inform family-centered routines for children with ASD in the UAE. Future work should assess the feasibility of structured animal-assisted interventions (AAI), which are distinct from household pet ownership.

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2. Braz-Barbosa B, Gottfried C, Santos-Terra J. Placental Alterations in Autism Spectrum Disorder: An In Silico Approach to circRNA-miRNA-mRNA Networks. Int J Dev Neurosci. 2025; 85(7): e70064.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by deficits in social communication and repetitive behaviours with an aetiology involving genetic and environmental risk factors. Placental alterations, such as epigenetic DNA methylation and structural abnormalities, have been associated with ASD. Circular RNA (circRNA), covalently closed and highly stable molecules, play an epigenetic role by sequestering microRNA (miRNA) and modulating messenger RNA (mRNA) translation, forming posttranscriptional networks essential for gene expression. However, there is a lack of evidence in the literature regarding the involvement of circRNA, the placenta and ASD. To address this gap, the study aimed to map the interactions among circRNA, miRNA and mRNA, investigating their relevance to ASD and placental development using bioinformatics tools, such as circATLAS and miRTargetLink 2.0. The analysis identified 71 circRNA linked to ASD and 30 highly expressed in the placenta, which regulate pathways such as ‘immune response,’ ‘gene transcription,’ and ‘replication,’ and others previously associated with ASD, such as ‘Notch and AKT signalling pathway’. Searches in the SFARI database revealed 11 relevant genes in the ASD group, nine in the placenta group and five shared genes (SRSF11, PSMD11, NOTCH1, CREBBP and TBL1X). Further analysis identified the interaction of the circRNA hsa-MAN1A2_0008 with miRNA associated with these genes. These findings suggest that highly expressed circRNA in the placenta regulate critical pathways for placental development and ASD aetiology, underscoring their role in linking placental alterations to ASD.

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3. Bruschetta R, Famà FI, Spadaro L, Leonardi E, Carrozza C, Aiello S, Campisi A, Mastrogiuseppe M, Campisi S, Chakrabarti B, Ruta L, Pioggia G, Gaetano A, Borri A, Tartarisco G. Modeling gaze behavior with continuous-time markov chains to investigate social attention dynamics in autism. Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1): 39692.

This study introduces a novel methodological framework combining continuous-time Markov chains and principal component analysis (PCA) to model and investigate gaze behavior in young children observing naturalistic social interactions. By quantifying transition propensities between areas of interest (AOIs), this approach enables a dynamic, data-driven analysis of gaze patterns beyond static fixation metrics. We applied this framework to eye-tracking data from children with autism spectrum condition (ASC) and neurotypical (NT) peers as they watched scenes of a child and an adult engaged in interactive play, involving turn-taking and reciprocal imitation. The stimuli, designed to ensure ecological validity, depicted sensory social routines (SSRs) with songs and shared play with musical instruments, allowing exploration of gaze dynamics in both dyadic and triadic social contexts. Results revealed distinct gaze transition profiles in ASC children, characterized by more frequent disengagement from socially salient AOIs and reduced re-orientation to faces following non-social fixations. In contrast, NT children exhibited frequent gaze alternation between faces and triangulation with objects, supporting joint attention and reciprocal engagement. Additionally, ASC participants were more likely to enter and persist in non-social states, especially during object-centered trials, whereas NT peers showed consistent transitions toward socially meaningful targets. These findings highlight the relevance of capturing the temporal patterns of visual engagement in autism, revealing how moment-to-moment gaze transition dynamics reflect underlying differences in social motivation, attentional control, and sensory processing. The proposed framework provides a powerful tool for characterizing individual differences in gaze organization and holds promise for advancing biomarker identification in neurodevelopmental research. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1038/s41598-025-23366-4.

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4. Carty A, Green R, Goodman CV, McLaughlin JR, Hu H, Lanphear B, Martinez-Mier EA, MacFarlane AJ, Muckle G, Brook JR, Till C. Prenatal fluoride exposure and autistic behaviors in preschool-aged children: the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) cohort study. Environ Health. 2025; 24(1): 87.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of autism spectrum disorder has risen in recent decades. Given the growing evidence that prenatal fluoride exposure may be neurotoxic, we examined associations between prenatal fluoride exposure and parent-reported autistic behaviors in preschool-aged children. METHODS: We studied 453 mother-child pairs using data from the Maternal-Infant Research on Environmental Chemicals (MIREC) study, a prospective Canadian birth cohort. Autistic behaviors were assessed in children at 3 to 4 years using the Social Responsiveness Scale-Second Edition (SRS-2) Preschool Form, where a higher score indicates more autistic behaviors. We estimated prenatal fluoride exposure using three methods: (i) maternal urinary fluoride adjusted for specific gravity (MUF(SG)), from spot urine samples collected at each trimester and the mean calculated across samples, (ii) daily maternal fluoride intake, based on self-reported consumption of tap water, coffee, and tea during the first and third trimesters, and (iii) water fluoride concentration in tap water. We used multivariable linear regression models to estimate associations between the SRS-2 scale T-scores and each fluoride exposure separately. We used multivariable logistic regression to estimate the association between each prenatal fluoride exposure and an elevated SRS-2 total T-score (i.e., 90th percentile or higher). Potential effect modification of MUF(SG) was examined by child sex, daily folic acid supplementation, and plasma total folate in pregnancy. RESULTS: The mean SRS-2 total T-score for children aged 3 to 4 years was 45.3 (SD = 6.1, range = 34 to 85). The median MUF(SG) concentration was 0.43 mg/L (interquartile range = 0.33 mg/L). MUF(SG) was not significantly associated with the SRS-2 total T-score in multivariable linear regression (β = -0.16; 95% CI, -1.70, 1.39) or logistic regression (OR = 0.76; 95% CI, 0.29, 1.96). Similarly, estimated daily fluoride intake and water fluoride concentration were not associated with the SRS-2 total T-score. No effect modification was observed. CONCLUSIONS: There was no evidence of an association between prenatal fluoride exposure and autistic behaviors in preschool-aged children, in contrast to previous MIREC research findings on lead and phthalates. Given that this cohort has relatively few children with high SRS-2 scores, further research is needed in other groups of children to more fully explore this association.

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5. Chhetri S, Belbase U, Poudel M, Dhakal D, Bhandari A, Cantó-Cerdán M, Subedi A, Shrestha O. Outcomes of Vision Therapy on Visual Skills and Oculomotor Functions in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Prospective Study. Clin Optom (Auckl). 2025; 17: 341-51.

PURPOSE: Visual skills and Oculomotor function deficits are common in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), potentially affecting their development and quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of vision therapy in visual perceptual skills and oculomotor function in children with ASD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This prospective interventional study was conducted using a convenience sampling method between February and May 2025. All children with a prior diagnosis of ASD who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study and underwent 45 sessions of vision therapy guided by the Developmental, Individual-Differences, Relationship-Based (DIR) model. Visual skills and oculomotor functions were assessed before and after vision therapy using the Wachs Analysis of Cognitive Structures (WACS) and the Northeastern State University College of Optometry (NSUCO) Oculomotor test, respectively. The paired t-test with Hedge’s g effect size was used to compare pre and post vision therapy outcomes for normally distributed data, while the Wilcoxon signed-rank test with effect size r was applied for non-normally distributed variables. Analysis of Covariance was used to examine the effect of ASD severity on post-therapy outcomes while controlling for age and gender. RESULTS: Among the 42 children with ASD enrolled in the study, 36 completed all 45 sessions of vision therapy. Significant post-therapy improvements with large effect size were observed in visual perceptual skills (WACS) and oculomotor functions (NSUCO). Children with mild to moderate ASD showed greater improvements than those with severe ASD. Analysis of covariance revealed a significant effect of ASD severity on post-therapy outcomes: WACS (F(1,32) = 36.80, p < 0.001, R(2) = 0.55), saccades (F(1,32) = 36.75, p < 0.001, R(2) = 0.54), and pursuits (F(1,32) = 35.54, p < 0.001, R(2) = 0.54). Age and gender showed no statistically significant effects on the outcomes. CONCLUSION: This prospective study provides preliminary evidence that DIR-guided vision therapy, particularly when combined with occupational and behavioral therapy, may enhance visual perceptual and oculomotor functions in children with ASD. However, randomized controlled studies with longer follow-up are needed to confirm these results.

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6. Clark R, Lu SC, Anzulewicz A, Sobota K, Thompson L, Hagberg B, Thorsson M, Tachtatzis C, Andonovic I, McConnachie A, Minnis H, Wilson P, Rowe P, Gillberg C, Macdonald M, Delafield-Butt J. Motor organisation of social play in children with autism. J R Soc Interface. 2025; 22(232): 20250302.

Play is a quintessential human behaviour, underpinned by motor organisation and fundamental for learning and development. However, the motor patterns underlying play have not been computationally characterised in children with autism, despite known play pattern differences, including reduced social and pretend play. Recent evidence of fundamental neuromotor disruption in autism suggests neuromotor organisation differences may underpin play differences. We employed a digital game to examine play patterns in 878 children aged 2.5-6 years old, including 372 diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), 64 diagnosed with other neurodevelopmental disorders and 441 without known neurodevelopmental problems (WP). Computational characterisation of play patterns by network analysis revealed significant differences between groups in the motor organisation of its sequential steps. Children with ASD developed an indirect, two-step pattern during the social food-sharing aspect of the game, in contrast to a direct, single-step pattern by WP children. These findings provide new variables for the digital characterisation of ASD. They reveal differences in the sequential nature of goal-directed motor organisation made in play in autism that precede higher-order differences in social cognition and emotional regulation reported in the literature, giving important insight into the psychomotor nature of autism for its education, care and support.

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7. de Wit MM, Zinkstok JR, Buijsman R, Abdellaoui A, Begeer S, Polderman TJ. Exploring community perspectives on autism genetics research: Indications of supportive views and educational needs. Autism. 2025: 13623613251384342.

Autistic advocates have raised substantial concerns regarding genetics research on autism. It is yet unclear whether these concerns reflect the perspectives of the broader autism community. In sample of 1757 Dutch autistic adults, 445 parents of autistic children and 126 legal representatives of autistic adults, we explored perspectives on genetics research. We used a pilot repeated survey, consisting of questions about the perceived importance of the heritability of autism, reasons for this importance and the desire to learn more about heritability. Over 95% of the participants found it at least a little important to know that autism is highly heritable, and 67% would like to learn more about it. Participants mentioned that they find it important to increase knowledge about the causes of autism, and to improve the diagnostic process. There were no substantial differences in perspectives between stakeholder groups. Contrasting previous work, this pilot study indicates support for genetics research in autism, which highlights diversity in community perspectives. It also identifies an unmet educational need. We conclude that education on the topic of genetics, active research involvement of the autism community, and an ongoing dialogue between all parties are crucial to ethically and meaningfully move autism genetics forward.Lay abstractSome autistic people have shared strong concerns about research on the genetics of autism. However, this has not been investigated systematically in a large and diverse group of stakeholders. Therefore, researchers asked questions to over 1700 autistic adults in the Netherlands, 445 parents of autistic children and 126 legal guardians of autistic adults. The questions were (a) ‘is it important to know that autism is heritable?’, (b) ‘why is this important to know?’ and (c) ‘would you want to learn more about the heritability of autism?’. Over 95% of the people said it is at least a little important to know that autism is heritable. Around 67% also said they would like to learn more about it. Many people said that learning about the genetics of autism could help us understand the causes of autism better and could help improve the diagnostic process. This study shows that there are different opinions about genetics research. It was also noted that people need clear and simple information about autism genetics. To make autism genetics research better and more respectful, it is important to give clear information about genetics; to involve autistic people and their families in research; and to have open conversations between researchers and the autism community. This way, autism genetics research can move forward in a way that is fair and helpful for everyone.

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8. Deng C, Zhu Z, Luo G, Zeng H, Jiang X, Yu Q, Pan X. Effects of gymnastics exercises on executive function in children with autism spectrum disorder aged 6 to 9 years: a pilot study of a randomized controlled trial. Front Psychol. 2025; 16: 1660305.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the improvement effects of 12-week gymnastics exercises on executive function (including inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) in children aged 6 to 9 years with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to provide a basis for motor interventions in ASD children. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial (RCT) design was adopted. METHODS: Twenty-four ASD children aged 6-9 years from a special school in Chenghua District, Chengdu, were selected and randomly divided into an experimental group (12 cases) and a control group (12 cases). The experimental group received gymnastics exercises (covering movements such as walking, running, crawling, tumbling, and jumping) 3 times a week for 40 min each time, while the control group maintained routine daily activities. Before and after the intervention, the day-night Stroop task, self-ordered pointing task, and Wisconsin card sorting test were used to assess inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, respectively. Independent samples t-tests and paired samples t-tests were performed using SPSS 29.0 to analyze intergroup and intragroup differences. RESULTS: After the intervention, the scores of inhibitory control and working memory in the experimental group were significantly higher than those before the intervention (both p < 0.01), and the score of cognitive flexibility was also significantly improved (p < 0.05). The control group showed a significant difference in working memory (p < 0.05), while there were no statistically significant differences in inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility before and after the intervention (p > 0.05). Intergroup comparison showed that the improvement in each dimension of executive function in the experimental group was better than that in the control group, but there was no significant difference (p > 0.05), which may be related to the short intervention time. CONCLUSION: 12-week gymnastics exercises can effectively improve the executive function of 6-9-year-old children with ASD, and can be used as an effective motor intervention for ASD children.

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9. Fyfe I. Autism profiles differ with age of diagnosis. Nat Rev Neurol. 2025.

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10. Garrison E, MacNeil S, Hantula DA, West M, Dragut E, Tincani M, Vucetic S. Exploring the challenges and assistive technology for autistic job seekers across employment pathways. Res Dev Disabil. 2025; 167: 105155.

BACKGROUND: When transitioning from high school, autistic job seekers often navigate three different pathways to employment: University, Job Coaching, and Self-Directed (defined as those job seekers who independently complete the job search process, without formal support). Assistive technology may aid job seekers throughout the job seeking process. The aim of this study is to learn more about the challenges and assistive technology that autistic job seekers encounter while navigating these three different employment pathways. METHODS: Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with fifteen stakeholders in the United States, autistic job seekers and support personnel, within each pathway of the hiring process to gather information regarding the challenges autistic job seekers encounter, and the assistive technology they use to address those challenges. RESULTS: From a thematic analysis of these interviews, we found that autistic job seekers along each pathway commonly move through the following, phases of the hiring process or « checkpoints »: resume building, networking, job search, job application, and interviews. Autistic job seekers also face challenges within each checkpoint, such as knowing when and what to disclose; self-efficacy, anxiety, and communication challenges; and a lack of communication from potential employers. We also learned that some self-directed autistic job seekers, when compared to those in the University and Job Coaching pathways, may not be using assistive technologies available in the job search process. From our interviews, we also learned the types of assistive technology that autistic job seekers and assistants use in the job seeking process which can be classified as organizational tools, connectivity tools, and visual media tools. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Our findings revealed a necessity to connect self-directed autistic job seekers to assistive technology available. Based on these results, we present suggestions for future research and design suggestions for developing assistive technology for autistic job seekers. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS?: We define three career pathways for autistic job seekers: University, Job Coaching and Self Directed. To learn more about the hiring process for autistic job seekers and the assistive technology used within each pathway, we conducted a need-finding study. As a contribution of this study, we discovered challenges along each checkpoint in the hiring process, as well as various forms of assistive technology used to support autistic job seekers when encountering those challenges. For our second contribution, we use the information from these interviews to provide suggestions for the design of future assistive technology within the hiring process, potentially supporting the self-efficacy of autistic job seekers, during this process.

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11. Gasparini S, Licursi V, Rinaldi A, Ricceri L, Scattoni ML, Presutti C, Mannironi C. Analysis of microRNA-transcript regulatory networks in the hippocampus of the BTBR mouse model of autism. Front Cell Neurosci. 2025; 19: 1676316.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition with unknown etiology. Currently, the role of post-transcriptional mechanisms in ASD remains unclear. microRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding regulatory RNAs that mediate mRNA destabilization and/or translational repression. To investigate the potential role of miRNAs in ASD, we performed miRNA expression profiling in the hippocampus of the BTBR ASD mouse model and age-matched C57BL/6 J mice. Alongside, we analyzed the BTBR hippocampal transcriptomic profile to identify differentially expressed transcripts (DETs). By integrating differentially expressed miRNA (DEmiRNA) and DET lists, we discovered mRNA transcripts that are putative targets of BTBR DEmiRNAs and exhibit an anti-correlated differential expression in the BTBR hippocampus. These interactions suggest potential regulatory networks related to gene transcription regulation, and synaptic structure and function relevant for ASD. These include miR-200 family members, miR-200a-3p, miR-200b-3p, miR-200c-3p, and miR-429, and the experimentally validated target, the transcription factor Zeb2. Moreover, we identified a set of non-canonical interactions characterized by extensive pairing between BTBR DEmiRNAs and DETs, potentially triggering target-directed miRNA degradation (TDMD). Our findings support a role for miRNA dysregulation in the pathophysiology of ASD.

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12. Genovesi E, Gaches A, McKenzie J, Hanlon C, Hoekstra RA. Inclusive Strategies for Children With Developmental Disabilities in Mainstream Classrooms in African Countries: A Systematic Review of Stakeholder Experiences, Attitudes, and Perspectives. Rev Educ Res. 2025; 95(6): 1183-212.

African children with developmental disabilities (DD), including autism and intellectual disability, are often excluded from mainstream schools. We systematically reviewed 28 qualitative studies conducted in Africa, aiming to synthesize stakeholders’ perspectives on inclusive teaching strategies for supporting children with DD in mainstream classes. Six interrelated themes were developed using thematic analysis. Teachers strived to meet learners’ needs through teaching and task adaptations (Theme 1) and provide targeted support, reinforcement, and feedback (Theme 2). Teachers’ inclusive pedagogies, while sometimes creating divisions, often reflected a whole-class approach (Theme 3), especially in promoting inclusive environments (Theme 4) and engaging teaching (Theme 5). Authors of reviewed studies often discussed how teachers’ strategies fit in with the evidence base (Theme 6). While teachers’ inclusion efforts appeared progressive, they were mostly based on Western pedagogies and challenged by limited resources and training. Training efforts based on indigenous pedagogies could improve use and outcomes of inclusive strategies.

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13. Haebig E, West S, Cox CR. Vocabulary development in autistic children: a network growth analysis. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2025.

BACKGROUND: Autistic children are typically late to develop their expressive vocabulary, but little is known about their early word learning process. This study compared three network growth models on their ability to account for the trajectories of expressive vocabulary acquisition in autistic and non-autistic children. METHODS: We studied expressive vocabularies using item-level data from a child vocabulary checklist (n = 721 records from young autistic children; n = 2,166 records from non-autistic toddlers). We estimated vocabulary growth trajectories for autistic and non-autistic children and assessed the goodness of fit of three models of vocabulary growth, with varying sensitivity to the structure of the environment and the learner’s existing vocabulary knowledge. To do so, we first computed word-level acquisition norms that indicate the vocabulary size at which individual words tend to be learned by each group. Then we evaluated how well network growth models, based on natural language co-occurrence structure and word associations, accounted for variance in the autistic and non-autistic acquisition norms. RESULTS: Our word-level vocabulary size of acquisition norms closely aligned with age of acquisition data, indicating their utility when age of acquisition norms cannot be derived for neurodivergent populations. Furthermore, we extended key observations and demonstrated that the growth models explained similar amounts of variance in each group. Both groups are biased to learn words that have many connections to words that have been previously learned; however, even after accounting for this learning influence, autistic and non-autistic vocabulary growth trajectories receive an added boost in learning when words are connected to many other words in the learning environment, indicating a similar learning profile. CONCLUSIONS: Both groups preferentially acquire new words by leveraging the semantic structure in the learning environment, indicating an overlap in theoretical accounts of vocabulary growth.

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14. Hartman LM, Glassman H, Hartman BL. Reduced Susceptibility to the Dunning-Kruger Effect in Autistic Employees. Autism Res. 2025.

Evidence indicates that autistic individuals are less susceptible to social influence and cognitive biases than non-autistic individuals. However, no studies have been conducted on the Dunning-Kruger effect (DKE) in autism. The DKE is a cognitive bias in which people with limited expertise in a specific domain overestimate their abilities. The purpose of this study is to compare autistic and non-autistic employees’ self-assessments of their performance with their objective performance on a popular performance-based measure of analytic thinking disposition, the CRT (cognitive reflection test). After completing the task, no feedback or clues were provided regarding how well they performed. Participants were then asked to estimate how many questions they answered correctly and compare their performance to other participants by estimating the percentage of peers they outperformed. Results indicated asymmetric calibration of actual versus estimated CRT performance in autistic employees: In the low-performance group, autistic participants overestimated their abilities less than non-autistic participants. However, in the high-performance group, autistic participants underestimated their abilities more than non-autistic participants. Reduced susceptibility to the DKE highlights potential benefits of autistic employees in the workplace. Theoretical and practical implications consider the intersection of metacognitive awareness, autism, and the DKE in an organizational context.

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15. Hong C, Xiao HL, Sun ZH, Guo RB, Zhang XY, Ji J, Sun XL. Fingolimod Exerts Therapeutic Effects on Autistic Mice via Improving the Structure and Function of Meningeal Lymphatics. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2025; 31(11): e70649.

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidence suggests a correlation between maternal infection during pregnancy and an increased risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. Our previous studies have demonstrated that maternal immune activation (MIA) induces autism-like behaviors in offspring mice, accompanied by significant lateral ventricular enlargement and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation deficits. As a critical pathway for CSF drainage, the role of meningeal lymphatic vessels in the pathophysiology of ASD remains uncharacterized. Fingolimod (FTY720), a clinically used immunomodulator, has been shown to ameliorate autism-like behaviors, but its underlying mechanism remains unclear. METHODS: We utilized an MIA-induced autism-like offspring mouse model. Autism-like behaviors in the mice were assessed using three-chamber social interaction, marble burying, grooming and other related behavioral tests. The size of the lateral ventricles was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging and hematoxylin and eosin staining. The structure and function of meningeal lymphatic vessels were examined using immunofluorescence and in vivo visible light imaging. Lymphangiogenesis was investigated through techniques such as Western blotting, tube formation assays, sprouting experiments and other relevant methods. RESULTS: FTY720 not only alleviates autism-like behaviors and lateral ventricular dilation, but also significantly restores the structural integrity and drainage function of meningeal lymphatic vessels in MIA offspring. Furthermore, in vitro experiments reveal that FTY720 promotes lymphangiogenesis by targeting the S1PR3 receptor to inhibit the expression of thrombospondin-1 (TSP1), a lymphangiogenesis-related inhibitor. CONCLUSION: FTY720 acts on the S1PR3 receptor to inhibit TSP1, thereby improving the structure and function of meningeal lymphatic vessels and alleviating autism-like behaviors and lateral ventricular dilation.

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16. Jain JG, Sharma RK, Bhardwaj S, Irem S, Dwivedi A. Exploring the Efficacy of the Occupational Therapy-Fundamental Motor Skills Training (OT-FMST) Protocol on Functional Performance in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Cureus. 2025; 17(10): e94310.

Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is primarily characterized by deficits in social communication and restricted behaviors, but motor impairments are also highly prevalent and debilitating. Children with ASD often experience challenges in fundamental motor skills (FMS), particularly in coordination, postural control, and locomotor abilities. These impairments not only limit physical activity but also restrict social interaction, play, and communication, thereby compounding developmental challenges. Although sensory integration and FMS-based interventions have each shown positive outcomes, few studies have systematically combined them. Methods This study was conducted at the Santosh Occupational Therapy Department and included 60 children aged 3-7 years diagnosed with ASD (Indian Scale for Assessment of Autism (ISAA) scores 70-153). Participants were conveniently assigned to control and experimental groups. Both groups received occupational therapy (OT) focused on sensory integration, while the experimental group additionally underwent structured FMS training. Sessions were conducted four times per week for 12 weeks, lasting 45-50 minutes for the control group and 60-65 minutes for the experimental group. Primary outcome measures included the ISAA and the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI), which assessed functional skills and caregiver assistance in self-care, mobility, and social domains. Results After the intervention, the functional performance of the OT-FMST group improved more than that of the control group. PEDI scores showed significant improvements in self-care skills across all levels (p < 0.05). Social functional skills also improved significantly across all score metrics (p < 0.01). Mobility skills improved significantly in raw and normative scores (p < 0.05), while scaled scores showed a positive but nonsignificant trend. Caregiver assistance needs were notably reduced in the experimental group, with significant improvements in self-care (raw and normative), mobility (scaled and normative), and all social assistance measures (p < 0.01). These findings suggest that the addition of FMS training promoted independence and functional gains beyond those achieved with sensory integration therapy alone. Conclusions The OT-FMST protocol was effective in enhancing functional skills and reducing caregiver dependence in children with ASD. Integrating structured FMS training with conventional OT provides a more comprehensive intervention approach, supporting improvements in self-care, mobility, and social participation. These results highlight the clinical value of incorporating FMS-based training into OT programs for children with ASD.

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17. Lakhani A, Abdel-Rasoul M, Williams K, Maltz R. Clinical characteristics and 1-year outcomes of patients with autism spectrum disorder and inflammatory bowel disease. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2025.

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18. Li S, Wang W. The sequential mediating roles of alexithymia and interpersonal problems in the relationship between autistic traits and suicidal ideation: evidence from Chinese college students. Front Public Health. 2025; 13: 1679206.

BACKGROUND: Although prior studies suggested that higher levels of autistic traits correlated with more suicidal thoughts and behavior, the specific underlying mechanism was not clear. The present study was designed to expand prior findings and test the mediating roles of alexithymia and interpersonal problems on the relation between autistic traits and suicidal ideation among large population-based college samples. METHODS: A total of 6,763 college students (including 3,829 females) completed Autism-Spectrum Quotient, Toronto alexithymia Scale-20, Chinese Adolescents Self-Rating Life Events Checklist and Symptom Checklist. RESULTS: 1.54% college students reported high autistic traits and 9.54% college students had suicidal ideation. Autistic traits were positively correlated with suicidal ideation. The sequential mediating effects of alexithymia and interpersonal problems on the relation between autistic traits and suicidal ideation were significant. CONCLUSION: These findings contribute to our further understanding of how autistic traits affect suicidal ideation in the context of complex risks and outcomes. They are also helpful in the prevention and treatment of suicidal ideation and behaviors.

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19. MacDuffie KE, Washington AM, Burrows CA, Dager SR, Elison JT, Estes AM, Grzadzinski R, Lee CM, Piven J, Shen MD, Wilfond BS, Wolff J, Zwaigenbaum L, Pruett JR, Jr. Anticipation of a therapeutic odyssey following predictive testing for autism. Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1): 39608.

Brain-based tools are being developed to identify infants at ultra-high likelihood for developing autism and enable presymptomatic intervention, though such interventions are not yet clinically available. Given persistent challenges in accessing autism services, we sought to understand how families might use early predictive results to seek support. We analyzed 55 interviews with parents of infants aged 6-13 months; one group had experience parenting an older autistic child (n = 30), the other had no prior autism parenting experience (n = 25). All parents were asked what steps they would take if told their infant was likely to develop autism. Both groups described an intent to find appropriate services; parents with prior autism experience provided more specifics based on prior knowledge. The groups diverged in their anticipated supports and information sources. Parents with autism experience anticipated seeking financial support via insurance and disability benefits; those without autism experience reported they would consult their pediatrician for information or search online. This qualitative study was conducted with a sample of parents selected for their specific life experiences, but likely does not capture the full range of potential responses to biomarker testing in infancy. Given that most services and benefits require a formal diagnosis, families receiving predictive results in infancy will likely face challenges finding appropriate services. Prior to implementing predictive testing in the first year of life, researchers should consider their obligation to support families who receive predictive results.

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20. Mäkinen L, Loukusa S. Narrative language in autistic and control children: Differences between story retelling and story generation and associations to socio-pragmatic inferencing. J Commun Disord. 2025; 118: 106591.

INTRODUCTION: Narrative language, Theory of Mind (ToM), and contextual inferencing are subcomponents of social communication that is a vulnerable area in autism. However, few studies have explored the connection between different aspects of social communication. METHODS: This study assessed autistic (n = 14, mean age 7;2 years) and control children’s (n = 26, mean age 6;9 years) narrative productions in two conditions (story retelling and story generation), and explored their associations to socio-pragmatic inferencing (contextual inferencing with ToM demands and false belief reasoning). RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the autistic and control children’s narratives, but within-group differences were detected. Autistic children showed similar performance across two different narrative conditions, but control children differed in the amount of expressed story content, mental state language and non-narrator speech between the tasks. Narrative production and socio-pragmatic inferencing were connected, but these skills are related differently in the autistic and control children. CONCLUSIONS: The connections between different components of social communication are most likely multidimensional and complex. However, as there are some associations between the skills, also narrative intervention might support socio-pragmatic inferencing or vice versa. It is important to gain a deeper understanding of the complex nature of social communication and its various aspects to support possible challenges that individuals may face while navigating in a social world.

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21. Weinstock N, Wood J, DeBoy E, Testino A, Stafstrom C, Raymond G, Rajaprakash M, Vernon H. Maternal cobalamin deficiency causing infantile seizures and developmental regression. BMJ Case Rep. 2025; 18(11).

We report the case of an 11-month-old boy, presenting with 6 months of failure to thrive, progressive seizures, developmental regression and aversion to solid foods. He also developed systemic symptoms including oral mucocutaneous lesions, neutropenia and anaemia. Notable evaluations included an abnormal electroencephalogram and a thin corpus callosum. Initial diagnostic work-up for epileptic encephalopathy included rapid whole exome sequencing (WES) and metabolic studies. His propionylcarnitine, plasma homocysteine and methylmalonic acid were markedly elevated, with normal vitamin B12, raising concern for an inborn error of cobalamin metabolism or nutritional B12 deficiency. His WES was normal, with no pathogenic variants detected in genes affecting cobalamin metabolism. Maternal vitamin B12 was subsequently found to be undetectable, and the mother was found to have autoantibodies to intrinsic factor and was diagnosed with pernicious anaemia. The child was started on vitamin B12 repletion, resulting in complete correction of metabolic derangements and multimodal neurologic improvements.

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22. Wu P, Davis NO, Engelhard MM, Dawson G, Goldstein BA. Using mixture cure models to address algorithmic bias in diagnostic timing: autism as a test case. JAMIA Open. 2025; 8(6): ooaf148.

OBJECTIVES: To address algorithmic bias in clinical prediction models related to the timing of diagnosis, we evaluated the efficacy of mixture cure models that integrate time-to-event and binary classification frameworks to predict diagnoses. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a simulation and analyzed real-world North Carolina Medicaid data for children born in 2014, followed until 2023. The study evaluated traditional time-to-event and classification models against mixture cure models under scenarios with varied diagnostic timing and censoring. RESULTS: Simulation results demonstrated that traditional models exhibit increased bias as diagnosis timing differences widened, whereas mixture cure models yielded unbiased estimates across varying censoring times. In real-world analyses, significant racial and ethnic variations in autism diagnosis rates were observed, with non-Hispanic White children having higher diagnosis rates compared to other groups. The mixture cure model effectively adjusted for these disparities, providing fairer and more accurate diagnostic predictions across varying levels of censoring. DISCUSSION: Mixture cure models effectively address algorithmic bias by providing unbiased estimates regardless of variations in diagnostic timing and censoring, making them particularly suitable for conditions like autism where not all individuals will receive a diagnosis. This approach shifts focus from when an event will occur to whether it will occur, aligning more closely with clinical needs in early detection of pediatric developmental conditions. CONCLUSION: Mixture cure models offer a promising tool to enhance accuracy and fairness in predictive modeling, especially when the outcome of interest is not uniformly observed across groups.

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23. Zheng C. Childhood Autism Tool – Trivandrum (CAT-T) – Development and Validation: Correspondence. Indian J Pediatr. 2025.

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