1. Bridges M, Secchi A, Whiskey E, Shergill S. A multidisciplinary approach to establishing clozapine in a patient with schizophrenia and comorbid ASD: a case report. BMC Psychiatry. 2025.

BACKGROUND: There is substantial symptom overlap in psychosis and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and co-morbidity is common. In addition, antipsychotic response may be moderated by the co-occurrence. Individuals with ASD may be at greater risk of some clozapine adverse effects and occasionally, its use may be contra-indicated. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a patient with ASD with psychosis unresponsive to multiple antipsychotics, but extra precaution was required with clozapine. CONCLUSION: A multidisciplinary approach is required to establish clozapine in a patient with schizophrenia and ASD.

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2. Dougnon G, Matsui H. Behavioral and molecular insights into anxiety in ube3a and fmr1 zebrafish models of autism spectrum disorders. Transl Psychiatry. 2025.

Angelman syndrome and Fragile X syndrome are neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) caused by mutations in the UBE3A and FMR1 genes, respectively. However, they share common features such as cognitive and motor deficits, anxiety, and impaired social behavior. In this study, we utilized zebrafish as an animal model to investigate the anxiety-like effects of mutations in these genes across larval and adult stages, employing two widely used behavioral assays: the light-dark test (LDT) and the novel tank diving test (NTT). We conducted detailed analyses of anxiety-like behaviors and exploration patterns in ube3a and fmr1 mutant fish, comparing both genotypes to their respective wild-type (WT) counterparts. Importantly, we analyzed RNA sequencing data from both larvae and adults to better understand the molecular pathways associated with the anxiety profiles of these genotypes. Our results show that larval ube3a mutants did not exhibit significant difference in the LDT compared to the WT; however, they showed significant reductions in distance travelled, velocity, and light-zone exploration during adult stages. In contrast, fmr1 mutants exhibited reduced locomotor activity in the LDT at larval age and hyperactivity and lower anxiety-like behaviors in adulthood. We identify key genes implicated in these behaviors and shared pathways that warrant further investigation for the development of therapies addressing ASD. Ultimately, our results highlight the importance of using different behavioral assays, such as the LDT and NTT, combined with omics approaches like RNA sequencing, to discern the distinct behavioral phenotypes caused by genetic mutations and to create opportunities for better understanding NDDs.

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3. Feng D, Li D, Hu C, Tian Y, Xu X, Hagerman RJ, Xu Q, Li R. Age-varying distinct neuroanatomy in young children with autism spectrum disorder and fragile X syndrome. Mol Psychiatry. 2025.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a commonly associated behavioral diagnosis in individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS). The present study aimed to identify the neuroanatomical profiles and the age effects on brain’s developing trajectories that might be distinct or shared in FXS and idiopathic ASD. A total of 190 children were consecutively recruited including 46 with FXS (5.39 ± 2.68 years), 90 with idiopathic ASD (3.38 ± 1.36 years), and 54 typically developing children (5.40 ± 2.90 years). T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain were acquired, and behavioral assessments were collected from all participants. Age-varying, voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was conducted to identify neuroanatomical differences between groups. The most pronounced differences in brain morphological patterns were observed in the FXS group. Children with FXS had increased gray matter volume (GMV) in subcortical regions including caudate and Crus I of the cerebellum, but decreased GMV in frontal insular regions and cerebellar vermis lobules VIII/IX compared to the ASD and TD groups. Children with ASD had significantly faster growth rates of GMV. The identified neuroanatomical profiles correlated with behavior assessments and differed between diagnosis groups. Our findings suggest that FXS and ASD have distinct neuroanatomical signatures during early childhood, particularly in subcortical and cerebellar regions, which are associated with divergent developmental trajectories. Together with their distinct brain-behavior associations, we conclude that these two conditions have distinct neurobiological underpinnings at spatial and temporal scales, despite their overlapping clinical symptoms. These findings have important implications for diagnosis and targeted interventions for children with ASD and FXS.

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4. Gumus M, Teklu SW. Dynamics of a novel fractional-order model for autism spectrum disorder perspective propagation with optimal control. Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1): 39768.

This study addresses the propagation of negative societal perspectives toward Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through a novel fractional-order mathematical model that captures the critical memory effect in individuals’ attitude formation, where historical experiences continuously shape current perceptions. By analyzing intervention strategies combining media awareness campaigns and therapeutic programs, we demonstrate that fractional calculus reveals significantly slower attitude transitions (30-50 percent reduction in rate) compared to classical models, with therapeutic interventions proving three times more effective than media campaigns alone in rehabilitating negative perspectives of individuals. Our optimal control problem identifies a strategy that achieves a 75 percent reduction in negative perspectives, while cost-effectiveness analysis confirms the economic viability of the proposed combined approaches. These findings suggest that integrated interventions utilizing both media and therapy control measures yield the most efficient path to mitigating negative perspectives towards Autism Spectrum Disorder, with fractional-order modeling providing essential insights into the persistent nature of social attitudes that traditional integer-order models cannot capture.

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5. Hu X, Huang J, Ku B, Sean H, Li C. Bridging the intention-behavior gap: The role of action planning in parental support for physical activity in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder. Res Dev Disabil. 2025; 167: 105161.

BACKGROUND: Parental support constitutes a critical determinant of physical activity (PA) engagement in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet its predictors remain understudied. Grounded in an extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework, this study examines the sequential relationships between parental support intention, parental action planning, parental support, and PA in this population. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 164 parents/caregivers of children and adolescents with ASD in China. The parents/caregivers completed a survey form measuring key TPB constructs of interest. RESULTS: Only 18.3 % of children and adolescents with ASD met the WHO’s recommended guideline of at least 60 min of daily PA. Path analysis revealed that parental support intentions directly predicted parental action planning (β = 0.52) and parental support (β = 0.34), while action planning mediated the intention-behavior relationship. Further, parental support mediated the intention-PA association (β = 0.41) and served as the critical pathway linking intention to children’s PA through a chain mediation model (support intention → action planning → parental support → PA). CONCLUSION: The extended TPB model elucidates the mechanisms underlying parental support for children and adolescents with ASD. These findings underscore the necessity to strengthen parental intentions, develop actionable plans, and implement integrated support strategies for promoting PA in this population.

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6. Mathée-Scott J, Venker CE. Beyond Mean Length of Utterance: Novel Measures for Characterizing the Spoken Language of Autistic Children. Am J Speech Lang Pathol. 2025: 1-10.

PURPOSE: Mean length of utterance (MLU) is a common measure of expressive language complexity in young children, including autistic children. However, means, by nature, obscure some information about spread and variability in data. Thus, we aimed to examine a new approach to characterizing linguistic complexity in autistic children by investigating the validity of two novel measures-range of length of utterance (RLU), standard deviation of length of utterance (SDLU)-alongside established measures: MLU and total utterances (TU). METHOD: Participants were 40 autistic children (12 girls, 28 boys; M(age) = 41.78 months). Children participated in 10-min, play-based language samples with their caregivers. Language samples were transcribed and measures (MLU, TU, SDLU, and RLU) were derived. To examine the criterion validity of these measures, we used regression analyses to examine how well each measure explained variance in children’s expressive language, as measured by the Preschool Language Scales-Fifth Edition (PLS-5). RESULTS: All measures (MLU, SDLU, RLU, and TU) significantly predicted PLS expressive language (ps < .001). Effect size comparisons revealed that all four predictors had large effect sizes (R(2) > .6). In absolute terms, MLU had the smallest effect size (R(2) = .682), followed by TU (R(2) = .72) and RLU (R(2) = .781), and SDLU had the largest effect size (R(2) = .822). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that these novel measures (SDLU and RLU) explained significant variance in children’s expressive language, as measured by the PLS-5, as did MLU and TU. SDLU had the largest explanatory power, in absolute terms, followed by RLU and TU. MLU had the smallest effect size, indicating that it had the lowest explanatory power for explaining variance in children’s expressive language as compared to the other three measures. Thus, examining spread and variability in utterance length data might provide important, previously overlooked, information about the complexity of autistic children’s spoken language. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.30559880.

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7. Meng S, Guo S, Huang Z, Sun Z, Han S, Han Y, Tong W, Qi K. Research hotspots and trend analysis of motor dysfunction in children with autism spectrum disorder based on CiteSpace. Comput Biol Chem. 2025; 120(Pt 1): 108776.

Motor dysfunction is a prevalent yet often overlooked characteristic in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), impacting their daily functioning and overall development. This study employs bibliometric methods to systematically examine the research landscape of motor dysfunction in children with ASD, aiming to identify evolving trends, key focus areas, and future directions. Using CiteSpace software, we conducted a visual analysis of 2602 articles published between 2015 and 2025 from the Web of Science Core Collection. Key findings include: (1) The volume of publications experienced fluctuations, with peaks in 2017 and 2022, followed by a projected decline; (2) Leading contributing disciplines include psychology, neuroscience, and rehabilitation, with the United States, China, and Italy as the most productive countries; (3) Research hotspots center on developmental characteristics, neural mechanisms, and intervention strategies for motor dysfunction; (4) The research focus has evolved through three distinct phases: early emphasis on developmental traits, interim exploration of associations with core ASD symptoms, and recent prioritization of intervention development. These findings not only map the intellectual structure and dynamic progress in this field but also provide a foundational reference for guiding future research, clinical practice, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

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8. Mitchell KJ, Dahly DL, Bishop DVM. Conceptual and methodological flaws undermine claims of a link between the gut microbiome and autism. Neuron. 2025.

The idea that the gut microbiome causally contributes to autism has gained currency in the scientific literature and popular press. Support for this hypothesis comes from three lines of evidence: human observational studies, preclinical experiments in mice, and human clinical trials. We critically assessed this literature and found that it is beset by conceptual and methodological flaws and limitations that undermine claims that the gut microbiome is causally involved in the etiology or pathophysiology of autism.

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9. Özkan S. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early childhood development assessed with the Denver II developmental screening test in a single center. Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1): 39915.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted early childhood development globally by altering social environments and limiting access to early stimulation and care. While the broader consequences of the pandemic on child development have been widely speculated, objective data from structured developmental assessments remain limited. This retrospective cross-sectional study compared developmental outcomes of children aged 0 to 6 years who underwent the Denver II Developmental Screening Test at a single child psychiatry center in Kütahya, Turkey. The study included 709 children, with 431 assessed in 2019 (pre-pandemic) and 278 assessed in 2021 (during the pandemic). Developmental domains analyzed included personal-social, fine motor, language, and gross motor. Mean delay scores in the language and personal-social domains significantly increased during the pandemic period (p < 0.001), while fine motor delays significantly decreased (p < 0.001 ). No significant changes were observed in the gross motor domains or global developmental delays. Notably, the proportion of children with isolated language delays rose from 3.2% to 11.5%. Additionally, girls were found to be more affected, with significantly higher rates of developmental delays compared to boys. These findings suggest that the pandemic selectively impaired language development and personal social skills while potentially preserving or enhancing fine motor skills through increased home-based play. Public health efforts in post-pandemic recovery should prioritize early language and other interventions, especially for children and young girls exposed to the pandemic during critical language acquisition periods.

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10. Reilly A, Walsh N, O’Reilly D, Smyth M, Gorman K, Ostadabbas S, Power C. The role of machine learning in autism spectrum disorder assessment and management. Pediatr Res. 2025.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) presents significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment, driven by its heterogeneous nature and complex aetiology. Recent advances in machine learning (ML) have facilitated exploration of novel approaches to ASD detection, stratification, and intervention opportunities. This narrative review explores the current ML and artificial intelligence (AI) research landscape across several key domains, including early ASD screening, phenotypic stratification, diagnostic biomarkers, neuroimaging, personalised therapies, and the role of automation and robotics in the treatment of this complex condition. Detailed analyses of these approaches emphasise the transformative but not yet realised potential of ML to improve outcomes for individuals with ASD. IMPACT: Highlights emerging trends, including multimodal AI integration, digital phenotyping, and use of AI to achieve biomarker-driven precision medicine. Provides first comprehensive synthesis of AI advancements in screening, diagnosis and treatment of ASD. Identifies current gaps in AI ASD research, such as dataset heterogeneity, validation issues, and clinical trust barriers.

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11. Simoncic V, Wenger R, Monnier M, Michelon C, Peries M, Hough I, Klook I, Lepeule J, Mortamais M, Baghdadli A. Perinatal air pollution exposure and autism spectrum disorder severity: The intertwined roles of green space, grey space and healthcare accessibility – A cohort study. Environ Res. 2025; 285(Pt 5): 122577.

INTRODUCTION: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is influenced by environmental, genetic, and socio-economic factors. While air pollution exposure during development has been linked to ASD outcomes, the roles of green spaces, grey spaces, and healthcare accessibility in this relationship remain understudied. This research examines how these factors during the first 1000 days (from conception to the first two years of life), moderate the association between air pollution and ASD severity in children from the ELENA cohort (« Etude Longitudinale chez l’Enfant avec Autisme »). METHODS: Data from 237 children with ASD were analyzed. Perinatal exposure to particulate matter (PM(10) and PM(2.5)) was estimated using a validated model, with green spaces quantified using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and grey spaces through impervious surface coverage. Healthcare accessibility was measured as the distance to autism resource centers (CRA) from residential addresses. ASD severity was assessed using the total score of the Social Responsiveness Scale. Linear regression models within structural equation modeling estimated the effects of air pollution, green spaces, grey spaces, and healthcare accessibility on ASD severity. RESULTS: Higher PM exposures were paradoxically associated with lower ASD severity. However, grey spaces significantly moderated this association, with greater impervious surface coverage attenuating the negative association. Healthcare accessibility was crucial: when considering center proximity, pollution was no longer associated with ASD severity. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the critical role of healthcare accessibility and environmental factors in shaping the relationship between air pollution and ASD severity. Integrating geographic and environmental contexts is crucial when evaluating the environmental determinants of ASD outcomes.

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12. Su J, Gupta R, van Hoof S, Kreye J, Prüß H, Spielman B, Brimberg L, Volpe BT, Huerta PT, Diamond B. Heterogeneity of anti-Caspr2 antibodies: specificity and pathogenicity. Transl Psychiatry. 2025; 15(1): 498.

Maternal anti-Caspr2 (Contactin-associated protein-like 2) antibodies have been associated with increased risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Previous studies have shown that in utero exposure to anti-Caspr2 antibodies results in a phenotype with ASD-like features in male mice. Here we ask whether four newly generated antibodies against Caspr2 are pathogenic to the developing fetal brain and whether they function through similar means. Our results show that these novel anti-Caspr2 antibodies recognize different epitopes of Caspr2. In utero exposure to these antibodies elicits differential behavioral phenotypes in male offspring, as demonstrated in the social interaction task, as well as phenotypic alterations in the open-field and light-dark tasks. These results demonstrate variability in the antigenic specificity and pathogenicity of anti-Caspr2 antibodies which may have clinical implications.

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13. Tan R, Ma LY, Liu C, Lyu Q, Ding BL, Xiao WX. [Neuropsychological development status and risk factors in small for gestational age infants at corrected ages 12-24 months]. Zhongguo Dang Dai Er Ke Za Zhi. 2025; 27(11): 1339-45.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the status and risk factors of neuropsychological development in small for gestational age (SGA) infants at corrected 12-24 months of age. METHODS: Clinical data were retrospectively collected for 754 SGA infants at corrected ages 12-24 months in Shenzhen Bao’an Women and Children’s Hospital between April 2018 and December 2023. Developmental quotient (DQ) levels were analyzed. According to the presence of global developmental delay (GDD), participants were divided into a GDD group (71 cases) and a control group (683 cases), and the incidence and influencing factors of GDD were investigated. RESULTS: In the high-risk preterm SGA group, the total DQ and DQ in all domains were lower than in the full-term SGA group (P<0.017). The overall incidence of GDD was 9.4% (71/754) and increased with decreasing gestational age (P<0.017). Compared with the control group, the GDD group had higher proportions of males; low-risk and high-risk preterm birth; mothers with less than a bachelor's degree; multiple birth; neonatal hypoglycemia; neonatal pneumonia; neonatal respiratory distress syndrome; bronchopulmonary dysplasia; and, at corrected 12-24 months, low body weight, growth retardation, and microcephaly. The length of neonatal hospital stay was longer in the GDD group than in the control group (P<0.05). The weight-for-age Z score, length-for-age Z score, and head circumference-for-age Z score at birth and at corrected 12-24 months were lower in the GDD group than in the control group (P<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression showed that male sex and maternal education below a bachelor's degree were independent risk factors for GDD in SGA infants (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Neuropsychological development in preterm SGA infants is comparatively delayed; male SGA infants born to mothers with less than a bachelor's degree should receive priority attention.

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14. Triyono T, Febriani RD, Kasih F. Broadening the evidence for hug-robot-mediated communication in autism spectrum disorder. Asian J Psychiatr. 2025; 115: 104775.

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15. Valentine GC, Collett B, Wallie S, Mhango J, Engmann C, Sullivan E, Seferovic M, Willoughby M, Shayo B, Walson JL, Milgrom P, Aagaard K, Juul SE. The Prevention of Developmental Delay and Xylitol (PDDaX) trial: study protocol of a nested cohort follow-up from the PPaX (Prevention of Prematurity and Xylitol) trial examining neurodevelopmental outcomes among offspring at 4-8 years of age in Malawi. Trials. 2025; 26(1): 506.

BACKGROUND: We recently conducted the cluster-randomized, Prevention of Prematurity and Xylitol (PPaX) trial which demonstrated a significant reduction in the occurrence of delivery of preterm and low birthweight deliveries from mothers who used twice-daily xylitol-containing chewing gum in pregnancy as compared to active control among n = 10,069 enrolled pregnant participants in Lilongwe, Malawi. We seek to determine the neurodevelopmental outcomes, including any benefits or harm, of a nested cohort of n = 1000 children delivered among participants of the PPaX trial. METHODS: The Prevention of Developmental Delay and Xylitol (PDDaX) trial is a prospective, nested cohort study of 1000 randomly selected 4-8-year-old children born to gravid participants who completed the parent PPaX trial. We will assess the neurodevelopmental outcomes of the 1000 children at 4-8 years of age and evaluate any differences in neurodevelopmental outcomes related to xylitol exposure or lack thereof by assessing children’s (a) cognition, (b) executive functioning, (c) social-emotional development, (d) gross motor skills, (e) fine motor skills, and (f) language. These neurodevelopmental outcomes will be assessed via the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children-2nd Edition (KABC-II), the EF Touch, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool, the Anchor Items in Measuring Early Childhood Development, and the International Development and Early Learning Assessment. The primary outcome will be the overall cognitive score, as determined by the KABC-II mental processing index. All children will also undergo hearing, vision, and comprehensive oral health examinations. Investigators from the participating sites developed and approved the research question and protocol. Each site obtained its own institutional review board and ethics approval. Patient recruitment started in July 2022 and will continue through 2027. DISCUSSION: Xylitol-containing chewing gum reduces the risk of delivery of a preterm or low birthweight neonate and neonatal demise. It also reduces gingival inflammation in gravidae. The findings from the PDDaX follow-up study will explore whether there are any long-lasting risks or benefits to offspring exposed to xylitol during gestation. If either benefit or lack of benefit (but no harm) occurs to offspring, then xylitol-containing chewing gum has strong potential to change obstetric-related care for individuals in Malawi and similar settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05361122. Registered on April 27 2022.

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