1. Blok M, Jacobs FW, Videler AC, Geurts HM, Teunisse JP. From Diagnosis to Dialogue: a call for support of older adults with a late autism diagnosis. Gerontologist. 2025.

Although both in autism and gerontological research the attention for aging well with autism is growing, little attention has been paid to the impact of receiving an autism diagnosis in later life. This is unfortunate, as nowadays many of the older adults on the autism spectrum have spent most of their lives being unaware of their autism. Drawing on previous research, our combined personal and professional experiences, and the narratives of eighteen older adults diagnosed later in life (aged 60-77, 50% female), we argue that a late autism diagnosis necessitates a fundamental rethinking of aging, identity, personal relationships and appropriate support. Effective interventions must be tailored to the specific needs and strengths of this population, ensuring that late-diagnosed older adults with autism receive the recognition, understanding, and tools they require to navigate their lives with confidence and self-awareness. Our findings highlight the need for a conceptual shift in how gerontology understands and addresses autism among older adults. In addition, the narratives of the older adults informed the (co-)creation of a conversational tool designed to help older adults with autism articulate personal boundaries and aspirations. By fostering understanding and dialogue, this initiative extends beyond individual transformation to promote broader societal awareness and support.

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2. Brown AS, Sourander A, Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki S, McKeague IW, Sundvall J, Surcel HM. Correction to: Elevated maternal C-reactive protein and autism in a national birth cohort. Mol Psychiatry. 2025.

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3. Chattopadhyay D, Mehta VS. Letter: Preliminary Observations from a Randomized, Open-Label Trial of Loperamide as Adjunctive Treatment for Social Deficits in Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2025.

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4. Chorbadjiev L, Cokol M, Weinstein Z, Shi K, Fleisch C, Dimitrov N, Mladenov S, Todorov I, Ivanov I, Xu S, Ford S, Lee YH, Yamrom B, Marks S, Munoz A, Lash A, Volfovsky N, Iossifov I. Analyzing the large and complex SFARI autism cohort data using the Genotypes and Phenotypes in Families (GPF) platform. Genome Res. 2025.

The exploration of genotypic variants impacting phenotypes is a cornerstone in genetics research. The emergence of vast collections containing deeply genotyped and phenotyped families has made it possible to pursue the search for variants associated with complex diseases. However, managing these large-scale data sets requires specialized computational tools to organize and analyze the extensive data. Genotypes and Phenotypes in Families (GPF) is an open-source platform that manages genotypes and phenotypes derived from collections of families. GPF allows interactive exploration of genetic variants, enrichment analysis for de novo mutations, phenotype/genotype association tools, and secure data sharing. GPF is used to disseminate two family collection data sets, SSC and SPARK, for the study of autism, built by the Simons Foundation. The GPF instance at the Simons Foundation (GPF-SFARI) provides protected access to comprehensive genotypic and phenotypic data for SSC and SPARK. GPF-SFARI also provides public access to an extensive collection of de novo mutations from individuals with autism and related disorders and to gene-level statistics of the protected data sets characterizing the genes’ roles in autism. However, GPF is versatile and can manage genotypic data from other small or large family collections. Here, we highlight the primary features of GPF within the context of GPF-SFARI.

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5. Cleary EN, Sujan AC, Rickert ME, Fischer F, Lagerberg T, Chang Z, Lichtenstein P, Quinn PD, Öberg AS, D’Onofrio BM. Prescribed opioid analgesic use in pregnancy and risk of neurodevelopmental disorders in children: A retrospective study in Sweden. PLoS Med. 2025; 22(9): e1004721.

BACKGROUND: The extent to which the documented association between prenatal prescribed opioid analgesic (POA) exposure and neurodevelopmental disorders in children is causal or due to confounding is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between dose and duration of POA exposure during pregnancy and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children while minimizing bias due to confounding and other sources. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This retrospective study analyzed a population-based cohort of births using national register data from Sweden. The ASD analysis cohort consisted of 1,267,978 children born in Sweden from July 1st, 2007 to December 31st, 2018, with follow-up through 2021. A shorter eligibility period was used to study ADHD given its later age of typical diagnosis, consisting of 918,771 children born through December 31st, 2015. Text-mining algorithms were used to derive cumulative dose and duration of POA exposure during pregnancy from filled POA prescriptions, as well as to identify prescriptions that were to be taken on an « as needed » basis. Outcomes were identified through inpatient or outpatient clinical diagnosis of ASD and ADHD or dispensed ADHD medications. Cox proportional hazards regression models were adjusted for measured covariates from multiple domains. Several designs were used to help address unmeasured confounding: comparisons with children whose birthing parent had a diagnosed painful condition but did not receive POAs, children whose birthing parent received POAs in the year before but not during pregnancy, and siblings who were not exposed to POAs. Of the 1,267,978 children, 48.6% were female and 4.4% were exposed to POAs during pregnancy. At age 10, cumulative incidence of ASD was 2.0% among children unexposed to POAs, 2.9% among children exposed to a low dose across pregnancy, and 3.6% among children exposed to a high dose. In unadjusted models (e.g., hazard ratio [HR]high, 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.63, 1.87) and when accounting for measured covariates, cumulative maximum dose was associated with increased risk of ASD (e.g., HRhigh, 1.34, 95% CI, 1.24, 1.44). However, the associations were largely or fully attenuated when using alternative designs (particularly when comparing to children whose birthing parent received POAs before but not during pregnancy: HRhigh, 1.10, 95% CI, 1.00, 1.21). No associations were observed in the sibling comparison (HRhigh, 0.99, 95% CI, 0.81, 1.21). This overall pattern of associations was also observed when considering duration of exposure, and in numerous sensitivity analyses, as well as for analyses of ADHD. A main limitation of this study was that the distribution of dose and duration of POAs prescribed to birthing parents in Sweden limited our ability to explore the effects of extremely high dose and duration on risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. CONCLUSIONS: While increased risks with high amounts of POA exposure cannot be ruled out, the results suggest that confounding may largely explain the increased risks of ASD and ADHD associated with prenatal POA exposure at the levels observed in this cohort.

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6. de Fátima Coccia V, Rodacki ALF, Pavão SL. Immediate effects of a 30-min hippotherapy session on center of pressure displacement in children with autism spectrum disorder: A quasi-experimental study. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2025; 44: 190-9.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental disorder affecting sensorimotor systems, potentially disturbing postural control and stability. Considering the treatment options for these children, hippotherapy (HPOT) is based on horse movements to provide sensory stimuli and motor challenges, potentially contributing to improvements in postural control. AIM: To investigate the immediate effects of a 30-min HPOT session on the center of pressure (CoP) displacement of children with ASD (ASDG) and children with typical development (TDG). METHODS: 120 children (60 ASDG; 60 TDG) underwent a 30-min HPOT session, riding with a saddle. Before and immediately after the session, children’s CoP displacement was assessed in a standing position using an inertial sensor in two different sensory conditions: open eyes/rigid surface (OE/RS) and closed eyes/foam (CE/FO). Two-way ANOVAs were applied using time (PRE vs. POS) and groups (ASDG vs. TDG) as factors for each experimental condition (OE/RS and CE/FO). RESULTS: A single 30-min HPOT session produced immediate changes in CoP displacement irrespective of health condition (ASDG and TDG). Greater changes were found during maintenance on a more challenging sensorial condition (CE/FO), particularly in the ASDG, compared to the TDG. CONCLUSION: The constant and rhythmic postural adjustments in response to the perturbation caused by the horse’s gait during a 30-min HPOT session may constitute a relevant stimulus to immediately change CoP displacement, reinforcing the arguments that postural control is potentially trainable in children with ASD.

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7. Feng JY, Bai MS, Dong HY, Xue Y, Liu YM, Ma H, Mohamed ZA, Shan L, Jia FY. Effectiveness of individual versus group Early Start Denver Model interventions in children with autism spectrum disorder. Pediatr Res. 2025.

BACKGROUND: We investigated the effectiveness of individual-Early Start Denver Model (I-ESDM) and group-ESDM (G-ESDM) intervention in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at varying ability levels. METHODS: A total of 404 children were divided into I-ESDM (n = 237) and G-ESDM (n = 167) groups, receiving 3-month of intervention. The I-ESDM group had a staff-to-child ratio of 1:1, while the G-ESDM group had a ratio of 2:6. Clinical symptoms, neurodevelopment, and parenting stress were evaluated both pre- and post-treatment. RESULTS: After 3 months, both interventions significantly improved clinical symptoms, neurodevelopment, and reduced parenting stress in children with ASD. In the language age group under 2 years, the I-ESDM subgroup showed greater improvements in clinical symptoms compared to the G-ESDM subgroup. In the ≥2-year language age group and the general quotient (GQ) ≥ 70 group, the G-ESDM subgroup demonstrated greater improvements in clinical symptoms and neurodevelopment compared to the I-ESDM subgroup. CONCLUSION: Both I-ESDM and G-ESDM effectively improve clinical symptoms, neurodevelopment, and reduce parenting stress in children with ASD. I-ESDM was more effective for children with a language age <2 years, while G-ESDM showed better outcomes for those with a language age ≥2 years or GQ ≥ 70. IMPACT: After 3 months, both individual-Early Start Denver Model (I-ESDM) and group-ESDM (G-ESDM) significantly improved clinical symptoms, neurodevelopment, and reduced parenting stress in children with ASD. The I-ESDM subgroup showed greater improvements in clinical symptoms in children under 2 years of age. The G-ESDM subgroup demonstrated superior improvements in clinical symptoms and neurodevelopment in children aged ≥2 years or those with GQ ≥ 70.

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8. Greathouse AD, Zemantic PK, Strong-Bak W, Lieneman C, Hayes LB. Effectiveness of a Time-limited Parent Training Program via Telehealth for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Externalizing Behavior. J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2025.

OBJECTIVE: The Research Units in Behavioral Intervention (RUBI) Autism Network Parent Training Program is an effective behavioral parent training program for reducing child externalizing behavior and parenting stress in families of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study examined the effectiveness, feasibility, and acceptability of a time-limited (i.e., 6-10 sessions), telehealth delivered, and community-based adaptation of the RUBI program for families of children with suspected or diagnosed ASD. METHOD: Twenty-six parents started treatment, and 18 were considered treatment completers (i.e., completed a minimum of 6 sessions). To assess effectiveness, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-4-SF), and Clinical Global Impression-Improvement (CGI-I) were used. Feasibility was evaluated through therapist fidelity, Therapist-Reported Parent Objectives, session attendance, and homework completion. Parent satisfaction was measured via a post-treatment questionnaire. RESULTS: No significant differences were found from pretreatment to post-treatment on the ABC-2; however, there were significant reductions in the PSI-4-SF Parent-Child Dysfunctional Interaction subscale (p < 0.05) along with reductions in the PSI-4-SF Total Stress score (p < 0.05). Half of the treatment completers showed clinically significant improvement on the CGI-I. Overall, there were high therapist treatment fidelity, parent completed objectives, attendance, and homework completion. Furthermore, there were high approval ratings across several satisfaction categories. CONCLUSION: Results provide support for the continued research and use of brief, flexible, telehealth intervention formats in community settings for children suspected of or diagnosed with ASD diagnosis and their families.

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9. Kawaguchi C, Ishikuro M, Saito R, Murakami K, Noda A, Shinoda G, Aizawa M, Ohseto H, Iwama N, Orui M, Obara T, Kuriyama S. Maternal Fasting Plasma Glucose Level in Early Gestation and Developmental Delay in 2-year-old Children. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2025; 110(10): e3425-e32.

BACKGROUND: The association of maternal hyperglycemia with childhood developmental delay has been examined; however, only 2 studies used maternal blood glucose level as a continuous variable as an exposure. A present study aimed to investigate the influence of maternal fasting plasma glucose (mFPG) level in early gestation on developmental delay in children. METHODS: This cohort study included 1541 mother-child pairs who participated in the Tohoku Medical Megabank Project Birth and Three-Generation Cohort Study. mFPG level before 24 gestational weeks was obtained as a continuous and categorical variable. Developmental delay in 2-year-old children was assessed by mothers using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (third edition). Associations between mFPG level and developmental delay in children were evaluated using multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The prevalence of mFPG level ≥95 mg/dL was 5.2%. At 2 years old, 15.1% of the children had developmental delays. mFPG level as a continuous variable was not associated with an increased risk of developmental delay across the 5 domains in children [adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.004, 0.990-1.018]. mFPG level ≤70 mg/dL was associated with developmental delay across 5 domains (aOR, 95% CI: 0.464, 0.229-0.943) in children than that with a mFPG level 71 to 94 mg/dL. No association was found between mFPG level ≤70 mg/dL and ≥95 mg/dL and developmental delay in any domains among children. CONCLUSION: mFPG level in early gestation was not associated with an increased risk of any developmental delays in 2-year-old children.

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10. Lee T, Yu J, Ahn HS, Yeom J, Hyun Y, Kim JY, Hong J, Yoo JY, Kim K, Kim HW. Comparative proteome analysis of dried blood spots for high-risk group screening in children with autism spectrum disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2025: 111499.

OBJECTIVE: Reliable biomarkers that assist in the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are limited. This study aimed to identify proteins that can differentiate children with ASD from controls. METHODS: A total of 30 children with ASD and 30 control children participated in the study. Psychological tests and questionnaires to assess cognitive function, adaptive function, autism symptoms, and behavioral problems were administered. Dried blood spots collected from the participants were analyzed using the SWATH LC-MS platform. Core proteins were identified to build a classifying model to predict ASD and control group status. RESULTS: Among the 849 proteins quantified, 33 candidate proteins were identified by combining two different algorithms. Candidate proteins were involved in biological pathways related to the skin, muscle functioning, immune system, and cytoskeleton organization. Of the candidate proteins, we selected 7 core proteins that overlapped between different algorithms. The core proteins, PSME1, four isoforms of TPM3, S100A6, and TBCA, were negatively correlated with the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, Aberrant Behavior Checklist, and Social Responsiveness Scale, and positively correlated with the Full-scale Intellectual Quotient. Furthermore, a logistic regression model with the core proteins predicted the ASD group with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.956, sensitivity of 0.967, and specificity of 0.867. CONCLUSION: We performed a proteomic analysis of dried blood spot (DBS) from ASD and control group children to explore candidate biomarkers. Our data supports the possibility of using proteins as potential biomarkers for ASD, although further verification is warranted in an independent cohort.

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11. O’Shea RT, Priebe NJ, Brager DH. Impaired thalamic burst firing in fragile X syndrome. Cell Rep. 2025; 44(10): 116309.

The thalamus performs a critical role in sensory processing by gating the flow of sensory information to the neocortex and directing sensory-guided behaviors, functions that are disrupted in people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We have identified cellular changes in thalamic neurons in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome (FX) that alter how the thalamus transmits sensory information to neocortical circuits. In awake wild-type (WT) mice, thalamic neurons shift between two firing modes, burst and tonic, which may gate input to the neocortex. Thalamic neurons in FX mice, however, do not shift between these modes and instead fire primarily in the tonic mode. Voltage-clamp recordings reveal that macroscopic Ca(2+) currents are significantly smaller at hyperpolarized membrane potentials in FX LGN neurons compared to those of the WT. In agreement with the voltage-clamp results, we demonstrate that the Ca(2+)-dependent low-threshold spike, which underlies normal bursting, is reduced or absent at membrane potentials at or around the resting membrane potential.

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12. Ortiz-Cruz CA, Peralta-Ramirez M, Herrera-Murillo MA, Mejia-Ortiz RA, Palomero-Rivero M, Guo B, Ramirez-Jarquin UN, Lopez-Huerta VG. Subtype-specific alterations in first- and higher-order thalamic reticular neurons in the Shank3 mutant mouse model of autism. Neurobiol Dis. 2025: 107108.

The thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) is a critical inhibitory structure in the thalamocortical network, playing key roles in sensory processing, attention, cognitive flexibility, and sleep rhythms; importantly these functions are altered in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The TRN consists mainly of two neuronal subpopulations: first order (FO) neurons, which modulate sensory relay nuclei, and higher-order (HO) neurons, which control associative thalamic circuits. TRN-FO neurons are located in the core region, show a high expression of repetitive burst firing, and are known to contribute to slow-wave oscillations. In contrast, neurons innervating HO thalamic nuclei are in the anterior and peripheral regions of the TRN and have fewer burst firing. These subpopulations provide specialized inhibition to thalamus, but their alterations in ASD have rarely been explored. We evaluated the reticular inhibitory system in thalamic nuclei (FO and HO) in Shank3 KO mice, a well-established monogenic model of ASD. We analyzed electrophysiological properties of targeted TRN neurons, our results show that TRN neurons projecting to FO and HO nuclei exhibit differential changes in Shank3 KO mice, including decreased burst firing in FO projecting neurons, which is crucial for maintaining sleep architecture. Additionally, we examined spontaneous and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (IPSCs), in ventroposteromedial (VPM-FO) and posteromedial (POm-HO) thalamic nuclei. We show a reduction in frequency of spontaneous IPSCs in VPM but no changes in mIPSCs. On the other hand, in POm neurons, we observe a reduction in frequency both in sIPSCs and mIPSCs. Together, our results show distinct alterations in the inhibitory control of FO and HO thalamic nuclei in Shank3 KO mice, which could contribute to the deficits in sleep and sensory processing observed in ASD.

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13. Progovac L, Benítez-Burraco A. Rigidity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): A Unified (Evolutionary) Account of Salient Linguistic and Non-Linguistic Characteristics. Autism Dev Lang Impair. 2025; 10: 23969415251379995.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) typically exhibits stereotyped or repetitive behavior that can be described as rigid, but also certain characteristics in the domain of language that can equally be characterized as rigid. These include heightened, enhanced sensitivity to the rules of grammar (morpho-syntax), often resulting in hyper-systemizing, as well as rigidity interpreting metaphorical, non-literal language. Human cognition and behavior (including language) believably resulted from an intense feedback loop between an increase in cognitive flexibility (primarily through a gradual emergence and complexification of language/grammar) and a reduction in reactive aggression and impulsivity (this resulting in more prosocial behaviors). Neurobiologically, this feedback loop contributed to a relatively recent evolution of denser connectivity between some cortical structures and the striatum, which is found affected in ASD. In this paper, we propose that the seemingly disparate features of ASD, including linguistic and behavioral rigidity, result from a common cause: an enhanced striatal function, linked to a reduced control of the striatum by selected cortical structures. The striatum is associated with both impulsiveness (including reactive aggression) and with automated, rigid, ritualized responses. Our proposal is specific enough that it can be experimentally tested, with implications for clinical approaches to autism.

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14. Sher DA, Sher NW, Gibson JL, Sher HE. ‘It feels like a blessing’ – The experience of Hebrew-English bilingualism among autistic children: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Autism. 2025: 13623613251367244.

Over half the world’s population are bilingual. Despite this, practitioners often advise parents of autistic children to teach their child one dominant national language and limit their child’s exposure to community languages. Limited research with autistic children’s carers has shown that this monolingual approach impoverishes children’s experiences in communal, familial, religious, and social contexts. There is very little research on this topic from the first-person perspectives of autistic children themselves. There is no research exploring the perspectives of Hebrew-English bilingual autistic children. This study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of autistic children on Hebrew-English bilingualism. In accord with the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) methodological framework, semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the experiences of 13 Hebrew-English bilingual autistic children. The IPA clustering process resulted in two overarching group experiential themes (GETs). The first GET was ‘Bilingualism aids religious, educational, and social integration and connection’. The second GET was ‘Preference of bilingualism and dislike of monolingual approach’. Recommendations include training for practitioners regarding potential positive outcomes of bilingualism, alongside the way their advice to adopt a monolingual approach impacts upon autistic children. We also argue the importance of autistic children’s views being considered whenever bilingual decision-making is made.Lay abstractOver half the world’s population speak two or more languages. Despite this, practitioners often advise parents of autistic children to teach their child one main national language and not expose their child to additional community languages. Limited research with autistic children’s carers has shown that this approach negatively impacts autistic children’s communal, family, religious, and social experiences. There is very little research on this topic from the first-hand perspectives of autistic children themselves. There is no research exploring the perspectives of autistic children who speak both Hebrew and English. This study aimed to explore the views of autistic children who have ability in the Hebrew and English languages. Using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) research approach, we conducted interviews to explore the experiences of 13 autistic children who have ability in both the Hebrew and English languages. The research resulted in two overarching themes. The first theme was ‘Bilingualism aids religious, educational, and social integration and connection’. The second theme was ‘Preference of bilingualism, and dislike of monolingual approach’. Our recommendations include training practitioners to be more aware of the way the advice they give for autistic children to only learn one language can negatively impact autistic children. We also argue that whenever decision-making about an autistic child learning two or more languages is made, autistic children’s views should be considered.

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15. Verkooijen MH, Ketelaar M, van Woerden M, Staal WG, Tendolkar I, Zinkstok JR. Impact of peer-support programs for individuals with autism: A systematic review. Autism. 2025: 13623613251374971.

The neurodiversity approach recognizes autism as a natural variation of human experience, emphasizing unique strengths while acknowledging social and behavioral challenges that may affect quality of life. Peer support, based on shared experiences and mutual understanding, has shown benefits in mental health care, yet its impact for autistic individuals remains underexplored. This review is of peer-support programs for individuals with autism, focusing on impact, facilitators, and barriers. A systematic literature review was conducted using Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts. Studies involving peer-support programs for autistic individuals aged 12 and older were selected. Fifteen articles described 12 unique peer-support programs with varying goals, such as enhancing personal development. Studies reported diverse improvements, including enhanced well-being, self-esteem, and academic performance. Many participants valued connecting with peers in an autism-focused context. Most articles discussed some facilitators and barriers. Peer support shows promising benefits for autistic individuals, fostering empowerment and well-being. However, the methodological limitations of the included studies, such as small sample sizes and lack of control groups, limit the strength of these conclusions. Future research should therefore use more robust research methods and investigate accessibility and potential risks to optimize peer support for this population.Lay AbstractConnecting through peer support: Understanding the impact of peer-support programs on individuals with autism and exploring barriers and facilitators.Aim and Purpose of the Research: This study aims to explore the impact of peer-support programs for autistic individuals. Peer support is defined as a supportive relationship between people with shared lived experiences. This review examines the impact of these programs on autistic individuals and identifies key challenges and facilitators that may influence outcomes.Background: Autism, characterized by differences in social interaction and behavior, can affect many aspects of daily life, including social and academic functioning, which can lead to a reduced quality of life. While peer support has proven beneficial in general healthcare, its potential for autistic individuals remains underexplored. Peer-support programs may offer mutual understanding and emotional support, making them a promising approach to improving well-being for people with autism.Methods: A systematic review was conducted using multiple databases to identify research articles published up to January 17, 2024. Studies included focused on peer-support programs for autistic individuals aged 12 and older, employing methods such as interviews or questionnaires to assess their impact.Results and Importance: The findings indicate that peer-support programs generally have a positive impact, including improved self-esteem, academic performance, and overall well-being. Participants valued the opportunity to connect with others with similar experiences. Although the findings are promising, most studies were small and low quality, so more research is needed. Future research should also investigate the factors contributing to successful peer support and explore ways to optimize these programs for autistic individuals.

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16. Wimmer L, Ferguson HJ. Autistic Adults Anticipate Simple and Complex Narrative Events. J Autism Dev Disord. 2025.

Narratives are characterized by a temporal sequence of events and characters’ causally connected actions. Thus, predicting forthcoming events is central to narrative understanding. Here we report an experiment that investigated anticipation of narrative events in autistic adults, who have previously been shown to have atypical narrative cognition. Using the visual world paradigm, N = 25 autistic and N = 25 neurotypical adults (matched on age, sex, and IQ) listened to non-social and social narratives in which a simple or complex context elicited anticipation of a subsequent outcome. For each narrative event, eye movements were tracked to four pictures, including two that depicted potential context-relevant outcomes. For non-social narratives, autistic (relative to neurotypical) adults were delayed in anticipating simple (i.e., factual), but faster in anticipating complex (i.e., counterfactual), narrative events. For social narratives, autistic adults were faster to anticipate simple narrative events (requiring basic mentalizing of a character’s desires and intentions), and neither group successfully anticipated complex narrative events. Both tasks revealed a stronger constraint from real-world knowledge in anticipating narrative events in neurotypical adults, leading to delayed anticipation of non-real events and persistent interference from reality. Results show that autistics adults can successfully anticipate events in narratives, but do not achieve this consistently across narrative types; difficulties are not specific to social contexts. Instead, different predictive strategies are adopted, with autistic adults tending to be less grounded in real-world knowledge and more adaptive to imagined alternatives than neurotypical adults.

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17. Xiao H, Yang L, Wan Y, Zhao W, Guo S. Inter-subject functional variability of gray and white matter in autism spectrum disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 2025; 142: 111500.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is biologically highly heterogeneous; however, most studies focused on group-level analyses, overlooking inter-subject variability in functional connectivity (IVFC), particularly in white matter IVFC (WM-IVFC) where mechanisms and genetic influences remain unclear. METHODS: Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 272 patients with ASD and 368 typical controls (TC) were obtained from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange Project (ABIDE II) database. Gray matter IVFC (GM-IVFC) and WM-IVFC were compared between groups and correlated with symptom severity. A support vector machine (SVM) model was constructed to assess the diagnostic potential of GM-IVFC, WM-IVFC, and their combination. Transcriptome neuroimaging analyses were conducted by correlating IVFC alterations with regional gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. RESULTS: Both GM-IVFC and WM-IVFC showed regionally uneven distributions across the brain. Compared to TC, patients with ASD exhibited increased GM-IVFC mainly in the default mode and attention networks, and altered WM-IVFC mainly in the genu of the corpus callosum and superior fronto-occipital fasciculus, which were significantly associated with symptom severity. The SVM model utilizing both the GM-IVFC and WM-IVFC features yielded the best diagnostic performance (accuracy = 0.77). Transcriptome-neuroimaging associations revealed that GM-IVFC alterations were enriched in genes involved in sensory organ morphogenesis, whereas WM-IVFC alterations were linked to astrocyte-related pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings highlight the complementary roles of GM-IVFC and WM-IVFC, supporting their potential as biomarkers and offering novel insights into the genetic and neurobiological underpinnings of ASD.

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18. Zhang N, Xiong Y, Ge K, Liu Y. [Clinical observation of Jin’s three-needle therapy combined with game therapy in the treatment of autism spectrum disorder]. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2025; 45(9): 1259-64.

OBJECTIVE: To observe the clinical effect of Jin’s three-needle therapy combined with game therapy on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). METHODS: Sixty children with ASD were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group, with 30 cases in each. The children in the observation group received Jin’s three-needle therapy combined with game therapy. The acupoints used in Jin’s three-needle therapy included Zhisanzhen, Niesanzhen, Sishenzhen and Naosanzhen, and matches acupoints with syndromes. The acupoints included Shenting (GV24), Naohu (GV17) and bilateral Benshen (GB13), Naokong (GB19), Xinshu (BL15), Zusanli (ST36), etc. The needles were retained for 1 h for scalp acupuncture and not retained for body acupuncture. Game therapy included social interaction, music and dance, language stimulation, etc. The children in the control group were treated with the same game therapy in the observation group. Treatments were administered once daily, five times a week, with a three-month course considered as one treatment cycle, and a total of two cycles were provided. The scores of childhood autism rating scale (CARS), autism behavior scale (ABC) and 0-6-year-old Children’s neuropsychological development assessment scale (children’s psychological scale) were compared between the two groups before treatment and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. RESULTS: After 3 and 6 months of treatment, the CARS and ABC scores of both groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01). After 6 months of treatment, the CARS and ABC scores of the observation group were lower than those of the control group (P<0.05). After 3 and 6 months of treatment, the scores of gross motor, fine motor, adaptive ability, language, and social behaviors in both groups were higher than those before treatment (P<0.01). After 3 months of treatment, the observation group showed a greater improvement in gross motor, fine motor, adaptive ability, and social behaviors compared to the control group (P<0.05). After 6 months of treatment, the observation group showed a greater improvement in gross motor, fine motor, adaptive ability, language, and social behaviors compared to the control group (P<0.01, P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Jin's three-needle therapy combined with game therapy is an effective method for the treatment of ASD, which shows more obvious advantages than simple game therapy in promoting the improvement of children's ability and reducing related behavior.

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19. Zhao WL, Pan CL, Li DD, Yan J, Huang HM. [Research progress on the association between prenatal nutritional factors and autism spectrum disorder]. Zhonghua Yu Fang Yi Xue Za Zhi. 2025; 59(9): 1559-65.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition originating in early life, presenting significant challenges for affected families and society. ASD is characterized by atypical brain development occurring throughout gestation. Maternal diet during pregnancy plays a crucial role in ASD pathogenesis. Specifically, prenatal multivitamin supplementation and adequate vitamin D intake may reduce ASD risk; similar protective effects have been associated with polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and iron consumption. Although research findings are inconsistent, prenatal nutritional interventions represent a promising strategy for mitigating the future risk of mental health and other disorders in offspring. Therefore, this article reviews key nutrients implicated in ASD risk during pregnancy, to provide a theoretical foundation for developing precise perinatal nutritional intervention plans.

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