1. Chen H, Ding Y, Xu D, Xiong Z. Resilience and Affiliate Stigma Among Parents of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Mediating Role of Life Satisfaction and the Moderating Role of Ostracism. Psychol Res Behav Manag;2025;18:1519-1529.

PURPOSE: Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often encounter multifaceted challenges when addressing their children’s special needs. While existing studies have examined the relationship between parental resilience and mental health in this population, the underlying mechanisms governing this association remain poorly understood. The present study aims to investigate the association between parental resilience and affiliate stigma, examine the mediating role of life satisfaction in this relationship, and assess the moderating effect of ostracism on these pathways. METHODS: This study employed a cross-sectional design to examine the relationship between resilience and affiliate stigma among parents of children with ASD, as well as the underlying mechanism. A total of 380 caregivers were recruited from autism intervention centers in Jiangsu Province, mainland China. Participants voluntarily completed questionnaires including the Brief Resilience Scale, the Affiliate Stigma Scale, the Satisfaction With Life Scale, and the Ostracism Short Scale. RESULTS: (1) Resilience of parents of children with autism negatively predicted affiliate stigma; (2) Life satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between resilience and affiliate stigma; and (3) Ostracism significantly moderated the relationship between life satisfaction and affiliate stigma. CONCLUSION: This study reveals the complex relationship between resilience, affiliate stigma, life satisfaction, and ostracism among parents of children with ASD. It highlights the significance of enhancing parental resilience, improving life satisfaction, and reducing ostracism in alleviating the stress of affiliate stigma in families of children with autism. In the family support system for children with ASD, it is necessary to build an inclusive social environment and provide resources for psychological interventions to enhance parents’ resilience in the face of challenges.

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2. Choi H. Exploring parental uncertainty and information needs for children with developmental disabilities: A qualitative study. J Pediatr Nurs;2025 (Jun 26);84:328-338.

BACKGROUND: Understanding what information can reduce uncertainty is crucial for alleviating stress and improving the well-being of both parents and their children with developmental disabilities. AIM: This qualitative study aimed to address the gap in understanding the specific types of information that effectively reduce parental uncertainty across different stages of raising a child with developmental disabilities. METHOD: In-depth interviews were conducted with 19 parents of children with developmental disabilities, ranging from early childhood to late adolescence (ages 2 to 16), in South Korea from July 15 to September 18, 2023. Conventional content analysis identified the categories, main themes, and subthemes. RESULTS: Three categories, six main themes, and 12 subthemes were identified. The categories and corresponding themes are: First, information needs across the life cycle-infancy and toddlerhood (trial and error in early detection and intervention), school-age (challenges throughout the educational journey), and adolescence (challenges in transitioning to adulthood). Second, struggles with the healthcare support system-need for integration resources and specialized nursing services. Lastly, striving for normalization-embracing persistent uncertainty amid ongoing challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The findings provide foundational data on parental concerns and uncertainty that can be addressed through nurse-led, information-based interventions. These efforts can enhance care coordination and guide the development of advocacy and intervention programs to improve outcomes for children and their parents. POLICY/PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: This study underscores the need for policy support to establish hospital protocols that ensure appropriate care and to develop community infrastructure for early identification and coordinated care, with nurses playing a central role.

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3. Lee JD, Terol AK, Tschida JE, Pomales-Ramos A, McEathron S, Wallisch A, B AB. Examining the use of implementation science in autism intervention research: A scoping review. Autism;2025 (Jun 28):13623613251351344.

Although the field of autism intervention has strived to identify evidence-based practices, translating these interventions into real-world settings remains a significant challenge. This gap particularly impacts marginalized communities, where access to and quality of services are often inferior. Implementation science addresses these gaps by promoting the adoption and integration of evidence-based practices in community-based settings, thereby helping reduce disparities. While various frameworks and strategies have emerged to guide the successful implementation of autism evidence-based practices, the application of implementation science within autism intervention research remains underexplored. To address this gap, we conducted this scoping review that included 13 studies to examine how implementation science is applied in autism intervention research delivered in community-based settings. Specifically, we aimed to (1) describe the characteristics of implementation-focused studies (e.g. study design, participant types, intervention contexts); (2) examine how implementation frameworks, strategies, and outcomes were used to guide and evaluate intervention efforts; and (3) analyze how studies align with phases of the autism-specific implementation framework developed by Boyd et al. (Autism). Most studies were conducted in school settings. Fidelity was the most frequently assessed implementation outcome, while acceptability, adoption, and appropriateness were also commonly measured. Nearly all studies focused on early-phase implementation (e.g. exploration, initial implementation), with limited attention to sustainment or scale-up. The findings offer a starting point for future research to better implement autism evidence-based practices in community settings.Lay AbstractThis study looks at ways to improve how autism support programs are used in everyday community settings like schools and clinics. These programs are approaches that research has shown can help autistic individuals develop important skills, such as communication, social interaction, and managing behavior. Many of these are psychosocial programs, which means they focus on emotional, social, and behavioral support rather than medication or medical treatment. However, there is a challenge in implementing these interventions in real-world settings, especially in marginalized communities where services are often lacking or lower in quality. The field of implementation science helps bridge this gap by guiding and encouraging the use of evidence-based practices in community settings, aiming to reduce disparities. To better understand this, we did a scoping review that included 13 studies that used implementation science to support autism interventions. We looked at what types of strategies were used, how success was measured, and how well the programs fit into the communities where they were used. Most of the studies took place in schools and involved teachers, school staff, or caregivers of autistic children-altogether including data from 3488 participants. These studies tested different programs to improve outcomes of autistic individuals, such as social skills, communication, and behavior in schools.

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4. McCanlies EC, Gu JK, Ma CC, Sanderson WT, Ludeña-Rodriguez YJ, Hertz-Picciotto I. The effects of parental occupational exposures on autism spectrum disorder severity and skills in cognitive and adaptive domains in children with autism spectrum disorder. Int J Hyg Environ Health;2025 (Jun 28);268:114613.

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5. Pereira JA, Veenstra-VanderWeele J, Jutla A. Systematic Review: Convergence and Divergence Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Genetic, Neuroimaging and Cognitive Findings. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry;2025 (Jun 24)

OBJECTIVE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), although distinct diagnoses, overlap in presentation and frequently co-occur. However, the relationship between them remains poorly understood. We reviewed comparative studies of ASD and OCD to identify patterns of convergence and divergence across these diagnoses at cognitive, neurobiological, and genetic levels. METHOD: We searched MEDLINE, Web of Science and PsycInfo databases. The systematic review was registered on PROSPERO (ID: CRD42023395895). Studies that compared individuals with ASD and OCD regarding cognition, neurobiology, or genetics were included. Articles were screened in two phases: 1) for relevancy and 2) based on exclusion and inclusion criteria. We conducted a qualitative synthesis of the results. RESULTS: The search yielded 2,009 articles. After excluding irrelevant articles (n = 1,623), including studies examining compulsivity without an OCD scale (n = 71), non-empirical reports (n = 97), non-human studies (n = 42), studies that were out of scope (n = 6), duplicates (n = 7), and studies with fewer than 20 participants in any comparator group (n = 111), fifty articles remained and were included in the qualitative synthesis. CONCLUSION: At a genetic level, ASD and OCD share heritability but studies of polygenic risk are limited. At a neuroimaging level, both diagnoses are associated with reduced cortical thickness in the temporal lobe, but ASD is specifically associated with increased frontal cortical thickness. At a cognitive level, inflexibility may be characteristic of both conditions, but performance in facial emotion processing and sustained attention may differ. The literature is limited by heterogeneity and reduced focus on quantitative traits. Future studies are needed to clarify these relationships.

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6. Rast JE, Bromberg J, Chesnokova A, Sadowsky M, Ventimiglia J, Shea LL. Postpartum Readmission in People with Intellectual and Developmental Disability. Am J Prev Med;2025 (Jun 25):107959.

INTRODUCTION: Postpartum readmission (PPR) and severe maternal morbidity have been increasing in recent years in the U.S., but little is known about the risk of either for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), including the autism spectrum. The purpose of the study is to establish an estimate of PPR in a nationally representative sample of people with IDD. METHODS: this study used the National Readmission Database to examine the deliveries of people with IDD (n=5721), people on the autism spectrum (n=1099) and deliveries in people without IDD or autism (n=3,890,553) in 2019 and 2020. Log-binomial regression was used to examine person and delivery characteristics associated with PPR in all deliveries. RESULTS: PPR was more common in people with IDD (6.6%) and people on the autism spectrum (3.3%) than in all other deliveries (1.5%). In adjusted analyses, people with IDD (aRR 3.50, 95% CI 3.15, 3.90) and people on the autism spectrum (aRR 2.06, 95% CI 1.42, 2.97) had increased risk of PPR compared to people without these conditions. Other characteristics were also associated with increased risk of PPR, including 2.80 times the risk of PPR in people with severe maternal morbidity compared to those without (95% CI 2.66, 2.94). CONCLUSIONS: High rates of PPR in people with IDD point to the need for a better understanding of the drivers of such high rates in these populations. These drivers could include population differences in co-occurring health and mental health conditions, social and community support, and accessible health care.

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7. Udhnani M, Becker L, Lecavalier L. Performance of Autism Screening and Diagnostic Instruments Among Children with ADHD: A Systematic Review. J Autism Dev Disord;2025 (Jun 28)

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8. van der Putten WJ, Mol AJ, Radhoe TA, Torenvliet C, Agelink van Rentergem JA, Groenman AP, Geurts HM. Camouflaging in autism: A cause or a consequence of mental health difficulties?. Autism;2025 (Jun 28):13623613251347104.

Camouflaging ([un]consciously hiding one’s autism traits) is hypothesized to be an underlying mechanism explaining elevated levels of mental health difficulties in autistic adults. As previous studies investigating this relationship were all cross-sectional, the direction of this association remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated whether (1) camouflaging predicts a change in mental health difficulties and (2) mental health difficulties predict a change in camouflaging. For this, 332 autistic adults aged 30 to 84 years (157 women) filled in the Dutch Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire, Symptom Checklist-90 Revised, and Autism Spectrum Quotient at two timepoints with an average time interval of 2 years. Preregistered multilevel analyses showed a negative interaction between initial camouflaging and time, indicating that people with higher initial levels of camouflaging showed a decrease in mental health difficulties, while for lower initial levels of camouflaging there was an increase. However, this effect was small. Initial mental health difficulties did not predict changes in camouflaging behavior, but findings were inconsistent across total camouflaging and assimilation. Thus, we did not find strong evidence for camouflaging to be associated with development of mental health difficulties. However, future research is needed before we can draw strong conclusions about directionality and causality.Plain Language SummaryWhen autistic people use strategies to hide their autism traits, we refer to this as camouflaging. It has been thought that camouflaging could be a reason why autistic people develop mental health difficulties more often than non-autistic people. Research has shown that, in general, people who report more camouflaging behavior also report more mental health difficulties. However, we do not know whether camouflaging can be a reason for people to develop mental health difficulties or whether mental health difficulties may explain why autistic people use camouflaging strategies. Therefore, in this study we investigated whether (1) camouflaging is a predictor for a change in mental health difficulties and (2) mental health difficulties are a predictor for a change in camouflaging. For this study, 332 autistic adults aged 30 to 84 years (157 women) filled in questionnaires about camouflaging, mental health difficulties, and autism traits at two moments with an average of 2 years between measurements. We found that people with a higher level of initial camouflaging showed a decrease in mental health difficulties, while for people with lower levels of initial camouflaging behavior there was an increase in mental health difficulties. However, this effect was small. Initial mental health difficulties did not seem to predict a change in camouflaging behavior. Thus, we did not find evidence that camouflaging was followed by an increase in mental health difficulties. Therefore, future research is needed before we can draw strong conclusions about what comes first and what causes what, camouflaging or mental health.

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9. Zhou X, Guo CJ, Wang R, Li YL, Zhang T, Qiu Z, Gao S, Liu JL, Gao Y. FMR1 KH0-KH1 domains coordinate m(6)A binding and phase separation in Fragile X syndrome. Exp Cell Res;2025 (Jun 28);450(2):114664.

Fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) regulates neurodevelopment through m(6)A RNA interactions, yet the domain-specific roles of KH0 and KH1 in RNA binding and disease pathogenesis remain poorly understood. Using mutagenesis and AlphaFold3 structural modeling, we identify KH1 as the primary m(6)A-binding interface, while the KH0 domain (particularly Arg138) modulates liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS). Pathogenic mutations in KH0 impair RNA binding and promote aberrant LLPS aggregation, whereas m(6)A-modified RNA suppresses LLPS formation at KH0. Structural simulations uncover synergistic interactions between KH0 and KH1 mediated by hydrophobic and electrostatic networks. These domain-specific cooperations establish a mechanistic link between m(6)A dysregulation, pathological phase separation, and Fragile X syndrome pathogenesis. Our findings nominate KH0 as a potential therapeutic target for RNA-driven neurodevelopmental disorders.

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10. Zhu L, Zhang H, Wang L, Yang X. Global and Regional Trends in Autism Burden from 1990 to 2021: A Data Re-Analysis and Prediction from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Risk Manag Healthc Policy;2025;18:2151-2168.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate global incidence rates and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from 1990 to 2021 and forecast trends for the next 25 years. METHODS: Utilizing data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, we examined global and country-specific ASD incidence, prevalence, and burden. We also calculated age-standardized prevalence, analyzed by sex, age groups, sociodemographic index (SDI) regions, and GBD regions, and made predictions for the future. RESULTS: In 2021, the GBD reported global age-standardized ASD incidence and prevalence at 0.019% and 0.788%, respectively. High-income Asia-Pacific had the highest burden, while Tropical Latin America had the lowest. From 1990 to 2021, global age-standardized prevalence rose by 1.95%, and incidence by 5.20%. Females and low-middle SDI regions saw the most significant increases in incidence, while the Caribbean and Serbia saw decreases. High-income Asia Pacific and Japan experienced the largest prevalence increases, and Middle SDI, East Asia, high-income Asia Pacific, and Equatorial Guinea saw the most significant DALY increases, with Oceania showing the largest decrease. Predictive models forecast continued increases in incidence, prevalence, and DALYs from 2022 to 2046. CONCLUSION: ASD incidence, prevalence, and DALYs are rising annually, with notable increases in females and middle-low income countries and a decline in the Caribbean. Tailored screening and interventions based on regional rates are essential for improving the health of individuals with autism.

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