1. Abuhasira S, Shelef L, Kerem L, Rotschield J, Lerner S, Tenenbaum A. Adverse childhood experiences and autism spectrum disorder: a retrospective cohort study among late adolescents. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract;2026 (Oct 5):1-8.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) identification among Israel Defense Forces (IDF) personnel, focusing on predictors of ASD identification during military service. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 288,633 IDF conscripts evaluated between 2009 and 2021. ASD diagnoses at enlistment and during service were analysed in relation to demographic factors, cognitive scores, and self-reported ACEs. Logistic regression was used to assess predictors of in-service ASD diagnosis. RESULTS: At enlistment, 935 individuals (0.33%) had an ASD diagnosis, and 635 were identified during service. Those with ASD were more likely to be male (90.1%), Jewish (97.9%), Israeli-born (91.4%), from higher socioeconomic backgrounds, and to have ≥12 years of education and high IQ scores (31.8% vs. 19.7%, p < .001). Several ACEs, including emotional/verbal abuse, physical abuse, neglect, parental substance use, and incarceration, were significantly associated with ASD identification during service. A cumulative ACE score of ≥2 predicted ASD diagnosis with an odds ratio of 2.27. CONCLUSIONS: Early-life adversity is associated with increased risk of ASD identification during military service. Integrating ACE screening into enlistment procedures may help identify recruits at risk for later ASD identification and facilitate timely clinical interventions. ACE exposure significantly predicted new ASD diagnoses during military service.A threshold of ≥2 ACEs doubled the risk of ASD onset under military stress.635 ASD cases emerged during service despite no prior diagnosis at enlistment. eng

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2. Ben Messaoud K, Khachadourian V, Anderson M, Janecka M, Croen LA. Racial and Ethnic Differences in Maternal Health and Autism. JAMA Netw Open;2026 (Oct 1);9(10):e2637501.

IMPORTANCE: Autism affects 1 in every 31 children in the US, with significant racial and ethnic disparities in prevalence, age at diagnosis, and access to services. Maternal health conditions during pregnancy have been linked with autism in offspring. However, the extent to which these associations vary by maternal race and ethnicity remains understudied. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether associations between maternal conditions during pregnancy and the risk of autism in offspring differ by maternal race and ethnicity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study included children born at Kaiser Permanente Northern California from 2010 to 2017, followed up until February 29, 2020, autism diagnosis, disenrollment, or death. Data were analyzed from September 2024 to July 2026. EXPOSURES: Maternal International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision and Tenth Revision diagnoses of any of 25 conditions previously identified as associated with autism during the perinatal period. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Cox proportional hazards models examined associations between maternal diagnoses and autism with racial and ethnic differences evaluated via stratified and interaction models. Covariates included maternal age at delivery, insurance type, child sex, birth year, and maternal health care utilization. RESULTS: Of 224 353 children, 5448 (2.4%) were diagnosed with autism, with prevalence varying by maternal race and ethnicity (493 Black [3.2%], 1693 Asian and Pacific Islander [2.9%], 1309 Hispanic [2.5%], 1838 White [2.0%], and 115 other or unknown race and ethnicity [2.4%] children; percentages indicate prevalence within each race and ethnicity group). Associations between maternal health conditions during pregnancy and offspring autism were largely consistent across racial and ethnic groups. Differences in risk estimates by maternal race and ethnicity were observed for 4 of the 25 conditions, including overweight and obesity, depressive episode, asthma, and other maternal disease complicating pregnancy. All those conditions exhibited stronger associations with autism in White mothers, compared with Black, Hispanic, and Asian and Pacific Islander mothers. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cohort study of 224 353 children-mother pairs, maternal health conditions during pregnancy showed consistent observational associations with autism across racial and ethnic groups, but some exhibited heterogeneous association estimates. These differences may reflect disparities in health care access, diagnostic practices, or unmeasured environmental and genetic factors. Further research is needed to clarify underlying mechanisms and implications for maternal and child health.

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3. Bertollo JR, Tschida JE, Fok M, DeLucia EA, Scarpa A, Drahota A. Organizational Factors Impacting Implementation of Evidence-based Practices for Autistic Youth: A Mixed Methods Evaluation of Virginia’s Community Mental Health System. Adm Policy Ment Health;2026 (Oct 5)

Despite elevated rates of co-occurring mental health needs among autistic youth, availability of and access to mental and behavioral health evidence-based practices (EBPs) remain limited in U.S. community-based settings. Further, community-based service systems are complex, with client- and provider-level characteristics situated within broader system contexts that collectively influence adoption and implementation of EBPs. Thus, the current convergent mixed methods study aimed to evaluate agencies, or Community Service Boards (CSBs), in Virginia’s statewide Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services in terms of CSB leaders’ perspectives of: (1) their CSB’s organizational context, including leadership, structure, and climate around new practices, and (2) the process of adoption and implementation of EBPs for autistic youth at their CSB, including needs and barriers, processes for making adoption decisions, and leadership attitudes about EBPs. Surveys and interviews were conducted with 23 CSB leaders and data analyses and interpretation were guided by the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework. CSB leaders rated their organizations as ready for change and moderately supportive of EBPs, but reported barriers to adoption and implementation, including resource constraints, organizational silos, and misalignment between EBP characteristics and organizational context. Conversely, implementation was facilitated by funding, leadership support, collaboration, and EBP fit. These findings reinforce the importance of understanding local contexts to make place-based recommendations for equitable, sustainable implementation of EBPs for autistic youth in community settings. Future efforts to adopt, implement, and sustain EBPs within similar service settings should proactively address these factors. Intervention developers should proactively consider community mental health systems as end users to improve fit between EBPs and these systems’ organizational contexts.

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4. Biju AS, Bedford JTR, Samuel R. ‘Navigating the ride’: stakeholder perspectives on public transportation challenges for children with autism in India. BMJ Open;2026 (Oct 5);16(10):e114263.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the perspectives of primary caregivers, healthcare professionals and transport personnel regarding the challenges associated with public transportation for children with autism spectrum disorder in India. DESIGN: This study applied a descriptive phenomenological qualitative design. SETTING: The study was conducted at a tertiary care teaching centre in South India. PARTICIPANTS: 21 participants comprising nine primary caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorder, six healthcare professionals and six transport personnel were recruited using purposive maximum variability sampling. METHODS: In-depth interviews were conducted with the participants and audio-recorded for transcription. The transcripts were manually coded and analysed using Systematic Text Condensation. RESULTS: The results demonstrate that public transport is a complex social ecosystem comprising the child, caregivers, co-passengers and transport personnel. Healthcare professionals and policymakers, while not directly involved in travel, also influence the experience. Three major themes were identified: challenges associated with public transport, facilitators for better travel experiences and stakeholder recommendations for improving travel experiences. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified key barriers to accessing public transport for children with autism spectrum disorder and their families. Facilitators and potential strategies to address travel-related challenges are also discussed. These findings provide insights into stakeholder perspectives that may inform efforts to improve accessibility and travel experiences on public transport for children.

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5. Bourhis A, Brun P, Thouvarecq R. Exploring Social Interactions and Engagement in Children With Autism During Inclusive and Adapted Tennis Sessions: A Pilot Study. Adapt Phys Activ Q;2026 (Oct 5):1-13.

This pilot study explored patterns of social interaction and engagement in children with autism participating in adapted and inclusive tennis sessions alongside their nonautistic peers. Sixteen children with autism were observed through video analysis of 111 sessions led by coaches trained in autism. Engagement and social interaction were coded using a structured observational system to describe variability across participants and game contexts. Overall, children with autism tended to display predominantly positive interactions during the sessions. Although they interacted more frequently with coaches than with peers, their peer-directed interactions were nonetheless generally positive. Distinct interaction and engagement profiles were identified, highlighting inter- and intraindividual variability across sessions. Spearman correlation analyses indicated that nonengagement duration was positively associated with negative social interaction (r = .346, p = .036) and negatively associated with positive social interaction (r = -.512, p = .001). These exploratory findings suggest that adapted and inclusive sports may represent a promising context for promoting social interactions and engagement in children with autism.

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6. Chen X, Tong J, Ma S, Zhu L, Wang X, Tao Y, Zhao H, Liu C, Wang Y, Wang T, Yan D. The Associated Factors of Parenting Stress Among Caregivers of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders in Lianyungang, Eastern China: A Cross-Sectional Study. J Autism Dev Disord;2026 (Oct 5)

PURPOSE: Parenting stress impairs both caregivers’ health and children’s long-term well-being. This study aimed to assess parenting stress among caregivers of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and analyze its associated factors. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lianyungang, eastern China. The participants were caregivers of children aged 2-14 years. The Parenting Stress Index-Short Form (PSI-SF) was used to evaluate parenting stress. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. RESULTS: The average score of parenting stress was 44.40 ± 12.22. Caregivers whose children were older than 6 years (B = 2.376, 95% CI: 0.424-4.329, p < 0.05), exhibited stereotyped behaviors (B = 4.207, 95% CI: 1.504-6.909, p < 0.01), and had mealtime behavior problems (B = 0.236, 95% CI: 0.139-0.333, p < 0.001) had higher levels of parenting stress. In addition, caregivers who were not employed (B = 3.182, 95% CI: 0.586-5.779, p < 0.05) and those with high public stigma (B = 0.534, 95% CI: 0.389-0.678, p < 0.001) had higher levels of parenting stress. However, female caregivers (B = -3.580, 95% CI: -6.195--0.964, p < 0.01) and caregivers with good family function (B = -0.383, 95% CI: -0.760--0.006, p < 0.05) and social support (B = -1.228, 95% CI: -1.734--0.723, p < 0.001) had lower levels of parenting stress. CONCLUSIONS: Support to improve family function and social support, as well as reduce public stigma may help to alleviate parenting stress in caregivers of children with ASD.

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7. Dickerson AS. Identifying Differences in Autism Factors Using Maternal vs Child Race and Ethnicity. JAMA Netw Open;2026 (Oct 1);9(10):e2637487.

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8. Gardner L, Powell L, Montoya K, Ku T, Lott A, Campbell J. Law Enforcement Officers and Autism Stigma: Changes Associated With Autism Training. J Autism Dev Disord;2026 (Oct 5)

PURPOSE: Law enforcement officers (LEOs) frequently interact with autistic individuals, often without autism-specific training. Limited training may contribute to stigmatizing attitudes that influence these encounters. This study evaluated changes in LEOs’ autism stigma toward autistic individuals following autism training. METHODS: A nonrandomized pre-post intervention design examined changes in autism stigma among 438 LEOs who attended autism training in California or Florida. Officers completed either a 2-h or 4-h training, with the California program including additional virtual reality training. Autism stigma was assessed before and after training using a validated measure. RESULTS: Overall autism stigma decreased significantly following training. For both samples, female officers reported higher neurodiversity affirming attitudes than male officers before either training. Male officers showed significant increases in neurodiversity affirming attitudes in the California sample. For the Florida sample, officers with a relationship to an autistic person reported higher neurodiversity affirming attitudes; officers without a relationship reported greater increases in neurodiversity affirming attitudes. Item-level analyses showed both positive and unexpected changes with increased neurodiversity-affirming attitudes alongside greater endorsement of normative behavioral expectations and reduced trust in information provided by autistic individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Autism-specific training was associated with increases in neurodiversity affirming attitudes with two samples of LEOs, although the absence of control groups preclude causal inference. These findings provide preliminary support for autism training as a strategy to reduce stigma and underscore the need for randomized controlled trials and longitudinal research to evaluate sustained attitudinal and behavioral change in law enforcement.

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9. Geysens M, Souche E, Baroni MC, Benoit V, Beyltjens T, Bossuyt W, Bours V, Crabbé M, Croes D, De Smet M, Désir J, Devriendt K, Dheedene A, Dimitrov BI, Janssens K, Kumps C, Lumaka A, Menten B, Meuwissen M, Monestier O, Mortier G, Olsen C, Palmeira L, Peeters H, Pölsler L, Revencu N, Roland D, Soblet J, Sznajer Y, Taziaux S, Van Esch H, Vandeweyer G, Vantroys E, Vilain C, Wiame E, Van Den Bogaert K, Vermeesch JR. A nationwide prospective randomized trial for diagnosing developmental disorders demonstrates genome sequencing outperforms standard of care. Genome Med;2026 (Oct 5);18(1)

BACKGROUND: Exome (ES) or genome (GS) sequencing are recommended as first- or second-tier molecular tests for patients with developmental disorders (DD), but the clinical utility of GS continues to be debated. METHODS: This prospective randomized trial involving all Belgian human genetics centers compared the standard of care (SoC) – combining ES and chromosomal microarray analysis or shallow GS – with GS for 567 individuals with unexplained DD. The study was retrospectively registered. RESULTS: The diagnostic yield of GS was 39.8% (113/284) vs. 30% for SoC (85/283) (p = 0.015), mainly due to an increased detection of single nucleotide variants and indels (+ 8.7%). GS also enabled the detection of three non-coding (potential) pathogenic variants. Across both study arms, the diagnostic yield was higher for females (45.5%, 97/213) compared to males (28.5%, 101/354) (p < 0.001). Upon correction for the sex distribution and analytical differences between the study arms, the diagnostic yield difference between GS and SoC was reduced to 7.3% (p = 0.069). De novo variants were found for 23.6% of patients. Analysis of inherited variants in genes associated with autosomal dominant phenotypes contributed more to the diagnostic yield (3.9%) than X-linked variants (1.9%), and to a similar extent as autosomal recessive variants (4.1%). CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide study indicates GS outperforms SoC for the diagnosis of patients with DD in a decentralized hospital setting and well-characterized cohort. The results also highlight the importance of evaluating autosomal dominant inherited variants in genomics analyses for DD. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT07051213, 03-07-2025).

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10. Gundeslioglu H, Gray KM, Thompson PA, Langdon PE. A Cross-Lagged Panel Model of Mental Health Amongst UK Undergraduates: The Role of Autism and Gender. J Autism Dev Disord;2026 (Oct 5)

PURPOSE: The aims of this study were to explore the bidirectional relationships between depression, anxiety, and suicidality among autistic and non-autistic undergraduates in the UK, and the impact of gender and autism diagnosis on these relationships, over time. METHOD: A cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) was used to explore bidirectional relationships between (i) anxiety and worry, (ii) behavioural symptoms of depression and anxiety, and (iii) suicidality across two time points. At Wave 1 (November 2022/June 2023), 747 undergraduates participated. At Wave 2 (May/December 2023), 209 participants took part, with 179 providing complete data at both waves, six months apart. Autism status was determined via self-reported clinical diagnosis, including participants who reported receiving a first diagnosis between Wave 1 and Wave 2. Autism diagnosis and gender were included as covariates. RESULTS: Cross-lagged relationships were observed over time between suicidality and anxiety and worry, and suicidality and behavioural symptoms of depression and anxiety. Mental health problems remained stable across participants over time. Although an autism diagnosis was associated to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and suicidality at baseline, neither autism diagnosis nor gender was associated with changes in mental health problems over six months. CONCLUSION: Initially, relative to non-autistic undergraduates, autistic undergraduates had elevated (or higher) anxiety, depression, and suicidality. Elevated suicidality predicted subsequent increases in anxiety and depression six months later. However, neither an autism diagnosis nor gender had a significant impact on mental health over time. Interpretation of findings is limited by substantial attrition between waves.

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11. Han J, Jin J. Effects of a Virtual Reality-Based Physical Activity Program Using Three Levels of Immersion on Postural Control and Motor Skills in Children With Developmental Disability. Adapt Phys Activ Q;2026 (Oct 5):1-11.

Children with developmental disabilities (DD) exhibit low postural control and increased body sway, leading to delays in motor skill development. This study examined the effects of a virtual reality-based physical activity program with three immersion levels (non-, semi-, and fully immersive) on postural control and motor skills in children with DD. Twenty-four children with DD were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The 12-week program (twice/week and 60 min) used Action Floor, Xbox, and Oculus Quest 2. Postural stability and limits of stability were measured using the Balance System SD, and motor skills were assessed with the Test of Gross Motor Development-3. The experimental group showed greater improvement than the control group in gross motor skills (p < .05). In the limits of stability, within-group improvement was observed in the experimental group (p < .001). These findings suggest that a virtual reality-based physical activity program using multiple immersion levels may enhance the limits of stability and motor skills in children with DD.

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12. Osman H, Moreno R, Breece E, Ashwood P. Increased inflammatory cytokines in the temporal cortex in autism spectrum disorder. Brain Behav Immun Health;2026 (Nov);57:101364.

Alterations in immune and neuroinflammatory processes are evident in neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD). While prior studies using cerebrospinal fluid and plasma/serum have identified differences in cytokine levels in ASD when compared with controls, specific changes in postmortem human brain tissue remains poorly characterized. The superior temporal gyrus (STG) is involved in social communication and sensory processing, and is affected in ASD, making it a relevant region for investigating immune-related differences that has not been previously studied. Neuroimmune profiles were measured in STG tissue from 46 postmortem cases: ASD (n = 17), and neurotypical controls (n = 29). Fresh-frozen samples were collected using biopsy punches, and cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were quantified using multiplexed bead immunoassays. In ASD cases, there were significantly increased levels of inflammatory cytokines in IL-1α, IL-8, IL-18, FLT-3L, FGF-2, G-CSF, M-CSF, MCP3, PDGF-AA and GROa compared to controls. In contrast, there was a significant decrease in RANTES, IFNα2 and IL-4 cytokine levels in ASD. Overall, ASD presented a distinctive STG cytokine profile with increased pro-inflammatory cytokine levels in the absence of an immune regulatory balance. These data highlights that unique neuroimmune pathways occur in neurodevelopmental disorders such as ASD offering insights into potential therapeutic targets.

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13. Shephard E, Mendes TB, Slwczuk NSP, Abati CC, Vieira CA, Moreira KD, Santos LHR, Quinteiro VD, Minagawa BY, Fernandes K, Costa BPS, Barbosa JFR, Briet RN, Jaruche L, Figueiredo LC, Otoch L, Godoy PBG, Jones EJH, Charman T, Bruckner JP. Developmental and environmental differences in infants with family history of autism and ADHD during the first year of life in Brazil. Infant Behav Dev;2026 (Oct 5);85:102255.

Infants with family history (FH) of autism or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are likely to experience a range of differences in their early development compared to infants without FH. However, the vast majority of evidence concerning the early development of these infants has come from high-income-country (HIC) contexts and has not considered the role of psychosocial environmental factors. In this study, we investigated developmental and environmental differences in a large cohort (N = 252) of infants aged 6-11 months (mean=8.7 months) with FH of autism (n = 36), ADHD (n = 66), autism and ADHD (n = 84) or without FH (n = 66) in a low-and-middle-income-country (LMIC) setting, Brazil. Infants with FH of autism showed significantly lower adaptive daily living skills as well as significantly lower temperamental perceptual sensitivity and vocal reactivity than infants without FH of autism, while infants with FH of ADHD showed significantly higher temperamental activity levels and significantly lower temperamental recovery from distress and cuddliness than infants without FH of ADHD. Compared to infants without FH, infants with FH of autism and/or FH of ADHD had significantly higher levels of caregiver mental health difficulties and household chaos. Our findings suggest partially non-overlapping profiles of developmental differences associated with FH of autism and FH of ADHD and shared environmental difficulties in the home. This work highlights the importance of providing support for infants with FH of autism and ADHD and their families in Brazil.

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14. Song F, Michels M, Betz B, Vorhoff W, Neuhann T, Senninger L, Wieczorek D. Mosaicism for Cohen-Gibson Syndrome in a Female Individual With Overgrowth and Neurodevelopmental Delay. Mol Genet Genomic Med;2026 (Oct);14(10):e70286.

BACKGROUND: The Embryonic Ectoderm Development (EED) gene encodes a core component of the Polycomb Repressive Complex 2 (PRC2), which regulates chromatin structure and plays a key role in embryonic development and cell differentiation. Pathogenic variants in EED are associated with overgrowth-intellectual disability syndrome (Cohen-Gibson syndrome, OMIM #617561), though reported cases are rare and typically involve heterozygous germline variants. This study presents an individual with confirmed postzygotic mosaicism in EED, contributing to diagnostic complexity. METHODS: A 12-year-old girl with tall stature, dysmorphic features, developmental delay, and congenital anomalies underwent clinical and genetic evaluation. Exome sequencing and targeted deep sequencing were used to identify and validate the genetic variant across multiple tissues. RESULTS: A likely pathogenic mosaic EED variant c.1091G > T; p.(Trp364Leu) was identified in the patient with a 31% variant allele fraction in peripheral blood. Deep sequencing confirmed the variant and its de novo origin in the parents’ samples. Mosaicism was also detected in two independently collected buccal mucosa samples (dry swab and buccal swab collection kit; 11% and 17%) and in saliva (30%), indicating somatic mosaicism in multiple tissues. DNA methylation profiling revealed a high-confidence epigenetic signature consistent with a PRC2 complex-associated disorder, further supporting the likely pathogenic classification of the identified variant. CONCLUSION: This case broadens the molecular understanding of EED-related disorders and highlights the clinical significance of mosaicism. Deep sequencing and multi-tissue analysis are crucial for accurate diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling in overgrowth syndromes.

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15. Takagi A, Itoi C, Honda K, Kashino M. Motor Variability of Circular Movements Reveals Differences in Non-Dominant Hand and Foot Control in Autistic Adults. J Autism Dev Disord;2026 (Oct 5)

PURPOSE: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is increasingly recognized to involve difficulties in sensorimotor control. This study aimed to evaluate whether motor variability during rhythmic circular movements could serve as a measure of movement coordination quality. METHODS: Seventeen clinically diagnosed autistic adults and twenty age- and IQ-matched individuals each performed fifteen-second circular movements with their left and right hands and feet, paced by a metronome. Motor variability was quantified as the deviation in circular acceleration trajectories measured using a smartphone’s accelerometer sensor. RESULTS: Autistic adults showed greater motor variability in both lower limbs and their non-dominant hand compared to the comparison group. They also exhibited greater hand laterality than the comparison group. Individuals with greater foot variability also tended to show greater hand variability. This relationship was similar in the autistic and comparison groups. CONCLUSION: Quantifying the movement variability of circular movements made with the upper and lower limbs may provide a rapid, quantitative assessment of coordination difficulties in autistic adults.

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16. Ukaji N, Malamateniou C, Potts B, Meertens R, Skelton E. Communication strategies in medical imaging departments for autistic patients. A systematic review exploring person-centred care practices. Radiography (Lond);2026 (Oct 5);32(7):103574.

INTRODUCTION: Communication barriers are one of the major contributors to inaccessible healthcare for autistic people. Literature highlights the need for autism-informed care in medical imaging settings, but evidence on communication interventions in imaging is limited. This review aimed to synthesise communication interventions used in imaging departments to support autistic service users’ accessibility to imaging. METHODS: The protocol was registered on PROSPERO and followed PRISMA guidelines. Literature searches were performed across six databases using keywords such as « medical imag∗ », « communication strateg∗ », « Autis∗ », and « improv∗ access∗ ». In total, 5531 articles were screened by title and abstract, with 26 full-text articles reviewed against pre-determined eligibility criteria. Six studies were included in the review. Risk of bias was assessed using relevant CASP tools. Studies were synthesised using the Pillar Integration Process. RESULTS: Most interventions were explored in an MRI setting (n = 3) and paediatric population (n = 5). Common interventions included picture schedules, at-home procedural videos, and iPad app social scripts. Three central themes were developed: 1) employing flexible approaches to communication can foster acceptance; 2) optimising communication can improve patients/caregivers’ imaging experience, and 3) defining positive outcomes requires a balance of patients’ perspectives and quantitative results. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that flexible, multimodal approaches to communication adjustments can meaningfully improve imaging experiences and scan completion rates for autistic individuals. It highlighted the importance of co-production studies and the need for adequately powered, more inclusive research to improve generalisability and transferability across a wide range of imaging modalities. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Further research on communication interventions for autistic adults is necessary to enhance imaging accessibility for this population. Imaging-specific guidelines are required to ensure standardised practice and better care experiences for autistic people.

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