1. Brewer L, Namdeo A, Rowen E, Oparah C, Pearce M, Kolehmainen N. Self-Care in Children and Young People With and Without Developmental Disabilities-A Systematic Review. Child Care Health Dev;2026 (May);52(3):e70285.

BACKGROUND: Looking after oneself (e.g., eating, keeping clean) and making decisions about how this is done (‘self-care’) is a key health outcome for children with a developmental disability, but guidelines are limited and support for children and families is variable. This systematic review investigated (1) factors influencing self-care in children and young people and (2) interventions that support self-care in children and young people with developmental disabilities. METHODS: Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive electronic search of Medline (via Ovid) and CINAHL (via EBSCO) (2007-2024) was carried out. The protocol for this study was registered in PROSPERO. Studies and systematic reviews where self-care was the main outcome were selected. Data were extracted on participant and intervention characteristics, self-care outcomes and explanatory factors. RESULTS: Of the 16 586 studies screened, 115 were included (10 RCTs, 4 qualitative, 101 observational). These involved 14 590 participants, the individual study sample sizes ranging from 1 to 818 (median 64). The largest two studies (n = 818 each) were in children with cerebral palsy. Movement functions were the most frequently studied explanatory factor and showed consistent association with self-care, as did cognitive and executive function. Pain was investigated in two studies and sensory processing in one study, and both were consistently associated with self-care. Of personal and environmental factors investigated, age, socio-economic status, physical environment, accessibility and caregiver characteristics were associated with self-care. Interventions showing promise to improve self-care in those with developmental disabilities included adaptive seating, goal-setting training, motor skills training, educational programmes for primary caregivers and constrained-induced movement therapy. Overall, evidence about effectiveness is limited, and research has focused on children with cerebral palsy. LIMITATIONS: Meta-analysis was not possible because of study heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of movement and cognitive functions in self-care is well-established. Personal and environmental factors and intervention effectiveness require further research.

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2. Cacciato-Salcedo S, Lao-Rodríguez AB, Malmierca MS. Temporal dynamics of contextual processing in the inferior colliculus of a rat model of autism: Sex- and age-dependent trajectories. Hear Res;2026 (May 10);477:109659.

In autism, sensory differences have been linked to altered contextual processing and to how temporal structure supports the formation of regularities and predictions. Here, we examined how temporal and contextual auditory processing are shaped by sex, development, and prenatal valproic acid (VPA) exposure in the non-lemniscal inferior colliculus at low sound levels. Single-unit recordings from control and VPA-exposed rats were obtained using oddball and cascade paradigms, allowing dissociation of mismatch (iMM), repetition suppression (iRS), and prediction-error (iPE) components in both response magnitude and latency. In control animals, maturation selectively reorganized contextual and predictive processing in females, shifting responses toward reduced repetition suppression and increased prediction-error signaling. This shift was accompanied by longer response latencies, indicating a broader temporal integration window. Compared to male rats, adult females displayed prediction-driven, with reduced adaptation bias, of mismatch responses. In contrast, prenatal VPA exposure disrupted this sex- and age-dependent pattern, particularly in females, producing reduced response magnitude together with earlier response peaks. These findings reveal a female-specific reorganization of subcortical contextual processing and demonstrate that sex, age, and prenatal VPA exposure-related effects can dissociate response strength from temporal deployment. Collectively, our results highlight the role of temporal dynamics in contextual computation within the auditory midbrain and support the contribution of early subcortical circuits to autism-related sensory processing.

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3. Dąbrowska KA, Wilczyński KM, Kamińska KZ, Janas-Kozik M. Case report: Could hikikomori be a specific presentation of psychotic decompensation in people with autism spectrum disorder?. Psychiatr Pol;2026 (Feb 28);60(1):61-75.

The phenomenon of « hikikomori » is characterized by spending most of the day in one room, visibly avoiding social situations and interpersonal relationships, and leaving one’s room only at night so as not to be noticed by others, and spending a lot of time surfing the Internet or playing video games. Although first described in Japan, cases have been described from around the world. Studies on hikikomori available in the literature indicate a wide range of disorders diagnosed in this group of patients such as anxiety disorders, personality disorders, mood disorders, and psychotic disorders. However, it is most often observed with ASD (autism spectrum disorder). The aim of this study is to consider hikikomori as a specific presentation of psychotic decompensation in people with ASD. In the case of a 10-year-old boy with ASD, sulpiride brought an improvement in social withdrawal, which, together with the symptoms presented by him, may indicate the possibility of psychotic decompensation in the form of hikikomori. Due to the lack of therapeutic guidelines for the management of people with hikikomori, this may be a valuable guideline for the implementation of appropriate pharmacotherapy by clinicians, in which attention should also be paid to frequently occurring other psychiatric disorders.

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4. Kim SY, Gillespie-Lynch K, Kapp SK, Yang LQ, Wallington AF, Raymaker DM, Moura I, McDonald K, Maslak J, Kripke-Ludwig R, Joyce A, Horner-Johnson W, Frowner E, Baker-Ericzén M, Nicolaidis C. Self- and Caregiver-Reported Choice-Making in Autistic Adults: Development and Validation of the AASPIRE-Choices and Decisions Scale. medRxiv;2026 (May 10)

Self-determination has been assessed as an internal psychological construct. External factors may also affect self-determination, but opportunities to make choices and decisions remain understudied. We developed and evaluated the AASPIRE-Choices and Decisions Scale (AASPIRE-CDS), a new measure of autistic adults’ opportunities to make choices and decisions, using a community-based participatory approach. We created and refined the AASPIRE-CDS through an iterative process. Data, from the AASPIRE Outcomes Project, included 839 autistic adults participating through direct report, supported direct report, and caregiver report (CR). Exploratory and confirmatory analyses supported a unidimensional structure. Measurement invariance analyses supported configural, metric, and partial scalar invariance across report type without CR, and across living status, with and without CR. The AASPIRE-CDS showed high internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and responsiveness to change over time. Convergent validity analyses showed that higher AASPIRE-CDS scores were associated with greater self-determination and communication fluency, more independent living, and fewer support needs. The AASPIRE-CDS showed weaker (albeit significant) associations with quality of life, overall health, and employment satisfaction than the self-determination measure showed with these variables. This pattern suggests that opportunities for choice-making are related to, but distinct from, commonly used measures of self-determination. Findings support the AASPIRE-CDS as a valid and reliable measure of choice-making opportunities in autistic adults across support needs but suggest caution interpreting CR. They underscore the importance of supporting autistic adults’ choice-making and evaluating opportunities for choice alongside internal self-determination. Future research should use larger CR samples to examine the validity of caregiver-reported choice-making opportunities.

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5. Lin CC. Acute and Transient Psychosis Following Trauma, Particularly in Females With Autism. J Paediatr Child Health;2026 (May 10)

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6. Male I, Farr W, McGrevey S, Abrahamson V, Wigham S, Reddy V, Allard A, Grahame V, Maxwell J, Saunders G, Walker A, King N, Islam S, Akhtar Z, Parr J, Wilson P. How can we improve the timeliness and quality of diagnostic assessment for children with possible autism? Qualitative findings and recommendations from a Realist Evaluation of Autism Service delivery in the United Kingdom. Autism;2026 (May 10):13623613261430914.

Families face long waits for their child to undergo a diagnostic assessment for possible autism. This study explored the experiences of parents and children/young people (CYP) accessing and professionals providing autism diagnostic assessments in the United Kingdom. This realist evaluation was conducted in three phases: (1) interviews and focus groups with parents, CYP and professionals from six U.K. National Health Service (NHS) childhood autism assessment and diagnosis services; (2) resulting qualitative data were analysed, and programme theories (PTs) explaining how, why and in what contexts childhood autism assessment and diagnosis pathways work well were tested and refined; and (3) recommendations for change were developed by the research team and presented to delegates at six dissemination events including 250 clinicians, managers, parents/carers, commissioners and academics involved in autism assessment and diagnosis. Delegates were invited to select and rank the most important recommendations. There were 121 participants in Phase 1 (18 CYP, 34 parents, 69 professionals). In Phase 2, both families and clinicians confirmed challenges in the assessment and diagnostic process, including increased demand for assessments and insufficient numbers of specialist multidisciplinary team (MDT) practitioners to provide adequately skilled workforces. The need to support families across the whole assessment and diagnostic process was seen as key to providing a quality service but was often not possible. Steps taken to improve the process were identified, and seven PTs covered: improving recognition of children needing referral, referral processes, service organisation, professional skill mix, assessment, feedback/report writing and training/service evaluation. In Phase 3, during consultation, 12 recommendations were selected as most important for change. Several strategies for improving services were identified that may reduce waiting times and increase acceptability and quality of childhood autism assessment and diagnosis services.Lay AbstractWaiting lists for childhood autism assessments are lengthy, meaning families wait a long time for their child to undergo a diagnostic assessment for possible autism. In this study, we explored the experiences of children, young people and parents who have gone through the assessment and diagnosis process in the United Kingdom. We also explored the views of professionals who deliver childhood autism diagnostic assessments. We conducted interviews and focus groups with children, young people, parents and professionals. We recruited participants from six U.K. National Health Service (NHS) assessment and diagnosis services. We wanted to find out how childhood autism assessment and diagnosis processes could be improved. We asked the research participants about their experiences of the autism assessment and diagnosis process to find out what worked well, who it worked well for and under what circumstances. Recommendations for change were developed by the research team and presented to delegates at six dissemination events. Delegates (including 250 clinicians, managers, parents/carers, commissioners and academics involved in autism assessment and diagnosis) were invited to select and rank the most important recommendations. In total, 121 people took part including 18 children and young people, 34 parents and 69 professionals. Participants described their experiences of the assessment and diagnosis process and challenges in the system including increased demand for assessments and there not being enough specialist skilled practitioners available to conduct assessments. Participants also described ways the childhood assessment and diagnosis process could be improved, including better information gathering during referral. The need to support families throughout the whole assessment process (and not just on receiving a diagnosis) was seen as very important. Seven key areas for improvement were identified: accurately recognising when to refer children, the referral process, service organisation, skill mix of autism assessment teams, the diagnostic assessment, feedback and report writing, and training for staff. Twelve recommendations for change were identified by delegates at the dissemination events. The findings can be used to help make recommendations for service development, reduce waiting times and improve the quality of childhood autism assessment services for children, young people and families.

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7. Ratree F, Franco S, Kulesza R. Auditory brainstem responses in an animal model of autism spectrum disorder: Audiograms, sex differences and maturation changes. Hear Res;2026 (May 10);477:109656.

Atypical processing of sound is a common feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This impairment is present at birth, ranges in severity and can impact language and cognitive ability. As such, early diagnosis and intervention is paramount. The auditory brainstem response (ABR) is a simple, non-invasive tool that reveals synchronized electrical activity along the ascending auditory pathway in response to simple sounds and numerous studies have reported significant changes in ABR latency and amplitude in individuals with ASD. Additionally, neuropathological studies reveal fewer auditory brainstem neurons in ASD. Together, these findings implicate brainstem dysfunction as a root cause of atypical sound processing in ASD. In utero exposure to the antiepileptic drug valproic acid (VPA) significantly increases the risk of an ASD diagnosis in humans. As such, in utero exposure to VPA is a clinically relevant and validated animal model of ASD. Previous studies have shown that animals exposed to VPA in utero have significantly fewer neurons in the auditory brainstem, thalamus and cerebral cortex, reduced ascending projections to the inferior colliculus and medial geniculate, decreased cortical projections to the inferior colliculus and poorly organized tonotopic maps. Consistent with these structural changes, male rats exposed to VPA in utero have significant changes in ABR latency in response to broadband clicks. In this study, we aimed to further characterize the ABR in a repeated oral VPA exposure model of ASD. Specifically, we hypothesized that VPA exposure would result in significant hearing differences in both male and female animals in response to both broadband clicks and pure tone pips. We also hypothesized that ABR latency might provide a quantitative screening tool for ASD. Our results indicate that repeated oral exposure to VPA results in atypical click and tone-evoked ABRs in both male and female rats and that wave V latency may provide a highly sensitivity metric for neurodevelopmental brainstem dysfunction. Together, these results further characterize hearing impairment in an animal model of ASD and illustrate the utility of the ABR in screening for neurodevelopmental conditions.

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8. Zhao X, Zhu S, Cao Y, Cheng P, Lin Y, Zhai T, Yan W, Li Y, Jiang W, Hong W, Du Y. White matter integrity and its correlation with symptom severity in adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Asian J Psychiatr;2026 (Apr 30);120:104990.

Increasing evidence links disrupted brain connectivity to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with white matter alterations as a core mechanism. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has detected white matter abnormalities in ASD, but findings lack consistency, and few studies have correlated these abnormalities with clinical symptoms. Forty-two high-functioning ASD (HFASD) adolescents and 56 matched typically developing (TD) controls underwent DTI scans, analyzed via tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) for fractional anisotropy (FA) changes. HFASD participants were assessed for symptom severity using the Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), with voxel-wise correlation analyzing FA-symptom relationships in regions showing group differences. Compared to TD controls, HFASD adolescents exhibited increased FA in bilateral inferior cerebellar peduncle (ICP) and corticospinal tract (CT), and decreased FA in bilateral ICP, middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP), uncinate fasciculus (UF), plus left anterior corona radiata (ACR), inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and CT (all P < 0.005, TFCE-corrected). Correlation analysis revealed FA alterations in left/right UF correlated with language function (R=0.57/0.49, P < 0.005, TFCE-corrected), while right MCP FA changes correlated with sensory ability (R=-0.64, P < 0.005, TFCE-corrected). These findings indicate white matter integrity abnormalities may underpin ASD's neuropathological and clinical basis.

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