1. Arnold WM, Bitsika V, Sharpley CF. Camouflaging and autism: Conceptualisation and methodological issues. Autism;2026 (Feb 21):13623613261420085.

It has been suggested that there is poor clarity of the ‘camouflaging’ concept in autism research, and potential confounding of its measurement tools, such as the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire (CAT-Q). A critical review of 389 studies was conducted to investigate these potential conceptual and methodological issues. The findings question whether the same construct has been investigated across studies, as there is inconsistency in: (a) which terms are used; (b) reference made to established conceptual literature; (c) how terms are used (e.g. interchangeably or distinctly); and (d) how terms are defined. Although the CAT-Q has excellent reliability, there is mixed support for its validity, which is evidenced by its confounding by other constructs (e.g. social anxiety) and its limited autism-specificity. The validity of informant discrepancy measures of camouflaging is also questioned due to insufficient reference to established methodology. Finally, the generalisability of camouflaging to the overall autistic population is unclear due to: (a) overrepresentation of autistic females diagnosed during adulthood; and (b) underrepresentation of autistic people with co-occurring intellectual or language difficulties, and those with greater support needs. These issues are considered both in terms of their clinical relevance and how future research might resolve them.Lay AbstractMany autistic people have reported using ‘camouflaging’ strategies to adapt or cope within the non-autistic social world and avoid being negatively judged by other people. However, many terms have been used synonymously with camouflaging, such as masking, compensation and impression management. Due to this confusion about which terms to use, there is some suggestion that there is poor clarity and understanding of the camouflaging concept, and that this may contribute to inaccuracy of the tools used to measure this behaviour. We review 389 previous studies to examine these concerns. Our findings confirm this lack of clarity by showing that studies are inconsistent in: (a) which terms they used to refer to behavioural strategies that resemble camouflaging; (b) whether they referred to existing literature; (c) whether they used different terms to refer to the same concept or to separate types of behaviour; and (d) how they defined the terms that they used. Our findings also question the accuracy of camouflaging measurement tools, as these tools may also be measuring other behaviours (e.g. social anxiety) that are not only experienced by autistic people. We also find that camouflaging studies have mostly focused on autistic females with no accompanying cognitive or language difficulties, and who have received their diagnosis in adulthood. Although camouflaging may contribute to the underdiagnosis of some autistic females, most autistic people are male and are diagnosed during early childhood, and a large number of autistic people do experience those other difficulties. Because of this, it is not clear whether the findings of previous camouflaging studies can apply to all autistic people. We provide some suggestions for how researchers might resolve some of these issues in their future studies, and we consider what the findings mean for clinicians who work with autistic people.

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2. Boeri S, Cognolato E, Simonetta D, Ratta G, Pelizza MF, Stevanato G, Battaglia D, Quintiliani M, Quartana M, Pitino R, Prato G, Bagnasco I. Use of fenfluramine in MECP2-related Rett syndrome: Findings from a retrospective multicenter pediatric case series. Epilepsy Behav;2026 (Feb 21);178:110920.

INTRODUCTION: Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder mainly affecting females. The patients could experience many comorbidities, including gastrointestinal, breathing, cardiovascular disorders, and seizures, which are often drug-resistant. Many antiseizure medications (ASMs) can be utilized as monotherapy or in combination. Fenfluramine (FFA), has a unique mechanism of action that targets the serotonergic system and sigma-1 receptors, has shown benefit in other epileptic encephalopathies, but data on RTT are lacking. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of four pediatric patients (mean age 11 years, ± 2.6, min, 9 years old, max 14 years old) with MECP2-related RTT and drug-resistant epilepsy, treated with FFA between 2019 and 2025 (mean treatment duration: 10.5 months ± 2.4, min. 9 months, max 13 months – treatment duration was calculated from treatment initiation until study completion, which was uniformly defined as March 2025 (time of first manuscript draft) or until drug discontinuation. Clinical data, seizure outcomes, behavioral changes, and adverse effects were collected through medical records and caregiver interviews. RESULTS: Three out of four patients experienced a significant reduction in seizure frequency, with > 50% reduction in two cases. Tonic-clonic seizures decreased in all responders. One patient did not show improvement and discontinued FFA. Adverse events (apathy and psychomotor slowing) were reported in one case but resolved after temporary discontinuation. EEGs in responders demonstrated partial improvement with a reduction in interictal abnormalities. No cardiac adverse events were observed. Improvement in alertness and interaction, and reduced irritability were reported in two patients. DISCUSSION: FFA appears effective and generally well-tolerated in patients with RTT and drug-resistant epilepsy, particularly for generalized tonic-clonic seizures. Cognitive and behavioral improvements reported by caregivers may be attributable to a combination of serotonergic receptor modulation and reduced seizure burden. Despite polytherapy, side effects were minimal. These findings align with existing literature on FFA use in other developmental epileptic encephalopathies. Prospective studies on larger cohorts with long-term monitoring are needed to validate efficacy, safety, and cognitive-behavioral outcomes.

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3. Crisci G, Lievore R, Mammarella IC. Blurred lines: Investigating functional profiles in autism and ADHD across key developmental domains. Res Dev Disabil;2026 (Feb 21);170:105240.

While Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) present distinct symptoms and developmental trajectories, they also share overlapping characteristics across different domains. This exploratory study investigated differences between ASD, ADHD and non-diagnosed (ND) peers across theory of mind, pragmatic language, inattention, impulsivity, social skills, and behavioral problems. A data-driven approach was further applied to explore whether distinct functional profiles emerged across these domains and whether such profiles aligned with traditional diagnostic categories. The sample included 204 participants aged 8-16: 51 with ASD, 64 with ADHD, and 89 ND, matched for age, sex, and intelligence quotient. Results highlight that both clinical groups performed worse than ND peers, with no differences between ASD and ADHD. Latent profile analysis identified four distinct profiles: 1 (« Inattentive with pragmatic difficulties »; n = 20), 2 (« Social deficits with behavioral dysregulation »; n = 63), 3 (« Highly impulsive »; n = 24), and 4 (« Minimal impairments »; n = 97). The first three were predominantly composed of autistic and ADHD participants, while the fourth was distinctive of ND. Notably, 50 % of both autistic and ADHD participants were grouped into Profile 2, characterized primarily by parental reports, alongside weaknesses performing tests. Our findings suggest that ASD and ADHD share difficulties across key developmental domains, with functional profiles extending beyond traditional diagnostic boundaries. Given the exploratory nature of the study and the relatively limited sample size, these findings should be considered preliminary and warrant replication in larger and more diverse samples. Despite this, our results support a dimensional view of neurodevelopmental conditions, while highlighting the need to integrate informant reports, psychometric data, and clinical judgment to ensure meaningful interpretations of a child’s functional profile.

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4. Fireizen SM, Finkelstein A, Benisti L, Tenenbaum A. Vaccination decision-making in children with intellectual and developmental disabilities- it’s a matter of trust. Vaccine;2026 (Feb 21);77:128382.

Children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are among the most disadvantaged population groups in receiving timely and appropriate access to health and preventative health care such as vaccinations. Little is known about how parents understand, experience, and strategize when deciding whether to vaccinate children. Our qualitative study involved four focus groups and two individual semi-structured interviews. Results were analyzed through thematic analysis. We integrated two main themes: (1) Parents weighed the same vaccination considerations for children with IDD and their siblings; (2) The health system played a key role in parents’ vaccination decision-making process for children with IDD. Our research demonstrates that parents who gain trust in the health system will decide to vaccinate all their children, not only those with IDD. These parents need additional information and advice, easier access to vaccine services, and additional information and explanation to build a trusting relationship with the health system.

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5. Iadarola S, Oakes L, Keith J, Hochheimer S, Wang H. 10-Year Outcome of Community-based Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention for Autistic Children. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol;2026 (Feb 21);54(2)

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6. Martinez Cedillo AP, Leon-Espinoza I, Albores-Gallo L, Zavaleta-Ramirez P, Romero C, Mireles L, Foulsham T. Cognitive profiles of Autism, ADHD, and co-occurring presentations in childhood: insights from an online working memory task. Child Neuropsychol;2026 (Feb 21):1-12.

Access to standardized cognitive assessment remains limited in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs), with direct implications for the identification and support of children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Among these, Autism Spectrum Conditions (ASC) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder ADHD are highly prevalent and frequently co-occurring yet characterized by distinct cognitive profiles. Online assessment methods represent a promising avenue for scalable, cost-effective screening and research. The present study investigated whether a brief online cognitive task could reliably distinguish performance patterns among children and adolescents with ADHD, ASC, both (ASC + ADHD) and a group of typically developing (TD) peers. Children between the ages of 8 and 14 from diverse regions of Mexico completed a brief online working memory task, where they were required to remember either the identity(N = 61) or the emotional expression (N = 99) of a face. Task completion rates were high, demonstrating the feasibility of remote administration (84.6%). Clinical groups showed expected differences relative to TD peers: the ADHD group was distinguished by poorer overall working memory performance and increased intra-subject variability. The ASC group was selectively impaired in the emotion task. This study demonstrates the feasibility of deploying online cognitive tasks in LMIC contexts, providing a scalable approach to developmental research and early identification and referral. Intra-subject variability is a robust marker for ADHD, while careful future work should continue to disentangle overlapping disorders.

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7. Smith J. Daily briefing: What we know about autism and ageing – and what we don’t. Nature;2026 (Feb 18)

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8. Song DY, Kyung S, Bong G, Kim YR, Lee Y, Yoo HJ. Understanding the Mental Health in Parents of Children on the Autism Spectrum: Beyond Child-Driven Stressors. J Autism Dev Disord;2026 (Feb 21)

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9. Thirumanickam A, Attrill S, Welz N, Hobbs D. Enhancing social collaboration in autistic pre-teens through Minecraft(™). Int J Speech Lang Pathol;2026 (Feb 20):1-12.

PURPOSE: This pilot research explored the use of Minecraft(™) as an accessible game-based program for facilitating social skills development and collaboration in 10-12-year-old pre-adolescent autistic children. METHOD: Underpinned by inclusive research principles, the study was co-designed with consumers with lived experience and used a mixed-method design to explore intervention effects across different intensities (high vs. low) and modalities (in-person vs. online). RESULT: A total of 11 children participated, divided into four groups of 2-3 players each. The findings showed that both low- and high-intensity groups showed non-significant social skills improvements, with highest perceived gains in low-intensity online and high-intensity in-person groups. Parent and child reports of social competence with peers were mixed. Online friendships were limited across groups, with none reported amongst the in-person group participants. Qualitative analysis highlighted three interconnected dimensions of engagement, including relational, structural, and contextual; shaping experiences of collaboration, social competence, and accessibility. CONCLUSION: Despite limitations that warrant cautious interpretation, the study demonstrates the value of co-design with families and people with lived experience; which should remain central to future research.

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