1. Correction to « Specialization of Anterior and Posterior Hippocampal Functional Connectivity Differs in Autism ». Autism Res. 2026: e70355.

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2. Charman T, Bazelmans T, Pasco G, Ali JB, Jones EJH, Johnson MH. Developmental Trajectories of Autistic Traits in Infants With Autism and/or ADHD Family History: Predictors and Mid-Childhood Outcomes. J Autism Dev Disord. 2026.

PURPOSE: Autism is both a developmental and heterogeneous condition, with individual variation in the timing and shape of autistic symptom trajectories over time, as recognised by the concept of ‘chronogeneity’. Prospective infant autism family history studies are well-suited to examining developmental trajectory variability, a key aspect of autism trait heterogeneity. METHODS: We examined autistic trait trajectories in a large sample of infants with autism and/or ADHD family history (N = 384) followed from infancy to mid-childhood. Using group-based multi-trajectory modelling, we identified classes with distinct trajectories across three autism trait measures taken at six, five, and four timepoints, respectively, between 5 months and 9 years. RESULTS: A 5-class solution provided the best fit. Three classes included 50-75% children meeting autism diagnostic criteria at 3 years or mid-childhood, with distinct differences in timing, onset, and developmental patterns of autistic traits. Two classes were predominantly typically developing, with one characterised as ‘slow starters’. Background characteristics including autism/ADHD family history, sex, maternal education, and household income (but not ethnicity) predicted class membership. Mid-childhood outcomes-IQ, adaptive function, autism and ADHD traits, anxiety and behavioural difficulties-differed across trajectory classes. CONCLUSION: The timing and developmental course of autistic traits-independent of trait level-relate meaningfully to infant and family characteristics, diagnostic timing, and mid-childhood outcomes. These findings support chronogeneity as a valuable framework for understanding autism heterogeneity in family history studies. The trajectory classes identified here are descriptive; future studies should examine their replicability, and explanatory and mechanistic value.

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3. Clavijo G, Cayaffa C, Santander J, Barcia V, Iaquinta F, Machado I. Hair Elemental Homeostasis in Uruguayan Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Multielement Biomonitoring Study. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2026.

Hair elemental homeostasis has emerged as a potential source of information for understanding the interactions between environmental exposure, nutrition, and neurodevelopment in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study characterized the multielement hair profile of Uruguayan children with ASD and neurotypical (NT) controls using a multivariate biomonitoring approach. Scalp hair samples were collected from 223 children (127 ASD and 96 NT), digested by microwave-assisted acid digestion, and analyzed by microwave-induced plasma optical emission spectrometry for the determination of Al, Ba, Ca, Cr, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn. Global differences were evaluated by permutation-based multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA), followed by univariate analyses with false discovery rate correction and principal component analysis (PCA). Significant differences were observed between the overall hair elemental profiles of ASD and NT children (PERMANOVA, pseudo-F = 5.83, R²=0.0257, p < 0.001). Children with ASD exhibited higher hair concentrations of Al, Cr, and Pb, whereas Ba, Ca, and Mg were higher in NT controls. No significant differences were found for Fe, Mn, Ni, or Zn. Biological sex represented the strongest determinant of hair elemental profile (R²=0.081, p < 0.001), whereas dietary restrictions, psychotropic medication use, and ASD support level showed limited or no independent influence. Beyond identifying subtle alterations in elemental homeostasis associated with ASD, this work provides the first comprehensive dataset of hair elemental concentrations in Uruguayan children and establishes a baseline for future biomonitoring studies. These findings demonstrate that multielement hair analysis combined with multivariate statistics is a valuable approach for investigating elemental homeostasis in childhood.

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4. Cui D, Wang X, Ai R, Gao F, Sun H, Zhang Y, Lyu Y, Zhang Z, Li W, Qin Y, Guo Y, Liu Y, Zhao N, Wang J, Li S, Wu Y, Zhang S, Wang C, Wang F, Li Y. Dyscoordination of thalamic reticular spindles is associated with social memory deficits in mice and humans with autism spectrum disorder. Nat Commun. 2026; 17(1).

Social memory, the ability to recognize and remember conspecifics, is frequently impaired in psychiatric disorders such as autism, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We examined the role of sleep spindles across non-rapid eye movement sleep in social memory consolidation, focusing on the sensory thalamic reticular nucleus (sTRN). Here we show that impaired spindles were associated with defective social memory. Through pharmacological/optogenetic manipulations and optical Ca(2+) recordings, we demonstrated that parvalbumin-positive neurons in the sTRN (sTRN(Pvalb)) are essential for sleep spindle generation, mediated by the sTRN(Pvalb)-ventroposteromedial (VPM) thalamic nucleus circuit. Increasing the activity of the sTRN(Pvalb)-VPM pathway could rescue impaired spindles and social memory deficits in Neuroligin 2 mutant mice. Moreover, we developed machine learning-based models to predict autism in children based on spindle eigenvalues. These findings underscore the critical role of spindles in social memory, suggesting spindles may serve as candidate diagnostic markers.

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5. Desimpelaere EN, Prinzie P, De Pauw SSW, Soenens B. From Perfectionistic Concerns to Parental Burnout via Parenting Stress: Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Models in Couples Raising a Child on the Autism Spectrum. J Autism Dev Disord. 2026.

PURPOSE: Parents of children on the autism spectrum face elevated parenting stress and an increased risk of parental burnout. This study examined the role of parental perfectionistic concerns, a well-established risk factor in the general population that has not yet been studied among parents of children on the autism spectrum, while also considering cumulative risk in experiences of parenting stress and subsequent parental burnout. Moving beyond a focus on parents’ individual experiences, we investigated dyadic processes using Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Models (APIMeM), with parenting stress as an intervening variable linking perfectionistic concerns and cumulative risk to parental burnout. METHODS: The sample comprised 136 mother-father dyads raising a child on the autism spectrum (73% boys, M(age) = 12.2 years). Each parent reported on their own and their partners’ perfectionistic concerns, parenting stress, and parental burnout, alongside a variety of risks they are exposed to. RESULTS: An APIMeM with self-reports and an APIMeM with partner-reports revealed significant actor effects: mothers’ and fathers’ perfectionistic concerns were positively associated with their own parenting stress and parental burnout, even when taking into account the significant actor effects of cumulative risk. No partner effects emerged for perfectionistic concerns. Cumulative risk did display partner effects, with one parent’s cumulative risk relating to their partner’s parenting stress and subsequent parental burnout. CONCLUSION: The findings underscore the importance of addressing perfectionistic concerns in both mothers and fathers, as well as attending to the dyadic processes between partners, to mitigate parental burnout in families raising children on the autism spectrum.

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6. Dwyer P, Williams ZJ, Magnuson JE, Woynaroski TG. English-Language Autism Terminology Preferences of Autistic People and their Parents in the United States: Clustering Illuminates Diverse Views. Autism. 2026: 13623613261475023.

Autism terminology preferences are the subject of considerable debate and various studies, the results of which sometimes conflict. This study examined diversity in terminology preferences in a U.S. sample of 3,181 non-autistic parents and 2,098 autistic people (including 451 autistic parents). The study also examined a particularly wide range of language issues: participants rated terms for autism, possible subgroups within autism, autistic people, autism likelihood, and autistic characteristics. Non-autistic parents’, autistic parents’, and autistic non-parents’ terminology ratings differed, but generally modestly. Using clustering to explore response patterns revealed greater variability. Almost half of the participants were grouped in the Open Cluster, characterised by liking or neutrality towards most terms. Others were grouped in the Identity-First Cluster, characterised by support for identity-first language, strong opposition to terms for possible autism subgroups, and rejection of many pathologising terms. Other participants were in the Person-First Cluster, characterised by support for person-first language, yet still some scepticism towards terms for possible autism subgroups. Autistic participants were overrepresented in the Identity-First Cluster, while non-autistic parents were overrepresented in the Person-First Cluster. These results suggest that there is presently no consensus regarding autism terminology preferences in the United States.Community AbstractWhy was this study done? It is important to respect how members of any community want to be talked about. However, previous studies about terminology preferences in the autism community sometimes provide different results. These conflicting results suggest that prior studies are not always capturing the diversity of terminology preferences in the autism community.What did the researchers do? We recruited large groups of autistic and non-autistic people in the United States. We asked them to rate different terms for talking about autism, subgroups within autism, autistic people, characteristics of autism, and the likelihood that somebody will later be diagnosed with autism.We then clustered the data, which means we let participants’ responses sort themselves into clusters of similar responses. This allowed us to highlight the diversity of people’s views.What did the researchers find? We found some terms that almost everyone liked, such as « autism, » and other terms or phrases that almost everyone disliked, such as « person suffering from autism. » However, most terms were liked by some people and disliked by others.We describe an « Open Cluster » of participants who like or have neutral feelings towards most terms.We describe an « Identity-First Cluster » of participants who like identity-first language and dislike terms for subgroups within autism. Identity-First cluster members also disliked many terms that imply autism is a bad thing, like « risk » for autism.Finally, we describe a « Person-First Cluster » of participants who like person-first language. Person-First Cluster members disliked some terms for subgroups within autism, but not as strongly as Identity-First Cluster members did.What are the implications? This study shows that autism community members do not always agree about terminology. This means that it is important to be thoughtful and considerate in how we talk about autism.

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7. Jiao Y, Jia Q, Zhang X, Zhang C, Wei C, Wang D, Liu X, Li H, Hu A, Zeng L, Li L, Yao P. Early-life oxidative stress programs persistent NFκB activation and neuroinflammation in autism spectrum disorder. Front Immunol. 2026; 17: 1869130.

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress and immune dysregulation are hallmark features of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet whether oxidative imbalance acts as an upstream trigger of immune activation remains unclear. The redox-sensitive transcription factor NFκB represents a potential mechanistic link. We investigated whether early-life oxidative stress contributes to persistent NFκB activation and neuroinflammation in ASD. METHODS: Umbilical cord blood and peripheral blood from ASD and typically developing children were analyzed for redox markers (GSH/GSSG ratio, malondialdehyde, 8-oxo-dG), NFκB activation (p65 DNA-binding and nuclear translocation), and inflammatory gene expression. The mechanistic relationship between oxidative stress and NFκB signaling was investigated in prenatal valproic acid (VPA)-exposed mice using antioxidant intervention (N-acetylcysteine, NAC), NFκB inhibition (Bay 11-7082), pro-oxidant challenge, behavioral assays, and primary amygdala neuron models. RESULTS: ASD children exhibited persistent oxidative imbalance detectable at birth, accompanied by increased NFκB activation and pro-inflammatory gene expression. VPA-exposed mice recapitulated these molecular and behavioral abnormalities. In primary neurons, oxidative stress directly enhanced NFκB activity and promoter binding, whereas antioxidant and mitochondrial-targeted approaches suppressed NFκB activation. Developmentally, oxidative stress preceded sustained NFκB activation, and prenatal, but not postnatal, NAC treatment prevented these abnormalities. NAC restored redox homeostasis, reduced NFκB signaling, and improved behavioral deficits, whereas NFκB inhibition alone attenuated inflammatory responses but failed to correct oxidative imbalance or behavioral abnormalities. CONCLUSION: Early-life oxidative stress is an upstream pathogenic event associated with persistent NFκB activation and neuroinflammation in ASD. NFκB primarily mediates inflammatory signaling, while oxidative stress likely contributes to ASD-related behaviors through additional downstream pathways. These findings highlight early redox modulation as a potential therapeutic strategy.

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8. Keller J, Picard B, Jaffe N. Integrating autism spectrum disorder evaluation and postdiagnostic support in a large pediatric primary care network. Nurse Pract. 2026; 51(9): e7-e9.

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9. Lu AW, DeJong C, Harris MG, Johnson MS, Mudnal P, Rivas Vazquez L, Espinosa YB, Kotsonis D, Ragavan MI, Broder-Fingert S, White M, Zuckerman KE. Inclusion of Participants With Limited English Proficiency in Autism Research. Autism Res. 2026: e70331.

Individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and limited English proficiency (LEP), defined as having limited ability to read, write, or understand English, may experience disparities in quality of care and healthcare outcomes. However, little research has described methods and practices for including participants with LEP in ASD research studies. This literature review study investigated (1) the prevalence of LEP inclusion in U.S. research about ASD, (2) the languages included, and (3) the communication methods between research teams and participants with LEP. Using the Covidence Systematic Review Software, we completed a two-round screening of 1007 studies published between 2013 and June 2025 in four major autism journals: Autism, Autism Research, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, and Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. We limited the sample to U.S.-based original research involving human subjects with ASD and/or their caretakers. Eligible studies were reviewed further to extract relevant study information (e.g., participant demographics, study type, communication methods, and inclusion of LEP participants). Only 61 (19%) among the 326 eligible studies explicitly mentioned the inclusion of participants with LEP and provided information about their inclusion. Other studies may have included LEP participants but did not report their inclusion in the publication. The most common language included was Spanish. Results showed that the most used oral and written communication methods involved communication with, and translation of study materials by a bilingual research team member. The results suggest that LEP participants were underrepresented in ASD research, and future research is needed to advise more inclusive healthcare practices and policies for children and families.

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10. Park N, Shin Y, Kang J, Lee YE, Lee A. Wireless Electroencephalography in Research on Children With Developmental Disabilities: Scoping Review. J Med Internet Res. 2026; 28: e84707.

BACKGROUND: Wireless electroencephalography (EEG) systems offer practical advantages over conventional wired devices in the assessment of children with developmental disabilities (DDs), including enhanced portability, reduced participant burden, and ease of use. However, how these systems have been applied across diverse DD populations, research purposes, and clinical contexts remains unclear. OBJECTIVE: This scoping review aimed to map available evidence on wireless EEG applications in children with DDs, characterize device specifications by application purpose, identify neurobehavioral challenges and corresponding methodological solutions, and assess data quality-related reporting practices. METHODS: This scoping review followed the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews), PRISMA-S (PRISMA Statement for Reporting Literature Searches in Systematic Reviews), and the population, concept, and context framework: population, children aged<19 years with DDs; concept, studies using wireless EEG devices for data collection; and context, all research and clinical settings. A systematic search was conducted across 7 databases (PubMed, Embase, IEEE Xplore, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus) from their inception through December 2025. Screening was performed independently by 4 reviewers. Data on study characteristics, device specifications, neurobehavioral recording challenges, and data quality reporting were extracted and synthesized descriptively, including cross-tabulation of devices by application purpose. RESULTS: Of 594 identified records, 64 studies enrolling 3103 participants met the inclusion criteria. Studies were published between 2005 and 2025, with an increasing trend in both publications and sample sizes. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (38/64, 59.4%) and autism spectrum disorder (20/64, 31.3%) were the most frequently studied conditions. Primary application domains were biomarker-driven assessment and diagnosis (33/64, 51.6%), brain-computer interface (BCI) technology (18/64, 28.1%), intervention evaluation (8/64, 12.5%), and task or state monitoring (5/64, 7.8%). Across 65 study-device pairs, consumer-grade devices predominated (31/65, 47.7%), followed by research-use-only (19/65, 29.2%) and medical devices (15/65, 23.1%). Purpose-driven patterns emerged: BCI studies favored low-channel, dry-electrode, consumer-grade devices, whereas biomarker-driven and intervention studies used higher channel counts and greater signal fidelity. Recurring neurobehavioral challenges (eg, inattention, sensory hypersensitivity, and motor impairment) were addressed through rapid, low-preparation electrode setups, child-friendly device designs, and adapted recording protocols such as home-based or caregiver-mediated sessions. Data quality-related reporting was substantially incomplete: 85.9% (55/64) did not report validation against a wired EEG system, 79.7% (51/64) did not specify impedance thresholds, and 12.5% (8/64) described no artifact handling. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review is the first to comprehensively map wireless EEG research in children across a broad spectrum of DDs-integrating diagnosis, study context, and device characteristics-rather than focusing on a single condition or purpose. This review highlights critical gaps in data quality-related reporting that limit the interpretability and comparability of current findings. Future studies should prioritize rigorous validation within DD cohorts and the development of population-specific guidelines for device selection, signal quality assurance, and reporting transparency.

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11. Vincer MJ, Reilly MC, Vohra S, Rac VE, Bhaloo Z, Dunn M, Ferrelli K, Kiss A, Wimmer J, Zayack D, Soll R. Randomized trial of occlusive wrap for heat loss prevention in preterm infants: neurodevelopmental outcome. BMC Pediatr. 2026; 26(1).

BACKGROUND: Heat loss in the delivery room in very preterm infants is associated with increased mortality, hypothermia and other adverse outcomes. The Heat Loss Prevention (HeLP) trial resulted in a significant reduction of hypothermia but not a reduction in mortality. The HeLP follow-up trial was designed to determine whether application of occlusive wrap applied immediately after birth reduces adverse long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes at 18-24 months corrected gestational age in very preterm infants. METHOD: The original HeLP trial was a randomized controlled trial in infants < 28 weeks gestation placed at birth in occlusive wrap (wrap group) or not placed in occlusive wrap (control group). The HeLP follow-up trial was the later assessment of these infants enrolled in the HeLP trial to determine the composite outcome of death or neurodevelopmental disability at 18-24 month corrected gestational age. RESULTS: This report constitutes a description of outcome for a subgroup of infants enrolled at centers with perinatal follow-up programs. 356 infants were eligible for follow-up from the HeLP trial with a loss to follow-up of 116/356 (32.6%). The primary outcome occurred in 82/113 (72.6%) in the wrap group and 80/127 (63.0%) in the control group (p = 0.115). An unadjusted odds ratio was 1.55 (95% confidence interval = 0.90-2.69) and because of a large loss to follow-up, odds ratios adjusted for potential predictors of the outcome were determined and showed no differences in the primary outcome by group assignment. Secondary outcomes in the wrap versus control group were: cerebral palsy 9/70 (12.9%) versus 5/87 (5.7%) (p = 0.20), Mental Developmental Index < 85 (Bayley Scales) 30/53 (56.6%) versus 33/67 (49.3%) (p = 0.54), blindness at 0/68 (0.0%) versus 1/86 (1.2%) (p > 0.99) and deafness 5/70 (7.1%) versus 6/87 (6.9%) (p > 0.99). No difference was noted in prescription glasses, 7/70 (10.0%) in the wrap group versus 2/87 (2.2%) in the control group (p = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: Use of polyethylene occlusive wrap after birth in very preterm infants was associated with similar death or long-term neurodevelopmental disability rate. TRIALS REGISTION: This trial was registered with Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00607464 on 22 January 2008. Ethics approval was provided by each site and held Mount Sinai Hospital Research Ethics Board (15-0243-C; 7 October 2015).

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12. Yu YT, Koh CL, Lin CH, Hsieh CL, Chen KL. Indirect Pathways to Social Functioning in Autistic Children: The Roles of Verbal Comprehension, Task-Based Theory of Mind, and Caregiver-Perceived Theory of Mind. J Autism Dev Disord. 2026.

PURPOSE: Mixed results exist regarding the relationships between theory of mind (ToM) and social functioning in children with autism. This inconsistency may stem from a predominant focus on explicit ToM knowledge, with insufficient consideration of applied ToM competence and verbal comprehension. Further research is needed to incorporate these factors into the understanding of social functioning. This study developed mediation models to examine the links among explicit ToM knowledge, caregiver-perceived applied ToM competence, verbal comprehension, and social functioning in children with autism. METHODS: A total of 202 children with autism (183 boys) and their caregivers participated in this study. The children completed standardized assessments of verbal comprehension and explicit ToM knowledge. Caregivers completed questionnaires assessing the children’s applied ToM competence and social functioning, including subdomains of Interpersonal Relationships, Play and Leisure, and Coping Skills. RESULTS: Verbal comprehension showed significantly direct effects across all social functioning subdomains (effects: 0.05-0.15, 95%CI: 0.01-0.25). Explicit ToM knowledge was associated with social functioning only through verbal comprehension and applied ToM competence, or both (effects: 0.20-0.78, 95%CI: 0.04-1.37). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that verbal comprehension may play an important role in linking explicit ToM knowledge to social functioning, whereas explicit ToM knowledge alone may be insufficient to explain social functioning in children with autism. Caregiver-perceived applied ToM competence may represent an additional pathway to social functioning. These findings highlight the importance of considering verbal comprehension, explicit ToM knowledge, and caregiver-perceived applied ToM competence when understanding and improving social functioning in children with autism.

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