Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders – 12-3 – September 2025
1. Zhao S, Li M, Chen W-J, Zhang Z, Kramer J, Takacs DS, Magaña S, Chen L-S. A Narrative Review of Genetic Testing for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder in the United States. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 397-403.
Although professional organizations in the United States have recommended genetic testing for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), uptake rates of genetic testing remain low. This review lists the recommendations made by professional medical organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and top-tier pediatric healthcare institutions. We have summarized the underlying factors that are associated with low rates of genetic testing utilization (i.e., parental and child factors, healthcare professional attitudes and practice, healthcare system issues), highlighted the experiences of parents who have taken their children for genetic testing, and offered recommendations to improve the uptake rate of genetic testing.
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2. Pearce RT, Kelly AB, Campbell MA. Optimising Anxiety Treatment for Autistic Children: a Narrative Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 404-14.
Anxiety disorders occurs at a high rate amongst autistic children. Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a reasonably well-established multi-component intervention used to reduce anxiety in this population. Whilst there are known effective intervention components in CBT for treating anxiety among autistic children, there are few guidelines for how to weight these intervention components to maximise positive outcomes. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether CBT is an effective intervention for autistic children, and if so, what the key components of effective CBT programs are for autistic children. A review of studies using manualised group-based CBT programs with family involvement was completed. The key finding was that the exposure-focused CBT (EF-CBT) studies reviewed showed a greater improvement in anxiety symptoms compared with CBT studies with fewer or no exposure-focused sessions. Compared to CBT without an exposure focus, EF-CBT may better fit the profiles of autistic children, potentially resulting in greater client and family engagement, and possibly greater intervention efficacy.
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3. Hadley W, Mapondera A. Students with autism transitioning into higher education: A systematic review of literature. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 415-21.
In this systematic review, we examined previous research articles describing experiences of students with autism in their transition into higher education. Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, we searched ERIC, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE databases for identification of relevant research articles. Initially, we identified 209 research articles for review. After applying the inclusion and exclusion criteria, we ended up with nine articles. Academic competence, preparation beyond academics, and proper transition planning were crucial for successful transition into higher education. Students with autism faced social competence and college readiness–related challenges. Students received both academic and non-academic supports to promote students’ successful transition into higher education.
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4. O’Guinn KN, Akers J, Gerencser K. Interventions Targeting Interactive Play in Individuals with Autism: A Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 422-36.
Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may fail to acquire interactive play and leisure skills due to deficits associated with the diagnosis. Through interactive play, individuals gain more opportunities to develop proficiency in areas such as communication, social skills, and emotional development. In an effort to inform practice and research, this systematic literature review analyzes behavioral interventions used to teach interactive play and social leisure skills to individuals diagnosed with ASD. The predetermined inclusion criteria resulted in 23 studies to be analyzed. The findings of this review indicate that there are interventions that successfully increased interactive play and leisure skills with children, but there is a gap in the research regarding teaching these skills to adolescents and adults. Additional needs for future research are discussed.
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5. Forbes ZNM, Miller K. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in the Treatment of Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Systematic Review of Interventional Studies. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 437-54.
Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a lower quality of life (QoL) than neurotypical adults and a higher risk of psychiatric comorbidities. We reviewed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) in the treatment of adults with ASD. Data were collected from 6 eligible interventional studies (4 adequate quality, 2 weak quality; 245 total participants). The study quality and certainty of findings were assessed using Evaluative Method for Determining Evidence-Based Practices in Autism and GRADE framework. MBSR was effective in all outcomes: ASD symptoms (n = 4, low certainty), QoL (n = 5, low certainty), symptoms of anxiety and depression (n = 4, low and moderate certainty, respectively). MBSR shows promise for improving QoL, reducing ASD symptoms and alleviating psychiatric comorbidities in adults with ASD.
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6. Santos L, Annunziata S, Geminiani A, Ivani A, Giubergia A, Garofalo D, Caglio A, Brazzoli E, Lipari R, Carrozza MC, Ambrosini E, Olivieri I, Pedrocchi A. Applications of Robotics for Autism Spectrum Disorder: a Scoping Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 455-76.
Robotic therapies are receiving growing interest in the autism field, especially for the improvement of social skills of children, enhancing traditional human interventions. In this work, we conduct a scoping review of the literature in robotics for autism, providing the largest review on this field from the last five years. Our work underlines the need to better characterize participants and to increase the sample size. It is also important to develop homogeneous training protocols to analyse and compare the results. Nevertheless, 7 out of the 10 Randomized control trials reported a significant impact of robotic therapy. Overall, robot autonomy, adaptability and personalization as well as more standardized outcome measures were pointed as the most critical issues to address in future research.
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7. Cavalcante Neto JL, Draghi TTG, Weber MD. Effects of Aquatic Activities on Motor Performance and Physical Fitness of Children and Adolescents with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: a Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 477-89.
This systematic review aimed to synthesize evidence on aquatic activities compared with land-based activities in motor performance and physical fitness of children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder, developmental coordination disorder, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. A systematic search was conducted from four electronic databases from 2009 to July 2021, for two independent authors. PEDro scale assessed methodology quality and GRADE the quality of evidence. In addition, Cohen’s d effect size estimated the clinical evidence of aquatic activities compared with land-based activities. Five of nine studies included were classified as high methodological quality. Aquatic activities appeared to improve motor performance and physical fitness of children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders. It was not possible to affirm whether aquatic activities were superior to land-based activities.
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8. Shikarpurya S, Gilson CB, Whirley ML, Banerjee A, Devlin M. Parent Education Interventions for Parents of Adolescents with Autism: A Scoping Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 490-506.
Parent education interventions for children with autism have grown steadily over the past few decades. As such, it is essential to define, capture, and map the characteristics of parent education-focused interventions, particularly for parents of adolescents with autism. We conducted a scoping review of parent education interventions for parents of adolescents with autism in the United States to (a) identify parent, child, and intervention characteristics and (b) map trends across four decades of literature on parent education interventions. We identified 54 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Our review captured trends related to the racial characteristics of participants, the growing accessibility of training formats, and the scarcity of interventions with older adolescents. The limitations and implications of this review are also discussed.
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9. Marelle C, Tanner E, Paul CD. Special Education Teacher Training to Address Challenging Behaviors for Students with ASD in the Classroom Setting: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 507-16.
As the number of children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) increases, the need for well trained teachers who can implement behavior interventions also increases. The current study examines the available research to determine which methods of training are most effective in increasing teacher fidelity to implement behavior interventions. The method of training and the teacher fidelity post training were examined. Electronic database searches of Education Resources Information Center (ERIC), APA PyschINFO, and hand searches were conducted. Results revealed varying training methods and combinations of those methods can be deemed effective in increasing teacher fidelity. A system was created and implemented to categorize the results of teacher fidelity for each study. Directions for future research and practice are discussed.
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10. El-Salahi S, Khaki Z, Vohora R. Experiences of Inclusive School Settings for Children and Young People on the Autism Spectrum in the UK: a Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 517-34.
Increasing numbers of Children and Young People on the Autism Spectrum (CYP-AS) are attending inclusive education settings in the UK, yet research about the impact on their psychosocial well-being is scarce. This qualitative review examined the experiences of CYP-AS in British inclusive education settings. Systematic data retrieval on nine electronic databases identified 22 papers reporting 19 studies that were eligible for inclusion. A combination of narrative synthesis and critical review described and synthesised studies’ findings and assessed the risk of bias. The findings reinforce the idea that integration into mainstream schools alone is insufficient to support the psychosocial well-being of CYP-AS. Social connectedness and a sense of belonging may be critical factors that improve school experiences for this population.
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11. Lievore R, Crisci G, Mammarella IC. Emotion Recognition in Children and Adolescents with ASD and ADHD: a Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 535-65.
Children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show difficulties in recognizing emotions. Similarities and differences between these two clinical groups’ emotion recognition (ER) have been little explored. This systematic review aims to summarize the results of comparative studies that included samples of cases with ASD and ADHD. A systematic search was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, and 24 papers were included. Behavioral, brain-based, and eye-tracking studies were considered, paying particular attention to the different methods used and to the characteristics of the study groups, such as cognitive factors, age-related differences, and comorbidities. This review provides some insight on the complex process of ER in ASD and ADHD, highlighting important directions for future research.
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12. Katakis P, Estrin GL, Wolstencroft J, Sayani S, Buckley E, Mirzaei V, Heys M, Skuse D. Diagnostic Assessment of Autism in Children Using Telehealth in a Global Context: a Systematic Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 2025; 12(3): 566-81.
Reflecting the significant delays in autism assessments globally, studies have explored whether autism assessments conducted via telehealth are feasible and accurate. This systematic review investigated the psychometric properties of autism assessment tools for children administered via telehealth and examined the diagnostic accuracy of telehealth assessment procedures compared to care-as-usual in-person assessments. Relevant databases (MEDLINE, Embase and PsycInfo) were searched for eligible studies (PROSPERO: CRD42022332500). In total, 18 studies were included, collectively assessing 1593 children for autism. Telehealth assessments for autism were largely comparable to in-person assessments, with a diagnostic agreement of 80–88.2%. Individual behavioral observation tools, diagnostic interviews, and clinician-administered screening tools demonstrated acceptable validity. For many children, diagnostic decision-making can be expedited without loss of validity using telehealth.
