Autism Research最新文献

In this commentary, we present new ideas about autistic neologisms. This essay has two primary goals. First, we argue that an autistic predilection to form neologisms generates intriguing new hypotheses about language in autism, including the possibility that a tendency to use neologisms could be a featural element of an autistic “linguatype” (as in “phenotype”). Second, we suggest that the study of neologism meaning, form, and use can yield insights about a specific speaker and about autistic language, generally. To support both aims, we present the largest collection to date of autistic neologisms. We supply an initial framework for considering and analyzing them, and we apply this framework to some of our collected examples, showing how individual neologisms can offer insights about their creators. Importantly, we suggest that neologism creation may sometimes signify linguistic giftedness, pushing back against traditional notions suggesting autistic neologisms are always evidence of language deficit. We hope this exercise will convince our community that autistic neologisms are deserving of more scientific attention and study. More broadly, by demonstrating the potential value of one feature of autistic language, we aspire to advance collective appreciation for the complexity of autistic language and thought.

Over the past 10 years, research has suggested no negative effect on second language exposure in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), yet, parents and professionals may be concerned that using a second language with a child with ASD may negatively impact their communication and cognitive skills, especially if the child also has an intellectual disability. In this study, 396 children and adolesents (5–16 years) with and without ASD and with and without second language exposure participated in the study. Parents reported on language exposure and rated executive function (EF) and functional communication (FC) skills using a standardized questionnaire. IQ was directly measured using the WASI-II and children were classified as having an intellectual disability if they had a full-scale score of less than 70. The sample included 18 children with ASD and an intellectual disability (10 without second language exposure, 8 with second language exposure). Results showed that children with ASD and second language exposure had significantly better EF skills and were significantly less likely to have executive dysfunction in the clinical range than children with ASD with no second language exposure. Second language exposure also did not have a negative impact on EF skills in children with ASD even when an intellectual disability was present. For FC skills, we failed to find significant difference between children with ASD with and without second language exposure. For children with ASD and intellectual disability, there was no significant difference on FC skills between children with and without second language exposure. As our sample of children with ASD and intellectual disability was small, additional research with a larger sample is urgently needed.

The aim of this study was to compare the healthcare trajectories (HCTs) 2 years after a first diagnosis of autism according to sex, age at diagnosis, and intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) status. This is a retrospective cohort study using health administrative data from Québec, Canada. The cohort included all individuals with a first diagnosis of autism registered by a physician between April 2012 and March 2015. HCTs were stratified by sex, presence of IDD, and age at diagnosis (youth, adult), and analyzed using state sequence analysis across healthcare settings, providers, and reasons for use. Our cohort included 5289 individuals, 76.6% were male, and 26.3% were adults at the time of diagnosis. The healthcare use decreased slightly over time, though intensity was higher in females. Sex differences in HCTs were strongly influenced by IDD status and age at diagnosis. While no significant sex differences were observed in HCTs for individuals with IDD diagnosed with autism in adulthood, the psychiatric condition profiles showed notable differences between males and females. Hospital days nearly doubled for females diagnosed in childhood compared to males, while males with IDD diagnosed with autism in childhood and males without IDD diagnosed in adulthood had fewer physical illness visits. Although physical and mental health challenges appear largely managed in ambulatory care during youth, high hospitalization rates in those diagnosed in adulthood, particularly females and those with IDD, highlight concerns about continuity of care and avoidable hospitalizations for these subgroups of patients.

A small behavioral literature on individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has shown that they can be impaired when navigating using map-based strategies (i.e., memory-guided navigation), but not during visually-guided navigation. Meanwhile, there is neuroimaging evidence in typically developing (TD) individuals demonstrating that the retrosplenial complex (RSC) is part of a memory-guided navigation system, while the occipital place area (OPA) is part of a visually-guided navigation system. A key identifying feature of the RSC and OPA is that they respond significantly more to pictures of places compared to faces or objects—i.e., they demonstrate scene-selectivity. Therefore, we predicted that scene-selectivity would be weaker in the RSC of individuals with ASD compared to a TD control group, while the OPA would not show such a difference between the groups. We used functional MRI to scan groups of ASD individuals and matched TD individuals while they viewed pictures of places and faces and performed a one-back task. As predicted, scene-selectivity was significantly lower in the RSC, but not OPA, in the ASD group compared to the TD group. These results suggest that impaired memory-guided navigation in individuals with ASD may, in part, be due to atypical functioning in the RSC.

This study investigates the experiences of autistic adult women, a group understudied in autism research due to a predominant focus on early identification/intervention, restrictive research participation criteria, and differing rates of diagnosis by sex. This study characterizes a cohort of autistic adult women (n = 1424) across various dimensions including demographics, relationships, education, employment, income, well-being, and co-occurring psychiatric conditions. It also explores differences among those diagnosed with autism as children versus those diagnosed as adults. The sample was limited to women able to read and provide independent consent to participate. Results indicated that the average age of diagnosis for those diagnosed before age 18 was 9.6 years old, whereas for those diagnosed in adulthood it was 31.8. Over 80% of the sample had completed some college or post-secondary education, with more than a third of those diagnosed as adults having attained a 4-year college degree or higher. More than half were employed, with those diagnosed as adults more likely to be employed full time (31.74%). Additionally, more than half were married or identified a romantic partner. Significant rates of psychiatric comorbidity were reported, with those diagnosed with autism as adults more likely to have co-occurring anxiety (69.87%), depression (61.79%), eating disorders (17.28%), and substance use diagnoses (8.85%) than those diagnosed as children. High rates of suicidal ideation (34%) and self-harm (21%) were endorsed in the full sample. Regression analyses indicated that being diagnosed with autism at a later age was associated with higher internalizing, externalizing, and substance use as well as a lower report of personal strengths, even when accounting for demographic factors. Despite these challenges, our findings highlight that many autistic women have positive outcomes and meet common adult developmental milestones. The authors advocate for the development of more tailored treatment options that address the specific needs of autistic women.

One of the earliest and commonly reported symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a delay in language development. Such delay may sometimes accompany deficits which can have a long-term impact on reading comprehension. It is frequently reported that autistic children exhibit significant difficulties in pragmatics, which is the communicative use of language. While the focus of most studies on reading has been on comprehension, some have proposed a positive correlation between reading and pragmatics. Nevertheless, the neural mechanisms that underpin pragmatic language in autism remain poorly understood. The objective of this functional MRI study is to examine the differences in the brain's Pragmatic Network (PN) during two levels of reading tasks in autistic and neurotypical (NT) children. The study included children aged 8–13 years (VA task = 26 ASD and 15 NT; MS task = 25 ASD and 15 NT). The results demonstrate that while both groups engaged the PN, the ASD participants exhibited additional recruitment of PN areas that overlapped with language processing, contextual integration of linguistic information, and theory of mind. Furthermore, the ASD group, but not the NT group, showed a correlation between the percentage of signal change and reading comprehension. In addition to underscoring the role of the PN in reading comprehension, these findings point to increased engagement of the PN in autism.

Families of transition-aged youth with autism often struggle to access services. Due to systemic barriers, Latino, Spanish-speaking families of autistic youth especially struggle to access services. One way to improve service access is through parent advocacy abilities (i.e., knowledge of adult services, advocacy abilities and comfort, empowerment). To improve parent advocacy abilities and, ultimately, service access, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to test the feasibility and efficacy of an advocacy program: ASISTIR (Apoyando a nueStros hIjo/as con autiSmo obTener servIcios de tRansición; Supporting our Children with Autism to Obtain Transition Services). Of the 30 participants who were retained for analyses, intervention (vs. waitlist-control) group participants demonstrated significant increases in knowledge about adult services, advocacy activities, advocacy skills and comfort, and empowerment. Further, intervention (vs. waitlist-control) group participants demonstrated significantly greater service access. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Trial Registration: clinicaltrials.gov: NCT06207149

We investigated associations between maternal grandparents' age and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in grandchildren, exploring differences by race/ethnicity. In a multigenerational California birth cohort study including 1,743,998 and 1,630,722 mother–child pairs (with 27,975 and 25,816 ASD cases, respectively), we examined ASD risk by grandmother's and grandfather's age at the time when their daughter was born. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs. The odds of ASD in grandchildren were higher among White grandmothers (OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.08–1.20) and grandfathers (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.11–1.25) who had daughters at younger ages (18–24 years) compared to the 25–29 year reference, while inverse associations were observed for younger Black grandmothers (OR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.78–0.94). At older ages (35–55 years), ASD risks were higher among Hispanic grandmothers (OR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.06–1.21) and Hispanic (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.06–1.18) and Black grandfathers (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05–1.32). The risk of ASD in grandchildren was higher among older grandparents of several races/ethnicities but among the youngest grandparents only among those of White race. Differences by race/ethnicity may imply different mechanisms operating in younger and older grandparents. Studies exploring the contributions of biological as well as social, occupational, and environmental factors on the influence of age at pregnancy with ASD are needed.

Maternal asthma has been linked to child autism. In this study, we systematically reviewed observational studies published between July 2001 and February 2024 that assessed maternal asthma during pregnancy (exposure) and child autism (outcome). Databases searched included MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Of the 350 potential studies, 19 met the inclusion criteria (2,530,716 participants; 73,065 autistic participants). Quality was assessed with the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Meta-analyses using proportions and odds ratios were conducted using the Mantel–Haenszel method with a random-effects model. Compared to women without asthma, there was an increased odds of child autism with any history of maternal asthma (OR = 1.32; 95% CI = 1.21, 1.44; I² = 61%, n = 14), with current asthma during pregnancy (OR = 1.23; 95% CI = 1.12, 1.35; I² = 35%, n = 10) and with medication use during pregnancy (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.30, 1.68; I² = 0%, n = 3). However, when women with asthma who used asthma medication were compared to those with asthma who did not use medication, there were no increased odds for child autism (OR = 1.07; 95% CI = 0.89, 1.27; I² = 34%, n = 2). Maternal asthma is associated with an increased odds of child autism. Future studies should consider neurodivergence in the parents, the severity of asthma, and the effectiveness of prescribed medication in managing the mother's asthma to improve our understanding of this association.

Trial Registration: PROSPERO registration: CRD42021265060