Understanding social behaviours across neurodiverse young people: roles of social cognition and self-regulation.

Background: Differences in social behaviours are common in young people with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs). Recent research challenges the long-standing hypothesis that difficulties in social cognition explain social behaviour differences.

Aims: We examined how difficulties regulating one's behaviour, emotions and thoughts to adapt to environmental demands (i.

Probing Autism and ADHD subtypes using cortical signatures of the T1w/T2w-ratio and morphometry.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are neurodevelopmental conditions that share genetic etiology and frequently co-occur. Given this comorbidity and well-established clinical heterogeneity, identifying individuals with similar brain signatures may be valuable for predicting clinical outcomes and tailoring treatment strategies. Cortical myelination is a prominent developmental process, and its disruption is a candidate mechanism for both disorders.

Autistic and transgender/gender diverse people's experiences of health and healthcare.

Background: Autistic people and transgender/gender diverse people experience poorer healthcare experiences and greater risk of diagnosed, suspected, and assessment recommended health conditions, compared to non-autistic and cisgender individuals, respectively. Despite this, there is a paucity of studies on the healthcare experiences and health outcomes of transgender/gender diverse autistic individuals.

Methods: We compared the healthcare experiences and health outcomes of cisgender autistic (n = 1094), transgender/gender diverse autistic (n = 174), and cisgender non-autistic adults (n = 1295) via an anonymous, self-report survey.

Characteristics of children attending an autism specific early learning and care setting prior to and following introduction of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

Background: The rollout of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) has transformed the Australian funding landscape for individuals with disability and their families. This study examined whether the profiles of autistic children and their families accessing an early intervention (EI) setting have changed following its introduction.

Methods: The cognition and behavioural profiles of children funded under the NDIS ( = 58) were compared to children who had received block government funding (= 58).

A multimodal neural signature of face processing in autism within the fusiform gyrus.

Atypical face processing is commonly reported in autism. Its neural correlates have been explored extensively across single neuroimaging modalities within key regions of the face processing network, such as the fusiform gyrus (FFG). Nonetheless, it is poorly understood how variation in brain anatomy and function jointly impacts face processing and social functioning.

Gender Inequalities in Employment of Parents Caring for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder in China: Cross-Sectional Study.

Background: The increasing need for child care is placing a burden on parents, including those with children with autism.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the employment status of Chinese mothers and fathers with children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), as well as to investigate the factors that affected their employment decisions.

Methods: An online national survey was completed by the parents of 5018 children and adolescents with ASD aged 2-17 years (4837 couples, 181 single mothers, and 148 single fathers).

Neuroactive steroid exposure impacts neurodevelopment: Comparison of human and rodent placental contribution.

The placenta is a fetal endocrine organ that secretes many neuroactive factors, including steroids, that play critical roles in brain development. The study of the placenta-brain axis and the links between placental function and brain development represents an emerging research area dubbed "neuroplacentology." The placenta drives many circulating fetal steroids to very high levels during gestation.

Industry perspectives on the implementation of social support for young adults with disability in community gyms: a qualitative study.

Purpose: Social support is a known facilitator of exercise for people with disability. A qualitative approach was used to understand current social support practices in community gyms for young adults with disability.

Methods: Embedded within a larger project "Getting Young adult Moving - Supporting Participation and Access to Recreation Centres" (GYM-SPARC), semi-structured interviews were completed with 25 gym staff, representing 29 community gym facilities across Victoria, Australia.

Initial Validation of the Mandarin Translation of the Stanford Social Dimensions Scale (SSDS).

This study aimed to validate the Mandarin translation of the Stanford Social Dimensions Scale (SSDS). The initial validation sample consisted of 480 children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) (M = 9.35).

Chromosome X-wide common variant association study in autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) displays a notable male bias in prevalence. Research into rare (<0.1) genetic variants on the X chromosome has implicated over 20 genes in ASD pathogenesis, such as MECP2, DDX3X, and DMD.

Brain volumes, cognitive, and adaptive skills in school-age children with Down syndrome.

Background: Down syndrome (DS) is the most common congenital neurodevelopmental disorder, present in about 1 in every 700 live births. Despite its prevalence, literature exploring the neurobiology underlying DS and how this neurobiology is related to behavior is limited. This study fills this gap by examining cortical volumes and behavioral correlates in school-age children with DS.

Toward improved understanding and treatment of self-injurious behaviors in autistic individuals with profound intellectual disability.

Self-injurious behaviors (SIB) commonly occur in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and span diverse topographies of self-inflicted behaviors ranging from head banging to hitting oneself against hard objects. Despite the high rates of SIB in autistic individuals, relatively little research has focused on psychological factors associated with the development and maintenance of SIB in individuals with autism and moderate-profound intellectual disability (ID). This commentary synthesizes existing literature on SIB and highlights the need for more research focused on psychological correlates and mechanisms in autistic individuals with moderate-profound ID.

Experiences of participation in daily life of adolescents and young adults with cerebral palsy: A scoping review.

Aim: To synthesize the experiences of 15- to 34-year-olds with cerebral palsy (CP) as they participate in key life situations of young adulthood.

Method: A mixed-methods scoping review was undertaken and six electronic databases searched (January 2001 to August 2023). Participation foci and thematic outcomes were mapped to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

Establishing Effective Patient Engagement Through a Terms of Reference to Foster Inclusivity and Empowerment in Research: Example From a Healthcare Transition Quality Indicators Project.

Introduction: Patient engagement in research aims to foster meaningful partnerships, integrating patient experiences into the research process. This paper describes the development of a Terms of Reference (ToR) to support these meaningful partnerships. While engagement improves data collection and empowerment, ineffective engagement can lead to negative outcomes.

Developmental and Functional Outcomes Amongst Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Autistic Children.

Children typically learn by attending to other people. Autism traits may impact access to social stimuli fundamental to early learning, increasing children's likelihood of a learning disability. Recent reports have highlighted that Autistic children from minority backgrounds have a higher likelihood of co-occurring intellectual disability.

Exploring the Heterogeneity of Self-Injurious Behaviors in Autistic Youth: Patterns, Predictors, and Implications for Intervention.

Self-injurious behaviors (SIB) encompass a heterogeneous set of self-inflicted aggressive behaviors that are highly prevalent in autistic youth. Existing research on SIB in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been limited by significant methodological and conceptual inconsistencies. Thus, the current study leveraged item-level data capturing the severity of unique SIB topographies to further understanding of factors associated with distinct SIB in a sample of 582 autistic youth (M = 12.

How auditory processing influences the autistic profile: A review.

We need to combine sensory data from various sources to make sense of the world around us. This sensory data helps us understand our surroundings, influencing our experiences and interactions within our everyday environments. Recent interest in sensory-focused approaches to supporting autistic people has fixed on auditory processing-the sense of hearing and the act of listening-and its crucial role in language, communications, and social domains, as well as non-social autism-specific attributes, to understand better how sensory processing might differ in autistic people.

Investigating the association between generalized anxiety symptoms and social and communication impairments of autistic youth.

Background: Past research has found that overall anxiety and social anxiety symptoms are associated with the occurrence of social and communication challenges within autistic populations.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether generalized anxiety disorder symptoms were associated with social and communication symptoms in autistic youth.

Method: The cross-sectional sample was comprised of 253 autistic youth aged 8-18 (196 Males, 57 Females).