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Extended reality (XR) enables both new opportunities but also introduces new barriers for inclusion in society. Furthermore, XR is less researched than web, desktop and mobile applications. This position paper presents the concept of an XR platform for inclusion, with the purpose to make people on the autism spectrum and with other disabilities, more independent of help from others in everyday life situations. Based on previous research, our position is that, through current and future XR technologies combined with civic and artificial intelligence, it is possible to create individually personalised support for this purpose, grounded in practice to ensure validation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience various degrees of impairment in social interaction and communication, restricted, repetitive behaviours, interests/activities. These impairments make a significant contribution to poorer everyday adaptive functioning. Yet, there are no pharmacological therapies to effectively treat the core symptoms of ASD. Since symptoms of ASD likely emerge from a complex interplay of vulnerabilities, environmental factors and compensatory mechanisms during the early developmental period, pharmacological interventions arguably would have the greatest impact to improve long-term outcomes when implemented at a young age. It is essential therefore, that clinical development programmes of investigational drugs in ASD include the paediatric population early on in clinical trials. Such trials need to offer the prospect of direct benefit (PDB) for participants. In most cases in drug development this prospect is supported by evidence of efficacy in adults. However, the effectiveness of treatment approaches may be age-dependent, so that clinical trials in adults may not provide sufficient evidence for a PDB in children. In this white paper, we consolidate recommendations from regulatory guidelines, as well as advice from the Food and Drug Administration, USA (FDA) and the Committee for Human Medicinal Products (CHMP) consultations on various development programmes on: 1) elements to support a PDB to participants in early paediatric clinical trials in ASD, including single-gene neurodevelopment disorders, 2) aspects of study design to allow for a PDB. This white paper is intended to be complementary to existing regulatory guidelines in guiding industry and academic sponsors in their conduct of early paediatric clinical trials in ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some researchers suggest difficulties synchronising with a partner could underpin the social differences associated with Autism Spectrum Condition, potentially acting as a marker for autism. Social Motor Synchrony (SMS) is one aspect of synchrony that could augment observational diagnostic procedures. However, the full breadth of literature examining SMS in autism has not been systematically reviewed. A systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis guidelines yielded 29 papers meeting inclusion criteria. Of 21 studies including a comparison group, all indicated weaker SMS between two autistic partners and in mixed-neurotype partnerships compared with two non-autistic partners. Papers involving mixed-neurotype pairs without a comparison group showed higher than chance SMS and demonstrated an increase in SMS over time following rhythm-based interventions. Although research so far demonstrates weaker SMS in pairs involving an autistic partner compared with non-autistic pairs, we identified several limitations which may have influenced SMS in autistic people and their partners. Further work is needed with autistic partnerships, more natural and preferred tasks within comfortable settings and partnerships, and more work to identify the basis of synchrony differences. We set out implications for design of further research. When two people interact, they often fall into sync with one another by moving their bodies at the same time. Some say autistic people are not as good as non-autistic people at moving at the same time as a partner. This has led some researchers to ask whether measuring synchrony might help diagnose autism. We reviewed the research so far to look at differences in Social Motor Synchrony (SMS) (the way we move together) between autistic people and people they interact with. The research suggests that interactions involving an autistic partner (either two autistic partners, or an autistic and non-autistic partner) show lower synchrony than a non-autistic pair. However, we recognised elements in the research so far that may have affected SMS in interactions involving an autistic person. One way SMS may have been affected in research so far might be the way interactions have been set up in the research studies. Few papers studied interactions between two autistic people or looked at synchrony in comfortable environments with autistic-preferred tasks. The studies also do not explain why synchrony might be different, or weaker, in pairs involving autistic partners. We use these limitations to suggest improvements for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to place on record the impact made on government policy and research by Autism Cymru, a small charity that existed in Wales between 2001 and 2014. The success of Autism Cymru resulted directly from philanthropic funding, applied with strategic vision and genuine ambition. Design/methodology/approach: A retrospective, chronological viewpoint highlighting the creative process, drawing upon records held by the charity. Findings: Autism Cymru initiated the concept and played a crucial role in steering the development of government policy for autism in Wales between 2001 and 2011. The charity also drove forward the initiative, which led to the establishment of the Wales Autism Research Centre at Cardiff University in 2010. This paper demonstrates that with astute philanthropic support, small learning disability/autism charities can elicit structural and sustainable change at the national level, leading to wide-ranging benefits for the communities they represent. Originality/value: The strategic approach taken over 20 years ago in Wales by Autism Cymru, which led to the Welsh Government's ASD Strategic Action Plan for Wales (Welsh Government, 2011), set in place a national policy model, which was then followed by The Scottish Strategy for Autism and the Northern Ireland Autism Strategy (Department of Health, 2013>; Scottish Government, 2011). The insightful and tenacious method used by Autism Cymru remains relevant today, demonstrating that any small charity supported by shrewd philanthropic funding can punch well above its weight by taking a planned, ambitious and strategic approach to policy, research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Individuals on the autism spectrum (ASD) often experience poor mental health and coping strategies compared to their peers due to social exclusion and co-occurring conditions. Resiliency has been identified as a key factor in preventing adverse outcomes and promoting mental health. Therefore, it is important to determine what strategies can be used to build resiliency among autistic individuals. The current paper is one of the first studies that aims to collect information from autistic individuals and their caregivers on potential strategies to enhance resiliency. Methods: We interviewed 18 participants from various provinces in Canada, comprising of 13 autistic individuals and 5 parents. We used thematic analysis to identify patterns in the data. Results: Thematic analysis revealed three themes to indicate strategies that could be used to enhance resiliency, including: (a) self-reliant strategies, (b) using community-based facilities, and (c) contextual and individual characteristics. Conclusion: Although the body of literature on resiliency is evolving, this paper provides a unique perspective as it is one of the few studies that considers the experiences of individuals on the spectrum. In addition, this study focuses on identifying and describing specific strategies that can be used to enhance resiliency and mental health, which consequently can help address the existing gaps in knowledge and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethnographic researchers have long relied upon observation as a powerful means to learn about social relations. This paper discusses research observation that was conducted as a part of an institutional ethnography (IE) investigating how people use the language and ideas of neurodiversity across different settings. While our research protocol initially called for ethnographic observation to take place at in-person events in Southern Ontario, our approach needed to be re-formulated with the switch to online events during the COVID-19 pandemic. After the shift to online-only spaces, a total of 52 sessions at 7 online events related to neurodiversity or autism were observed by a team of 5 researchers: these events were no longer geographically restricted but were officially "hosted" by institutions in Canada, the US, and the UK. This paper reflects upon the challenges and opportunities we encountered as we conducted observations in digital spaces, including our experiences of navigating the "chat" feature. We discuss the need to analyze the format as well as the content of online events, and present findings on how neurodiversity appeared in these social spaces. Finally, we consider the implications of this research for people who are conducting ethnographic observation in an increasingly online world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-speaking autistic individuals grapple with the profound impact of the 'double empathy problem' in their daily interactions with speaking others. This study rethinks the communication challenges faced by non-speaking autistic individuals, challenging traditional approaches that predominantly focus on speech and complex communication devices (AAC). By spotlighting the natural phenomenon of "interactive stimming," a powerful mode of communication among autistic individuals, this study advocates for a shift from a conventional emphasis on speech towards the foundational role of the body in autistic communication. Central to this exploration is the introduction of the Magical Musical Mat (MMM), an innovative interactive environment mapping interpersonal touch to musical sounds. Through a robust mixed-methods approach integrating video-based fieldwork and designbased research, this paper engages three non-speaking autistic children and their mothers in a 5-day empirical intervention. Results reveal significant transformations in parent-child interactions as both parents and children are acquainted with touch in a new environment. Children assert their autonomy, exploring at their own pace, and discovering sensory features of the environment. Notably, the introduction of sound prompts heightened awareness of the stims, leading to diversified and expressive stim movements. Foregrounding interpersonal touch eventually guides parents into their children's sensory activities where parents attune to the stims of their children by joining in and facilitating their expressiveness, co-creating extended, evolving patterns of repetitive cycles. The collaborative stim cycles can be likened to free improvisation, where dynamical coherence between individuals occurs through a blend of stability and active flexibility. By shifting the focus from speech to co-created sensory experiences, this paper sheds light on the value of transformative multisensory environments, envisioning a world where varied modes of communication are valued and embraced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a lifelong disorder, occurring globally. It often requires supported living, usually with parents as the caregivers. Researchers have described parent caregiver stress, worry about the future, and difficulty accessing resources, yet a focus on a desired future is missing from the literature. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of a qualitative study exploring parent’s considerations and hopes for their autistic adult child’s later life. After IRB approval, parents of an adult child with an ASD were recruited via purposive sampling. Data saturation was reached after interviews with ten mothers and four fathers from the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. All interviews were virtual. Audio transcripts were verified prior to coding. Content analysis yielded several themes. Results showed that parents wished for “a good life” for their adult child with ASD. Parents hoped their adult child would be engaged with others and have meaningful activities. Alongside the aspirational positive focus, an additional theme was “worry, love and loss,” including parental worry about who would engage with and eventually care for their child. Implications: Healthcare providers and policymakers are charged with listening to families affected by autism and should work to help plan for and ensure an engaged late life for individuals with autism, while recognizing the inherent anticipatory loss. The paper concludes that parents of adult children with autism have a vision for their child’s late life that has meaning. Research is needed to understand best practices to support such a future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document provides a summary of several research papers published in the American Journal of Psychiatry. The papers cover topics related to schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The research findings indicate low levels of recovery and remission in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders compared to other psychoses. A meta-analysis of neuroimaging data reveals shared and distinct patterns of brain activation in individuals with ASD and ADHD. Another study uses a mega-analytic approach to identify functional connectivity alterations in youth with ADHD. These findings contribute to our understanding of the etiology and pathophysiology of these disorders and may guide the development of new treatments. [Extracted from the article]

Autism is a representative disorder of pervasive developmental disorder. It exerts influence upon an individual's behavior and performance, potentially co-occurring with other mental illnesses. Consequently, an effective diagnostic approach proves to be invaluable in both therapeutic interventions and the timely provision of medical support. Currently, most scholars' research primarily relies on neuroimaging techniques for auxiliary diagnosis and does not take into account the distinctive features of autism's social impediments. In order to address this deficiency, this paper introduces a novel convolutional neural network-support vector machine model that integrates resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data with the social responsiveness scale metrics for the diagnostic assessment of autism. We selected 821 subjects containing the social responsiveness scale measure from the publicly available Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange dataset, including 379 subjects with autism spectrum disorder and 442 typical controls. After preprocessing of fMRI data, we compute the static and dynamic functional connectivity for each subject. Subsequently, convolutional neural networks and attention mechanisms are utilized to extracts their respective features. The extracted features, combined with the social responsiveness scale features, are then employed as novel inputs for the support vector machine to categorize autistic patients and typical controls. The proposed model identifies salient features within the static and dynamic functional connectivity, offering a possible biological foundation for clinical diagnosis. By incorporating the behavioral assessments, the model achieves a remarkable classification accuracy of 94.30%, providing a more reliable support for auxiliary diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article comprehensively reviews motor impairments in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to: (1) determine the prevalence of motor problems in children with ASD; (2) understand the nature of motor difficulties in ASD and whether they are consistent with developmental coordination disorder (DCD); and (3) determine if the term DCD was used as a co-occurring diagnosis in children with ASD after publication of the DSM-5 in 2013. The following databases were systematically searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PsycINFO from 2010 to December 2021. Articles were included if they: (1) were peer-reviewed and published in a scientific journal; (2) included children with ASD who were between 5 and 12 years; (3) used motor or function measures to assess motor abilities in children with ASD. Studies that included children with intellectual disabilities were excluded. Two independent reviewers reviewed titles, abstracts, and full-text articles for inclusion. Twenty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria and were assessed for quality by two independent reviewers using the Appraisal tool for Cross-Sectional Studies. The majority of articles (92.5%) indicated that 50–88% of children with ASD had significant motor impairments on standardized motor assessments and/or functional questionnaires. The nature of motor and function problems in ASD were consistent with DCD; however, only three out of 20 papers (15%) that were published from 2014 described the motor problems as DCD. One study reported that 15.1% of children with ASD with motor impairments had a co-occurring diagnosis of DCD, suggesting that DCD is under-recognized in this clinical population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social impairments experienced by children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can limit participation in meaningful occupations. Incorporating typically developing siblings of children with ASD in occupational therapy-based community settings is an emerging practice approach that aims to support children with ASD during social challenges to enhance their participation in daily activities. The inclusion of siblings in occupational therapy practice presents a unique opportunity to address social skill development while facilitating positive sibling relationships. In this Opinions in the Profession paper, the influential role siblings play as social models for their siblings with ASD will be examined. The purpose of this paper is to describe sibling-mediated interventions and the distinct role of occupational therapists in facilitating positive sibling interactions and relationships through a coaching approach to promote the achievement of positive social and emotional outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper is a commentary that aims to address themes arising from the article by Morgan titled "Wales and Autism: The Impact of Philanthropy Matched with Ambition". Design/methodology/approach: This opinion piece considers the broader impact of stakeholder engagement in the field of autism, including how the dissemination of evidence-based support could be made more accessible for autistic people, their families and carers and philanthropists. Findings: This paper highlights the link between stakeholder engagement and meaningful change in policy and practice in the field of autism. It highlights the need for philanthropists to invest in evidence-based support but highlights the difficulty in identifying and accessing such support. This piece supports the use of evidence and gap maps (EGMs) to increase the accessibility of autism research and evidence. Originality/value: While stakeholder engagement is encouragingly rising in this field, most of the evidence is held in academic journals, which are behind paywalls and, therefore, inaccessible to many autistic people, their families, carers and associated professionals. Displaying evidence using EGMs provides an accessible way for autistic people and those who support them to identify possible avenues of support quickly and allows philanthropists to direct research funding to areas of high priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reviews the entire spectrum of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in mental health and its positive role in mental health. AI has a huge number of promises to offer mental health care and this paper looks at multiple facets of the same. The paper first defines AI and its scope in the area of mental health. It then looks at various facets of AI like machine learning, supervised machine learning and unsupervised machine learning and other facets of AI. The role of AI in various psychiatric disorders like neurodegenerative disorders, intellectual disability and seizures are discussed along with the role of AI in awareness, diagnosis and intervention in mental health disorders. The role of AI in positive emotional regulation and its impact in schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders and mood disorders is also highlighted. The article also discusses the limitations of AI based approaches and the need for AI based approaches in mental health to be culturally aware, with structured flexible algorithms and an awareness of biases that can arise in AI. The ethical issues that may arise with the use of AI in mental health are also visited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is an editorial published in Frontiers in Psychiatry titled "Physical and medical conditions associated with autism." The editorial discusses the prevalence, causes, interventions, and long-term impacts of physical and medical conditions in autistic individuals. It highlights certain conditions such as sleep-wake disorders, epilepsy, and sensory impairments that are more common among autistic individuals. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding other conditions such as cardiovascular issues, immune dysregulation, genetic conditions, and constipation. The editorial also provides a summary of nine different papers included in the research topic, written by colleagues from various countries. These papers cover topics such as genetic and molecular mechanisms, immune dysregulation and inflammation, epidemiological and health profiles, treatment and strategies, and barriers to effective communication. The article emphasizes the importance of comprehensive medical assessments and individualized interventions for autistic individuals. [Extracted from the article]

An increasing body of research suggests that bilingualism is possible and perhaps even advantageous for autistic individuals. However, several factors might influence parents' decisions about raising their autistic child bilingually, including national language policies, educational contexts, advice received from key professionals, and the child's individual strengths and needs. Accordingly, there is a clear imperative to understand how the views of different stakeholders converge and diverge when language decisions are made in the context of autism. This paper brings new insights by synthesising the findings of three qualitative studies that used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the perspectives and experiences of bilingual autistic children (n = 11), parents (n = 16), and educational practitioners (n = 13) of bilingualism in autism in England and Wales. Despite wide variation between and within groups, a striking tension emerged between individuals' beliefs about bilingualism in general, which were positive, and their experiences of bilingualism in autism specifically, which often foregrounded more monolingual approaches. This paper examines this tension, with a particular focus on stakeholders' attitudes towards the feasibility of bilingualism, families' language choices in the context of autism, and how notions of contextual linguistic diversity accentuated differences between England and Wales. We conclude by arguing that greater awareness of both bilingualism and neurodiversity in educational and clinical settings may improve the experiences of bilingual autistic children and, crucially, the language advice families receive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of inclusion in schools has proved challenging, and research has shown that children with Autism are frequently the recipients of separating practices and exclusion from regular schools (Slee, 2019). In spite of the many widely espoused inclusive educational policy principles and directives at the international and national levels, and the support of research evidence, inclusive education is still a work in progress (Ainscow, 2020). Evidence is scarce on the day to day interactions of children with autism and other educational actors in school (Pennings et al., 2014). Most research on the inclusive education of children with Autism has focused on teachers’ attitudes, children with Autism social difficulties with their peers, adopting a deficit model approach, and teachers’ training needs to cater for children with Autism (Humphrey and Lewis, 2015; Garrad, et al., 2019; Lindsay, et al., 2014). To address the gap in research, the current study was conducted to shed light on the daily interactions in schools while putting inclusion into practice. This research adopted a qualitative methodology. Through observations, presented eight case studies outlining the daily interactions in the early years of primary school between eight children with Autism, their teachers, support teachers, Special Needs Assistants and peers in the classroom, the playground and the support classroom. The study being presented here draws on data from this original research and presents two case studies based on a purposeful selection to illustrate contrasting approaches to inclusion. First, the case of Max, focuses on a child whose support fell short in terms of including him within the mainstream settings. Second is the case of Joe, a child who was supported alongside his peers in the school settings, thus facilitating his inclusive education. The two contrasting versions of mainstream education in practice are discussed outlining what enabled or inhibited the inclusion of Max and Joe in their schools. The findings from the cases presented in this paper highlight how interactions, support, and participation are intertwined dimensions that shed light onto the paths that enable or inhibit inclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What does it mean for all children to be seen as whole and 'appropriate'? How can early childhood educators and families understand a child as capable and whole within the evaluative systems around disability? Through the narrative inquiry of a mother/early childhood teacher, this paper explores the complex entanglements between identity-affirming practices for all children represented in the fourth edition of Developmentally Appropriate Practices, and the relationship with deficit-based evaluations for children with disabilities. This case study explores possibilities for empowered collaborations between early childhood educators and families, resistance to deficit-based identities while navigating evaluations, and the creation of culturally sustaining interventions emerging from shared knowledge of children. The paper looks closely at perspectives and practices that invite critical engagements around evaluation, making space for new possibilities, and new perceptions for supporting all children as 'whole'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Autistic camouflaging is a collection of strategies used to hide autistic characteristics. It can have serious consequences on autistic people's mental health and needs to be addressed and measured in clinical practice. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the French adaptation of the Camouflaging Autistic Traits Questionnaire. Methods: 1227 participants (744 autistic, 483 non-autistic) answered the French version of the CAT-Q in an online survey or on paper. Confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance testing, internal consistency analysis (McDonald's ω), and convergent validity with the DASS-21 depression subscale were conducted. Test-rest reliability was assessed on a sample of 22 autistic volunteers using intraclass correlation coefficient. Results: A good fit was found for the original three-factor structure as well as a good internal consistency, excellent test-retest reliability and highly significant convergent validity. Measurement invariance testing indicates however that the meaning behind items is different for autistic vs. non-autistic people. Conclusion: The French version of the CAT-Q can be used in clinical settings to assess camouflaging behaviors and intent to camouflage. Further research is needed to clarify the camouflage construct and whether reported measurement noninvariance are due to cultural differences or a true difference in what camouflaging might mean for non-autistic people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language profile resemblance between autistic11 The current paper uses “identity-first” language throughout, which is often favored by autistic individuals and their parents (Kenny et al. 2016). children who are language-impaired and children with Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) gives rise to misdiagnosis of the two conditions. Aiming to better understand the underlying causes of language impairments in autism language impaired (ALI) and DLD, the present study adopts a question-statement task to investigate the ability to determine the non-interrogative interpretation of Mandarin wh-words on the basis of syntactic-semantic cues and prosodic cues. The results show that both the ALI and the DLD groups have difficulty using the syntactic-semantic cues to access the non-interrogative interpretations of Mandarin wh-words. However, only the performance of the ALI group correlates with their extralinguistic cognitive ability. Furthermore, the two groups performed differently in using the prosodic cues: the DLD group scores significantly higher than the ALI group on the perception of the prosodic cues. The different linguistic profiles found in the current study suggest that ALI may not simply be a comorbidity of autism and DLD, as has often been proposed. The study’s findings also have the potential to improve diagnostic procedure and to increase accuracy of differential diagnosis in children.The current paper uses “identity-first” language throughout, which is often favored by autistic individuals and their parents (Kenny et al. 2016). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the growing literature examining the multifaceted and complex issues surrounding police interactions with Autistic individuals, this paper examines police officers' training, experiences, and confidence of policing and interacting with autistic individuals. The paper specifically focuses on the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), which has been completely neglected in the literature to date. The findings are based upon a survey completed by 212 serving PSNI officers across a variety of ranks and years of experience. While there are a range of important findings in relation to training, confidence and available adaptations, the key finding of this paper is that less than one-third of the survey respondents reported receiving training on Autism delivered by the PSNI. Perhaps even more worryingly, less than half of those who had received this training stated that they were 'satisfied' with it. These findings suggest that the PSNI need to urgently reform the training provided to their officers to ensure that all officers receive Autism focused training. The study findings demonstrate that this new training programme should require periodic retraining throughout officers' careers; be designed to provide officers with both the knowledge base and skill set to effectively interact with Autistic individuals in ways that protect their human rights; and be delivered by a specialist organisation or professional, such as Autism NI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals with autism (ASD) often face difficulty in executing graphic tasks. This can be related to how one uses a graphic tool (e.g., pen) and plans ahead the graphic execution. Use of graphic tool can be captured using attributes, e.g., pen-tip pressure, number of pen lifts, etc. One's ability to plan a graphic execution can be quantified using the total duration of pen lifts (i.e., air time). Though pen-and-paper-based Trail Making Test-Part A (TMT-A) can estimate planning of graphic execution, yet it cannot capture other attributes, e.g., pentip pressure, pen lift, etc. This can be possible if TMT-A is administered on a pressure-sensitive tablet as seen from existing studies with typically developing (TD) individuals. However, quantification of such attributes using TMT-A administered on a pressure-sensitive tablet remains unexplored for individuals with ASD. In addition, such objective measures can help to understand variations in the use of graphic tool and ability to plan graphic execution even outside the TMT-A task, e.g., while drawing shapes which is important to the development of children's graphic skills. Here, we conducted a study with 12 pairs of TD children and those with ASD who executed TMT-A (in Phase-I) and shape drawing (in Phase-II) on a pressure-sensitive tablet. Results of our study show differences in the use of graphic tool and planning ahead the graphic execution between two participant groups in both the Phases. Such insights can offer clinical inputs that can be helpful in designing individualized intervention paradigms for children facing difficulties in graphic execution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in the Middle East was published by Kelly and colleagues in 2016. The focus of the review was to explore clinical services, educational opportunities, and published research in the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, namely the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Kuwait, the Sultanate of Oman, the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The objective of the current paper was to provide an update on the current status of ABA and ASD in the Gulf region, with a focus on successes, challenges, and recommendations for future directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research presents an interactive toy agent leveraging a deep learning approach for treating autistic kids by making them learn Yoga. The objective of the proposed toy is to understand the basic needs of autistic kids and make them socially adaptable to their surrounding environment. Since kids with autism face social insecurities while interacting and communicating with people, we introduce an interactive toy to accompany the kid, making him or her more likely to act as a companion. The toy is orchestrated with IoT and the Deep Learning framework (HARNet) which makes it interactively instruct Yoga Asana to the autistic kid. The motion of the toy is controlled by touch sensors, and interaction is developed through the recognition of Yogo postures performed by the kid. This paper uses snippets of data in the Yoga-82 dataset. The gestures of Yoga asanas are leveraged, and the same is used for modeling HARNet. Empirical evaluations show that HARNet exhibits an accuracy of 98.52% against the Yoga-82 dataset. The cost of the Toy framework is also compared with state-of-the-art research on Humanoid Toys and the economic range of the proposed framework is evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the typically developing population, social touch experiences are influenced by several factors, including the biological sex of toucher and receiver, the body area wherein the touch is delivered and the social context in which the tactile exchange occurs. However, it is currently unexplored how social touch experiences of autistic adults are modulated by these factors. We sought to address this by utilizing a self-report body-painting task. Our main results show that autistic, compared with non-autistic, adults reported lower levels of pleasantness, erogeneity and appropriateness, specifically in intimate and friendly social contexts and in body areas typically touched in these situations. Importantly, sex played a major role in group differences. For instance, although autistic females reported, across social contexts, less pleasantness than both non-autistic females and autistic males, they experienced similar levels of appropriateness in the professional social context, usually deemed as touch-appropriate. Our findings provide new support to the hypothesis that social touch is experienced and possibly conceptualized differently by autistic compared with non-autistic adults. Moreover, by identifying the factors that influence social touch processing in autistic adults, our results might aid the development of support for autistic individuals seeking help in the spheres of social and intimate touch. What is already known about the topic? At least in neurotypical individuals, social touch represents an important channel for emotional communication associated with social bonding and pain/anxiety modulation. Autistic adults report to avoid social touch more and to have different tactile sensitivity than their non-autistic comparisons. What this paper adds? Few studies specifically investigated social touch in autistic individuals, and none of them examined the role of participants' sex, social context in which social touch occurs, and specific body areas being touched. In our study, adult participants reported how pleasant, erogenous and appropriate they would consider touches delivered by another person over their entire body in intimate (date), friendly (dance class) and professional (physiotherapy-massage session) social contexts. Autistic adults reported social touch to be less pleasant, erogenous and appropriate specifically in intimate and friendly social contexts and in body areas typically touched in these situations. Importantly, autistic females seem more at risk to experience unpleasant social touch as, although they considered it more unpleasant than non-autistic females and autistic males, they did consider it similarly appropriate in professional social contexts where touch is normed to be socially appropriate. Implications for practice, research or policy Our results might improve awareness and understanding about autistic adults' different, and often more discomforting, experience of social touch and thus help consider and respect it during everyday social interactions. Our results might also benefit future research investigating, for instance, the neural underpinnings of social touch differences in autism or aiming at developing support for autistic individuals seeking help in the diverse spheres of social touch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Methods & Procedures Outcomes & Results Conclusions & Implications WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject What this study adds What are the clinical implications of this work? The conceptualisation of autism as a disorder where Theory of Mind (ToM) and pragmatics are fundamentally impaired has prompted a wealth of research on autistic deficits, most of which is characterised by two main assumptions: first, that autistic people would display said deficits, if present, with any conversation partner and in any situation; second, that neurotypical people do not present these deficits, regardless of the conversation partner. However, this is not necessarily reflected in autistic accounts of the way they experience social cognition and pragmatics.The present paper aims to investigate the autistic experience of communication with both autistic and neurotypical people, with a particular focus on their perception of the ability of autistic and neurotypical people to understand their communicative intentions.Participants, 23 adult Italian autistic people without intellectual disability or language disorders, were recruited online. Two virtual focus groups of 2 hours each were conducted, transcribed and analysed through thematic analysis with a descriptive phenomenological approach by two independent researchers.Six themes were developed from the analysis, the most relevant being Autistic–Autistic communication and Autistic ToM. The results, in line with the Double Empathy theory, suggest there seem to be important differences between neurotypical and autistic people's ToM. These appear to make it easier for autistic people to communicate with one another, as well as to create difficulties for neurotypical people to understand autistic people, not just the other way around.These results seem to confirm that challenges in cross‐neurotype communication are better interpreted as mutual miscomprehension and reciprocal differences in ToM rather than deficits on the autistic part. This calls for a reframing of ToM and/or the need for autistic ToM as a construct, of which neurotypical people seem to be lacking. Moreover, these insights should be taken into account for speech and language therapy and clinical practice in general, advocating for a neurodiversity‐informed view of co‐constructed communication as well as for a broader societal change in which therapists can play a crucial role, through participatory approaches or raising awareness in their daily practice. Autism is conceived as characterised by social cognition and communication difficulties, often linked to Theory of Mind (ToM) deficits. However, recent research suggested variations in ToM abilities within the autistic population and proposed alternative theories like the Double Empathy theory. Nevertheless, only a few studies examined how autistic individuals perceive communication across neurotypes. Autistic individuals seem to find it easier to communicate with other autistic people, and they identify specific characteristics of neurotypical communication that hinder successful communication. Moreover, neurotypical people are perceived as having difficulties in autistic ToM, which seems to emerge as a relevant and needed construct in light of the Double Empathy problem. These findings can inform speech and language therapy and clinical practice about the potential gains of raising awareness on the Double Empathy problem and the higher communication ease inside the autistic community, alongside individualised support. Participatory approaches and closer collaboration with the autistic community also seem to be crucial for therapists to help improve communication experiences for autistic individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Aims Methods & Procedures Outcomes & Results Conclusions & Implications WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on the subject What this paper adds to the existing knowledge What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Parental input plays a central role in typical language acquisition and development. In autism spectrum disorder (ASD), characterized by social communicative and language difficulties, parental input presents an important avenue for investigation as a target for intervention. A rich body of literature has identified which aspects of grammatical complexity and lexical diversity are most associated with child language ability in both typical development and autism. Yet, the majority of these studies are conducted with English‐speaking children, thus potentially overlooking nuances in parental input derived from cross‐linguistic variation.To examine the differences in verbal parental input to Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking children with ASD. To examine whether aspects of verbal parental input found to be concurrent predictors of English‐speaking children's expressive language ability are also predictors of the expressive language of Bulgarian‐speaking children with ASD.We compared parental input to Bulgarian‐speaking (N = 37; 2;7–9;10 years) and English‐speaking (N = 37; 1;8–4;9 years) children with ASD matched on expressive language. Parent–child interactions were collected during free play with developmentally appropriate toys. These interactions were transcribed, and key measures of parental input were extracted.English‐speaking parents produced more word tokens and word types than Bulgarian‐speaking parents. However, Bulgarian parents produced more verbs in relation to nouns and used more statements and exclamations but asked fewer questions than English‐speaking parents. In addition, child age and parents’ use of questions were significant concurrent predictors of child expressive vocabulary.This is one of the first studies to conduct a cross‐linguistic comparison of parental input in ASD. The differences found emphasize the need to further study parental input to Bulgarian children and adapt naturalistic parent‐mediated interventions to the local language and its specific characteristics. A rich body of literature has identified the specific aspects of grammatical complexity, lexical diversity, and question‐asking that are concurrently and longitudinally associated with the language ability of children with typical development and of children with ASD. Yet, the majority of these studies are conducted with English‐speaking children. The present study finds that there are specific differences in verbal parental input to Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking children with autism in terms of lexical composition and question‐asking. Bulgarian parents used more verbs than nouns, and the opposite pattern was found for English‐speaking parents. In addition, Bulgarian parents asked fewer questions but used more statements and exclamations. Nevertheless, parental question use was significantly correlated with children's language ability across both groups, suggesting that question‐asking should be further examined as a potential target for parent‐mediated language interventions for Bulgarian children with autism. Most language and social communication interventions for autism are designed and piloted with English‐speaking children. These interventions are often simply translated and used in different countries, with different populations and in different contexts. However, considering that one of the defining characteristics of autism is language difficulty, more studies should examine (1) how these language difficulties manifest in languages other than English, and (2) what characterizes verbal parental input in these other contexts. Such research investigations should inform future language and social communication interventions. The present study emphasizes the cross‐linguistic differences between Bulgarian‐ and English‐speaking parents’ verbal input to their children with autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurodiversity is increasingly discussed in relation to autism research and practice. However, there is a lack of scholarship concerning the neurodevelopmental condition of Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) and the neurodiversity movement. While this movement may hold opportunities for the DLD community, the application of the concept of neurodiversity to DLD research and practice needs consideration, as DLD and autism have very different levels of public and professional awareness and understanding. Aims: In this article, we discuss what the concept of neurodiversity and the associated neurodiversity movement could mean for DLD research and practice. We aim to critique some assumptions that may arise from the application of neurodiversity principles (or assumed principles) to the field of DLD. Methods: This is a discussion paper, drawing on the personal experiences and reflections of the author team. Main Contributions: We make the case for why DLD should be included in discussions about neurodivergence and outline considerations for doing so, and why some issues and applications may be particular to DLD. We outline points of similarity and contrast with autism in relation to our understanding of neurodiversity. We consider the issues around diagnosis and terminology and urge practitioners to continue to diagnose DLD using currently agreed terminology, so as not to undermine recent awareness efforts. We note that a neurodiversity‐informed perspective challenges us to offer interventions that operate at the level of our environments, not just at the level of an individual. Indeed, neurodiversity offers a platform to argue for better rights and more inclusive spaces in mental health settings, education and work for children and adults with DLD. Conclusions: DLD should be considered from a neurodiversity‐informed perspective, and it is our hope that this will lead to neurodiversity‐affirming practice that will afford young people with DLD better understanding from members of the public and the professionals who work with them. Further work is needed to better support children, young people and adults with DLD to have a voice in the neurodiversity movement. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: What is already known on the subject: Neurodiversity approaches are increasingly being taken up in research and practice in relation to autism, meaning that our understanding of autism and how autistic people are supported is increasingly drawing on the principles of neurodiversity. However, autism is not the only neurodivergent population. Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is another neurodevelopmental condition; however, relative to autism, DLD has lower awareness amongst professionals and the public. There has been no scholarship that has examined DLD through the lens of neurodiversity, or considered the application of neurodiversity‐affirming approaches to DLD. What this paper adds to existing knowledge: In this paper, we examine what the neurodiversity movement means for DLD research and practice. In particular, we consider what neurodiversity in the field of autism might teach us about the application of neurodiversity in the field of DLD, and highlight where we believe there are important differences between the two populations. We reflect on what neurodiversity means for intervention, diagnosis, terminology and championing the need for accessibility, especially with regard to mental health support, education and employment. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: Neurodiversity highlights the need to consider interventions at the level of an individual's environment (e.g., how can we make this space more inclusive?) as well as interventions operating at the level of the individual themselves (e.g., interventions focusing on an individual's language skills). We challenge the notion that neurodiversity‐affirming approaches mean not diagnosing DLD or changing DLD's terminology: we argue that this is not in the spirit of the original neurodiversity movement, but also that for a condition with such low public awareness, these actions could do more harm than good for families affected by DLD. We call for more in‐depth scholarship and discussion around the application of neurodiversity approaches to DLD and argue that the neurodiversity movement offers an important opportunity to raise better awareness and understanding of DLD in multiple sectors, including (but not limited to) mental health, education and employment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]