ABSTRACTQuality of life (QoL) is important for everyone and has been identified as a priority for autistic people. However, studies typically focus on caregiver‐proxy‐reported QoL and its related individual characteristics, even though self‐ and caregiver‐proxy‐reported QoL may differ in autistic children. In 74 autistic children (5.04–10.99 years old, intelligence quotient [IQ] 47–141), we sought to determine the level of agreement between self‐ and caregiver‐proxy‐reported QoL and determine if self‐ and caregiver‐proxy‐reported QoL are differently related to personal characteristics such as age, IQ, autism features, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) features, sleep difficulties, and sensory features. Findings suggested poor inter‐rater agreement (ICC = 0.16) between self‐ and caregiver‐proxy‐reported QoL. Across both self‐ and caregiver‐proxy reports, sensory features and sleep difficulties related to QoL, but age and IQ did not. We also found an interaction effect of reporter on the relation between QoL and both autism and ADHD features, with these associations driven by caregiver‐proxy‐reported QoL. These findings emphasize the importance of measuring both self‐ and caregiver‐proxy‐reported QoL to provide complementary perspectives. Moreover, these results underscore the importance of understanding a child's sensory features and sleep difficulties, as these two areas were similarly related to both self‐ and caregiver‐proxy‐reported QoL.

ABSTRACTChildren with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) face substantial challenges in understanding emotions, including difficulty in recognizing emotions through nonverbal cues, interpreting others' affective and mental states, and developing emotional vocabulary. Research suggests that the association between emotion recognition and social functioning is mediated by emotional language and cognitive empathy. However, this relationship remains underexplored in autistic children. Addressing this gap was the primary goal of this study, which comprised 116 autistic children (17 females), aged 7–10 (M = 8.26, SD = 0.76). Participants completed a comprehensive assessment battery, comprising multi‐modal emotion recognition, cognitive empathy, and emotional language tasks. Social functioning was evaluated through naturalistic observations during free play, supplemented by a parent‐reported standardized measure. Path analysis results revealed that after controlling for age, cognitive abilities, and autism severity, the relationship between emotion recognition and social functioning was mediated by cognitive empathy. Additionally, emotional language emerged as a contributing factor, enhancing cognitive empathy and further supporting its role in social functioning. These findings present an indirect path between emotion recognition and social functioning through emotional language and cognitive empathy, highlighting the importance of targeting these components in interventions aimed at promoting social communication and adaptive social skills in autistic children.

ABSTRACTOver 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.

ABSTRACTSyntactic processing in both language and music involves combining elements—such as words or chords—into coherent structures. The Shared Syntactic Integration Resource Hypothesis (SSIRH) was introduced based on observations of similar neural responses to syntactic violations across both domains. This hypothesis suggests that difficulties in syntactic processing in one domain may result in similar challenges in the other. The current study tested the SSIRH in autism, a neurodevelopmental condition often associated with language difficulties but relatively preserved musical abilities. Thirty‐one autistic and 31 non‐autistic participants judged the acceptability of syntactically congruent and incongruent sentences and musical sequences while their neural responses were recorded using electroencephalography. Autistic participants exhibited a reduced and delayed P600 effect—a marker of syntactic integration—across both domains, despite achieving similar behavioral accuracy to the non‐autistic group. These findings suggest parallel difficulties in syntactic processing in autism for both language and music, providing support for the SSIRH. This is the first study to directly examine real‐time syntactic integration in both domains in autistic individuals, offering novel insights into cross‐domain syntactic processing in autism and contributing to a deeper understanding of language and music processing more broadly.

ABSTRACTIn an effort to reduce the “waitlist crisis,” researchers have developed training programs to educate community‐based clinicians in best‐practice autism diagnostic assessments. This systematic review aims to synthesize the effectiveness and implementation outcomes of such trainings. The following databases were searched from inception until August 2023: PubMed, Web of Science, APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, and a select number from Google Scholar. Ten studies were included in the present review because they met the following criteria: development and/or evaluation of a training for practicing community‐based clinicians to diagnose autism, published full‐text in English, and original research. Risk of bias was assessed through an adapted NIH quality assessment tool. Only seven distinct training programs in autism diagnosis for practicing community‐based clinicians were identified. Trainings demonstrated preliminary efficacy in the improvement of clinician knowledge, self‐efficacy, practice behavior, and diagnostic accuracy. Many of the trainings had a reported positive impact on the community and were feasible to participate in; however, systems‐level factors (e.g., time and reimbursement) remain as barriers to community‐based diagnosis. Findings from the present review position clinician training as a promising strategy to increase families' timely access to an autism diagnosis. More research on training models is needed due to both the limited number of trainings and the limited reported effectiveness and implementation outcomes. Future implementation studies are also needed to reduce systems‐level barriers and to aid in the determination of what trainings best fit the needs of different contexts.

ABSTRACTThis study explored waiting times and the factors influencing them in child and adult populations undergoing assessment for autism, ADHD, and other neurodevelopmental differences. The analysis focused on a retrospective review of 408 cases with assessments completed between October 2021 and May 2022, conducted by 30 diagnosing teams in Scotland. Data included age, final diagnosis, demographics, medical and developmental history, contact frequency, and assessment service adherence to best‐practice standards. Waiting times were calculated, and relationships were analyzed using linear regression. Median waiting times were 525 days (IQR 329–857) for children/adolescents and 252 days (IQR 106–611) for adults. Only 20% of children's and 47% of adult assessments met the proposed 252‐day diagnostic time target. Autism and ADHD were the most common diagnoses. Receiving > 1 neurodevelopmental diagnosis on completion was uncommon. Demographic factors did not significantly affect waiting times. Children/adolescents with more complex developmental and medical histories experienced longer waits (100.3 weeks vs. 67.7 weeks; p < 0.001), while adults with similar histories had shorter waits (32.7 weeks vs. 57.4 weeks; p = 0.016). Adults with ADHD experienced longer waits than autistic adults (63.4 weeks vs. 38.6 weeks, p = 0.002). Adherence to best‐practice quality standards was associated with shorter waits for children (β = 0.27, p = 0.002), but the relationship between standard adherence at different stages and for adults was less clear. More frequent appointments correlated with shorter adult waits (33.7 weeks vs. 59.2 weeks, p = 0.015). Gender distribution was balanced among adults, but children's services included more boys. The study highlights long waits and the need for improvement in processes.