Prevalence and Correlates of Dating Violence Victimization Among a U.S.-Based Sample of Autistic Youth.

Dating violence victimization is a pervasive public health problem that affects individuals of all age groups, but it holds particular significance during adolescence due to the potential long-term consequences on an individual's physical and psychological well-being, and potential influence on the health of adult relationships. Although there is now ample research on the topic of adolescent dating violence prevalence, risk factors, and consequences, to our knowledge, only four studies have assessed dating violence victimization among autistic youth. The current study was designed to investigate the prevalence of, and risk markers for, dating violence victimization among autistic youth.

Alcohol Use Patterns Among Underage Autistic and Non-Autistic Youth.

Purpose: We explored factors predicting repeated or hazardous alcohol use among autistic and non-autistic U.S. youth ages 16 to 20 years.

Combating stigma in autism research through centering autistic voices: a co-interview guide for qualitative research.

As autism has gained increased attention in the past few decades, autistic advocates have adopted the phrase "Nothing about us without us," illustrating the idea that autistic people should be centered in all conversations regarding autism. However, in a large portion of autism research, autistic people are still not meaningfully engaged throughout the research process, leading to continued stigma in research through biased methods. Thus, stigma about autism influences not only the content of autism research, but the ways in which neurotypical people conduct research alongside (or without) autistic people, ultimately resulting in less valid conclusions or research that actively harms the autistic community.

Short report: Recommendations for education, clinical practice, research, and policy on promoting well-being in autistic youth and adults through a positive focus on sexuality and gender diversity.

In this article, we propose recommendations on what we can do to promote that autistic people can enjoy their sexuality and gender identity, because that contributes to overall well-being.First, we briefly summarize the existing research on sexuality and gender diversity in autistic individuals.Next, we propose recommendations for how to promote sexual and gender diversity-related health and well-being.

The Gender-Diversity and Autism Questionnaire: A Community-Developed Clinical, Research, and Self-Advocacy Tool for Autistic Transgender and Gender-Diverse Young Adults.

Background: Autistic transgender people face unique risks in society, including inequities in accessing needed care and related mental health disparities. Given the need for specific and culturally responsive accommodations/supports, the characterization of key experiences, challenges, needs, and resilience factors within this population is imperative. This study developed a structured self-report tool for autistic transgender young adults to communicate their experiences and needs in a report format attuned to common autistic thinking and communication styles.

Reductions in Depression and Anxiety Among Autistic Adults Participating in an Intervention to Promote Healthy Relationships.

Importance: Some autistic adults experience depression and anxiety related to their social relationships. There is a need for evidence-based occupational therapy interventions that decrease depression and anxiety and improve the health of social relationships for autistic adults.

Objective: To determine the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of the Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum (HEARTS) intervention, a six-session, group-based psychoeducational intervention for the improvement of relationship health.

Reasons for alcohol use and non-use by underage U.S. autistic youth: A qualitative study.

Hazardous alcohol use is when a person's drinking puts them at increased risk for negative events (e.g. health problems or car crashes).

Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum (HEARTS): A feasibility test of an online class co-designed and co-taught with autistic people.

The Healthy Relationships on the Autism Spectrum class is unique because autistic people helped to develop it and co-taught it. It is an online, six-session class. The class was piloted in 2020-2021 with 55 autistic people who were ages 18-44 years old.

Listening to the autistic voice: Mental health priorities to guide research and practice in autism from a stakeholder-driven project.

Autistic adults commonly experience mental health conditions. However, research rarely involves autistic adults in deciding priorities for research on mental healthcare approaches that might work for them. The purpose of this article is to describe a stakeholder-driven project that involved autistic adults in co-leading and designing research about priorities to address mental health needs.

Interventions to address health outcomes among autistic adults: A systematic review.

Autistic adults have more health problems then their same-aged peers. Yet little research has been conducted that focuses on addressing these health problems. In order to guide future research, it is important to know what intervention studies have been done to improve health outcomes among autistic adults.

A Clinical Program for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Neurodiverse/Autistic Adolescents Developed through Community-Based Participatory Design.

: A series of studies report elevated rates of autism and autistic characteristics among gender-diverse youth seeking gender services. Although youth with the co-occurrence present with complex care needs, existing studies have focused on co-occurrence rates. Further, clinical commentaries have emphasized provider-centered interpretations of clinical needs rather than key stakeholder-driven clinical approaches.

Community-Based Participatory Design for Research that Impacts the Lives of Transgender and/or Gender-Diverse Autistic and/or Neurodiverse People.

Objective: Research addressing the co-occurrence of autism (and/or neurodiversity) and gender-diversity (A/ND-GD) has been conducted largely without the perspectives and voices of the A/ND-GD community. Including A/ND-GD community advocates as research partners may be a critical next step for advancing research initiatives on the co-occurrence given the apparent complexity and alterity of the A/ND-GD experience.

Method: Consistent with the community-based participatory research (CBPR) model we propose herein, our authorship team includes a partnership between clinician researchers and diverse A/ND-GD community collaborators.

Revisiting the Link: Evidence of the Rates of Autism in Studies of Gender Diverse Individuals.

Turban and van Schalkwyk assert in their Translations article, "'Gender Dysphoria' and Autism Spectrum Disorder: Is the Link Real?" that an over-representation of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in gender dysphoria is unsupported based on current evidence. Turban and van Schalkwyk discuss 7 of the currently 19 available empirical studies (excluding reviews and case reports) of the over-occurrence of ASD and/or autism traits with gender dysphoria/diversity. They are correct to note that some ASD screeners may lack specificity; that is, a clinical-range total score could indicate non-ASD-related mental health conditions or other developmental difference.

"They Thought It Was an Obsession": Trajectories and Perspectives of Autistic Transgender and Gender-Diverse Adolescents.

Despite research exploring autism in gender-diverse adolescents, no studies have elicited these individuals' perspectives. In-depth interviews with 22 well-characterized autistic gender-diverse adolescents revealed critical themes, including: recollections of pre-pubertal gender nonconformity; vivid experiences of gender dysphoria; a fear of social gender expression due to perceived animosity toward transgender people; and specific challenges that result from the interplay of gender diversity and neurodiversity. During the ~ 22 month study social gender affirmation increased in six participants and gender dysphoria attenuated in four participants.