Background: This systematic review aimed to explore how adults with autism participate in the community, the impact of community participation on quality of life and mental health, and factors that support and hinder participation. Method: A systematic review was conducted including studies published from inception to 17 January 2021. Results:…

Autistic adults commonly experience sensory reactivity differences. Sensory hyperreactivity is frequently researched, whilst hyporeactivity and seeking, and experiences across domains, e.g., vision, are often neglected. Therefore, we aimed to understand more about the sensory experiences of autistic adults. We conducted a mixed-methods study,…

Carers of adults on the autism spectrum often experience high levels of stress, worry, and caregiver burden. There are few studies identifying the predictors of carer mental well-being and none have been conducted in Australia. Data from the Autism Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism's Australian Longitudinal Study of Autism in…

Current mainstream care for autistic individuals is fragmented, narrow, and poorly individualized. To better describe cutting-edge autism care, we searched for care programs in the United States that had been collaboratively designed with patients and families and that carry the highest potential to improve the quality of life of autistic…

There is a gap in our knowledge of aging with autism. The present study examined the applicability of the popular gerontology concept of "aging well" to autistic adults. Using survey data, a model of "aging well" was operationalised and applied to 92 autistic adults and 60 controls. A very small proportion (3.3%) of autistic…

Quality of life (QoL) is an essential measure when assessing health interventions. Most early interventions for preschool children on the spectrum evaluate the effects on autism symptoms. However, researchers increasingly believe that good interventions should also improve the QoL of these children. Domains of QoL among preschool children on the…

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are often at greater risk of experiencing stress and lower quality of life, in comparison to parents of typically developing (TD) children and other developmental disabilities. Despite vast literature on parental experiences in Western countries, little is known about this topic in Eastern…

Bilingualism changes how people relate to others, and lead their lives. This is particularly relevant in autism, where social interaction presents challenges. Understanding the overlap between the social variations of bilingualism and autism could unveil new ways to support autistic people. This research aims to understand the language learning…

Autistic adults experience a higher rate of physical and mental health conditions and lower rates of employment and post-secondary education participation than their non-autistic counterparts, which may affect negatively quality of life. Limited information exists on predictors of quality of life for autistic individuals, or how quality of life…

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are often associated with intellectual disability (ID). ASD-specific group concepts usually focus on people on a high functioning level. The Autism-Competence-Group (AutCom) combines a psycho-educative approach with music and dance/movement interventions in adults with ASD and ID. AutCom includes 16 structured…

Quality of life is important for the development and evaluation of interventions for autistic people. It is a multidimensional concept, anchored in a sociocultural context and based on a person's subjective assessment of their life. The aim of this study is to examine whether the determinants of perceived quality of life vary by country (or…

Research has shown that autistic adults have poor health outcomes. We conducted a systematic review to identify existing interventions to address health outcomes for autistic adults and to determine whether these interventions address the priorities of the autistic community. We searched PubMed for articles that included an intervention, a primary…

The aim of this study was to examine the mediating effect of formal and informal social support on the relationship of caregiver burden and quality of life (QOL), using a sample of 320 parents (aged 50 or older) of adult children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Multiple linear regression and mediation analyses indicated that caregiver burden…

Relatively little is yet known about employment readiness and elements that promote access to, and the retention of, employment for adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This paper posits elements within the ecosystem of employment and ASD. The ecosystem approach locates employment among persons with ASD as inextricably linked with broader…

Self-report measures are widely used for research and clinical assessment of adults with autism spectrum disorder. However, there has been little research examining the convergence of self- and informant-report in this population. This study examined agreement between 40 pairs of adults with autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers on…