Previous research has highlighted the importance of physicians' early hypotheses for their subsequent diagnostic decisions. It has also been shown that diagnostic accuracy improves when physicians are presented with a list of diagnostic suggestions to consider at the start of the clinical encounter. The psychological mechanisms underlying this…

Sensory processing abilities are highly variable within and across people diagnosed with autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study examined the transdiagnostic nature of sensory processing abilities, and their association with features of autism and ADHD, in a large sample of autistic people (n = 495) and people with…

Adults are increasingly self-identifying as autistic, and reporting problems being referred for an autism diagnostic assessment. This scoping review aims to ascertain: (1) what research has been conducted on the self-identification process of autism in adults, who do and do not have a formal diagnosis of autism, and (2) which aspects of the…

Early identification and intervention are recognised as important elements of the clinical pathway for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Children with ASD and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be diagnosed at a different age than children who only have one of these diagnoses. This systematic review aimed to identify the age at…

Given long waitlists for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) evaluation coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to triage patients to services they are likely to receive diagnostic clarity (i.e., virtual, in-person evaluation). Participants attended a virtual ASD assessment. A subset also attended in-person evaluation. Results suggest younger…

Background: Speech sound disorders (SSDs) are the most common form of communication disorders in children. SSD have an impact on children's abilities to make themselves understood to their listeners and can influence a child's social and emotional well-being as well as their academic achievements. Therefore, it is important to identify children…

Identifying gifted students in today's complex context requires precision in both the definition of the concept and its constituent characteristics. However, there are discrepancies worldwide in the instruments established to diagnose gifted students. This study undertook a systematic literature review (SLR) to identify the most representative…

It was recently reported that learning one is autistic earlier in life is associated with greater quality of life and well-being in university students. In a pre-registered extension of this work, we addressed several limitations of this study by: (1) recruiting a larger sample of more diverse ages and education levels; (2) distinguishing between…

Background: Dementia is increasingly prevalent in people with severe/profound intellectual disabilities. However, early detection and diagnosis of dementia is complex in this population. This study aimed to identify observable dementia symptoms in adults with severe/profound intellectual disabilities in available literature. Method: A systematic…

Introduction: Young people with intellectual disabilities (ID) are at an increased risk for experiencing mental health issues compared to their peers without disabilities. Further, there are limited resources available to help accurately assess mental health disorders and that are accessible for adolescents with ID. Method: This paper describes…

Recent statistics found the prevalence of dyslexia in UK medical schools to be 7%, sitting below the national prevalence of 10%. The factors contributing to this discrepancy are currently unknown, but may result from an interplay of individual and systemic barriers to entering medicine. This collaborative, analytic autoethnography aimed to use the…

Screening tools for autism spectrum disorders serve a vital role in early identification of all children who may need evaluation and support. Recent studies suggest that traditional methods used in this field to translate such tools may be insufficient for maintaining linguistic, construct, or technical equivalence, resulting in screening tools…

Diagnostic assessment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex and often stressful process for parents. This systematic review synthesized results of 26 articles that reported on factors related to parental (dis)satisfaction with the diagnostic process for ASD. The results are described in terms of factors related to satisfaction and those…

Research indicates that early intervention can improve long term outcomes for students who struggle early in school. However, in multi-layered organization such as the school system, many elements may come into play when deciding which students will receive support. This study examined these elements including system requirements and expectations…

We aimed to identify unique constellations of sensory phenotypes for genetic etiologies associated with diagnoses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability (ID). Caregivers reported on sensory behaviors via the Sensory Profile for 290 participants (younger than 25 years of age) with ASD and/or ID diagnoses, of which…