Although numerous meta-analyses of single-case design (SCD) research have been published, no systematic review has been conducted to holistically reveal the trends in content focus, and the state-of-the-art practices in conducting SCD meta-analyses for school-aged students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This study synthesized the…

Studies have reported that physical exercise reduces maladaptive stereotyped motor behaviours (SMB) in children with ASD, but these intervention studies vary in design and outcome. The present systematic review and meta-analysis included 22 studies, involving 274 children with ASD, to quantify the effect of exercise on SMB and its potential…

This meta-analysis examines the impact of parent interventions on outcomes for parents of children with ASD. A systematic review of the literature produced 37 studies that met inclusion criteria. Random-effects models revealed small but significant impacts of intervention on parental outcomes, primarily in parenting confidence and mental health.…

Anxiety is the most common mental health problem that occurs with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and due to creating a more inclusive learning environment, children with ASD are placed in general education classrooms. Thus, addressing anxiety problems for children with ASD in school settings become critically important. This systematic review and…

This systematic review and meta-analysis is the first to evaluate the effects of group-based social skills training (SST) on parent-report social responsiveness in adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A total of 18 studies were included in the narrative review and among them five randomized-controlled trials (n = 145) were included in the…

A deficit in social skills often makes teaching academics a second thought when instructing students with autism. Peer-mediated instruction has been well studied for increasing academic skills across various disabilities and social skills for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The purpose of this study was to determine the effect size…

This individual participant data meta-analysis is the most intensive possible evaluation of the effectiveness of early intensive applied behaviour analysis-based interventions for pre-school autistic children compared with treatment as usual/eclectic interventions. Data from 491 participants (originally collected in 10 studies) were included.…

Difficulty with communication and social functioning are two outstanding core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder, and physical activity has long been suggested to improve autism spectrum disorder symptoms. In this meta-analysis of controlled trials, we examined the effects of physical activity interventions compared to controls on communication…

Communicating with peers often poses challenges for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD); these social interactions, however, can be especially difficult during the teenage years. For many adolescents with ASD, peer interaction is often limited or nonexistent, even for those taught in general education settings. The purpose of this…

Group social skills interventions (GSSIs) are a commonly offered treatment for children with high functioning ASD. We critically evaluated GSSI randomised controlled trials for those aged 6-25 years. Our meta-analysis of outcomes emphasised internal validity, thus was restricted to trials that used the parent-report social responsiveness scale…

Functional living skills are skills needed for being an independent individual in society. As individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) get older, the discrepancy between functional living skills of themselves and their peers increases. However, it is not known which type of intervention is more or less effective specifically for adolescent-…

We conducted a meta-analysis of single-subject research studies investigating the effectiveness of antecedent strategies grounded in behavioral momentum for improving compliance and on-task performance for students with autism. First, we assessed the research rigor of those studies meeting our inclusionary criteria. Next, in order to apply a…

This review evaluates the efficacy of using physical exercise interventions on improving cognitive functions in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This review includes a meta-analysis based on a random-effects model of data reported in 22 studies with 579 participants aged…

An increase has occurred in the number of students identified as having high functioning autism (HFA), who are being served in the regular education setting with their non-disabled peers. Many of these students have difficulty with academic and social expectations in this setting, and a minimal amount of information is available to educators…

Behaviorally based interventions have been demonstrated to be effective to teach social interaction skills for children with autism spectrum disorders in general education. However, the overall and moderating effects of these interventions have not been previously investigated in inclusive settings. The goal of this study was to investigate the…