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:…

A significant proportion of autistic adults today were not diagnosed until later in life, a group referred to as the 'lost generation,' which may affect mental health. In Study 1 we explored quality of life and autistic trait levels in 420 autistic and TD adults, and in Study 2 we explored the experiences of 8 autistic adults diagnosed as adults.…

This systematic review investigated the effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy for the parents of children with autism spectrum disorder. PsychInfo, CINAHL, PubMed, Science Direct, and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection were searched using the terms "acceptance and commitment", "autism" and…

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…

The present study investigated the actor-partner effects of parenting stress (PS) on quality of life (QoL) among parents (96 couples) of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Data were collected using the QoL Scale and the PS Index. Structural equation modeling was also utilized to test the hypothesis. The results revealed the effects of…

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…

The current study assessed whether reactions to diagnosis are associated with health status for mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder at the time of diagnosis, and whether such diagnostic-reaction resolution status is associated with changes in health status over time. A total of 84 mothers of children newly diagnosed with autism…

Peer volunteers have been found to be effective in delivering psychosocial interventions when they come from the same culture and share similar experiences as participants. We examined the clinical utility (feasibility and preliminary effectiveness) of a community-based, manualized, peer-delivered group counselling program to address the need for…

The transition to secondary school is an important educational milestone impacting wellbeing and academic achievement. Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder may be vulnerable during transition however little is known about how Autism Spectrum (AS) traits influence transition outcomes. Generalised estimating equations were used to examine how AS…

Cross-sectional research has demonstrated the overrepresentation of gender dysphoria in children and adults with autism spectrum disorder. However, the predictors and underlying mechanisms of this co-occurrence remain unclear. This follow-up study aimed to explore baseline (childhood/adolescence) predictors for the follow-up (adulthood)…

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…

This study investigated whether sleep problem severity in children with autism spectrum disorder was associated with maternal well-being. Mothers of 234 children reported on their mental health (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index-4-SF), health-related quality of life (HRQoL; Assessment of Quality of…

Previous studies have reported reduced quality of life in autism. Improving quality of life for autistic people is, therefore, a key priority for clinical research and practice. However, the relative impact of core autism traits (e.g. social-communication difficulties), as compared to associated mental health symptoms (e.g. anxiety, depression) on…

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) and anxiety were measured in 233 school-age siblings of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and siblings of Typically Developing (TD) children in Greece. The aim of the study was to investigate for any association between siblings' HRQOL or anxiety and parental mental health, perceived social…

The double ABCX model of adaptation has been used to predict parental outcomes in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), with predictors including child characteristics, pile up of demands, external resources, coping, parental perceptions, and internal resources. This study investigated whether self-compassion is a unique…