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Research

Investigating associations between birth order and autism diagnostic phenotypes

Birth order effects have been linked to variability in intelligence, educational attainment and sexual orientation. First- and later-born children have been linked to an increased likelihood of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis, with a smaller body of evidence implicating decreases in cognitive functioning with increased birth order. The present study investigated the potential association between birth order and ASD diagnostic phenotypes in a large and representative population sample.

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Pre-emptive intervention versus treatment as usual for infants showing early behavioural risk signs of autism spectrum disorder

A pre-emptive intervention for the autism spectrum disorder prodrome had no immediate treatment effect on early autism spectrum disorder symptoms

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Vitamin D is crucial for maternal care and offspring social behaviour in rats

These data highlight that early life levels of vitamin D are an important consideration for maternal behavioural adaptations as well as offspring neuropsychiatry

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Cytokine levels and associations with symptom severity in male and female children with autism spectrum disorder

ASD's are complex, pervasive and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental conditions with varying conditions, trajectories, significant male bias and unknown etiology.

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What bridges the gap between self-harm and suicidality? The role of forgiveness, resilience and attachment

There is a lack of understanding of why some people who self-harm escalate to suicidal behaviour when others do not. Psychological factors such as attachment...

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Risk perception and risk-taking behaviour during adolescence: The influence of personality and gender

This study investigated the influence of personality characteristics and gender on adolescents' perception of risk and their risk-taking behaviour.

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‘It depends entirely on the nature of those supports’: Community perceptions of the appropriateness of early support services for autistic children

We do not know much about what support services people think are okay for young autistic children. This study was a survey of 253 people. We asked autistic adults, parents, and professionals from Australia and New Zealand whether they thought it was okay to provide support services to autistic children. 

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Accuracy of a 2-minute eye-tracking assessment to differentiate young children with and without autism

Eye-tracking could expedite autism identification/diagnosis through standardisation and objectivity. We tested whether Gazefinder autism assessment, with Classification Algorithm derived from gaze fixation durations, would have good accuracy (area under the curve [AUC] ≥ 0.80) to differentiate 2-4-year-old autistic from non-autistic children.

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Evaluation of the Acceptability and Feasibility of the Social Attention and Communication Surveillance-Revised (SACS-R) Tool for Early Identification of Autism in Preterm Infants

Preterm birth is associated with a 3.3-fold increased likelihood of autism diagnosis, with lower gestational age conferring higher likelihood. In Australia, autism is typically diagnosed at around age four, potentially missing the optimal neuroplasticity window before age two. The Social Attention and Communication Surveillance-Revised (SACS-R) tool identifies early autism signs in children aged 11-30 months, enabling pre-emptive intervention.

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Critical Appraisal of Systematic Reviews Assessing Gut Microbiota and Effect of Probiotic Supplementation in Children with ASD—An Umbrella Review

Given the significance of gut microbiota in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we aimed to assess the quality of systematic reviews (SRs) of studies assessing gut microbiota and effects of probiotic supplementation in children with ASD. PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Medline, and Cochrane databases were searched from inception to November 2024.