A5046377229- Autism Spectrum Disorder Research
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Family and Disability Support Research
- Child Nutrition and Feeding Issues
- Child Development and Digital Technology
- Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Cognitive Functions and Memory
- Disability Education and Employment
- Phonetics and Phonology Research
- LGBTQ Health, Identity, and Policy
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Linguistic Variation and Morphology
- Parkinson's Disease Mechanisms and Treatments
- Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Fatty Acid Research and Health
- Personality Disorders and Psychopathology
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Mental Health Research Topics
- Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Syntax, Semantics, Linguistic Variation
- Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet
- Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
- Pharmaceutical Practices and Patient Outcomes
George Mason University
2020-2025
Georgetown University
2017-2022
Georgetown University Medical Center
2018-2022
Camouflaging in autism spectrum disorder refers to behaviors and/or strategies that mask the presentation of features social contexts order appear "non-autistic" (Attwood, 2007). modifies behavioral core (e.g. and communication differences), but underlying autistic profile is unaffected, yielding a mismatch between external observable internal lived experience autism. could be an important factor later diagnosis individuals without co-occurring intellectual disability, especially among those...
Social support can take many forms, such as practical help, time spent socially with others, or the satisfaction personal relationships. is known to affect quality of life (QoL) in both non-autistic older and autistic young adults. QoL reflects how satisfied an individual their either overall a certain area. We know little about middle-aged adults' experiences social QoL. In this study, 388 adults aged 40-83 years old, completed online questionnaires asking background age sex, depression...
Adaptive functioning, or the suite of skills essential for real-world, day-to-day includes daily living, communication, and socialization abilities. Even in absence co-occurring intellectual disability (IQ < 70), difficulties adaptive functioning are prominent autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Further, ASD individuals without (ID) demonstrate a gap between IQ which widens with age. Existing studies IQ-adaptive discrepancies have characterized predominantly male samples; thus, whether is...
Few studies have examined self-reported perceived stress in autistic adults. Existing included relatively small, predominantly male samples and not older Using a large sample (N = 713), enriched for individuals designated female at birth (59.3%), spanning younger, middle, adulthood, we its associations with independence activities of daily living subjective quality life (QoL). Perceived adults or was compared to their same birth-sex counterparts general population sample. In addition, within...
Gender identity is a core component of human experience, critical to account for in broad health, development, psychosocial research, and clinical practice. Yet, the psychometric characterization gender has been impeded due challenges modeling myriad self-descriptors, statistical power limitations related multigroup analyses, equity-related concerns regarding accessibility complex terminology. Therefore, this initiative employed an iterative multi-community-driven process develop Self-Report...
Later autism diagnosis is associated with increased mental health risks. Understanding disparities in diagnostic timing important to reduce psychiatric burden for autistic people. One characteristic later female sex assigned at birth. However, literature date does not characterize, differentiate, or account gender identity beyond Gender diversity may be more common relative neurotypical people, and proportionally overrepresented gender-diverse populations. We examined age by birth, identity,...
Autism without intellectual disability is diagnosed later and with greater difficulty in girls/women relative to boys/men. For autistic girls women, the journey an autism diagnosis may include one or more misdiagnoses. Misdiagnosis borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits be particularly common, characteristics often observed women contribute specifically a risk of misdiagnosis BPD. This review draws from burgeoning literature on provide detailed discussion differential BPD cisgender...
Prior research suggests that autistic adults are at increased risk for developing the core motor components of Parkinson’s disease (i.e. parkinsonism) although knowledge is limited to date. Therefore, we explore: (1) prevalence both continuous self-reported features typical parkinsonism and screen positivity rate in two samples older without a suspected intellectual disability: Netherlands-Sample ( N = 296, 50–81 years; 183 males; 113 females) United States America-Sample 209, 50–83 100 109...
Abstract Very little is known about autistic adults as they age. Early evidence suggests a potentially high risk for dementia and atypical cognitive decline in middle older age adults. Research the general population indicates that self‐reported may predict future earlier than performance‐based measures. Nevertheless, self‐report screeners have not been used to date autism research. In sample of ( N = 210), participants completed self‐rated screener, AD8, describe rate decline, examine...
Abstract Poor sleep can have a significant impact on physical health and well‐being. Sleep problems are common among autistic children, but less is known about across the adult lifespan. Autistic adults ( n = 730, aged 18–78 years) were recruited via Simons Powering Autism Research for Knowledge Match. Participants completed online surveys asking demographics, problems, social support, symptoms of anxiety depression, overall specific aspects quality. Regression analyses explored variables...
Age at autism diagnosis is associated with sex assigned birth (hereafter, “sex”), such that girls/women are more likely to be delayed or “missed” entirely in the diagnostic process compared boys/men. Later diagnosed individuals, especially girls/women, demonstrate increased anxious/depressive symptoms. Data on autistic youth from clinic-based ( n = 1035; 22.9% female) and sex-balanced research-based 128; 43% samples were probed via regression-based mediation models understand relationships...
The common intersection of autism and transgender identities has been described in clinical community contexts. This study investigates autism-related neurophenotypes among youth. Forty-five youth, evenly balanced across non-autistic, slightly subclinically autistic, full-criteria autistic subgroupings, completed resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine connectivity. Results confirmed hypothesized default mode network (DMN) hub hyperconnectivity with visual motor...
Research suggests a higher prevalence of avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) in autistic people across the lifespan compared to general population. However, ARFID symptoms may be misattributed core traits and gastrointestinal that often co-occur with autism. This diagnostic overshadowing could lead under-recognition under-treatment modifiable psychopathology people. Validating symptom measures this population is essential screening for tracking treatment outcomes Multigroup...
Masking can include suppressing or concealing certain behaviors to appear “non-autistic” and is one response the excess social stressors of being a neurominority in neurotypical-majority society. It important understand how persons who are multiply marginalized (e.g. an autistic person assigned female sex at birth bisexual), experience multiple layers stressors, may face additional pressures conceal their authentic selves. Autistic be more likely than neurotypical identify with sexual...
ABSTRACT Autistic people are at an elevated risk of experiencing co‐occurring anxiety and depression. The contributors to this likely multifaceted complex remain poorly understood. Cognitive flexibility, social camouflaging, perceived stress provide useful indices the interacting neurocognitive, behavioral, environmental factors that have been associated with depression in autistic individuals. Here, we test if cognitive as factor most closely related individual differences thinking styles,...
Although disparities in mental health and subjective quality of life (QoL) have been reported for autistic adults, reasons these are poorly understood. A potential factor is exposure to social stressors related minority status (i.e., stress), including stigma discrimination. Autistic individuals more likely than nonautistic be from groups with other identities, sexual minorities orientations such as asexual, bisexual, gay). However, date, few studies examined whether adults experience...
Impulse control, an emergent function modulated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), helps to dampen risky behaviors during adolescence. Influences on PFC maturation this period may contribute variations in impulse control. Availability of omega-3 fatty acids, essential dietary nutrient integral neuronal structure and function, be one such influence. This study examined whether intake energy-adjusted long-chain acids (eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) + docosahexaenoic (DHA)) was related variation...
Abstract Approximately 40% of American adults are affected by cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors (e.g., high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, and overweight or obesity), among autistic may be even higher. Mechanisms underlying the prevalence CVD in people include known correlates other groups, including levels perceived stress, poor sleep quality, antipsychotic medication use. A sample 545 without intellectual disability aged 18+ were recruited through Simons Foundation Powering...
Camouflaging involves the masking of autism traits, potentially creating an outer impression "non-autisticness." Although associations camouflaging with anxiety and depression in autistic adults are widely reported, factors that mediate these unclear. We examined two potential mediators association between anxiety/depression: perceived stress emotion regulation (ER) challenges.
Outcomes for autistic adults are generally poor across multiple foundational metrics, including activities of daily living and quality life. Co-occurring psychiatric conditions contribute to these outcomes. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder is one the most common co-occurring among individuals; however, we know little about association attention-deficit/hyperactivity symptoms with adult A total 724 (18–83 years; 58% female) recruited via Simons Foundation Powering Autism Research...