Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia and Learning Disability Research—What’s New in April
In this month’s research roundup, Ann Memmott explores a wider array of research, showcasing and reflecting upon some of the latest papers on Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia and Learning Disability.
Comparing Autistic views on their life with those of their parents
Lamash and team found that self-acceptance and a positive Autistic identity were strongly linked to a better quality of life. They also found that parent reports differed somewhat from self-reports from the young people. This is a useful study and one that shows the importance of the Autism industries moving away from the stigmatising language of deficits, disorders and ‘epidemics’, and into one of respecting and properly engaging Autistic young people.
Lamash, L., Gutman, Y., Meyer, S. et al. Aligning Perspectives: Autism Identity, Independence, Participation, and Quality of Life in Autistic Adolescents Through Self and Parental Reports. J Autism Dev Disord (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-06836-6
Understanding special interests through Autistic narratives
Most studies of Autistic people's interests look at how these interests can help Autistic children and young adults achieve neurotypical social behaviour. This study looked at why special interests were important to Autistic adults, not just as a way to make them fit in with what other people wanted.
Long R. M. (2025). Access Points: Understanding Special Interests Through Autistic Narratives. Autism in adulthood : challenges and management, 7(1), 100–111. https://doi.org/10.1089/aut.2023.0157
“Do public attitudes support intellectual disability and Autism rights and inclusion?”
Bernat and team looked at public attitudes to Autistic people and people with a Learning Disability. The public were reasonably accepting of people with sensory or mobility limitations; but, acceptance of Autistic people and people with a Learning Disability was significantly lower.
Public attitudes are the least approving towards certain rights of Autistic people and people with intellectual disability, including their right to vote, to marry, to raise children, to work in the open labour market and to attend education with others.
This is a concern, but it’s important for us to know how much progress still needs to be made.
Bernat, A., Turnpenny, A., & Petri, G. (2025). Do public attitudes support intellectual disability and autism rights and inclusion?–Lessons from a representative survey. Tizard Learning Disability Review. https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/tldr-05-2024-0023/full/html
Building confidence in caring for Autistic patients
This new study, by Bernard & team, looked at their work around neurodiversity education for a hospital.
With a focus on health equity for Autistic, Neurodivergent people, we conducted a healthcare improvement initiative addressing the need for neurodiversity education in an Australian tertiary hospital through a change process. This project was..led by Neurodivergent, disabled doctors who developed neurodiversity education for two hospital departments. …Respondents agreed the education was relevant to their work (97%, n = 28), and reported more confidence (83%, n = 24) and acceptance (90%, n = 26) of Autistic patients and colleagues.
Bernard, S., Teasdale, N., Harris, C., & Girdler, S. (2025). “After this presentation, I feel more confident caring for autistic patients”: The impact of neurodivergent doctors educating hospital staff about neurodiversity. Neurodiversity, 3. https://doi.org/10.1177/27546330251317807 (Original work published 2025)
Is ADHD linked to pain?
Kasahara and team examined whether there is a link between ADHD and pain. It seems there is. Interestingly, ADHD medication is reported to reduce pain symptoms. Have we been missing something fundamental here? This paper is quite technical, but well worth a read, especially given the common assumption that ADHD is linked to ‘bad behaviour’. Is any such ‘behaviour’ a distress response from unrecognised levels of pain?
Kasahara, S., Yoshimoto, T., Oka, H., Sato, N., Morita, T., Niwa, S. I., ... & Matsudaira, K. (2025). Correlation between attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and chronic pain: a survey of adults in Japan. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 13165. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-95864-4.pdf
Allied healthcare professionals: The safety of Autistic people and people with a Learning Disability
Muller and team considered how the allied health professionals (AHPs) affected patient safety. The group includes art therapists (art/music/drama), chiropodists/podiatrists, paramedics, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, dieticians, osteopaths, physiotherapists, prosthetists/orthotists, radiographers and speech & language therapists.
The researchers talk about power structures and hierarchies, and how those may lead to safety incidents. Other research teams in the Journal issue note a need for a ‘cultural shift’ in how AHPs are ‘viewed, understood and included’ in services, pointing to significant benefits for patients, including reduced rates of health complications and improved quality of life.
Müller, N., El, R. A., McGrath, M., & McVeigh, J. (2025). Learning from an allied health perspective on quality and safety. BMJ Quality & Safety. https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/qhc/early/2025/03/18/bmjqs-2024-018107.full.pdf
So what does improving Autistic social skills mean?
Anchieta and team study past research on ‘improving’ Autistic social skills. The paper notes, for example, that Autistic people are expected to demonstrate ‘good host behaviour’ at social occasions. But, whose idea of good host behaviour? That of the ‘typical’ population, or that of Autistic people welcoming other Autistic friends? Those two cohorts would expect and need very different behaviour from their host.
The team reflect briefly on the reality that no past teams seem to have asked Autistic people if these normalisation goals are valid for this population. It seems they did not consider the newer research showing that Autistic social skill sets are genuinely different and are effective when in groups of Autistic people, as referenced by the ongoing work on ‘Diversity in Social Intelligence Replication’, led by Dr Catherine Crompton in Edinburgh.
Knowing why others socialise in particular ways is important. Being forced to ‘mask’ being Autistic, in order to appear like other children, is exhausting for most Autistic children and can lead to some very problematic outcomes, including increased suicidality and Autistic burnout.
So, there is lots to like in this paper in terms of summarising past research, but more to be done in terms of getting teams to reflect on newer work and think about properly including Autistic people in the goals for our own lives.
Anchieta, M. V., Torro-Alves, N., da Fonsêca, É. K. G., & de Lima Osório, F. (2025). Effects of social skills training on social responsiveness of people with Autism spectrum disorder: a systematic review with meta-analysis. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 10.1007/s00787-025-02697-7. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-025-02697-7
Dyspraxia - what are it’s impacts on everyday life for young adults?
Also known as Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD), Dyspraxia affects about 1 in every 20 people. Little research has focused on everyday life, as yet. The research team ask 55 young adults about their experiences, and reflect on whether Occupational Therapists can make a much bigger difference in their lives.
In summary, these results highlight the imbalanced participation experienced by young adults with DCD. Although they engage in activities, which are necessary for daily living in the domains of general task and demands, mobility, and domestic life, they derive little pleasure from most of them and often require rely on assistance. The ability to request assistance may be a good strategy, but it may also tax the young adults’ self concept…. In contrast, they enjoy and feel competent performing activities in interpersonal relationships and community and social life domains, perhaps enhancing their wellbeing.
Zaguri‐Vittenberg, S., Weintraub, N., & Tal‐Saban, M. (2025). Exploring the multidimensional occupational participation of young adults with developmental coordination disorder. Australian Occupational Therapy Journal, 72(2), e70016. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1440-1630.70016
Autistic adults and independence
Bhattacharya and team explore what ‘independence’ really means, for Autistic adults. There are still instances of teams thinking that it means being capable of doing everything for themselves, rather than having the autonomy to decide who can support them, and in what ways.
“The first theme 'Independence is "not a one-size-fits-all”’ highlights that there is no one definition or concept of independence for Autistic people; these are relative and uniquely individual.
The second theme '“Being autistic has its setbacks” in a neurotypical world’ describes the obstacles encountered by Autistic adults seeking independence within a society that favours neurotypical norms.
The third theme 'Finding ways of making it work' captures strategies autistic adults use in achieving or maintaining independence. “Bhattacharya, P., Matthews, R. J., Field, R., Heath, H., Woodcock, K. A., & Surtees, A. D. R. (2025). Experiencing Independence: Perspectives from Autistic Adults. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 10.1007/s10803-025-06812-0. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-06812-0
Disclosing being Autistic: does it help people to empathise and want to work with us?
Whether to disclose being Autistic is a very individual choice, and there is no doubt that in a society that is not always well informed, it can be a risk for some people in some situations. Rum and team studied whether people felt more empathy for a person if they knew they were Autistic.
An individual’s self-disclosure of an Autism diagnosis improved others’ ability to empathize with them and willingness to work with them.
Useful to read if supporting Autistic individuals around this topic, and exploring with them whether the benefits outweigh the potential risks in certain situations.
Rum, Y., Genzer, S., Golan, O. et al. Empathy and Interest Towards an Autistic Person and the Effect of Disclosing the Diagnosis. J Autism Dev Disord (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-025-06802-2
Autistic language: moving on from ‘verbal’, ‘minimally verbal’ and ‘nonverbal’
Bottema-Beutel and team encourage us to get language and knowledge right, when talking about, and understanding, Autistic ways of communicating. I strongly recommend this paper to every team supporting Autistic people, and indeed people with a Learning Disability who have communication needs. So many individuals are not being understood, and not being enabled, at present. What do we mean by ‘nonverbal’? Do we mean ‘can say fewer than 20 words using mouth-words’ (even if they can type fluently?). Do we mean ‘is able to say less than six words’ (but can use sign, gesture and picture-based communication in rich and varied ways?). How do these communication abilities change with age, stress, etc? There is much to reflect on.
Bottema-Beutel, K., Zisk, A. H., Zimmerman, J., & Yu, B. (2025). Conceptualizing and describing autistic language: Moving on from ‘verbal’, ‘minimally verbal’ and ‘nonverbal’. Autism, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/13623613251332573
