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Background: Camouflaging, the strategies that some autistic people use to hide their differences, has been hypothesized to trigger mental health ramifications. Camouflaging might reflect ubiquitous impression management experiences that are not unique to autistic people and similarly impact the mental health of non-autistic people. Aims: We first examined whether individuals in the general population camouflage and manage impressions while experiencing mental health repercussions, and how gender and neurodivergent traits modified these associations. We then assessed how camouflaging and impression management arose from internalized stigma, and their inter-relationships in shaping mental health outcomes. Methods: Data were collected from 972 adults from a representative U.S. general population sample, with measures pertaining to camouflaging, impression management, mental health, internalized stigma, and neurodivergent traits. Multivariate hierarchical regression and moderated mediation analyses were used to address the two research aims. Results: Both camouflaging and self-presentation (a key component of impression management) were associated with mental health presentations in the general population, which overlapped with those previously reported in autistic people. These associations were more pronounced in women compared with men and were of different directions for individuals with higher autistic traits versus higher ADHD traits. Internalized stigma might be a key stressor that could elicit camouflaging and impression management through social anxiety, which in turn might lead to adverse mental health outcomes. Conclusions: These findings advance the conceptual clarity and clinical relevance of camouflaging and impression management across social and neurodiverse groups in the general population. The ramifications of camouflaging and impression management underscore the need to alleviate internalized stigma for better mental health across human groups.

ABSTRACTPurposeUnderstanding the experiences of people with developmental disabilities during the initial period of COVID‐19 pandemic.MethodsIndividuals with developmental disabilities and their caregivers completed baseline and up to five follow‐up online surveys using the CRISIS‐AFAR measures, between July 2020 and September 2021. We used qualitative (thematic analysis) and quantitative (MANOVA) analytic methods.ResultsOne hundred and eighteen participants (64 caregivers on individuals 6–62 years, 54 self‐reporting individuals aged 17–55 years) completed baseline survey; 46 participants (23 caregivers, 23 self‐reporting adults) completed ≥1 follow‐up. Qualitative themes included uncertainty, and negative and positive influences on behaviours and routines, daily life and mental wellness. Those experiencing positive impacts did not stably perceive so longitudinally.ConclusionsDespite both negative and positive influences on individuals with developmental disabilities and their families, the prolonged pandemic had wide‐ranging repercussions. Emergency preparedness planning should consider the disruptive effects of public health measures on routine and support for this vulnerable population.

The results leading to this publication have received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 777394 for the project AIMS-2-TRIALS. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA and AUTISM SPEAKS, Autistica, SFARI. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results. Any views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the funders.

One potential source of heterogeneity within autism spectrum conditions (ASC) is language development and ability. In 80 high-functioning male adults with ASC, we tested if variations in developmental and current structural language are associated with current neuroanatomy. Groups with and without language delay differed behaviorally in early social reciprocity, current language, but not current autistic features. Language delay was associated with larger total gray matter (GM) volume, smaller relative volume at bilateral insula, ventral basal ganglia, and right superior, middle, and polar temporal structures, and larger relative volume at pons and medulla oblongata in adulthood. Despite this heterogeneity, those with and without language delay showed significant commonality in morphometric features when contrasted with matched neurotypical individuals (n = 57). In ASC, better current language was associated with increased GM volume in bilateral temporal pole, superior temporal regions, dorsolateral fronto-parietal and cerebellar structures, and increased white matter volume in distributed frontal and insular regions. Furthermore, current language-neuroanatomy correlation patterns were similar across subgroups with or without language delay. High-functioning adult males with ASC show neuroanatomical variations associated with both developmental and current language characteristics. This underscores the importance of including both developmental and current language as specifiers for ASC, to help clarify heterogeneity. ; This work was supported by the Waterloo Foundation [grant number 921/1247 to S.B-C. and M-C.L.], the UK Medical Research Council [grant number GO 400061 to D.G.M.M., S.B-C. and E.T.B.], and the European Autism Interventions - A Multicentre Study for Developing New Medications (EU-AIMS); EU-AIMS receives support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement n° 115300, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union's Seventh ...

In humans, both language and fine motor skills are associated with left-hemisphere specialization, whereas visuospatial skills are associated with right-hemisphere specialization. Individuals with autism spectrum conditions (ASC) show a profile of deficits and strengths that involves these lateralized cognitive functions. Here we test the hypothesis that regions implicated in these functions are atypically rightward lateralized in individuals with ASC and, that such atypicality is associated with functional performance. Participants included 67 male, right-handed adults with ASC and 69 age- and IQ-matched neurotypical males. We assessed group differences in structural asymmetries in cortical regions of interest with voxel-based analysis of grey matter volumes, followed by correlational analyses with measures of language, motor and visuospatial skills. We found stronger rightward lateralization within the inferior parietal lobule and reduced leftward lateralization extending along the auditory cortex comprising the planum temporale, Heschl's gyrus, posterior supramarginal gyrus, and parietal operculum, which was more pronounced in ASC individuals with delayed language onset compared to those without. Planned correlational analyses showed that for individuals with ASC, reduced leftward asymmetry in the auditory region was associated with more childhood social reciprocity difficulties. We conclude that atypical cerebral structural asymmetry is a potential candidate neurophenotype of ASC. ; Funding: - UK Medical Research Council. Grant Number: GO 400061 - EU‐AIMS (Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint). Grant Number: 115300 - European Union's Seventh Framework Programme. Grant Number: FP7/2007‐2013 - Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge - William Binks Autism Neuroscience Fellowship - EU‐AIMS - Wolfson College, Cambridge - Shirley Foundation - Wellcome Trust - British Academy - Jesus College, Cambridge - NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre - Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge

Individuals affected by autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are considerably heterogeneous. Novel approaches are needed to parse this heterogeneity to enhance precision in clinical and translational research. Applying a clustering approach taken from genomics and systems biology on two large independent cognitive datasets of adults with and without ASC (n = 694; n = 249), we find replicable evidence for 5 discrete ASC subgroups that are highly differentiated in item-level performance on an explicit mentalizing task tapping ability to read complex emotion and mental states from the eye region of the face (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test; RMET). Three subgroups comprising 45–62% of ASC adults show evidence for large impairments (Cohen's d = −1.03 to −11.21), while other subgroups are effectively unimpaired. These findings delineate robust natural subdivisions within the ASC population that may allow for more individualized inferences and accelerate research towards precision medicine goals. ; This study was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East of England at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. This study was also conducted in association with the European Autism Interventions—A Multicentre Study for Developing New Medications (EU-AIMS) consortium; EU-AIMS receives support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement number 115300, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013), EFPIA companies, and Autism Speaks. This study was also supported by grants from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) (G0600977), the Wellcome Trust (091774/Z/10/Z), and the Autism Research Trust (ART). M-CL and AR received support from the William Binks Autism Neuroscience Fellowship at the University of Cambridge. M-CL received support from the O'Brien Scholars Program within the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. ; This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Nature Publishing Group via https://doi.org/10.1038/srep35333

Individuals affected by autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are considerably heterogeneous. Novel approaches are needed to parse this heterogeneity to enhance precision in clinical and translational research. Applying a clustering approach taken from genomics and systems biology on two large independent cognitive datasets of adults with and without ASC (n = 694; n = 249), we find replicable evidence for 5 discrete ASC subgroups that are highly differentiated in item-level performance on an explicit mentalizing task tapping ability to read complex emotion and mental states from the eye region of the face (Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test; RMET). Three subgroups comprising 45-62% of ASC adults show evidence for large impairments (Cohen's d = -1.03 to -11.21), while other subgroups are effectively unimpaired. These findings delineate robust natural subdivisions within the ASC population that may allow for more individualized inferences and accelerate research towards precision medicine goals. ; This study was supported by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care (CLAHRC) East of England at Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust. This study was also conducted in association with the European Autism Interventions—A Multicentre Study for Developing New Medications (EU-AIMS) consortium; EU-AIMS receives support from the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking under grant agreement number 115300, resources of which are composed of financial contribution from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013), EFPIA companies, and Autism Speaks. This study was also supported by grants from the UK Medical Research Council (MRC) (G0600977), the Wellcome Trust (091774/Z/10/Z), and the Autism Research Trust (ART). M-CL and AR received support from the William Binks Autism Neuroscience Fellowship at the University of Cambridge. M-CL received support from the O'Brien Scholars Program within the Child and Youth Mental Health Collaborative at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto. ; This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Nature Publishing Group via https://doi.org/10.1038/srep35333

The results leading to this publication have received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No 777394 for the project AIMS-2-TRIALS. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and EFPIA and AUTISM SPEAKS, Autistica, SFARI. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results. Any views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the funders.