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100 Autism Research Paper Topics

autism research paper topics

Careful selection of autism research paper topics is very important. That’s because there are many autism topics that students can research and write about. The topic that a learner chooses dictates the direction that their research and writing process will take. As such, students should select their topic ideas based on their academic goals. Ideally, what a learner opts to write about should help them accomplish their study goals.

Autism can be defined as a spectral disorder that makes a child seem to have a world of their own. Many parents misinterpret this disorder and assume that the child does not notice them. However, this is usually not the case. Parents are the first people to notice this disorder. With more children being diagnosed with this disorder, educators are asking learners to write about autism essay topics.

If you’ve been asked to write about this subject, take your time to research this disorder. You can even read the autobiographies of autistic people. If possible, meet and interact with autistic people before you start writing. This will give you an idea of what this condition is all about. Our psychology topics may also come in handy. In most cases, you will be required to focus your paper or essay on the creation of more autism awareness. This article highlights some of the topics in autism that you can consider for your paper or essay.

Basic Autism Research Paper Topics

Autism is a broad research area. Researchers have delved into this field and came up with different findings. However, you can still pick a topic for your research in this field and come up with new information. Here are some of the most interesting research topics in autism that can form the basis of your academic paper or essay.

  • Why some people autistic and others are not?
  • Does being autistic have advantages?
  • Why is being autistic disadvantageous?
  • Some people have a good memory or recall skills, explain why
  • Facts that people should know about autism
  • Explain the chemical brain differences between autistic and non-autistic individuals
  • Discuss some of major breakthroughs in autism research
  • Why do people with autism have difficulty socializing with others?
  • What can normal people learn from autistic people’s brains?
  • What characteristics should a person with autism have?
  • How should an autistic person be trained during care provision?
  • What should caregivers understand about autism to do their job right?
  • Explain the behavior of autistic individuals towards family members
  • Provide an average autistic individual’s overview
  • How can the social interactions of autistic people be improved?
  • Explain what causes autism
  • What educational programs do autistic people have?
  • How to diagnose autism in the early stages
  • Explain the role of music in an autistic person’s life
  • Is there a treatment for reducing autistic people’s disadvantages?
  • What are the employment limitations and opportunities for autistic people?
  • Discuss the major stories about autism that have been shared in the media
  • What is yet to be discovered about autism?
  • Explain how healthcare workers can help autistic individuals go through their daily life
  • Describe the top 5 autistic individuals that are best known in history

These are some of the most interesting autism topics for research paper or essay. However, you should research them extensively before you start writing. That’s because each of these topics requires you to include verifiable facts in your paper or essay.

Strong Autism Dissertation Topics

With so many children being diagnosed with autism, more learners are writing dissertations on this subject. And there are many autism research topics from which a learner can choose. Here are some of the best autism thesis topics to consider.

  • Is there evidence to prove that environmental triggers are responsible for rising autism cases?
  • Explain the relationship between stimming self-regulator for anxiety and autism
  • Why is autism prevalence in western society greater?
  • How is autism related to mental health?
  • How can family doctors be supported to take care of autistic people?
  • Discuss autism and childhood immunization
  • Discuss some of the prominent individuals in history that were most likely autistic
  • How can autistic people be supported at the workplace?
  • How do autistic females differ from autistic males?
  • Can autistic children adapt to mainstream education?
  • What are the positives and negatives of special education for autistic children?
  • Should autistic children attend special schools?
  • Why do people consider autism a spectrum disorder?
  • What diagnostic changes have raised the concern that Asperger’s Syndrome might no longer exist
  • Does lifestyle play a role in autism?

Some of these topics on autism may seem complex to research and write about. However, you can find relevant and sufficient supporting evidence from different sources. You just need the time and resources required to write about any of these topics about autism.

Autism Parent Training Topics

Raising an autistic child is not easy. Parents and caregivers should learn about autism spectrum disorder and its effects on their children. They should also learn how this disorder affects the entire family. It’s for this reason that researchers focus on research topics in autism that educate parents and caregivers about taking care of autistic children. Here are some of the best autism social learning topics.

  • How to manage the parenting challenges for people with autistic children
  • How to enhance the communication skills of autistic children
  • How to enhance the coping skills of autistic children
  • How to address the negative behaviors of autistic children
  • How to increase the play skills of autistic children
  • How to diagnose autism early in children
  • How to increase the independence of autistic children
  • How to improve self-help in autistic children
  • How does autism in one child affect the other family members?
  • How to solve the daily problems of autistic children

Each of these topics is meant to produce a paper or essay that can help parents of autistic children cope with the disorder. The information can also help the parents make their children lead a better life despite their condition.

Paper Topics about Autism and Education

Since it’s a complex disorder that affects brain development, autism touches on education as well. Here are some of the good research paper topics on autism and education that you can write about.

  • Why is autism worth researching?
  • Discuss the causes of autism
  • Discuss the development realms that are affected by autism
  • What resources do autistic people have access to?
  • Explain how autistic children learn
  • Explain how autism affects the learning process
  • Explain the struggles of autistic students
  • Explain parent training autism
  • Discuss the major types of autism
  • How does learning differ between autistic and normal students?

These topics focus on the relationship between autism and learning or education. Just like the topics in the other categories, they require extensive research to write about too.

Autism Research Proposal Topics

A lot of information about autism is being discussed by researchers across the world. This makes it hard for some learners to pick proposal topics for their autism papers. Here are some of the topics to consider if struggling to pick your proposal topic.

  • What is autism therapy?
  • Is autism therapy helpful?
  • How should caregivers provide care to autistic persons?
  • What is the best way to work for an autistic person?
  • Working with an autistic person- What are the major challenges?
  • How do you cope with an autistic family member?
  • How should autistic people be treated in social places?
  • What limitations do autistic people have in modern society?
  • Is the current society considerate of autistic people?
  • How does modern technology benefit autistic people?

If you pick a research topic on autism from this category, take the time to research it extensively to write a brilliant paper or essay.

Thought-Provoking Autism Debate Topics

Perhaps, you want to write a paper or essay that can form the basis of a debate about autism. In that case, consider one of these topics.

  • How celebrities and pseudo-scientists have caused serious damage by claiming that autism is related to vaccinations
  • How to educate society about autism
  • How to change the future of autistic children with early interventions
  • How school officials can help autistic children
  • How to help autistic kids whose parents are uncooperative or in denial
  • How autistic children can benefit from occupational therapy
  • Discuss the DSM-V regarding autism
  • How educational opportunities for autistic children compare to those of normal children
  • How health officials can convince the public that shots don’t cause autism
  • Should children that have not been vaccinated because parents believe that vaccines cause autism be taken to school?
  • How to support siblings of an individual with autism
  • How to transition a person with autism to community-based services from school-based services.
  • How to fight for autistic people’s rights
  • How to deal with the psychological struggles of autistic children
  • How music affects autistic patients
  • Social organizations for autistic people
  • Why diagnosing autism early is important
  • Can autism be prevented?
  • How to interact with autistic people
  • What employment options do autistic people have?
  • How to manage autism in adults
  • A brief history of autism
  • How living with an autistic person can affect your life
  • How genetics affect autism
  • Can the environment cause autism?
  • Can medical treatment cause autism?
  • A review of autism in different countries
  • A review of autism in different cultures
  • What signs of autism should parents watch out for?
  • How to develop a treatment plan for autism

This category has controversial topics autism researchers can explore too. Nevertheless, whether you choose parenting or autism biology topics for research paper, take the time to research extensively before you start writing. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need thesis writing help .

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165 Autism Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

Struggle with writing a research paper topics on autism? We’ve got your back covered! Below, you will find a list of 147 topics about autism as well as autism research paper examples!

🏆 Best Research Autism Topics & Essay Examples

👍 good autism essay topics, 💡 psychology research autism topics to write about, ⭐ simple & easy autism essay titles, ❓ research questions about autism.

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autism is a serious disorder that has the potential to disrupt the success of people living with it. This is to mean that the theory of causation regarding autism is not complete as yet.
  • Analysis of Children Autism in “The Black Balloon” It is imperative to note that Charlie’s emotions are not regulated and as such, manifest in immature behaviors such as flapping of his hands.
  • Exploring Autism in the Drama Film Rain Man Charlie Babbitt, the brother to Raymond, is the actor who portrays Raymond’s autism on the way to Los Angeles to secure his fair share in the Babbitt’s $3 million fortunes in form of inheritance.
  • The Development of Autism Analysis The paper will disclose the interviews of this famous and significant person whom managed to give all her efforts to the development of autism charitable programs and contribute to autism support all over the world. […]
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Interventions However, the negative side of it is that such an intervention is limited to those patients who are verbal and have limited vocabulary.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Its Impact on the Family Manning, Wainwright and Bennet argue that children with autism are faced with a big challenge because of the nature of the symptoms the disorder.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder in Relation to Education Attending to students having ASD in the regular classrooms requires specialized teachers and supplementary staff in order to aid in the realization of the needs of the students having ASD.
  • Critical Analysis of Published Articles: Autism It was therefore the goal of the research to find out if the negative attitude of people towards autistic children can be altered to the benefit of the parents.
  • How Christopher’s Autism Affect His Life In spite of the fact that the issue of autism is not clearly explained in the story, the condition of the narrator is referred to as high-functioning autism or Aspersers Syndrome on the cover of […]
  • Impact of Autism Disorder on Adolescents This essay discusses the impact of autism disorder on adolescents in the community and a nursing intervention that can be used to assist adolescents in becoming prominent society members.
  • Progression of Reading Ability in a Child Diagnosed With Autism The battery of assessments and interviews with parents on the participant’s socialization and early reading ability indicates the study applied the Psychometric and Social Contextual approaches.
  • Analysis of Behavior of Preschool Age Child With Autism The child’s behavior in the video differs from that of a mentally healthy child, and these differences lie in the child’s other emotional state and degree of interest in talking to people.
  • Autism and Disability Advocacy People with autism can contribute to the diversity of disability culture by expanding understanding of what disability is and how it can be accepted.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis According to DSM-5, to fit the diagnostic criteria for ASD, a child must have evident deficits in three major areas of social communication as well as 2 out of the 4 restricted or repetitive behaviors.
  • Thinking in Pictures: Autism and Sensory Problems The chapter “The Squeeze Machine: Sensory Problems in Autism” in Grandin’s Thinking in Pictures presents a series of life perspectives of various individuals, including her own, regarding the sensory problems they experienced. They postulated that […]
  • Therapeutic Programs for Children With Autism in K-12 Institutions In the paper, the gaps in the research of effective treatments for children with ASD are explored, after which the efficacy of a multi-system aquatic therapy and standardized equine-assisted therapy program is argued.
  • Societal Issue Research Project: Autism Spectrum Disorder The first factor is the significant risk that the genetics of siblings who had ASD diagnosis will increase the chance of the disorder.
  • Child-Centered Play Therapy and Autism The purpose of the discussed research was to investigate the effects of CCPT on the sample of children with autism, establishing and describing the connection between CCPT and social and emotional growth.
  • Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Training Program for Caregivers The latter means that many caregivers take care of children with ASD, hence the importance of equipping them with the necessary skills for effective and smooth parenting and coping with various difficulties.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder’s Impact on Child’s Learning In regards to the public-school setting, standardized testing demands youngsters to grasp and react to spoken as well as written communication at an anticipated pace and level.
  • Laboratory Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders The purpose of my study is to discover which of these methods is more accurate, with the reason being the importance of early diagnosis of ASD, which leads to better treatment outcomes.
  • Autism and Related Cognitive Concepts It has been suggested that children with autism show a general deficit of cognitive skills in multilevel planning and in the regulation of behavior.
  • Bullying and Autism Spectrum Disorder In fact, bullying as a social phenomenon can be characterized as a social and interaction issue; therefore, it is possible to analyze the connection between autism and acts of bullying and inappropriate behavior.
  • Face Emotion Recognition in Autism Phenotype One critical aspect of social communication is the capability to apprehend the emotions and intentions of another person. In conclusion, Autism Spectrum Disorder makes the interpretation of facial expressions difficult.
  • How Does Having a Child With Autism Affects Parents’ Lifestyle? The creation of a system of psychological, pedagogical and social support can reduce the risk of a complete family life dedication to a child with autism.
  • Misrepresentation of Autism in the ‘Music’ Film While the film was not centered on the topic of autism as its message, the stereotype-heavy portrayal and a lack of research make it a harmful piece of media.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Prevalence and Impact in Society It has therefore been impossible to determine the level of increase in autism cases that is as a result of improved diagnostic measures and that which can be attributed to the real increase in autism […]
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder: Diagnosis, Impact, Treatment The main diagnostic element for ASD is the evidence of difficulties, either in the present or past, which are different across the age groups.
  • Autism and Vaccination Refusal Management Among Somalian Parents Somalian parents in their community in Minnesota refuse from their children being vaccinated, as they believe that vaccination causes autism.
  • Everyone Has the Power to Effect Positive Change Within the Autism Community This paper presents what is autism, how every one reacts to the problem, what is the difference between the rich and the poor in their response towards the problem.”Autism is one of five developmental disorders […]
  • Reducing Off-Task Behaviors Using a Token Economy System in Children With Autism Token economy is a strategy of positive reinforcement that can be provided to children in the form of tokens for completing the assigned tasks.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder: Key Points The requirement to meet these needs is supported by the fact that the rate of students with ASD is high: according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, more than 83 per cent of […]
  • “Theoretical Aspects of Autism” by Helen Ratajczak On the whole, it is possible to say that the standards set by Austin Hill cannot be always met, in part because the physiological aspects of this disease have not been fully investigated.
  • Dr. Temple Grandin’s Argument on Visual Thinking and Autism A more in-depth analysis of visual activities can reveal the all imagery can be mentally processed and modified by children so that images are rotated and analyzed to make the brain map expand.
  • Intellectual Disability: Autism In their adulthood, and because of the communication issues that most individuals with autism tend to have, they will naturally have difficulty in finding and keeping jobs.
  • Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Children With Autism On the positive side, it fastens the production of different types of reactive oxygen used in the body. It is arguable that the size of the samples used in the study was small.
  • Occupational Therapy for Children With Autism The main reason for the appearance of autism is the disturbance of the development of the patients brain which results in the appearance of various symptoms.
  • The Mitochondria and Autism – Results and Main Function The results are important in health because children with autism were more probable to have dysfunctions and abnormalities of the mitochondria such as over replication and deletion of mitochondrial DNA compared to those without the […]
  • Autism Etiology, Symptoms, Beliefs, and Management To date, debate on the cause or etiology of autism still remains divided, with extant literature demonstrating that “although many hypotheses have been proposed, a singular or specific combination of causes has yet to be […]
  • Quantitative Assessment of Neuromotor Function in Adolescents With High Functioning Autism: Critique The study authors did not give the benefits and/or risks associated with the study participation. The authors indicated that the ZNA was appropriate for collecting the data because it could measure the 11 parameters of […]
  • Critical Appraisal on the Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorders on the Family: A Qualitative Study of Mothers’ Perspectives The study researchers established the significance of the study by outlining the social and financial implications of taking care of children with ASD.
  • Autism: External Forces, Causes and Treatment The increasing prevalence of Autism in the United States and across the world is attracting great attention from the healthcare sector to design critical programs tailored to stem the disorder in terms of prevention, treatment, […]
  • The Importance of Services for Children With Autism The plea of the majority of Americans for the reverse of healthcare budget allocation is well because it is wrong to interfere with services offered to children with autism. With childcare initiative in place, the […]
  • Autism: General Information and Treatment She argues that the treatment of autism is through scientific proven medication that aids in controlling aggressive behaviors and that Trisperidone is the commonly used antipsychotic.
  • The Issue of Autism: Task-Group Project The role of B.N.in the meeting can be seen as a summarizer, providing a summary of the minutes of the previous meeting.
  • Concepts of Autism and Williams Syndrome The disorder manifests itself in the early years of a child’s life, with long-lasting effects that are not curable but controllable and easy to deal with on condition that, the concerned parties take the necessary […]
  • Autism Programs to Enhance Students’ Outcomes In addition to social and behavioral challenges, ASD typically hinders a learner’s ability to gain and process the necessary academic information.
  • Autism Program’s Impact Across Contexts In other words, a detailed overview of the issues that administrators face when designing the program and which the teachers have to deal with when addressing the needs of children with autism must be carried […]
  • “Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family’s Triumph Over Autism” by Catherine Maurice The book was published in 1994, and it was a success as parents of autistic children were waiting for someone to prove that autism was not an incurable disorder.
  • Autism: Teaching Plan for Taking All the Features Into Account For the first child, caregiver training was done at child’s bedroom, and for the second child it was done at living room, and for the third child with severe mental retardation it was carried out […]
  • Education Considerations for Students With Autism Two articles under consideration consider the opposite views regarding the education of students with autism; on the basis of the information obtained from these articles, it can be stated that none of the perspectives is […]
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders: Diagnostic Procedure In general, this journal is very interesting and it is an important contribution to the development of appropriate screening and identification procedures for children with ASD.
  • Developmental Psychology: Autism and Vaccination Vaccination of infants is widely used today as the pattern of endemic diseases can be explained in terms of interplay of social, physical and biological factors in an area that is conducive to a continuous […]
  • Social Work Methods to Treat the Child Who Is Suffering From Autism This is a clear indicator that alcohol intake by the family is costing the members and it is an issue that needs to be looked into.
  • Proposal for the Organization of the Concert in Autism Support The paper will be focused on the organizational aspects of the autism support concert and the people to be invited to this meeting attendance.
  • Autism and Immunization: Vaccines and the Changing Epidemiology The interest and attention invoked by this paper were largely due to the fact that it appeared to provide a biological means through which MMR vaccine resulted in autism.
  • The Autism-Vaccine Debate, Arguments, and Research Autism is defined by the Autism Society of America as ” a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first 3 years of life and is the result of a neurological disorder that affects […]
  • Autism. Child and Family Assessment The other common disorder associated with autism is that of mutism whereby it also lies under the category of speech disorder and in many cases it is difficult to be diagnosed and at the same […]
  • Autism and False Belief in Psychology The theories are found to be covering the deficits of an individuals’ mind and factors relating to autism, research further indicates that a child’s behavior may be influenced by the executive functions this, therefore, brings […]
  • Autism: Methods of Diagnosing and Treatment Analysis A malfunction in the neural circuitry of the brain of those with autism is the likely cause of their perceptions regarding social interaction and lack of adequate cognitive abilities.
  • Autism: Symptoms, Forms, Diagnostic Instruments Autism is basically a developmental disorder of the human brain that its first symptoms are initially manifested in infancy and it follows a steady cause without relapse.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Features in Children One of the causes for the appearance of these issues is an inborn disability that might presuppose the need for specific methods to educate a child and guarantee a chance for integration with society.
  • Autism Occurrence by Measles Vaccine Status The organization of information in the text follows a logical format by introducing the background for the vaccine, incorporating the issue of ASD connection, and leading up to the primary research question.
  • Parental Report of Vaccine Receipt in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder In the introduction, which is the first section, the study’s research problems and their significance to nursing are stated. The discussion section covers how the authors relate the findings to the research objective and the […]
  • Teenagers With Autism Disorder Autism is seen as a spectrum disorder since its severity and symptoms vary greatly among affected individuals – from mild and occasional to persistent and interfering with all aspects of life.
  • Impact of Autism Spectrum Disorders on Life However, between the ages of two and three, his lack of verbal activity and inability to “echo” simple sounds and syllables were found to be very concerning by the family.
  • Autism Should Not Be Viewed as a Disability A good example is that the treatment of autism as a mental disorder makes it possible for pharmaceutical companies and clinics to invent new health systems or procedures that will meet the needs of the […]
  • Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder For instance, the researchers have reviewed the findings by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and the Government Accountability Office to present the statistics on children with ASD and the increase in the number […]
  • Autist Student’s Behavior and Remedial Plan In the process of reading, I would pay attention to the student’s concentration and ability to integrate what she was reading. She also took long in doing this and did not want to stop the […]
  • Autism Treatment, Its Methods and Results It was appropriate to focus on the use of the DSE intervention and examine if addressed most of the challenges facing many ASD patients.
  • The Physiological Impact of Autism on Children and Parents It is possible to speak about the physiological impact of ASD on children and their parents in the UK, and the detailed examination of this issue is required. To review the literature on possible barriers […]
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder: Programs Effectiveness The purpose of this PE, therefore, is to evaluate and analyze the efficiency of the programs implemented by the Day Support Services.
  • Autism: Characteristics, Prevalence and Interventions The symptoms of autism are noticeable in the early years of childhood. Occupational therapy is one of the non-educational interventions used to assist kids with autism.
  • Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders The main goal of this paper is to present a review of relevant literature addressing the issue of helping college students with ASD prepare for workforce readiness and job placement.
  • Autism Treatment Network in the PEACE Program In order to use these resources in PEACE, it is necessary to establish a budget that will cover expenditures on training courses for specialists involved in the program, educational materials, seminars, and individual counseling.
  • Association Between Vaccination and Autism The study examined whether there is a link between the toxic effects of exposure to thimerosal-containing vaccines and the risk of developing ASD.
  • Olfaction and Autism Spectrum Disorder Relationship These findings reveal that the sniff test can reveal both the presence and severity of ASD in young children. The link between ASD and olfaction can be used in diagnosing young children with autism.
  • Vaccination Contrubution to Autism Development This anxiety has led to a civic health dispute about the civil liberties of parents to decide whether to vaccinate their children, along with the state regulation on vaccinations to guard the wellbeing of its […]
  • Abu Dhabi Autism Center The Abu Dhabi Autism Center has to operate within the laws and regulations of the Zayed Higher Organization for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs.
  • Applied Behavior Analysis Treatment for Autism It is the most commonly applied autism treatment remedy in the United States and several other countries in the world and the major method that schools and therapists embrace and use.
  • Involving Adults With Autism Plus Learning Disability Since the method is interviewing, a particular aspect of the study that should be addressed with attention is the researchers’ perspective.
  • Inclusion Curriculum for Children With Autism In the given paper, the issue of children autism, the developmental issues that autism triggers and the educational prospects for children with autism are going to be considered.
  • Inclusive Education: Child With Autism and Spina Bifida It is worth mentioning that Ted’s mother is willing to cooperate with teachers, and her participation can be of great assistance to the teacher.
  • Bright Not Broken: Gifted Kids, ADHD, and Autism It is possible to state that the book provides rather a high-quality review of the issues about the identification, education, and upbringing of the 2e children.
  • Case Law and Case Study of a Student With Autism On reviewing the evaluation results in the presence of the student’s mother, an agreement was reached on the general education placement for the student.
  • Children With Autism’ Communication in Saudi Arabia Parents of children with autism in Saudi Arabia have complained that the government has neglected the needs of autistic children by failing to finance their education and research to detect the effectiveness of the digital […]
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders: Testing and Measurement It will begin with the rationale that explain why the issues are critical, followed by the reasons for unavailability of the solutions to the issues and the consequences of the issues.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders and Educational Interventions From this point, this paper aims to discuss the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorders, examine the etiology and incidence of the disorder, focus on the prevalence of autism, and analyze the effectiveness of the DTT […]
  • Autism Expressed: Branding Strategy and Marketing The promise that the brand offers to the public should be in line with the desires of the clients. This firm will need to prepare this branding strategy in a way that will meet its […]
  • Vaccines and Autism: Separating Facts From Fiction The advocacy groups say that thimerosal, a preservative used in vaccines, is toxic to the central nervous system and responsible for an alarming rise in rates of autism among children in the United States and […]
  • Self-Injury in Autism: Applied Behavior Analysis Applied behavior analysis incorporates the utilization of direct perception, estimation, and useful investigation of the relations in the middle of the environment and conduct.
  • Lesson for Learners With Autism: Reflection Observation The essay identifies the instructional methods used by the teacher during the exercise. The teacher also guided the learners to solve the mathematical problems using different visual objects.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Concept Besides, Temple often explores her own experiences and attempts to understand the feelings of others that are unavailable to her by visualizing herself as other creatures people and animals.
  • Dubai Autism Center’ Quality Management TQM employs strategies and effective communication within the organization to incorporate the quality principles into the culture and activities of the organization to ensure that all the activities are geared towards satisfying the customers.
  • Vaccination and Autism in Children The problem with this case is that while it may be true that the cause for the development of autism in children have yet to be fully determined, the fact remains that there have been […]
  • Video Modeling for Individuals With Autism The video model will be developed according to the needs of autistic children, with the focus on the role of visual and auditory stimuli in the teaching process.
  • The Effects of Vaccines on Autism From their study, the findings demonstrate that the presence of thimerosal is one of the causes of the disorder. It is imperative to state that they have used many studies that have indicated that there […]
  • Vaccination as a Cause Autism This paper borrows on the arguments of Monica Prasad and Washington and Haydn when they argue that the belief about vaccinations as a primary cause of autism stems from emotional, psychological, and behavioral barriers, as […]
  • Youth With Autism Disorder: Education and Employment This includes the communication patterns of the teenager, the extent of social relations and the unusual behavioral characteristics of the teenager in the environment.
  • Autism Children Education Inclusion Policy in Private Schools: Compulsory Enrollment Policy 2011 The following are the main areas will be addressed by the policy: Prohibited Private schools will be prohibited from ignoring the needs of children suffering from autism; they will be compelled by the act to […]
  • Autism: Pathogenesis and Intervention Similarly, a person with autism has to be trained on the process of communicating normally and forming a relationship with objects, events and people in their lives.
  • The Real Causes of Autism However, the main problem is that this association or correlation does not imply that autism is triggered by a vaccine. This is the main argument that can be put forward.
  • Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism The primary subject of this study is applied behavior analysis while the secondary subject is applied behavior analysis and its effects on autism in children.
  • Autism. Sensory Integration. Tactile Desensitization The poor development that is recorded at the early stages in life is likely to affect the development of different skills by the individuals even in the adult stages The signs that are associated with […]
  • Autism Effect on Children It is crucial to understand the behavior of children with autism in the school set up in order to understand how autism affects children and their social interactions. It is up to the teacher to […]
  • Autism and Its Effects on Social Interaction The article “Social Impairment in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder” identifies the major challenges facing many people with autism. The authors wanted to examine the social problems and difficulties encountered by individuals with Autism Spectrum […]
  • Older Dads More Likely to Have Kids With Autism The author highlights autism as one of the main outcomes of late fatherhood following the release of the results of a study involving the counting of the mutations corresponding to a father’s age at the […]
  • Evidenced-Based Practice: Autism Management in Children Autism largely is connected to communication abilities of a child, a situation that later results into the child experiencing disability problems in effectively encoding and decoding communicative messages.
  • Miami Dance Project for Autistic Children For me, what the Miami dance project represents is in line with what is known as the concept of confidence building wherein through the development of certain talents children with autism will begin to have […]
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders and Family Impact One of the greatest fears of a parent with such a child is the fact that such a child would be taken care of until the advanced stages of their lives.
  • Program Models in Autism The DTT technique has been designed in such a way as to target the individual behavior of an autistic child using the available curriculum.
  • Autism in Saudi Arabia This support may come in the form of modification of the curriculum to cater for the special needs of the autistic children.
  • Analysis of Autism Disorder This disorder affects the brain of the child during growth so that it does not develop in the right way thus affecting the social and communication skills of the child. This is especially to the […]
  • One-To-One Programs: Supporting Autistic Children The purpose of conducting this essay will be to examine the educational intervention of one-to-one support programs during normal school times within a mainstream classroom and also to discuss the challenges faced by teachers and […]
  • Psychological Disorders and Their Treatment: An Overview of the Recent Progress and the Current Challenges in Treating Autism in Children In the given paper, the issue of psychological disorders is being addressed in reference to the ideas expressed in Chapter 11 “Psychological Disorders” in Carole Wade and Carol Tavris’s Invitation to Psychology.
  • Early Intervention for Young Adults With Autism This is due to unavailability of information on children development stages and the importance of early detection and intervention in the case of autism.
  • Different Behaviors in Children With Autism The purpose is to find out whether the co morbidity changes with the environment, and assess the influence that the environment has on the behavior of an autistic child.
  • Diagnosis and Treatment for Autism Disorder Children with autism are therefore able to reason and even interpret the feelings of other people but the challenge is to communicate the response to other people.
  • Autism: Qualitative Research Design Golafshani continues to argue that the use of the term “dependability” in qualitative studies is a close match to the idea of “reliability” in quantitative research.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder However, the reality is that the number of children with autism and having high intelligence is insignificant. It is apparent that, in autism, a disorder is found in the structure of the brain.
  • Treatment of Autism With the Use of the Picture Exchange Communication System There are lots of types of this communication system that may be used with children, who have autism, and one of them is the Picture Exchange Communication System that is characterized by a proper picture […]
  • Vaccines and Autism: A Critical Analysis of Thimerosal in Relation to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella The safety and efficacy of vaccines has been the subject of many studies in the medical field. The disorder was observed in one participant from each of the cohorts in the experiment.
  • How to Recognize and Teach Students With Autism If these groups of students have to be given directions that are more than three steps, the directions have to be written down due to their inability to remember sequences.
  • Autism and Visual Thought Suprisingly the quality of visual thinking according to Bogdashina is dependent on other factors like time and the state the autistic person is in.
  • Autism and Educational Process Owing to these adverse effects that can stem from autism and the shear prevalence of the condition in the country’s population, a lot of research effort has been dedicated to the early diagnosis and treatment […]
  • Do Vaccines Cause Autism? Thimerosal is alleged to increase the exposure of mercury in the vaccine to a substantiated high amount. In fact, the amount of antigens between children with autism and without is the same irrespective of the […]
  • Language Development Problems in Children: An Indicative Characteristic of Autism This is because it is a time when it is expected that a majority of the kids should be able to talk.
  • The Disease of Autism Origin The disorder is one of the new diagnoses of the autism. Other effects of the disorder are constipation and growth failures that may be a problem to the lives of the individual.
  • Autism’s Teaching Tips for Children and Adults The present description is concerned with the role of teacher in the better management of Autism in children. Further, assessment of the interactive and developmental skills is on of the important component in the teacher […]
  • What Are Autism Spectrum Disorders?
  • How Does Autism Affect the Person With It and Those Around Them?
  • What Are the Barriers of Learning for a Learner With Autism/Aspergers in Performing Arts?
  • Does Gluten Effect Children With Autism?
  • What Are the Causes of Autism?
  • How Does Autism Affect a Child’s Educational Performance?
  • What Can Autism Look Like and Things You Can Do to Spot It?
  • Can Children With Autism Develop a Theory of Mind?
  • Which Interventions Reduce Anxiety in Autistic People?
  • What Influence Has the Development of Autism Had on a Diagnosed Individual?
  • How Does Autism Affect the Development of a Child?
  • Are Huddles the Missing Piece of the Puzzle in Implementing Clinical Innovation for the Eating Disorder and Autism Comorbidity?
  • How Does Autism Start?
  • Can Mouse Imaging Studies Bring Order to Autism Connectivity Chaos?
  • How Does ‘Fake News’ Affect Autism Policy?
  • Are There Any Relationships Between Latent Toxoplasma Gondii Infection, Testosterone Elevation, and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder?
  • How Do People With Autism Experience the World?
  • Can Robotic Systems Promote Self-Disclosure in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder?
  • How Did the Media Perpetuate the Autism-Vaccine Scare?
  • Are There Cultural Differences in Parental Interest in Early Diagnosis and Genetic Risk Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder?
  • How Can the Therapist Help Autism Children?
  • Can Vaccinations Cause Autism?
  • Does Autism Spectrum Disorder Affect People All Around the World?
  • Is There a Correlation Between Epigenetics and Autism Spectrum Disorder?
  • How Does Autism Affect Regular Brain Functions as Well as Socialization Skills?
  • What Can Responses to Music in Autism Tell Us About the Nature of Musical Emotions?
  • Why Has the Incidence Rate of Autism Increased?
  • What Are the Most Effective Ways to Support/Provide Social Care For Autistic Adults?
  • Which Interventions Are Effective in the Development of Communication/Language Skills in Autism?
  • How Can Parents and Family Members Be Supported/Educated to Care For and Better Understand an Autistic Relative?
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144 comprehensive autism research paper topics that will help you.

July 28, 2021

Do you need autism research paper topics that will impress your educator to award you high grades? If yes, this article lists the best 140-plus ideas to consider for your papers and essays.

autism research paper topics

Simple  Autism Topics for Research Paper 

Perhaps, you want to write a paper about an easy topic. In that case, select the idea to work with from this category. Any of these topics can be a brilliant idea for an autism paper. Nevertheless, take your time to investigate it extensively, gather, and analyze data to develop a winning piece.

  • Investigating the autism spectrum disorder’s prevalence
  • Autism Diagnostic interview
  • What are the primary causes of autism?
  • Reasons for the increasing autism cases in children
  • Effective learning and teaching methods for autistic children
  • Mainstream education and autism
  • Are there advantages of being autistic?
  • What are the disadvantages of being autistic?
  • Why are some individuals autistic while others are not
  • Explain why some individuals have a good recall or memory skills
  • What should people know about autism?
  • Who are the top five most known autistic individuals in human history?
  • How healthcare workers assist autistic persons in their daily lives
  • What are humans yet to discover about autism?
  • Discuss autism stories that people have shared on social media
  • Describe the employment opportunities and limitations for autistic individuals
  • Describe a treatment that can reduce autistic individuals’ disadvantages
  • What is the primary cause of autism?
  • What role does music play in the life of an autistic person?
  • Explain autism diagnosis during the early stages
  • Describe the educational programs for autistic persons
  • What’s the average overview of an autistic person?
  • Explain ways of improving autistic people’s interactions
  • Explain an autistic individual’s behavior towards his family members?
  • How the chemical brain of an autistic person differs from that of a non-autistic individual
  • What are the most prominent research breakthroughs in autism?
  • Why autistic persons struggle to socialize with others
  • What normal individuals should learn from the brains of autistic persons
  • Describe the characteristics of autistic persons
  • Tips for training autistic persons when providing care
  • Things caregivers should know about autism to do an excellent job
  • How family members should behave towards autistic individuals

Autism Biology Topics Research Paper  Ideas

Students can also write autism biology papers and score top grades. If interested in autism biology, here is a list of topics to consider for your research paper. Any of these topics can be the basis of a debate because people have varying views towards them. You need sufficient and reliable information to support your argument.

  • Is there sufficient evidence proving that environmental triggers are responsible for the rising autism cases?
  • Why is western society reporting higher autism prevalence?
  • Do literature and art help in raising awareness about autism?
  • Reviewing films whose basis is an autism spectrum disorder
  • How the media portrays autism and its effects
  • Prominent public figures that lived with autism for years
  • The impact of maternal age on autism
  • Asperger’s syndrome and autism- An explorative study
  • Analyzing the genome’s dark regions and their effect on autism mutation
  • Gene expression control and its impact on autism mutation
  • The connection between genetic variants and autism
  • Obesity and autism- Is there a correlation?
  • How a subtle genetic modification can affect an autistic person
  • Autism and fragile x syndrome
  • How brain homes affect autism
  • Autism and vasopressin- What’s the link?
  • Brain signature similarities with autism
  • Investigating the unusual sensory response in an autistic person
  • The effects of the cerebellum on an autistic person’s social behavior
  • Anybody that loves biology will be interested in reading a paper on any of these ideas. However, make sure that your essay is on-point.
  • Thought-Provoking Autism Controversial Issues to Write About
  • Perhaps, you want to research and write about a thought-provoking topic about autism. In that case, consider one of these issues.
  • Is autism a disorder or a difference?
  • Timeline and history of autism
  • Why are autism rates increasing dramatically?
  • Things that scientists have disproven about autism causes
  • Questionable and risky autism treatments
  • The best autism treatments
  • Should autistic children have a unique educational setting?
  • Which are the best educational options for autistic children?
  • Autistic children should have a unique home
  • Autism and vaccinations- Is there any relations?
  • Ways to raise autism awareness in society
  • Changing the autistic children’s future through early interventions
  • How educators can help children with autism
  • Ways to help autistic children with uncooperative parents
  • Can occupational therapy help autistic children?
  • DSM-V and autism
  • A comparison of autistic children’s and normal kids’ educational opportunities
  • Ways health officials can convince their clients that vaccines don’t cause autism
  • Should schools vaccinate children that haven’t received their shots because parents believe they cause autism?

Research Paper Topics Dealing with Autism  and Education

Experts recommend teaching people and caregivers about autistic persons. Through training, educators, parents, and other people can know how to treat autistic persons. Here are good research paper topics on autism and education. These topics relate expert advice with parenting and the daily life of autistic individuals. But like the other ideas, they need thorough research to come up with impressive papers.

  • Ways to solve autistic children’s daily problems
  • Why is autism research necessary?
  • Differences in education among autistic kids and normal children
  • Different autism types
  • Understanding the struggles of students suffering from autism
  • What are the possible autism causes?
  • Managing parenting challenges when you have an autistic child
  • Ways to improve autistic children’s communication skills
  • How to enhance autistic kids’ coping skills
  • Addressing negative behaviors among autistic children
  • Increasing autistic children’s play skills
  • Ways to diagnose autism early in children
  • Ways to increase autistic children’s independence
  • Effects of autism in a single child on family members
  • Improving self-help among autistic children
  • How autism affects different developmental realms
  • Learning in autistic kids
  • Resources available for autistic people
  • Effects of autism on the learning process
  • Why do parents need training about autism?

Autism Research Analysis Paper Topics 

Perhaps, you want to autism research topics you can analyze extensively in your paper or essay. If so, consider these ideas for your project. You can analyze any of these research topics on autism in your paper with proper references to impress the educator and earn the top grade in your class.

  • Qualities of an effective autism treatment plan
  • Autism signs that every parent should know
  • Reviewing autism in various regions
  • Analyzing the probability of medical treatment causing autism
  • Analysis of the effects of genetics on autism
  • Investigating the impact of an autistic person on a standard individual
  • Analysis of autism history
  • Ways adult patients can manage autism
  • Analyzing the employment opportunities for autistic people
  • Exploring parental education benefits in managing autism in children
  • Analyzing the variations in social implications depending on autistic spectrum disorder and gender
  • Analysis of the support autistic people need at the workplace
  • Examining the socio-cultural effects of autism on understanding and behavior
  • Do autistic children need special schools?- A detailed analysis
  • Investigating the contextual drives affecting autism understanding in society
  • Analyzing the peer group role in autism
  • Investigating the increasing autism prevalence in western society
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder- Analyzing its impact on parents with autistic kids
  • Exploring the cross-cultural experiences of autistic persons
  • Analyzing the role technology can play in improving autistic people’s social skills

Autism Research Questions 

One of the best ways to develop good research topics is by asking questions about the subject you find interesting. For instance, you can brainstorm autism thesis topics by asking questions about this illness. Here are some of the queries you can ask about autism, which can form the basis of your paper.

  • Which is the most accepted theory about autism spectrum disorder’s pathophysiology?
  • How can caregivers improve service delivery when dealing with autistic persons?
  • How can ordinary people understand sensory processing among autistic persons?
  • How can companies encourage ordinary people to support autistic employees?
  • How can employers implement person-centered intervention to support autistic employees?
  • How can companies maximize the performance and potential of autistic people at the workplace?
  • How can hospitals improve autism diagnostic procedures?
  • How can hospitals ensure the appropriate diagnosis of autistic adults?
  • How can family members and parents provide quality care for autistic kids?
  • How can ordinary people support families and parents with autistic kids?
  • What support is ideal for autistic children?
  • Which environments are suitable for helping autistic persons achieve quality education and life skills?
  • How can society help autistic persons get the most from life?
  • Which interventions can enhance mental health in autistic persons?
  • How can caregiver reduce mental health issues among autistic persons?
  • How can caregivers adapt mental health interventions for autistic individuals?
  • Which interventions work in developing language skills in autistic persons?
  • How can society support social care for autistic adults?
  • Which intervention work in reducing anxiety among autistic people?
  • Is autism treatable?
  • Who suffers more, an autistic child or their family?
  • What facts do most people not know about autism?
  • Which brain part does autism damage?
  • Does autism escalate with age?
  • Is autism the same as brain damage?
  • How can you tell that your kid is not autistic?
  • Can a person inherit autism?
  • Does an autistic person have a higher risk of having an autistic child?
  • Is autism a disability?
  • How does level I differ from level II autism?
  • Which questions does the doctor ask during an autism assessment?

Students have many autism spectrum disorder research topics and questions to consider as titles for their papers. However, learners should pick exciting topics to develop outstanding pieces. If you are unable to select a topic and write an essay, seek professional writing help online. Expert writers can help you with topic selection or even write a high-quality, custom paper for you.

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207 Autism Research Topics & Paper Examples

Are you looking for research topics on autism spectrum disorder for your paper in psychology? You’re at the right place! StudyCorgi has prepared a list of topic ideas and questions you can use for your essay, thesis, debate, dissertation, and other writing assignments. Read on to discover the latest and most interesting autism topics to write about!

🏆 Best Research Topics on Autism

✍️ autism essay topics for college, 👍 good research topics about autism, 💡 simple autism essay ideas, 🎓 most interesting autism research paper topics, 🔥 hot topics in autism for a research proposal, 📌 easy autism essay topics, ❓ autism research questions, 🔎 more research questions about autism, ✅ autism topics for presentation, 🗣️ controversial autism topics for discussion.

  • Literature Review on Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Literature Review
  • Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Autism in the “A Boy Called Po” by Asher
  • Experience of Work with Children with Autism
  • Interventions for Children With Autism Spectrum
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Communication
  • Inclusive Education for Children with Autism The study seeks to establish if some specialized programs can be employed to cater to children who are frequently diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.
  • Inclusive Education for Students With Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder has become widely spread in the US today, resulting in developing the debates on the appropriateness of inclusive education for students with ASD.
  • A Skill Acquisition Plan for Children with Autism The skill acquisition plan is targeted at teaching a child to ask when he or she wants something. It is a crucial independence skill for kids.
  • Autism in Adults: Daily Challenges Siri Carpenter’s article “For Adults with Autism, a Lack of Support When They Need It Most” explores the way adult individuals with autism cope with the daily challenges.
  • Autism: Diagnostics and Treatment Shedding light on the condition, its key symptoms and treatment options will help improve the quality of life in autistic people.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder: Behavior Analysis The paper assesses the status of Autism Spectrum Disorder in children, treatment approaches, and technological innovations for aiding patients in conquering the symptoms of autism.
  • Autism Diagnosis Report Example Three children aged between 9 and 11 years are regarded as the ones having ASD, as stated by the licensed psychologist.
  • Autism, Autism Spectrum Sisorder (ASD), and Theory of Mind This paper aims to explore some common features of ASD, its impact on children’s cognitive, social, and physical development, and its relation to the theory of mind.
  • The Effectiveness of Peer-Mediated Intervention for Young Children with Autism Peer-mediated intervention is a prominent technique for developing social skills and fostering involvement in children suffering from autism.
  • “Autism: Insight From Inside” Movie Reflection The movie “Autism: Insight from Inside” by Robert Parish reflects the issue of ASD’s effect on people’s lives.
  • Development and Management of Autism The paper examines the causes, development process, and symptoms of autism and describes the ways how the disorder can be manageable.
  • Literature Review: How Can Token Economy Diminish Off-Task Behavior in Students with Autism? The students’ academic success largely depends on their behavior, which is determined not only by the environment but also by psychological states.
  • Technical Quality of Autism Test (GARS-3) The work provides a review and analysis of articles devoted to the GARS-3 implication in the early diagnosis of autism among children.
  • Diagnosing Adults with Autism There is no single theory which any researcher in the study of autism has found to be convincing in that it thoroughly explains the origin and behavioral attributes of autism.
  • Causes and Treatment of Autism in Children This report focuses on determining the symptoms, causes, and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in kids.
  • Evidence-Based Strategy in Autism The report discusses the various evidence-based practices that can be adopted in diagnosing Autism Spectrum Disorder among children.
  • Accessibility For Students With Autism in Education in K-12 For most children and teenagers, K-12 education is the most valuable and influential part of their lives, providing them with many experiences.
  • Autism and Associated Healthcare Issues This paper attempts to understand Autism as a health care issue by studying deeply its causes, characteristics, conditions, treatment options, and who can live with it.
  • Contributing Factors of Anxiety in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a complex developmental condition that affects the way a person communicates and socializes.
  • Genetics and Autism Development Autism is associated with a person’s genetic makeup. This paper gives a detailed analysis of this condition and the role of genetics in its development.
  • Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders Depending on the situation, the representatives of the general public interact with autists when being at home, in the educational establishment, workplace, or other locations.
  • Autism Syndrome Psychosocial Characteristics Autism spectrum disorders present symptoms that may be tricky for the parents to correctly diagnose the condition. The symptoms are sometimes mistaken for other disorders.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children Autism Spectrum Disorder is a neurological disorder marked by the onset of social interaction and communication impairment at a young age.
  • Autism in the School Environment and Inclusion in the Classroom ASD students may struggle to communicate effectively, making it challenging to practice speaking a new language in a classroom setting.
  • The Autism-Gender Relationship Analysis This paper examines the relationship between gender and autism, including the possible involvement of various genetic, environmental, and physiological factors.
  • Autism and the Education System Teaching children with autism in the context of their growth and development is one of the urgent issues in the modern education system in the United States.
  • Teaching Students With Autism Spectrum The bibliography analyzes educators’ current practices, approaches, tactics, and strategies for teaching students with autism.
  • Applied Behavior Analysis with Children with Autism This paper discusses the application of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) with children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders.
  • Importance of Learning More About Autism Autism awareness addresses stereotypes and misunderstandings, increases early intervention, and makes society more accepting of individuals with autism spectrum disorder.
  • Autism Among Kindergartners in Victoria, Australia This paper will postulate two teaching frameworks in an attempt to support previous legislation and policies formulated by different stakeholders.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Dialogue Framework The research aims to assess the communication skills of children with autism spectrum disorder by assessing their ability to converse effectively within a dialogue framework.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Analysis Autism spectrum disorder is a collection of neurological conditions in which a person’s speech, motor motions, and social interaction are disrupted.
  • Functional Communication Training via Telehealth for Young Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder Randomized Controlled Trial was employed for the investigation to compare the therapy with Functional Communication Training.
  • Autism: Child and Family Involvement Autism spectrum disorder affects many people aside from its primary target, emphasizing the significance of early identification, and behavioral programs.
  • Autism Causes and Treatment in Childhood Autism spectrum disorder is broadly complicated, and with time and research, it becomes a more significant brain condition.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Immunization Autism is a more frequently diagnosed ailment than was formerly acknowledged, and much is now being written in the mainstream media.
  • Autism and Vaccination: The False Health Claim One of the most popular false health claims concerns the relationship between autism and vaccination, suggesting that the latter causes the former.
  • Autism Complementary Treatmen: Diet and Relaxation The following paper proposes diet and relaxation as a form of complementary therapy to the main treatment of autism disorder.
  • Correlation Between Vaccines and Autism Before vaccination, large numbers of people with different backgrounds suffered from smallpox and other diseases.
  • Dietary and Relaxation-Based Treatment for Autism Exploration studies have been conducted to determine the value of casein/gluten free diets as an intercession to improve cognitive and social functioning of autism patients.
  • Complementary Alternative Therapy for Autism The report suggests diet and relaxation as the form of complementary therapy to the central treatment of autism disorder.
  • Social Skills for Preschoolers With Autism Autism Spectrum Disorder is a family of mental disorders that cause deficits in social awareness, communication skills, and stereotyped behaviors.
  • Sources Credibility: The Case of Autism Attention to sources’ reliability is vital for any realm, including the healthcare system, especially – the evidence-based models.
  • The Link Between Epidurals and Autism Spectrum Disorder This study captures the uproar that followed after a recent study attributed autism spectrum disorder to labor epidural analgesia.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder: Antecedent Manipulation Project L. is a 10-years-old male student, who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. The student is to be observed, and his parents and educators are to be interviewed.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children and Adolescents Below 18 Years The problem that has been chosen for conducting nursing evidence-based practice is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children and adolescents below 18 years.
  • Teaching Communication Skills for Elementary School Students With Autism Documentation by research has shown that non-handicapped youths can be of great assistance in teaching social skills for students with autism.
  • Inclusion of Students With Autism in General Education Classrooms The article’s main purpose is to sensitize the need for new strategies that would harness the inclusion of students with ASD into general classrooms.
  • Behavior Intervention in Autism Spectrum Disorders The purpose of the article is to expound on the interfering behaviors in persons with autism spectrum disorders, formulate an approach for preventing them.
  • Autism and Other Neurological Disorders Autism and other neurological disorders are defined by characteristics of behavior and are commonly considered to be biological in origin and not caused by improper parenting.
  • Biological Bases of Autism: General Analysis The purpose of this paper is to explain the biological bases of the disease while considering specific areas of the brain that are affected together with their associated symptoms.
  • Autism as Developmental Medical Condition The paper tries to discuss the meaning of autism, the causes and the possible treatments that have been found to curb the severe symptoms experienced by the victims.
  • Autism and Alzheimer’s Comparison This work is aimed at identifying differences and similarities in the mechanism of the formation of Alzheimer’s disease and autism and consideration of their progression.
  • Autism in Toddler: Effects of Dietary Intervention Rigorous behavioral programs for developing positive behaviors, correcting certain sensory problems, will be the best alternative to control problems caused by autism.
  • “Assessing the Value of Token Reinforcement for Individuals With Autism” the Article by Fiske, et al. The article raises the problem of assisting the children with autism with their learning and interaction with a teacher in a classroom.
  • Autism Universal Screening: Response to Media Article The paper provides discussion of the article “Why There’s Disagreement over Screening Every Child for Autism?” published in The New York Times.
  • Autism, Myths and Realities Autism belongs to developmental disabilities that are frequently characterized by brain-functioning complications.
  • Autist Students Identification: Distinctive Features of Autism In identifying autism, there is the triad of autism which consists of autistic aloneness; speech and language disorder, and obsessive desire for sameness.
  • Vaccines and Autism: Does the Controversy Persist? Scientists managed to find quite a few vaccines against various diseases. The connection between vaccines and autism was proposed recently.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder in Twins: Genetics Study Autism spectrum disorder is a behavioral condition caused by genetic and environmental factors. Twin studies have been used to explain the hereditary nature of this condition.
  • Autism Treatment: Natural vs. Medications The purpose of the paper is to prove that natural treatment must be the basis for addressing the autism issue.
  • Pharma Controversy Presentation: Vaccination and Autism Parents often associate MMR vaccination with autism. No qualitative evidence for the MMR vaccination-autism link.
  • Vaccines and Autism Relationship and Debates The link between vaccination and autism is hotly debated in the media despite the fact that the alleged evidence is definitively disproven by the scientific community.
  • Early Social Interaction: Children with Autism This paper analyzes an article addressing how the involvement of parents in the ESI programs affects the outcome of improved social and communication skills among children with autism disorders.
  • Pharma Controversy: Vaccines and Autism At the end of the 20th century, Andrew Wakefield conducted his research, revealing the connection between childhood vaccines and autism.
  • Autism Ethics: Accept or Cure? The paper considers the debate on whether autistic people should be accepted by the community as a diversity of the society or a cure should be found out and developed.
  • Social Science Perspectives on the Autism Spectrum This report will discuss autism, its characteristics, causes, diagnosis, and management. Autism refers to developmental disorder that impedes a person’s ability to communicate and relate to people.
  • The Effects of Risperidone on Children with Autism The goal of this paper is to determine if using risperidone can affect cognitive performance in pre-adolescents and adolescents with autism.
  • Autism Spectrum Disorders: Control and Prevention This paper aims at determining whether television watching by children below the age of two years can lead to the development of autism.
  • Teaching Communication Skills for Students with Autism Ehrough games and other forms of interaction with his/her peers, a child with autism disorders is able to develop in his/her areas of deficiency.
  • Concept and Cause of Autism: Reports on Autism A recent survey on people’s attitude toward Autism reveals that a significant percentage of parents still believe that the disease is caused by vaccines taken during childhood.
  • Childhood Disorders: Autism Spectrum Disorders In case of autism spectrum disorders the presence of other childhood disorders in a patient often complicates the traditional diagnostic procedure.
  • Cell Phones May Cause Autism The main idea of the article is the harmful effect of the wireless radiation which ray cell phones in particular.
  • Education for Students with Autism in Saudi Arabia Students with autism in Saudi Arabia are secluded from the mainstream learning institutions because teachers lack the knowledge and awareness related to the condition.
  • Effects of Music Therapy for Adolescents with Autism Music Therapy is the clinical and evidence-based use of music interventions to accomplish individualized goals within a therapeutic relationship by a credentialed professional.
  • Autism and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  • How Autism Affects Regular Brain Functions as Well as Socialization Skills
  • Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Similarities and Differences
  • How Autism Affects the Person With It and Those Around Them
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Comorbidities
  • Music Therapy and Drug Therapy for Children With Autism
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attitudes About Inclusion Teaching
  • Psychological and Social Factors in Informed Consent for Patients With Autism
  • Autism and Environmental Determinants of Behavior
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Narcolepsy: A Possible Connection That Deserves to Be Investigated
  • Augmentative and Alternative Communication: For Students With Autism
  • Dietary Patterns Impact Temporal Dynamics of Fecal Microbiota Composition in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Autism: Characteristics, Diagnosis, and Understanding
  • Diagnose Autism Simply With ‘iPad’ Games
  • Atypical Resource Allocation May Contribute to Many Aspects of Autism
  • Early Behavioral Treatments for Children With Autism
  • Children With Autism May Be Especially Susceptible to Bullying
  • Autism and the Physiological Effects on the Brain
  • Common Chromosomal Abnormalities Associated With Autism
  • Parent and School Autism Wars: A Civil Rights Struggle
  • Genetics Studies Indicate That Neural Induction and Early Neuronal Maturation Are Disturbed in Autism
  • Aberrant Cerebellar Cerebral Functional Connectivity in Children and Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Dynamical Methods for Evaluating the Time-Dependent Unfolding of Social Coordination in Children With Autism
  • Causal Relationship Between Autism & Vaccine
  • China Multi-Center Preschool Autism Project: Design and Methodologies to Identify Clinical Symptom Features and Biomarkers of Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder and Effective Education Strategies
  • How People With Autism Experience the World
  • Chromatin Regulators, Phenotypic Robustness, and Autism Risk
  • Autism: How Developmental Psychology Can Inform Practice
  • Music Therapy Use for Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Individuals With Autism and the Difficulties to Understand Different Emotions
  • Asperger’s Syndrome: “The Higher Functioning Form of Autism
  • Self Management, Autism, and Skills of Social Interaction Questions
  • Are There Cultural Differences in Parental Interest in Early Diagnosis and Genetic Risk Assessment for Autism Spectrum Disorder?
  • Improving Interactive Play for Students With Autism
  • Evidence for Brainstem Contributions to Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Early Childhood Education for Children With Autism: How Teacher and Classroom Characteristics Influence Student Learning
  • Communication Barriers That Exist With Autism
  • Abnormal Functional Connectivity During Visuospatial Processing Is Associated With the Disrupted Organization of White Matter in Autism
  • Genetically Modified Foods Cause Autism
  • Elevated Plasma Reelin Levels in Children With Autism
  • Researchers Are Still Unsure of the Origin and Causes of Autism
  • Genetic Causes and Modifiers of Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Modern Computer Technologies for Autism
  • Dismantling the Presumptions About Autism in the Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
  • How Autism Spectrum Disorder Affects Students Reading
  • Acoustic Hyper-Reactivity and Negatively Skewed Locomotor Activity in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Living With an Autism Spectrum Disorder in Hanoi, Vietnam
  • How the Media Perpetuated the Autism-Vaccine Scare
  • Living With the Form of Autism Called Asperger’s Syndrome
  • Autism and Its Treatment: Applied Behavior Analysis and the Developmental, Individual-Difference, Relationship-Based Model
  • Gluten and Casein Diet for Children With Autism
  • Diagnosis, Symptoms, Theories, and Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children in the United States
  • Affective and Cognitive Empathy in Adolescents With Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Fluoxetine but Not Risperidone Increases Sociability in the BTBR Mouse Model of Autism
  • Cognitive-Behavioral Approach for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Interpersonal
  • Lost for Emotion Words: A Study on Autism Spectrum
  • Autism Prevalence, Research, and the Historical Viewpoint
  • Families and Therapeutic Goals Regarding Autism
  • Increased Awareness Benefits Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Play-Based Therapy for Children With Autism
  • Arousal and Attention Re-Orienting in Autism Spectrum Disorders: Evidence From Auditory Event-Related Potentials
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder and Its Perioperative Management
  • Financial Issues Associated With Having a Child With Autism
  • Autism Explain the Importance of a Person-Centered Approach
  • Genetics and the Possible Causation of Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Precentral Gyrus Functional Connectivity Signatures of Autism
  • Autism Among Preschool Children and the Interventions to Help Them
  • Genetic Syndromes, Maternal Diseases and Antenatal Factors Associated With Autism Spectrum Disorders
  • Does Autism Really Affect People’s Daily Lives?
  • Which Areas of the Brain Are Impacted in Autism and or ADHD?
  • Does Autism Spectrum Disorder Affect the Brain Development of a Person?
  • How Is the Brain Affected by Autism Spectrum Disorder?
  • What Is the Mental Age of Someone With Autism?
  • Can Brain Scans Identify Autism?
  • How Does Autism Affect a Child Intellectual Development?
  • When Does the Autistic Brain Stop Developing?
  • How Is an Autistic Brain Different From a Normal Brain?
  • Can a Child With Autism Go to Normal School?
  • What Are the Negative Effects of Autism?
  • How Does Autism Affect the Brain and Nervous System?
  • Is High Functioning Autism Considered a Disability?
  • What Are the Main Difficulties of Students With Autism?
  • How Does an Autistic Child Learn Best?
  • What Should You Avoid if Your Child Has Autism?
  • How Does Autism Affect Regular Brain Functions and Socialization Skills?
  • What Is the Hardest Part of Life for a Child With Autism?
  • Can Autism Go Away Without Treatment?
  • What Does a Psychologist Do for Autism?
  • Which Is the Best Therapy for Autism Adults?
  • How Do Doctors Test for Autism?
  • Does Autism Come From the Mother or Father?
  • Can a Child With Autism Live a Normal Life?
  • What Jobs Are Good for High-Functioning Autism?
  • How does genetics contribute to autism development?
  • What are the gender differences in autism prevalence and symptoms?
  • What is the role of environmental factors in autism development?
  • What social and emotional challenges do people with autism face?
  • How can assistive technology enhance communication for people with autism?
  • How do cultural beliefs affect autistic children’s parents’ experiences?
  • What factors contribute to the burnout of caregivers of people with autism?
  • How does nutrition affect autism symptoms?
  • What are the long-term psychological effects of growing up with an autistic sibling?
  • How does social media foster social connections for people with autism?
  • Understanding autism: a condition overview and diagnostic criteria.
  • Brain structure and function in autism.
  • Strategies for enhancing verbal and non-verbal communication skills in people with autism.
  • ABA therapy for autism: principles, applications, and controversies.
  • Assistive technologies in autism: applications and latest developments.
  • Autism-friendly classroom practices.
  • Strategies for reducing sensory overload in people with autism.
  • Ways to support autistic adolescents’ transition to adulthood.
  • Creating opportunities for autistic people’s participation in sports.
  • Sleep problems in autism: causes, effects, and interventions.
  • Is there a link between vaccination and autism?
  • ABA therapy in autism treatment: is it effective or harmful?
  • Inclusive vs. special education for autistic children.
  • Alternative and complementary treatments for autism: are they safe?
  • Should autism research receive more funding?
  • Medications in autism: are they overprescribed or necessary?
  • Chelation therapy for autism treatment: is it worth the risk?
  • Do parents of autistic children receive enough support?
  • Are individuals with autism capable of providing informed consent in healthcare?
  • Should teachers be allowed to restrain and seclude misbehaving students with autism?

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StudyCorgi. (2021, September 9). 207 Autism Research Topics & Paper Examples. https://studycorgi.com/ideas/autism-essay-topics/

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These essay examples and topics on Autism were carefully selected by the StudyCorgi editorial team. They meet our highest standards in terms of grammar, punctuation, style, and fact accuracy. Please ensure you properly reference the materials if you’re using them to write your assignment.

This essay topic collection was updated on June 20, 2024 .

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Autism spectrum disorders articles from across Nature Portfolio

Autism spectrum disorders are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that are characterized by impaired social interaction and communication skills, and are often accompanied by other behavioural symptoms such as repetitive or stereotyped behaviour and abnormal sensory processing. Individual symptoms and cognitive functioning vary across the autism spectrum disorders.

Latest Research and Reviews

autism research paper questions

Differences in regional brain structure in toddlers with autism are related to future language outcomes

Identifying prognostic early-age brain disruptions is crucial for autism. Here the authors show that social, language and face regions are disrupted in autistic toddlers, and anatomic measures of them improve accuracy in predicting future language ability.

  • Kuaikuai Duan
  • Eric Courchesne

autism research paper questions

Conditional knockout of Shank3 in the ventral CA1 by quantitative in vivo genome-editing impairs social memory in mice

Individuals with autism often exhibit social memory impairment. Here, authors show the disruption of autism-associate Shank3 gene in more than a certain proportion of hippocampal ventral CA1 neurons impairs social memory, through AAV- and extracellular vesicle-mediated in vivo gene editing.

  • Myung Chung
  • Katsutoshi Imanaka
  • Teruhiro Okuyama

autism research paper questions

Inhibition of post-lanosterol biosynthesis by fentanyl: potential implications for Fetal Fentanyl Syndrome (FFS)

  • Zeljka Korade
  • Allison C. Anderson
  • Karoly Mirnics

autism research paper questions

Polygenic risk of social isolation behavior and its influence on psychopathology and personality

  • Adam J. Socrates
  • Niamh Mullins
  • Eva Velthorst

autism research paper questions

A case–control study on pre-, peri-, and neonatal risk factors associated with autism spectrum disorder among Armenian children

  • Meri Mkhitaryan
  • Tamara Avetisyan
  • Konstantin Yenkoyan

autism research paper questions

Altered projection-specific synaptic remodeling and its modification by oxytocin in an idiopathic autism marmoset model

Using in vivo two-photon microscopy, the structural dynamics of synapses in the prefrontal cortex of an autism model marmoset were studied. In the marmoset, clustered dendritic spine generation was heightened, which was attenuated by oxytocin.

  • Jun Noguchi
  • Satoshi Watanabe
  • Noritaka Ichinohe

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Association of fluvoxamine with mortality and symptom resolution among inpatients with covid-19.

  • Guangting Zeng
  • Jianqiang Li
  • Zanling Zhang

autism research paper questions

Autistic people three times more likely to develop Parkinson’s-like symptoms

Largest study of its kind also finds increased risk in older adults with a range of intellectual disabilities.

  • Miryam Naddaf

autism research paper questions

Targeting RNA opens therapeutic avenues for Timothy syndrome

A therapeutic strategy that alters gene expression in a rare and severe neurodevelopmental condition has been tested in stem-cell-based models of the disease, and has been shown to correct genetic and cellular defects.

  • Silvia Velasco

Vasopressin deficiency: a hypothesized driver of both social impairment and fluid imbalance in autism spectrum disorder

  • Lauren Clarke
  • Neil Gesundheit
  • Karen J. Parker

Oscillatory index of speech reception deficits

  • Jean Mary Zarate

Redefining deficits in autistic emotion recognition

  • Connor T. Keating

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autism research paper questions

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140+ Top Autism Research Paper Topics for Students

Autism Research Paper Topics

Are you looking for the absolute best autism research paper topics? If you want to get a top grade on your next paper, you should make sure you write it on the most interesting topic possible. Also, you should ensure that nobody else in your class has thought about your idea. In other words, you need to find an original topic to write about. The good news is that we have 144 of the greatest research paper topics dealing with autism right here. You can pick any one of them right now and start writing the essay. And remember to return to this article periodically because we are doing our best to update the topics list as frequently as possible.

Why Choose Our Autism Research Paper Topics?

But why would you choose our autism topics for research paper? Even though there are several websites that list topics related to autism, we can assure you that they are not what you expect. These websites have already been discovered by your classmates, so you risk writing a paper on a topic that’s already been selected.

To make sure we can help as many students as possible, we update our list of topics periodically, as frequently as we can. This means that you can almost certainly get an original topic that nobody has even though of. Moreover, all our topics are free – and will remain free. You can use any one of them as it is or reword it as you see fit. Don’t worry, you don’t have to give us any credit. Here are the topics after the recent update:

Autism Research Analysis Paper Topics

Do you need to write an analysis paper on a subject related to autism? No problem. Take a look at these excellent autism research analysis paper topics:

  • Analyze Asperger’s syndrome
  • Analyze the Rett syndrome
  • Analyze the childhood disintegrative disorder
  • Analyze Kanner’s syndrome
  • Analyze the pervasive developmental disorder
  • Discuss the unusual interest in objects characteristic
  • Discuss the overreaction to touch
  • Analyze the impaired communication problem
  • Stereotyped patterns in autistic people
  • Analyze effective interventions

Interesting Autism Topics

We know you want only the best topics. After all, the grade you’ll get on your research paper depends on it. Take a look at these interesting autism topics and pick one now:

  • Discuss the overreaction to sight
  • Can you be just a bit autistic?
  • Analyze the rights of autistic people in the US
  • Diagnosing autism early
  • Discuss the US DSM-5 in relation to autism
  • Is autism related to vaccines?
  • Autism rights in Europe vs. China
  • Discuss autism therapy
  • Increasing the independence of your autistic child
  • The importance of coping skills

Good Research Paper Topics on Autism

Some topics are better than others, of course. Here are the ideas we think would make good research paper topics on autism:

  • Discuss the overreaction to taste
  • Does the COVID-19 vaccine cause autism?
  • Uncooperative parents of autistic children
  • Educational opportunities for autistic children
  • Analyze the behavior of autistic siblings
  • The effect of genes on autism
  • Autism in Africa
  • The limitations for autistic people in society
  • Daily problems of autistic teens
  • Problem-solving skills of autistic people

Autism Research Topics for High School

High school students get their own list on our website. Below you can find all our autism research topics for high school students:

  • Discuss the overreaction to smell
  • Effects on social development
  • Effects on communication skills
  • Effective medication for autism
  • Discuss alternative medicine options
  • The prognosis for autistic children
  • Discuss repetitive behavior
  • Analyze less known symptoms of autism
  • Autism vs. schizophrenia
  • Explain what a neurodevelopmental disorder is

Education and Autism

Education techniques for people with autism are very complex and new techniques are being discovered every year. Take a look at our most interesting ideas:

  • Discuss the overreaction to hearing
  • Latest developments in autistic education
  • Concentration problems with autistic people
  • Under reaction to sight
  • Best way to teach autistic children
  • Teaching strategies for autism
  • Special education needs
  • Can autistic children focus in class?
  • Can autistic children go to school?
  • Calming down an autistic child

Autism Research Questions

If you are looking for some awesome autism research questions that will spark your creativity, you have arrived at the right place. Check out these ideas:

  • How to tell somebody has autism?
  • Is autism affected by age?
  • What is Autism level 1?
  • Is autism a genetic issue?
  • What is a Neurodivergent person?
  • What causes autism?
  • How can autism be cured?
  • Effective education for autistic children?
  • Is ADHD autism?
  • Does autism cause gender dysphoria?

Autism Biology Topics Research Paper

If you are interested in writing about the biology behind autism, you will be thrilled to find out that we have an entire section of autism biology topics research paper writers will love:

  • Discuss the repeated actions of autistic people
  • Repeated body movements and their causes
  • Serotonin levels in autistic children
  • The neuropathology of autistic people
  • Social interaction problems caused by autism
  • Discuss the need for sameness
  • Discuss the temporal lobe anomaly
  • Discuss the under reaction to hearing
  • Brain connectivity in autistic patients
  • Autism and mitochondrial disease

Autism Thesis Topics

Do you want to write your thesis on a topic related to autism? We have plenty of options for you. Here are our most popular autism thesis topics:

  • Is autism the same as schizophrenia?
  • Screening for autism in the United States
  • UK autism screening programs
  • Misdiagnosis of autism in the US
  • Comorbidities in autistic people
  • Remedial education for autism
  • Discuss behavior therapy
  • The best parent training model
  • Prescribing Risperidone for autism
  • Effects of antipsychotics on autistic people

Autism Debate Topics

In case you are looking to write a debate paper on autism, we are happy to tell you that you have arrived at the right place. Check out these interesting autism debate topics:

  • Most important breakthrough in autism research
  • Chemical differences in autistic people’s brains
  • Discuss the increase in autism cases in the UK
  • Less-known facts about autism
  • Music and its benefits
  • Autistic personalities in our modern history
  • Discuss the increase of autism cases in the US
  • Why is autism a spectrum disorder?
  • Can autistic people go to work?
  • Discrimination at the workplace

Autism Controversial Issues

There are, of course, many controversies surrounding autism. Here are some autism controversial issues (don’t be afraid to write an essay on any one of them!):

  • Autism is a curable disorder
  • Medication can keep autism under control
  • Males are more likely to be autistic than females
  • Does autism cause intellectual disability?
  • Environmental risk factors that lead to autism
  • Is autism a genetically-transmitted disorder?
  • The link between vaccines and autism
  • Should you get your child vaccinated against COVID-19?
  • Does autism affect the IQ of a child?
  • Discuss the pathology paradigm
  • Discuss the Neurodiversity paradigm

Research Topics on Autism for College

If you are a college student, it usually means you are looking for a more advanced and complex topic to write about. Take a look at these research topics on autism for college students:

  • Autism: disorder or difference?
  • The main causes of autism
  • The best treatments for autism
  • Getting support for autistic adults
  • Educating autistic children
  • Negative effects of behavior therapy
  • Negative effects of autistic medication
  • How is autism diagnosed?
  • Link between autism and epilepsy
  • Link between autism and schizophrenia
  • Link between autism and diabetes

Autism Spectrum Disorder Research Topics

Do you want to write about the spectrum disorder? Our experienced writers compiled a list of the best autism spectrum disorder research topics just for you:

  • What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
  • Repetitive patterns of behavior
  • ASD and self-harm actions
  • Autism versus Asperger syndrome
  • Effects on communication and behavior
  • Analyze brain development of ASD people
  • Social effects of the Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Behavioral challenges for people with Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Skills affected by ASD
  • What is a high-functioning Autism Spectrum Disorder?
  • The DSM-5 classification of ASD

Easy Topics Related to Autism

We know there are times when you simply cannot afford to lose much time writing the essay. Just pick one of these easy topics related to autism:

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder treatment
  • The most effective autism test
  • Autistic spectrum disorder treatment
  • Does autism run in the family?
  • Factors that increase the risk for autism
  • Autism in siblings
  • Can autism appear in adolescence or adulthood?
  • Signs your child may be autistic
  • Impact on cognition in adults
  • Discuss the Rett Syndrome
  • How can ASDs be treated?

Parent Training Ideas

Parents of autistic children need to understand the best ways to deal with this disorder. So, why not write a paper about it? Here are some interesting parent training ideas:

  • Autism spectrum disorder checklist
  • Education methods for the pervasive developmental disorder
  • Changing the negative behaviors of autistic children
  • Understanding the way an autistic child thinks
  • Differences in IQ and understanding
  • Is it stressful to have an autistic child?
  • Best way to reward good behavior
  • Learn non-verbal cues
  • Helping your child recover from autism
  • Evidence-based home education methods

Need Our Writing Help?

Writing a great essay usually takes more than a good topic. However, we are here to give you all the writing help you need – when you need it. Our expert writers have written thousands of papers on autism, so they definitely know what they are doing. We are the number one online company when it comes to research paper writing services. On top of this, all our ENL writers hold PhD degrees in various fields. If you need help, you will get assistance from a genuine expert.

Students can quickly get a custom paper written just for them from our professional academic writers. Don’t worry; all essays are edited and proofread before being sent to our clients. We want to assure you that you will get a research paper that will be ready for submission. With us, you don’t have to waste your time editing or proofreading the essay. Give us a try right now and let our experts get you a top grade on your next research paper!

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autism research paper questions

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A Guide to Identifying and Understanding Scientific Research About Autism

Whether you are an individual with autism or a parent to a loved one with an autism spectrum disorder, you may want to stay informed about scientific research related to ASD. You can find information on the internet and other media channels, but how accurate is that information? Knowing how to understand scientific research studies can help you find reliable and relevant information. 

This article is a tool to help you assess information about autism based on scientific principles. As you put these recommendations into practice, remember to use critical thinking and common sense when assessing any claim about autism. Combining an understanding of scientific research studies with your own powers of reasoning can help you: 

  • Make evidence-based decisions
  • Understand recommendations from your care team and discuss them knowledgeably
  • Minimize overwhelm
  • Advocate for yourself or your family member with autism. 

Understanding Scientific Research About Autism

Good autism research – like all medical research – meets three criteria: It is based on scientific principles and procedures, it has been peer-reviewed, and the study is able to be replicated. We’ll explore each of these criteria in more detail below.

Special thanks to Anissa Ryland and the staff of The Johnson Center for Child Health and Development for helping to develop some of the guidelines and information included in this article. 

What is a peer-reviewed study?

Peer-review is a process that academic journals use to understand if the studies they publish are based on good research. Before including a study in their publication, the journal sends the research out to other experts in the field. 

Experts who were not involved in the original study check that the study design applies scientific principles and procedures. They also use their own knowledge of the subject to determine whether the results and conclusions make sense based on available data. The editor of the journal takes their recommendations into account when deciding whether to publish the study. 

Some scientific journals have been in print longer than others or are more respected in their field. Readers can use a metric called an impact factor to decide if the journal that printed a particular study is a reliable source of information. The Impact factor is the total number of times articles from that journal were cited, divided by the total number of citable articles in that journal during that span of time. 

The impact factors of various journals are calculated and printed yearly in Journal Citation Reports . You can find the current impact factor of most journals with a quick web search. Keep in mind that a journal must exist for at least two years before its impact factor can be calculated. 

Where to find research

Many groups, organizations, and individuals write about autism. Whenever you come across a new treatment or new information about autism, you can check the validity by seeking out original sources. 

Places to find original sources: 

  • Google Scholar
  • University websites
  • Journal websites

Some of these research aggregation services are free, others cost money. For paid services, check with your local library to see if they can connect you with a free account. You can also ask your clinician to provide you with research related to specific treatments, comorbidities, and symptoms

Types of studies

You may come across several different types of studies as you read and learn about autism. Each study type can be used to investigate topics related to autism, but some have a wider application than others. Get to know the different study types so you can think critically about how the research applies to you or your child with autism. 

  • Animal and Cell Studies – Observe and test animals or cell cultures. These types of studies provide initial insight, but the application to humans may not be clear. 
  • Case Reports – A written record on a single subject. Each case study represents an individual experience. This can be a starting point for research. It does not prove that what worked for one individual will work for others. 
  • Case Series – A group of case reports that track multiple subjects. Remember that correlation is not causation. That means that two things can happen around the same time, but that doesn’t prove one caused the other. 
  • Case-Control Studies – Look at the experiences of two groups of subjects, one group with autism and one without. The investigation is retrospective, meaning it looks at experiences in the past and attempts to draw conclusions. Causation is hard to prove with this type of study.
  • Cohort Studies – Track two groups, ex. One group of people with autism and one group without or one group that receives treatment and one that does not. It notes differences in outcomes for the two groups.
  • Randomized Controlled Trials – Randomly assigns subjects to either a test group or a control group. The test group receives the treatment while the control group receives a placebo. This type of study can be blind (study subjects don’t know which group they’re in) or double-blind (experimenters also don’t know which group the subjects are in).
  • Systematic Review – Compares and contrasts the results of several randomized controlled trials and draws conclusions based on the quality of the study and on their results. 

Assessing information about autism and autism treatments

The following questions will help you use what you’ve learned to assess information about autism and autism treatments. Remember that critical thinking skills are your most valuable tools in assessing any claim about autism spectrum disorder. 

What is the source of this information? Blog posts, books, pamphlets, social media posts, websites, news stories, or other non-journal sources can bring information to your attention, but it’s up to you to check their sources. Is the information based on studies and research or is it the opinion of the author?

Who performed this research? What people, groups, universities, or businesses were involved in this study? Do they have a track record of producing reliable autism research? 

Who funded this research? Does the researcher or institution have any conflicts of interest that I should be aware of? What businesses, funding sources, products, or services, might benefit from the results of this study?

Has the research been peer-reviewed? Does it appear in a peer-reviewed journal? What is the impact factor of that journal? 

Has it been replicated? Have other scientists used the same method to achieve the same results? If not, why not? Be cautious about accepting any claim that has not been tested by other researchers or studies.

What other works are cited in the study? Are the researchers basing their work on good science? Have they cited earlier studies published in peer-reviewed journals?

Reading and assessing biomedical research studies takes practice. Navigating autism research can be overwhelming at first, but critical thinking and common sense, along with the knowledge you’ve gained in this article, can help you assess information. Stop and think whenever you read a new statement about autism treatments, possible causes, or potential outcomes. Before acting on any new information go to the source to check the validity of the claim. 

For more on understanding autism research, watch this webinar from The Johnson Center.

Scientific Research Glossary

Term Definition
Biomedical research The scientific study of biological processes and the causes and treatment of diseases or disorders. May also be called experimental medicine. 
Causation The action of causing something. Ex. My untied shoe was the causation of my fall. 
Correlation A connection between two or more things. 
Placebo A pill, procedure, or process designed to do nothing but act as a comparison for a controlled treatment.  
Subject A person who participates in a scientific study by being observed, tracked, monitored, or otherwise investigated. 
Impact Factor The total number of times articles from a journal were cited, divided by the total number of citable articles in that journal in a timeframe no shorter than two years. 
Peer-reviewed A study or publication that has been independently vetted by experts in the field. 
Scientific Journal A periodical publication that prints or reports on new research.
Researcher A scientist who conducts a study to investigate a hypothesis. 

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Autism and Sleep – Research Updates

autismAdmin 2024-04-17T17:37:25-05:00 April 16th, 2024 | Autism Spectrum Disorders , Sleep Issues , Ways to Help , Webinar |

Learn research updates on co-occurring sleep disturbances and autism. To participate in the study mentioned in the presentation, see: Participate in our Research - Sleep, Cognition and Neuropsychiatry (SCAN)

autism research paper questions

Animal study reveals clues that developmental vitamin D deficiency may be associated with gut alterations in autism

Melanie Glock 2024-04-28T15:44:50-05:00 September 25th, 2023 | News |

Vitamin D deficiency is strongly implicated as a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders (ASD), and researchers in Australia report evidence that vitamin D deficiency during early development may increase the likelihood

autism research paper questions

New multi-national study adds to evidence linking alterations of the gut microbiome to autism

Melanie Glock 2024-04-28T15:46:00-05:00 August 29th, 2023 | News |

Strong new evidence linking alterations of the gut microbiome to autism spectrum disorders (ASD) comes from a new multi-national study by James Morton and colleagues. In the study, researchers in North America,

autism research paper questions

Editorial: Revisiting Two Lesser-Known Teaching Strategies to Enhance Speech Production in Autism

Melanie Glock 2024-04-28T15:46:44-05:00 August 29th, 2023 | News |

In this editorial, I would like to shed light on two methods for improving the speech production of individuals on the autism spectrum, discuss potential neurological factors that may underlie their effectiveness,

autism research paper questions

Sleep problems in infancy associated with ASD, autism traits, and social attention alterations

Melanie Glock 2024-04-28T15:47:35-05:00 July 20th, 2023 | News |

A new study from the United Kingdom indicates that sleep problems in infancy may help to predict later social skills deficits, autism traits, and autism diagnoses in children. Jannath Begum-Ali and colleagues

autism research paper questions

Constipation in infancy associated with higher likelihood of autism diagnosis

Melanie Glock 2024-04-28T15:48:23-05:00 June 26th, 2023 | News |

More evidence linking autism spectrum disorders (ASD) to gastrointestinal problems comes from a study by researchers in Taiwan and the United States, who report that ASD occurs at an elevated rate in

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133 Essential Autism Research Paper Topics

Autism Research Paper Topics

One of the best strategies for paper writing on autism is to choose a topic that you already know about and can manage given time restraints and resource availability. This easy approach can help you get an assignment done quickly but it could also prevent you from earning the highest grade possible.

Table of Contents

Good research paper topics on autism, great autism controversial issues, autism research analysis paper topics, autism biology topics research paper, autism spectrum disorder research topics.

The first step in writing a great assignment or writing psychology papers is to consider several autism topics for research paper that meet all criteria for an academic assignment. Each one will be challenging and require you to conduct ample research:

  • Widening the search beyond a single cause to reconcile with the different types of autism.
  • Effective ways of motivating students with autism who have made little progress.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of early detection techniques.
  • Describe the effectiveness of stimming as a self-regulatory mechanism for people with autism.
  • Main reasons why people with autism have trouble communicating with others.
  • Identify prominent historical figures that may have had autism.
  • Evaluate preparedness of medical caregivers to adequately provide support.
  • The difference in brain chemistry between people with autism and people without autism.
  • Describe the behavior of children with autism toward family members.
  • Compare and contrast male autistic individuals and female autistic individuals.
  • Diagnosis by 2.5 years may lead to dramatic improvements in social skills.
  • Evidence suggests that environmental factors may be responsible for the rise in cases of autism.
  • The advantages and disadvantages of an autism diagnosis.
  • Providing one-on-one support to help students with autism adjust to educational settings.
  • Addressing mealtime issues in children between 3 and 5 years of age.
  • Improving training methods for caregivers working with autistic people.
  • Providing adequate resources and support to autistic people in the workplace.
  • Provide reasons why autism in western society is more prevalent.
  • The positive and negative effects of special education courses for autistic students.
  • Screening young people with autism for abnormal cholesterol levels.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic instruments in the early detection of autism.
  • Evaluating recent research breakthroughs in the causes of autism.
  • Addressing positive and negative behavioral changes resulting from specific treatments.
  • Supporting students with autism in educational group settings.
  • Developing individualized educational support programs for students in the spectrum.
  • Evaluating different approaches to teaching social and coping skills.
  • Evaluating educational programs that support the inclusion of autistic students.

When writing on research paper topics dealing with autism, you want to exercise some caution when there is a possibility that the issue has been overdone. Conduct your background research and check bibliographies to ensure you find content to back up your claims, but don’t merely repeat what others already know. If you’re struggling you can always refer to a psychology paper writing service :

  • Using stem cell research to identify causes of autism.
  • Explain the reasons people believe autism is a normal neurological variation.
  • The changing criteria for a qualified autism diagnosis.
  • Autistic parents raising autistic children.
  • Describe the challenges health care providers have faced because of the ASD definition.
  • Utilizing stem cells to create treatments for autistic children.
  • Investigate and explain the fringe theories surrounding the causes of ASD.
  • Autistic children with academic challenges in typical educational settings.
  • Inadequate training for ASD caregivers and support staff.
  • Reasons why symptoms of high-functioning ASD are often overlooked.
  • The controversy surrounding dietary therapies for children with autism.
  • Disclosing ASD to a potential or current employer.
  • The resistance to applied behavioral therapy on children.
  • The link between an ASD diagnosis later in life and worse mental health.
  • Evaluating curriculum applied to an autistic child’s education.
  • Funding for the care of people diagnosed with ASD.
  • Autistic children with behavioral challenges in typical educational settings.
  • Explain the emergence of home chelate treatments provided by parents.
  • Finding support for low-functioning adults with ASD.
  • Diagnosing autism in the womb and the possibility of genetic engineering.
  • Explain how the increase in diagnoses has led to a split between scientists that believe genetics and scientists that believe environmental factors are the cause.
  • Explain how the different diagnoses in DSM-4 and DSM-5 have caused controversies.
  • Evaluating the evidence that suggests that Asperger’s no longer exists.
  • Discuss the link between autism cases and childhood immunization.
  • Mercury content in vaccines that many believe are the cause of ASD.
  • Parents that fear the MMR vaccine and evidence to support their hesitation.

This field offers a lot of opportunities for research on this lifelong developmental disability. These students autism research questions are among the current topics being discussed among experts. You can use this list to develop your ideas or research and write about something from the list that you find interesting:

  • Analysis and evaluation of autism charitable programs around the world.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of family doctors in their ability to efficiently support their autistic patients.
  • The effectiveness of talking therapies in people with ASD and mental health difficulties.
  • Examine the evidence that suggests ASD may originate in a different set of mutations in women than it does in men.
  • Impact the Covid-19 pandemic has had on ASD global research efforts.
  • Effectiveness of efforts to educate the public about stimming techniques to help people with ASD.
  • Evidence that supports environmental causes such as paint, pollution, and chemical additives.
  • Examine the increase in the diversity of people represented in research efforts.
  • Examine and discuss early detection methods in children exhibiting little to no symptoms.
  • Evaluation of children with ASD that are educated in special schools.
  • The impact of the recent genetic sequence of African children with ASD and their families.
  • The impact music therapy has on improving social interaction in children with ASD.
  • Examine and discuss employment limitations and opportunities for people with ASD.
  • Describe how parents can respond to the negative behaviors of children with ASD.
  • Concerns by parents and caregivers regarding the removal of Asperger’s Syndrome from DSM-5.
  • Analyze the effectiveness of diagnosing and treating people with ASD in developing countries.
  • Examine and discuss the higher recognition capabilities of signs and symptoms of ASD in the western world.
  • Evaluation of mental health difficulties among people with ASD.
  • Analyze the combination and effectiveness of autism into a spectrum.
  • Social outreach programs and their effectiveness in reaching adults with ASD.
  • Examine the effectiveness of current therapies to improve social interactions in people with autism.
  • An analysis of methods used to help children with ASD to adapt to mainstream schools.
  • An analysis of public education regarding the supposed benefits of stimming.
  • Examine the effectiveness of gene therapies for Angelman syndrome.
  • Evaluation of community resources available for people with ASD.
  • Analysis of different diagnoses and treatment plans for children under 3 years of age.

There is a lot of work yet to be done related to the biological causes of autism. These autism thesis topics explore this area of disability and provide a lot of room for students to take new directions. Be sure to conduct ample research to ensure you back up your hypothesis with evidence:

  • The research of organoids from people with autism and the shortage of cells to suppress brain activity.
  • The relationship between autism and autonomic nervous system.
  • Reducing the presence of Myelin by deleting an autism-linked gene.
  • The need to research ASD through a whole-body systems biology approach.
  • The challenges caregivers and evaluators face due to an inability to communicate effectively with patients.
  • Examine the reasons ASD is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the world.
  • Growing biological research that suggests autism may be linked to 20 sets of genes.
  • Discuss the recent breakthroughs in ASD gene research.
  • The difficulty caused by the various bodily system interacting in complex and interdependent ways.
  • Examine neurobiological underpinnings of social behavior in girls with ASD.
  • Examine how etiologies make it difficult to explain the biology of ASD.
  • Childhood diagnoses in people that are later diagnosed with ASD as adults.
  • The challenges in finding links in specific biomarkers to identify ASD in children.
  • The impact ASD has on the metabolic, mitochondrial, gastrointestinal, and neurological systems.
  • Steady heart rates in people with autism versus the heart rates in people without autism.
  • Evidence to support that ASD is biological due to more males being diagnosed earlier than females.
  • Biological factors in the resting heart rates in adults diagnosed with autism and biological.
  • Monitoring biomarkers in children with a high risk of an ASD diagnosis.
  • The link between autism and a specific brain-gut microbiome.
  • Challenges that ASD poses for clinical trials in search of biomarkers.
  • Examine and discuss the genetic variants associated with increased risk for ASD.
  • Evaluate the theoretical aspects of ASD related to tracking specific biomarkers.
  • The relationship between gastrointestinal problems and autistic children.
  • Neuroanatomic observations of the brain in people diagnosed with ASD.
  • Maternal immune activation due to environmental factors versus biological factors.
  • The concern regarding later ASD diagnosis among females.
  • The effectiveness of autism biobanks in tracking and researching biological data from children.

These research topics on autism deal specifically with what is understood regarding the range of symptoms and severity a person with autism experiences. Students focused on the “spectrum” are usually interested in the ways a person with autism perceives and socializes with others:

  • Early detection of autism spectrum disorder in children as young as 18 months of age.
  • The difficulties in treating autism spectrum disorder in children under the age of 3.
  • Examine and discuss existing research on focal cortical dysplasias in ASD.
  • The impact of intellectual disability in the mental health adults with ASD.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of wearing anxiety detection technologies.
  • The ways ASD can affect a person’s ability to retain and absorb water and avoid constipation.
  • Helping teenagers with autism spectrum disorder socialize with other students.
  • Subtypes of aggressive behavior in children with ASD.
  • Examine the impact of mental health difficulties and quality of life in adults with an autistic spectrum disorder.
  • Identifying different types of autism by examining and evaluating social interaction, repetitive behaviors, and communication.
  • Observing changes in behavioral symptoms following immune results in children with ASD.
  • Evaluate the effectiveness of treatment of ASD considering the wide range of diagnoses.
  • Diagnosing ASD in adults without identification, family, or medical history.
  • Relationship between depression and anxiety disorders in adults with ASD.
  • Compare and contrast personal narrative writing by children diagnosed with ASD.
  • Issues with communication and socialization in one-parent, one-child homes.
  • Explain n and discuss the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in teenagers with ASD.
  • Relationship between subtypes of repetitive behaviors and anxiety in children with ASD.
  • Quality of health care services for adults with an autistic spectrum disorder.
  • ASD assessment techniques using telehealth during the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • Self-perceived quality of life in minority women with ASD.
  • Aggressive behaviors in ASD children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • Developing innovative ways to reduce symptoms of the disability associated with autism.
  • Evaluating the effectiveness of helping college students with autism prepare to enter the workforce.
  • Evaluating therapies to improve social and communication skills in children aged 1.5 – 3 years.
  • The effectiveness of autism biobanks in tracking and researching behavioral data from children.
  • Visual attention and inhibitory control in young people versus adults with ASD.

If you need writing help with a research paper dealing with autism, or any other subject, you can trust our professional paper writers for hire to provide custom services for students at all levels. We offer the best prices you will find online, and we provide expert support that will help students achieve at the highest academic levels. If you don’t find any of the ideas above interesting, we will create a custom list of autism research paper topics to suit your unique needs. Feel free to reach out and order research paper assistance tailored to your requirements.

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College of Education and Human Development

Department of Educational Psychology

Research topics: Autism

Identifying, preventing, and developing interventions related to autism spectrum disorder.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. Research in the Department of Educational Psychology focuses on early identification, prevention measures, and interventions related to ASD.

LeAnne Johnson

Johnson (special education) researches interventions to improve outcomes for a range of preschool and elementary school-aged children who are at high risk given social, emotional, behavioral, and communication needs. Johnson is focused on creating the next generation of intervention studies that support high fidelity implementation of evidence-based interventions within tiered intervention and prevention models. This includes research projects that are designed to test the efficacy of social-communication interventions for children with autism.

Jason Wolff

Wolff (special education) runs a lab funded funded in-part by the National Institute of Mental Health with two goals -- to leverage brain imaging data to characterize factors associated with the early emergence of behavioral excesses and deficits in autism spectrum disorder, and to identify potential neurodevelopmental moderators of response to early intervention. The ultimate goal of this work is to determine how brain and behavioral data may be used to inform the timing and content of early or even preventative interventions.

Panayiota Kendeou

Kendeou (psychological foundations of education) investigates how people learn new knowledge and revise pre-existing incorrect knowledge or misinformation during their reading experiences. She is currently investigating how misinformation that resists correction influences reasoning and decision making in health issues pertaining to ASD (e.g., reliance on ineffective treatments, withholding vaccinations), and explore ways for effective revision.

M.Y. Savana Bak

Bak's research focuses on measurement and analysis of language in children with ASD using language samples collected from the children’s natural environment. She strives to develop practical interventions and identify environmental factors that facilitate language development and increase social interaction in children with ASD.

Related degrees

Phd in special education.

Interested in conducting research in autism spectrum disorder? Learn more about earning your doctorate in special education .

Related labs and projects

  • ALAB: A Lab for Autism Research
  • Reading + Learning Lab
  • Research lab: Jason Wolff

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A Systematic Review of the Link Between Autism Spectrum Disorder and Acetaminophen: A Mystery to Resolve

Farhana yaqoob khan.

1 Pathology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Gargi Kabiraj

2 Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Maryam A Ahmed

3 Research, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA

4 Internal Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Sai Prakash Mannuru

5 Family Medicine, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Vaiishnavi Ramesh

6 Neurology, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Ahmed Shahzad

7 Orthopedics, California Institute of Behavioral Neurosciences & Psychology, Fairfield, USA

Phani Chaduvula

Safeera khan.

The purpose of this study is to review the published papers investigating maternal acetaminophen (AP) use during pregnancy and its effect on the offspring's neurodevelopment, particularly autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic considered safe in pregnancy. Recent studies have found an association between acetaminophen and immune system alterations like asthma and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. We used online databases (PubMed/Medline/PubMed Central, Science Direct, and Google Scholar) to search the studies relevant to our topic. We screened the papers by titles, abstracts, and then full-text availability. The screened articles were checked for eligibility using relevant quality assessment tools for each study design, extracting and analyzing the data. We finalized 30 studies after the screening; 14 were ineligible. Our final selection included 16 high-quality papers - 13 prospective cohort studies, two review articles, and one meta-analysis.

We found a wide range of neurodevelopmental outcomes in our data collection. So, we included autism spectrum disorders, intelligent quotient (IQ), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), isolated language, attention and executive function, communication, behavior, and psychomotor development. All studies showed an association between acetaminophen use and listed neurodevelopmental outcomes. Long-term use, increased dose, and frequency were associated with a stronger association. We extracted collective evidence from 16 studies suggesting acetaminophen's role in developing adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. It is urgent to do more research on this association before pregnant women can be cautioned about the precise use of acetaminophen.

Introduction and background

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous developmental disorder that affects all races, ethnicities, and socioeconomic groups [ 1 ]. It is defined as persistent deficits in social interaction, communication, and restricted, repetitive behaviors [ 2 ]. Almost one in 160 children have ASD worldwide (WHO). In the United States (US), one in every 54 children is diagnosed with ASD [ 1 , 3 ]. It is four times more common in boys than in girls [ 1 ]. In the United States, $11.5 billion- $60.9 billion (2011 US dollars) are spent each year on children with ASD [ 1 ]. In addition to medical costs, intensive behavioral interventions cost $40,000-$60,000 per child per year [ 1 , 4 ].

What causes ASD is still unknown, and no treatment is available except for early intervention services that help a child learn important skills [ 1 ]. We have learned that ASD is a spectrum, and many factors and causes make a child susceptible to ASD, including environmental, biological, and genetic factors [ 1 ]. The genetic role in the development of ASD is well known now [ 1 , 5 , 6 ]. Children with an ASD sibling are more likely to have ASD than the general population [ 1 , 7 - 12 ]. Some genetic conditions like fragile X syndrome and tuberous sclerosis have a higher risk [ 1 , 13 ]. Some drugs taken during pregnancy have been linked as well [ 1 ]. It is investigated that time before, during, and immediately after pregnancy is critical for the development of ASD [ 1 , 14 ].

Acetaminophen is an over-the-counter analgesic and antipyretic. It is also the most common drug taken during pregnancy. Around 65% of US and >50% of European women take acetaminophen during pregnancy. Recent research shows evidence that if taken during pregnancy, acetaminophen may affect the immune system, increase the risk of asthma, and impair neurodevelopment outcomes like behavior and cognition. It is shown that it has disruptive endocrine properties as well [ 15 ].

Dr. Anthony Torres first studied the relationship of ASD with acetaminophen and infection during pregnancy 14 years ago. He hypothesized that in genetically predisposed individuals, antipyretics like acetaminophen alter the brain's immune development, leading to ASD. But that hypothesis has recently been investigated further in studies providing good evidence [ 15 ].

Because of the limitation of conducting clinical trials on pregnant women, most medications are not adequately investigated in human pregnancies. The safety profile is not established for many medications [ 15 ]. Acetaminophen is the only analgesic and antipyretic considered safe to use during pregnancy, so a strong body of evidence about its potential role in the development of ASD is required. Further investigations and reliable studies are needed to find out the underlying mechanisms so that pregnant women can be cautioned about the precise use of this drug during pregnancy or use it safely if it has no association with developmental disorders. We also need further studies investigating genetic contribution or other potential mechanisms that can impair neurodevelopment in selected people.

This systematic review will analyze and summarize the data investigating the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy and its effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes, including ASD in the offspring. We will also highlight the possible mechanisms investigated already in this association.

This systematic review was completed strictly following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 checklist [ 16 ].

Search Sources and Strategy

To search the relevant studies, we used PubMed/Medline/PubMed Central, Science Direct and Google Scholar. The Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) search strategy used for PubMed is 'autism spectrum disorders OR ASD OR autism OR ( "autism spectrum disorder/anatomy and histology"[Majr] OR "autism spectrum disorder/etiology"[Majr] OR "autism spectrum disorder/genetics"[Majr] OR "autism spectrum disorder/history"[Majr] OR "autism spectrum disorder/metabolism"[Majr] OR "autism spectrum disorder/pathology"[Majr] OR "autism spectrum disorder/physiology"[Majr] OR "autism spectrum disorder/physiopathology"[Majr]) AND acetaminophen OR paracetamol OR Tylenol OR ("acetaminophen/administration and dosage"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/adverse effects"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/biosynthesis"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/etiology"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/history"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/metabolism"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/pharmacokinetics"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/pharmacology"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/physiology"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/poisoning"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/therapeutic use"[Majr] OR "acetaminophen/toxicity"[Majr])'.

For Science Direct and Google Scholar, regular keywords used were: acetaminophen, paracetamol, autism spectrum disorder/disorders, and autism. Boolean "AND" was used as acetaminophen AND autism spectrum disorders to search the relevant articles on these two databases.

Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria

We used specific inclusion and exclusion criteria to filter the initially identified papers. The papers included were from the past five years to get the recent evidence, published in English, and focused on human populations only. The study population was women in their reproductive years, mainly 16+ and children. All study designs were included to get more evidence about the question. No specific geographical area was considered while searching to get data worldwide.

The grey or unpublished literature and studies about adult males were not included. Animal studies were also excluded.

Two researchers worked independently to screen the remaining studies by going through titles, abstracts, and then the availability of full texts. For some of the relevant papers, which did not have full texts available, the author was also contacted. While screening, we focused on the studies investigating acetaminophen use in pregnancy and its effects on neurodevelopmental outcomes in children, including ASD, ADHD, IQ, language, and motor development. To further reduce the bias, a third opinion was sought in case of conflict.

Quality Appraisal

We assessed the eligibility of the remaining studies independently by using specific quality assessment tools based on study designs by reading the full texts. The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) guidelines were used for cohort studies, the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) checklist for systematic reviews and meta-analysis, and the Scale for the Assessment of Narrative Review Articles (SANRA) checklist for one narrative review article used in this systematic review. Articles meeting at least 70% of the criteria have been included.

Data Collection

Two researchers worked independently to identify and extract the data. Then, the data was compiled in table form. It included the year of publication, country, study design, sample size, study population, exposure assessment tools and methodology, outcome measurement tools, and methodology, confounders or covariates, statistical analyses, the confounding adjustment, and finally, the results of each study describing the main outcome. The outcomes included autism spectrum disorders, intelligent quotient, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, isolated language, attention and executive function, communication, behavior, and psychomotor development.

Using the MeSH strategy and keywords mentioned in the method section, we identified a total of 35,285 papers, of which 30,932 were from PubMed, 433 from Science Direct, and 3920 from Google Scholar. We applied the above-mentioned inclusion and exclusion criteria through the automation filter process and removed duplicates manually. We got 2503 studies for screening. After screening through titles and abstracts, 2433 records were excluded. All irrelevant papers not discussing the neurodevelopmental delays and their association with acetaminophen were removed during this process. We then screened 70 papers based on full-text availability. We found 30 full-text papers. These 30 studies were assessed using specific eligibility criteria for each study design, and only 16 highly eligible studies were included for final review. We got 13 prospective cohort studies, one narrative review article, one systematic review, and one meta-analysis in the end. A PRISMA flow diagram 2020 is given in Figure ​ Figure1 1 .

An external file that holds a picture, illustration, etc.
Object name is cureus-0014-00000026995-i01.jpg

PRISMA - Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses; PM - PubMed; ML - Medline; PMC - PubMed central.

*Each database used to identify records is mentioned in the cell. 

**No automation tools were used in the screening process.

In this systematic review, we will analyze data collected from some of the prospective, longitudinal, and population-based cohort studies and from our review articles to find out the role of acetaminophen in neurodevelopmental disorders.

Does Acetaminophen Affect Neurodevelopment? Evidence from Observational Studies

While analyzing our data, we found out that all the studies were showing similar results. We found collective evidence from thousands of participants in 13 studies that acetaminophen use during pregnancy is associated with several neurodevelopment disorders, including ASD and ADHD. Table ​ Table1 1 shows the summary of exposure and outcome methodology along with study population characteristics.

ASD - autism spectrum disorders; AP - acetaminophen; IQ - intelligence quotient; EAS - Emotionality, Activity and Shyness Temperament Questionnaire; BSID - Bayley Scales of Infant Development; MCSA - McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities; CPSCS - California Preschool Social Competence Scale; CAST - Childhood Autism Spectrum Test; ADHD-DSM-IV - Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Criteria of the Diagnostics and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition Form List; K-CPT - Conner's Kiddie Continuous Performance Test; WPPSI-R - Wechsler Primary and Preschool Scales of Intelligence-Revised; WAIS - Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale; NPR - Norwegian Patient Registry; ICD-10 - International Classification of Disease; NCE - negative control exposure

Author and year of publicationStudy population and sample sizeAcetaminophen exposure measurementOutcome measurementStatistical analysis
Ji et al. 2020 [ ]Boston Birth Cohort, 996 mother-child pairs were enrolled in the study at birth and were part of this study for the next 10 years in the Boston medical center.Cord blood samples were collected at birth, and three acetaminophen metabolites were measured in the plasma sample, which is as follows: 1. unchanged acetaminophen, 2. acetaminophen glucuronide, 3. 3-[N-acetyl-l-cysteine-S-yl]-acetaminophenData of ASD, ADHD, combined ASD/ADHD, and other developmental disorders (DDs - other behavioral, mental, and neurodevelopmental disorders not related to ASD and ADHD) diagnosed by physicians were collected from the child's medical record.Odds ratio with 95% confidence intervals.
Tovo-Rodrigues et al. 2018 [ ]2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort (Brazilian population). It included 4231 live births and 3722 children were assessed at age six and 3566 at age 11.1. Questionnaires investigating perinatal factors were completed at the birth of the children. 2. Interviews during a) perinatal evaluations, and b) follow-up at ages six and 11 years.Trained psychologists used the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ) to assess the behavioral symptoms, and standardized scores were assigned to behavioral outcomes.Crude and adjusted odds ratio. Cutoff values were used for the outcomes.
Bornehag et al. 2018 [ ]SELMA - the Swedish environmental, longitudinal, mother and child, asthma and allergy. It enrolled 754 mother-child pairs at eight to 13 weeks of pregnancy.1. Maternal interviews 2. Urinary acetaminophen measurement at enrollment, adjusted for creatinine level. 3. AP use was assessed from conception to study entry and the number of tablets taken.Language development of children at 30 months of age by: a) a nurse (advanced practitioner if required), b) questionnaire on a language scale filled by the parents.Crude and adjusted odds ratio.
Vlenterie et al. 2016 [ ]Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), 51200 mother-child pairs1. Maternal paper-based questionnaires at gestational weeks 17, 30, and six, 18, 36 months postpartum. 2. AP use is categorized as short-term (1-27 days) and long-term (28 days and more).1. Maternal interview at child's 18 months of age: psychomotor development was measured by a) Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), b) objective measurement of child's starting age of unassisted walking, c) The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/11/2-5-LDS), d) temperament measurement with EAS.Odds ratio and numbers needed to harm (NNH) for each outcome.
Avella-Garcia et al. 2016 [ ]Spanish Birth Cohort, 2644 mother-child pairs1. Maternal interviews by trained evaluators at weeks 12 and 32 of pregnancy. 2. Timing of use was assessed as one month before and during pregnancy 3. Frequency was assessed as never, sporadic and persistent.At one year: BSID at five years: 1. MCSA 2. CPSCS 3. CAST 4. ADHD(DSM-IV) 5. K-CPT completed by trained psychologists, teachers, and parents.    Relative risk (incidence rate ratios).
Liew et al. 2016 [ ]Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC, 1996-2002), 1491 mothers and children enrolled in DNBC.Lifestyle During Pregnancy Study (LDPS) (part of DNBC) provided data about lifestyle factors. Three computer-assisted telephonic interviews at gestational weeks 12, 30, and six months after pregnancy. AP use was categorized as a) ever use, b) never use. AP use in every trimester, every week, total weeks of use and in combination with other medicines were also assessed.At five years of age: 1. attention function was measured by the Test of Everyday Attention for Children at Five (TEACH-5). 2. Executive function was evaluated by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), which was completed by both the parents and the preschool teachers. These tools provided standard test scores for outcomes. The attention and executive function were completed by trained psychologists, who were blinded to exposure status.Odds ratio.  
Parker et al. 2020 [ ]It included 560 mother-child pairs.Maternal interviews were conducted approximately one year after the delivery. AP use was categorized as short-term (<28 days) and long-term (>28 days). It was measured as any use or no use. AP use before pregnancy was also assessed.At 6-12 years of age, the child's behavior was evaluated using Child Behavior Checklist (CBC) and Teacher Report Form (TRF). These checklists were completed by mothers and teachers independently.Unadjusted and adjusted mean differences (MD) and risk ratios (RR).
Arneja et al. 2019 [ ]Ontario Birth Study (OBS), 1200 women enrolled in the study at 11-14 weeks of pregnancy.Three questionnaires were completed at 12-16, 24-28 weeks of gestation, and 6-10 weeks after the pregnancy (medical and lifestyle data). AP use was assessed three months before pregnancy, at 12-16 weeks and 28-32 weeks. It was categorized as never, early, late, continuous, and never, one per week and more than once per week.Data about a) child's sex, b) birth weight, c) gestational age at birth was collected from hospital medical charts. It helped evaluate outcomes including preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestation age.Risk ratios.
Ystorm et al. 2017 [ ]Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa), 112973 children and their parents.MoBa questionnaires at gestational weeks 18, 30, and six months postpartum. Maternal and paternal assessment of AP use in six months before pregnancy. The use of other medicines was also evaluated.    1. ADHD diagnoses from the Norwegian patient registry (NRP) between 2008 and 2014. 2. Maternal questionnaires when children were six months, one and half years, and three years old.Hazard's ratio.
liew et al. 2016 [ ]Danish Cohort Study/Danish National Birth Cohort (1996-2002), 1491 mother-child pairs enrolled at six to 12 weeks gestationThree telephonic interviews at gestational weeks 12, 30, and six months postpartum. AP use is categorized as ever use, trimester-specific use, total weeks of use, never users.1. Child IQ was assessed at the age of five years by using WPPSI-R by trained psychologists. 2. Maternal IQ was assessed with WAIS and the nonverbal Raven's Standard progression metrics.  Mean differences in child’s IQ using multiple linear regression and scores were calculated.
Leppert et al. 2019 [ ]Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Data collection in ALSPAC started in 1990 and is ongoing. It recruited 7921 mothers. Their genotype data were collected from ALSPAC.Genotype data were used to estimate the association with 32 maternal early-life exposures (including acetaminophen), and maternal polygenic risk scores were calculated for ADHD, ASD, and schizophrenia. These scores were used to estimate effect sizes.Questionnaires were used to assess the following factors: 1. maternal lifestyle and behavior (smoking, alcohol, BMI, and maternal age); 2. maternal use of nutritional supplements and medications in the pregnancy (acetaminophen, antidepressants, iron, vitamins, zinc and folic acid); 3. illnesses in the mother (hypertension, diabetes, depression, psoriasis, rheumatism, preeclampsia, infections, or bleeding during pregnancy); 4. factors related to preterm birth, birth weight and cesarean delivery; 5. maternal blood levels of vitamin D, selenium, mercury, cadmium, and lead during the pregnancy.Odds ratios.
Gervin et al. 2017 [ ]Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) A total of 90,000 participants' samples, including a) parental blood samples during pregnancy, b) maternal blood sample and a cord blood sample collected at birth were included.  Three questionnaires. 1. conception to 18 weeks of gestation, 2. 18-30 weeks of gestation, 3. 30 weeks to delivery. Long-term use of AP is categorized as more than 20 days. Trimester of AP use was also recorded. Samples with co-medication history were excluded.ADHD diagnoses from 2008-2014 were collected from NPR. Specialists made the diagnoses according to ICD-10 guidelines. DNA methylation analyses were measured with a) microarray preprocessing and quality control, b) differential DNA methylation analysis.
Liew et al. 2019 [ ]Nurses' Health Study II Cohort. The data collected from 1993 to 2005 (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005). This period included two NCE periods, four years before and after the pregnancies and 8856 children were part of the study.Maternal questionnaires about AP use 1) during the pregnancy: a) regular use (more than two times/week), b) pregnancy status was also recorded at the time of AP intake; 2. before and after the pregnancy: two questionnaires were completed for NCE periods, four years before and after the pregnancy.Nurse mothers completed a questionnaire in 2013. This included ADHD diagnosis in their biological children and the year they were born. This questionnaire was completed in 2013 when children were around eight years to have a clear diagnosis of ADHD.Odds ratio with 95% confidence interval.

Ji and co-authors conducted a cohort study in 2020 on 996 mother-infant pairs enrolled in the Boston Birth Cohort [ 17 ]. We found recent and better evidence because this study did not rely on interviews and questionnaires, only decreasing the recall bias. Instead, it included cord blood samples collected at birth and measured three acetaminophen metabolites in the plasma. Unchanged acetaminophen was present in all samples. Maternal plasma acetaminophen metabolites collected three days after the delivery was also measured. The children were followed up prospectively from 1998 to 2018. Another aspect of the study providing better evidence is that physician-based diagnoses were used to collect children's medical records. Cord acetaminophen burden was calculated for each outcome. We found that acetaminophen use during pregnancy was more strongly associated with an increased risk of ADHD and ASD than other neurodevelopmental outcomes in a dose-response fashion. After adjusting the confounders, the results were consistent. The interactions were performed between each covariate and cord acetaminophen burden, but these were not significant.

Tovo-Rodrigues and co-authors studied this association to investigate emotional and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms in 4231 children in 2018 in the Brazilian population using data from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort [ 18 ]. This study showed that boys exposed to acetaminophen during pregnancy were more likely to have emotional and hyperactivity symptoms at six years of age than at 11 years. The study didn't show this association in girls.

Bornehag and co-authors also studied this association in 2018 using data from the Swedish Environmental, Longitudinal, Mother and child, Asthma and allergy (SELMA), with a sample of 754 mother-child pairs [ 19 ]. This study used adjusted urinary acetaminophen concentration in addition to maternal interviews. In addition, it provided stronger evidence by using trained practitioners for language assessment in the offspring at 30 months of age. Acetaminophen was measurable in all urinary samples, and the concentration was compatible with the amount of acetaminophen taken prenatally. Boys had more language delays than girls. But both the number of acetaminophen tablets taken and the urinary acetaminophen concentration were associated with greater language delay in girls but not in boys.

Vlenterie and co-authors conducted a study in 2016 on 51,200 mother-child pairs extracting data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) and observed the psychomotor development in children at 18 months [ 20 ]. It showed similar results of delayed motor milestones, especially walking, with long-term use of acetaminophen. We also observed a weak association of communication deficits, gross motor impairment, sociability, and shyness with long-term use but not with short-term. This study also estimated the Numbers Needed to Harm (NNH) for motor and communication milestones as 48 and 67, respectively.

Avella-Garcia and co-authors conducted a study in 2016, a subset of the Spanish Birth Cohort Study, on 2644 mothers and children who were evaluated at one and five years [ 21 ]. The results were consistent with an increased risk of developing Autism related symptoms in boys with prenatal use of acetaminophen. But the effects on hyperactivity/inattention-related symptoms were the same in all children (boys and girls), and these effects were more strongly associated with increased frequency of use.

A Danish cohort study in 2016 by Liew and co-authors using data from Danish National Birth Cohort (1996-2002) conducted on 1491 mother-child pairs reported acetaminophen adverse effects on child IQ, attention, and executive function, at five years of age [ 26 , 22 ].

We concluded that using acetaminophen during pregnancy was associated with attention problems and poorer executive development in children, especially with a longer duration of acetaminophen use [ 22 ]. Only attention deficits were related to first-trimester acetaminophen use, and the effects were not sex-dependent, but parent-related executive deficits were more prevalent in boys. The results were consistent even after adjusting the common confounders of maternal fever, infection, inflammation, pain, or other diseases during the pregnancy [ 22 ].

For IQ development, children whose mothers used acetaminophen but didn't have the fever had lower performance IQ, and normal verbal IQ scores compared to kids whose mothers did not have a fever and used acetaminophen [ 26 ]. The children whose mothers had a fever and did not use acetaminophen had lower performance and verbal IQ scores at five years. This effect was stronger for first and second-trimester use, and no cumulative effect was seen. Effect modification by child's sex was not seen.

Recently in 2020, Parker and co-authors conducted a study on 560 mother-child pairs using data from the Ontario Birth Study (OBS) to evaluate this association but found a contrast between mother and teacher-reported behavioral problems in children [ 23 ]. We found from this data source that scores for behavioral problems in children were higher from maternal data than from the teacher's report giving us an insight to urgently develop more precise and reliable methods or investigations to estimate the role of acetaminophen in developmental disorders.

In addition, Arneja and co-authors studied the effects of acetaminophen on preterm birth, small for gestation age, and low birth weight among children, which are being studied as precursors of neurodevelopmental disorders [ 24 ]. Children of mothers who used acetaminophen pre-pregnancy were at higher risk of being small for gestation age and having low birth weight. Increased frequency of acetaminophen use was associated with higher risks of these outcomes. But acetaminophen use during pregnancy did not show any association with these outcomes.

Acetaminophen, an Association With Development of ADHD

There are a few studies investigating acetaminophen increasing the susceptibility of ADHD in children. We included some of these discussing the ADHD and acetaminophen independently of other neurodevelopmental outcomes.

The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) is a large population-based birth cohort study. Ystorm and co-authors extracted data from this study to evaluate the acetaminophen effects on the development of ADHD using 112,973 parents and their children from the study in 2017 [ 25 ]. It provided stronger evidence in the form of hazard ratios and a larger sample size than other studies. This study also adjusted data for maternal use before pregnancy, familial risk of ADHD, indications of acetaminophen use, and other potential confounders. We concluded that there is a modest association of any long-term prenatal use of acetaminophen in all trimesters with the development of ADHD. Maternal use before pregnancy had no effect. The use of acetaminophen for fever and infections for 22-28 days also showed a strong association. This study investigated paternal use of acetaminophen before pregnancy, and we found out that it has similar effects on the development of ADHD as maternal use during pregnancy. We should have more studies, including the paternal population, searching for this mystery.

Confounders Have Long Been in the Talk of Acetaminophen Association With Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Recent studies have shown numerous other factors increasing the risk of neurodevelopmental disorders, making acetaminophen's causal relationship problematic. Keeping this in mind, we looked for specific confounders in each study during our data collection. Indications of acetaminophen use, specifically fever, infections, and analgesia during the pregnancy, are considered strong confounders as per date. Table ​ Table2 2 shows all the confounders adjusted in each study:

AP - acetaminophen; BSID - Bayley Scales of Infant Development; MSCA - McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities; IQ - intelligence quotient; UTI - urinary tract infection; NSAIDs - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; ADHD - attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; BMI - body mass index; NCE - negative control exposure

Study authorConfounders/covariates Included and adjusted in the study
Avella-Garcia et al. [ ].1. Analgesia, 2. infection, 3. others. The region, child's gender, age at testing, performing psychologist determining the test quality (only for BSID and MSCA), maternal social class, gestational age at birth, maternal IQ, education, chronic illness in mother, fever, or UTI not related to AP use during pregnancy.
Bornehag et al. [ ].Maternal weight, education, smoking, week of enrollment and child's sex.
Liew et al. [ ]. (studying child's IQ)Maternal fever during the pregnancy, infection/inflammation, diseases affecting muscles and joints, child's sex, mother's age at childbirth, parity, parental education index, maternal IQ, smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy, use of NSAIDs during pregnancy.
Ystorm et al. [ ].Parental symptoms of ADHD (measured through self-screening), maternal self-reported smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy, maternal symptoms of anxiety and depression measured at 18- and 30-week gestation, maternal education, age, marital status, BMI at 18-week, parity, birth year centered to 1999.
Vlenterie et al. [ ].Each medical condition and respective medication use during the pregnancy were assessed. Illnesses like pain, fever, and infections were included in the questionnaires. Maternal age at delivery, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, marital status or cohabiting, education, smoking, alcohol and folic acid use during pregnancy, maternal depression symptoms assessed through The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist, The SCL-5, infections, fever, headache/migraines, pelvic girdle pain, back/neck/abdominal pain, medications (NSAIDs, antiepileptics, antidepressants, opioids, triptans, and benzodiazepines) use during pregnancy.
Gervin et al. [ ].Infant's sex, gestational age at delivery, maternal age, smoking, and alcohol use during pregnancy.
Tovo-Rodrigues et al. [ ].Child's sex, mother's education, age, skin color, parity, smoking and alcohol use during pregnancy, mood issues, infection, pre-pregnancy BMI, NSAIDs use.
Liew et al. [ ]. (attention and executive function)Mother's age at childbirth, parity, parental education index, maternal IQ, maternal anxiety and depression, pre-pregnancy BMI, smoking, and alcohol during pregnancy, use of aspirin or ibuprofen, child's sex, indications of acetaminophen use: 1. fever, 2. infection/inflammation, 3. pain or musculoskeletal disease, 4. mothers who did not experience these symptoms during the pregnancy. Some confounders were adjusted but not included in the final analysis because of minimal effect. These are paternal age, prenatal use of antidepressants, folic acid intake, maternal marital status at the time of interviews.
Arneja et al. [ ].Maternal age, ethnicity, BMI at baseline, education, smoking in three months before pregnancy, fever during pregnancy, paternal smoking in three months before pregnancy, comorbidities (comorbidity index was created), use of other pain relievers like NSAIDs, diclofenac, morphine, oxycodone, and codeine.
Parker et al. [ ].1. Upper respiratory tract infections, 2. headaches, 3. fever, 4. pain/injury maternal age, race, education, marital status, parity/gravidity, smoking and alcohol during pregnancy, paternal age at delivery, pre-pregnancy BMI, infant's sex, medication use for depression and anxiety, other indications of AP use.
Liew et al. [ ]. (NCE analysis)Maternal age at the child's birth, child's birth order, child's birth year, maternal diabetes during the pregnancy, preeclampsia, use of aspirin alone or in combination, other NSAIDs use, AP used in negative control periods (four years before and after the pregnancy), child's sex. Indications of AP use, such as depression, rheumatoid arthritis, and migraine headaches, were included and adjusted. Maternal social factors like income, education of the partner. Lifestyle factors like maternal smoking and alcohol use during the pregnancy.
Ji et al. [ ].Maternal age at delivery, maternal race/ethnicity, mother’s marital status and education level, maternal smoking and alcohol use before or during the pregnancy, history of stress during the pregnancy, maternal BMI, history of breastfeeding, parity, ever use of illicit drugs and maternal fever during the pregnancy. In addition, lead levels in early childhood, sex of the child, birth weight, preterm birth and the delivery type were recorded. Diagnoses of ADHD, anxiety or depression, intrauterine infection, or inflammation in the mother were also included and adjusted. Data for these confounders were collected from questionnaire interviews with mothers by trained research staff and electronic medical records.

All the confounders were adjusted with proper sensitivity analyses in each study, and results were estimated after adjustment. We have included some studies working on the confounding effects of this association.

Liew et al. conducted a prospective cohort study in 2019 using the Nurses' Health Study Cohort II data on 8856 children born in 1993-2005 [ 29 ]. This study particularly focused on uncontrolled confounding on acetaminophen association with the development of ADHD by using the negative control exposure (NCE) method. The first evidence this study provided was in line with the previous studies showing an association between prenatal acetaminophen use and ADHD. The NCE analyses showed that this use only during pregnancy was associated with neurodevelopmental effects; NCE analysis pre- and post-pregnancy didn't show any association.

Leppert and co-authors worked on 7921 mothers in 2019 in a population-based cohort study to evaluate the maternal genetic predisposition to the offspring's neurodevelopmental disorders as a confounder of association of these disorders with pregnancy's early life exposures [ 27 ]. The maternal genotype data collected from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) and the polygenic risk scores (PRS-testing of association) were calculated for ADHD, ASD, and schizophrenia with 32 early-life exposures. The data collection started in 1990 and is ongoing, giving us strong evidence explaining that several maternal genetic factors for ADHD are associated with some pregnancy-related exposures, including smoking, maternal depression during pregnancy, prenatal infections, use of acetaminophen in the second half of pregnancy, lower blood levels of mercury and selenium, and higher blood levels of cadmium. We did not find any association between ASD PRS and schizophrenia PRS. This study included almost all the confounders for neurodevelopmental disorders, including acetaminophen. Sensitivity analyses also showed consistent results. These findings suggest that while studying prenatal exposures as causal factors for neurodevelopmental disorders, maternal genetic predisposition should also be considered.

How Does Acetaminophen Affect the Neurodevelopment?

The mechanisms by which acetaminophen contributes to ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders are unknown. Some studies are discussing about different hypotheses regarding this association.

In a prospective cohort completed in 2017 using data from MoBa, Gervin with co-authors studied DNA methylation differences in children exposed to prenatal acetaminophen and diagnosed with ADHD compared to controls [ 28 ]. We concluded from this data source that genetic predisposition and acetaminophen use in combination lead to ADHD. We found that children exposed to acetaminophen long-term 20 or more days during pregnancy had altered DNA methylation compared to controls.

This study used 384 cord blood samples of children at birth, and blood samples of parents were taken during pregnancy and at birth comprising almost all samples from 90,000 participants. We identified several of the top genes linked to ADHD, neural development, and neurotransmission from this data source. By using gene ontology, pathways involved in oxidative stress, neural processes, and olfactory sensory system were also analyzed.

Schultz and co-authors recently in 2021 gave a detailed explanation in a review article about the endocannabinoid system (ECS) and its role in the pathophysiology of ASD [ 30 ]. Acetaminophen produces analgesia by acting through the endocannabinoid system. Low levels of endocannabinoids have been found in the blood of ASD people representing low EC tone. In addition, alterations have been found in this system in the brain and immune system of ASD kids. Considering this mechanism, endocannabinoids could be beneficial for ASD kids, so more research is needed to prove the role of ECS in the etiology of ASD.

Bauer and co-authors, in a systematic review in 2018 while working on this association, has included several mechanisms explaining these effects. Possible mechanisms include [ 15 ]:

a. Toxic acetaminophen metabolite N-Acetyl-p-benzoquinone imine (NAPQI) formation in excess in the brain affecting neurodevelopment.

b. Acetaminophen effects on increasing oxidative stress, inflammation and affecting immunologic pathways disrupting microglia development and increasing susceptibility of neurodevelopmental disorders.

c. The effects on the endocannabinoid system are important for brain development.

d. Maternal hormones disruption affecting fetus brain development.

e. Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibition.

f. Altered brain-derived neurotrophic factors.

Evidence From Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Finally, we included a systematic review to give our findings more evidence. Bauer and co-authors conducted a systematic review in 2018 by including nine publications, prospective/longitudinal, pregnancy, and birth cohort studies. All data sources in this review provided collective evidence of the effects of prenatal use of acetaminophen on different neurodevelopmental outcomes, including ASD, ADHD, and IQ [ 15 ].

We included a meta-analysis to make our findings more conclusive of the association. Alemany and co-authors conducted a meta-analysis in six European population-based cohorts in 2021 [ 31 ]. This study provided us with a piece of recent evidence from a total of 73,881 mother-child pairs. The use of acetaminophen was also assessed in children up to the age of 18 months, and borderline diagnoses were also used in addition to clinical disorder. After adjusting confounders and indications of use, we concluded that prenatal use of acetaminophen was associated with 19% and 21% more likely to be associated with borderline or clinical ASD and ADHD symptoms, respectively, compared to non-exposed children. Boys had slightly higher odds compared to girls. Neither ASD nor ADHD was associated with postnatal exposure to acetaminophen.

Now we have sufficient data from multiple populations and studies to say that acetaminophen is not as safe as it is considered. The question is why acetaminophen, or any other medication or risk factor, increases the risk of ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders in certain individuals. We should work on the susceptibility mechanisms through which this risk is increased.

Limitations

While working on this systematic review, we could not find many papers talking about mechanisms of acetaminophen leading to neurodevelopmental disorders in selected groups of individuals. As our exclusion criteria, animal studies were excluded. It is possible that some animal studies could help understand these mechanisms, but still, these studies present a lower level of evidence than human studies. Due to the limitations of conducting clinical trials on pregnant women, drugs like acetaminophen's safety are questioned and need to be explored more in other precise and reliable ways. Although we have significant data in the form of systematic reviews, meta-analysis, and cohort studies providing us strong evidence, it is imperative to work on this area so that pregnant women should be cautioned about precise acetaminophen use during pregnancy. Because of the heterogeneous nature of the final data collected, we could not evaluate a lot of developmental outcomes like ASD.

Acetaminophen's mechanism of action and its relationship to the pathophysiology of disorders, particularly neurodevelopmental disorders, should be explored in an evidence-based manner. If the acetaminophen role is identified, strict avoidance, especially during pregnancy, should be implemented. In that case, further studies on safer analgesic alternatives are imperative.

Conclusions

We aimed to dins an association between maternal prenatal use of acetaminophen and the development of ASD in offspring. We found heterogeneous data from our selected studies about the effects of acetaminophen on neurodevelopmental outcomes, including ASD. All 16 studies selected in our data showed a consistent association between acetaminophen and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. The effects were particularly stronger for attention/hyperactivity symptoms. Long-term acetaminophen use was more strongly associated with the outcomes in a dose-response fashion. Developmental disabilities were more prevalent in boys except for ADHD, where girls were affected equally. We did not see the confounding effects of other risk factors for neurodevelopmental disorders.

Considering this scientific evidence, further studies are urgently needed to strengthen this hypothesis and develop more concrete data collection mechanisms for acetaminophen exposure and outcome measurement. More importantly, further research is needed to investigate the role of genetics, the immune system, and precise mechanisms of actions leading to increased risk in a selected number of individuals. Studies on children's early life acetaminophen exposure and paternal exposure should also be considered. Because of the economic and psychological burden of neurodevelopmental disorders on children, families, and the health care system, pregnant women, should have limited use of this analgesic until proven otherwise. We should arrange systems to educate physicians about limited and precise prescriptions of medications during pregnancy.

The content published in Cureus is the result of clinical experience and/or research by independent individuals or organizations. Cureus is not responsible for the scientific accuracy or reliability of data or conclusions published herein. All content published within Cureus is intended only for educational, research and reference purposes. Additionally, articles published within Cureus should not be deemed a suitable substitute for the advice of a qualified health care professional. Do not disregard or avoid professional medical advice due to content published within Cureus.

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

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