Journal: Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders on “Stress and Autism” (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/research-in-autism-spectrum-disorders) 

Our focus for this issue is evaluating the role of stress and stressors in the context of an evolutionary-stress framework and the adaptive calibration model (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3068241/) in understanding autism etiology and co-occurring health conditions. 

Traditional medical models tend to focus on specific symptoms or use a deficit framework. There is a wide breadth of scientific investigations focused on stress impact on parents and caregivers of autistic individuals; however, stress research attention on autistic individuals is limited. As scientific knowledge is growing in the area of stress and autism, research is needed on the impact of stress on autistic individuals and the observed tradeoffs compensating for adaptive health outcomes. In order to better understand stress impact on autism etiology and health outcomes, an integrative approach to investigating mechanisms of stressors and risk factors as well as protective factors provide an in-depth understanding of adaptive and maladaptive outcomes. 

In broadening the scope of the impact of stress on autism and co-occurring health conditions, we aim to expand the field’s knowledge to consider both risk and protective factors that contribute to autistic phenotypes (e.g., social reciprocity, repetitive behaviors, special interests and intense focus, echolalia, sensory responsivity) and understand co-occurring health symptoms. Additionally, we invite authors to consider measurements of perceived stress and objective stress in their original research on autistic individuals.  

We are particularly interested in papers that explore the following topics:

• The relationship between stress, inflammation, and autism

• The use of biomarkers (e.g., hormones, antibodies, growth factors, psychological stress, nutrition analytes) and other measures to understand the multidimensional aspects of stress and how they relate to autism

• The potential application of the evolutionary stress framework to serve as a model to better understand stress adaptations and resiliencies across diverse populations and autistic phenotypes

We are excited to receive submissions from researchers who are exploring new and innovative ideas in this field and who are interested in contributing to a better understanding of autistic phenotypes and stress trade-offs. Open submission date is February 5, 2023. We invite you to submit a letter of intent by March 5, 2023. The final manuscript submission is due on September 5, 2023. Please share this announcement among your colleagues. 

If you are interested in submitting a paper, please visit Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/research-in-autism-spectrum-disorders) for more information on the submission process and guidelines. We look forward to receiving your submission and thank you in advance for your interest in this important research area.

Guest editors:

Jenny Mai Phan, Ph.D. 

Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders

Children’s National Hospital

jmphan@childrensnational.org

Lori Hogenkamp, B.S.

Center for Adaptive Stress

lori.hogenkamp@ndcenterforstress.org

David Beversdorf, Ph.D.

Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment

University of Missouri

beversdorfd@health.missouri.edu