(1) Background: Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) is diagnosed when the child experiences problems in language with no known underlying biomedical condition and the information required for its correct evaluation must be obtained from different contexts. The Children’s Communication Checklist (CCC-2) covers aspects of a child’s communication related to structural language and pragmatic skills, which are linked to social cognition or executive functions. The aim of this article is to examine parents’ reports using the Spanish version of the CCC-2 questionnaire and its association with different formal assessments related to communication. (2) Methods: 30 children with DLD (3; 10–9 years old) and 39 age-matched (AM) children with typical development were assessed using formal measures of structural language, pragmatics, social cognition, and executive functions. Parents of children with DLD answered the Spanish version of the CCC-2. (3) Results: The performance of children with DLD was lower in all the formal assessments in comparison to AM children. The CCC-2 was significantly correlated with all the direct child assessments, although only formal measures of structural language predicted both the structural language and pragmatics scales of the CCC-2. (4) Conclusions: The CCC-2 answered by parents was consistent with formal assessments in children with DLD, and structural language seemed to be the best predictor of all the subscales.

People diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties on Theory of Mind (ToM) tasks involving social situations, such as ‘faux pas’. The objective of this study was to find the modality of presentation (visual, verbal, or mixed) that yields the best understanding of a ‘faux pas’, and the possible influence of other variables, including intelligence (IQ), age, and working memory. Thirty autistic children and 30 neurotypical children, all aged 7 to 12 years old and comparable in age and IQ, participated in this study. They were asked to resolve nine ‘faux pas’ stories (three per modality). Significant between-groups differences were found in the visual (t= 2.99,p= .004) and verbal modalities (t= 2.64,p= .011), such that the neurotypical (NT) group had higher scores than the ASD group. The ASD group’s comprehension was better via the mixed modality than the verbal modality (t= 2.48,p= .019). In addition, working memory had a bigger impact on Faux Pas understanding in cases of autism than in typical development (R²explained between .19 and .28 of variance in Faux Pas test outcomes), and could therefore explain some of the difficulties previously reported in this area. Future research should include a measure of working memory and a control among the stimuli presented to test for group differences in faux pas understanding.

Family and friends may play an important role both in the identification and diagnosis of any condition, as well as in the provision of support afterwards. However, when the diagnosis is autism and it arrives late, as is often the case with autistic women, we find the double stigma of experiencing the repercussions of a late diagnosis, along with the disbelief of those closest to them. This study aims to analyse and understand the experiences of autistic women with their family and friends throughout the diagnostic process and subsequent help-seeking endeavors. A total of 21 Spanish autistic women aged between 20 and 58 years answered a series of open-ended questions—respecting the participants' preferred modality. From the thematic analysis, two main themes emerged regarding the reactions of family and friends, dividing the experiences into two temporal phases: when disclosing the diagnosis and sometime later. Most participants noted that their relatives did not believe them, reacted in a hostile way, or did not give it any importance at the time of disclosure. As a result, their relationship deteriorated even further over time. In contrast, their friends served as pillars of support from the beginning, along with their partners and the associations they attended, because of which they met more autistic women who became their “family”. Thus, another consequence of late diagnosis in autistic women is highlighted, the incomprehension or disbelief from their relatives, and the important role of friendships among women and among autistic women.

Background: Knowledge is sparse regarding the motherhood experiences and family relationships of autistic women. Few studies use a qualitative approach to afford autistic mothers (and want-to-be-mothers) a voice. This is an analysis of the experiences of Spanish autistic mothers presented from their perspectives. Methods: Nine autistic mothers responded to open-ended questions and verbalized their experiences of maternity and family relationships in writing or orally. Data obtained were analyzed using a qualitative thematic analysis. Results: We developed four main themes about the participants' experiences: (1) autistic mothers were diagnosed after their autistic children (or close relatives) received their diagnosis; (2) role of the nuclear family (partner and children); (3) the influence of sensory processing on coexistence with the partner, and upbringing of the children, of autistic mothers; and (4) the influence of anxiety on coexistence with the partner, and upbringing of the children, of autistic mothers. Their experiences showed that the mother's autism diagnosis can follow the diagnosis of an autistic child and highlighted the importance of a good relationship with their partners and children during the process, increasing their self-acceptance (Themes 1 and 2). Also, the influence of sensory reactivity and anxiety intensified many aspects of their maternity and relations, from pregnancy to intimate experiences (Themes 3 and 4). Conclusions: In conclusion, there is a need for greater understanding and awareness about the characteristics of autistic mothers in the Spanish context, so that family members or health care professionals could provide better individualized care for them—from their pregnancy to the upbringing of their children.

Background: This study aims to highlight the mothering experiences of Spanish autistic mothers through their own narratives—a topic historically overlooked by both society and scientific literature, particularly within Spanish culture. Methods: We conducted respectful, semistructured, synchronous interviews with six autistic mothers—all Spanish, diagnosed late in life, and most of whom have autistic children. The data were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Results: The data analysis generated three main themes: (1) motherhood as an intense and synchronous experience, (2) experts in motherhood and autism: from theory to practice, and from practice to activism, and (3) from judged motherhood to sisterhood. The findings underscore the competencies and resilience of autistic mothers, their profound connection and dedication to their children, and the urgent need for appropriate support and substantial social change. Conclusion: This work seeks to contribute to the elimination of stigmas and the development of resources aimed at improving the quality of life of autistic mothers and their children.