Autism Template
Get your Autism paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
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How to Use the Autism Template | A Step-by-Step Guide
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 30 July, 2026
Submitting to Autism goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Autism guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
What is the Autism Template?
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Autism. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Autism journal page before you draft.
What's actually in an Autism submission:
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Autism guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
What separates a clean submission from one that gets kicked back:
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Autism guide for authors before you submit.
What does this Autism Template include?
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
Steps to Use This Template with SciSpace Agent
- Click Start Writing on this page. The SciSpace Agent prompt screen opens with the template loaded.
- Use the loaded template, or upload a version your group already uses for Autism.
- Edit the prompt with your topic and article type, and note any requirement from the Autism guide for authors.
- Run the prompt. The agent drafts into the correct structure and reference style.
- Use View Outputs to verify required statements and formatting are present.
- Export and submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
Autism Template Structure at a Glance
| Element | Autism requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | 150-200 words, unstructured (plus lay abstract of approx. 300 words required) |
| Main text | Research Reports & Reviews: 6,000 words max (including title page, abstract, notes, tables, text, excluding references); Short Reports: 2,000 words max with max 2 tables; Letters to the Editors: 1,000 words max with max 5 references |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | 4-5 minimum |
| References | APA |
| Peer review | double-blind/anonymized |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/autism |
Quick Tips for Using the Autism Template
Read the Autism guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Autism in under a page.
Best Practices
Skim two or three recent Autism papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Autism journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Before You Submit: Final Check
Do one focused pass against the Autism guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
