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"We have heard people say that things will improve after the pandemic ends. But in our community, we can see that some things have already changed for the better." #SpectrumViewpoint
To help families cope with the sudden loss of professional support during the pandemic, one team in France has created a set of resources and information.
Separating sensitivity to sensory stimuli from the response to the stimuli may help scientists understand the root cause of sensory traits in autistic people. #SpectrumViewpoint
Separating sensitivity to sensory stimuli from the response to the stimuli may help scientists understand the root cause of sensory traits in autistic people.
In this week's #SpectrumViewpoint, Shannon Des Roches Rosa from The Thinking Person's Guide to Autism writes about how to accommodate autistic loved ones during a pandemic in ways that respect their needs and their style of managing stress.
Sheltering in place is especially hard for autistic children who dread changes in routine and who may have learned to repress their ways of managing stress. Here are tips to help them cope.
Most community clinicians do not deliver care that is in line with the latest evidence — and they are not improving over time. #SpectrumViewpoint
Most community clinicians do not deliver autism therapies in line with the latest evidence -- and they are not improving over time.
The team found that sensory underreactivity in the toddler years is associated with autism traits, including severe restricted and repetitive behaviors, at preschool ages.
Toddlers who sleep poorly or overreact or underreact to sensory stimuli have more repetitive behaviors and other autism traits later in childhood.
Cut off from clients by the coronavirus pandemic, clinicians are turning to video conferencing and other technologies to diagnose children with autism.
Cut off from clients by the pandemic, clinicians are turning to video conferencing and other technologies to diagnose children with autism.
Mikle South spends his days teaching classes, studying the relationship between anxiety and autism, and coping with living in a conservative state. #BeyondTheBench
Mikle South spends his days teaching classes, studying the relationship between anxiety and autism, and coping with living in a conservative state.
The findings suggest lithium merits further study as a treatment for some people with autism, even though the drug has troublesome side effects.
The mood-stabilizing drug lithium seems to ease repetitive behaviors seen in mice missing SHANK3, an autism gene.
The results offer the first evidence that mutations in DLG2 may account for some of the behavioral traits of autism.
Mice missing a protein central to neuronal activity are anxious, sleep poorly and overgroom themselves.
Each module features evidence-based techniques adapted to the conditions of the lockdown. #SpectrumViewpoint
To help families cope with the sudden loss of professional support during the pandemic, one team in France has created a set of resources and information.
A Utah program provides comprehensive care for autistic people across the lifespan and engages families in the decision-making. #SpectrumViewpoint
Comprehensive care for autistic people across the lifespan and engaging families in the decision-making are priorities for a Utah-based program.
The atlas is one of six within the Human Protein Atlas, a free resource that tracks proteins in other tissues as well. #SpectrumToolbox
A comprehensive atlas of gene expression by brain region could spur new research on autism.
Autistic children are twice as likely to have trouble sleeping as typical children. Their poor sleep has been linked to severe traits including severe repetitive and restricted behaviors.
Toddlers who sleep poorly or overreact or underreact to sensory stimuli have more repetitive behaviors and other autism traits later in childhood.
People tend to believe that, regardless of the treatment, more is always better. But is it? #SpectrumViewpoint
How much behavioral therapy does an autistic child need? People tend to believe that, regardless of the treatment, more is always better. But is it?
Studies have shown that 47 to 53 percent of children with autism are securely attached, compared with about 65 percent of typical individuals.
In younger siblings of children with autism, insecure attachments to their caregivers increases the odds of being diagnosed with autism.
The mood-stabilizing drug lithium eases repetitive behaviors seen in mice missing SHANK3, an autism gene, according to a new study.
The mood-stabilizing drug lithium seems to ease repetitive behaviors seen in mice missing SHANK3, an autism gene.
In this #BeyondTheBench, Annie Ciernia describes the greenhouse origins of her scientific career and why a unicorn makes a good lab mascot.
Autism researcher Annie Ciernia describes the greenhouse origins of her scientific career and why a unicorn makes a good lab mascot.
The new study shows the importance of monitoring neural activity and behavior over time to better understand autism.
Children who have autistic older siblings have bigger neural responses than controls do in the brain networks that process faces.
Mice with mutations in a gene called DLG2 are anxious and asocial; they also sleep poorly and overgroom themselves, according to a new study.
These characteristics resemble those seen in some autistic people.
Mice missing a protein central to neuronal activity are anxious, sleep poorly and overgroom themselves.
“Differentiating autism from intellectual disability is as old as the condition. It was a major concern, right from the beginning.” #SpectrumDeepDive
Doctors often conflate autism and intellectual disability, and no wonder: The biological distinction between them is murky. Scientific progress depends on knowing where the conditions intersect -- and part ways.
Denver, Colorado, is one of at least eight cities considering an Oregon program called Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets to decriminalize and improve the treatment of people with severe mental illness — while saving the city money.
Denver, Colorado, is one of at least eight cities considering an Oregon program to decriminalize and improve the treatment of people with severe mental illness -- while saving the city money.
A comprehensive new atlas maps where and in what quantities proteins are expressed in the brain, which could spur new research on the biology of autism and related conditions. #SpectrumToolbox
A comprehensive atlas of gene expression by brain region could spur new research on autism.
“One of the main things people ask us clinicians is, “Is my child going to talk? How can I help them talk?” I want to be able to answer that based on the literature.”
Researchers use a variety of measures and definitions to characterize autistic children who speak few or no words.
Denver, Colorado, is one of at least eight cities considering an Oregon program called Crisis Assistance Helping Out On The Streets to decriminalize and improve the treatment of people with severe mental illness — while saving the city money.
Denver, Colorado, is one of at least eight cities considering an Oregon program to decriminalize and improve the treatment of people with severe mental illness -- while saving the city money.
To help families with autistic children cope with the loss of professional support due to #COVID19, this team created modules that provide resources, counsel, lessons, schedules and overall aid to families confined to their homes. #SpectrumViewpoint
To help families cope with the sudden loss of professional support during the pandemic, one team in France has created a set of resources and information.
What two rare ‘social’ syndromes reveal about autism. #SpectrumViewpoint
Studying Smith-Magenis and Potocki-Lupski syndromes -- two single-gene conditions in which people have trouble reading social cues -- may boost our understanding of autism.
The team identified several regions of the cerebral cortex that are thicker in people with autism than in typical people; all of these regions have previously been associated with autism.
Several regions in the outer layer of the brain are thicker in children and young adults with autism than in their typical peers.
The findings from two independent studies suggest that early behavioral differences may set the stage for restricted and repetitive behaviors.
Toddlers who sleep poorly or overreact or underreact to sensory stimuli have more repetitive behaviors and other autism traits later in childhood.
Official estimates suggest that 1 in 2,500 to 5,000 people have Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. There may be a connection between the condition and autism. #SpectrumViewpoint
Not much is known about the connection between autism and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition that affects collagen. But preliminary work provides clues.
The findings do not suggest that insecure attachments cause autism. But such attachments may signal autism early and guide interventions for these ‘baby sibs.’
In younger siblings of children with autism, insecure attachments to their caregivers increases the odds of being diagnosed with autism.
The work is the first to track face processing in so-called ‘baby sibs’ — children who have autistic older siblings.
Children who have autistic older siblings have bigger neural responses than controls do in the brain networks that process faces.
Earlier this month, Camarata and his colleagues reported that studies of education programs for parents of minimally verbal autistic children are sparse.
Researchers use a variety of measures and definitions to characterize autistic children who speak few or no words.
The link between parental age and autism, explained.
Older men and women are more likely than young ones to have a child with autism, but this connection is not straightforward.
Clearer diagnoses would guide a large number of people into the services most appropriate for them. #SpectrumDeepDive
Doctors often conflate autism and intellectual disability, and no wonder: The biological distinction between them is murky. Scientific progress depends on knowing where the conditions intersect -- and part ways.
The differences are greatest in girls, in children aged 8 to 10 years, and in those with a low intelligence quotient.
Several regions in the outer layer of the brain are thicker in children and young adults with autism than in their typical peers.
Many parents resort to unproven — even dangerous — alternative treatments for their children’s autism. What drives them?
Many parents resort to unproven -- even dangerous -- alternative treatments for their children's autism. What drives them?
The survey probes their emotional health, life satisfaction, cognitive function and overall health, as well as peer and family relationships.
Autistic children and adults report having poor physical and mental health and quality of life compared with the general population.
Younger siblings of children with autism who have insecure attachments to their caregivers are more likely to be diagnosed with autism than are siblings with secure attachments, according to the first study to explore this link.
In younger siblings of children with autism, insecure attachments to their caregivers increases the odds of being diagnosed with autism.
Some parents are starting ‘N-of-1’ studies for autism, but their efforts don’t always get taken seriously.
Some parents are starting ‘N-of-1' studies for autism, but their efforts don't always get taken seriously.
Researchers have scanned the brains of autistic people by using technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and have found that those with a large head also tend to have an unusually large brain.
Some people with autism have an unusually large head. What causes the enlargement? And does it have any bearing on outcome?
Children with autistic older siblings have bigger neural responses than controls do in the brain networks that process faces, according to a new study.
Children who have autistic older siblings have bigger neural responses than controls do in the brain networks that process faces.
Other genetic tests for the condition take days or weeks to yield a result and require large amounts of DNA. #SpectrumToolbox
A new blood test can identify within seven hours whether a person carries the genetic mutation underlying fragile X syndrome.
A group of savvy parents jump-started autism research in California, but they also set the research agenda.
A group of savvy parents jump-started autism research in California, but they also set the research agenda.
Doctors often conflate autism and intellectual disability, and no wonder: The biological distinction between them is murky. Scientific progress depends on knowing where the conditions intersect — and part ways. #SpectrumDeepDive
We’ve compiled information from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to help autism researchers whose work has been stalled by the pandemic.
The National Institutes of Health is offering autism researchers who are coping with the coronavirus pandemic flexibility with their grant applications, budgets and progress reports.
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As much as 86 percent of children on the spectrum experience disrupted sleep. But with such varied causes, treating sleeplessness in autistic people is a huge challenge.
Last week, we published a story about an autistic boy whose seizures had led his family to pursue an experimental surgery designed to quell his epilepsy and — perhaps — give him the opportunity to live his life to the fullest. We wanted to document that surgery — here are some of the images we took. Watch as Kevin goes through the operation from start to end.
Fragile X syndrome is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability and one of the leading causes of autism. Animal studies testing treatments for fragile X have had promising results — but these have so far failed to translate to successful human trials. In this video, Mark Bear describes new and emerging treatments for fragile X that are giving scientists hope now — and explains why past human trials may not have gone to plan.
Tune in now to our webinar with Evelina Fedorenko on language development and processing and autism!
Mice have long been the mainstay of autism research, but some scientists are using rats to study the condition instead. What advantage do rat models have over their murine counterparts? Expert Jill Silverman makes her case.
Curious about rat models of autism? Tune in now to our webinar to find out how researchers use these models to study this human condition.
Many of the everyday activities that autistic people find challenging are extraordinarily complex. To get to the root of these problems, researchers are looking closely at a part of the brain called the prefrontal cortex.
Watch live! Ivan Iossifov is discussing the genetic basis of autism’s core features.
Tune in now to our Facebook Live with Christine Wu Nordahl, who is presenting her work on expanding autism brain-imaging studies!
Morénike Giwa Onaiwu explores the complications race and ethnicity can layer on top of an autism diagnosis.
For people on the spectrum, the physical space they occupy can go a long way in providing a sense of comfort and support. Architects are working with schools to create welcoming, versatile spaces for autistic students.
How do you design spaces for autism? There is a difference between being accommodating and being purposeful.
How can we predict and track autism's heterogeneity over time? Stelio's Georgiades presents a model for tracing autistic children's trajectories.
Curious about how genes interact with environment to shape autism? Expert Janine LaSalle describes the latest research.
Want to know more about maternal immune activity and autism? Researcher Judy Van de Water explains what you need to know, and presents her latest research on how the immune system may shape autism.
Curious about the maternal immune system and autism? Tune in to our Facebook live now!
Autism research has a race problem. The bulk of autism studies involving pepple are mostly made up of participants who are white. That means that most of what we think we know about autism is largely based on science that doesn't reflect the true diversity of the condition. There's evidence that people from minority groups are underdiagnosed. At the same time, racial disparities exist in other areas of life — from everyday social interactions to economic opportunities — all of which intersect with autism. In this video, Morénike Giwa Onaiwu explores the complications race and ethnicity can layer on top of an autism diagnosis.
Tune in to the Spectrum Journal Club! Researcher Andrea Ganna presents a paper exploring rare genetic variation in brain conditions such as autism. Ask your questions for Ganna in the comments!
Finding and keeping a job can be a struggle for many people on the spectrum — for a variety of reasons. While splashy corporate initiatives and programs to hire more people with autism make headlines, there's still little research into employment among autistic adults. In this video, Sara Luterman describes her own experiences as an autistic person in the workplace, and highlights the dearth of research into this area.
People on the spectrum fall in love. They marry. They have children. But this truth has been widely ignored by scientists and the wider public. In this video, Lindsey Nebeker talks about her own experiences of love and autism.
Most autism research — and, by extension, most stories about autism — focuses on men and their experiences. To shine a spotlight on women with autism, on 28 March, Spectrum teamed up with the science-storytelling venue Caveat in New York City. Three autistic women talked about their experiences dating, looking for jobs and the particular challenges that racial minorities with the condition can face. Here is just a snippet of what they had to say.
Curious about cannabis-based treatments for epilepsy? Join us live now with expert Orrin Devinksy. Ask your questions in the comments field below.
What is it like to be a woman on the spectrum? Three autistic women share their experiences with love, finding a job and the challenges of being both autistic and not white.
Autism may stem from problems with connectivity, or communication between distant parts of the brain. As autism theories go, that one has solid support. For that reason, the corpus callosum deserves special attention. Our video explains what the corpus callosum is and how it may be involved in autism.
Our Autism Anchors Raphael Bernier and James Mancini, report the latest findings on sleep and autism. They describe the causes and consequences of sleep disruptions in autism — and what to do about them. From science to the community and back again, you can count on getting the inside scoop in digestible quantities with a smile from the Autism Anchors.
Our Autism Anchors, Raphael Bernier and James Mancini, explain how mouse models can help scientists understand the causes of autism and evaluate potential treatments for the condition. From science to the community and back again, you can count on getting the inside scoop in digestible quantities with a smile from the Autism Anchors.
Each of these images was created using one of four new techniques for imaging the brain, expanding our view of its incredible complexity. To read more about how these images were created, check out our story here: https://www.spectrumnews.org/news/toolbox/imaging-approaches-expand-view-brains-complexity/
Tune in to Zhen Yan's presentation of her paper, which details a novel treatment for social deficits in an autism mouse model.
The evolution of 'autism' as a diagnosis, explained.
Join us for a webinar with Shafali Jeste, assistant professor of psychiatry and neurology at the University of California, Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, and a lead investigator at the university’s Center for Autism Research and Treatment. You can learn more about Jeste's work here: https://www.semel.ucla.edu/profile/shafali-jeste
Watch the complete replay of our roundtable on the utility of the DSM-5’s diagnostic criteria for autism! The debate features autism experts Catherine Lord, Sally Rogers and David Skuse. Find out more here: https://spectrumnews.org/features/multimedia/webinars/roundtable-debating-diagnostic-criteria-autism/
Watch it here: Expert Mayada Elsabbagh discusses the state of autism research across different international settings — and what needs to be done to make autism research a truly global enterprise.
Get the inside scoop from our Autism Anchors on the connections between autism and ADHD!
Yale University Professor James McPartland's presents on the hunt for clinically useful biomarkers for autism and gives the inside scoop on his lab's latest research into biomarkers of social communication.
In the latest episode of Inside Scoop, the Autism Anchors Raphael Bernier and James Mancini give their two cents on the hottest autism research of 2017.
We asked autism researchers to enter the Spectrum science image contest. From sensational stem-cell snapshots to a ‘furry’ close-up of the hippocampus, these are the 10 top pics.
Earlier this year, two labs published research that explored different therapeutic approaches for Rett syndrome, a condition characterized by breathing problems, intellectual disability and often autism. In this journal club, we get the inside scoop direct from the researchers on how they did the research and its implications for treating Rett in the future.
What can robots offer people with autism? In our latest webinar, expert Brian Scassellati discusses socially assistive robots and how they can be used in autism research and therapy.
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