We provide comprehensive news and analysis of advances in autism research. Through our work we hope to catalyze new collaborations and perspectives on autism.
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Motor problems are hugely overlooked in autistic children.
35% of autistic children have significant movement difficulties, but only 3% of those have a diagnosed movement condition. "We were quite alarmed," says one scientist involved in the study.
At least one in three autistic children has significant movement difficulties, according to a large study.
Extra T cells in the brains of autistic people may be part of a generally overactive immune system
Blood vessels in the brains of more than half of autistic people have an unusually large number of T cells.
There's a theory that a lack of flexibility in how the body regulates physiological states could explain many autism traits. We investigate what evidence exists to back this idea up.
Cardiac activity could reveal autism's physiology and confirm a hunch many clinicians share: that people with autism experience great stress.
Researchers still find the idea of autistic women as sexual beings hard to accept, and still perpetuate misunderstandings, writes autism sexuality advocate Amy Gravino.
Misinformation about autistic women and sex is common in the scientific community. A study published this year is a case in point.
The paintings of 12-year-old autistic artist Ansh Batra in Gurugram, India, have won awards and attracted buyers from around the world.
For his mother, the 12-year journey of seeing her son grow up has been difficult but is full moments that filled her with pride.
Everything I am, I am autistically'—autist, poet, and writer Joanne Limburg muses on the pros and cons of her traits in an essay.
Greta Thunberg, Chris Packham, Jack Monroe and others credit their Asperger’s with giving them the focus to get things done. Here, poet, writer and ‘autist’ Joanne Limburg wonders if the condition has helped her, too
Being raised bilingual does not hurt autistic children’s language development, and may even help with social communication and receptive language.
In the United States, 12 million children primarily speak a language other than English at home.1 This represents about one in four children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) being raised in a bilingual environment. The old notion that bilingualism could “confuse” a child has long been refuted...
3-year-old Owen is autistic but did not flag as possibly autistic on his 18- or 24-month autism screens and his insurance twice denied coverage of autism therapy.
“I always knew something was up, but no one believed me,” his mom says.
This is part 1 of the story of one boy's long journey to an autism diagnosis and therapy. Part 2 will track Owen's progress later this year.
Researchers have identified the most useful diagnostic screen for ADHD in autistic children.
There are high rates of comorbidity between ADHD and ASD; however, there has been limited work parsing rates by ADHD presentation. In addition, common…
Cognitive behavioral therapy may help both autistic children and their parents sleep better.
Insomnia is common in autism and associated with challenging behavior and worse parent sleep. Cognitive behavioral treatment for childhood insomnia (CBT‐CI) is efficacious in typically developing ch...
How is autism related to cardiac activity? What if much of the behavior we call autism stems from the body being in a perpetual state of defense?
Cardiac activity could reveal autism's physiology and confirm a hunch many clinicians share: that people with autism experience great stress.
A new CRISPR method scans gene expression in live cells and could help scientists study genes linked to autism.
A new method scans gene expression in live cells and could help scientists study autism genes.
Some autistic children and young adults in the United Kingdom are detained in mental health institutions inappropriately, a British Parliamentary committee report found on Friday.
A British Parliamentary committee says many young people with autism or learning disabilities are being detained under "horrific" conditions and is calling for an urgent overhaul of the system
The animated short film “Mind My Mind” explores the inner thoughts of Chris, an autistic man contemplating romance. Its neurotypical director, Floor Adams, won Best Animated Short at the Indy Shorts International Film Festival.
With her first animated short, Mind My Mind, Floor Adams hoped to offer a glimpse into the mind of a person living with autism, who relies on social scripts to make his way through the world. A fil…
A study this year on autistic people’s sexual experiences has flaws in its assumptions, and many of its conclusions do not reflect Amy Gravino’s experience as an autistic woman, she writes.
Misinformation about autistic women and sex is common in the scientific community. A study published this year is a case in point.
The United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union would endanger continent-wide autism research collaborations.
The United Kingdom's exit from the European Union would endanger continent-wide collaborations.
An eye-tracking measure in autistic toddlers may predict autism severity during their school-age years, according to a new study in the journal Autism.
Companies seeking to hire neurodiverse employees must attend to hiring and career development practices.
Historically, companies have asked employees to 'trim away' their irregularities; it's easier to fit people together if they are all perfect rectangles. But 'fit' often required employees to leave their differences at home.
Dozens of apps are marketed to people with mental health conditions, including autism, and many violate the users’ privacy.
Some researchers are finding a better way, with transparency and plain-language privacy statements, and some are calling for governmental regulation.
Dozens of apps are marketed to people with mental health conditions, including autism, and many violate the users’ privacy. Some researchers are finding a better way.
After Owen's autism diagnosis, his family’s health insurance company twice declined to cover the cost of therapy.
Part One of Owen's long journey to an autism diagnosis—Part Two will follow up with Owen later this year.
This is part 1 of the story of one boy's long journey to an autism diagnosis and therapy. Part 2 will track Owen's progress later this year.
What might explain the overlap between autism and epilepsy, and what does it reveal about autism?
Autism and epileptic seizures often go hand in hand. What explains the overlap, and what does it reveal about autism’s origins?
What Ehlers-Danlos, a syndrome involving hypermobility, can teach us about autism. An intriguing expert opinion from a scientist with hypermobility.
Not much is known about the connection between autism and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition that affects collagen. But preliminary work provides clues.
Misinformation about autistic women and sex is common in the scientific community.
Case in point: A study this year on autistic people’s sexual experiences has serious flaws in its assumptions, writes Amy Gravino, and many of its conclusions do not reflect her experience as an autistic woman.
Misinformation about autistic women and sex is common in the scientific community. A study published this year is a case in point.
CRISPR gene-editing therapy reverses the effects of an autism mutation in adolescent mice, not just in infancy, finds a new study.
CRISPR therapy — Injecting the gene-editing tool CRISPR into the brains of mice may reverse the effects of an autism mutation at any age.
Autistic children have different gaze patterns than typical children when watching movie depictions of social interactions. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/aur.2234
Previous eye‐tracking studies have reported that children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) fixate less on faces in comparison to controls. To properly understand social interactions, however, ch...
Critics say New York City public schools have a flawed two-tiered system for evaluating kids for special ed services, in that families who can pay for a private neuropsych evaluation have a leg up.
“It hurts my heart that not every kid can get [a neuropsych evaluation] who needs it — because they are very expensive," says a former NYC public school developmental neuropsychologist.
Critics say the city’s inability to fully assess kids’ needs leads parents with means to seek private help while many others have nowhere to turn.
Hiring practices that seek to include neurodiverse job candidates often overlook women.
As an openly autistic lawyer, I’m one of the lucky ones. Too many disabled women like me are skipped over for job opportunities.
Motor problems are hugely overlooked in autistic children.
35% of autistic children have significant movement difficulties, but only 3% of those have a diagnosed movement condition, a new large study finds. "We were quite alarmed," says one scientist involved.
At least one in three autistic children has significant movement difficulties, according to a large study.
What do Rett syndrome and autism have in common? What can studies of Rett syndrome tell us about autism? Here's what you need to know about these two conditions.
Studies of Rett syndrome hint at genes, cells and brain circuits that may be involved in autism — and may pave the way to treatments for both conditions.
An entertainment industry executive makes the case for inclusion of people with autism in Hollywood.
Entertainment Industry Foundation CEO Nicole Sexton outlines a new program that aims to "motivate employers to hire, support and promote inclusive workforces and engage the public to advocate for equality."
Autistic children may experience more pain than neurotypical children.
Children with an autism spectrum disorder may be twice as likely to experience pain as kids without autism, a new study suggests.
Autistic teens can learn everyday skills by using iPad videos along with parental prompts and feedback.
The use of technological devices has proven to be effective and efficient for the delivery of videos aimed at promoting daily living skills (DLS) among individuals with autism spectrum disorder. As...
A single dose of CBD, found in cannabis, eases seizures and improves learning and sociability in mice with an autism gene mutation.
A single dose of cannabidiol, a component of marijuana, eases seizures and improves learning and sociability in mice with mutations in an autism gene called CDKL5.
Thousands of brain organoids--miniature lab-grown brainlike structures--from six autistic people may give researchers the potential to rapidly screen drugs and more easily study autism’s biology.
Researchers have analyzed thousands of brain organoids derived from six autistic people, gaining the potential to rapidly screen drugs.
Autism may look different in adults than it does in children, making diagnosing adults harder.
Most autistic people receive a diagnosis in childhood, but many adults also live with the condition. Learn about the symptoms, diagnosis, and more in this article.
People with a genetic propensity toward autism may be at an elevated risk for self-harm and suicidal behavior.
Autistic individuals experience significantly elevated rates of childhood trauma, self-harm and suicidal behaviour and ideation (SSBI). Is this purely the result of negative environmental experiences, or does this interact with genetic predisposition? In this study we investigated if a genetic predi...
A Russian scientist has been using CRISPR in human eggs with the goal of editing a gene that causes deafness.
“The project is recklessly opportunistic, clearly unethical,” says CRISPR pioneer Jennifer Doudna.
Denis Rebrikov also told Nature that he does not plan to implant gene-edited embryos until he gets regulatory approval.
Children should not need to self-identify as autistic on Halloween by carrying a blue bucket, argues one writer with an autistic son.
My son shouldn’t have to disclose his diagnosis in exchange for kindness.
What two rare 'social syndromes' reveal about autism — an interesting perspective on Smith-Magenis and Potocki-Lupski syndromes.
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.
For the first time, scientists have visualized each neuron throughout the process of building a brain circuit: neurons mature, specialize, migrate to their destinations, and then make connections and networks with other neurons.
A new technique lets researchers watch brain circuits as they're being built, starting from the individual neurons birth.
A vast assortment of monkey brain tissue specimens just went virtual.
The digitized macaque brains at MacBrainResource may help researchers study conditions like autism.
A new free online library contains a vast assortment of digitized macaque brain slides.
Is Ehlers-Danlos, a syndrome involving hypermobility, related to autism? And could the biology of Ehlers-Danlos shed light on autism? From scientist with hypermobility Emily Casanova.
Not much is known about the connection between autism and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a condition that affects collagen. But preliminary work provides clues.
Autism and epileptic seizures often go hand in hand. What explains the overlap, and what does it reveal about autism’s origins?
Autism and epileptic seizures often go hand in hand. What explains the overlap, and what does it reveal about autism’s origins?
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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.
Brain organoids are balls of neurons, created in the lab, that reveal how the brain develops. But what can organoids teach us about autism? Autism researcher Alysson Muotri thinks he has the answer. Read the story here: https://t.co/0Hg72rvFBu
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.
On the website of the company neurocore an illustration of an anthropomorphized human brain, complete with hopeful eyes and a wide smile, is pumping iron. “A stronger brain makes anything possible,” says the tagline next to the cheery brain. This concept — body-building for the brain — is known as neurofeedback, and Neurocore touts it as a treatment for autism. There’s no solid evidence that neurofeedback works as a treatment for autism. Read our investigation into Neurocore's claims here: https://spectrumnews.org/news/despite-dearth-data-firms-sell-brain-training-autism-antidote/
