Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) neurologist Shafali Spurling Jeste, MD, has been named the 2024 recipient of the prestigious Martha Bridge Denckla Award from the Child Neurology Society. This award—named after a physician who pioneered the field of developmental cognitive neurology—honors physician-scientists of international standing who conduct research and clinical care focused on neurodevelopmental and neurobehavioral disorders.
Tag: Autism
Children with autism benefit from use of video games
A University of Delaware lab is now pioneering the use of video games – specifically Nintendo Switch’s Ring Fit – as an intervention to enhance movement and motor skills for children with autism. The research further demonstrates the positive impact of exercise-based games on cognition and social interactions.
UTHealth Houston named first-ever SCN2A Multidisciplinary Center by FamilieSCN2A Foundation
In recognition of its expertise in treating SCN2A-related neurological disorders, UTHealth Houston has been designated as the first SCN2A Multidisciplinary Center by the FamilieSCN2A Foundation, the largest global advocacy organization for the group of disorders.
‘Invaluable’ program gives respite to parents of children with special needs
The program, organized by URI College of Nursing Professor Chris McGrane, provides respite care for parents of children with special needs, at no cost to them. For four hours every Saturday afternoon, McGrane and her team of URI students, take care of children with special needs, giving parents a chance to take a break from the sometimes daunting responsibilities of care.
Empowering autistic teens: New clinician advice for navigating chronic pain
When you’re an autistic teenager living with chronic pain, getting treatment for your pain can be a challenging experience.
Number of at-risk youth with intellectual disability and autism in the U.S. foster care system is growing
Youth with foster care involvement have an increased risk for mental health diagnoses, trauma and worse outcomes in adulthood than their peers
Understanding neurodiversity across the UK population – study
A new study has provided insight into how experiences and features of neurodiversity vary amongst adults in the UK.
A Quarter of Teens with Autism Go Undiagnosed, Rutgers Researchers Find
Analysis of records from four New Jersey counties provides crucial data on the condition in 16-year-olds.
Study: Researchers find link between plastic additive and autism, ADHD
The incidence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has greatly increased over the last few decades. The reasons are largely unknown although environmental factors are believed to be important.
Bridging the Autism Service Cliff With Job Interview Training
For adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) trying to land a job, one-on-one interview training is a better way to prepare than group sessions, which may work for others, a Rutgers study found.
UC Davis MIND Institute director calls for new approach to equity in autism, fragile X research
UC Davis MIND Institute Director Leonard Abbeduto has co-authored a paper in the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities that calls for a paradigm shift in disability research.
IU-developed statewide initiative shows primary care clinicians can diagnose autism in young children with high accuracy
A new study led by Indiana University School of Medicine researchers shows primary care clinicians who receive specialized training can make accurate autism diagnoses for over 80 percent of young children referred with developmental delays, providing compelling evidence that community-based models of autism evaluation are a potential solution for improving access to this needed service.
Boosting certain brain cells diminished hypersensitivity in Fragile X mice
Study suggests modulating the activity of certain neurons could be an effective approach to restoring circuit function.
New study finds common autism screening tool is effective but has limitations
A UC Davis MIND Institute analysis of 13 studies finds that a common autism screening tool is useful, but a clinician’s judgment is still needed.
First Large Study of “Profound” Autism Finds Rising Problem With Disparate Impacts
A new study by the Centers for Disease Control of children with profound autism, the most severe form of the condition, found that cases are increasing, and those most likely to be diagnosed are poor, female and non-white. Walter Zahorodny,…
Jumpstarting to Independence: A creative solution to improve equity in Applied Behavior Analysis therapy for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) benefit from a type of therapy called Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). ABA can help patients with common challenges of ASD, such as noise sensitivity, communication, attention and daily activities. ABA therapy is generally delivered in a one-on-one setting — typically in the family home, an ABA therapy center or school – to support children with ASD and help work through challenges.
Long Telomeres, the Endcaps on DNA, Not the Fountain of Youth Once Thought — Scientists May Now Know Why
In a study of 17 people from five families, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers say they found that ultra-lengthy DNA endcaps called telomeres fail to provide the longevity presumed for such people. Instead, people with long telomeres tend to develop a range of benign and cancerous tumors, as well as the age-related blood condition clonal hematopoiesis.
UniSA health students ahead when it comes to autism
UniSA’s allied health students will be the first in Australia to learn how to implement the National Guideline for the Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorders, as the University becomes the first hosting partner of Autism CRC’s tailored undergraduate eLearning lecture and activity.
Researchers Find Earlier Intervention Leads to Greater Improvements in Young Children on the Autism Spectrum
Researchers have demonstrated that starting intervention coaching parents of autistic toddlers as early as 18 months leads to better gains in language, social communication, and daily living skills.
Medical experts available: C. auris, Autism, Black Maternal Health
Ochsner Health has medical experts on standby to discuss Candida Auris, many topics related to autism as we promote Autism Acceptance Month in April, including signs of Autism in adults. Black Maternal Health Week is coming up in April as…
Higher lithium levels in drinking water may raise autism risk
Pregnant women whose household tap water had higher levels of lithium had a moderately higher risk of their offspring being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, researchers reported in JAMA Pediatrics.
Medical experts available: OTC Narcan, Autism Acceptance Month and Black Maternal Health Week
Ochsner Health has medical experts on standby to discuss the groundbreaking FDA approval for over-the-counter Narcan for overdose, many topics related to autism as we promote Autism Acceptance Month in April, including signs of Autism in adults. Black Maternal Health…
Learning to love music
Cross-college innovation helps children with autism while providing high-impact learning experience
Utah Findings Show Shifting Demographics of Children Identified with Autism
For the first time, a new analysis found that among Utah children aged 8 years old, rates of autism were equal in White children and children from historically underserved populations, including Hispanic and Pacific Islanders.
Autism Rates Continue to Rise in California
Autism rates are on the rise in the United States, and especially in California. UC San Diego researchers link changing rates and demographics to increased early-detection.
CDC Report Shows Overall and Maryland Autism Rate Increase Among 8-Year-Olds
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health contributed to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that found a continued rise in the overall prevalence of autism among 8-year-olds in 2020, the year the data was collected, as well as notable sex and racial/ethnic trends.
Rates of Autism Climb to New Highs in the U.S., With California Setting Record Numbers
New federal studies coauthored by autism experts at Rutgers found that more children have been diagnosed with autism than at any time since monitoring began more than two decades ago.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 4 percent of 8-year-old boys and 1 percent of 8-year-old girls, have autism in the U.S. These estimates are the highest since the CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network was created in 2000.
Researchers Identify Novel Genes That May Increase Risk For Schizophrenia
Researchers have identified two previously unknown genes linked to schizophrenia and newly implicated a third gene as carrying risk for both schizophrenia and autism. Led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the multi-center study further demonstrated that the schizophrenia risk conferred by these rare damaging variants is conserved across ethnicities. The study may also point to new therapeutics. The findings were published in the March 13 online issue of Nature Genetics.
Children at Risk for Autism Struggle to Notice Mismatched Audio and Video
Rutgers research that may eventually enable far earlier autism diagnoses shows that typically developing infants perceive audio-video synchrony better than high-risk for autism infants.
UC Davis study uncovers age-related brain differences in autistic individuals
Differences in genes involved in inflammation, immunity response and neural transmissions begin in childhood and evolve across the lifespan in brains of people with autism, a UC Davis MIND Institute has found.
Toddlers’ Attention to ‘Motherese’ Speech May Be Used to Diagnose Autism
Toddlers’ level of attention to “motherese” speech can be used as a biomarker for autism spectrum disorder (ASD). UC San Diego scientists developed a new eye-tracking test to measure it, which can accurately identify toddlers with a subtype of ASD.
IQ changes over time may help track development, guide intervention in autistic youth
A new study by UC Davis MIND Institute researchers finds that changes in the IQ level of autistic youth may help predict their developmental path as adolescents.
Study Logs Five-Fold Increase in Autism in New York-New Jersey Region
Documented cases of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the New York–New Jersey metro region increased by as much as 500 percent between 2000 and 2016, with the highest increase among children without intellectual disabilities, according to a Rutgers study.
Federally funded studies into treatment for chronic conditions overlook efficacy in adults with autism, analysis finds
Physical health disparity conditions in autistic adults have not been the focus of any research funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the last four decades, an analysis of a federal database found.
Trial to test whether drug that targets gut bacteria can improve irritability in teenagers with autism
A new trial will test whether a medication that targets gut bacteria can also improve irritability in teenagers with autism spectrum disorder.
Gene Mutation Leading to Autism Found to Overstimulate Brain Cells
Scientists looking to understand the fundamental brain mechanisms of autism spectrum disorder have found that a gene mutation known to be associated with the disorder causes an overstimulation of brain cells far greater than that seen in neuronal cells without the mutation.
The Rutgers-led study, spanning seven years, employed some of the most advanced approaches available in the scientific toolbox, including growing human brain cells from stem cells and transplanting them into mouse brains.
Adding Sensory Integration to Autism Assessments may yield More Individualized Treatment
Additional insights can help guide interventions that can assist individuals in processing and understanding their surroundings better.
Brain Changes in Autism Are Far More Sweeping Than Previously Known
The new study finds brain-wide changes in virtually all of the 11 cortical regions analyzed, regardless of whether they are higher critical association regions – those involved in functions such as reasoning, language, social cognition and mental flexibility – or primary sensory regions.
How Do You Measure Success in Autism Clinical Trials?
Shafali Spurling Jeste, MD, shares early findings—and a critical challenge—from the Autism Biomarkers Consortium for Clinical Trials. How do you know if a treatment for autism is effective? That’s a question that has no easy answer—due in large part to the heterogeneous nature of autism spectrum disorder.
Yes, People with Autism Have Empathy
A research group led by Ben-Gurion University of the Negev has proposed a new concept for predicting autism and autistic traits. Empathic disequilibrium combines two types of empathy into a single scale for the first time.
Autistic People Are More Likely to Experience Depression and Anxiety During Pregnancy
Autistic people are more vulnerable to depression and anxiety during pregnancy, according to new research from the University of Cambridge.
Brain-Like Organoids Grown in a Dish Provide Window into Autism
Whatever you do, don’t call them “mini-brains,” say University of Utah Health scientists. Regardless, the seed-sized organoids—which are grown in the lab from human cells—contained an array of neural and other cell types found in the cerebral cortex, the outermost layer of the brain involved in language, emotion, reasoning, and other high-level mental processes. They are providing insights into the brain and uncovering differences that may contribute to autism in some people.
Rare Human Gene Variant in ADHD, Autism Exposes Fundamental Sex Differences
Key differences in male and female mice brains provide new insights into how sex determines the mechanisms by which distinct synapses monitor and regulate dopamine signaling. The impact of sex differences is particularly pronounced when the mice express a human genetic variant found in boys with either ADHD or autism. Behavioral generalizations across the sexes may limit diagnosis of mental illness, especially if one sex translates alterations into outward signs such as hyperactivity and aggression vs. more internal manifestations such as learning, memory and mood, even when the same molecular pathology is at work.
UCLA researcher awarded National Academy of Medicine prize for work on genetics of autism
Dr. Daniel Geschwind was awarded the National Academy of Medicine’s top annual prize in mental health in recognition of his pioneering research and leadership in autism genetics.
In-school occupational therapy creates positive education experiences for kids with autism
In an Australian first, South Australia has appointed a new Assistant Minister for Autism, tasked to increase autism supports in public primary schools. This could not have come at a more urgent time as new research from the University of South Australia shows that parents world-wide report a lack of awareness and understanding of the unique learning needs of autistic children across all levels of mainstream school.
Eye test could screen children for autism
Measuring how the eyes’ pupils change in response to light—known as the pupillary light reflex—could potentially be used to screen for autism in young children, according to a study conducted at Washington State University.
Only Half of Children With Autism Receive Early Intervention Services
Despite a federal mandate requiring access to early intervention programs (EIP) for children with disabilities, fewer than half of autistic children in four New Jersey counties received services before 36 months of age, according to a Rutgers study.
New Resource: Mental Health Guide for Autistic College Students
Vanessa Bal, associate professor at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology and the Karmazin and Lillard Endowed Chair in Adult Autism and Evan Kleiman, assistant professor of psychology at Rutgers, are available to discuss a newly created resource…
Scientists develop blueprint for turning stem cells into sensory interneurons
Key takeaways:
• Just like the real thing. The stem cell–derived interneurons, which play a role in sensations like touch and pain, are indistinguishable from their real-life counterparts in the body.
• Tomorrow’s therapies. In addition to potential treatments for injury-related sensation loss, the discovery could lead to new methods for screening drugs for chronic pain.
• Moving forward. While stem cells from mice were used in the research, scientists are now working to replicate the findings with human cells.
Social-sexual education for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities
People with neurodevelopmental disabilities are often not given the tools to create romantic relationships in a meaningful, safe way. This puts them at risk for sexual abuse. A new educational program, tested in partnership with the UC Davis MIND Institute, may help foster healthy, romantic relationships.