A new test claims to assess a child’s risk of autism based on abnormal folds in the placenta, and is being offered to pediatricians in the U.S. But with little evidence to support its use, experts say the test is premature and unethical. Yale University researcher Harvey Kliman introduced the Placen…

Autistic women show unusually strong connections, and autistic men unusually weak ones, between two specific brain regions, according to a new study1. The connections stretch from two regions within the cerebellum, which governs movement, emotion and language, to parts of the cerebral cortex. The la…

It is a well known fact that all Apple products have amazing accessibility features, and that’s one of the reasons why these products are appreciated so much. However, have you wondered why Apple cares so much for accessibility? Why do they invest so much time and money in researching accesibility f…

More than half of autistic people in the United States have an average or above-average intelligence quotient (IQ), an uptick over previous estimates, a new longitudinal study of children in Minnesota suggests. The rise could reflect a heightened awareness and understanding of the condition, as well…

Certain complications during pregnancy or delivery increase the chances of having a child with autism by 26 percent or more, according to a study of more than 400,000 mother-child pairs1. The riskiest complications are abnormal position of the baby in the womb, severe deprivation of oxygen to the ba…

By Kadin McElwain Recently, SpongeBob SquarePants’ voice actor Tom Kenny revealed that SpongeBob is on the autism spectrum, calling it “his superpower”. This revelation will most likely help a lot of autistic individuals, both adults and kids, to embrace who they are by watching th…

Last month, Spectrum hosted a webinar with autism researchers Tony Charman and Catherine Lord, who co-chaired the Lancet Commission’s set of recommendations for the autism field. Conversations around the commission continue; yesterday, the European Council of Autistic People published an open lette…

If you’ve met one person who is a runner, you’ve met one person who is a runner. By Tracey Cohen Without a doubt, running, like autism, can be full of challenge, even painful at times. But the willingness to embrace difficulty is giving oneself the opportunity to flourish, to live a fulf…

Certain patterns of electrical activity in the brain may signal autism in children with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a related genetic condition. Toddlers who have both TSC and autism have brain waves that are unusually out of sync across hemispheres, a new study suggests1. The study offers a p…

A new rule to restrict legal immigration in the United States, published by the Trump administration this month, is sowing confusion and anxiety even among immigrants not directly affected by it, as fear spreads faster than facts, immigration and health policy experts say. The rule would allow the f…

Robert Watkins reviews the film Please Stand By from his autistic perspective and interviews screenwriter Michael Golamco about the film’s origins and the inspiration behind his Star Trek-loving, autistic female protagonist. By Robert Watkins The act of writing is very comfortable to me. It fits ver…

Max, Teacher Harriet's nephew, is a new, recurring character on the show and is easily overwhelmed by certain stimuli, including loud sounds, bright lights, and uncomfortable fabrics. The post Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Is Introducing A New Character With Autism appeared first on The Autism S…

Losing access to the baby food leaves young Libby with only Weetabix to eat, which could cause malnourishment. The post 3-Year-Old with ASD and Food Selectivity Will Soon Run Out of One of the Only Foods She’ll Eat appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

Mutations to the chromosomal region 16p11.2 affect people in different ways, often leading to some combination of autism, intellectual disability and language difficulties. Two new studies help to account for this diversity of traits1,2. Up to 25 percent of people with a duplication or deletion of D…