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Issue 16’s Big Question What coping skills or accommodations help you/ and or your child with Autism Spectrum Disorder when traveling? Gretchen McIntire, our Guest Editor, asked this question to the #ActuallyAutistic Community on Twitter and Facebook. Here’s what they had to say: “I’m pretty cool w…

A new method uses DNA mutations to maintain a detailed record of series of cellular events1. The system, called DNA-based Ordered Memory and Iteration Network Operator (DOMINO), could also enable researchers to study cell signaling, control the sequence and timing of gene expression in cells, and tr…

Gene expression patterns in the brains of people with autism are similar to those of people who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, according to a large study of postmortem brain tissue1. The findings appear today in Science. All three conditions show an activation of genes in star-shaped brain …

By Aaron Bouma For my peoples with disabilities, stigma is something we continuously face. It is how we are perceived to be, to act, and what we are believed to be capable of as well as what expections people have when they become involved with us. Expectations can be like a scale. It can be good …

Roughly 7 percent of children with autism eventually lose their diagnosis, swapping social problems and language difficulties for more typical skills and behaviors. But it is unclear whether this transition is associated with a return to typical brain function or reflects a compensatory process. New…

The post Webinar: Syndey Pettygrove discusses why autism prevalence estimates have changed over time appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

“Harmonium” is an innovative sign language adventure and music game centered around Melody Macato, a 10-year-old Filipina-American girl who is Deaf. In the game, Melody aspires to create a unique type of music that is accessible to her friends, combining visual and tactile elements. The …

After weeks of will-they-or-won’t-they tensions, the U.S. House of Representatives managed to pass its Republican replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) yesterday by a razor-thin margin. The vote was 217-213. Democrats who lost the battle are still convinced they may win the political war. A…

Girls with autism have more difficulty making and executing plans than do boys with the condition, a new study suggests. They also have relatively poor daily-living skills, such as personal hygiene, cooking and using public transportation1. The results suggest that girls with autism would benefit fr…

ABA often gets a bad rap due to misunderstandings about reinforcement. In my career alone, I’ve had people tell me that people are not like rats and pigeons, that reinforcement harms intrinsic motivation, and that when I do produce behavior change, it has nothing to do with ABA but with my abilities…

Hello, and welcome to the Community Newsletter! I’m your host, Chelsey B. Coombs, Spectrum’s engagement editor. The first study to spark online exchanges this week looked at the link between autism traits and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults aged 50 and older who scored high on a meas…

Autistic Author Interview Travis Breeding Travis Breeding has written over 15 books about his experiences with autism. Writing is a special interest and hobby for Travis. He feels it is important that people on the autism spectrum use their knowledge and talent to communicate what it feels lik…

By Christa Holmans, Neurodivergent Rebel I spend a lot of time sitting in the background, listening and observing, and soaking in other people’s conversations, especially online, where I can engage in my native language – text. Writing and reading have always been more accessible and mor…