Two new resources may aid the study of synapses, the junctions between neurons. Synapses are the nodes of the brain circuits that underlie behavior, movement and various other functions. Alterations in synaptic proteins may be involved in autism. A new online platform called SynGO provides informati…

“Synesthesia is a gift but it is also a beautiful language that needs its own translation.” Jeremy Sicile-Kira The essay below was written by 17-year old Abigail Delizo for a University of Toronto assignment for a course on Creating Community: Art, Identity and Belonging. Communicatio…

The post Female focus; mouse missteps; disturbing disparity appeared first on Spectrum. Source: Spectrum News

May is Mental Health Month. The three largest mental health facilities in the United States are jails. By Debra Muzikar Last night Lesley Stahl on 60 Minutes profiled Tom Dart, The Sheriff of Cook County and the person who oversees the largest mental health facility in the United States – Cook…

When you see an Autistic Artist trying to support themselves and their passion – as with any Artist, Autistic or Neurotypical, please, strike up a conversation, ask questions, consider all the reasons and information put forward to you. By Margaux WoskThe opportunities for artists seem to be…

The Art of Autism is saddened to hear of Jackson Wheeler’s passing. The Art of Autism honored Jackson Wheeler last year with a Hearts and Arts Award. Jackson Wheeler was a great friend of people with disabilities. He was a social worker for thirty years for Tri-Counties Regional Center and d…

Autism comes with a stereotype: shy, awkward, obsessed with tech, decidedly male. It’s an image that erases the many girls and women who are autistic, but it also reflects the reality that far more boys than girls have a diagnosis. Several studies put that sex ratio at about 3 to 1; among psychiatri…

My name is Ari – I am reaching out from Nina Day Casting, we are a casting agency in New York currently working on a campaign for a new real-life video chat tool that is launching to improve communication for people across the ASD spectrum. We are looking for real people with ASD who may be f…

The post Spotted around the web: Week of 22 April 2019 appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Some children diagnosed with autism by age 2 show unusual responses to sights, sounds and textures as infants, according to a new study1. For example, the infants may cover their ears in response to ordinary conversation or shrink from being touched; they may also be slow to react to pain or changes…

A new map of DNA structure highlights sequences that regulate the formation of neurons in the developing brain1. Some of the identified regions affect autism risk. Inside a cell’s nucleus, DNA coils around proteins like thread on a spool, creating a complex known as chromatin. Loosely wrapped DNA al…

The school disputes the claims and says they've never punished Nathan for his actions.Source: The Autism Site

Jacob Ellegood arrived at his first autism meeting buoyed by excitement about his ambitious new project. His goal was to scan the brains of an array of autism mouse models and pinpoint exactly where things go awry. All he had to do was convince some researchers to give him their mice. He quickly cam…

Most autism researchers are familiar with the saying: “If you’ve seen one child with autism, you’ve seen one child with autism.” The phrase is often used to underscore the heterogeneous nature of autism, and it has certainly influenced the way I think about the condition. But another statement, this…