By Ron Sandison When I was diagnosed with autism in 1982 only one in every 10,000 children in the United States had an autism diagnosis. As a teenager, I felt different, much like an endangered species. I was often excluded from social activities due to my outbursts and meltdowns. The neurodiversit…

The post Spotted around the web: Gut issues, autism screens, prenatal genetic tests appeared first on Spectrum | Autism Research News. Source: Spectrum News

Researchers have uncovered thousands of new alternate RNA versions, or isoforms, of brain-expressed genes, including some involved in autism, according to a new study. Several of the RNA isoforms are expressed at different levels during brain development, a separate analysis shows. Isoforms affected…

Of all the brain chemistry that autism researchers study, few molecules have garnered as much attention as the so-called ‘social hormone,’ oxytocin. Some autistic children appear to have low blood levels of oxytocin, which has led several teams to test oxytocin delivered intranasally as an autism th…

Motor skills can be a struggle for people on the autism spectrum. This includes the ability to balance.... The post Video Games Help Improve Balance, Reduce Symptoms in Teens with Autism appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

Children with autism tended to have a weaker response to baby talk and emotional speech in the temporal cortex. The post Lack of Engagement During “Baby Talk” Could Point to Autism in Infants, Study Suggests appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

Using a new line of mice that express a synaptic membrane receptor with a fluorescent tag, researchers have tracked changes in the strength of synapses across the brain over several days. The method could shed light on altered synaptic function in people with autism, and the neural mechanisms respon…

A new law in Oregon allows deaf/hard of hearing drivers to include their hearing status on their license. Getting pulled over by law enforcement is a stressful situation to begin with, and for deaf or hard of hearing drivers, not being able to effectively communicate with police officers can be e…

Toys and GGC Good Packs were given to children in need who might not otherwise have had toys for Christmas and who might be lacking some basic necessities like warm socks and hygiene products. The post GreaterGood Partners with Organization of Hope to Deliver Toys and Necessities to Kids in Need app…

Eating a delicious meal, ranting to a friend, playing an instrument, tackling that boulder scramble in the middle of your favorite hike — some of life’s greatest pleasures depend on a diverse and complex set of motor skills. Despite the centrality of motor function to so many aspects of everyday liv…

I feel tired, numb and tense. My head hurts and everything seems too much. By now I recognise these symptoms: I have stress! But what exactly is stress, how does it differ from healthy excitement and how can you make yourself resilient to stress? In this blog, I explain what I think stress is. I als…

Gloria's son has had his hair cut at that Great Clips location twice before. She says they've always been able to work with him. The post Hairstylist Refused Haircut for 5-Year-Old with Autism. Now His Mom Is Pushing for Change appeared first on The Autism Site News. Source: The Autism Site

Once properly trained, healthcare providers could play a critical role in helping families decide whether and when their autistic children should get driver's licenses. The post Very Few Pediatric Providers Discuss Whether Their Patients with Autism Should Drive, Study Shows appeared first on The A…

Stressful situations induce social deficits in mice with a mutated copy of the autism-linked gene SHANK3, according to a new study. Eliminating a stress-related protein that regulates SHANK3 restores typical social functioning in the animals, the work also shows. This connection may help to explain …